Regulus lay on his bed, clutching his puffskein as he traced his finger along the edges of an Astronomy book. Sirius had given it to him, it was a first year Hogwarts book and Regulus felt mighty for holding it, reading it. He wasn't eleven yet, but here he was! Astronomy had always fascinated him because he knew stars and constellations were the source of most of the names in his family.
He flipped through the pages, trying to distract himself from his lingering fear and worries when a soft knock on the door startled him. He put down the book and immediately got up, knowing his parents would never approve of his lazy posture. He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Come in."
But it weren't his parents coming through the door—it was his brother. He relaxed and sat down again, taking puffskein-Sirius on his lap as he stared at his brother, who was slightly shaken. "What's going on?"
Sirius plopped down next to him. "Things are really bad out there, Reg."
He looked down. "I know, Father told me the headmaster of Hogwarts is leading that Phoenix order-"
"I don't mean that. Mother and Father, I heard them just now, this new Head of Magical Law Enforcement bloke wants to go after every pureblood."
Regukus frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It means we're targets, Regulus."
"But... why? Is it because of-"
"No. It isn't because of anything except him wanting to 'nip it in the butt'. He's going after all purebloods."
Regukus didn't understand. Why would he go after all purebloods? "But we haven't done anything wrong, have we?"
Sirius shook his head. "He doesn't care about that."
"Oh."
He still didn't fully understand, but he did know that this man wasn't being very nice by targeting all purebloods like that. It made no sense, weren't they supposed to catch the baddies—that Phoenix order? Not some random purebloods?
This was all because of how much the world hated them, Regulus was sure of it. Evan had told them as much. He really shouldn't be so surprised to see it come true. And he might be safely tucked away at home, but Sirius...
"You've got to go to Hogwarts, haven't you?"
Sirius sighed. "Yes. They say I'll be safe there, but-"
"You'll write to me, won't you? Let me know if you're all right?" He couldn't stop the tears as he thought about what could possibly happen to his big brother at Hogwarts, if their parents were wrong and it was dangerous.
"I promise, Reg. I'll write to you every week, and I'll tell you everything that happens at Hogwarts."
Regulus nodded. He desperately wished for his parents to be right.
"Now, come on, I was meant to fetch you for lunch."
He followed his brother downstairs, taking his puffskein with him as always. The dining room was quiet as they walking in, and neither of their parents looked up from the Daily Prophet they were reading, as always.
He sat down, his brother next to him, and tried to figure out what the front page of the newspaper said without being too obvious about it. However, he failed, as his father slammed it on the table. "Boys, this is none of your concern."
"Yes, Father." Regulus looked down at the puffskein on his lap, trying not to look back at the newspaper as Kreacher set the table.
When he next looked up, the newspaper was gone.
"Listen very carefully," Mother said. "Your father and I have decided that until Sirius has to leave for Hogwarts, we won't be going anywhere, and nobody will be coming here."
"But my birthday-"
"Silence!"
Regulus gulped, his mother's outburst taking him by surprise. He didn't know she felt so strongly about staying at home, in isolation, though his brother's words if just moments ago came back to him. Were they really targeting all purebloods? But... they were purebloods...
"It's a dangerous world out there, Regulus," Father said. "I'm sorry, but your birthday will have to be a small one."
And small, it was. There were no festivities, no guests—not even his grandparents, or his aunts, his uncles, he couldn't say hi to his cousins... they even disconnected the home from the Floo network so there was no way to contact anyone other than owl post. He was completely isolated and nothing even hinted at it being his birthday if it wasn't for a few "happy birthday"s. It was incredibly disappointing to turn ten in these circumstances, and Regulus hoped and prayed that next year, when he was the one turning eleven and getting to go to Hogwarts, everything would be much better.
His birthday passed and the days of loneliness went on. He spent every single second with his brother, knowing their days together were limited as the first of September was growing nearer and nearer until-
"Wake up! Wake up, Reggie! I'm going to Hogwarts!"
Regulus was shaken by a very excited Sirius as he slowly woke up, the feeling of dread intensifying; today was the day his brother would go to Hogwarts—the day they'd have to say goodbye to each other. The next time they'd meet, it would be Christmas.
He opened his eyes to see his brother grinning from ear to ear. He mustered a small smile as he sat up. "I'm awake," he mumbled. "I'm awake..."
His brother ran over to his wardrobe and pulled out the first set of robes he could find, throwing them at him. "Get dressed, little brother, I can't be late just because you spend hours getting ready."
"Careful! Sirius!" He caught the robes but put them aside. "I need formal robes."
His brother laughed. "Formal robes? Reg, you're just coming to say goodbye to me, it's not a ball."
"Easy for you to say," he scoffed. His brother was wearing his school robes – which he had been trying to wear every day since he got them – and had no need to worry about appearances. The uniform was always a right fit while on Platform 9. He, however, didn't have that luxury, and going out into the wizarding world demanded a certain level of dignity; he was, after all, a Black.
"Fine. These good enough for you?" He held up a set of emerald green dress robes with silver flowers embroidered on the front.
"You're useless," Regulus groaned. He got up from the bed and walked towards the wardrobe, shoving his brother aside.
Sirius let out a laugh. "See you downstairs, princess."
Regulus ignored him as he left, picking a set of neat, formal robes. Black was the colour to go with (not emerald green), it was in their name and you could never go wrong with black.
He changed into the robes, said goodbye to his puffskein (sadly to be left alone for this little trip), and made his way downstairs to the dining room, where his parents and Sirius were already eating breakfast.
"How nice of you to finally join us!" Sirius grinned as Regulus took a seat at the table, rolling his eyes at his brother.
"Good morning, Mother, Father," he nodded at them and filled his plate with some sandwiches, though they felt dry in his mouth and he couldn't really swallow them. He knew it wasn't because the sandwiches were prepared wrong, because Kreacher was an incredible cook—he just couldn't stop thinking about Sirius leaving them behind. The months he would have to spend on his own, especially with this new isolation from the rest of the family, would probably be unbearable.
Father broke the silence. "Boys, we have to be very careful at the railway station today. I have reason to believe that there may be Aurors at the platform."
"Aurors? Why?"
"For 'protection', though I suspect they're after the next pureblood family. They took Abraxas last week."
"Abraxas Malfoy?" Regulus couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Malfoys were a highly influential family, they had the Ministry wrapped around their finger. If they took in a Malfoy, they'd take in everyone... including them.
"That's the one. He paid his way out, obviously, but I doubt we will be as lucky."
His father's ominous words stayed with him as they gathered all of Sirius' belongings before Apparating to Platform 9. As they left the Apparition point and entered the main platform, they were greeted with the overwhelming sight of students and families saying their goodbyes, and friends meeting up after the holidays... but Regulus couldn't spot a single Auror. His father kept looking around as if expecting someone to jump them any moment, but Regulus shifted his focus to Sirius, as did Mother.
"Behave yourself at Hogwarts," she warned him. "You-"
"Yes, I know," Sirius said impatiently. "You've told me a million times already. Can I go now?"
Mother took a deep breath, her face betraying a hint of concern for her son before it quickly fell back to the usual stern expression, hiding her emotions to the outside world like a proper Black. But Regulus knew, and he suspected his brother had seen it too: she was worried about Sirius. And with Dumbledore at the school... well... Regulus was worried as well.
The train whistle signalled it was time for Sirius to go. Father put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Make us proud, son. And make sure you stay safe."
"I will. And I'll miss you," he added, facing Regulus. "But I'll write, I promise."
"Good luck," was all Regulus could muster. He pushed back his tears as he clung tightly to his mother's arm. He couldn't cry, not here. Not in public.
"Sirius, you have to go now," said Mother. "You don't want to miss the train."
"Yes, ma'am!" With a final salute, Sirius got his belongings and made his way over to the train, disappearing into the crowd of students.
The moment he was out of sight, Father grabbed Regulus' shoulders, pushing him forward along with Mother as they ran across the platform. He didn't even have the time to ask what was going on, his legs struggling to keep up as they made it to the Apparition point.
"W-What-" he was half out of breath, leaning against his parents. His feet hurt and he just wanted to disappear.
"Not now," Mother yelled, cutting him off. Something about her – the fear in her voice, her pale face, the tears he could see hiding behind her eyes, the way she looked at him, at Father... – it intensified the feeling of dread he had been feeling all morning. And when he saw Father mirrored Mother's emotional state, that Father was just as scared, that's when he became painfully aware of what had just happened, why they'd had to run all the way here.
They were hunted like prey. Now they had to escape.
And the scene before him changed.
They landed in an open field, far away from the bustling platform. Regulus wobbled on his feet, a wave of nausea overcoming him as he clung to Mother. Apparition wasn't a good addition to an already upset stomach, but at least now, they were safe. At least now, they were away.
There was a soft pop to his left, and for a moment he jumped back, but it was only Father. But Father didn't seem relieved. He still looked terrified, and his voice was shaky when he spoke: "We can't stay for long. They'll track us down, somehow."
But they were supposed to be safe. This was supposed to be the end to the hunt. It wasn't fair they were even hunting them in the first place—they hadn't done anything wrong! But they were, and there was nothing he could do about it.
This was the end.
Oh, how much he just wished he could wake up. He buried his face into his mother's robes and squeezed his eyes shut, clinging to her as he tried to wake up. It's all a dream, it's not real, he told himself. It had to be. He'd wake up in his bedroom and everything would be okay, everything would be back to normal. Right?
Something tore at his hands, still clasped around his mother. He tightened his grip on his mother's robes in a desperate attempt to hold onto her, to stay with her, to keep close as the world blurred, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't stop it. He was torn away from Mother. A piercing, gut-wrenching fear overtook him. "Mummy! No! Please, no!"
He hit something hard, and his mother's calming presence was no more... it was cold without her warm, comforting scent. It was lonely without her arms around him. Panic clawed at his chest, and he couldn't do anything but lie there, in the grass, feeling utterly alone and abandoned.
He barely felt himself being lifted by a pair of arms. He barely felt the rhythm of the steps that quickened. He barely registered himself flinging his arms around the neck of the person carrying him—he certainly didn't stop to think about the familiar scent, the safety it brought him, the way it managed to calm him down.
He only lifted his head to see who was carrying him when they came to a stop. When he recognised his father's face, he allowed himself to fully relax. Everything was all right.
Then he saw Mother, just behind him and Father, doing something with her wand. It really was all right.
A little later, he was put on a sofa by his father. "Come on, son, let go, that's it, there you go," he whispered as he lay him down. "We're safe here."
Regulus wiped his eyes and his nose with the hem of his sleeve, much to the disapproval of Father—he could see it clearly on his face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"It's all right."
Mother entered the room and knelt down in front of him.
"Do you understand what just happened?"
He shook his head.
"Your father saw Aurors at the platform, and they were watching us from the moment we got there. We had to run, because they were approaching us—we cannot risk them taking us in for questioning. Do you understand?"
Again, he shook his head, though he had a feeling he knew where this was going.
She sighed. "The Ministry is very much against the Dark Lord and his followers. There's a new Head of Magical Law Enforcement – Crouch – who thinks that the way to go about... controlling the situation is to bring all pureblood wizards in for questioning. If we get caught and brought in for questioning, we'll lead them straight to your cousin. Do you understand?"
"I won't betray Bella!"
"You will if they get their hands on you," Father said. "It's what they want. Catch as many purebloods as possible, feed them ridiculous amounts of Veritaserum, and capture the culprits. It'll get anyone talking. And unfortunately, we aren't Malfoys," he added.
He blinked. Could they really? Would they? He didn't have much time to think it over. Whatever rest Father wanted him to have was stolen from him
"Now, come on, get up, dry those tears—can you be brave for us?"
He nodded and slowly got up from the sofa, straightening his back and wiping the last tears from his eyes.
"Good boy," she said as she got up as well. "Tears won't change this situation."
"We're in a small Muggle village now, we'll probably be safe her until at least tomorrow—it'll take a while before anyone suspects us to be here," Father explained as he started to pace around the small room, something he always did when he was nervous.
With only this one sofa in it, and a bookcase to his right, there wasn't much room to pace, so his pacing was really just two or three steps in either direction in front of the sofa.
Across the sofa was a big box, black at the front, but it seemed to be made out of wood... or something. It was strange, he had never seen it before.
Then Father's words dawned on him. A Muggle village. Merlin. This was a Muggle sofa, a Muggle bookcase, a Muggle box thing, a Muggle room, a Muggle house... he was in a Muggle village...
"I don't want to be with Muggles!"
Mother grasped him, pulling him close. He slowed his breathing as he took in her scent.
"Shh... there aren't any Muggles in this house," she said, softly rubbing his back. "And it's only temporary, none of us want to stay here."
"I understand," he mumbled, his voice barely audible as it was muffled against the fabric of her robes.
She let go of him. "It's going to be okay."
Regulus smiled back, feeling slightly better than he did before. Behind her, he saw the box again, and he couldn't contain his curiosity this time around. It made for a good change of topic.
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear?"
"What's that?" He pointed at the box, and she turned around to look at it.
She took a careful step towards it. "I'm not sure..."
"I'll have a look," Father said, hurrying over and pushing Mother aside. Now he cautiously approached the box, reaching out a hand.
"Be careful!" Mother yelled as Father's hand crept closer to what seemed to be some sort of button. But he pressed it nonetheless, and Regulus held his breath as he watched what happened.
Loud noises and bright light came from the box, and all three of them yelped and ducked for cover. They crawled across the floor to the door as the box continued to emit bright lights and loud noises he had never heard before.
They left the room and Father slammed the door shut. "We must be cautious," he said, panting heavily. "We don't know what this... this thing is capable of. It could be used to track us, it could be a trap. We all know how fond the Ministry is of these Muggles and their devices."
This was exactly why he didn't want to be here in this Muggle house, with their Muggle things! Those vile creatures were out to harm them, and this box was evidence of that. He couldn't wrap his mind around why his parents would choose to stay here, voluntarily! There had to be better places to hide, right? Less dangerous places, that didn't happen to have murderous tracker-boxes in the living room.
That evening, he lay in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, which, above all, was very Muggle, like everything else in the house—the Muggles in the pictures on the wall refused to talk to him, they wouldn't even wave at him or move at all, which was all very rude and he didn't like it one bit.
And as he lay there, overthinking the day's events, he heard a familiar crack. Kreacher. He nearly jumped off the bed when he saw those big eyes staring at him. He ran towards the elf and would have hugged him if the elf hadn't been holding a small silver tray. He was hopping from one foot to the other in an almost nervous manner. Kreacher, nervous?
"Master Regulus should sit down," Kreacher said, walking up to the small desk.
He sat down in the chair and Kreacher handed him the small tray, placing it gently on his lap and removing the cover. It revealed a perfectly baked chocolate cake—his favourite.
"Kreacher!" He called out in surprise, a smiling brightly as the delicious scent made him forget all about today. "Who's behind this?"
"Kreacher is sorry today is going badly... Kreacher wants you happy, master."
"Wait," he said, "you did this?! This was your idea? You came up with this all by yourself?"
Kreacher avoided his gaze, looking anxiously at the floor. "Y-yes, master," he stammered.
Regulus reached out to touch the elf, but he flinched away.
"No, don't, Kreacher..." he sighed as he leaned back, giving him more space. "I love it. Thank you. It's incredible."
Kreacher looked up, tears welling in his eyes as he bowed deeply. "Kreacher is honoured-"
"Oh shut up, you!" He put the tray on the desk and let himself fall to his knees, pulling the elf into a tight embrace.
At first Kreacher was stiff, but Regulus didn't let go. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Kreacher," he told him, softly patting his back. Kreacher loosened and slowly wrapped his arms around him, returning the hug.
Regulus beamed as he pulled away. "Thank you. Really."
"K-Kreacher is honoured to serve the Noble House of Black," came his standard reply.
"Kreacher... please, you're my friend..."
"My master Regulus is young," Kreacher shook his head.
"I'm ten!"
But Kreacher simply shook his head again before Disapparating. He sat back on the chair and stared at the cake. Kreacher had done this. Kreacher!
He jumped up again and rushed to the door, wanting to tell his parents and Sirius all about what Kreacher had done, but when he stepped into the hallways and it looked nothing like home—it hit him.
He wasn't home. Sirius wasn't here, he was at Hogwartd. And they were on the run. Stuck in some stupid Muggle house.
"What's going on?!"
A voice sounded from downstairs, a voice that was unmistakably Bellatrix's. What was she doing here of all places? Wasn't she the whole reason they had come here?!
He slowly made his way down the stairs. The voices got clearer to him and he heard his parents explaining to Bellatrix what had happened today, at platform 9, and Bella didn't seem surprised by it at all.
"We will have to come up with a plan. You can't stay here for long. The longer you remain in one place, the more likely you are to be discovered," she explained casually.
There she was, her wild, curly black hair dancing on her head as she moved around, waving her hands as she spoke. But just as he took the last step into the hallway, she stopped talking, staring right at him.
"Regulus!" she called out, hurrying towards him. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I am."
"Good boy," she said, messing up his hair with a big grin. "Oh, you're growing up so fast..."
He looked at Bellatrix, then at his parents. "Why is she here?"
Bella laughed, cutting off anything his parents could have wanted to say. "Glad to see you too, little cousin."
"I didn't mean it like that... I just thought we were here to protect you, but now you're here, and if they find us-" he was slightly panicked, he couldn't risk them catching her. He had no idea what would happen to her if they did, but he knew it couldn't be good.
"If they find us, we'll deal with them," Bellatrix said. "We can take on some Aurors. They have no idea who they're up against—the Dark Lord is more powerful than they could ever even dream of! And he's teaching me."
Regulus could see how proud she was to be taught by the Dark Lord. It did seem impressive, though he wasn't sure exactly what she was being thought, he knew his cousin was clever. Strong. She wasn't someone you wanted to cross—she could be very, very dangerous.
"She's agreed to help us the best she can," Father said. "We just have to avoid being caught, that's all."
That's all, he repeated in his head. That's all. It almost made it seem easy.