Mischief Managed Year Two Part One: The Poisoned Truth

Chapter Twenty-Seven- A Matter of Pride

.................................................

Regulus watched Sirius leave the Great Hall with a sinking feeling. He faced his food which didn't look appetizing anymore and wondered if he should go after his brother. His friends jostled him laughing good-naturedly at how he'd been mentioned by his mum. He wasn't worried about himself though.

"Come on, Regulus, he's fine. Look, his girlfriend is going after him," his friend Emma pointed out brightly. Regulus turned, surprised to see a red-haired girl rush after Sirius. Since when did he have a girlfriend? Regulus felt a stab of hope that came from being an optimist despite growing up as he had. If Sirius's girlfriend was a pureblood then everything could go back to normal at home.

He used to be jealous of his older brother who had really blatantly been the favorite back then. Sirius had been so different too, much more controlled and obedient and... miserable, Regulus had to admit. He could still recall a Christmas in which Reg was five, meaning Sirius was six or perhaps barely seven. For the party, his brother and he had both been stuffed into their typical uncomfortable dress gowns. Their grandpa had tugged Sirius around all evening showing him off to bigwig Ministry officials while Reggy had been left to play with the other children who weren't heirs. It was only upon looking back that Regulus realized he hadn't seen Sirius smile once during that time, not his real smile which had been rare back then, something secret shared between the two of them.

Regulus missed those times, he even would have suffered again through Sirius and Narcissa in their clubhouse blatantly excluding him since he was 'too young' for them to go back to how it used to be.

"Do you know who the girl is?" he asked Sean, who he had already known prior to Hogwarts from his family's galas and other events. Events Regulus had attended when Sirius had begun to refuse to. Regulus really did like their crazy Uncle Alphard, for the most part, but he had to admit that everything had only started falling apart in their family after, a then nine-year-old Sirius, had spent the summer with their uncle.

"Oh, that's Lily. She's Severus' girlfriend, not Sirius'," Sean explained with dry amusement.

"Unless Sirius likes her, and that's part of the reason Severus seems to hate him so much," Lucinda pointed out with a giggle.

"Ooooo, wouldn't that be funny? I mean I personally think Snape is bonkers for being so scathing towards a noble Black, well, openly scathing at least," Sean concluded.

"No offense, Regulus," Lucinda assured him abruptly, not that he had been paying either of them much attention. It had taken less than a month to become accustomed to how much any of the sacred twenty-eight families were talked about, especially within Slytherin.

"Huh? Oh, none taken," he murmured, scooping up a spoonful of peas.

"Don't worry, Regulus is on the right path. He knows what a loser his brother is," Sean stated simply.

Regulus nodded absently, not really listening. He'd never even considered Sirius to be a loser before coming to Hogwarts. Impulsive and often impossible, yes! Mean and sometimes manipulative, sure. But Reg supposed he was still at the age that he couldn't help but look up to his big brother who seemed to be better at everything.

Well, maybe not everything. Sirius' lack of personal survival was quite appalling. If only his brother didn't stir the pot so much. Regulus didn't understand, it was much better after all to be the younger 'lacking' brother than the talented rebellious 'traitor'. If only Sirius wasn't so stubborn everything could be perfect!