Brothers ~ A Regulus Black Story

Comfort

Regulus
Evie and I are sitting in the astronomy tower, reading to avoid our problems because neither of us are willing to quit being stubborn. I refuse to not go through with something that I know will put her in danger. She doesn't want me to go through with it because she knows it'll put me in danger. We're at a cross roads but I know I'm going to go through with it. For her. For us.

"Turn the page Reggie." Everleigh whispers, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Right, sorry." I mumble, turning the page and reading the next page out loud to her. 

"Are you okay?" Everleigh interrupts my reading.

"We both know that I'm not okay but I just want to sit here and read with you."

"That sounds good to me, continue." She says, smiling at me.

So I continue reading the book to distract us both from the future.

It was peaceful for a moment but of course that peace never lasts long.

We were interrupted again by a bird landing in the edge of the tower and hooting at us.

"Oh you have to be fucking kidding me." Everleigh snaps at the bird.

"Evie, don't get mad at the bird. It's not it's fault." I say, trying to hold in the laugh but it sneaks out. She's yelling at a bird, that's funny.

"I know! It's your fucking families fault." She continues to shout at the bird, and now me?

"Can I get the letter to see if it's actually my parents who are writing to me?" I ask her.

"Fine."

"Okay, thank you." I say, standing up to go over to the bird. "Just calm down Evie, it's just a letter."

"Yeah, they piss me off these days." She continues.

"You know, you're really cute when you're angry."

"Shut the fuck up." She says. Yup, that's my girlfriend.

The owl is staring at me and I hesitantly take the letter from him. I definitely hate that bird. More than anything. Mostly because I know it means bad news.

Hesitantly, I tear open the envelope that has my name on it and pull out the letter.

-

Regulus,
Tomorrow night at 7. Come to our home, come alone and do not tell anyone about this.

You will be expected to come and if you do not show up, consider yourself disowned just like your brother.

Do not embarrass our family. We have had enough of that.

Do not disappoint us and do not disappoint the dark lord.

Our entire family is counting on you Regulus. See you tomorrow night.

And do not be late. Those are strict orders.

Walburga

-

"So?" Everleigh asks me after a long moment of silence while I was reading the letter.

"Tomorrow night."

Everleigh starts crying. All I had to say was tomorrow night for her to start crying and that's all that was needed. We both know what that means.

Instead of trying to comfort her with words, I just go over to her and pull her into my arms. We stay like that for a long time. Not moving or speaking.

"I don't want this for you." Everleigh says. She continues to repeat that over and over again. I can't say anything. What do I even say to that? So I just nod my head and continue to hold her.

I'm not only holding her to comfort her, I'm holding her because I need it right now. 

We both need it.

At the moment there isn't anything either one of us can control except this moment. We can control this moment.

This moment can last as long as we want or need.

Tomorrow night, everything changes for me.. I will be apart of his... whatever he calls his little group of followers.

"Reg...?" Everleigh says finally.

"I'm here Evie."

"Will you still love me after tomorrow?" She asks.

At any other time I would look into her beautiful eyes and tell her she's being ridiculous. I can't do that this time. Not when I know she's not being crazy. She's scared. I'm scared.

"I will love you the same amount that I do right now, maybe even more tomorrow."

She smiles.

"Promise?"

"I promise." I tell her. "I love you."

"I love you." She responds.

-

After Everleigh went to sleep, I went to find my brother. Or Andromeda. Or someone I can trust.

Yeah.. maybe not my brother. He might not understand.

Andromeda might not understand either... fuck. 

I've been walking around the hallway for longer than an hour trying to figure out what to do. Who can I turn to? Not just my wonderful girlfriend who's unconditionally supportive. Someone who I can turn to who will yell at me for being a dumb ass and getting myself into this situation.

"Regulus? Why aren't you.. in bed or something?" Severus asks. I didn't even see him coming. Where did he come from?

"Nothing, just looking for someone to talk to about something personal."

"Like who?" Severus asks me.

"I don't know. Andromeda maybe or Sirius."

"Everleigh?"

"No, she already knows about it.. I need Andromeda or Sirius."

"I didn't see Andromeda come back to the common room and I couldn't tell you where your brother is."

"It's fine." I tell him.

"It's not. Why don't you just tell me?"

"Because you are friends with Lily and Lily can't know."

"I wasn't going to tell Lily whatever you tell me."

"I can't tell you because you will want to tell Lily. Trust me."

"Okay, do you want me to see if Andromeda is in the common room?"

"No, it's fine. I'm just going to keep walking around until I decide what to do."

"Okay, good luck then." Severus says before taking off to go- I don't know.. wherever he was going before he found me.

I continue to walk around the halls for another hour in panic. I need to do something.

The note says don't tell anyone but how do I not tell my friends and my brother that I'm scheduled to get the dark mark? That I'm being forced into it. How do I not tell him that I have to do this so that I can save Evie? If I don't tell them and take my chance to explain myself before then find out themselves?

Then again, how do I tell them about it?