Compliant. Cowardly. Not as likeable as his brother. Not as blood thirsty as Bellatrix. Not as gregarious as Narcissa.
The people around Regulus had opinions of him. What he must do to make his family proud, what he must do to avoid being like his...
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Regulus
Was he a coward for not pushing his parents like Pandora had done to Lucius? Was he stupid for not reminding them that he was his own person, he didn't want to marry as soon as he left school, he didn't want to marry full stop. But did he say anything? No. He didn't. However, neither of his parents brought it up, but he highly doubted it was the end of the discussion.
"Lucky you!" exclaimed Barty, the two boys were stood in a bathroom stall on the Hogwarts Express, where Regulus had taken him to tell the events of what happened during summer.
"What?" asked Regulus blandly.
"Pandora Malfoy is so fit," Barty awed, he clapped his hands on both of Regulus shoulders, his knees nearly buckled at the sudden contact. "You two will have beautiful babies. With your bone structure and her...assets."
"Bartemius," warned Regulus, as he looked at his best friend, attempting to stay stern, he felt his lips curl and a little chuckle escaped his lips. "I am engaged. Barty, I'm fucking engaged."
"I thought it wasn't funny?" asked Barty, although he was laughing and then he reached for the stall door and pulled it open. He checked the coast was clear before he walked out, making Regulus frown in confusion. "Don't want people getting the wrong idea."
"Right," said Regulus, he scrambled for something to say, suddenly embarrassed. "I need to go to the prefects carriage."
"You know my dad is still angry about that?" Barty asked as they left the bathroom, he continued in a purposely poor imitation of his father's voice. "How come you didn't get prefect? Why can't Regulus Black be my son?"
Regulus felt his face heat in embarrassment once more and bid Barty goodbye despite the fact Barty wanted to walk with him. He didn't know why, but he felt highly uncomfortable when Barty said stuff like that, about how Barty Sr would prefer Regulus over Barty. Regulus supposed that was a part of the hatred between the father and son, he just hoped that hatred didn't manifest into a hatred for Regulus. He worried about that, Barty hating Regulus for his father's awfulness, he didn't trust a lot of people, anyone, really. Barty was different in that respect.
But throughout everything, Barty had stayed by his side, congratulated him on being a prefect and the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. He wouldn't do that if he hated him, would he? Again, with that whole betrothal thing, in Barty's company, he laughed about it. Whereas back at home, he threw up over it, cried over it.
"Wait, wait," said a girl's voice when Regulus let the door almost fall closed behind him to the prefect's carriage, he caught it at the last minute. "Thanks. Lovegood, hurry your arse!"
"No bother," Regulus replied quietly, he rubbed his ear a little that started ringing a bit due to Louise Westbrook's shouting.
She was a Ravenclaw girl, a prefect like Regulus, and the best friend of Pandora Malfoy, although Lucius was unaware that his sister was parading around with a Muggleborn. From what Regulus had gathered throughout the now six years of going to school with her, she was very intelligent, very insightful, very logical, and very blunt. She'd tell you your essay was shit if it was, but she'd also help you get on the right path so your essay was good.
