Upside Down Mirror: Granger Yet

Black Domain

Regulus wasn't alright.

Even though he 'd foolishly thought he could settle things quickly and easily without getting caught, there was nothing alright about finding himself trapped within his childhood home. " I should have known better. Nothing is that simple when it comes to the Black family. "

And his head hurt, the back throbbing from hitting his head on the floor at the sudden knockback from his attempt to Apparate out of Grimmauld. It was a sad attempt, finding himself locked inside the cursed place he never expected Sirius to step foot in, not since his young mind finally processed the fact that Sirius was never coming back.

Yet there Sirius was, a problem within Regulus ' mind as he tried puzzling out his situation. He couldn 't, though. Not with how his head throbbed. Not with how he'd drift off into sleep, which seemed the only relief to his throbbing head. And definitely not with his brother nudging him awake as if Sirius wanted Regulus to know just how disgusted he was to see him.

The only reprieve from his nightmare was Sirius ' friend from school—Lupin—giving him a drink of water whenever Sirius woke him.

"At least this is a reprieve from the nightmares I've been having," he mistakenly thought, only for the next time he fell asleep for the dream about the lake in the cave to resurface, and—

He startled awake, falling off the couch onto the wooden floor of the drawing-room, his head jolting, which caused a surge of pain in the back of his head while a wave of nausea hit. He closed his eyes, waiting for the nausea to subside. Opening his eyes revealed an unfocused vision, yet he saw a pair of feet when his vision came into focus. He stared, his mind noting the shoes were the type his mother liked to wear. "Bloody hell."

"Is that any way to speak to your mother?"

Regulus started to push himself up from the ground, only for his left arm to fail, the psychosomatic systems setting in. He started rolling onto his back, so he wasn 't using his left arm to support himself. At the same time, he felt his left hand tremble uncontrollably when Walburga Black reached down, yanking him up by the front of his clothing, making him feel like a rag doll while his mind wondered where Sirius was if he'd perhaps imagined his brother being there as well.

"Get up! Up off that filthy floor!" And then she let go, letting him fall onto the floor, still raising her voice at him. "Sleeping on the furniture rather than a bed? I'd expect such things from Sirius, but you?"

"Shut up," Regulus muttered, deciding to cover his eyes and rest his head on the floor even though it hurt to do so. "Just shut up."

"What? What did you just say to me! You little..."

"What the bloody hell are you doing here!" And there was Sirius, definitely there as Regulus remained on the floor, covering his eyes, filling absolutely miserable as his hand continued to tremble. "And what are you doing on the floor?"

He felt like a rag doll again as Sirius grabbed him by the front of his shirt, though this time, he kept his head from moving too much as Sirius plopped him into the couch where he sat, his head spinning. And, of course, Walburga Black had to make his aching head worse. " What is he doing sleeping on the couch? "

"That's where he decided to make himself at home, old hag!" Sirius snapped.

"Sirius," Regulus said, closing his eyes.