Regulus Black- Drowning

Light and Dark

The room seemed to get impossibly colder as Mr Dupónt strode through the ornately carved oak doors.

He ignored the screech of the hinges as they cried out in protest of his robotic movements.

The sheer lack of care for property unnerved Regulus. Though he supposed he scared far too easy.

He was a tall man, and his impeccable posture took advantage of this. Regulus watched entranced as he walked towards the two boys, his head held high and his shoulders straight.

His face was hollow and sharp. His eyes were a  piercing shade of blue, narrowed to further his commanding demeanor.

His skin was void of any personality, it clung to his bones, pale and empty.

He carried himself in a way that showed he thought himself to be above others. A dangerous but not uncommon trait in the society Regulus had come to know.

The real judge of character though in Regulus's opinion was decided when the man sat in the straight backed chair opposite the two boys and began to speak.

"Greetings. Mrs Black has requested a lesson on Blood Purity and the Witch Trials." He dralled,not letting even an ounce of an expression form on his face. The only emotion Regulus could decipher was a look of effortless power that oozed from the man

Regulus's mouth dropped slightly in shock. How could one become so... So dull? Regulus wasn't aware that was something a person could simply do.

Sirius was less polite with his reaction the stoney man. His eyes narrowed and he looked Mr Dupónt up and down with unimpressed eyes.

He'd met him before, the lessons were always long and dreary, yet he had yet to warm up to the cold presence. And he knew he wouldn't do so anytime soon.

Sirius set his jaw and stared the man down, he could feel a bout of rebellion brewing within him, heating his bones and slowly spilling into his chest.

He wasn't happy. And everyone was about to know so.

Regulus saw the signs of Siri's temper tantrums well before they actually occured. The narrowed eyes, raised chin and defiant expression. Regulus, despite his young age, knew he couldn't let this happen, he knew the consequences.

Regulus silently begged Sirius not to start a fuss, to just for once listen.

His eyes plunged into the almost identical pair, searching them desperately, hoping beyond hope that Sirius would understand what he was trying to convey and hoping even more Sirius would listen.

Sirius glance unsurely at his little brother, his eyebrows raised in question. He was finding it hard not to demand Mr Dupónt to leave.

His blood continued to boil, bubbling in the tunnels of his veins. He yearned to set it free.

Regulus's eyes bore into his own, quiet and pleading.

Sirius knew that look. Reg was scared, worried of what could happen if they did not conform.
Sirius couldn't be the reason Regulus was scared, he refused to let that happen.

Sirius took a deep breath, allowing the air to pass through his lungs. He felt the warmth of the breath spread throughout his body and the feeling of calm wash over him.

He focused on this feeling, letting it travel and diffuses into him. He leaned into the grounding breaths he was taking and soon found his long sought after calmness awaiting him.

He'd always been like this, hot and cold. Too little and too much all at once. He often felt as though he would explode with the amount of raw energy and unfiltered emotion that flowed through him.

He'd learnt to quash it sometimes, but it was hard. It was simply always there. Lurking, waiting, shouting.

He could do this. He could listen. If not for himself, then for Reg.

He sank back into the carved chairs, the magic woven throughout them ensured he could not leave untill the lesson was over. Walburga's doing.

He was well and truly trapped. The story of my life.

Regulus visibly relaxed at Sirius's conformity, it wasn't a lot but it was enough.

He then pulled out the great leather bound writing book Walburga had bought for him and Sirius respectively.

He looked at it eagerly, the smell wafting into his nose, warm, homely, safe.

He took comfort in Sirius calmed down face and gave him a small reassuring smile.

Regulus was juxtaposed with Sirius, he loved to learn and after years of being excluded from these seemingly exclusive he was nothing if not excited to join them.

He was being so good, mother couldn't possibly find fault in this. Even if she tried. And she would.

Regulus sat quiet and obedient, awaiting further instruction. His back was almost unnaturally straight as he looked at Mr Dupónt.

The picture of perfection. The son he'd wanted to be, the son he needed to be.

He'd always been quiet, often worryingly so. He liked to think that Sirius spoke enough for both of them.

After all why have a voice when Sirius's own was so much better.

Why shout when Sirius could do it so much louder.

Why rebel when Sirus contained enough defiance for both boys.

Where Sirius was loud and all consuming , Regulus was quiet and made himself as invisible as possible.

If Sirius was light, he'd be dark. Always bound to eachother yet never the same. Always there but never permanent.

You couldn't admire one without the other.