TW: CHILD ABUSE
December 25, 1975 (Thursday)
REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK
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Regulus hated when his parents dressed them up for these parties. He liked to dress nice, but they had tied his tie so tight that it was strangling him. Sirius kept pulling at his which kept on getting him small slaps on the shoulder from their mother.
The four of them entered the Malfoy Manor. Narcissa and Lucius were waiting for them at the door. Narcissa immediately pulled Regulus into a hug, "Oh, Reggie! I haven't seen you in so long. Look how big and handsome you have gotten since I saw you last! Any girlfriend I should know about yet?"
No, but he wished he had a boyfriend. He quickly scolded himself because he couldn't be thinking about that here. "I'm afraid not yet, Cissy."
Narcissa moved on to greet the rest of them and Lucius walked over to him. "Regulus," he greeted as he outstretched his hand to Regulus.
Regulus forced a smile on his face and he shook the blonde mans hand. "Lucius."
Their parents left with Narcissa and Lucius and Regulus spotted his friends. He started to walk over to them and Sirius followed.
They hung out with them a bit and they eventually went into a separate room. Amycus and Pandora started playing a game of wizards chess on the ground. Sirius and him sat down on one of the couches in the room. Evan and Zahara were talking to each other by the door. Meanwhile Yaxley and Alecto were making out on the couch in front of him and Sirius. Alecto was straddling Yaxleys hips and her lipstick was smeared. Regulus felt very uncomfortable.
Sirius leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Zabini keeps on looking between you and Evan like she isn't sure who she wants to take in the closet with her. Carrow and Yaxley are practically shagging over there and don't even get me started on Lucius. I don't understand what Narcissa sees in him. He looks like a fucking ferret."
Regulus fought the urge to laugh. "Sirius, please shut up."
"What! It's all true."
"I know."
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
The party was now over and the only people who still remained was Regulus, Sirius, their parents, Bellatrix, the Lestrange brothers, his aunt and uncle, Lucius, and Malfoy.
Everything had been going so much better than any family event ever did with the Blacks. Well, that was until Walburga spoke. "It's really a shame things had to end the way they did for Alphard, Regulus."
He felt Sirius go tense next to him. Regulus didn't remain emotionless and he realized too late by her piercing gaze on him why she had even brought that up. She had been trying to see if Sirius had told him. He felt his stomach drop to the floor.
"But of course you knew that already didn't you, Regulus?" Walburga pointedly. Without warning she grabbed Sirius by the collar of his shirt and dragged him in front of the table. Regulus just sat there frozen in place at the table. "Answer the question, Regulus!" She snapped.
"Yes," he blurted out in fear.
Sirius shot him a hurt look before Walburga proceeded to throw curses at him. His brother crumpled to the floor and his screams filled the room. At some point wounds started appearing on his abdomen and shit, he was bleeding. Regulus watched in horror as it all happened and he hated that he knew this was his fault. Sirius had gone against their parents wishes and told him about Alphard because he had a right to know and Regulus didn't even have the common human decency to keep it a secret.
Their mother's curses briefly stopped and Sirius crawled towards the fireplace. He reached his hand into the floo powder. "If you leave this room Sirius Orion Black, you will no longer be apart of this family."
Regulus locked eyes with Sirius and he silently begged him not to go, but Sirius ignored him. "Okay. The Potter Mansion."
Regulus watched as his brother floo'd out of the room to the Potters and later that night he watched as his mother burnt Sirius off the family tapestry. He was officially now the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER
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"So the date did go well then?" Marlene asked clearly trying to pry more details out of Peter.
"Yeah it was great, Marls. I guess I never thought a girl would ever want to go on a date with me to Madam Pudifoots. Usually everyone just wants to go with people like Sirius," Peter answered.
"Any girl would be lucky to go on a date with you, Pete," James said as he reached over and ruffled Peter's hair teasingly. Peter scowled at him and he smiled in satisfaction at the scowl. He reached over and grabbed his drink off the table and brought it up to his lips.
"Not like I would expect you two to understand of course. You know, the idea of going on a Hogsmeade date with someone of the opposite gender," Peter added.
James chocked on his drink in surprise. What the fuck? Marlene coughed awkwardly next to him. Peters eyes went wide in fear and he quickly apologized, "Shit, I'm sorry! I just- I thought it was obvious that you guys liked Dorcas and Regulus. I mean I've known you since we were kids. I know when you guys like someone. I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have just blurted it out like that. Sorry."
"It's alright, mate. You just took me by surprise there for a moment," he quickly reassured.
"So I'm right then?" Peter asked cautiously.
"Sadly," Marlene muttered in confirmation.
James raised his eyebrows at Marlene. This was new information. "Dorcas?"
She raised her eyebrows back at him. "Regulus?" She mocked.
"You act like you didn't already know that."
"Oh trust me, I knew. I had to put up with your hopeless pining all last year. You really could have told Pete and helped me out a little you know," Marlene complained.
At that moment Remus came back into the room. "Are you two still pestering Peter about his date?"
"Yes, they are. Please come save me, Remus," Peter lied.
Before Remus could respond the room lit up in green and somebody landed in the fireplace through the floo network. Sirius.
Marlene and Peter immediately ran to get James's parents. Meanwhile, Remus and him quickly rushed over to their friend. James cupped Sirius's face in his hand as Remus helped sit him up. "Shit, what happened Sirius? Are you okay?"
"I think Its safe to say I'm officially disowned now," Sirius replied his voice coming out all hoarse and cracky.
"Shit, what happened?" James asked again.
"They found out."
Sirius didn't need to elaborate on that. They both knew what he meant. "Shit," James heard Remus curse beside him.
James couldn't help but let his mind wander to Regulus. Shit, Regulus. "Reg, is he..."
Sirius didn't seem thrilled at the mention of his brother. "He's fine. He ratted me out. I'm sure he'll be a fucking arse when we go back to school too and say I bloody abandoned him."
"He can say whatever he wants, it doesn't mean it's true. You didn't have a choice," Remus reassured him.
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
REMUS JOHN LUPIN
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Effie and Monty had healed Sirius's wounds and Sirius had told them everything that had happened. Remus had always had a problem with Walburga and Orion, but that hatred was only increasing by the second.
Remus thought the Regulus part was fucked up on the younger boys part, but Remus couldn't help but still feel sorry for him. He couldn't imagine how terrified Regulus had been in that moment. And with the letter... he understood why Regulus hadn't hesitated to tell the truth, but it was still an arse move. Sirius had every right to be angry, but he supposed Regulus did too. It was just a fucked up situation in general.
All their friends had helped Sirius up into the guest room upstairs after he said he just wanted to sleep at the moment. They all said their good nights and started to leave. Remus stood up from his spot on the bed, but then Sirius spoke, "Wait, Remus- can you... can you stay with me? Please."
Remus quickly nodded and he swallowed thickly. "Yeah, of course."
He sat back down next to Sirius and Sirius rested his head against Remus's shoulder. Sirius did this sometimes and he had to constantly remind himself that it didn't mean anything. Sirius wasn't like him, he liked Mary. Sirius wasn't gay. Remus figured he had terrible luck. Werewolf, half-blood, gay. He was really just adding onto the list.
"I feel like an arse," Sirius admitted after awhile.
"Well you shouldn't. Weren't you just saying it wouldn't be fair for him to say you abandoned him? You have tried to fight for him multiple times and he hasn't made it easy. He likes to play the victim in these kinds of situations."
"I know, but it still doesn't make me feel any less like shit."
Remus just rested his head on top of Sirius's. They were silent for awhile again until Sirius broke the silence, "I was so scared. After what happened with Alphard I thought..."
"Which is a very valid feeling to feel in that moment," he interrupted as Sirius trailed off.
Sirius swallowed thickly. "I thought I was going to lose you," Sirius finished.
Sirius sat up so that he was looking at him now. He felt the tension settle on them like a pile of bricks. "Well you didn't, did you?"
Much to Remus's surprise, Sirius was the first one to make a move. He inched forward and brushed their lips together. Remus cupped Sirius's face gingerly in his hands as he kissed him back. Shit, did this mean something?
Remus was the first to pull away. "This doesn't feel like the right moment to be doing this," he admitted.
Sirius scooted away from him and nodded with a frown. "Yeah, you are probably right. Sorry."
"It's fine. I just think I'm going to go now and let you get some rest, but I'll see you in the morning okay?"
Sirius nodded. "Okay."
With that Remus stood up and slipped out of the room. This day had certainly been nothing but unexpected.
***
More angst 😀 I wish I could say it gets better, but it really doesn't. It truly really only gets worse 💀
Also I technically never clarified the Slytherins ages. Don't worry Yaxley and Alecto aren't Reg's age 💀 Evan, Pandora, Amycus, Barty, and Reg are all 4th years. Zahara and Dorcas are 5th years and Yaxley and Alecto are 6th years. So basically Yaxley, Alecto, Mulciber, and Avery are all in the same year and Snape is obviously a 5th year.
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