This House Could Be A Home

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/29689869.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M, Multi
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationship: Regulus Black/James Potter, Regulus Black & Sirius Black, Sirius
Black/Remus Lupin
Character: Regulus Black, Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter
Pettigrew, Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon, Mary Macdonald,
Euphemia Potter, Fleamont Potter, Walburga Black, Orion Black,
Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore
Additional Tags: Jegulus, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, Magic, Hogwarts,
Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Sirius Black Lives, Sirius Black & James
Potter Friendship, Remus Lupin Lives, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans
Potter Friendship, Bisexual Regulus Black, Slow Burn, Pining, Mutual
Pining, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fanfiction, Angst, Fluff and Angst,
Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Stats: Published: 2021-02-25 Updated: 2021-03-08 Chapters: 5/? Words:
12092

This House Could Be A Home

by Fullmoonstar00

Summary

Sirius Black has been living with the Potter’s for nearly 2 years and is constantly filled with
guilt and regret about leaving Regulus behind. In the summer before the Marauder’s sixth
year, Regulus turns up at the house with nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. Can
they forgive each other? Can they both let their guard down enough to be loved? Can the
Black brothers move on from their past?

Notes

Inspired to write this by a fic I read that thoroughly disappointed me, I hope I don’t do the
same for you! Let me know what you think x

All of the characters were created by JK Rowling and they exist in the Wizarding World
she created. That being said I have created the story itself.

Though I can’t be certain yet I would imagine some inspiration will be taken from
MissKingBean89’s incredible fic All The Young Dudes so please go and read that too!
 The Far Nobler House of Potter

Sirius Black had been living with the Potters for nearly two years. Euphemia and Fleamont Potter
had taken him in and loved him as though he was their own. James Potter had thought of Sirius as a
brother since their first year at Hogwarts so he didn’t really see any problem with having him
around at home too. That was the Potter way, always taking in strays and fixing broken people.
Sirius had truly been broken when he’d moved in with them, his whole life he’d been beaten into
submission by his parents and when he finally decided enough was enough, he knew he had
nowhere to go but to James.

The house wasn’t as big as Grimmauld Place but to Sirius it was perfect. Every room was filled
with sunlight, music, clutter, books, posters, photographs, furniture to mess about on, everything a
child like Sirius could want but had never had. Everyday of his first month in the Potter’s home
Sirius had jumped out of bed at the break of daylight and gone into every possible room and
opened the curtains. He loved the way the light flooded into the room and coated everything in a
blanket of gold. None of the Potter’s ever mentioned this strange activity, nor did they seem
bothered by it, he wondered if maybe they just assumed the house elf was doing it. Sirius only
stopped his morning activity when he was properly settled in and used to the feeling of warmth in a
house. He had learned that he didn’t need to rush to fill a room with light because he knew that it
would be there eventually, something he’d never known before.

His childhood in the Noble House of Black had not allowed him the privilege of expecting
happiness and light. His life had been filled with darkness, the walls of his childhood painted black,
the curtains drawn, the rooms bare. He tried not to dwell on his childhood and on what he’d had to
endure but he couldn’t help it. He could push everything he’d known from his mind but one thing
always kept him connected to it... Regulus.

A year younger than Sirius, Regulus Arcturus Black, currently 15 years old, was still trapped in
that house. Sirius’s heart ached when he thought of Reggie and how he’d had to leave him behind.
Regulus was a Slytherin, he was afraid of their parents to the extent that he would do anything they
said but he was clever. This had been all the reassurance Sirius needed the night he’d left
Grimmauld Place for good. He knew Regulus would be crushed, what little happiness they had in
their childhoods had been created by each other, but he had to go and he couldn’t take him the
younger boy with him. When Sirius returned to Hogwarts for the first time since leaving home he’d
hoped to speak with Regulus and make sure he was okay, but Regulus had ignored him completely.
He walked past Sirius as though he wasn’t there. It crushed Sirius but he knew he was to blame for
it, he just hoped that one day Regulus would forgive him.

“Get up you lazy git” James Potter was thumping Sirius repeatedly with his pillow, trying to wake
him from his favourite activity, sleeping.

“Go away Potter!” Sirius groaned, shielding his face from James’s attack with his arms.

“It’s nearly midday, come on I want to play quidditch. It’s summer, the sun is shining, the air is
fresh and the world is happy and awake and you should be too!” James cooed at Sirius, poking him
violently. Sirius still didn’t move. James knew what he had to say.

“Mums making french toast...” James said very sweetly. Sirius leapt out of the bed, knocking
James over as he ran out of the room and down the stairs barefoot and in his pyjamas.

He swung through the kitchen door, bursting with excitement but found it empty. His face dropped.
He marched straight back out of the kitchen and up to his bedroom. When he re-entered James was
clutching at his sides from laughing so hard. Sirius dove at him and the two boys wrestled on the
floor before Sirius managed to pin James down.

“You bastard! Never lie about french toast again!” He shouted in James’s face.

“I did what I had to do!” James shouted back, very dramatically before shoving Sirius off of him.
The two boys laughed at each other and Sirius offered James a hand, pulling him to his feet with
him.

“Well seeing as you’re awake now, get dressed! Let’s go flying.” James patted Sirius on the back
and left to go assemble the makeshift quidditch pitch.

Sirius chuckled to himself when he thought about his friend’s sneaky tricks. He moved around the
room, collecting random pieces of clothing off the floor and shoving them on haphazardly. He
pulled his hair up and into a messy bun so it wouldn’t dangle in his eyes whilst he flew, he knew
only too well the dangers of playing quidditch with your hair down and had the scars to prove it.

As he swept his quidditch jersey off the dresser he knocked a wooden box to the floor. It’s contents
spilled out. Sirius swept up the bits and pieces, not realising or remembering what it was. As he
went to place the bits back into the box he saw a Polaroid sitting in the bottom of it. He pulled it
out and felt his chest tighten as he realised what this was. It was all he’d brought with him from the
old house, all he’d been able to carry, in that terrifying moment these had been the only important
things to him. He stared down at the collection, none of it had been touched in years and he didn’t
care about any of it much anyway, but he couldn’t let go of the Polaroid. It was a photo of him and
Regulus.

In the photo Sirius had his arm around Regulus’s shoulders and was hugging him tightly to his
side. The other boy had all the same features as Sirius, the high cheekbones, dark hair and piercing
eyes. Both boys were smiling widely and as the photo started to move they were laughing too, as
Sirius poked a finger in his younger brothers ear causing him to try and pull away. Sirius could
remember that day, they’d gone to Andromeda’s house, unbeknownst to their parents who believed
they were buying school books from Diagon Alley, and they had a lovely summery day with her.
Sirius could never show this photo to his parents, they would not approve of anything about it,
being with Andromeda, fooling around publicly, smiling. It was all very improper and that is
exactly why Sirius had loved it so much and brought it with him. He felt a stab of guilt for
forgetting about it over the past few years and resigned to tucking it into the corner of his mirror,
so he could see it whenever he wanted and be reminded of that wonderfully happy day.

Sirius ran downstairs, filled with a new sense of nostalgic happiness and prepared for flying with
James. He was just finishing up polishing his broom when they heard a knock at the front door.
Sirius ignored this, knowing that he could answer it as this was his home but leaving James to do it
anyway. James disappeared off into the house to see who it was, his perpetually messy hair
bouncing with every step he took.

Sirius finished with his broom and tilted his head back, soaking in the hot, summer sun and felt
incredibly lucky. His whole body buzzed with excitement and contentment and he was truly happy.
He had never felt more grateful in his life. He was ready to mount his broom and do some practice
laps when he heard James calling him from within the house. Though he couldn’t see him, Sirius
knew something was wrong, James’s tone was panicked. He threw his newly polished broom to
the floor and ran through the house to find James.

James was standing in front of the open door. The usually confident boy opened and closed his
mouth repeatedly, as though trying to find the right words but completely failing.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Sirius puffed frantically.

James looked straight at Sirius, his own eyes filled with surprise and stepped to the side revealing a
boy stood outside the door. The boy moved his long, black hair out of his face and raised his eyes
to meet Sirius’s. Sirius’s heart stopped for a moment.

“Reggie?”
 I Shouldn't Have Come Here
Chapter Notes

CW: Minor injury // Hinted abuse

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Black brothers stood in complete silence for, what felt to James like, a lifetime. The brothers
stared at each other, unmoving. Sirius couldn’t bring himself to move through fear that he’d scare
Regulus away. He looked over every inch of his brother. He’d seen him in passing at Hogwarts
over the past few years but had never been close enough to see how awful he looked now. When
Sirius had been forced to leave his house, Regulus was thirteen and looked exactly as you’d expect
a boy his age to look. He was tall and had the Black family bone structure, perfect complexion,
dark hair slicked back, and he was an excellent quidditch player, which made him fairly strong.
Sirius barely recognised that boy anymore, this person in front of him was stick thin, their skin was
ghostly pale, and their hair was a mess. Sirius heart broke at the knowledge that he’d had any part
in the destruction of the boy Regulus had once been. For years it had broken Sirius’s heart to leave
his brother, but he had never truly considered how it would break Regulus’s heart to be left behind.
He had assumed from Regulus’s cold and cruel demeanour at school that he had simply written off
Sirius, the way the rest of the family had, he had forced himself to believe that Regulus’s life was
better without him in it. Now, seeing his baby brother standing before him, looking as broken as he
himself must have looked when he arrived at the Potter’s doorstep years ago, he realised how
wrong he was.

Sirius could feel the nervous energy radiating off of James, who was stood beside him bouncing
on his heels. Eventually, when he couldn’t take the silence anymore, James spoke.

“I’ll go make some tea” James nudged Sirius in the direction of the door as he moved past him and
into a different room. Sirius smiled slightly; James always knew what needed to be done. Sirius
stepped towards his brother and opened his mouth to speak. He was quickly cut off by Regulus.

“I shouldn’t have come here!” Regulus’s voice was cold. He spat the words, but seemed angrier at
himself than anything else. He turned on his heels and began to walk down the driveway of the
Potter house. Sirius ran forward and grabbed the boy’s wrist to stop him. He was full of adrenaline
and panic; he didn’t realise how harshly he had taken the boy’s arm. Regulus whipped around, his
eyes wide and filled with sheer terror, and tore his hand from Sirius’s grasp. Sirius’s stomach
dropped as he looked at his brother again, his head was down again, his hair covering his face, he
looked so small, so fragile.

“Reggie I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? What’s wrong with your…” Sirius stopped. He inhaled sharply.
“Did they do this?” Sirius’s voice trembled as he asked. Regulus stared down at his wrist, clasping
it with his other hand. He tentatively rolled it and when he was satisfied there was no new damage
he looked back up at Sirius.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I didn’t know where else to go.” His voice was filled with fear as he
spoke the words, staring intently at Sirius. Knowing better than to continue pushing Regulus or ask
what had happened, Sirius just gestured to the house and suggested they go inside. Sirius walked
next to Regulus as they went back into the house. Regulus hesitated as he went to step over the
threshold, knowing once he did, he would never be able to take it back. Sirius bumped into his
shoulder, encouraging him to take the step. Regulus stood still for a moment longer, just staring at
the line between the stone of the patio and the wood of the entrance hall. He steadied his heartbeat,
took a deep breath… and stepped into the house.

He was hit with a wave of warmth that coated him from head to toe, he could smell flowers and the
scent of home cooking, which he only recognised from passing the kitchens in Hogwarts. He
would come to learn that these sensations were produced by a charm that Mrs Potter had placed on
the house, something to ensure that every person that entered felt comfort and warmth. Regulus
had been taught many ‘valuable’ lessons in life but ensuring the genuine happiness of your guests
was not one of them. He felt out of place as he stared around at the Potter’s home, filled with odd
items, the walls were covered in bright wallpaper and had family photographs pinned to them. Not
terrifying, hand-painted family portraits but moving photographs of children laughing, wedding
days, smiling families. Regulus forced himself not to look at them as he followed Sirius through the
house. He had no strong feelings about the house itself apart from the fact is was entirely opposite
to his own house. The rooms were filled with light and were cluttered with furniture and various
items, nothing like the dark, bare rooms he’d grown up with. He thought he could even hear music
coming from somewhere above him, he shook his head knowing he could never fit in, in a place
like this.

As Regulus entered the kitchen, a few minutes after Sirius, he was met with an unusual sight. Sirius
had his arm around James's shoulder, they were talking quietly to each other. When he saw Regulus
walk in James extended a cup to him and smiled widely. Regulus accepted the cup, thanking James
quietly but refusing to look at his ridiculous smile. The kitchen was a very large room, the sink
stood beneath a window that looked out onto the magnificent garden, all of the cupboards were
painted white with golden handles and every counter was covered in utensils, plates, ingredients,
cookbooks and mugs. Regulus realised in that moment that he’d never even been in the kitchen at
Grimmauld Place, though he was fairly sure no member of the Black Family ever had. He was
confident that if he did know what it looked like; it would look nothing like this one. This room
was busy and untidy, but anyone would be able to realise that this is exactly how it should be.
Thinking too hard about the contrast between the Potter’s home and his house made Regulus feel
incredibly nauseous.

“Do you mind if I take a seat?” Regulus spoke barely above a whisper, looking at James.

“Oh of course, sorry. Let me just move this stuff!” James ran over and began moving the clothes,
books, and ingredients that the table was littered with. He pulled a chair out and swept his hand
over the cushion. He looked at Regulus and smiled again, motioning for him to sit down. James
then darted to the other side of the table and sat next to Sirius. The three boys sat looking at each
other in an uncomfortable silence for a while longer. None of them knew what to say. Sirius and
James started to sip their tea nervously, as their eyes darted between themselves and Regulus,
waiting for something to happen or someone to say something. Regulus reached forward to pick up
his mug and winced slightly as he felt a shooting pain in his wrist. He put the mug down again
quickly, knowing his hand would shake too much if he tried to take a drink and knowing he had
never been good at hiding his pain, much to the dismay of his parents.

“Reggie! Show me your wrist please.” Sirius’s voice was firm as he noticed what the boy had
done. Regulus had always been good at following instructions, with the added factor that he knew
Sirius wouldn’t let it go unless he showed him. He sighed loudly, then extended his arm over the
table, towards Sirius, and pulled up his sleeve. He refused to look at either of the boys as they
inspected his thin, pale bones. He heard one of them gasp slightly, not sure whether it was James or
Sirius.
“Reg this is broken!” The boy touched his wrist tenderly, forcing Regulus to look at him. It wasn’t
Sirius, as he assumed it had been, it was James. He looked straight at Regulus; his eyes filled with
worry as he continued to touch the wrist ever so gently. Regulus pulled his arm back quickly,
clutching it to his chest and feeling self-conscious. Sirius just stared at him with his mouth open,
his eyes filled with anger and hurt. Regulus knew that Sirius was blaming himself, though they
both knew it hadn’t been Sirius who had broken it.

“It’s Regulus not Reg. I broke it a few years ago; it has not healed properly yet.” He spoke directly
to James in a cold tone before turning to Sirius. “It’s not your fault Sirius. Stop blaming yourself”
His words were comforting but his tone was angry. He didn’t want to have to comfort Sirius about
this, he didn’t want to have to explain what had really happened, he had lived with it for nearly two
years and it wasn’t fair that he was the one having to pretend it was all okay just to keep Sirius
from falling apart.

Regulus could feel his anger mounting intensely and was starting to find the idea of diving across
the table and hitting Sirius very appealing. He would never do that. Not because he didn’t want to,
but because he’d been taught to keep his emotions completely locked in and a display like that
would give away far too much. So, he sat silently and watched the cogs turn in James and Sirius’s
minds as they tried to work out what to do, it was almost comical how hard they were thinking.
Luckily their suffering was ended by the crack of apparition outside the house. James practically
ran to the door leaving Sirius and Regulus at the kitchen table. Sirius was still staring at Regulus’s
wrist, realising now how gingerly the boy moved it and kicking himself for once imagining that
Regulus would be unbroken and uninjured in that godforsaken house. The door to the kitchen
swung open and Regulus jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling very guilty for showing up
unannounced to someone else’s home.

“Regulus Black!” Euphemia Potter cooed. “It is so lovely to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much
about you” She smiled happily at the boy as he extended his hand out for her to shake. It was
unfortunately his injured one, but Regulus believed it would be unspeakably rude to offer the
wrong hand to shake just to stop himself from feeling pain for a moment. Before James could
interject, she was shaking the hand very gently, her palm was warm as it pressed against Regulus’s
cold hand.

Euphemia Potter hugged everyone she ever met, she loved physical affection and would hug
anyone who was willing. When she had entered the room and seen Regulus, looking so much like
Sirius had when he’d arrived at their house seeking refuge, she remembered how he had flinched
away from her touch and knew that she needed a more gentle approach with the boy. So, she shook
his hand as gently as she could, vowing to herself that she would be gentle with this boy and as she
looked into his sad, grey eyes she knew he’d never been treated gently before.

“I was wondering, if its not an inconvenience, if I could please have a word with you Mrs Potter.”
Regulus could barely bring himself to look at the kind-faced woman as he spoke.

Without another word she turned and shooed the two other boys out of the room and took a seat
next to where Regulus stood, she patted the seat of the chair he’d been sat on and he took the
invitation to sit back down. He took a few deep breaths, fiddling with his sleeve before mentally
reprimanding himself for being so childish. He looked up at her and felt her caring, kind, love-
filled eyes melting his cold exterior. His lip began to tremble, and he felt as though he were falling
apart. Without speaking, Euphemia reached out and very slowly placed her hand on top of
Regulus’s own, uninjured hand, making sure he saw her approaching and knew she was going to
touch him. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at the woman, her face was sympathetic and
worried, and her eyes gleaming with tears too. The sight of this boy, so distressed but so closed off,
upset her maternal heart so deeply that Regulus began to feel even guiltier. He blinked back his
 tears quickly and cleared his throat to speak, breathing deeply.

“I am unimaginably sorry to have shown up without warning like this, it is deeply embarrassing of
me to have been so rude and presumptuous, and I will likely never forgive myself. I was
wondering, if it’s not too much trouble, if I might be able to stay here until we return to Hogwarts
in two months’ time. I don’t even need a bed, I can pay for food, you won’t even know I’m here."
He paused. "I just can’t go back home. I’ll work out what to do about Christmas and next summer
when I’m back at Hogwarts. I can pay you, I’ll visit Gringotts and get money to pay you” Regulus
spoke frantically, tears flowing freely down his face, though he didn’t seem to notice. He couldn’t
look at Mrs Potter anymore and as he spoke, he realised the gravity of what he was asking of her.
Just because she’d done it for Sirius did not entitle him to the same treatment and kindness. He felt
utterly stupid and worthless and wished he could take the words back. Euphemia let out a large
sigh and chuckled slightly. Regulus stared at her with an expression of complete shock, he’d
anticipated rejection but did not expect her to laugh in his face.

“Oh, my dear boy don’t be so silly! This house has more rooms than we could ever need, and I’ll
have one set up instantly so you can get settled.” She squeezed his hand tightly in hers as he
continued to stare at her in shock. “Honestly, I thought you were coming to try and steal Sirius
from me. You had me so worried.” She smiled to herself. “Now, I’ll speak to Fleamont tonight and
send word to Dumbledore that you’re here and then in two months’ time if you decide you like
living with us, we will work out a way for you to stay here permanently. You will pay us nothing, I
would never accept it. Sirius has mentioned how you love to read and if this is still true then you
are more than welcome to use the library whenever you like but please take care of the books, most
of them are even older than me, if you can believe it.” She chuckled again, smiling brightly at the
boy. Regulus was in such a state of shock that he barely noticed that he was now clasping Mrs
Potter’s hand tightly.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.” He said shyly, staring at their clasped hands.

“I have only two conditions for you, if you're going to live here” She spoke softly. Regulus’s heart
sank slightly, there had to be a catch to this arrangement. He looked into her eyes again and nodded
slightly.

“Firstly, you must let me fix your wrist." He furrowed his brow slightly and opened his mouth to
speak but she continued before he could ask the question. "I work at St Mungo's, I can tell a broken
bone from a mile off and I can also tell when someone is in a lot of pain, no matter how much they
try to conceal it. My second condition is that you must promise me that you will ask for help when
you need it.” She smiled at him again. “I have lived with Sirius for a long time now, but I
remember the state he was in when he first arrived, it breaks my heart. I am so happy to have you
here Regulus and I want you to promise me that you know that Fleamont, James and I are here for
you, no matter what, all you need do is ask.”

Regulus squeezed her hand gently.

“I promise”

Chapter End Notes

Hi guys, I have an assessment due this week so it’s gonna be a couple more days
before the next chapter but trust me it’s an important one!! More cute James content x
 The Nature of a Potter
Chapter Notes

CW: Child abuse (explanation of the wrist incident mentioned in chapter 2) and
descriptions of a panic attack. It's quite a dark chapter, be kind to yourself. Slightly
shorter chapter but includes important plot points.

(Anything written in italics is a dream/memory)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Regulus stared out of the window of his new bedroom, watching clouds drift past the moon. He
curled up on the window seat, his chin resting on his knees, pressing his forehead against the cool
glass. The room was smaller than his old room but still large by any standard, it had all of the same
furniture the other room had but these pieces were made from sand coloured wood and not painted
black and sickeningly polished like his had been. The wooden floors weren’t cold, the curtains
weren’t thick, black ones that blocked out all light sources, it was nothing like the room he’d spent
15 years in. It was more inviting, more open. He sighed heavily as he gazed over the vast garden.
He would never return to that room. He would never be able to undo what he had done.

Regulus’s room was filled with darkness when Mrs Potter entered with her medical kit, just after
10 O’clock, and it didn't surprise her. After all, some people become accustomed to living in
darkness. Regulus didn’t seem to notice her enter at first. She watched him for a moment, noticing
how shallow his breaths were and thinking to herself that he looked so small, lit only by the white
moonlight. She knocked on the open door. Though she had done this incredibly gently Regulus
jumped up instantly, his eyes wide and filled with fear. He softened slightly when the light was
turned on and he saw Mrs Potter’s kind face smiling sympathetically at him from the doorway. She
had her long, silver hair pinned into a neat bun and wore a gold night-dress.

With a gentle flick of her wand, she moved a large, crimson armchair from the corner of the room
to edge of the bed and sat in it. Regulus watched silently as she carefully laid out a few small
potion vials and a bandage. She patted the edge of the bed gently and Regulus took this as his cue
to sit down too. She explained the process to him in complete detail, making sure he knew exactly
what she was going to do and what to expect. Then, she disappeared out of the room, only to return
moments later with Sirius in tow. He smiled sheepishly at Regulus, who nodded slightly, and took
a seat next to him on the bed. Regulus did not acknowledge Sirius further, but deep down he was
comforted by his presence. For years he had struggled with the loneliness of being left behind, but
having Sirius next to him again, he felt himself breath slightly easier. He would never admit this
though, it was too painful.

“Right, lets get this over with then, shall we?" Euphemia leaned forward and began to inspect
Regulus’s wrist. She tutted to herself as she cast diagnostics on it before beginning the healing
process, a simple one that no one had cared enough to do before. She knew the break was old and
that it must’ve been causing the boy considerable pain, but she also knew he wasn’t anywhere near
ready to talk about it with her, so she resigned herself to helping fix it for now. She handed him a
small vial of painkiller, which he drank gladly. She then began to slowly manipulate the bones
back into the correct places, lining up every fragment perfectly, constantly checking Regulus’s
face to see if the painkiller was holding. When she was happy everything was in line, she handed
him the Bone-Growing potion and chuckled slightly as he tried not to gag from the disgusting taste.
She tenderly bandaged the wrist and handed Regulus an extra pain potion, in case the other one
wore off too soon. When she was satisfied, she said goodnight to the brothers and turned to leave
the room, kit in hand.

“Thank you!” Regulus said quietly, looking up at her with wide, sad eyes. She smiled at him again
and left, closing the door behind her, leaving the Black brothers alone.

Regulus could feel Sirius building up to say something, but he couldn’t bare it, he couldn’t pretend
everything was okay. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t feel incredibly guilty for choosing to come to
Sirius’s new home, for forcing his way back into the life of someone who had chosen to leave him
behind. He wasn’t ready for the emotions he knew he couldn’t control.

“I’m tired.” This was all Regulus could say as he climbed under the covers of his bed. Sirius
seemed to deflate slightly, as though the wind had been knocked out of him by Regulus’s dismissal
of his company. He got up and walked to the door, opening it slowly, as though he was waiting for
Regulus to change his mind. He glanced at his brother, catching his eye for a moment before he
rolled over, turning his back to Sirius.

“Goodnight Reggie.” Sirius spoke quietly, his voice thick with sadness. Regulus didn’t turn back
over, he just listened for the click of the door shutting and the steps of his brother walking away
before whispering “Goodnight Sirius”.

“He’s gone.” A woman whispered, her voice was furious and sharp. Regulus pressed his ear
against the other side of the door, desperately trying to hear the conversation.

He was back in Grimmauld Place, in its cold and suffocating darkness. He was smaller, younger,
more afraid than he’d ever been before. Regulus was stood outside the closed door to his father’s
study, listening intently to the conversation between his parents, shaking with fear but unable to
move away. He struggled to hear them over the pounding of his own heart.

“Have his accounts frozen immediately and have EVERYTHING transferred to us. You will burn
his face from the tapestry tonight. I shall add new wards to the house, ensuring he will never
return. How did we end up with such a disgraceful excuse for a son?” Orion spat his words.
Regulus could hear his boots stomping along the floor and knew he was pacing, as he often did
when Sirius angered him.

“He was always weak. I knew it the moment he was sorted into that disgrace of a House at
Hogwarts. Then when Bellatrix explained how he was cavorting around with half-bloods and
muggle-born children” She paused, as though the thought was too disgusting to carry on. “He is a
disgrace and always has been.” Regulus could feel the tears flowing freely down his face as he
took in his mother’s words. He was so upset with Sirius for leaving but was his mother correct?
Was Sirius a disgrace? Regulus had always been so fiercely connected to his brother, his only
source of happiness and love, and his mother’s harsh words dug into his chest like daggers.

“Regulus is the heir now.” His father stated. “He must be controlled more closely; I will not have
this happen again.” Regulus’s stomach twisted at the mention of his name and he slowly took a
step away from the door. As he carefully placed his foot down, the floorboard gave a loud creak.
Regulus froze.

Before he could process his escape plan the door before him was thrown open and a firm hand
was wrapped around the collar of his shirt, pulling him into the room. Once he was inside, his
father threw him across the floor, causing him to slide into the wall, hard. Regulus laid on the
floor, winded, shaking with fear and crying.
“This is exactly what I’m talking about! Insolent, cowardly boy.” His father screamed the words at
him. He seized Regulus tightly by his wrist, crushing it in his hand. Regulus yelped in pain,
desperately looking to his mother for help. She turned her nose up at him, refusing to watch any
further, and walked out of the room.

“Do not ever let me catch you listening to my private conversations again, or crying like a child.
You will grow up Regulus and act like the Black you are. You will not be the disappointment your
disgusting brother is!” These were statements, facts, truths that he was setting in stone. Regulus
was unable to stop his tears as his tried to tear his hand away from his father’s vice-like grip.
“Stop crying!” With this final message, Orion flung his son's arm away from him, causing him to
hit it violently on the side of his desk. He paid no attention to this and stormed back out of the
room, leaving his youngest son on the floor, clinging to his wrist.

Regulus was alone, unable to stop crying, feeling an intense pain in his back and wrist. His wrist
was jutting out at an alarming angle, but in that moment, he couldn’t remember any healing spells.
He stood up slowly, clutching at the desk to try and steady himself. As he reached the door, he
stared into the pitch-black corridor before him, it seemed to stretch out for miles, cast in complete
darkness. His breaths were becoming shallower as he prepared himself to walk through the
darkness and he was sweating profusely. He was panicking.

“Regulus” A voice sounded through the hallway; it was familiar but felt so far away. A warm,
orange light appeared at the end of the dark tunnel before him. Regulus hesitated for a moment.
“Regulus” The voice repeated, closer to him now. Regulus tore down the corridor, towards the
light and as he reached it, it overwhelmed him.

Regulus sat bolt-upright in his bed, soaked with sweat, breathing quickly, shaking. He looked
frantically around the unfamiliar room he was in. His eyes weren’t adjusting properly to the
darkness, because he was so scared. He was gasping for air, like a fish out of water. Then, a hand
clasped his shoulder tenderly. He jumped, startled by the presence of another person. There was a
hand on his other shoulder now too, holding him in place.

“Focus on my voice Reg, take deep breaths. In and out.” The familiar voice was now coming from
directly in front of him, forcing him to focus and regain control of his breathing. After a long time
of following the other persons breathing, feeling the way their hands pressed small, comforting
circles into his shoulders, Regulus felt his muscles relax again and his breathing evened out. He
hadn’t even looked up at the other person yet, and as he did his eyes adjusted to the darkness and
he saw the other boys face clearly.

“I’m sorry” These were the only words Regulus could force out as he stared into James large,
brown eyes.

“Don’t be. Are you okay? Does this happen a lot?” James spoke softly, still holding the other boy
by his shoulders, studying his expression, checking him over.

Regulus nodded, not specifying which question he was answering. He stared down at his bandaged
wrist and sighed deeply; he was intensely embarrassed. “Did I wake you?” Regulus spoke barely
above a whisper, unable to look at the other boy.

“No, don’t worry Reg!” James reassured him. “I was on my way back from the bathroom and
heard you gasping, I was worried, so I just popped my head in and I’m very glad I did.” James
started to thumb small circles into Regulus’s shoulders again. Regulus looked up at James, he was
able to make out the shape of James’s glasses and perpetually messy hair, even in the darkness.
Regulus let out a long breath.
 “So am I” He spoke quietly before pulling away from James’s hands, laying back down and
turning away, just as he had to Sirius. He didn’t say goodnight and he didn’t listen for the sound of
the boy leaving because he was too exhausted. He gently pulled the covers up and covered his
head, quietly sobbing until he’d fallen asleep.

It wasn’t until he feeling of warm sunlight on his skin woke him up, that he discovered that James
had never left the room. He was curled up, fast asleep, in the armchair beside Regulus’s bed.
Regulus couldn’t comprehend why James had stayed in the room; he was not a child that needed
constant observation. For a moment he felt angry, but his anger subsided when reasoning kicked in
and he accepted that James would have just been worried, as is written in his nature as a Potter.
Regulus looked at him for a long time, just observing how content he seemed. He slept with his
mouth slightly open, snoring gently but completely still and calm. Regulus was certain he had
never slept as peacefully as James did, in his entire life. Regulus watched the boy for a minute or so
before deciding to get up. He tip-toed silently around the room, grabbing clothes from his bag, he
had become incredibly good at sneaking around silently since his incident, he was like a shadow.
He hesitated as he was leaving the room, sighing to himself before he walked back to the chair and
placed a blanket over James, who didn’t stir at all. Regulus walked out of the room without a
second look.

Chapter End Notes

From here on out, the pace will pick up and focus on more general parts of the boy's
summer together and Reg becoming more trusting (with added moments of Reg
learning to cook with Euphemia, talking to Fleamont about books and doing fun teen
stuff with Pads and Prongs) before they return to Hogwarts in a few chapters time.
Please let me know if you like this style of writing or if its too much waffle? also do
you want the paragraphs breaking up more or are they okay as they are?(please give
me advice!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!
 Libraries, Kitchens and Flying Grapes
Chapter Notes

A much needed wholesome and happy chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Regulus had expected James to mention something about that night to Mrs Potter, or Sirius, but he
didn’t. It wasn’t brought up again. From that night on, James and Regulus barely spoke to each
other. This is not to say that James didn’t try, he had tried several times to speak to Regulus, but the
other boy was quiet and avoided him mostly. James was usually off getting into trouble with Sirius
and Regulus was constantly rejecting and ignoring the two boys pleas for him to join them,
favouring a day in the library, alone.

When Regulus had realised that his wrist was completely fixed, it only took a day to heal after Mrs
Potters work, he had broken down crying. He had spent two years in near-constant agony, not
being able to heal his wrist himself or ask for help with it, he had been too afraid Madame Pomfrey
would ask what had happened to get it fixed at Hogwarts. He wasn’t crying because he was happy
the pain was gone, although he was relieved, he was crying because it had only taken Mrs Potter
twenty minutes to fix and no one had ever cared enough to do it before. His own parents, his flesh
and blood, had known it was broken, he had been hexed many times at dinners for not being able
to hide his pain, but they had never bothered to fix it.

Regulus had been almost completely silent during every meal he’d shared with the Potter’s and
Sirius so far. He would simply come when called, eat the meal, thank Mrs Potter, and then wash
all of the dishes by hand, without being asked. Though he never had to do chores in Grimmauld
Place, he felt obliged to do them now, desperate to repay the Potters in some form, by being as
useful as he could be. Early one morning, during Regulus’s first week with the Potter’s, the five sat
quietly at the table together for breakfast. He was stirring his tea absentmindedly, letting James and
Sirius’s conversation about quidditch wash over his head, when Fleamont spoke to him across the
table. They had only spoken once at this point; Regulus had thanked him for letting him stay in the
house and had offered to help with anything the man needed. Fleamont had not pushed Regulus for
more conversations, sensing his distrust and fear of authoritative figures, so it had taken Regulus
by surprise when he spoke to him during their breakfast.

“Regulus, I’m planning on re-organising the library over the next few weeks.” He looked directly
at the boy who was slightly twitchy and nervous, unable to hold eye contact. “I tried to enlist James
and Sirius’s help but they’re useless when it comes to books and being helpful” There was a small
gasp of protest from both boys before a gentle laugh from Fleamont. He spoke softly. “Would you
like to help me? I can always use a second opinion.”

Regulus looked up at the older man now, looking into his eyes. His expression was genuine and
kind. His hair was silver, like his wife’s, and pointed out at ridiculous angles, like James’s. His
face was wrinkled from years of smiling and laughing, a feature neither of the Black parents had.
He knew how much Regulus loved reading and he was reaching out in the best way he could.
Regulus nodded gently.

“I’d like that a lot.” He spoke quietly. Euphemia exhaled, as though she’d been holding her breath
and chuckled, leaning over and kissing her husband softly on the cheek. Regulus remained silent
for the rest of breakfast, but he felt warm inside, almost hopeful, about the future. His future.

Fleamont and Regulus spent almost every day of the next two weeks together in the library. They
worked, for the most part, in comfortable silence. Occasionally they would stop to discuss a book
they particularly liked or disliked, offering their own critiques and opinions to each other. Regulus
was beginning to trust the soft-hearted man, enjoying his presence and the way they had some
similar interests. They sorted thousands of books into alphabetical order and then into sections,
Muggle Books, Poetry, Spell Books, Magical Myths etc. Regulus enjoyed every minute he spent in
the library. He revelled in seeing how old the books were, he spent hours looking at which pages
had been marked by whoever had read it before, reading personalised inscriptions and with every
book he gently brushed off any dust. He had always loved reading; admired the escape it allowed
him to feel. In reality he might have been a child hiding under his bed from the ‘monsters’ but in
his book, he was a man with the most powerful wand in the world, or flying a Hippogriff through
the skies.

Regulus felt a sting of disappointment as he carefully placed the final book in its place, he wasn’t
ready for them to be finished just yet. Fleamont patted him gently on the shoulder as they admired
their hard work.

“Thank you for your help Regulus. It’s been a lot of fun.” Fleamont smiled at Regulus. Regulus
only managed a polite shrug and a nod, desperately trying to conceal his sadness. In truth, Regulus
was sad at the thought of feeling empty again. For the first week in the Potter house he had
wandered around aimlessly, or spent whole days staring into the garden. He had avoided Sirius and
James. He had wanted to be left alone, but now he didn’t. This ‘job’ had given him something to
look forward, a sense of achievement and a sense of purpose. But now it was over. Fleamont, being
the wise man and terrific father that he is, had anticipated Regulus’s disappointment at finishing
the work and had a surprise for the boy. He crossed over to the large desk that sat in the middle of
the library and pulled a wrapped package from its top draw. He leaned back casually on the desk
and extended the package for Regulus to take.

Regulus hesitated for a long time before finally reaching forward and taking the gift. It was
rectangular, wrapped in beautiful, floral paper. He carefully unwrapped it, peeling away the tape,
not wanting to rip the paper. He glanced up at Fleamont. Regulus’s mouth was open in shock, and
his eyes were gleaming with tears. He looked back down at the gift; it was a book. Regulus gently
ran his fingers over the faded red cover, feeling the grooves of the golden, printed title ‘A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens’.

“It’s a muggle book, of course, but it’s very good. It’s a first edition, my father gave it to me when I
was a child. It’s been my favourite ever since and now I’d like to pass it on to you” Fleamont said.

“Thank you, Sir…but what about James? Won’t he want it? It’s an heirloom, it belongs to him.”
Regulus held the book back out to the man.

Fleamont just shook his head and placed his hand over Regulus’s on the book, pushing it back
towards him. “James would lose it or use it as a Quaffle, he’s got plenty of other priceless items to
inherit” He laughed “I would like for you to have this.” He smiled at the boy, watching as he
handled the book so delicately. Regulus looked up at him again, unable to say anything through
fear he might start crying with happiness. Then, something remarkable happened. For the first time
since the two had met, for the first time in a long time, for the first time since Sirius left him,
Regulus smiled.

A week later and Regulus was about to finish the book for the third time when he was called to the
kitchen. When he pushed through the door, he found Mrs Potter rushing around the room, turning
pages in multiple cookbooks, throwing whisks around and surrounded by a cloud of flour. She had
her hair in a very messy updo, she was wearing an apron that was emblazoned with the Gryffindor
crest, and she was very red in the face. She sighed with relief when she spotted Regulus.

“Oh, thank Godric! My saviour has arrived. Please could you give me a hand? If you’re not too
busy” They both knew he wasn’t busy and they both knew he would gladly help but she felt she
had to ask anyway. “Fleamont didn’t think to mention that we were due to host a gathering this
evening. I’ve got so much to do, and I could do with an extra set of hands. It seems that Sirius and
James have vanished, quite conveniently for them, if you ask me.” She tutted slightly. Regulus had
already moved over to the sink to wash his hands and he nodded at her. She wiped the sweat off of
her forehead with her arm, spreading flour over her face accidentally. Regulus smiled inwardly and
prepared for his first cooking lesson.

Mrs Potter had been the perfect teacher and Regulus thought to himself that maybe she was in the
wrong profession. With Regulus being underage and therefore unable to use magic, the process
was slower, but Mrs Potter didn’t mind this at all. She cast a few charms wherever necessary, to
keep things progressing as she taught Regulus, but for the most part they cooked by hand. She
showed him how to properly knead the dough for the bread, how to sauté potatoes, how to temper
chocolate and when they’d finished Regulus would be able to recite the exact measurements for
fifteen different dessert recipes. She chatted happily to the boy for hours, about times she’d cooked
these dishes before, where the best chocolate she’d ever had was from, how she’d almost burned
her house down trying to cook caramel once. Regulus relished being in the presence of Euphemia.
She radiated positivity, love and light and he felt better every second he spent with her.

The boy was stirring a pot on the stove when a horrible thought dawned on him; who was
attending this gathering, would they know Regulus was there? Would they tell his parents? Did
they already know?

“If you don’t mind me asking, who are your guests tonight?” Regulus swallowed dryly; his palms
were clammy as he continued to stir.

“It’s just a few old friends, I’m sure you wouldn’t know them.” She said before stopping and
wordlessly casting a cleaning spell to get flour off the ceiling. Regulus let out a relieved breath. “I
am so sorry about this but it’s probably best if you and the boys stay upstairs for the evening. It’ll
be very boring down here and we’ve got lots of important things to discuss with our guests and it
won’t be any fun for you three.” She continued.

“Of course! That’s no problem.” Regulus was well versed in staying in his room whilst his parents
had guests over, though he assumed that the Potter’s guests would be less terrifying and angry. He
flashed Euphemia a tight smile and started clearing away the detritus of their afternoon of baking
and cooking.

As they were finishing their final preparations, James and Sirius appeared from through the back
door. They tried to sneak in as fast as possible, but Mrs Potter was faster, she cut them off before
they could disappear into the house. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot in mock
anger, tutting at the boys.

“Well if it isn’t the two most unhelpful wizards in the world!” Sirius tried to hold in a laugh and
James elbowed him in the ribs, trying not to laugh too. “Regulus is now my favourite boy in the
Potter house. Anyway, we’ve got guests over tonight so you three will have to entertain yourselves
upstairs please. You don’t have to tiptoe around but be mindful, and NO funny business” She
pointed an accusing finger at Sirius who gave a dramatic fake gasp, clutching his chest.
“You wound me!” He cried.

“I’m seriou….” Before she could even finish her poorly phrased reply James had jumped at the
opportunity to make the joke.

“No, HE’S Sirius!” James shouted, grabbing Sirius by the arm. They dissolved into laughter at the
antique joke that, apparently, never seemed to get old. Even Euphemia let out a laugh.

“I set myself up for that one, I’ll admit. Right take this with you and go have fun upstairs.” She
handed each of the boys a plate of food and sent them away. Regulus waited behind for a moment
as Sirius and James ran upstairs to excitedly examine their food.

“Thank you!” Regulus said quietly. “Cooking was more enjoyable than I had originally thought it
might be” He spoke so eloquently or someone his age that it always took Euphemia by surprise.

“It is isn’t it? Thank you for your help love. You've got a real knack for it. You’re welcome to help
anytime you like.” She smiled widely at him.

“Enjoy your evening!” He said as he pushed through the kitchen door. He headed upstairs, he felt
warm inside as he thought about Mrs Potter's compliment. He wasn't used to being praised for
anything like this before, in a household with the mantra of 'Toujours Pur' he was never rewarded
for being exceptional, it was simply expected. He was, of course, outstanding in his studies but
he'd come to realise that any scholarly praise he received was a result of his name and not of his
hard work. He felt happy and relaxed for the first time since being at the Potter’s. His happiness
was short lived when he reached his room and found the door open, even though he always closed
it. He felt a wave of panic wash over him and had to place his hand on the wall to steady himself
for a moment. When he felt he could move again, he braced himself and stepped into his room. His
fear fell away when he saw Sirius and James sat on a blanket on the floor. He sighed loudly and
gave Sirius an annoyed look.

“Oh, come on Reggie! Your eyes will go square if you keep spending all night reading in here on
your own. You’ll need glasses and end up looking like ol’ blind man over here.” Sirius laughed,
pointing at James who squinted pointedly at Sirius.

“That is a horrifying thought” Regulus huffed. Sirius and James stared at each other silently for a
second and then burst out laughing. Regulus made a big point of sighing very loudly again but gave
in and sat himself down on the floor opposite the two of them, placing his plate in front of him.

“Wow, Regulus Black making a joke! I never thought I’d see the day.” James declared. Regulus
glared at him, resenting the insinuation but knowing that he was justified in saying such a thing.

“Who said I was joking?” Regulus remarked, looking directly into James's eyes. He hadn’t really
looked at the other boy since the first night. He had desperately tried to avoid his large, knowing,
sympathetic, eyes because they made him feel embarrassed. However, now they just made his
stomach feel weird, probably just unresolved anger, Regulus convinced himself. James smirked at
him, running his hand through his hair, before leaning forward and picking a grape up from his
plate. He threw it at Regulus, hitting him in the shoulder.

Before Regulus had the chance to react Sirius had joined in, smearing cake frosting over James’s
forehead. Regulus thought the whole idea of joining in was ridiculous and beneath him, but as he
considered leaving, he felt strangely drawn to the absurd situation. He saw how James and Sirius
acted like both best friends and brothers and Regulus felt a pang of jealousy. He reached down and
picked up a small sausage roll, his heart sighed as he considered ruining something that had taken
so long to make that afternoon. Tired of worrying about every action he did, he launched it at
 Sirius. It hit Sirius straight in the face, knocking him back slightly. Sirius quickly brought his
hands up to cover his face, he made a strange noise, like crying. Regulus’s heart paused for a
moment, terrified that he’d gone too far.

Suddenly, Sirius threw his head back and let out the most outrageous laugh. Regulus and James
stared at each other for a moment, James then joined in, laughing uproariously. Regulus tried to
fight it, but he couldn’t help it, he fell into a fit of laughter. The boys all rolled around laughing for
far too long, every time they finally calmed down, they would accidentally make eye contact and
set themselves off again.

“I haven’t laughed this hard in so long” James wheezed out, clutching his side.

Sirius wiped a tear out of his eye and looked over at Regulus. Regulus’s face was incredibly red,
and he had watery eyes too. Sirius felt a moment of relief as he watched his little brother, looking
more peaceful and happier than he had ever seen before. The three boys ended up falling asleep on
the blanket on Regulus's bedroom floor, all worn out from laughing so hard. As he drifted to sleep,
Regulus thought to himself that exhaustion from laughing too hard was definitely the best kind of
exhaustion.

Chapter End Notes

Stay tuned in the next few chapters for a marauders end of summer bonfire and an
eventful return to Hogwarts for the boys.

Sorry if this is too long of a chapter, I'm trying to get to the return to Hogwarts because
I'm excited about those chapters.

Thank you as always!x

 The Sting of Firewhiskey
Chapter Notes

This chapter takes place a few weeks after the previous chapter, the boys are getting
along, playing quidditch and being good friends. It's the evening before they all return
to Hogwarts and the Marauders are convening for a summer send off.

I've put notes at the end to avoid spoilers.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Hurry up James! Moony and Wormtail will be here any minute.” Sirius bellowed from down the
stairs.

“Thank you for reminding me! I’d almost forgotten, in the five minutes since you said the same
thing.” James shouted back.

James was stood outside of Regulus’s room, deciding whether to knock or not. He paused for a
moment and then knocked lightly.

“Come in” said a soft voice from inside. James turned the handle and pushed through and into the
room. He leaned against the door and watched Regulus as he hurriedly put his books and the last of
his clothes into his trunk, ready for the return to Hogwarts the next day. He barely paid any notice
to James; he was too focused on ensuring he had everything. The curtains were open, and the
afternoon sun coated the room in golden light. As James looked at Regulus, he couldn’t help but
compare the boy now to the boy he’d seen on that night two months ago. Two months ago, he had
been terrified, untrusting, cold, and angry. Now, he was warmer, less angry, he didn’t flinch
whenever a door slammed anymore, James couldn’t hear him hyperventilating in his sleep when he
passed the room anymore, he seemed happier. He was different physically too, after weeks of
cooking and helping in the library, as well as regular quidditch matches with James and Sirius, he
was much stronger and looked less fragile. His skin was pinker, not the ghostly white it had been,
his hair curled gently at his shoulders now, like Sirius’s and his eyes were brighter, no longer
sunken and full of sadness. James felt fiercely protective of Regulus, the same way he did for Sirius
and seeing him so much happier and healthier made his heart swell slightly.

“Remus and Peter are apparently closing in on us, you ready?” James spoke as Regulus finally
closed his trunk. Their eyes met and James flashed Regulus a smile.

“Are you sure you don’t mind me crashing your night? I really don’t mind staying in here.”
Regulus scratched the back of his head nervously. That evening was to play host to the Marauder's
yearly, end of summer, bonfire night. They would sit around and tell stories, play games, eat too
much food and talk excitedly about the pranks they had planned for the next school year.

“We are not having this conversation again!” James laughed. “We have to celebrate the end of a
great summer and you being able to stay here permanently” James crossed his fingers and waved
them towards Regulus, winking at him. “Come on! Sirius might explode if we don’t hurry up”
Regulus smiled softly and nodded.

An hour later, the five boys were sitting on fold-out camping chairs around a large fire, in front of
the Potter’s pond. Remus was sat next to Sirius and they kept whispering to each other and then
laughing. Peter sat between Sirius and James, happily gorging himself on the cakes Mrs Potter had
made them. James sat next to Regulus and the two were engaged in a heated conversation about
the best way to catch the snitch in a game. The fire had been a stroke of genius, created by
Fleamont, he’d lit it the muggle way and charmed it so it wouldn’t need maintaining and would
extinguish at exactly 8am. It covered the boys in warmth as the sun dipped below the horizon and
the stars began to appear.

“Let’s play truth or dare!” Sirius exclaimed. The other boys all nodded in agreement and then, to
everyone’s surprise, Peter produced a bottle of Firewhiskey from his bag.

“How did you get your hands on that Wormtail?” James gaped.

“Dad’s got loads of them and I thought it might be fun to have it tonight at the ‘Annual Marauders”
He looked at over at Regulus “and guest, Return to Hogwarts Bonfire’. Right?” Peter stared around
at all of the boys; they were all looking to James for an answer. He always had the answer. He
looked conflicted for a moment and then jumped up and threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders.

“Wormtail is officially the man of the evening! Let’s drink.” He cried out, they all laughed as they
began to pass around the bottle. The other boys had all secretly had it before, but Regulus had
never had the chance. He winced as the liquid burned his throat and thought for a second, he might
spit it straight back out, but he managed to swallow it, earning a great cheer from the other boys.

“Truth or dare?” Sirius asked James.

“Dare, obviously.” James replied.

Sirius had dared James to jump in the pond, which he had no problems with at all. He bowed
triumphantly as he climbed out of the water, dripping wet, with a huge grin on his face. Peter had
foolishly opted for a truth and was forced to admit that he had a big crush on Marlene McKinnon,
one of their fellow Gryffindors. Sirius had then given a pitch-perfect rendition of David Bowie's
Life On Mars. Remus had chosen to do a dare and Peter had nearly pissed himself laughing at the
idea of forcing Remus to hold Sirius’s hand for an entire round, so he’d suggested that. Sirius had
dramatically placed his hand into Remus’s lap and even in the darkness, Regulus could see the
blush creeping into Remus’s cheeks as he laced their fingers together. Regulus had opted for dare
and now had holes burned into the soles of his socks from trying to jump over the fire. The game
continued in this ridiculous fashion for a few more rounds, the drink continued to flow, and the
boys slowly became tipsier. Regulus, who had never had alcohol outside of family gatherings, and
even then, it had only ever been one glass of champagne, was in a happy drunken state. He looked
over at Sirius and Remus, who were whispering to each other, and noticed that their hands were
still laced together. Peter was yawning constantly, but seemed desperate to stay awake with the
others and continue the game.

“Regulus, your go again.” Peter yawned.

Regulus thought for a moment before opting for truth, for the first time in the game.

“Why did you leave home?” Peter seemed to say the words before the weight of them had
registered in his mind. Sirius and Remus snapped out of their whispered conversation and looked
over at Peter. James’s eyes were wide and angry.

“Pete! What the fuck!” James spat, furiously. His protective nature had kicked in and the alcohol in
his system was making it worse. He looked as though he was about to launch himself at the
terrified boy, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Regulus looked into James’s eyes and smiled.
“It’s okay, don’t worry.” Regulus spoke calmly to James. He relaxed slightly and Peter, who had
been holding his breath, finally breathed again. “I had been planning it for a long time. Since Sirius
left really, I just didn’t know where I could go. In June, I’d finally decided I was going to try and
stay with Andromeda, at least until the school year started again. I went to Diagon Alley to get the
last few things I needed, I told Mother and Father that I was going to get my schoolbooks early, in
case they sold out. I got the bits and when I arrived back to Grimmauld Place my bedroom door
was open. When I went inside Father was there, he had my letters to Andromeda in his hand and he
was furious.” Regulus’s eyes pricked with tears as he spoke, but he forced himself to carry on,
James and Sirius deserved to know the truth. “He hexed me and told me Mother was coming to
punish me further. He turned to throw the letters into the fireplace in my room and I was so scared
I grabbed my trunk and ran. I could hear him coming after me, shouting for me, I went to the
fireplace in his office and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. In that second, the only address I
could think of was this town, so I ended up in a bed and breakfast, down the road. I sat outside this
house for nearly a full day, working out what I was going to do” His tears were flowing freely now.
“Then I just needed to see Sirius, so I finally knocked. The Potter’s have helped in ways I can never
explain or repay but they are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I am so grateful to them”
Regulus placed his hand on James’s shoulder, James looked completely horrified from hearing
Regulus’s story but managed to smile at him.

Sirius finally let go of Remus hand, he stood up and walked over to Regulus. He hadn’t said a
word, his expression was unreadable. He pulled Regulus up from his chair and threw his arms
around him, enveloping him in a crushing hug. Regulus cried gently into his older brother’s
shoulder as he hugged him back, equally as tightly. When they finally separated, the boys all stood
together, arms around each other’s shoulders and they raised their glasses toward the fire.

“A toast! To Regulus. To the Potter’s. To what is going to be the best year in Hogwarts history!”
Sirius shouted. The boys all knocked their glasses together and laughed heartedly.

Peter had finally caved and gone inside to bed. The other boys continued to talk and plan pranks
for the year. Regulus felt incredible, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders and felt that he
finally had a place, a family who cared for him. He felt optimistic about the year and his heart
tingled with excited nerves. The late hour quickly caught up to the boys and they headed inside.
Regulus was disappointed to find a sleeping Peter Pettigrew in his bed, he had obviously been too
tired to realise that it wasn’t James’s room, where he’d been told to sleep. Regulus sighed slightly
and grabbed his pyjamas before heading to sleep on the couch downstairs. As he closed the door to
his room, he noticed James looking confusedly at his own room.

“Peter seems to have fallen asleep in my bed.” Regulus whispered with a laugh. “I’m going to sleep
downstairs.”

“That’s ridiculous, share with me.” James whispered back to Regulus. He must have seen the
hesitation in Regulus’s face, then he added “Remus and Sirius are sharing. Come on!” James
gestured for Regulus to enter his room. Regulus, being extremely tired and still buzzing from the
Firewhiskey, gave up fighting it and went into James’s room. James closed the door quietly and
smiled at Regulus again. He then pulled off his shirt and moved across the room to get another, as
if Regulus wasn’t even there. Regulus was slightly shocked but couldn’t take his eyes off the boy.
He was toned, from years of quidditch and his body was flawless. Regulus got that same strange
feeling in his stomach and dismissed it as being a result of too much alcohol, he forced himself to
look away, quickly changing his own shirt and climbing into the bed. James slid in next to him and
turned off his bedside lamp. The two laid there, facing each other, in the silence and darkness for a
few minutes. Finally, James let out a breath.

“Goodnight Reg” he whispered to the other boy, unable to see his facial features in the darkness,
before turning away from him.

“Goodnight James” Regulus breathed back before turning to face the other way. Their backs
pressed together lightly, and Regulus spent a long time thinking about how comforted he felt by the
presence of another person. In future, he would remember that as the best night sleep he had ever
had, but couldn’t work out why.

The next morning, Regulus was woken by a mixture of things. Firstly, the morning sun filtering
through the partially opened curtains, secondly, the pounding in his head from drinking far too
much the night before and lastly, the feeling of something holding him down. Regulus was
particularly worried about the last factor. He glanced down and found James Potter’s arm wrapped
around his waist, holding him tightly. James’s faced was resting gently against Regulus’s shoulder
and his breath tickled across his skin, making Regulus shiver at the intimacy. He was fast asleep
but his fingers were subconsciously tracing small circles on Regulus's side, their bodies pressed
together.

Regulus's heart was racing and he began to panic that it was loud enough to wake James up. He
stayed frozen and tried to come up with an escape plan. He didn’t want to wake James, who looked
as peaceful as he did that morning months ago, but he had to remove himself from this situation. He
very carefully pried James’s arm off and slipped out of the bed silently. He stood still for a
moment, watching James who was still asleep and now cuddling a pillow.

Regulus crossed over to the window and sat on the seat beneath it, looking out into the garden. He
rested his head against the glass and allowed himself to think about the future. He had already
spoken to Euphemia and Fleamont and they’d desperately wanted him to stay with them
permanently, when he finally relented and said yes Mrs Potter had cried with happiness. Fleamont
had simply patted him on the shoulder and gone to write to Dumbledore, explaining that, like with
Sirius, Regulus was not safe with the Black’s and that Dumbledore should make the same
arrangements for Regulus that he had for Sirius. Regulus had never been happier than when he was
at the Potter’s, but he still had the gut feeling he didn’t belong and the fear that his parents would
find a way to force him to go home. Then he thought about Hogwarts, about walking the hallways
again, the freedom he was allowed, the idea of playing quidditch with his team, to see his
dormmates again, he was even excited for lessons. He thought about how different things were
now, he had a brother again, he even had new friends in James, Peter, and Remus. He had a newly
mended arm that would make him invincible as a Seeker and he was feeling confident. He thought
about James, his opponent as a player, his friend, someone who was protective of him and
genuinely cared for him without being forced to because of his Black name. As he thought of
James, he got that familiar, tense feeling in his stomach. He’d dismissed it before, as anger or
alcohol but he was growing more and more unsure of the truth of that idea. He wasn’t able to dwell
for too long before he was interrupted by Peter bursting through the door, shouting about the
chance of them all being late. James, only semi-conscious, launched a pillow at his head, sending
him down the hall to annoy Remus and Sirius.

“Morning Reg.” James smirked at Regulus. His hair was charmingly messy, as always, his shirt
had ridden up slightly, exposing his toned stomach again. Regulus flicked his eyes to James’s. He
flashed him a quick smile before darting out of the room to get dressed and grab his trunk.

Peter was still chatting nervously about all the things he was sure he’d forgotten as they
approached Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Remus was mildly hungover and looked as though
he hadn’t slept at all. Sirius looked completely normal apart from slight tiredness in his eyes. James
looked entirely fine, no hint of a hangover, buzzing with excited energy, much to Remus and
Regulus’s annoyance. Regulus knew he must’ve looked sick but promised Mrs Potter it was from
eating too much cake and nothing else. He had to take deep breaths as he ran through the wall onto
 the platform, afraid the shift in air and overwhelming feeling of magic might make him throw up.
They all managed to get through without any incident. They were now all practically bouncing
with excitement, and the sight of the Hogwarts express made Regulus feel instantly better.

The group then made their way down the platform, towards the train door. Regulus fell behind the
other boys slightly, struggling to carry his trunk, having difficulty squeezing through the crowd of
excited wizards.

Suddenly he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked up and almost screamed.

“Sirius!” He managed to call out, whipping his head back in the direction of his brother.

Sirius turned around in time to see the terror in Regulus’s eyes. Their father stood there, eyes
gleaming with anger as he held Regulus firmly by the shoulder. Sirius tried to push his way back to
his little brother, but was too late.

*CRACK*

He was gone.

Chapter End Notes

1) Obsessed with the idea of a marauder's bonfire night

2) Of course Peter fancies Marlene, he's clueless
3) Crumbs of cute Wolfstar and very cliche Jegulus moment
4) Explanation of Regulus leaving home
5) Orion apparates Regulus from the train station
6) The next chapter is going to be a rough one, sorry in advance.

Also a big shoutout to LunaLeonorah for the constant support! You're too kind x

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