Regulus Black - The marauders era

Chapter 9 - Letters

Regulus 9 and Sirius 11
Dearest Sirius,
I wish you could come home I really do miss it without you and I miss late night broom rides. My nightmares have come back and I need you here, mother and father are harsh.
'Blacks don't show weakness' they say I wish I could come to hogwarts with you, I wish we didn't have to be separated. Flying on my broom is difficult without you here but I'll manage, I've only fallen off a couple of times. I know you're a Gryffindor and maybe one day I'll be one too. Mum has been extra hard on me she wants me to be her perfect pure blood son but I don't know if I can be. I shouldn't really be writing this mother says I'm not allowed but why? Why am I not allowed Sirius?
I hope you have fun and make lots of friends but don't forget about me alright.
Your brother Regulus
Regulus looked down at his letter desperately wishing his brother was here with him but unfortunately he couldn't be. He crept around the house and slowly opened the owls cage and attached the letter before quickly letting Newt out the window. Regulus watched the owl soar off into the distant and was already getting ready for Sirius to write back to him. He really did admire his brother.
Sirius sighed sitting down at the breakfast table, sure he had amazing friends but all the howlers his mother sent were starting to take its toll on him.
"Alright mate," James clapped him on the back and sat down adjusting his glasses and ruffling his hair.
"Yep just wondering if dear old mum will send me another howler," Sirius said and grabbed himself a glass of pumpkin juice and downing it.
Remus sat down tiredly and absentmindedly grabbed some toast.
"Morning Remus," Sirius said.
"I swear If you get one more howler I'm stamping on it," Remus announced and Sirius laughed loudly and agreed with him.
"I think everyone wants to stop those letter," James pitched in.
A sudden screech alerted everyone to the arrival of the owls and Sirius groaned putting his head in his hands. He spotted their owl newt coming towards him and expected the worst but it wasn't a howler it was an ordinary letter. Sirius stared at it as if it was a ticking time bomb but cautiously opened it. The letter was from Regulus! Sirius cracked a smile but it fell off his face when he learned what Reggie had to deal with. God how Sirius wished he hadn't had to leave his brother behind with the freaks that call themselves parents.
"Does anybody have any parchment?" Sirius questioned the other 3 marauders already grabbing a pen out of his pocket and planning what he was going to say.
Remus pulled a piece of parchment out of his Robes and Sirius thanked him before starting to write with one hand and eating a slice of toast with the other.
"Ahh Black I see mummy dearest hasn't sent anymore howlers," Bellatrix shouted across the hall cackling and she strode over to see what Sirius was doing.
"Shock of Bella," Sirius growled keeping the letters close to him.
Bellatrix snatched the letter right out of his hands and a scowl formed on her face.
"Regulus what on earth is he doing writing to you?" She scoffed and Sirius ripped the letter out of her hands.
"He's my brother he has every right," He shouted and by now half the great hall was silent and watching the 2 black cousins intently.
"I'm writing to Walburga to tell her you two have been corresponding I'll make sure to put a stop to that," She cackled and Sirius launched at her furious and she shrieked brandishing her wand before Mcgonagall stopped them.
"What on earth is going on?" She demanded and this time it was James who stood up.
"It was her professor she was trying to stop Sirius and his brother writing letters to each other,"
"Is this true?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked from cousin to cousin.
"Well yes why should Sirius corrupt Regulus?" Bellatrix spoke up and Sirius fought the urge to shout at her again.
"20 points from each of you now run along," Mcgonagall said and Sirius breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his parents wouldn't be notified about this.
"Your cousins are mental," Remus said coming up and standing next to him.
"Agreed,"
Regulus,
I wish I could see you as well, Bella is a pain in the arse. Don't repeat what I just said anyway if you have nightmares breathe in and out alright. Think about happy times as you said late night broom riding and I'm sure you are getting better Reggie just don't hurt yourself to much alright. I'll be home for Christmas and I'm sure you will be in Gryffindor with me. I honestly don't know why you're not allowed to write Reggie but all I do know is mother and father are too harsh on you you're only little. I won't forget about you ever you're my brother. I have made friends they're James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. It's obvious James likes Lily but she despises him. Love you little bro.
Sirius
Sirius sent the letter and hoped Regulus would actually get to read it before their mother got to it. She had a special hatred for him now that he was in Gryffindor. Considered a blood traitor apparently.
Regulus was positively bouncing with excitement when he saw Newt return with a letter attached to his leg. He was excited that was until Walburga got to the owl first. She snatched the letter and eyed it with distaste.
"Orion go burn this it's from Sirius," She spat and Regulus cried out.
"No please I have to read it," He whimpered and Walburga fixed him with a hard stare.
"You will not have anything to do with him now get. Out. Of. My. Sight," She growled and Regulus fled closing the door to his room and crying. All he wanted was to contact Sirius and he would never know what his brother was up to.
It was so unfair. Regulus cried himself to sleep that night and woke up in the morning with sticky tear tracks marking his face.
Regulus is 12 and Sirius is 14
Sirius,
I beg of you please return home for Christmas it's lonely without you and I know you don't like me very much because I'm a Slytherin but I bought you a Christmas present so if you get this please send me your location so I can give it to you. Christmas really isn't the same without you here it doesn't feel homely enough with only 3 of us in the house. Mother and father still aren't that great to me even though I try my best to be a perfect son but where did I go wrong. Oh please come back for Christmas I need you. My nightmares a bad again and I can't seem to shake them I really do need you Siri.
Love from Reggie
Regulus crept out of bed at 1am and silently let the owl fly and told him to go find Sirius. The reason he wanted to know the address was so he could go there personally and give Sirius the gift. He hoped Sirius would accept him more if he did. The family owl was rapping out his window in the Potters house and he opened it and took the letter from the owl and peered at it. It was from Regulus. Sirius looked down at the letter and felt his heart break slightly for his little brother but he was a Slytherin so why should he care about him. Sirius found it hard to deal with that his brother was still suffering nightmares, they were a common occurrence in the days when they were kids and now they seemed to be prominent as well. He'd bought Regulus a small gift as well and smiled at the fact that his brother had done the same.
Regulus,
I'm staying with the Potters in godrics hollow if you really want to know and I'm sorry but I'm staying where I am for Christmas maybe next year I'll decide to come see you all but you know those reunions bore me and Bella gets on my nerves. Anyway I did get you something as well so I don't hate you of course but you being in slytherin and all, it just leads to some bad blood I guess and with mum and dad trying to shove pure blood thoughts down my throat I decided staying there is really not the best option for me alright. I'm sorry about your nightmares maybe have a warm cup of milk that's what Mrs Potter gave me and it worked.
Sirius
Sirius owled the letter thinking of his little brother but he couldn't bear his families pure blood views and stupid dinner parties. He had to stay away.
Regulus read the letter.
"A cup of warm milk huh," he murmured to himself and reading the rest of the letter.
Tears welled up in his yes when he found out that his brother really didn't hate him and had bought him a gift. He arranged to go to the Potters at 3pm on 25th December. It would be a good time as he would miss out on one of those ghastly dinner parties his mother hosted every year where everyone would come round and if he even stepped a toe line he would get punished.
The nightmares came again that night and Regulus couldn't stop the feeling of unease creeping into his mind but he remembered Sirius' advice and crept downstairs. He made himself a glass of warm milk and drained it. Sirius was right it really did help and now he was drowsy enough to fall back asleep. He silently thanked Sirius inside his head and curled up back in his bed and fell asleep.
Regulus is 14 and Sirius is 16
Dear Sirius,
I really do miss you it's Christmas maybe you could come back just for the time being this is supposed to be happy but with mum falling apart and dad being angry all the time I can't bring myself to enjoy all the food and presents. The Christmas parties are still as boring as ever. Remember when we snuck out of one but I slipped on a step and mum caught us so we had to sit under her watchful eye for the entire time. That was when we were happy and I know you probably are wherever you are but I'm not. God I wish you were here, I wish I could share the burden of being a Black with you but you chose another life and that's fine. Mum burnt your name off the tapestry I begged her not too but you know what she's like so of course she didn't listen to word that I said. I wish you the best wherever you went but if you do change your mind I'll be waiting for our late night broom rides and pranks we play alright.
Love Reggie
Regulus sighed signing off his letter and owling it. He was finding it harder and harder to believe he and Sirius could be as close as they once were. Now the family was falling part and Regulus was caught in the middle of all the shouting, screaming and sobbing and he couldn't bear it. He needed his older brother for comfort, someone to lean on but unfortunately he just wasn't there.
Sirius tore open the letter he got sighing when he found out that it was from Regulus. Of course he felt bad but he had offered Regulus a choice and he chose to stay behind but he still couldn't help the guilt that was building in the pit of his stomach. Of course he remembered the night where they tried to sneak off but got caught, he was so annoyed with Regulus but they made up eventually. Now Sirius could sense the growing rift between the two but couldn't figure out what on earth he needed to do to fix it. The 2 brothers had conversed through a series of letters over the years and Sirius found it oddly comforting knowing that all hope wasn't lost.
Regulus,
I'm sorry Reggie but home just isn't for me anymore and like you said dear old mum has burnt my name of the tapestry so I doubt she wants me back either. I hope your nightmares have cleared up I mean after all you didn't mention them in your letter so I supposes that's a good sign. Of course I remember that time I remember being so annoyed at you but we laughed it off the next day. I'm sorry that mother and father are faking apart but my offer still stands for you to come with me but it's alright if you don't want to.
Sirius
Regulus received the letter and his eyes were teary as he read it he don't want to leave and risk Walburga going completely insane. He reckoned the loss of Sirius was too great for her and it messed with her head and if he were to leave she'd be broken.
Regulus 18 and Sirius 20
Sirius,
If this letter has reached you and you are reading it now I'm unfortunately or maybe fortunately dead. I wish you the best of luck in your life continue having fun with your mates and if you haven't all ready let Remus know you're in love with him. You'd make a sweet couple. Anyways as I was saying dead. I defied the dark lord he doesn't know and he will hopefully never find out. It was my only option to sacrifice myself for this to work so don't dwell on it too much there was nothing you could've done to change my mind. Also if you do go back to the house I give you permission to rip the slytherin banners from my walls.
Love Reggie
Sirius broke down in tears as he read the letter, his younger brother dead. Dead, the word echoed round his head and he didn't know how long he sat there with his knees up to his chest and crying. It was as if all time had frozen. Why did his sweet, innocent baby brother have to die much less sacrifice himself. He grabbed at his hair as he sobbed huge gut-wrenching sobs. If only he had forced Reggie to come with him to the Potters maybe just maybe this would've been avoided.
"I love you Reggie," He whispered to the empty house in front of him.m and a fresh wave of tears made their way down his face again.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter
Yes it is more sad than usual but oh well
~ Hazel