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The weeks had passed quickly and before they knew it, it was the day before Christmas break. Althea and Jace had packed their things early so they don't have to rush and had time to say goodbye to the people they cared about.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Althea hated that she couldn't protect Regulus from his parents and the dark things they were into but more importantly, she hated his brother didn't protect him when he needed it the most.
Regulus smiled softly, "I will be fine. Besides, if anything happens, I've got you." He wished things were different but he was glad he had a friend like Althea.
"I hate this. You deserve better." Althea sighed. He was just a kid and he had no say in his future, that wasn't fair and he felt alone. Althea always wished she could do more for him.
Regulus chuckled, "I know but I'm okay for now. You shouldn't worry."
"I'll always worry about you."
"Trust me, I know."
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The first few days of the Winter Break went by rather quickly. Althea and Jace helped their parents and grandparents decorate the house and cook. Her favourite thing had always been to bake with her grandmother but unfortunately because of school they didn't do it often and she didn't like that. The whole family spent time together on such a jolly day until a knock on the door interrupted them.
Althea got up to open to the door, Jace right behind her when they both froze. There was Regulus, with a suitcase and his clothes wet from the rain. The siblings ushered him into the house and helped him get warm. Jace got out some clothes from his suitcase and showed him to the shower while Althea went to the kitchen and got him something warm to drink and eat. Their parents knew about Regulus' situation as the twins made sure to tell them in case he ended up coming to stay with them.
"Are you ready to tell us what happened?" After taking a shower, eating some soup, Regulus was sat on Althea's bed with a cup of tea. She couldn't figure out if he was shivering because he was cold or if he was still scared because of what had happened.
Regulus took a sip of his tea before sighing, "It honestly started off as a normal day. I was doing my homework when mum asked me to come downstairs. Her and father were sat in the living room when they started to bang on about my responsibilities as a Black and how I needed to become a Death Eater before going back to school for the new year. I refused, I kept refusing but they wouldn't listen. Dad had finally had enough of me refusing and he began to use the Crucio Curse on me. I don't remember how long it lasted but when it stopped, I gathered whatever energy I had left and grabbed my stuff. I walked around for a while before I ended up here." Althea had always told him he had a safe place with her family and he honestly had nowhere else to go and he was worried his family would find him eventually.
Althea grabbed his hand, "You are safe, Reg. We will keep you safe, no one can hurt you here, I promise." Since their parents knew everything, they left for the Ministry to file for Emergency Guardianship. They wanted to do everything they could to keep Regulus safe, especially after everything the kids had told them about his living situation and what his parents had put him through.
"Thank you." Regulus spoke as he began sobbing. The siblings wrapped their arms around the boy as he continued to cry. When he had finally stopped crying he had fallen asleep. Althea and Jace moved him slowly so he was more comfortable on the bed before placing the comforter on him. Jace agreed to stay in the room, knowing he would feel more comfortable with them close by while Althea went downstairs to wait for their parents.
When the parents finally arrived they had good news.
"The Ministry agreed to make us his Guardians and he is going to stay with us. Your grandparents and dad are going to get the guest room next to Jace ready for him while I finish cooking, do you want to help me?" Her mother asked. Althea let out an audible breathe at the news her mother shared. Regulus had quickly become like a brother to her and she was glad her parents were on board with her plan to have him live with them.
Althea wrapped her arms around her mother, "Thank you."
The mother and daughter made dinner while the rest of the family put together the guest room. Jace continued to stay with Regulus until he woke up from a nightmare. His parents had been traumatising him for years and the first time he was finally safe, he had a hard time wrapping his head around it.
"You're okay Reg, you're safe." Althea spoke softly as she caressed his hair. She kept trying to soothe him with reassuring words before he finally fell asleep in her lap. She hated watching him be so scared and knowing that there wasn't much she could do about it. He would have trauma that was going to possibly last for the rest of his life and she wished she could take it all away.
Jace sat next to his sister, "How are you holding up?" He knew how close she was to Regulus and that she wanted to do everything she could to protect him. The two had an unlikely friendship but they brought out the best in each other and would do anything for each other.
