Black Flickerings (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Black Flickerings

Home.

There was an ache, a dull ache, a feeling that Regulus couldn 't quite place, one that he struggled with placing as he'd never been that good with understanding the emotions that rattled around in that head of his.

He arrived at Grimmauld, that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that she would figure out where he 'd been, that he'd been to see Sirius, let alone the other things he'd been doing that was going on in that crazy life of his. And after conversing with the Potters and how they'd reacted to his conversation, he couldn't help but feel even more empty. And all of that started with the burst bubble of joy upon realizing what he'd put Kreacher through, of what he'd been doing instead.

He stepped in, looking up the stairs, and the silence, as the snow from the storm continued falling outside. He swallowed, carefully taking off his coat and hanging it in the coat closet, his eyes going to the ground before slipping his gloves up and creeping up the stairs, waiting for her to pounce. A fire crackled inside the drawing room, with only a garland over the mantle piece as it had been since the first Christmas. His older brother was no longer a part of the household, as nobody felt up to putting up and decorating a tree.

For a moment, he stared, fixated on the warm fire as his thin frame shivered from the cold, before turning to head up the stairs to plan his own personal doom.

"Regulus."

He stopped on the third step, turning to look at his father, the person he 'd not expected to see. He didn't say anything, unsure as his young mind couldn't remember the last time they interacted, what with how he tried to avoid everyone, disliking any shape and form of confrontation. His father lifted a hand, motioning for him to come back down the stairs and Regulus complied reluctantly as the man looked him up and down.

And then, Orion said, "Regulus, you're shivering horribly. Did you just come from outside?"

Regulus looked away, not wanting to tell his father he 'd been to see Sirius.

"Hands," his father said, holding out his own, indicating he wanted a closer look at Regulus' hands for some reason, and Regulus complied. He felt the warmth of the man's hands and fought back the notion he found himself enjoying the warmth, telling himself he didn't like it. "Your hands are freezing. You're freezing."

"I'm fine," Regulus muttered.

"Come and sit in front of the fire with me," Orion said.

Regulus shook his head.

"That wasn't a request, Regulus," the man said, making Regulus stiffen, reminding him how when Orion said something, he did, in fact, mean business.

"Sir," Regulus said as his father let go of his hands and headed back into the drawing room, his father motioning for him to take a seat.

"Warm yourself."

"Yes, sir," Regulus said, sitting down and looking a the fire. He leaned into one hand, his body feeling as if it were reaching out for the warmth emanating from the fire. There was silence between the two, and something Regulus found himself grateful for. At least, it was that way until he felt a heavy blanket draped over him, which made him turn his head to look at his father as the man sat down across from him.

"So, I'm not sure where to begin my lecture with you," Orion said.

Regulus sucked in his breath and looked at the flames. "Will apologizing and saying I'll never do it again help?"