Let the Light In

Chapter 7

Over the next week Regulus fell back into his usual routine, with the notable exception of the continued presence of his brother. Regulus spent his days at the café and headed to Grimmauld place in the evenings to help Sirius continue to sort through the mountains of books, potion jars, and magical objects. His initial hesitancy was tampered once Sirius mentioned James being busy at the ministry for the week. Safe in the knowledge he would not need to confront his humiliation quite yet, he spent some surprisingly pleasant evenings with Sirius. Their cleaning got side-tracked often with the discovery of each mysterious artefact, at one point they discovered a cabinet in the attic that produced a copious flow of bubbles upon opening, quickly engulfing the entire room. Another distraction came when they discovered a stack of magical pornographic magazines. Both men peered down at it with childish glee until they realised with horror that it had probably belonged to their father. Barty and Evan came over on Tuesday, providing little help except to make a serious attempt at drinking the entire house's supply of Port. Pandora too, had popped by the café on several occasions, keen to hear all about Regulus' precariously repairing relationship with Sirius. On Thursday evening, Regulus found himself with a rare quiet evening, lounged back on the sofa in his small flat. He was reading a beat-up copy of a muggle sci-fi book, legs swung over the side of the chair.

"Fucking hell there's another owl" he heard Damien say from where he was sat at the dining table. Regulus poked his head up over the back of the sofa inquisitively and followed Damien's gaze to where there was a small tawny owl perched patiently on the windowsill. "I swear, I've never seen so many in my life." Damien rose and crept over to the window, tapping gently on glass to get a closer look at the owl. Regulus' eyebrows reached his hair as he stumbled for something to say. "Do you think its tame? Might have been someone's pet."

Regulus shrugged as he sat up with a jolt.

"Poor fella has something wrapped around his leg. I'll go get some scissors, see if we can help." Damien hurried off to the next room and Regulus jumped up from the sofa, moving swiftly over to the window. He flung it open and quickly grabbed the parchment attached to the owl before shooing it away. The owl gave Regulus a disgruntled peck before swooping off. "Oh no! Has it gone?" Damien said, returning with a pair of child's scissors in one hand and a polaroid camera in the other.

"Yeah sorry, think I spooked it."

"Ah well- I've been seeing so many lately, there will probably be another."

Regulus nodded and made his way into the kitchen where he quickly unwrapped the parchment.

'Reggie- we're going to the seaside this weekend. You're coming too. I'll come by tomorrow after work to get you. S.'

Simple and effective. Regulus knew that Sirius had sent the message rather than tell him in person so that he wouldn't have a chance to wriggle his way out of it. He considered the invite, who was 'we'? James undoubtedly. He felt that familiar twang of humiliation as his brain whirred for excuses as to why he couldn't possibly spend the weekend with his brother and his friends at the coast.

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The salt air and biting wind hit Regulus' face as soon as he and Sirius landed on the grassy dune overlooking a wide blustery beach in Norfolk. Regulus could see a small cottage, smoke wafting out of its chimney, nestled into the hill below. He inhaled deeply as he took a gulp of the fresh sea air and felt a loosening in his lungs almost immediately. The weather had turned, a dark and grey summer sky carving into the dramatic landscape below. He looked down at the thatched cottage and braced himself. James was in there; they hadn't spoken since the previous Sunday and Regulus tried to resist the urge to pull his arm away from Sirius and apparate straight home. He glanced at Sirius' face who had a similar look of nervousness plastered across it. Of course, Regulus thought, he and Remus probably hadn't spent all that much time together, let alone a holiday, in several years. He braced himself and with a newly earned sense of brotherly loyalty patted him on the back. "C'mon then."