𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ⎼⎼ 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤

iii. the walshes

"Why?" He asked. Mairead took a small, shaky breath.

"Before I moved out into my own place, I lived with Holly and her parents. My sister, Aoife, and her husband Patrick. She was only three when they both started to drink. And get...physical. I tried to take her with me a year ago. They called the cops on me and got me kicked out. Then I moved here. I'm only allowed to see her with other people in the room.

"That's why I visit her at school. And her teacher told me that they'd both been taken into custody of the police for child abuse. I'm relieved, but at the same time I'm worried. She's going to be sent to a children's home. Those things are horrific. I don't want to leave her there. I really don't." A tear fell down her face.

"And I have to wait five months for a trial to get her back. I'm going to adopt her as soon as I can. I'm starting my case soon. I just...I'm mortified to leave her there for so long. I'm sorry I overshared." Mairead wiped her tears and stiffened in her seat.

"No, no...I get it. I...was in a home like that too. But my parents weren't drunk. And i-if there's anything I can do to help move the trial then I will." Regulus responded. If you had told him three years ago that he'd be telling a muggle his biggest secret and helping her, he would have told you to fuck off and hex you. But now, he felt sympathy for the little muggle girl.

"I was afraid Aoife was going to be like our parents, and my greatest fear has come true. And now it harms the only person I love." Then, Mairead remembered the first time she ever met her niece. She was in a dark hospital room, where the only light was the sunlight peeking through the curtains. Her sister, Aoife and her husband, Patrick were sleeping soundly on the hospital bed together. Mairead looked to the side of the bed, where a small crib held a baby girl, sleeping quietly. Mairead tiptoed over to the crib and peeked over the edge.

Her niece had a tuft of blonde hair and a small, pink onesie. Mairead saw the baby start to squirm, so she carefully picked her up and held her in her arms. Mairead swore her heart swelled. She felt complete holding her niece, and she promised to never let anyone hurt her like they had hurt Mairead. She sat in the nearest chair and started to hum to Holland quietly. The baby yawned and opened her eyes to show beautiful ocean blue eyes. Mairead felt small tears starting to form.

"Hello there, lovey. I'm your Auntie Rey." The baby giggled and waved her fist, and Mairead pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I already love you so much, baby." She then remembered that Regulus was still there, looking at her concerned. She felt her cheeks were wet and her wine glass was empty.

"I need to get some sleep. You should too. Goodnight, Mairead." Regulus stood up, set both of their glasses into the sink, and left quietly. He walked into the night and ran a hand through his hair. He eventually got into his own house, and walked down the dull hallway to his bedroom. He didn't care that there wasn't anything to decorate or add to the dull place, he just wanted a place to live until the Order wanted him to meet someone else. Even if the war was over, he still was forced to tell his tale and meet people who judged him for his past mistakes.

He laid there that night, wondering about Holland. If she had the opportunity to leave like he did, would she take it? He didn't, and look where it got him. Sirius still tried to be supportive and all friendly, but Regulus wasn't having it. If Sirius chose to shun him all those years ago, then he shouldn't try to be all buddy-buddy now. He just wanted to live out his life away from everyone else. He was still uncomfortable around muggles, but he hadn't seemed to mind Holland. He really questioned his parents' ideals again. Holland was just a scared little girl, how could she ever harm someone? He had defected from the Death Eaters about two years ago, after being in the cave at nineteen. He ran –technically Kreacher apparated him– to the Potters, and begged for help.

He showed them the locket and cried from the pain on the floor until Euphemia nursed him back to health over the course of a few months. During those months, he told all of the Order about the horcruxes and how he now had to pretend he was dead to save himself from Voldemort's wrath and continue hunting for them. They interrogated him endlessly and were always on the edge of their seats with him around. Especially James Potter. He was friendly, but always nervous that James would hex him if he got too close to Harry, his almost two year old son, or his muggleborn wife, Lily Potter. In fact, Harry's second birthday was in a month and a half, and Lily had given an invitation to Regulus before going to Ireland.

"You saved Harry by revealing Peter. You helped defeat the man out to get my son. You deserve it." Lily told him. He took the invitation, saying he'd see how busy he was after moving in. Lily was ecstatic that he would even think about it. The muggleborn witch was the most welcoming by far. She threw a going away party for him, which only the Order came to. They mainly came to see the Potters, but Regulus didn't care. Lily also offered to let Regulus hold Harry, but he refused. He felt too guilty for even becoming a Death Eater in the first place, always wearing long sleeves to keep the others from seeing the horrid mark branded on his arm.

Harry still tried to get Regulus' attention by walking over and tugging on his shirt hem or babbling on about Quidditch. Regulus just tensed and tried to talk along when he did so. He was terrified James Potter would barge over and hurt him for being near his precious son. He then saw the same protectiveness in James that he saw in Mairead. Each would probably die for their family. Regulus then had the thought of Mairead at Hogwarts. Sure, she was a muggle, but she would probably have been in Gryffindor. Then they never would have met.

Then again, a lot of things would've been different. But he didn't want to think about that. All he could think about now was little Holly, and the trail of scars all over her body. He rolled over to his side, looking at his wand on his bedside table. How could something so amazing and magical be so cruel? And muggles didn't even use wands. So much destruction from just a stick of wood. Voldemort killed hundreds of people in a month with his wand alone. It made Regulus sick. He wanted to get rid of it, but he felt that would be losing part of him he didn't want to let go of. The little boy in the wand shop, the teen learning how to cast beautiful spells, saving the Order. He then just shoved his wand into a drawer and shut it harshly. He turned back to his other side and tried to sleep, but all it did was let him lay there in silence. He didn't have the Gryffindor courage to break it.

He never would. Because he was a dark, evil snake that followed Voldemort. He wasn't his brother, no matter how much people wanted him to be. And he accepted that a long time ago.