Nova

Regulus Arcturus Black

There was something wrong, he could tell. This house was never quiet. Silent, sure. When Sirius and his friends where watching something on their rectangular glowing box.

When Remus had decided to give cooking a try again and everyone was mourning the loss of some perfectly good eggs and a clean kitchen.

When they were all asleep. Sure, the house went silent then.

But right now, it was quiet. With hushed whispers and closed doors. With murmurs and secrets.

Regulus shut the front door behind him. Locking out the cool morning air, the one he craved so much every day when he woke up drenched in sweat. He usually left the house before anyone was up. Returning to all of them standing or sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast and bantering.

One of them would always throw a 'good morning' towards him, but all he'd do would be catch Sirius' eye and give him a quick nod, before disappearing into his room once more.

He knew that wasn't how it would go today. Suppressing the strange urge to call out for anyone, he walked towards the door to the kitchen, only to jump back when it burst open, his brother storming through it with fury in his eyes.

"What the fuck Reg?" there was a letter in his left hand, a letter with the seal of the ancient and most noble house of black. Shit.

"You still have contact with her?? With Walpurga? After everything?" his brother was right in his face and he felt the blood drain from it.

No, no, no, no, no, please no. This wasn't supposed to happen. His back hit the wall.

"Did you read it?"

Sirius exploded. "That's your concern? I'm your ward Regulus, of course I read it. Don't you remember what that woman did to us?!"

Walpurga had never yelled. Cursed and hexed, she had. But never yelled. Orion yelled.

When he got mad his eyes grew hard as stone and his voice grew loud and booming.

Regulus steeled his gaze: never talk back, or your head might hit the wall.

He kept his eyes open: never let him out of your sight, because even if you can't block the blow, it's good to know where its coming from.

Don't look defiant or he'll burn it out of you.

Don't disrespect him by looking away or he'll make sure you can't look away again.

Don't fidget or he'll break your fingers.

But he had to know. "What ... what did it say?"

And now Sirius was laughing, dry and hollow and awful. Regulus usually laughed like that. It sounded wrong in his brothers mouth.

"You don't need to hide anymore Reggie. I know about the money, I know about your plans. I know now that you are going to leave the moment you turn eighteen," he snarled and Regulus' world tipped.

Maybe he should be used to it by now.

Why would she do that? Why oh why would she write? They kept everything so quiet. He visited her twice, they were on the phone once, whispering of plans on how he would escape this house, these people. Once he was of age.

He had always feared that day; the day his brother wasn't obligated to look after him anymore. When Sirius could finally get him completely out of his perfect house, his family, his life.

So Regulus had been faster. Had made a plan. He wouldn't wait to be kicked to the streets and if that meant owing his mother again, he'd have to accept it. The money would have come in the night of his eighteenth and by the time the sun rose, he would've been gone. The perfect plan.