Regulus Black/Marauders Era Oneshots

The Nutcracker

Regulus is a dancer, and his parents pushed both him and Sirius way too far. At a new studio, Regulus decides to do an entire two hour ballet show on pointe, and be added into different sections. His leg begins cramping the first time on stage, but the show must go on.

Regulus was a dancer. When you hear that, you probably think about tutus and spins. What you don't think about it pain. Regulus had way too much experience with that.

Regulus and Sirius both grew up taking ballet. They began when Sirius was 5 and Regulus was 4. Their mother had opened a ballet studio, and obviously they were forced into classes. Their mother being their teacher probably wasn't the best thing in the world. Their mother expected them to be perfect all the time, and that just wasn't possible.

Ballet was the route of both Regulus and Sirius' unhealthy eating habits. It was also the source of all their anxiety. Oh, don't forget all the pain.

Ballet wasn't just skirts and turns. They spent hours getting yelled at about their arm placement or turning out their foot more. They had all the positions drilled into their mind. Their mother also forced them to stretch, to become more flexible than anyone else at their studio. She would place her heels on their toes, and she would slowly lower her weight. She would grabbed their shoulders and push them down as they stretched their splits. There were times where she had stood on their backs, pushing them to hold their middle splits.

None of that was good, but they were more flexible than the rest of the kids, so in a way, it worked. Nothing their mother did was good. She made them both begin pointe at eleven. Most men didn't do pointe, and most people in general didn't start pointed until well into their teens. Here they were though, squeezing their feet into literally hell.

There were times where Regulus would continue wearing his pointe shoes back to the house because it felt like his toes would literally crumble off if he removed his shoes. They're were times that he took of his shoes, and blood had soaked through his toe pads. Those were the worst. He would have to dance without them until his mother allowed him to buy more. That was always the worst.

You could say her training paid off as they were amazing dancers. They were able to do most things that professional ballet dancers couldn't do, at only fifteen.

Fifteen was however when Sirius decided to run away, finally having enough of their mothers treatment. Regulus forced himself to follow his brother. He couldn't help but feel like leaving ballet, was leaving his life behind. That made it a hard decision. The only thing that convinced Regulus to go with his brother was the promise that they would find a new studio, a better studio. Regulus agreed.

They left at midnight a few days into winter, before it had gotten too cold. Regulus had no idea where they were heading, but Sirius did. They showed up on a random porch, and Regulus didn't recognize the man inside. Sirius did; they hugged as soon as the door opened. Regulus was lost, but he kept quiet.

Sirius eventually pulled away, and he introduced the man as James Potter.  He told Regulus that he met James out running one day, a common thing that was forced upon them. He said that they literally ran into each other, and his pointe shoes fell out of his bag. James recognized them, and they talked about dance. Sirius had over shared a little, and they kept in contact.

Regulus was surprised to find that the man informs of him was a dancer. He didn't think someone with so much muscle could be a graceful dancer. He didn't speak up about it though. Soon after running away, Sirius found them a new stupid. Actually, James suggested his studio, and Sirius stupidly agreed.

Sirius and Regulus were both forced off of pointe for the first year. The teachers had to make sure they were actually supposed to be on pointe. Regulus practiced in his room at James' though. He bought mirrors, and he would turn and turn in his room. He would practice difficult balances. He did everything that he thought he should be doing in class. He kept up his flexibly, without someone standing on him.