I Will Follow You Into The Dark || Jegulus

35. Hooped Earrings

Regulus sat at the train station next to his mother. He couldn't wait to hear all about Hogwarts from his brother. He couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts himself and learn magic, make a group of friends that would be by his side for life. Regulus wondered what house he would get. He's pretty sure Sirius was in Gryffindor. Maybe he could be a Gryffindor too, he could be brave.
But Regulus already knew he could never be a Gryffindor. Even with all his childish hope, he still saw the horrors of his family. He had already been under the cruciartus and imperious curses by the age of 10.

Sirius got off the train, clothes messy, hair long and unkempt, and he was surrounded by three similar boys, all laughing. Regulus rarely saw Sirius smile the way he was now, it almost hurt.

Sirius waved all his friends goodbye, hugging them and even meeting one of their parents. One of the boys with him had the messiest dark hair Regulus had ever seen, and tan, sun-kissed skin. He was a quidditch player, Regulus could tell just from complexion alone.

Regulus wanted to run up and greet his brother, but his mother held onto his shoulder tightly. Tight enough for it to be bruised later. Regulus would have to wait till later to be able to properly catch up with his brother. His best friend. His only friend.

Late that night, he snuck into Sirius's room and heard all sorts of outrageous stories. Sirius got to truly be himself at Hogwarts, he met a group of friends that embraced his real self. They were all troublemakers, and loves each other since day one. Regulus hoped to find friends like that once he went to Hogwarts. Sirius was shamed for not being a Slytherin, but Regulus still idolized his big brother. Even once arguments between Sirius and their parents became more frequent, he still loved his brother.

Fights became physical. Regulus would have to tend to Sirius's wounds at night. He would comfort Sirius after crucio was used on him, leaving him in tears, unable to speak.

When Regulus finally went to Hogwarts, that was when things got distant. Regulus was sorted into Slytherin. He wasn't like his brother, he wasn't a troublemaker, and he couldn't afford to make their parents mad. Sirius could get away with far more than Regulus could. When they got home from Hogwarts though, it was the same as always. They caught up, talked about their friends. Regulus got to talk about his Hogwarts friends to Sirius. Sirius didn't like Barty or Evan. They were from pureblood families. The next year, things got worse. Sirius got mad at him for not standing up for himself. Regulus let his parents yell at him and he didn't fight back like Sirius always did. He got called the golden child and one of them. Regulus would never be one of them, but he can't fight back.

Sirius started talking about running away. He would plot with Regulus late at night, but Regulus couldn't leave. Walburga would kill Sirius and torture Regulus- put him through pain worse than death. He couldn't die- he was the heir to the black fortune. They couldn't afford to lose him. But Sirius wouldn't listen, he would tell Regulus he could stay with Sirius at his friends house. James Potter. The only pureblood Sirius seemed to like.

One night Sirius got into a huge fight with their mother. The whole night was a blur, but Regulus knew it ended with him getting imperiused to laugh at Sirius while he got beaten to shit. That was probably Sirius's breaking point. He ran away from home and refused to talk to Regulus since then. Only the occasional argument. That night Sirius left, Regulus got beat for letting him get away. Walburga knew that Regulus knew about Sirius's plots to run away. Regulus had to be punished for it, after all, it was all his fault wasn't it? 

Regulus woke up, he couldn't breathe. Fuck he couldn't breathe. He looked around, Evan and Barty were asleep together, cuddled up in Barty's bed. Regulus couldn't stand his emotions, the fact that he still had them at all. Maybe that was why he still tried pushing James away, hurting him when he was at his most emotional point. Maybe it would finally make James hate him. It would give him an excuse to be angry with James.

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It was early in the morning when Lily awoke, a sudden feeling of guilt washing over her. It had been days since she talked to James by now. Every time he tried to approach her, she walked away. How could she be around him when he sympathized with a death eater?

Mary awoke next to Lily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Lils are you alright?" She asked.

Lily sighed, "I can't keep doing this to James."

Mary wrapped her arms around Lily's waist, "whatever you choose to do, I will support." She said.

"Thanks Mary. I'm going to find James. I'll see you in class." She kissed Mary on the cheek, and went to get ready for the day. She put on her uniform, or Mary's, she couldn't tell anymore, then she headed to the Great hall, where James could always be found in the mornings laughing with Sirius and the others.

Except he wasn't, and his friends looked miserable and worried. "Where's James?" She asked, a bit confused and intimidated by the boys, she wasn't sure what James had been saying about her.

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" Sirius snapped. So he was mad. Lily could deal with that, maybe she even deserved it. 

"I need to talk to him. I- I need to apologize." She admitted.

"Tell me something I don't already know." He glared. Lily felt like something was off. 

"Where is he?" She asked.

Sirius gave her a shrug, "Didn't come back last night." He looked so tense, but as if he was pretending not to care to piss her off, and frankly it did. 

Lily sighed, "Look, I know you all are upset at me, but I want to make things better I swear. So please at least pretend like you care a little." She requested. 

The boys stared at her blankly, not even Peter spoke to her, but after a while of her not leaving, Remus spoke up. "You think you can just take advantage of James's feelings like this? completely ghost him over something that has nothing to do with you, then you can go off and make out with whoever and get away with it?" He asked, "Because that's what it is looking like to me. Meanwhile he has been completely heartbroken to the point where we don't even know where he is right now. Come back when you're at least willing to admit your faults." He stood up and stormed off, his best friends in tow. 

"I bet it has something to do with Regulus. He didn't come back from that study session." Sirius muttered angrily, glaring over at the Slytherin table. 

"I don't think it has anything to do with him." Peter said, "I mean I know you don't like him but I don't think he'd go so far as to do something to James. He's not that evil is he?" 

Sirius only gave Peter a look that said "yes. Yes he is." He didn't even have to say it out loud.

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Alright, here's the second chapter of the day. Rlly holding myself back from just uploading everything bc I just want things to happen already. Literally cannot believe we're already this far into the story.Anyone know the band Palaye Royale? Their new EP came out today, listening to it rn and its so good