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"I'm damned if I do and I'm dammed if I don't."
The wind was harsher than Regulus remembered from a few hours prior. The frigid air nipped at both the brothers as they made their way to the shrieking shack away from prying eyes.
Neither of them spoke a word as they walked through the town. Regulus glanced to his right, trying to get a better read on his brother without trying to make it obvious about his curiosity.
Sirius had his hands tucked into his coat, a coat that Emmaline gifted to him after their parents swore up and down he was to no longer get the satisfaction of receiving the fruit of their labor. He recalls that Christmas, hearing Sirius cry through the walls that separated their room. He was unsure how Emmaline knew, but the next morning on Boxing Day, the Selwyn owl came into their home, a parcel wrapped and addressed for Sirius, and only Sirius.
Sirius kept staring ahead. He could feel Regulus's glances from the moment they stepped out from Three Broomsticks. Eventually, Regulus moved his gaze from him to the path ahead, the house coming clearer into view.
The only sound between the two of them was the crunch of their shoes against the snow. Once in front of the shack, Sirius pulled it open and held it for Regulus to walk in. Once inside, the brothers took to one wall each, staying as far away as they could from each other.
"So," Regulus started, clearing his voice. "What do you want?"
"Right down to the chase, huh?" Sirius asked, leaning against his wall. Regulus stayed quiet, watching him. Sirius stared back, looking for anything that showed he cared. He found nothing.
"Emmaline needs you,"
"Yeah, I am very aware of that fact, thank you." Regulus replied sharply. Sirius closed his eyes in frustration and huffed, his hand rubbing harshly against his face.
"No, I mean she needs you in a way that you need to step up and take. She's enduring things at home and you need to be there."
"Like what?" Regulus questioned; his interest finally peaked.
"She hasn't told you?" Sirius asked. Regulus stared blankly back at him, waiting for him to realize, this is Emmaline they were talking about.
"Right." He hummed. Sirius took a deep breath and looked away from Regulus.
"Just don't let her be alone with Arthur." Sirius said. Regulus stared at him, his mind trying to piece what Sirius's words meant but he came up empty handed.
"If anything is going on in her home... Malcolm would know, and in turn make sure she was fine." Regulus concluded, trying to get a hint of anything that Sirius was speaking about. His eyes searched for anything.
Sirius scoffed at the mention of the eldest Selwyn. Regulus was unsure what that meant. One year, Sirius was ready to be with Emmaline and be the successor of their family name, the next, he's ready to run from it all.
