Runaway love | Jegulus

Chapter 2

I hope you're enjoying it but I'm not sure if it's any good 😊. Isla

The Black brothers stood in complete silence for, what felt to James like, a lifetime. The brothers stared at each other, unmoving. Sirius couldn't bring himself to move through fear that he'd scare Regulus away. He looked over every inch of his brother. He'd seen him in passing at Hogwarts over the past few years but had never been close enough to see how awful he looked now. When Sirius had been forced to leave his house, Regulus was thirteen and looked exactly as you'd expect a boy his age to look. He was tall and had the Black family bone structure, perfect complexion, dark hair slicked back, and he was an excellent quidditch player, which made him fairly strong. Sirius barely recognised that boy anymore, this person in front of him was stick thin, their skin was ghostly pale, and their hair was a mess. Sirius's heart broke at the knowledge that he'd had any part in the destruction of the boy Regulus had once been. For years it had broken Sirius's heart to leave his brother, but he had never truly considered how it would break Regulus's heart to be left behind. He had assumed from Regulus's cold and cruel demeanour at school that he had simply written off Sirius, the way the rest of the family had, he had forced himself to believe that Regulus's life was better without him in it. Now, seeing his baby brother standing before him, looking as broken as he himself must have looked when he arrived at the Potter's doorstep years ago, he realised how wrong he was.

Sirius could feel the nervous energy radiating off of James, who was stood beside him bouncing on his heels. Eventually, when he couldn't take the silence anymore, James spoke.

"I'll go make some tea" James nudged Sirius in the direction of the door as he moved past him and into a different room. Sirius smiled slightly; James always knew what needed to be done. Sirius stepped towards his brother and opened his mouth to speak. He was quickly cut off by Regulus.

"I shouldn't have come here!" Regulus's voice was cold. He spat the words, but seemed angrier at himself than anything else. He turned on his heels and began to walk down the driveway of the Potter house. Sirius ran forward and grabbed the boy's wrist to stop him. He was full of adrenaline and panic; he didn't realise how harshly he had taken the boy's arm. Regulus whipped around, his eyes wide and filled with sheer terror, and tore his hand from Sirius's grasp. Sirius's stomach dropped as he looked at his brother again, his head was down again, his hair covering his face, he looked so small, so fragile.

"Reggie I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? What's wrong with your..." Sirius stopped. He inhaled sharply. "Did they do this?" Sirius's voice trembled as he asked. Regulus stared down at his wrist, clasping it with his other hand. He tentatively rolled it and when he was satisfied there was no new damage he looked back up at Sirius.

"I shouldn't have come here. I didn't know where else to go." His voice was filled with fear as he spoke the words, staring intently at Sirius. Knowing better than to continue pushing Regulus or ask what had happened, Sirius just gestured to the house and suggested they go inside. Sirius walked next to Regulus as they went back into the house. Regulus hesitated as he went to step over the threshold, knowing once he did, he would never be able to take it back. Sirius bumped into his shoulder, encouraging him to take the step. Regulus stood still for a moment longer, just staring at the line between the stone of the patio and the wood of the entrance hall. He steadied his heartbeat, took a deep breath... and stepped into the house.

He was hit with a wave of warmth that coated him from head to toe, he could smell flowers and the scent of home cooking, which he only recognised from passing the kitchens in Hogwarts. He would come to learn that these sensations were produced by a charm that Mrs Potter had placed on the house, something to ensure that every person that entered felt comfort and warmth. Regulus had been taught many 'valuable' lessons in life but ensuring the genuine happiness of your guests was not one of them. He felt out of place as he stared around at the Potter's home, filled with odd items, the walls were covered in bright wallpaper and had family photographs pinned to them. Not terrifying, hand-painted family portraits but moving photographs of children laughing, wedding days, smiling families. Regulus forced himself not to look at them as he followed Sirius through the house. He had no strong feelings about the house itself apart from the fact is was entirely opposite to his own house. The rooms were filled with light and were cluttered with furniture and various items, nothing like the dark, bare rooms he'd grown up with. He thought he could even hear music coming from somewhere above him, he shook his head knowing he could never fit in, in a place like this.