Regulus Black the reserved Slytherin heir, burdened with the weight of pureblood expectations.
Melody Rowe, a determined and warm-hearted Hufflepuff. A muggleborn witch thrown into a world of magic.
As Melody, driven by her innate Hufflepuff kindne...
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Regulus POV:
Regulus enjoyed the library. Specifically his corner, which people rarely entered. It was a small table surrounded by three walls of books in the far side of the library. Most of the books here were severely outdated, which meant that no one needed them.
He was completing his homework as usual in his much appreciated silence. As great as Hogwarts was, the students could be quite insufferably loud. And nosy. It was hard to do anything in the Slytherin common room without being interrogated by the other Slytherins. Most of his cousins were in his house. There were a a few exceptions but they were all bound to be disowned sooner or later. And by the way Sirius is going he's guessing sooner.
Speak of the devil, the long haired boy strutted into Regulus's previously undisturbed sanctuary "Looks like your boy band is missing a person" he said to his elder brother. Sirius sat down, unphased by Regulus's comment "It's nearly the Christmas holidays." "I'm aware" Regulus replied still looking down at his book.
"Are you going back?" Sirius asked, his voice faltering slightly. Regulus let out a small sigh and finally met his brother's eyes. "We have to. You know how mother is like." Sirius nodded slowly. "But what if we didn't go. Just once, James invited us to spend Christmas at theirs. What's the worst that could happen?" "I don't want to find out" Regulus said as he packed away his things and walked to the Great Hall for dinner.
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He sat beside his two room mates Bartemius (or Barty as everyone called him) Crouch and Evan Rosier. They were two of the few Slytherins who didn't have the whole pureblood supremacy ideology. "Where've you been all day?" Evan asked from beside him. "Library" he replied curtly, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.
He tuned out the conversation that Barty and Evan were having. It was probably just Barty complaining about his family again. Nothing of importance. Instead he found his focus drifting to a certain badger. She was deep in conversation, laughing with her friends blissfully unaware at his intense gaze on her.
Evan and Barty snickered at his current situation "Looks like ickle Reggie's got a crush". Evan snorted into his drink at Barty's comment. Regulus refocussed his attention at the sound of his name "I do not have a crush" he grumbled to himself. "Yeah sure, keep telling yourself that bud" Evan clapped him on the back still recovering from inhaling his juice.
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The remaining week of school passed annoyingly fast. If there was something Regulus hated more than homework, it was returning to Grimmauld Place.
Grimmauld Place. He couldn't even bring himself to call it home. Home was a place, where you could feel loved and at peace and Grimmauld Place was anything but that. After spending his first few weeks at Hogwarts he realised why Sirius held it in such high regards. It was like a breath of fresh air. No duplicitous mother watching your every move, waiting for you to make a mistake so she can punish you for it. No manipulative father, breathing down your neck, feeding you with the benefits of being a death-eater.
Near the end of the train ride, he strolled over to the Gryffindor compartments to find his brother. He peered through each carriage, when his eyes caught onto another. Soft honey brown, warm, gentle eyes. It was her again, Melody Rowe. Not once in the four months they had been at Hogwarts had he seen the girl be sad or even mildly annoyed. It was as if her only setting was kindness and consideration. Average Hufflepuff behaviour presumably.
He tore his eyes away from her and continued his search through the train. The train came to a stop mere seconds after he had located Sirius. They walked through the platform, towards their parents, at an aching pace.
Walburga and Orion Black looked down at their children, eyes filled with distaste. Without a word, they harshly grabbed the kids arms and apparated off the platform.
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Ten days into the Winter break and Regulus wished for nothing more than to return to Hogwarts. Christmas was rarely a festive time at the Black family house. A large ball was held, which meant uncomfortable robes and marriage alliances. Both Regulus and Sirius refused to be wed to one of their cousins but they were quickly learning that they had no say in their own lives. This was indeed a dictatorship household.
It was brotherly tradition for the two of them to spend the night in one of their rooms playing exploding snap, wizard's chess and eating chocolates (which they would steal from the kitchen, they made a game of it that whoever could steal the most chocolates could choose one item from the other person's belongings. Within reason of course). However, this year the tradition could not take place
"I will not marry her! She is vile and a straight up lunatic"
"HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY YOUR MOTHER CRUCIO"
Regulus slumped against the door, tears streamed down his face as he listened to the muffled cries of his brother fill the house. He wasn't sure how long it lasted for but it was enough for Sirius to beg for mercy. For death.
The cries stopped. The silence was deafening. The only sounds he could hear after that was his parents walking up the steps and his own shallow breaths.
As swiftly and silently as he could, Regulus made his way to the drawing room preparing himself for the inevitable. The door creaked, and Sirius turned his head at the noise. Regulus sighed in relief but tears continued to run down his face as he realised the gravity of his brother's condition.
Sirius was sprawled out on the floor, his hand was at an odd angle. Definitely broken. Bruises and cuts littered his body. Blood coated his wrists from the chains his mother used to prevent his magic. Regulus was not a stranger to these chains but he was also aware that resisting only made it hurt more. Unfortunately, Sirius was not aware to this fact.
Sirius reached out to his younger brother. Regulus rushed to his side, carefully cradling his head in his lap "Kreacher... Kreacher" Regulus softly called out into the moonlight corridor. A small crack was heard and the withered house elf stumbled into the room. He bowed so low that his nose touched the ground "Master Regulus, how may Kreacher serve you?"
"I need you to heal him" he pleaded to the elf. He would have done it himself but he was too overcome with emotion, blinded by anger, drowned by sadness, any spells he performed would go horribly wrong.
With Kreacher's help, Regulus managed to drag him to his room. He laid Sirius in his bed and left him to rest. Just four more days. Just four more and this will all be over .
