Glimpse Of Us | JEGULUS

19 | heartbreak is one thing, my ego another

Regulus had done his best to keep up a front with the Slytherin's. As much as he wanted to just avoid them and be done with it, that wasn't an option. He sat at the dining table, stabbing his food as though he had to kill it before eating it.

Barty approached the table, a look of confusion and fear on his face. Regulus opened his mouth to question the state of the boy but Barty beat him to it, "What are your parents doing here?"

"My what?" Regulus asked, the question not fully resonating with him. He shook his head, standing up from the table, "What - what do you mean?"

"Your parents," he repeated, "They-" Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the room fell silent as Walburga and Orion Black entered the room. "-are here."

"Shit," Regulus said as he stepped over the bench and started his way across the room.

"Be careful," Barty said but Regulus waved him off.

His parents' sight was fully on the Gryffindor table. Regulus was practically sprinting across the Hall as his parents approached his brother and his friends. "Mother, Father," he greeted, stepping in front of them, stumbling slightly. "What a wonderful surprise!"

"Step aside, Regulus," Orion suggested. "We have business to attend to." Regulus was about to argue but they simply walked past him. He turned to call after them when he saw that Sirius had stood up to greet them, seemingly not shocked by their presence in the slightest.

Sirius bowed, taking Regulus by surprise and his friends as well. James stood up, taking his friend's side as though this weren't a terrifying change of events, "Pads, what are you doing?"

"We got your letter," Walburga said as Regulus joined them.

"Letter?" Regulus asked. "What letter?"

Sirius smiled and Regulus felt as though he were about to throw up in front of the entire school. "The one I wrote to them, of course."

"You wrote to your parents?" James asked in surprise and both James and Regulus shared a confused look.

"Of course I did," he replied simply, "They're my parents after all." Whispers broke out across the hall and even the teachers were listening now. "I take your presence here to be an agreement."

"An agreement for what, exactly?" Remus asked as he joined them. "Sirius, what's going on?"

"It doesn't concern any of you what goes on within our family," Walburga pointed out, focusing her attention on her eldest son, "Yes, we agree to your terms, so long as you keep your side of the deal."

"Stop it," Remus said, stepping in front of Sirius. "Don't be stupid," he said, shaking his head, "You can't do this. This isn't you."

"I thought I had said this has nothing to do with you," Walburga stated, stepping forward.

"Of course it has something to do with us," James countered, joining Remus at his side. "Sirius is our family. We're not letting you anywhere near him."

Walburga rolled her, waving her wand. The two boys flew to the side, hitting the table. This caused both Minerva and Dumbledore to act, stepping down the stairs quickly, "Oh, relax, would you?"

Regulus had moved forward but had to stop himself from helping James off the floor. "What is going on?" he asked. "I think it has something to do with me, before you go waving your wand at me."

"Don't speak to your mother that way, boy," Orion demanded, grabbing him by his collar. "Watch your mouth."

Regulus dropped his voice, "Mind your manners father, we have an audience." Orion let the boy go, patting down his clothes. "Now, care to explain what exactly you're doing here."