The Hobgoblins (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Song of Banshee

The banshee screamed.

Regulus glanced up the stairs, letting out a sigh. "Actions speak louder than words, so what does Grandfather Phineas Nigellus mean? I can't see my words ever be noisier than those two yelling unintelligible things at each other."

The young wizard rubbed the back of his neck, heading back into the drawing room and heading back to the piano, fingers lingering over the ivory white keys before glancing up, wishing he might retreat to the safety of his room, only—

"My room is across from Sirius', so there is no way that is actually quieter than here." He let his fingers glide across the keys as the banshee continued yelling, letting out a sigh, his stomach churning as the lyrics he wrote settled in more. "Why did the lyrics I wrote have to write home like that? I mean..."

Regulus paused, glancing around the drawing room, his father having settled onto one of the couches, reading the papers, ignoring the cacophony above rather than retreating as usual to his study. Regulus sat on the piano bench again, his fingers brushing against the keys, hesitating, remembering how Bella didn't hesitate in slamming her fingers down, mirthfully interrupting the solace he wanted from the piano.

"That's what he meant? Can those words convey meaning like that?" Regulus let out a deep sigh, lowering his hands, and became disinterested in the usual fair he played. He lifted his hands slowly, swallowing nervously, playing out how the line sounded in his head, then repeated a few other lines, tilting his head as his lips pushed together.

"Regulus?"

His eyes blinked, and then Regulus looked up, turning to look at his father through the fog of a headache, his head then looking up as the banshee continued screaming up above. Absentmindedly he played out, "Banshee sucking out the soul of her son" on the piano keys.

"Is that a new son?"

"Uh," Regulus' eyes blinked, his head turning back to look at the piano keys, his nostrils flaring in confusion. "Sorry. My head is hurting. I'm not following." He took a deep breath. "Please, please don't realize what I was doing."

"I liked the tune," Orion said. "Could you play it again?"

Regulus choked, turning on the piano bench to face his father, lifting his hands. "I, uh. It's not that great. Honest."

"It isn't?" Orion asked, his head tilting. "This isn't, you know..."

"No, it's not! It's not one of the songs Sirius' plays!" Regulus took a deep breath, looking at the floor. "Sorry. Sorry, Really sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know." Regulus took a deep breath. "Sorry, Papa. My head hurts right now."

"I see," Orion said. "Perhaps..."

"Regulus!"

Regulus flinched, squirming back to sitting towards the piano, swallowing, his music interrupted again. "What kind of words can I have for that cousin of mine that would be stronger than her actions? She is so cruel, always..."

And then the keys slammed down again; Bella did not hesitate to put her total weight onto the piano keys.

"Don't."

"What do you mean don't?"

"My piano," Regulus muttered.

"Last I checked," Bella said, poking him in the cheek painfully, giggling at his discomfort. "This isn't your piano. It's Aunt Walburga and..."