Marauders age regression one shots

Broken

Sirius hadn't been home in months. The war had kept him busy—fighting, hiding, running. But something had pulled him back here, to the house he swore never to return to. The place was quiet as he stepped through the door, and the familiar, suffocating scent of the Black family home filled his lungs, nearly choking him. He hated this place. Hated everything it stood for.

But Regulus was still here. And that was the only reason Sirius had come back.

He moved through the hallway, his boots heavy against the old wooden floor. The house was dimly lit, most of the curtains drawn, as though it were trying to hide from the world outside. Sirius passed by rooms filled with memories—most of them bitter—and tried to shake off the feeling of dread creeping up his spine.

"Reg?" he called out, his voice echoing through the stillness.

There was no response, just the faintest sound of movement coming from upstairs.

With a sinking feeling in his chest, Sirius made his way up the stairs, following the sound. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached Regulus's room. The door was slightly ajar, and he hesitated for a moment, remembering the last time he had seen his brother. They hadn't parted on the best of terms, and Sirius wasn't sure what he would find when he stepped through that door.

But he had to know.

Pushing the door open, Sirius froze.

There, sitting in the middle of the room, was Regulus. But he didn't look like the sharp, poised figure Sirius remembered. His younger brother was curled up on the floor, clutching a soft blanket, his knees drawn to his chest. His eyes were wide and glassy, filled with a sort of innocent fear that Sirius had never seen before.

Regulus didn't look like a grown man or even the cold, calculating Slytherin he had been in Hogwarts. He looked small—childlike. Regressed.

"Reggie..." Sirius breathed, taking a step into the room. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. This was wrong. So wrong.

At the sound of his voice, Regulus's head snapped up, eyes locking onto Sirius. For a split second, fear flickered in Regulus's expression, and Sirius felt his stomach twist. Was Regulus scared of him? Had he broken his brother so badly that Regulus couldn't even look at him without fear?

"I'm not going to hurt you," Sirius whispered, trying to keep his voice soft, calm, though his insides were churning. He took another cautious step forward, afraid of what might happen if he moved too quickly.

Regulus stared at him, his lip trembling slightly, his hands tightening around the blanket he was holding. He looked like a lost child, unsure of where he was or who to trust.

Sirius had seen people regress before. He knew the signs—the way they slipped into their headspace, the vulnerability that came with it. But seeing Regulus like this... It broke something inside of him.

"Reggie," Sirius said again, his voice cracking, "I'm not going to break you. Not again."

Regulus blinked, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, but he didn't move. He didn't speak. He just sat there, clutching the blanket like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Sirius knelt down, keeping some distance between them, not wanting to scare Regulus any more than he already seemed to be. "I didn't know," Sirius admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know you... I didn't know things had gotten this bad."

Regulus's lip quivered, and a small whimper escaped him, one that broke Sirius's heart all over again.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, feeling the weight of those words settle between them. He hadn't been there for Regulus. He hadn't protected him. And now, his baby brother was sitting here, regressed and lost in a world of hurt that Sirius could barely understand.

Sirius wanted to reach out, to pull Regulus into his arms, to tell him that everything would be okay. But he couldn't. He was terrified that if he touched him, he would shatter Regulus all over again.

But Regulus didn't pull away. In fact, after a few moments of silence, he shifted slightly, his eyes never leaving Sirius. "Siri..." he murmured, his voice small and shaky.

Sirius's breath caught in his throat. "Yeah, Reggie?" he replied, his heart pounding.

Regulus blinked at him, his hands still clutching the blanket tightly. "You won't leave?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Sirius swallowed hard, the guilt and fear swirling inside him. "No, Reggie," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Regulus's shoulders relaxed just a little at that, and for the first time since Sirius had stepped into the room, he saw a flicker of trust in his brother's eyes. It was small, fragile, but it was there.

Sirius didn't know how to fix this—how to fix Regulus. But he wasn't going to leave. Not again.

Slowly, cautiously, Sirius moved closer, sitting beside his brother on the floor. He didn't touch him, but he was close enough that Regulus could feel his presence.

"I'll stay right here," Sirius promised. "As long as you need."

And for the first time in what felt like years, Regulus didn't flinch away. Instead, he leaned ever so slightly toward Sirius, his body still trembling, but there was something else there now. A tiny spark of hope.

Sirius knew he couldn't fix everything that had happened between them. But maybe, just maybe, he could start by being there for his brother, by holding the broken pieces together until Regulus was ready to put them back himself.