Running With Wolves

Chapter 10: Regulus

Chapter 10: Regulus

Everything Sirius knew was toppling down over his head. He'd thought running away from his family would be the end of it. That he'd be able to forget about them and move on when he moved away. That somehow, coming to live with James would erase them, leave them behind. That everything would be different. But everything had just gotten worse.

The first time Sirius remembered getting in trouble—real, big trouble with his parents—he was six years old. Regulus was five. In the dead of night, Regulus came to Sirius. Around three o'clock in the morning. Amid the periodic boom of thunder and the rain pounding on the windowpane, Regulus' knock was hardly audible, but Sirius heard it anyway. He sat up in bed, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Lightning flashed in the window and he flinched. It was followed almost immediately by another loud clap of thunder and then a more frantic knocking at his door. Sirius pushed his covers off his legs and went to open the door.

Regulus was standing there, tears streaking his face and a tatty blanket caught in the nook of his elbow.

"Sir'us, I'm scared," he said, biting his lips and looking down at his feet. Sirius was fond of the older brother role, despite the fact he was only a year older.

"It's alright, Reg, it's only thunder," he replied, brushing Regulus' hair off his forehead, the way he'd seen his mother do when Regulus was upset, and pulling him into his arms.

"It's loud."

"I know, but--," he paused, glancing at the window. "Come with me, I want to show you something." Sirius grabbed Regulus by the hand and pulled him out of his bedroom and down the stairs. Regulus stumbled after him, clutching Sirius' fingers tight enough to hurt. In the stairway, it was nearly impossible to see. The only light came from the top of the stairs, flooding out from Sirius room, the door still ajar. Sirius glanced up at the walls and shuddered, the heads of former house elves cast creepy shadows off the walls, and the light reflected off their glassy eyes. Sirius shuddered and walked faster. Regulus yelped as he slipped down a step.

"Where're we going, Sir'us?" he asked

"Shh," said Sirius gently. He peaked around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, listening. From the kitchen came the shuffling of feet, and what was undoubtedly the sound of Kreacher murmuring to himself as he always did. Sirius looked at Regulus, pressing a finger to his lips and creeping out into the corridor. Candles lined the walls, flickering as they burned up into pools of wax. Sirius placed his feet gently on each floorboard, wincing each time one creaked. Sirius led them to the front door. He reached out to the when a voice as creaky as the floorboards said, "Can I help masters Sirius and Regulus?"

Sirius froze, then turned slowly on the spot to look at Kreacher standing at the height of Sirius' hip.

"Don't tell mum and dad, Kreacher!" Regulus said, looking stricken. "Don't tell them we're out of bed." Kreacher nodded his head politely to Regulus, then turned to walk away, Sirius frowned, giving Kreacher a good kick in the leg as he went. Kreature looked back to sneer at Sirius, and slunk away again.

"Don't do that, Sir'us," Regulus said, tugging on Sirius' sleeve.

"He doesn't like me," Sirius replied.

"He might like you if you didn't kick him all the time." Sirius scowled. The sound of thunder punctured the night again. Regulus pulled on Sirius' arm. "What were you going to show me, Sir'us?"

"Watch this." The front door was usually kept locked at night, and most of the other times, but Sirius had discovered if he wiggled his fingers in the right way, he could get the lock to click. Whatever spell his parents used to keep the door locked, Sirius had managed to undo it. He did the same now. Regulus looked up at him and grinned, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth, his eyes alight.