#arcturusxregulus

Sirius took a deep breath as he looked down at the silver locket nestled among his socks. It had been months of hiding and even of moving around, but it was time. With the baby coming, it couldn’t stay here anymore.

Henry was curled in the tower’s window seat, glancing out at the setting sun as it set shades of purple and orange and red across the school grounds below. There was a book in his lap but he’d stopped reading one chapter ago in favor of simply watching the outside world and enjoying the quiet of the common room. There was a cooling cup of tea next to him and a fire crackled merrily in the large grate, occasionally flaring Ravenclaw blue. 

Normally the common room was buzzing with activity, but it was a beautiful Saturday in spring and most of his bookish classmates were taking their activities outside for once, or taking advantage of the library’s silence- one would never, for instance, find a Gryffindor in the library on a weekend, and it was therefore the best time to study. 

He only glanced up when he heard the familiar knocking of the common room door, tensing, worried. Most of his housemates knew by now that he didn’t want to be approached or spoken to, that he wasn’t a pretty thing for them to coo and aah at, but still.

So color him surprised when it wasn’t a Ravenclaw at all, but Regulus Black, in all his handsome, fine-boned glory.

Arguably the best part of working for the Prophet was convincing Rodolpus Lestrange to pay him to talk to pretty people. Models always had the best gossip, always, and as long as he left with a sizable amount of good dirt and a head-straight on his column he could convince Lestrange to write off any expenses as work-related. Sure, it usually involved buying him a nice bottle of booze and wearing something suggestive but it worked. Gilderoy got to stare at gorgeous people all day, and Lestrange got his cash cow.

The blip in the plan showed up to the shoot in high heels and glitter and took Gilderoy’s breath away.

Regulus Black was famous, of course all the people Gilderoy made a point to talk to were famous, not just for his last name but for his gorgeous way of showing up everyone else. Gilderoy had never had the chance to meet him until now.

When he put on his very best smile, it came out genuine. “Well, if it isn’t the model of the hour!” He said, toasting Regulus with the fancy bottle of sparkling water he’d stolen from the set. “I must say, you’re even more amazing than I’d heard, and I’ve heard quite a bit.”

Do you know how pissed I am at you? You left.

Fuck you, Mal. You make me clean up your mess, previously known as our dad, and you just take off? You’re supposed to be here with me. Who are we if we’re apart? I know you don’t care about mom, I know dad was asking for it, but you’re the one that always told me we couldn’t kill him.

Do you remember why you said we couldn’t kill him? 

Because they’d break us apart. Because someone would come in and send you in one direction and me in another. Because we’d lose each other. And what did you do? You ran away from me and separated us yourself. How could you do that? After everything we’ve gone through, you’re just going to leave like it’s nothing?

I’m you, Mal. I’m in your blood. You and I wouldn’t be anything like this if it wasn’t for each other and if you want to try running away, that’s fine. Run off, but you’re not going to be able to escape who you are, you’re not going to be able to escape me no matter how much dye your hair. Every time you look in the mirror, you’re going to think of me and you’re going to know where you come from and there’s not a place on the planet that’s going to stop that.

Ignore the wet spots on this letter, okay? I’m not crying. I don’t miss you. And I’m not going to worry about you overdosing somewhere because I’m not there to look after you.

I’m lying.

Come to me, Mal, okay? I didn’t mean any of it, just come back. I need you here.

Can’t you at least pretend you need me, too?

But first, another drink.

Maybe if he’d been less concerned with being seen and more concerned with everyone else around him, Alaric wuld have realized who was hovering near the drinks table sooner than he did. Maybe he wouldn’t have come to a sharp halt right before colliding, could have turned the other way instead of being caught unaware, unable to pretend he hadn’t noticed the other. “Hello, Regulus,” He said, defaulting to polite, bland manners as always. “Can’t say I’ve seen you in a while. How’s Gil?” @arcturusxregulus

What is so good about her?

What is so bloody fucking good about some fainting little pansy? Everything was fine until she came along, why did you abandon me for her? I’m your sister, too, I don’t understand why you hate me now.

She’s worthless, she never had to try for our parents the way we did, why don’t that matter to you? 

It’s because you left, isn’t it? Because you fucking left me here with her and you have some stupid idea that she never stopped being a fucking snot nosed brat that needed an adult to hover over her.

What am I saying, she is still a snot nosed brat that needs someone to hover over her. Merlin forbid she ever have to grow up and be an adult like we had to, no one can let that damned angel bitch ever have to sacrifice anything.

I hate her. I hate her so much because she took you from me and you don’t even give a damn. I wish I could stop caring, I wish I could cut every shred of fondness for out out of my heart, but I want my brother back and I want that little rodent of a sister out of my life.

But I can’t have that. Getting rid of her means getting rid of some vital part of you you, but maybe that doesn’t really matter. It’s not like there’s any way to get you back.

     It’d been utterly spontaneous.

     Seven in the morning was typically considered ungodly early for Sirius Orion Black IV; but a jolt in his stomach had him awake since five, wondering wondering wondering. 

      Why the fuck did he still care?

      Regulus looked the same, really. The same, but different. Sharp jaw, thin frame, dark hair, pale skin; but there were things there, things beneath his gaze that only a brother would notice. He hadn’t intended to follow Regulus into the small cafe, but there he was. It was his way. Act, then think.

      It was when Regulus’s eyes met his that his brain decided to think. 

      Sirius had left him. Not the other way around. He had no right to seek out his brother now, even if he had simply wanted to reassure himself that Regulus was alright. A sneer barely flared over his own expression and then he pushed past Regulus without a word, his fingers balling into fists at his sides. Before he could get past him fully, he paused, halting right there, beside Regulus, his mouth aligned with his brother’s ear. 

      “You’re alive.”