II — — fresh out the slammer

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JUNE 25TH, 1976

     REGULUS BLACK was beyond irritated. Due to the fact that it was the middle of the night, and he had been trying to sleep, but the incessant noise from his brother's room made it impossible. The frustration built up inside him until he couldn't bear it any longer. With a huff, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He marched down the hallway, each step fueled by annoyance, and without hesitation, he flung open the door to his older brother's room.

"What the bloody hell is all that noise—!?" Regulus whispered-shouted; "Are you planning to get into more trouble? It's way past midnight!" He exclaimed but Sirius didn't bother, he just kept on doing whatever he was doing.

"No." Grunted Sirius, dragging his trunk out of his bedroom and dropping it into the pile of luggage beside his door.

Regulus furrowed his brows, scrutinizing Sirius's actions in an attempt to figure out his intentions. Gradually, the pieces of the puzzle began to come together, but they seemed hard to be true despite it might be the truth. Regulus found it difficult to believe what seemed to be the truth and resisted acknowledging it but nevertheless, he asked;

"Where are you off to?"

"Away."

"Away where? France?"

"Anywhere away from here."

Panic welled up inside Regulus, he struggled to maintain his composure as he asked; "For how long?" Despite his efforts, his voice betrayed his anxiety. Sirius felt a twinge of guilt at his brother's distress but remained resolute, convinced this was the best for him.

"Forever." He replied firmly.

Regulus was suddenly brought back to the Black's Christmas party of 1974, the day that Andromeda had left. Sirius tried to stop her but it didn't work, nothing could have made her stay, she left and never turned back, Sirius hated it.

And now Regulus knew Sirius intention's, he knew there was no way he could persuade his older brother to change his mind. It was impossible to understand how Sirius won't come back, Regulus couldn't even say it out--loud.

But either way, Regulus tried his hardest to protest.

"You can't do that," he spoke up as Regulus's irritation was replaced by hurt feelings as he felt everything around him feel gloomy. "I can do that," Sirius replied.

"It's raining!"

"Water isn't gonna kill me Regulus however staying in this house will!!"

It was as if Sirius's face went just as cold as their mother's and he just snapped at his brother; "I'm getting myself out of here, out of this situation! I can't live here anymore Regulus and you bloody well know that! I've dealt with mother and father for sixteen years of my life, I did my time and. .I can't do it anymore!"

Regulus felt a pang of guilt when he heard Sirius's voice break, but that didn't deter him from trying to convince his older brother to stay.

"You're not even seventeen yet."

"My birthday is in a few months Reg."

"But. . .they will disown you for real this time, and—" Regulus pleaded, desperately trying to stop Sirius from leaving. "—I don't care if they do," Sirius interrupted. "I'm not planning on ever coming back here anyway."

It was ridiculous for Regulus to persist in arguing; deep down, he acknowledged Sirius was right. "I can't do this without you. Please," he implored, his voice cracking. Sirius sensed the anguish in his younger brother's tone which made him feel awful, tho it did not sway his decision, he had to get out of this slammer.

"Regulus I can't."

"Sirius you can!"

Regulus felt his eyes sting with exhaustion, his nostrils flaring as his throat tightened painfully, nearly bringing tears to his eyes. "I will try harder to be a better brother, I promise."

"Regulus. . ." Sirius turned towards his younger brother, observing the sorrow and sense of betrayal painted on his face. "Regulus, you know I—"

"Bloody hell! If you say you can't one more time I might just hex you!"

"Not if I hex you first," Sirius replied with a nostalgic undertone, evoking memories of their shared moments of brotherhood. And despite their banter about hexing each other, neither brother had ever followed through on the threat.

Although Regulus acknowledged Sirius was right, he resisted accepting it fully, reluctantly to see his brother depart. The prospect of Sirius leaving meant Regulus will be alone in this slammer of a house. But he came to a surprise when Sirius uttered something wholly unexpected.

"Come with me."

"What?!"

"Come with me Regulus!" Sirius practically bellowed, his voice tinged with urgency. "We'll escape this place! Go and be brothers again," Sirius fixed his pleading gaze on his younger brother, yearning for a positive response.

Regulus didn't know what to do; his mind was racing. In one sense, he was eager to live a normal, better life with Sirius, fresh out of the slammer. But in another, he knew he had to stay, not just for himself but also for his family. Even if Regulus left, his mother would surely come to reclaim her only heir.

"I can't, I can't do that Sirius. You know I can't."

"You can If you come with me. . .I've got you, brother."

"I can't choose."

"You can."

"I don't want to."

"You have to."

Regulus's voice trembled, its resonance muted by the tears he struggled to suppress. "Do not make me choose. Please." He pleaded softly. Sirius nodded solemnly, sniffed, and moved closer to his suitcase. "Looks like you already did." He remarked quietly.

The younger Black dreaded the scene unfolding before him as his elder brother cast shrinking spells on his luggage, rendering it effortlessly portable. Sirius swiftly gathered his belongings and descended the stairs, exiting through the front door, leaving Regulus heartbroken in his wake.

Regulus was numb, his vision was blurry, and his heart couldn't help but wonder where the feeling was. Will Sirius be there for him at his darkest times? Surely, Regulus was always there for Sirius in his darkest times.

Sirius slung his bag over his shoulder and strode toward the front door. He reached out, grasped the handle, and twisted it open. In the dimly moonlit entrance hall, the sound of rain grew steadily louder, filling the air with a soothing patter.

Regulus couldn't help but shake the feeling that their home had long been a gilded cage, where their parent's cruelty lurked in every shadow, sifting both him and Sirius. Now as Sirius was departing, fresh out the slammer. Regulus didn't need to ask where Sirius was heading to; he knew exactly who Sirius's first call will be to — The Potters.

One last time, Sirius averted his gaze from the door and fixed his eyes upon his younger brother.

They didn't hug. They didn't shake hands. They didn't even say goodbye.

All Sirius said before finally leaving was;

"joyeux anniversaire au passage."

         RIAN splashed against the bedroom window as Lorelai nestled into the soft pillows behind her, with a book between her legs absorbed in her reading and the soothing rhythm of the rain.

Growing weary of annotating her book, Lorelai marked her page, closed the book, placing it gently on her desk. She then turned her attention to a device known as a television, a muggle invention her parents had procured for her.

Initially, they struggled to grasp the understanding of it, but once they adapted swiftly it became Lorelai's favorite pastime. As she lounged in her bed, her parent's voices resonated loudly from downstairs.

"Oh, dear Godric! Fleamont bring my wand!"

"Are you okay!?"

Despite the confusion, the younger girl refrained from probing into the situation, she knew she would receive explanations later. For now, she simply assumed that James, her older brother, had once again done something foolish.

Soon after, she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in!" Lorelai called out, lowering the volume on the television and shifting her gaze towards the door. She saw James standing there. "Busy?" he asked, offering his younger sister a gentle smile.

"I s'pose you've done something."

"What do you mean?"

The girl shrugged nonchalantly, "Dunno overheard mum and dad talk they sound worried. . thought you might have done something ridiculous."

"Do you really think so little of me?"

"Yes."

James tousled his hair, making it even more disheveled, before dropping an unexpected bombshell."Do you fancy another brother," he asked, grinning as his sister's eyes widened in surprise. "IS MUM PREGNANT?" she exclaimed.

"You see— WAIT WHAT?"

Lorelai, without waiting for her brother's reply, leaped out of bed and ran downstairs. James swiftly spotted her dashing out of her room and he was quick to follow her behind. The moment she entered the downstairs living room in the hopes of finding her mother there but only discovered that neither her mother nor father were present.

Sirius was.

"Sirius?" she asked softly, her gaze meeting Sirius's as he smiled warmly at his best mate's younger sister. James appeared at the staircase, observing them both before responding, "Lottie. . .Sirius will be staying with us."

Lorelai quickly grasped the situation, realizing that Sirius had finally escaped from his home, he was fresh out the slammer. Without hesitation, she moved to embrace Sirius, her soft smile bringing comfort to his heart.