After another evening of your mother screaming at you, you snuck into your eldest brothers' room in the middle of the night. It wasn't unusual for you to sneak in there after your mother had given up making your life a living hell, needing comfort from someone because you certainly weren't going to get it from any of your other family members.

"Are you awake?" You whispered as you closed the door.

"Couldn't sleep?" He responded.

You nodded your head, making your way over to his bed to sit by his side. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, using his other hand to wipe away your tears.

"Did she hurt you?"

Once again you nodded your head.

Out of the three of your siblings, only Regulus lived up to the standards that your parents held for you, leaving you and your older brother Sirius to constantly be berated and punished for the smallest things. You didn't know how you would have coped in that household if you didn't have Sirius there to help you when things got bad. He was always there to comfort you after your mother took her anger out on you along with commonly protecting you from the attacks and taking the brunt of it instead.

"I'm not happy here," you admitted, not that it was an uncommon feeling for the two of you.

"Neither am I," he sighed, rubbing your shoulder, trying his best to take care of you.

He wanted to get you out of such a horrible household, but he felt powerless as there wasn't really anywhere for the two of you to turn. The only consolation he could find was that the two of you could escape to Hogwarts for a chunk of the year and not have to worry about the problems that came with your family.

"Maybe we could stay with Andy and Ted?" You suggested.

Andromeda was the only member of your family other than Sirius who liked you, if you could escape to her home, you would be far happier than being here.

"She has a new-born baby," he frowned. "She's got enough to worry about with Dora to take in two teenagers."

You let out a sigh, feeling defeated by your circumstance.

"I've been talking to James," he commented.

"What about?"

"He knows about what we are going through and I think his parents will be okay with taking us until school starts and then we can figure out something for after."

You offered him a weak smile, hoping that it was something that would work out.

"Send him an owl and see what they say. We can't stay here."

~*~

Written by Charlotte.