The banshee screamed.

Regulus glanced up the stairs, letting out a sigh. "Actions speak louder than words, so what does Grandfather Phineas Nigellus mean? I can't see my words ever be noisier than those two yelling unintelligible things at each other."

The young wizard rubbed the back of his neck, heading back into the drawing room and heading back to the piano, fingers lingering over the ivory white keys before glancing up, wishing he might retreat to the safety of his room, only—

"My room is across from Sirius', so there is no way that is actually quieter than here." He let his fingers glide across the keys as the banshee continued yelling, letting out a sigh, his stomach churning as the lyrics he wrote settled in more. "Why did the lyrics I wrote have to write home like that? I mean..."

Regulus paused, glancing around the drawing room, his father having settled onto one of the couches, reading the papers, ignoring the cacophony above rather than retreating as usual to his study. Regulus sat on the piano bench again, his fingers brushing against the keys, hesitating, remembering how Bella didn't hesitate in slamming her fingers down, mirthfully interrupting the solace he wanted from the piano.

"That's what he meant? Can those words convey meaning like that?" Regulus let out a deep sigh, lowering his hands, and became disinterested in the usual fair he played. He lifted his hands slowly, swallowing nervously, playing out how the line sounded in his head, then repeated a few other lines, tilting his head as his lips pushed together.

"Regulus?"

His eyes blinked, and then Regulus looked up, turning to look at his father through the fog of a headache, his head then looking up as the banshee continued screaming up above. Absentmindedly he played out, "Banshee sucking out the soul of her son" on the piano keys.

"Is that a new son?"

"Uh," Regulus' eyes blinked, his head turning back to look at the piano keys, his nostrils flaring in confusion. "Sorry. My head is hurting. I'm not following." He took a deep breath. "Please, please don't realize what I was doing."

"I liked the tune," Orion said. "Could you play it again?"

Regulus choked, turning on the piano bench to face his father, lifting his hands. "I, uh. It's not that great. Honest."

"It isn't?" Orion asked, his head tilting. "This isn't, you know..."

"No, it's not! It's not one of the songs Sirius' plays!" Regulus took a deep breath, looking at the floor. "Sorry. Sorry, Really sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know." Regulus took a deep breath. "Sorry, Papa. My head hurts right now."

"I see," Orion said. "Perhaps..."

"Regulus!"

Regulus flinched, squirming back to sitting towards the piano, swallowing, his music interrupted again. "What kind of words can I have for that cousin of mine that would be stronger than her actions? She is so cruel, always..."

And then the keys slammed down again; Bella did not hesitate to put her total weight onto the piano keys.

"Don't."

"What do you mean don't?"

"My piano," Regulus muttered.

"Last I checked," Bella said, poking him in the cheek painfully, giggling at his discomfort. "This isn't your piano. It's Aunt Walburga and..."

"Bella," Orion said. "That piano is a source of comfort for Regulus. Please don't abuse it."

Bella cleared her throat. "You're no fun, Uncle Orion. I just want to talk to Regulus. About things."

"What kind of things?"

"Thanks."

Regulus closed his eyes, fingers reaching out to play the line again, only—

He stopped, his eyes opening, wondering if playing lines of a potential rock and roll song in front of family members who, despite detesting that kind of music, would likely recognize the notes. He took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is this actually a good idea?"

And then Bella grew bored, prancing across the room to lean over the back of the couch Orion sat on, looking at the papers and sighing. "Those papers are such liars about the Dark Lord, so why do you read them, Uncle Orion?"

Orion let out a sigh, setting the paper down beside him. "This again?"

"It stands without reason," Bella said, standing up straight, "That the ministry stands more to gain by telling lies than he does."

"They're maintaining the peace, Bella," his father said, drawing Regulus' attention. "So, of course, they'll omit certain things."

"I don't see how lying to us and refusing to accept that he's out there creating a better world for us where we don't have to hide our powers is even remotely..."

"Enough, Bella," Orion said.

Regulus' cousin danced over, sitting back down next to him, draping her arm across his shoulders, whispering into his ear. "You'd like that, Reggie?"

"Huh?" His eyes blinked.

She continued whispering into his headache-addled head. "A world where you don't have to hide from Muggles, where you can actually be yourself without Aunt Walburga worrying what might happen to you should that frail body of yours have a sudden, unexpected magical outburst."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Regulus muttered, staring at the keys, wishing she'd disappear.

"I remember," Bella said in a sing-song manner. Her hands tightened on his shoulders. "How you frightened those Muggle children? Made them wet their pants and more than once, dear baby."

Regulus breathed in deeply, his breath hitching as his blood ran cold.

Bella ran a finger around his ear, still whispering. "So you do remember why you and Sirius were never allowed to play with the neighborhood children, that they always saw you as a little monster." And then, "Don't you think Sirius always calling you a little monster comes from somewhere, dear?"

Regulus swallowed, not wanting to remember, his brain going miles a minute, lyrics coming and sticking in his head as his head continued pounding. He closed his eyes, lifting his hands, shaking his head, and waving his hands to make the lyrics disappear.

"You do remember," Bella said, "But wouldn't you like a world where the tables were turned, things were better for us."

"For everyone?" Regulus muttered. He felt a shudder run down his spine as nausea set in. He glanced over at his father, who was still reading his paper, and spoke so Orion couldn't hear him. "I don't like frightening people. It's not that kind of world?"

"Of course not," Bella said, cooing into his ears, yet not at all gentle about doing so, her fingers digging into his arms. "Think. A place where you'll be accepted, dear one. And no more scares."

"But what about what the papers say?"

"All lies, lies, lies!" The last lie Bella said a little too loudly, and her head turned to look at Orion, who glanced up, frowning at her. She rubbed Regulus's arm, waiting for Orion to return to his paper. "You know the Muggles will be better off if we're in charge?"

Regulus sighed.

"Those filthy Muggles," Phineus Nigellus said. "They're cruel to their kind, putting their poor, orphans, elders, anyone who can't take care of themselves into these filthy workhouses."

"Aren't the workhouses gone, though?" Regulus asked. "At least Lily said so when I asked her during Slug Club."

"Huh?" Bella tilted her head. "Oh. Those. Do you think Muggles has it figured out? Have you seen the filth in Sirius' room?"

Regulus' eyes widened; he let out a yelp and covered his eyes as he felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears turn red.

"Bella," Orion said. "Please don't antagonize your cousin." And then, "Particularly since you're an adult now."

"I'm not!" Bella said. "Just checking on something regarding Sirius' influence potential influence on him."

"His what?" Regulus muttered, keeping his eyes covered. He spoke low. "Why did you have to mention those? The, the..." He stammered, his mouth clamping shut as he couldn't finish.

"His posters of nearly naked Muggle women?" Bella said. "Can you believe, Regulus, they expect their women to dress like that, but can you imagine what else they make those poor, poor girls do?"

The keys rattled as his elbows went down, a groan escaping as Regulus wanted to figuratively claw his eyes and ears out thinking of such filthy things. "Why, Bella?"

"What would a proper Black do for those poor, poor Muggles who are so backward they force their women to strip down to their underwear."

"Sirius says it's not underwear," Regulus muttered, wishing he wasn't having the current conversation. "It's, it's bi-bi, bee-key-knees."

"Isn't that worse, though, and he's succumbed to that filth?" Bella leaned back, pretending to swoon, before sitting up. "But don't you think we need to just rescue those poor girls, but that poor misguided brother of yours?"

Regulus groaned. "I don't know."

"Well, think about what I've said," Bella said, getting up and heading to the floor. Then, rather loudly, she pronounced she would leave. Orion let out a sigh of relief.

Then came the loud crescendo of Regulus hitting the piano keys, an entire elbow to elbow length as he set his head down, only serving to make his head hurt more. "Regulus."

"Head hurts," Regulus muttered.

"Then perhaps not do that?" Orion said.

Regulus said up, leaning back to look at the ceiling. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"You know, perhaps you should go over to see your uncle and aunt?"

"Uncle Ig and Aunt Lu? May I?" Regulus swallowed. "Maman is likely expecting me for supper, though, so..."

"I'll tell her it was my idea, but you must do something about your headache."

Sounds of the banshee continued to rain down from above.

"And I don't think she's going to be finished with Sirius any time soon," Orion said. "That boy certainly messed up this time."

"Are you aware of what he did?"

"Are you?"

"I understand French far, far better than Sirius."

"I see." Orion let out a sigh. "He's certainly placed us in a difficult position, nearly killing a student as he has. But, be on your way, dear boy."

"Yes, sir."

"Let me send Lucretia a message by Floo, then you can be on your way. Take your school bag with you. If the clothes you have over there for when you stay don't fit anymore, I'll send her some money to get you some more. Goodness knows she's better to taste then..."

His father stopped.

Regulus pinched his nose, wishing the banshee would stop, but instead, to escape the banshee and save his soul, he, the son, fled to his aunt's house.

He walked right into Lucretia's arms, her embrace warm as she gently ran fingers through his hair. "Relax. I have a House Elf preparing a soothing tea and something simple to eat that won't upset your stomach too much, but you can rest on the couch."

Soon, he downed the tea and fell asleep on the couch, snoring lightly.