good things fall apart • sirius black

I'll race you

A mutual agreement was made to not bring up Jessica Arnell for the rest of the train journey, as it seemed to only be creating awkward tension. So, after that, the group fell into comfortable chatter as they always did.

Sirius didn't have much to say about his summer, but Ellie could see there was lots he was holding back. He never spoke much of his family to anyone. Instead, he was very good at redirecting the conversation away from himself, making James recount the stories of his and Ellie's escapes around the Potter and Gryffin land. However, the messy haired boy hadn't been indulged enough in what had happened to his other best friend and so couldn't help himself but try and ask again.

"Just had to have a chat with my brother is all." Sirius replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Regulus Black may have been in the year below them, but that didn't mean he was any less important in the circle of friends.

He was often a discussion topic, for he seemed to divide their opinions in a way nothing else could. Usually, Sirius, James and Peter teaming up against Ellie and Remus. The latter thinking the others were too harsh and fast to judge when it came to Regulus.

Sirius had strong views about his brother that spanned across many different topics - from his beliefs and the people he spent time with, to how he dressed and his choice in music. Some of them were good opinions, but most of them were brutal, and of course James had to take his side, because that's what real brothers did. Peter just found Regulus intimidating, which Sirius would tell him was because of all the time he spent with their family, and so the smallest Marauder could never see Ellie and Remus' point of view. The beautiful girl saw straight through a lot of Sirius' comments about his brother, making this one of the few times they didn't stand united on an issue. She saw how much Sirius cared for Regulus, deep down, it was just that they had a very complicated relationship. 

The youngest Black was the shining light of the family, something Sirius would never be able to match. Slytherin, respectful and compliant with their parents' wishes, he was the polar opposite to his brother. Sirius was rebellious and outspoken and had been deemed the bane of the family ever since he was sorted into Gryffindor.

The Blacks were snakes through and through.

Regulus could do no wrong and Sirius may be the oldest, but he'd always be in the shadow of his little brother's emerald green perfection. It caused friction between the two and they were often bickering about something, but only when they were at Hogwarts, were they really allowed to be brothers. Orion and Walburga Black did all they could to make Sirius feel like an outcast for all his disobedience, and they'd do everything in their power to stop him from leading their precious Regulus astray.

And so, 12 Grimmauld Place became more of a prison than a family home, both the Black brothers desperately trying to break free. Sirius from the tortuous surroundings that did nothing but tear chunks out of his soul, and Regulus from the chains that had become him standing in alliance with his parents.

"Is Reggie okay? Did he have an alright summer too?" Ellie liked the youngest Black as much as she liked anyone, for she knew it wasn't his fault their parents preferred him over Sirius.

Even when the brothers were arguing and everyone would assume that she'd take Sirius' side, she stood firmly between the two. She was always the only one who dared involve herself in their family feuds, for she knew the sometimes-hateful words they spat at each other, weren't truly meant. Their opinions were often just too different for them to be able to understand how each other were feeling. Acknowledging emotions wasn't something of a strong suit in the Black line.

Regulus was the same scrawny and wide-eyed boy, who'd sat with them on the train the beginning of their second year to the beautiful girl. Sirius was so proud to introduce him to his group of friends and Regulus' cheeks had flushed violently in embarrassment when he was doted over by them all. He may have been sorted into Slytherin, but it hadn't changed Ellie's view on him, and she often worried about how he was - lonely and stuck in the dungeons.