The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XXXIV. Mordax

Regulus Black wasn't an idiot. He knew that Sirius was watching him like a hawk.

Kreacher would mysteriously be called away once an hour every single day. He had caught on by the second time that Kreacher was called away on the first day of break. Regulus had been suspecting that the only reason Sirius had come back was to keep an eye on him and ensure that he didn't tell anyone about Remus, but Kreacher's disappearances confirmed it.

Regulus knew Sirius's schedule like clockwork. He would call Kreacher every single hour on the dot. So, at one minute 'til, Regulus would tell Kreacher exactly what to tell Sirius.

It wasn't that Regulus was trying to hide what he was doing from Sirius, it was just that...

Well, actually, that's exactly what it was.

Since the very first day back, Regulus had been pouring himself into book after book. He was focused on three topics, specifically.

Hogwarts defensive measures, Occlumency, and Animagi.

Regulus was determined to know everything he could about all three subjects.

Hogwarts defensive measures for obvious reasons. It was his task - his duty - to discover as much about them as he could for his group, and for the Dark Lord himself.

Occlumency, again, for obvious reasons. He needed to keep the prying of Severus Snape to a minimum. Not only was it annoying, but it was also becoming increasingly more dangerous with every secret that Regulus Black uncovered. If he wanted any chance of keeping these secrets to himself, he needed to learn how to close his mind.

Animagi were the third, and most surprising, subject. Regulus still wanted to know just what his brother was trying to hide from Remus Lupin, especially considering how protective Sirius Black had proved himself to be over the boy.

So, Regulus would order Kreacher to lie.

As far as Sirius knew, Regulus had spent the whole of holiday break so far either napping, playing various games with Kreacher, doing holiday homework, or else reading about various subjects, of which Kreacher was never allowed to specify.

It was on Christmas morning, 1973, that anything in the Black family house dynamic even slightly changed.

Regulus awoke with the sun that morning. He hopped out of bed in excitement, and padded over to the window with stockinged feet. He tore open the dark green curtains, opened the window, and breathed in the cold winters air that filled his room.

With a sigh of relief, Regulus sat down on the rather thick windowsill and leaned back against the frame, staring at the world outside. Regulus had taken to doing this every morning, for it was in these moments that Regulus felt a true and genuine sense of peace.

The fresh air that flowed through the room, replacing the stale and musty smell that had found itself ingrained in the very atoms of the room itself, it seemed. The light breeze and billowing of the curtains at Regulus's side. The wintery landscape that Regulus could see outside if he craned his neck just the right way.

In truth, Regulus had always loved the snow. It held a sort of innocence about itself. Clean, untouched, pure. For as long as he could remember, he would beg his older brother to go play in the snow outside with him. Regulus and Sirius would spend hour after hour playing in the fluffy white frozen substance. They had a habit of making families of snowmen, and then sitting on the porch, admiring their work, and giving them little backstories. Were they like the Black family? No, no the snow families were never like the Blacks. They loved each other. They took care of each other. The snow families were carefree and happy and oblivious to the terrors that would await their makers as soon as they stepped back into the darkness of their own home.