The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

LX. Christmas Day, 1974

Regulus Black awoke the next morning with excitement coursing through his veins. No matter how many disappointing Christmas's he had had in his life, nothing could take away from the initial excitement that one gets when realizing what day it was.

At first, Regulus had forgotten where he was. He tore off the odd yellow comforter and looked around the small room with light wood accents, confused. He was just about to call Kreacher - to ask Kreacher where on earth he was - when the door to his left was suddenly opened.

Regulus jumped at the sound of the door hitting the wall behind, and he prepared himself, thinking it was his parents. He tried to build up those same defenses that might - hopefully - spare him at least an ounce of the pain that the Cruciatus Curse would force him to endure. However, when a small girl with light pink hair, rosy cheeks, pudgy hands, and bright green eyes stepped into the room, he tilted his head in confusion. The little girl mirrored this action, and then her chubby face broke into a wide grin.

"REGLUS!" She called, and she ran over to the bed with her arms wide open.

"Nymphadora!" A woman's voice sounded from down the hall, and then in walked a frantic Andromeda Tonks. She saw her daughter jumping on the end of Regulus's bed in excitement, and the recognition that seemed to dawn on her cousin's face when she walked in. "Nymphadora, stop that! I'm so sorry, Regulus, did she wake you?"

Regulus shook his head. "No, I was already awake," he assured her, his voice deep and hoarse from sleep.

"Nymphadora, leave the poor boy alone!" Andromeda rushed over to Regulus's bed and snatched the little girl up, much to Nymphadora's protest. "Sorry about this. But, seeing as how you're awake, come downstairs! It's Christmas!" She turned and started for the door, but stopped suddenly in the frame. "Oh! There's some parchment and a quill in the den downstairs , if you'd like to write your friends."

Regulus watched Andromeda leave the room, shutting the door behind herself. Regulus laid back on the bed with a contented sigh; at least there was no way his parents could use the Cruciatus on him - and Sirius couldn't hex him - on Christmas. And, in his mind, that made this one already ten times better than the last.

Regulus extended his arms and legs as far as they would go, relishing in the stretch and relaxation of his muscles. With a sigh of relief, Regulus stood from the bed and padded across the room with stockinged feet. He did have to admit, he liked the warmth of carpet much better than the ice-cold of the hardwood floors back home at Number 12.

When Regulus reached the sitting room, Ted Tonks was just coming through with a fussy Nymphadora in his arms. "You have to eat breakfast first, Dora! Oh, good morning, Regulus! How'd you sleep?"

Regulus shrugged. "Good," he responded, reaching up a hand and running his fingers through his curly black hair.

"Excellent! Breakfast is almost ready, but Andy said you wanted to write to someone?" Regulus nodded. "Alright! The den is just down that hall and to your right," Ted pointed down the very hall which Regulus had just come from.

"Ok. Thank you."

"No problem! If you need help with anything, I'll be in the kitchen," he flashed the boy a smile, and then continued into the kitchen with his daughter.

Regulus entered the den, and he looked around it. It was a small room with a desk sitting just beneath a window, several large bookcases, a small reading corner with plush chairs, and a large rug in the middle. Regulus walked over to the desk and sat down, taking a piece of parchment from the stack in front of him and grabbing the quill from where it had been rested in a pot of ink.

Barty,
Would you like to hang out in Diagon Alley for a little bit on the 27th? Let me know.

R.A.B.