good things fall apart • sirius black

My favourite

Regulus Black had been looking forward to the ball. Times were growing dark and death was starting to reach its tendrils into Hogwarts, the Slytherin common room now becoming a place of discussing Muggle murders and who would be the next victim. The youngest Black had grown to hate it in there.

But amongst all the darkness, there seemed to still be glimpses of light, and the ball was acting as a source of warmth Regulus didn't know he needed.

It wasn't a shock half of the Slytherin house didn't have dates, for there weren't enough purebloods to go around everyone, and Regulus knew his 'friends' would disown him for even entertaining the thought of taking someone from a different house, let alone anyone of anything less than the purest blood that could be spilled. Yet, the boy still found himself longing to be as confident and happy as Ivanna Elms looked with Marlene McKinnon. Even as a Slytherin, Ivanna had decided she didn't care what anyone else thought, she was going to go to the ball with whoever she pleased, and that would be the Gryffindor girl who had caught her eye. Regulus thought she and Marlene looked very happy. Something he wasn't sure he was.

Anyway, it wouldn't have mattered to Regulus whether there was a date for him or not, because they wouldn't have been the girl he wanted to take anyway.

He'd watched the entrance to the Great Hall with eager eyes, waiting to see her, getting there a little early to ensure he'd be able to see when she arrived. Absolutely sure she'd look the picture of grace and elegance, the youngest Black's heart ached with longing, but he knew things were better this way. Regulus knew that she'd be safer in the arms of his brother, even if he resented the thought.

And there she was.

Ellie Gryffin, the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, and the one he so desperately wished he could have as his own. But instead, she walked hand in hand with his brother, both smiling wider than he thought possible. There was no questioning that the beautiful girl soaked up all the air in the room and by Sirius Black's side, the two may as well have been crowned King and Queen of the school.

Regulus tried his hardest not to be jealous, he told himself every day that getting involved with her wasn't worth being cast out by his family. Not to mention the playground drama it would cause between the brothers and the eldest's band of troublemakers. There had been too much conflict over last year's kiss, and some form of mutual agreement had been made by everyone now, to never bring the subject up ever again. The youngest Black had seen the way Sirius seethed over the idea of him harbouring feelings for his best friend, and as much as it pained him to do so, Regulus wouldn't put her in the middle like that. He wouldn't make her pick between them because he knew he'd miss out.

He knew she'd pick him... It'd always be him.

So instead, Regulus kept his feelings to himself now, locking them away where no one else would ever see them. That's what is best for all, he told himself. However, that didn't mean watching Ellie spin in a graceful waltz with his brother on the dance floor with half the school watching them, hurt any less. Putting his feelings in a chest and sinking it to the bottom of the ocean that was his mind, didn't mean he still didn't long to be the one in Sirius' shoes.

He watched them from across the hall for what felt like hours, Ellie's head rolling back in laughter every time his brother said anything witty, both of them filling the space with footwork that put everyone else's to shame.

Regulus often wondered what made Sirius so different from him that meant he was put into Gryffindor. They were brothers after all. Close in age, looked practically like twins. There wasn't anything that screamed out to Regulus why Sirius was special enough to end up with a different fate than his.