Glass Houses

Chapter four

Sirius flopped on his bed and laid there for half an hour.

Not moving, his eyes closed. Just trying to breath, savour the time before his brother came home, before his parents came home and forced him to think. Sirius didn't want to think. He didn't want to do much of anything.

Half an hour was soon shattered by his door being flung open, the back slamming against the wall, no doubt deepening the dent already imprinted into the white plaster. Sirius didn't move from his position, nor did he open his eyes, though he knew who had so rudely barged into his room.

Footsteps stopped at the end of the bed, and Sirius wondered how long it would take for Regulus to pluck up the courage to say whatever was on his mind. (Which would have to be something significant, if his dramatic entrance had anything to say about it).

"Where'd you go?" Regulus said finally, rushing his words in a way their Mother hated.

Sirius cracked an eye open, resisting the urge to close it when he saw Regulus standing there, fidgeting with his hands in a way that reminded Sirius of when his brother was seven, asking Sirius to read to him even though he could read perfectly fine himself.

"What?" Sirius mumbled.

He heard Regulus sigh, "You disappeared after the test. What happened?"

'Oh so now you care' Sirius wanted to say, thinking back to his brother's silence during Avery's spiels.

"What do you care?" Sirius said instead, which he thought hinted to the real meaning quite nicely, and if the sharp intake of breath from Regulus was anything to go by, the message was received loud and clear. Good.

"Look, I'm sorry about... But you know I can't-" he paused, sighing, and Sirius smirked at his brother's obvious discomfort.

"No, go on," Sirius prodded, hauling himself into a sitting position and staring at Regulus with wide, faux interested eyes. "Take your time Regulus. Use your words."

Regulus glared at him, his jaw working furiously.

"I was just asking where you went Sirius. Forgive me for being concerned."

Sirius almost laughed. 'Concerned', who did Regulus think he was kidding?

"Had a bad reaction to that blue shit they gave us. Felt sick. Went home. Get out," he paused before begrudgingly adding, "please."

Regulus frowned, crossing his arms, "What did you get?"

Sirius went rigid, his stomach dropping to his feet, "What?" he asked, barking out a nervous laugh that most certainly did not cover the fact that he felt like he was about to throw up.

"Your aptitude test, obviously," Regulus said. "What was your result?"

Sirius threw his legs over the side of the bed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable that Regulus was practically looming over him.

"You know we can't share our results," Sirius said, walking slowly to his brother, a tad more comfortable now that Regulus had to look up to talk to him. "It's against the law. You don't wanna break the law do you?"

Regulus huffed, "I'm only asking. No one has to know."

"Why do you want to know?" Sirius asked, the spitefulness of his tone disguising a genuine question.

Regulus threw his hands to his sides, emotions flitting over his face too quick to latch onto.

"Fine," he spat, "Don't tell me. It's not like it'll make a difference anyway."

The boy went to leave, muttering angrily. Sirius reached out and grabbed a hold of his wrist, tugging him back firmly.

Regulus wrenched himself out of Sirius' grip, "Just let me go. You obviously don't want to talk to me-"