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Rain.

He embraces the rain; it is his cloak when the dark cannot contain his anonymity. When his footsteps mingle with the pitter-patter of the water falling from the sky, he knows he that is safe.

When he was little, Regulus would look out his window and watch the little beads rolling down the pane and pooling at the sill. When the thunder screamed its terrifying cry, he echoed it, only in fear rather than an attempt to scare. His brother would yell from down the hall as well, and the three would become a chorus, belting out their melodies for the parents downstairs to hear.

And Mrs Black, as if on cue, would stride into Regulus’ room if he let a any tears fall. She would sit on the end of his bed, and with a look as stern as it was uncompassionate, she would say, “Regulus, no man of your status lets fear overtake them. You want to become someone of importance, correct?”

Regulus, only five years of age, would nod slowly.

“Then stop this idiotic weeping and go to sleep. It’s just a storm.”

She would then stand and shut Regulus’ door as she strode impatiently to Sirius’ room. A sharp slap and a cry would sound from under his door, making Regulus wince in sympathy.

The rain was nothing to be afraid of, Regulus thought.

The patter of the rain increased as Regulus marched onwards, causing him to tie his cloak tighter around himself. A fog had settled over the alley, and Regulus’ eyes darted to and fro to see if his surroundings were still visible.

A laugh sounded from a window in the bottom story of a nearby building; Regulus shuddered, but he did not falter. One key thing Regulus had learned during his journeys was that he was never the only one hiding underneath the fall of rain.

The laugh was high pitched and it continued to grow louder as Regulus urged his frigid body forward. A shadowy, hunched over figure was moving towards him. He squinted and made out an old woman, who was draped in carefully placed shawls and walking with a cane, though her speed showed that she obviously didn‘t need it. Regulus sighed. Another old Muggle beggar. He’d simply ignore her and walk on.

“Sir, you look a’mighty cold, yessir. You need any socks?”

Regulus stopped to look at her. She had a kindly face with eyes that crinkled at the edges and a toothy smile that hadn‘t seen a dentist in years, but her aura was one of deceit. Maybe it was just his years of suspicion that caused him to not trust even an old beggar?

“No.”

Regulus continued his march, and the woman, looking upset beyond all measure, started to hobble her way down the alley after him. Regulus heard her cane hitting the asphalt with the speed of a jackrabbit’s hops, so he sighed with what he hoped convey an air of annoyance and disinterest.

“Se’a sir, these be m’spesh’ty socks, made spesh’ty from m’hand woven wool --”

“I said no.”

“But sir! M’socks are th’best ‘round these places.”

“Obviously the word ‘no’ doesn’t mean anything to you. Now leave me be.” Regulus wasn’t especially irritated, he was just in a hurry, and this woman was in his way.

“But--”

“No, damn it!”

Regulus stormed off before the woman could contradict him again. As the rain filled the gap between them, he breathed slowly. He could almost hear his persuers following him. The woman might have died if it weren’t for him. She should consider herself grateful.

Regulus looked upwards to see if the moon was still visible. It wasn’t. Only fools covered themselves in the pitch black of night. And what was Regulus except one of them?

The rain kept steadily falling, and Regulus once again embraced its cover. He was a fool, signing up for something his soul hadn’t the stomach for. Sirius was right, Sirius was always right.

That simpleton brother of his.



“Damn it Reg, why’d you have to -- A fucking brilliant idea, it was --”

Two days after Regulus experienced the agony of the mark burned on his arm, he told his parents, who were thrilled. His brother, who Regulus took great care in seeking out, was furious about it.

“Sirius, I’m going to bring honor back to the Black family name! That respect we lost,? We’ll gain it again!”

Sirius looked at him in a contemptuous manner. “What respect? Any respect we had was lost when we started mounting heads on our goddamned walls!"

Sirius took a moment to breath while Regulus looked pleadingly at him. After a moment, Sirius burst out, "You’re signing on as a bloody campaigner against everything I stand for! Yeah, go ahead and do it. It’s not as if I give a shot in hell about it.” Sirius slammed his fist onto the table, shaking the deserted cabin where he was currently residing.

“It’s what’s best for the family --”

“The family? What’s best for the family is for them to get thrown off their bloody high horse and have some sense beaten into them. You’re only making them worse, Reg.” Sirius’ gaze narrowed. “You don’t have your heart in it. You’ll get yourself killed.”

The cabin was quite dark for a bright and sunny day, and Regulus suspected that Sirius didn’t want to be found.

“But Sirius, He’d find me. It’s too late to back out, even if I wanted to. And Mum and Father are ecstatic, I don’t see why you aren’t --”

Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You obviously don’t know anything about me, Reg. Not ecstatic? He’s killing my friends, my real family, and you are so fucking proud because our dear mother is waving her wand in the air in celebration that one of her sons turned out like she wanted!” Sirius bit back a sob before looking at the disgust on his brother's face. “I'm sorry, should I be jumping with joy?”

Regulus blinked a few times before answering in his most dignified manner. “You should be happy that I didn’t send you to the Dark Lord. He is looking for all people who are against him, and giving your location would most definitely --”

“Kissing You-Know-Who's ass by bringing me to him? You honestly think that bringing your own brother into the hole from which your lord crawled is going to get you some respect?”

The silence between them increased seven-fold and Sirius’ mouth twitched ever so slightly before opening his mouth again.

“You’re a damn fool, Reg.”


In the midst of falling raindrops, Regulus Black did many foolish things: he began to serve the Dark Lord, betrayed him, and hid from him in the first place he'd look. And it would be in between falling raindrops where Regulus Black would hide for good.