Afraid of the Dark

He sat with his feet crossed under him, idly watching his older brother pack for school. He was jealous--very jealous--but knew that in a few years he would be able to join Sirius at Hogwarts. That he would be able to sit among his peers from the Slytherin table and watch the other students get sorted. He could hardly wait!

Regulus moved across the room to sit on Sirius's bed...who would take care of him when he woke from a frightening dream? Or wipe away the tears when he skinned his knee or a doxy bit him? He was a Black, and Blacks don't cry--or show pain--or admit to anything to anyone. Sirius was his brother, though; Sirius took care of him when their mum and dad were off partying with the Malfoys, Lestranges, and those other, powerful pure-blooded families. Sirius was his hero. Sirius was brave and courageous, valiant, determined, and proud! Not all those qualities, Regulus knew, were valued by the Black family; being courageous and brave were not normal traits for a boy raised by pure-blood ethics. Determination, cunning, ambition, and pride were drilled into their heads from the moment they could understand what the words meant.

"Sirius?" Regulus questioned, looking up at the dark haired boy.

"What is it, Regulus?" Sirius asked in reply, looking up from the trunk he was packing to his younger brother.

"Do you have enough room in there to stow me away?"

Sirius laughed and had made a comment that if he could, he would. "I'm not sure. Get in and we'll find out."

Regulus hopped off the bed and dashed over to Sirius's trunk. He scowled down at the trunk, which had very little room; he wasn't going to fit in there. Placing a foot in, he stumbled, but Sirius steadied his balance, helping him to stand on the books and robes. He was careful not to break careful not to step on anything; Sirius would get angry about him accidentally ruining something. Laying down, he looked up at Sirius.

"You won't squish me?"

"Would I do something like that?" Sirius asked mischievously, closing the lid slowly. "Fingers out of the way." He ordered, not wanting to break a finger or two and having to explain it to their mum.

The lid snapped shut and darkness covered Regulus. Regulus had always had a fear of the dark; he was petrified of being alone in the dark. Petrified of someone sneaking up on him, of someone getting the better of him because the dark gave him a weakness. It made him tremble, made him sob, made him everything he hated about himself. That was always why he snuck through the house--down the hall and into Sirius's room--and crawled into the big bed with his older brother. Sirius protected him from those scary thoughts of shame and weakness.

He panicked and pounded his fists on the lid, wailing as he did so. Regulus was breathing heavily; terrified that Sirius would leave him in there. That Sirius would be called away and forget that he was in there.

When the lid opened, Regulus jumped out. Still shaking, still scared, and worst of all: crying.

"I'm sorry, Regulus," Sirius admitted, walking over to his scared brother and wrapping his arms affectionately around his shoulders. "I should have remembered you're afraid of the dark."

"What am I going to do when you're not here tomorrow night?" Regulus questioned, his small hands clutching at his brother's robes. "I can't go to Mum or Dad."

"I have an idea. Wait here," Sirius ordered and left Regulus standing alone.

He took a seat on the closed trunk, his feet just barely touching the floor. He was short and lanky. He was nothing like his brother in the aspect of body proportion. Sirius was perfect, not to mention handsome, and Regulus had no problem admitting it. He envied his brother's looks, hoping that he, one day, grew up to look like him. He had lighter hair, though, a darker shade of grey for his eyes, and a lighter complexion; not at all like Sirius's dark, brown hair, bluish grey eyes, and perfectly bronzed skin.

Waiting was never something Regulus was good at. He was impatient and wanted everything the very second someone made mention of it. Hopping off the trunk, he trotted over to the door and swung it open, looking up and down the hallway for Sirius.

A soft smile formed on his face as he watched Sirius round the corner from the playroom. Something was in his hands, but Regulus couldn't make out what. Quickly closing the bedroom door, Regulus went to sit back on the trunk and wait for Sirius, knowing he wouldn't be very long now. He had to make it look like he was doing what he was told.

The door opened again and Sirius entered. Whatever was in his hands was now sheltered behind his back so that Regulus couldn't see. Squirming didn't help; he couldn't see around the older boy's body! He watched a lopsided grin appear on Sirius's face as he stood at the door. Oh, how Regulus was annoyed by the grin. He wanted whatever Sirius had, and didn't want to play any more games to get it!

"What do you have there?" Regulus asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Maybe something, maybe nothing," Sirius replied. "Depends."

"Sirius! Tell me!" Regulus scowled.

Laughing, Sirius moved across the room. "Why should I?"

"Because..." Regulus paused. "Because you said you had an idea about what I'm going to do tomorrow night when you're gone."

"Did I?" Sirius teased.

"I hate you!" Regulus yelled coldly.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do!"

"Then I'm not going to tell you at all."

"Just tell me and maybe I won't hate you, anymore!"

"That's some incentive, seeing as I'm not going to be here for ten months for the next seven years."

"Sirius, do you always have to be a jerk?"

"Yes."

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because."

"Because isn't an answer."

"It is now."

"I really am beginning to hate you," Regulus said sourly, moving towards the door to leave. "I'm going to bed before Mum gets angry."

"You could just stay here... you know you'll end up here later."

"Will I?" Regulus asked, looking over his shoulder. "When'd you become a Seer?"

"I don't have to be a Seer to know you're still afraid of the dark."

Regulus scowled. "Maybe I was wrong about you."

"Wrong about what?" Sirius asked, confused by the comment.

"Doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, or you wouldn't have said it."

"Good night, Sirius."

"Regulus," Sirius said, grabbing his brother's arm. "Here. I used to sleep with it when I was younger. You aren't the only one afraid of the dark."

Regulus looked down at the stuffed Salazar Slytherin doll. He remembered seeing the thing in the playroom among a number of other toys. He had never imagined it got much use, but if Sirius had used it when he was afraid of the dark, then maybe he could, too; because if Sirius could get away with it, then why couldn't he?

"Sirius! Regulus! Bed. Now!" they both heard their mother yell from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming to bed?" Sirius said moving across the room, pulling back the bed sheets as he did so.

Regulus nodded, and set the toy down on the trunk before crawling into bed beside Sirius.

"Sirius?" Regulus asked, staring up at the ceiling.

"Yes?"

"You'll protect me forever, right?"

"Forever's a long time, Regulus. But as long as I'm alive, I will."

A small smile crept across Regulus's face. "Promise?"

"Promise," Sirius repeated. "Good night, Regulus."

"'Night Sirius."