Afraid of the Dark

"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...

It was hard to forget that night. It was hard to forget the night after, too. Somehow, though, Regulus had managed to sleep soundly through the night with his brother's toy tucked under his arms. Before long, the toy was no longer needed and the fear faded.

Sitting in the dark, dank, decrepit building brought back all the fears and worries he had when he was a small child. When had Sirius to give him comfort. When Sirius had no problem with helping out his younger brother; before Sirius left him to live with the Potters. He never did fully understand why his brother had left. All he knew was that Sirius had to, and that it had something to do with the whole family.

He'd written Sirius last night, reminding him of his promise, reminding him of that night. He needed help, needed some one that he could trust. Sirius had always been there to help him, had even begged him to reconsider joining the Dark Lord. Had he reconsidered, had he not joined the Dark Lord, he would never have met Theresa. He would never be expecting a baby, nor hold in his possession and item worthy of Voldemort's scorn. Now, he had to hide or be killed.

Regulus turned his attention from the harsh, cold night, and looked down at the sleeping woman on the make-shift bed, her hands curled under her. She looked so pristine, like a girl he'd bring home to his mother, but wouldn't because she was foul. She wasn't worth his mother's time, and should never have been worth his, but she was. Theresa was something special, someone worth taking the time to get to know, to understand, to whom he could hand his life over. She was the reason he had done what he had done. She was the reason they were hiding out in an abandoned Muggle warehouse, shivering in the cold, winter night, and waiting for their only hope to arrive. She and the unborn child she carried were the reason they hid... well, that's what he kept telling himself. He knew better. It wasn't just her. It was what he had taken with him when he had left the Wizarding world.

The door opened, pulling Regulus from his thoughts on the woman he sacrificed all to be with. He drew his wand quickly to point it at the shadowy figure in the doorway. Cursing the dark, Regulus shivered as that familiar uncertainty returned. The weakness that left him cold and terrified, the one he never really grew out of: his fear of the dark.

"Who goes there?" he shouted, masking his voice so that anyone who knew it wouldn't recognize who had spoken.

"It's Sirius Black," answered the familiar voice of his brother.

"God, Sirius, couldn't you have knocked or something?"

"You wouldn't have answered if I had."

"Yes, I would have. The Dark Lord doesn't knock, you should I could have killed you "

"But you didn't."

"God damn it, Sirius Here I am, trusting you with something important, but fuck, you just waltz in here like I should assume you'd be the only person to know where to find me. Do you ever use your head?"

"Would you relax? No one knows you're here but me," Sirius said, walking towards his brother. "Would you put that damn thing away, before you poke someone's eye out?"

"Sorry," Regulus said sheepishly. He put his wand away. "You've changed."

"I see you haven't."

"Fuck off."

"Language, Regulus. Who's the woman?" Sirius questioned with a nod towards Theresa.

"The reason you're here."

"And here I was, thinking you were in trouble," Sirius said with that lopsided grin that still irritated Regulus.

Scowling, Regulus picked up the blanket around Theresa, exposing her six-months-pregnant belly. He looked up at Sirius.

"Couldn't you have taken the subtle approach?"

"We don't have time for subtle. Nor do I think you'd have grasped it either," Regulus replied, caressing Theresa's cheek.

"You love her?"

"Enough to risk the Dark Lord's wrath." Regulus stood up and looked over at Sirius. "She's sick, though. I won't let her lose my child because she's bloody well sick. She won't return home and I won't let her stay here. Did you bring what I asked?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes. I changed enough galleons into Muggle money for you to buy a house and live for plenty of time. You might have to get a Muggle job, though. Charmed you some fake I.Ds and a diploma from one of the Universities. Lily picked it out."

"Thanks. You'll take Theresa with you?"

"I'll keep her safe, Regulus," Sirius said, looking down at the sleeping woman. "What did you do that pissed Voldemort off so much?"

"Stole something important to him," was the only answer Regulus was willing to give. "Just keep Theresa and the baby out of any possible harm. I'll come back for them when it's safe."

Sirius nodded as Regulus woke the woman. She looked startled and then frightened until Regulus explained who was there, and why.

"I'm not leaving you " she protested.

"Theresa, please. For the baby's sake, go with Sirius. He'll keep you both safe until I can get a home for us."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but if we're going, we should go now," Sirius said.

"Sirius is right," Regulus said, kissing Theresa. "I'll see you soon."

"I don't want--"

"Don't argue with me, Theresa," he said harshly, making her wince.

"All right," she said, looking at Sirius and then to Regulus. "I love you," she whispered before she and Sirius left the building, leaving Regulus alone.

He watched them walk down the abandoned road. Theresa looked back no less than five times before they Disapparated. At least she will be safe, he thought, and turned away from the window to look down at the items Sirius had brought for him. Now, he just had to find somewhere safe to live and a job before contacting Sirius about bringing Theresa to him.