Quidditch League

Falmouth Falcons, Captain

Prompt: Uzumaki — Junji Ito

Word Count: 1561

Note: This fic was inspired by the manga's theme of accepting the inevitability of the curse, as well as the use of the spiral

i.

Regulus has just blown out the ten candles on his birthday cake when he feels a sudden searing pain burn his palm. Biting back the tears, he holds up his hand, confused by the black spiral that marks his skin. "Mother?" His grey eyes flicker to his mother as he displays his palm for her to see. "What's that?"

For several moments, his mother looks like she doesn't know whether she wants to hold Regulus or push him away. In the end, she rounds on Sirius instead. "It should have been you!" she snaps, sounding dangerously close to tears despite her anger.

Sirius doesn't even flinch when she screams at him. Somehow, he remains completely stoic—posture painfully rigid, expression unreadable. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mother," he says quietly.

And just like that, the birthday celebration is over. His parents leave the room, talking in voices too low and rushed for Regulus to hear. He stares at the chairs his mother and father had occupied only moments before.

"Did I…" He blinks rapidly, refusing to let himself cry. "Did I do something wrong?"

When he turns his attention to his brother, Sirius is at the table, carefully cutting a piece of cake. "Come on, Reg," he says with a grin. "It's your birthday."

Regulus doesn't feel like celebrating, but he still accepts the cake. He offers his brother a gap-toothed grin. Their parents may not think today is special anymore, but at least he has Sirius.

…

Regulus climbs into bed with his brother. Sirius groans, squirming but holding his arms out to the younger boy. "You know Mother hates it when you don't sleep in your own bed," Sirius says, voice sleep-heavy.

Regulus shrugs, curling up beside Sirius. This has always been his safe place. Even when the world is falling apart, he knows Sirius will be there for him.

"Why did Mother get upset about the mark?" Regulus asks.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Sirius groans, shoving him gently.

Lips curling into a scowl, he glares at his brother through the darkness. "You know, don't you?"

Sirius sighs, rolling onto his back and covering his face with his pillow. For several moments, he doesn't speak. Finally, he removes the pillow again. "I've heard Mother and Uncle Cygnus talk," he says. "It's…"

Regulus waits impatiently. He hates it when Sirius does this. Just once, he would like his brother to tell a story without his dramatic pauses.

"Merlin, Reg… I don't know how else to say this." He reaches out blindly in the darkness, feeling around until his hand rests on the younger boy's shoulder. "It's a curse. Uncle Alphard had it too."

Regulus rolls his eyes. He sits up and folds his arms over his chest, looking down at his brother. There has to be a punchline. Sirius doesn't just say stupid things like that without a reason. "Who's Uncle Alphard?" he asks, confused. "We just have Uncle Cygnus…"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sirius answers. "I overheard them talking about him once. Mother caught me listening, so I didn't get to hear very much."

"What does the curse do?"

Silence. Regulus waits, but Sirius doesn't provide an answer. He doesn't know if it's because Sirius doesn't know, or because he doesn't want to talk about it, but he doesn't press the subject any further. With a heavy sigh, he lays down again, snuggling against his brother and allowing sleep to overtake him.

ii.

"It isn't fair!" Regulus insists. "I've got my letter! Why can't I go to Hogwarts?"

One of the perks of being the favored child is that his mother doesn't get angry. She stands in silence, letting him rage. When Regulus finally finishes, his mother just smiles at him. "You know why." She takes his hand and traces a finger over the spiral that marks his palm.

"Isn't there a way to break the curse?" Regulus asks, tears stinging his eyes. He wipes them away quickly, fully aware that Blacks are supposed to be in control of their emotions. "What does the stupid curse even do?"

His mother's face pales slightly. A flicker of emotion flashes over her features, but she turns away before Regulus can try to decipher it. "It makes you sleep," she answers, her voice barely above a whisper.

Regulus blinks rapidly, trying to process this. Sleeping doesn't sound so bad, and he wonders if he's misheard her. "I like sleeping," he says with a grin.

His grin fades when his mother's dark eyes rest upon him. Regulus takes a step back, raking his fingers nervously through his hair. In the back of his mind, he suspects he's said the wrong thing. He opens his mouth, ready to apologize, but his mother speaks before he has the chance.

"You won't wake up." She wipes her eyes, but fresh tears fall, streaking her cheeks. "My brother didn't wake up. Eventually, my mother couldn't take looking at him anymore. It broke her heart so much."

Regulus swallows dryly, the gravity of the situation finally hitting him. "What happened to him?" he asks quietly.

"My father wanted to take my mother's pain away," his mother answers. "He poisoned Alphard, hoping my brother's death would ease the family's suffering."

It's all too much; Regulus drops to his knees. No longer caring that he's a Black, that he's meant to be strong, he gives in to the tears.

…

"I'm scared, Sirius," he admits, sitting on his brother's bed and watching Sirius pack his trunk. "What if I go to sleep while you're gone."

"Well, I hope you sleep. If you stayed awake until I came back, you'd be extremely tired." Though Sirius smiles, it's clear his heart isn't in the joke. He's just as worried as Regulus is.

"I want to go with you."

Sirius pauses and sets his half-folded Gryffindor scarf aside. He climbs to his feet and makes his way closer, sitting next to Regulus and pulling him into a hug. For several moments, they just sit there in silence. Regulus can't help but smile. The world is a scary place, and he feels like he's falling apart, but he knows he's safe with Sirius.

"Everything will be okay," Sirius says at last, ruffling Regulus' hair affectionately. "I'll be back before you know it."

Regulus isn't convinced. He's well aware that the curse can take him without warning, and that terrifies him more than he can say. Still, he knows Sirius is putting on a brave face for him, and Regulus wants to do the same. He manages a smile—it feels stiff and forced, and he wonders if Sirius can see through it—and climbs to his feet, busying himself by gathering his brother's textbooks.

His days are numbered, but he can at least spend them being helpful.

iii.

Shortly after his fourteenth birthday, Regulus can feel the world change. He's tired all the time and spends most of his days in bed.

The worst part is the screaming. When Sirius comes home from school, their mother begins the endless torrent of abuse. Regulus covers his ears, but he still hears the shrieking downstairs.

"It should have been you! I've never been so ashamed of anyone in my life!"

He hears glass breaking and can clearly imagine his mother—face red and eyes wild—slinging plates and glasses against the wall. The rampage is only met with silence. Regulus doesn't know why Sirius remains so stoic, why he doesn't lash out or defend himself. He's seen the fire in his brother's eyes before.

Pushing it out of his mind, Regulus rolls onto his side, covering his ears with his pillow. It doesn't drown out the shouting beyond his door, but it brings him some semblance of peace. He closes his eyes with a yawn, wondering if it will be peaceful whenever the curse finally takes hold.

…

"It won't be long," Regulus groans. He tries to sit up, but his body is too weak; he collapses in a pitiful heap.

"There has to be a way to fight it," Sirius says.

Regulus laughs, the sound dry and humorless. He's spent years trying to find a way to escape the curse. By now, he's perused every book on curses in their father's library. Even though Regulus would love to find a way to break the curse, he's had enough to time to come to terms with the fact that it's eternal, that all he can do is embrace it.

"There's nothing I can do," Regulus tells him with a shrug. "I'm at peace."

Sirius sighs and slumps forward, resting his face in his hands. "I'm scared for you," he admits, pushing his fingers through his shaggy black hair as he sits up straight again. "I don't want to lose you, Reg. Hell, you're the only reason I haven't left."

It all makes sense. Sirius has remained so calm under pressure so that could stay by Regulus' side. The realization stings. How much abuse has he endured for Regulus' sake?

Regulus leans back, his head sinking into the plush pillow. As his eyes begin to close, his lips quirk into a hint of a smile. "I guess we'll both be free from our burdens."

"I didn't mean it like—"

But Regulus doesn't hear his brother. His eyes close for the last time, and there is only darkness and peace.