FicWad

The next day, Regulus made his way downstairs to the entrance hall. It was neatly decorated, and Kreacher hadn't missed a single spot—the house was spotless.

Wearing his best formal robes—Black, obviously—he approached his parents and brother. Both his parents looked as they always did, stern looks on their faces and clad in elegant robes. His brother, however, was wearing bright blue robes and a had stupid smirk on his face.

"Good evening," Regulus greeted them.

"Good evening, Regulus," his father said, smiling briefly.

"It's good to see one of you has a good sense of dress," his mother sneered, looking between Regulus and his brother, who was still smirking like an idiot.

As silence settled in, and Regulus stood at the door with his parents and brother to welcome the guests, he couldn't help but grow nervous. He hated being the centre of attention and at his birthday party people were guaranteed to talk to, and about him the entire time.

After what felt like an eternity, there was a knock on the door and Regulus opened it, to be greeted by his grandparents Arcturus and Melania, who smiled brightly at him.

"There's the birthday boy!" Grandfather Arcturus ruffled his hair and stepped inside past him, towards his brother, patting him on the shoulder.  "Sirius, Sirius. You always manage to stand out, don't you?"

"Regulus here, on the other hand, seems to possess the subtlety that befits a Black. A promising lad, no doubt," his grandmother chimed in as she, too, entered the house, smiling warmly at Regulus.

"Thank you Grandmother Melania," he beamed.

"Happy birthday, dear. You've grown quite a bit, haven't you? You both have," his grandmother commented as she looked between the brothers.

Sirius was instructed to take them to the dining room, leaving Regulus alone with his parents. Before long, there was another knock on the door, and Regulus opened, to be greeted by his Uncle Cygnus, Aunt Druella, and his three cousins Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa.

"Regulus, my boy!" His uncle greeted him as they stepped inside. "Look at you, your parents must bad immensely proud—you have the grace and charm befitting a member of the Black family. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll go places," his uncle patted him on his head and turned to talk to Regulus' mother, who lead them all to the dining room.

The guests filled in and before long, the whole family was packed together in the dining room, with dinner ready to be served.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his mother started a speech, standing up next to his father. "We gather here today to celebrate the seventh birthday of our beloved son, Regulus Arcturus Black."

The dining room erupted in applause as Regulus stood up from his seat, face red. He cleared his throat and straightened his back. "Let the feast begin!"

The table was filled with the most delicious food and Regulus and his parents sat back down and started to eat. Regulus sat at the head of the table, his parents to the left, his brother to the right.

The entire table was engrossed in conversation and he heard his name more often than he could count, though he could only really pick up the conversations that happened on his side of the table, like his mother and Aunt Lucretia. His aunt was talking about him. "The Black blood runs strong in him," his aunt said proudly. "I must say I was afraid this family was lost with your eldest..."

Regulus turned to his brother, knowing he likely heard the same things he did. Sirius was playing with his food, looking straight ahead, his face unreadable. Regulus sighed.

When dinner finally came to an end, Sirius nearly ran out of the dining room. Regulus quickly excused himself and went looking for him, finding him in the kitchen with his uncle Alphard, chatting away.

As Regulus approached them, however, they quickly stopped talking, as if hiding something.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Regulus said. "I didn't—"

"No, come, join us, we weren't talking about anything in particular," Uncle Alphard said, smiling brightly at Regulus.

Regulus nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, sitting next to Sirius, happy to be in the company of people who were less serious... Hopefully.

"So, dear boy, how do you feel on this special day?" Uncle Alphard asked him, and his heart sank. "It's a bit much, isn't it?" His uncle added quickly.

Regulus nodded, relieved. "I don't like to have this many people talking about me all the time."

"Here you are!"

Regulus turned around to see who had interrupted the conversation, eternally grateful that he was no longer the centre of attention. It was his cousin Andromeda, who was walking towards them as she said: "Hiding away in the basement, I see?"

"We had to get away to somewhere, not a lot of people would come here, you know that," Sirius shrugged.

"And you don't think to include me? I have lots to say, you know."

"Later, Andromeda. We have company," Uncle Alphard interrupted, gesturing to Regulus, whose face reddened once more. Andromeda looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"What, me?" Regulus asked, confused. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, little cousin. Absolutely nothing," Andromeda sat down next to Regulus at the kitchen table, but didn't continue with what she had wanted to say, indicating that there most certainly was something wrong with him... but what?

Regulus quickly felt very unwanted in the uncomfortable silence that followed and stood up. "I should get back to the festivities."

As the kitchen door closed behind him, he heard his Uncle Alphard speak. "Sirius, Andromeda, remember that true greatness is not merely defined by lineage but mostly by the choices one makes in life. You must nurture all your virtues and most importantly: guide him wisely."

Him? Who was him? Was he him? It gnawed on him as he slowly went back upstairs. Why would they have to guide him, and more importantly, guide him in what? And why was Uncle Alphard telling them all that, about lineage and choices?

His train of thought was interrupted by his cousin Bellatrix, who he nearly bumped into in the hallway. "Ach, Regulus, darling, do enjoy your little party while you still can. Soon, you, too, will have responsibilities and obligations that will get in the way," she flashed a grin. "It's been so long since I had a party like this one."

Regulus looked up at her. "But Bella, don't those responsibilities make our family proud? So aren't they just as good as a party?"

Bellatrix chuckled softly. "Indeed they do, little Regulus. We must uphold our traditions and protect our legacy and it is through these most important duties that we secure our place in the wizarding world. These, and many others..."

Bellatrix turned her head and Regulus looked behind her to see what she was looking at, and saw Narcissa coming from the dining room, approaching them. "Ah, Regulus, Bellatrix!"

"We were just talking," Bellatrix said.

"Oh, I know," she answered. "That's why I came here, to have a word with our Reggie." She smiled and turned to face him. "Reg, just embrace what they tell you. It's easiest. Our family provides us with great opportunities in the wizarding world. A way to have a luxury life. It's very important."

"I know that!" Regulus protested.

"Well," Narcissa sighed. "Bella here says she overheard Andromeda and Sirius say you have doubts sometimes..."

"Me? Doubts? He's the one questioning everything! I don't have doubts!"

"You mean Sirius?"

Regulus nodded. "Yesterday, too, talk about... about..." he stopped mid-sentence.

"About what, Regulus? Tell me." Bellatrix grabbed both his shoulders, looking at him with such an intense look he thought she would read his mind.

"He talked about us going our own way... Together..."

It always scared him to see Bellatrix angry. She was easy to wind up, and took forever to calm down. She went from zero to a hundred in seconds and if you were the one she was mad at... you better run. She was one to be quietly furious, unlike his mother who started screaming at the littlest things, but was really harmless other than that. No, Bellatrix's fury could kill, and Regulus was well aware of that. So when he saw the anger building behind her eyes, he quickly excused himself. Narcissa went with him, as she must've sensed the same thing was about to happen. It was best to not be anywhere near Bellatrix in moments like these.

Regulus and Narcissa fled to the first floor, and entered the playroom, only to find it was no longer a playroom at all. All of Regulus' once cherished toys were gone, and instead, they were replaced by a desk, some bookcases, drawers and a bed. They had turned his favourite room into a guestroom overnight.

Regulus bit back tears, not wanting to seem vulnerable in front of his older cousin Narcissa, but Narcissa took his hand. "Are you alright?"

Regulus pulled back his arm and nodded. "I'm fine."

Narcissa sat on the bed. "So what was this room before?"

"Nothing."

"If you say so."

It was silent for a bit, then: "You should come visit us sometime soon. Before I go back to Hogwarts, I mean. I want to show you something, back at home. Something I think you'll like. Okay?"

Regulus nodded. "I'll ask my parents if I can later this week."

—————

"Narcissa?" Regulus asked, finishing his sandwich. He had gotten permission to spend the afternoon at his cousins' place a few days after his birthday, and his father had dropped him off just before lunch. "What did you want to show me?"

"It's a surprise," she said as she swallowed the last bite of her own sandwich.

"What is it? Tell me!"

"You'll see."

Narcissa got up from the table and Regulus jumped up as well, eager to find out what his cousin had planned for today, what she wanted to show him so badly.

"Where are we going?" Regulus asked again as they left the dining room. "Tell me, please? Pretty please?"

His cousin laughed. "It's a secret, Reg!"

"But I've been waiting for ages!"

"Fine. We're going to go to... a hidden part of this house. That's all I'll say."

Regulus' eyes widened. A hidden part of the house? Was there truly? She had often told him stories about secret passages at Hogwarts before, and he couldn't wait to see them for himself. And now he might get the chance to before he even set foot in Hogwarts! Oh how jealous Sirius would be when he found out.

"Hidden parts? Are they like the ones at Hogwarts?" He was already looking around the room for anything that looked like a trap door.

"You'll see," Narcissa said again as she pulled him further along the corridors.

"Tease!"

"Are you impatient, Regulus Black," she chuckled, emphasising his name.

"I have all the patience in the world."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

She guided him down some stairs and into the family library, which was at least twice the size oc the dining room and filled with beautiful wooden bookcases with old, leather-bound books.

"Now, only those with true Black blood can enter this secret passage," Narcissa said solemnly as she guided him through the library, towards the end of the room.

"We're Blacks!"

Narcissa laughed. "Yes, Reg, we're Blacks."

They stood in front of a seemingly normal bookcase, adrenaline pumping through Regulus' veins as he watched his cousin got her wand out, tapping one of the books on the shelf a few times with it. The book fell back, and the bookshelf rumbled. The ground seemed to shake but Regulus was able to easily keep his balance, while the rest of the room seemed to vibrate around him. The bookcase sank into the ground, revealing an open doorway.

He looked at his cousin, unsure what to do or how to go about this, and still a little bit shaken by the whole experience so far. Narcissa put her wand away and stepped into the passage, looking back over her shoulder to Regulus. "Oh, come on then!"

Regulus took a step, and another. Nothing happened and he relaxed a little as he followed her in. But after a few more steps, there was a loud thud and the corridor got pitch black. His mind was racing, his heart beating even faster, as he turned around and saw there was no way back anymore—the entrance had been sealed off. "Cissy," he managed. "What... What..."

"Don't worry," she said cheerfully. "It'll open for us."

Regulus swallowed hard. "Okay..."

He followed his cousin along the corridor, chills running down his spine and with every step his knees grew weaker. The anxiety in him grew more and more pronounced and although he would never show it, Regulus was a little scared. He followed her until they ended up in front of a dark wooden door. His cousin didn't say anything about it, but put her hand on the door and it swung open. She walked into the room beyond the door but before Regulus could follow her, the door closed again, leaving Regulus outside.

"Cissy!" He called out, properly panicking now. "Narcissa, please!"

But Narcissa didn't answer. Maybe the door kept out the sound through natural or magical means, or maybe she was messing with him, but he was terrified that the reason she didn't respond would be because she was gone and there was no way back.

Defeated, he sank to the floor, sitting against the stone wall, looking at the door, trying to figure out what was going on. He was too afraid to touch the door, thinking he would be dragged away as well.

But just as he was about to burst into tears, the door opened again, and his cousin walked out. Regulus jumped up, wiping his eyes. Narcissa wasn't allowed to see he had cried! What would she think of him then? Crying was for babies, for Muggles, not for members of the House of Black.

"Why aren't you coming?"

"C-coming?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Just touch the door and it'll open. Go on, you go first this time."

Regulus stared at her, and then at the door. Was it really that simple? He reached out his arm and touched the door with his fingers, only slightly, but it was enough for the door to swing open. He stared at the passage the open doorway revealed, it was just more of the same. Looking back to his cousin for reassurance, he opened his mouth to say something,to ask what he was supposed to do, but he didn't get the chance.

"Go on, I'll follow. Just go in."

Regulus took a deep breath and stepped inside, and as he passed the threshold, the corridor changed, growing larger, more rectangular, and lit. It wasn't just a passage, it was an entire room! He looked behind him again, just as Narcissa appeared. "What is this place?"

"It's the Black's burial chamber," Narcissa explained. "It's a place for us to remember who we are, to honour our ancestors. Only the best of the best get a spot here."

"It's beautiful," Regulus said, looking around the chamber. It was well-kept and lit with candles that seemed to be floating in the air. The room was huge and there were many side doors with names and dates for whole branches of the family, as well as tombs from centuries ago in the main room.

"Can we come here whenever we want?" He asked, turning to look at her.

Narcissa nodded. "Of course we can! We're Blacks, aren't we? It's ours. I like to come here to remind myself of why we're doing all this, you know?"

Regulus nodded. He understood. Sometimes, being a young Black wasn't easy. Everyone thought they already knew who you were because of your surname, and everyone had these ridiculous expectations of you, no matter where you went. It was nice to have a place to come when it all got too much, a reminder that they don't mean it too harshly, but that there truly is something worth fighting for. These people, who lay here, resting, they were worth it. It was one thing to hear about them, another to see.

"Can I touch it?" Regulus asked, feeling drawn to one of the stone sarcophagi from centuries ago. Narcissa nodded, so he approached it and let his fingertips trace the engravings. The cold touch of the stone sent shivers down his spine, and he was sure he could hear something in the back of his mind. Not quite a voice, but there was still something human about it.

"Cissy," he whispered. "I can feel it. It's like they're speaking to me."

"I feel it too," she confirmed. "The dead never really leave us. They're here. They know we're here, too, and they're proud of us. And they'll be so much prouder when we're old and shrivelled and joining them here after we lived our lives to the fullest, to leave our own mark on the world, to be among the best of the best ourselves. They are here remind us of that purpose, of what we have to do."

Regulus nodded, his gaze drifting across the chamber once more. "I want to be like them," he said. "I want to protect our family and make them proud."

Narcissa smiled at him. "You will. We will."

Regulus smiled back, feeling good for the first time since they went on this little adventure.

They sat there in silence for a while, just looking at their deceased ancestors' resting places and listening to the whispers coming from their graves. But eventually, they had to get up and get back. Regulus was reluctant to do so, but knew he had no choice. There were living people waiting for him, his parents, his brother, his other family members. Even Kreacher the house elf would be waiting for him with a lovely dinner.

They went back through the passage, which wasn't scary anymore, and as they approached the opening into the library, the bookcase indeed disappeared, just like Narcissa had told him.

"Today was great," Regulus said as they left the library and went back upstairs.

"I told you you'd love it!"

"We should do it again sometime."

"We will. When I get home for Christmas, we'll have another look," she said. "Promise."

Regulus beamed. "I can't wait."

It wasn't long before his father came to pick him up and Apparate him back home. He said goodbye to his cousin and left with his father.

That evening, after dinner, he sat with his brother in his bedroom.

"I wish you were with me today," he said.

"To Narcissa's?"

Regulus nodded. "She showed me the burial chamber. Our ancestors were there."

"There's no such thing," his brother argued.

"There is! And everyone was there, Sirius! You had to see it! They were talking to me, our ancestors, they were there!"

"It's just in your head," he told him. "The dead are dead. They are gone."

"That's not true, I could hear them, they're there Sirius, I'm telling you!"

But Sirius walked out on him, and Regulus was all alone again.

"It's your loss!" Regulus called out after him, hoping his brother would turn around and believe him. He wasn't lying, he had heard his ancestors, even if he wasn't sure what they were saying, he was sure that they were there. And someday, he'd show Sirius. Someday, Sirius would know.