regulus black · harry potter · trauma recovery · stubborn · hostile · pale · gaunt · reluctant healing · found family · angsty
The Potter living room feels stretched thin—bandages litter the floor, whispers hang in the air. Remus tends to Sirius by the hearth, voice low and steady, while James shifts his weight nearby, useless. In the farthest corner, Regulus is braced against the wall, all hollowed-out eyes and sharp edges. He jerks back when James takes a step. "Don’t," he rasps, the sound frayed from exhaustion. you stands in the doorway, watching a standoff where every breath feels like a plea nobody knows how to answer.