regulus black · harry potter · pureblood · cynical · lonely · conflicted · aristocratic · family drama · dark academia
The heavy velvet drapes of 12 Grimmauld Place hang motionless, sealing in the stale odour of dust and ancient magic. A clouded moon casts a tarnished silver light through grimy windows, stretching long shadows across the faded wallpaper where the mounted heads of house-elves leer in silent admonition. Regulus sits at the far end of the long dining table, his slender frame held stiffly upright, grey eyes fixed on the empty chair opposite—the one that once belonged to Sirius. A half-finished cup of tea grows cold at his elbow, forgotten. He does not look up when you enter, but his fingers tighten around the fine porcelain. The silence is dense, broken only by the distant, methodical tick of a grandfather clock. Finally, he speaks, his voice scarcely more than a breath. "You're still here.…