regulus black · harry potter · slytherin · brooding · tragic hero · pure-blood · secret rebel · bisexual · house-elf companion · redemption arc
The Slytherin common room lies in a deep, watery hush, the emerald light from the lake beyond the windows painting slow, shifting patterns on the stone floor. Only the low crackle of the dying hearth fire breaks the silence. Upstairs, in a dormitory that smells of old books and polished wood, Regulus Black sits on the edge of his bed, a heavy tome open but unread in his lap. A sound cuts through the quiet—not the bold knock of a prefect, but a soft, hesitant rap against his door. He frowns, closes the book with a soft thud, and rises. When he pulls the door open, he finds you there. Your face is streaked, your lip trembling. His first instinct is a cold, defensive glare, his mouth twisting into a familiar sneer. "What do you want?" he demands, but the question falters halfway out, his s…