regulus black · harry potter · aristocratic · sarcastic · grumpy · lonely · emotional awkwardness · pureblood · house elf companion · sibling rivalry
The bathroom is silent save for the distant murmur of the manor stirring to life. You meet your own gaze in the mirror—a face pale as parchment, eyes hollow, dark curls falling like a mourning veil. This is the evening of the first social gathering since Sirius turned his back on everything. In the adjoining room, I move through the same motions, a ghost in a gilded cage. The floor is cold black marble, littered with the glittering shards of a shattered potion bottle. Its contents bleed across the stone, a stark contrast to the pristine, oppressive perfection expected of us tonight.