Originally posted at LJ on April 28, 2007

Title: The Dying of the Light
Characters: Severus/Regulus
Rating: NC17
Warnings: (canonical) character death
Word Count: ~1100
Summary: Regulus has always been afraid of the dark.


I'm afraid of the dark, Regulus thinks, pulling the covers over his head. The nursery is a big and empty place without Sirius in it, but Sirius is a big boy now. Too big to share the nursery with his baby brother anymore. Sirius swaggered as he left to unpack his belongings in his own room, and Regulus imagines he is sleeping peacefully in his new bigger bed without any worries about what might be lurking under it.

Regulus wants to call for Nanny, but if he does, Sirius will laugh at him in the morning when it's light and all the monsters are gone, and Regulus will feel foolish and small. He wants to be a big boy too, and big boys don't cry for their nanny in the night. Instead, he curls up in a tight little ball under the covers and squeezes his eyes shut, his pillow over his head to muffle the creak of settling floorboards that sounds like approaching footsteps. If he is to be eaten by a troll, he doesn't want to hear it coming.

*~*~*

I'm afraid of the dark, Regulus thinks, lying flat on his back in the middle of the bed. He stares up at the unfamiliar ceiling, unable to see the pictures he'd picked out in the ceiling of the nursery over the years. He isn't certain he likes these strange, new surroundings. Everything here is bigger and louder, and people seem to like him because of his name or hate him because of Sirius. He would rather have indifference.

He can hear the rustle of sheets and the snores emanating from his dorm-mates' beds even though his own bed curtains are closed tight. He no longer believes there are monsters under the bed or in the wardrobe, but it is comforting to hear sounds of life in the night again. Regulus pulls Mr. Bun from where he is secreted beneath Regulus' pillow and clutches him, breathing in the scent of home in his velveteen ears.

Eventually, Regulus falls asleep.

*~*~*

I'm afraid of the dark, Regulus thinks as he clusters with the other new initiates, drawing his hood further over his face in case his thoughts show in his eyes.

The Dark Lord is beautiful and terrible, and Regulus is filled with the overwhelming urge to turn and flee. Panic rises, stifling his breath and making his heart pound. He can't hear over the roar of blood in his ears, but he shuffles forward with the others. He wants to think it isn't too late. He wants to think he could still say no, but he knows he won't. He doesn't want to be the disappointment that Sirius is.

He lets his hand brush against Severus' and finds it as ice-cold and clammy as his own, and he knows he is not alone in the dark.

*~*~*

"I'm afraid of the dark," Regulus murmurs, groping blindly for Severus, and Severus captures his wandering hand.

"I'm here." Severus squeezes his fingers tightly, almost painfully. "I won't leave you."

Severus' hand is warm, and Regulus reaches to stroke the back of it with his other hand, caressing Severus' long fingers. There is no point in hiding what he wants anymore, and when Severus doesn't yank his hand free, Regulus brings it to his lips. The soft hitch of Severus' breath tells him everything he needs to know, and he struggles to sit up, snaking his free hand out and clamping it on the back of Severus' neck to draw him closer.

"Please," he murmurs when he feels their breath mingling. "Please."

The first kiss is a fumbling one, and Severus' nose gets in the way, but Regulus doesn't care. Severus' mouth is hot and welcoming, and Severus makes such arousing noises. The second kiss, which seems to bleed in from the first, is better. Bloody brilliant, even, and Regulus can feel his sluggish body responding in spite of the chill overtaking him, especially when Severus uses his tongue.

He wants this. He will have it at last, but his fingers are clumsy as he struggles with the fastening of Severus' trousers. It would be easy with robes, but Severus doesn't wear those anymore, only trousers and a long frock coat. Severus bats Regulus' hand away and frees his own cock from the confines of his trousers and underpants. Regulus is hungry for him, wasting no time in bending over and taking Severus' cock in his mouth.

He's done this before, not often, but enough to know not to use his teeth. He wraps his fingers around the base of Severus' cock, stroking while he mouths the head, and he sucks, greedy for more of Severus' moans. He feels Severus' fingers fisting in his hair, making his scalp tingle, and he loves it. He wishes they had done this sooner so they could have done it more often, and he wishes it wasn't over so soon even as he laps and swallows and sits up at last.

He sags against the cold stone wall and wipes his mouth. He's tired now, but Severus is yanking up the hem of his robes, and Regulus lets him. His cock is hard and leaking when Severus eases down his drawstring drawers, and he cries out when he is engulfed in the wet heat of Severus' mouth. He leans his head back and closes his eyes, panting, and he threads his fingers through Severus' hair, keening softly because he knows he won't last much longer.

His orgasm, when it hits, is sharp and bright, a desperate explosion that wrenches a howl from his throat as his seed spills in Severus' mouth. On barren ground.

Severus shifts to sit beside him and kisses him, and this is the best kiss of all because he can taste himself on Severus' tongue. He slumps against Severus, too exhausted to sit upright any longer, and Severus slides one arm around him. He doesn't know how long they sit there in silence; time means nothing to him now. He's just grateful he isn't alone.

"It'll be in a safe place?" Severus speaks at long last, his voice seeming to come from far away, and Regulus nods.

"Kreacher is loyal to me," he says. He sounds weak even to his own ears. "He'll hide it. No one will ever know where to find it. It's safe from everyone, including Him."

"I'll find an answer," Severus says fiercely. "Just because the bezoar didn't work doesn't mean nothing will. But we need to get out of here."

"No, it's all right." Regulus smiles and stretches out his hand, although not to Severus this time. "It isn't so dark anymore. I can see the light."