Keep Breathing ♢ James Potter

11 | Entry 5 - Please Don't Leave

Later in the week, Harry found himself sneaking off to the Room of Requirement again. All the boys were already asleep, so all Harry had to do was get to the dorm before they woke up to go to Hogsmeade in the morning.

As Harry sat down on the couch, holding the diary, he couldn't stop thinking about the possibility that Astrid may have been killed by death eaters. But there must have been more to her story. Why else would Sirius have left behind her diary? Harry needed to know.

-

June 23rd, 1976

Sirius ran away. There is chaos in the house. Mother and father were furious once they found out he had left. They burned his face off the Family Tree, as Sirius is officially disowned by the Black family.

I can't judge him for running away, but I can't help feeling betrayed and angry. We are family. As much as I understand the trauma our parents gave to him, you aren't supposed to leave your family behind.

I cannot stop thinking about the way Regulus begged, and begged, and begged him to stay. Sirius just looked at him one last time before shaking his head and leaving. My heart aches for a normal life we will never have.

I can't help but wish that Sirius took Regulus with him. That way, Regulus can have a chance to grow up away from the war. As furious as I am with him, all I can do is hope is that Sirius finds himself a new home in the Potter household.

It is all up to me now to protect Regulus.

A.B.

-

Harry followed Astrid as she walked into Sirius's bedroom. Astrid noticed that his clothes packed into a bag and his personal belongings were taken down from the walls. Sirius had packed away his broomstick, some clothes, and pictures of him and his siblings that used to be framed on his wall.

"You're leaving?" Astrid looked at Sirius with disbelief as she processed what he was doing. While she knew life at Grimmauld Place was a horrible place to call home, Astrid didn't expect him to leave so suddenly.

Sirius refused to glance at his twin sister as he finished packing. From his expression, Harry could tell that Sirius did not originally plan on saying goodbye to his siblings. It was probably easier for him to leave quickly rather than have to say goodbye.

"I can't stand to stay here a second longer," admitted Sirius before he turned to her, casting a harsh glare in her direction. "Besides, don't act like you even care. You would probably be ecstatic that your troublemaker brother is leaving for good. Soon, you'll be off to become death eaters just like our cousins."

Tension built in the room as Sirius spoke. Sirius's posture stiffened as he looked at his sister. Deep down, Sirius cared for his sister. But his hatred towards Slytherins and their "morals" overpowered any love he had for her.

Harry could see that after their sorting, the sibling's bond broke. They were no longer the children that promised to always stick together. They were replaced by two teenagers who were getting ready to fight on opposite sides of the war.

Astrid's disbelief was soon replaced by anger as her eyes seemed to ignite in flames. The memory became blurry, and their voices began to muffle as the siblings began to argue. Five minutes passed before the memory and voices became clear again.

"If you don't agree with my motives- fine! I never claimed to be the bastion of temperance but stop this drivel about being singled out and unloved. You are a Black!" Astrid's voice elevated as she became more aggravated with her brother. "You are my blood."

Harry watched as Regulus staggered into the room until his eyes came in contact with his brother's suitcase. He looked at Astrid's furious face and Sirius's guilty expression before connecting the dots.

"Please tell me you're not leaving." When looking into Regulus's eyes, Harry could have sworn that he heard Regulus's heart shatter as he looked at Sirius.

Regulus walked to his brother and began to beg. "Please, don't leave us, Sirius. We are family." It was obvious that the boy was getting emotional. Astrid felt pity for her younger brother and went to grab his hand.

Sirius looked at his two siblings, Regulus with his shattered heart and Astrid with a roaring flame behind her eyes. He shook his head while he walked up to his brother and engulfed him in one last hug.

"Forgive me, brother."

As Sirius walked back to his suitcase, Astrid stopped her twin brother with her hand. Her voice was filled with venom as she whispered into his ear so Regulus wouldn't hear.

"If you want to leave this house, fine. But I swear on Merlin that if you try to return, you will be faced with the true wrath of a Black."

Sirius refused to reply as walked to the fireplace, looking at his sister one last time before flooing to the Potters' house.

Regulus seemed to collapse onto the floor once his brother was out of sight. Astrid's tone quickly changed as she bent down beside her Regulus and hugged him, looking as if she was trying to hold together his broken pieces. "It will be alright Regulus, don't worry."

Regulus looked up at Astrid before pleading, "Please don't leave too."

Harry pitied the siblings as he watched Astrid grip onto her 15-year-old brother tighter and sit down alongside him on the floor. She brushed Regulus's long hair out of his face and wiped his tears. "I'm not going anywhere."