The Heads (ficlet, challenge #046, PG, Sirius, Regulus)
Title: The Heads
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black, Regulus Black and Kreacher
Summary: A stormy night is just perfect for giving your little brother nightmares.
Word Count: 457
Purchases: parchment&quill
Challenge #046
Sirius didn't know why Kreacher had to sit in on them, but he was trying to make the most of it. More than anything else in number twelve Grimmauld Place, his little brother Regulus was scared of the House Elf heads that lined the first floor landing. He looked at the younger boy, in the bed next to him but determinedly not clutching at Sirius' bed sheets.
"It has to be a night like this," he told Regulus, glancing up towards his curtained window. Flashes of light crackled behind them, followed by slow rolling booms of sound. Regulus wasn't really scared of thunderstorms anymore, but he had been, and it gave them good enough reason to fool around in the middle of the night.
"You've never seen one," Regulus shot back, trying not to imagine the scene his brother was painting.
"They take them up to the attic, the part with the big long windows. Then they use their wands to cut through their necks - really slowly, so they don't get blood everywhere. And when they're finished, the body keeps standing up for a while," Sirius said in a low knowledgeable voice.
"No they do not," said Regulus, who kept glancing over at Kreacher "you don't know. We've always has Kreacher, he's still got his head."
"That's because mum isn't bored of him yet," Sirius said lazily.
"I thought you said it was because they got old," Regulus said accusingly.
"Well yeah, and mum was bored of looking at 'em. You should be careful she doesn't get bored of looking at you." Sirius lunged forward, using his hand to make carving motions near Regulus' neck. The younger brother flailed and shot off the bed.
"That isn't funny. I'm going to bed," Regulus said, straightening out the neck of his pajama shirt.
"Oooh, past the heads?" Sirius asked, pretending to be impressed.
"Shut up," Regulus snapped, and hurried out of the bedroom. It was dark outside Sirius' bedroom door, and it seemed a long way ahead to his own bedroom door. He watched along the hall for a moment, finally deciding that he wouldn't run, but he wouldn't go slowly either. He kept his head up straight and tried not to look at the House Elf heads as he strode across the landing, but they kept creeping into the edge of his vision, frightening glimpses of beetle-like eyes and lumpy noses.
He heard something creak behind him and turned around to see one of the bodies Sirius had been talking about, headless and lurching towards him. Regulus gave a shout of fright and darted into his room, pulling the door tightly shut behind him.
Kreacher stood looking towards Master Regulus' door, looking bewildered by his young Master's behaviour.
Sam//Slytherin
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black, Regulus Black and Kreacher
Summary: A stormy night is just perfect for giving your little brother nightmares.
Word Count: 457
Purchases: parchment&quill
Challenge #046
Sirius didn't know why Kreacher had to sit in on them, but he was trying to make the most of it. More than anything else in number twelve Grimmauld Place, his little brother Regulus was scared of the House Elf heads that lined the first floor landing. He looked at the younger boy, in the bed next to him but determinedly not clutching at Sirius' bed sheets.
"It has to be a night like this," he told Regulus, glancing up towards his curtained window. Flashes of light crackled behind them, followed by slow rolling booms of sound. Regulus wasn't really scared of thunderstorms anymore, but he had been, and it gave them good enough reason to fool around in the middle of the night.
"You've never seen one," Regulus shot back, trying not to imagine the scene his brother was painting.
"They take them up to the attic, the part with the big long windows. Then they use their wands to cut through their necks - really slowly, so they don't get blood everywhere. And when they're finished, the body keeps standing up for a while," Sirius said in a low knowledgeable voice.
"No they do not," said Regulus, who kept glancing over at Kreacher "you don't know. We've always has Kreacher, he's still got his head."
"That's because mum isn't bored of him yet," Sirius said lazily.
"I thought you said it was because they got old," Regulus said accusingly.
"Well yeah, and mum was bored of looking at 'em. You should be careful she doesn't get bored of looking at you." Sirius lunged forward, using his hand to make carving motions near Regulus' neck. The younger brother flailed and shot off the bed.
"That isn't funny. I'm going to bed," Regulus said, straightening out the neck of his pajama shirt.
"Oooh, past the heads?" Sirius asked, pretending to be impressed.
"Shut up," Regulus snapped, and hurried out of the bedroom. It was dark outside Sirius' bedroom door, and it seemed a long way ahead to his own bedroom door. He watched along the hall for a moment, finally deciding that he wouldn't run, but he wouldn't go slowly either. He kept his head up straight and tried not to look at the House Elf heads as he strode across the landing, but they kept creeping into the edge of his vision, frightening glimpses of beetle-like eyes and lumpy noses.
He heard something creak behind him and turned around to see one of the bodies Sirius had been talking about, headless and lurching towards him. Regulus gave a shout of fright and darted into his room, pulling the door tightly shut behind him.
Kreacher stood looking towards Master Regulus' door, looking bewildered by his young Master's behaviour.
Sam//Slytherin