The Lack of Turais

Regulus was running as fast as he could. Barty was beside him, already panting. Which was understandable, because it was the sandy haired boy that had come running to him with the information, he'd already made this journey once.

Skidding around the corner, Regulus shot up the stairs, taking them three at a time in his haste, One day when he looked back upon this moment, he'd be astounded of his sudden speed, of that he was sure. But right now he had bigger problems according to Barty.

For the past month, the two or them had gotten pretty close. Regulus liked Barty. Even through he didn't have any siblings, Barty still felt like he didn't get enough recognition form his father. And well, Regulus' mother was so busy butting heads with Turais or Sirius that she could even forget he was in the room some days. Not that he really cared. Their father loved them, even if he was awkward about it.

And Turais was the best big brother ever. Sirius even thought so, even if the boy was currently on the outs with Turais.

Barty had admitted that he wanted a brother like Turais, that in the short amount of time he'd spent at Hogwarts, he'd come to look up to the older Slytherin. Not that it was hard to do that. At least half the school looked up to Turais, and no one didn't like him. Well, as far as Regulus was aware anyway.

Clearing the top of the stairs, Regulus twisted towards the crowd, dimly registering that Barty's eleven year old legs were struggling to keep up. He could hear the voices now, raised and most certainly mal. Pushing a duo of Hufflepuffs out of his way, Regulus braked, stopping just before the invisible line that had been drawn.

Stood in the circle of students were both of his brothers, Sirius with the Marauders at his back and Turais just frowning. No wait, he was grimacing. And behide him was that fourth year Slytherin that Potter was always going after with Sirius. Something Snape.

"When are you going to grow out of this Sirius?"

"I can't! You don't even give me chance to grow! You keep me and Reggie down all the time, it's like you think I can't even stand on my own two feet! I have my own friends now and you can't keep me away from them! I'm not just your brother and yet you insist on ruining my summer plans for a silly little camping trip!"

Regulus whimpered.

There was nothing wrong with Turais' camping trips, everything about them was great. He'd finished teaching them how to transform them how to transform into Animagi this year, they'd gone fishing and wrestled in the mud and there was so much they did on those trips that they would never get to do otherwise. Why was Sirius saying this? He loved going camping too, it was their thing! Just because he wanted to hang out with the friends he spent all of his time with at school?

Turais had brought a forefinger and thumb to his forehead, rubbing gently at the temples like Sirius' words physically pained him. And yet still the boy continued.

"You've been doing it all my life! All Reggie's life! Maybe we just want you to leave us alone for a bit and let us grow up! Maybe I don't need some stupid camping trip because I don't wnat to spend so much time with you!" That was a big fat lie!

Regulus treasured all his time with Turais, the boy was almost always busy, but he still insisted on making time for him and Sirius, he would drop whatever he was doing to help either of them! Why couldn't Sirius see that?

Do you want to know why I was so insistent on taking that camping Sirius? It's because that week, the week we have gotten out of the house every year, is the week that mother always, always attends balls for the supporters of the Dark Lord!" Turais was shouting

Regulus blinked in shock, looking ever over at his older brother. While Turais didn't a wand out, that didn't stop the sparks beginning to form at his fingertips, his magic swirling about. He'd never seen Turais really, truly angry before, not like this. And from Sirius' shocked face, neither had he.

"We go camping every year because I don't want mother dragging you, either of you, off to one of those balls that the bloody Dark Lord himself attends. I don't want you stuck in a life of servitude that mother has being trying to push on you since you were barely able to toddle! That's why I've always taken you, or as then case this year, dragged you kicking and screaming?! Those Death Eaters are killing people for fun. Torturing them. I don't want you anywhere near them at all, and if it means babying you a bit until it's safe then you can bet your magic that's what I'm going to do!"

"You don't even know what's going on out there! You're always saying how Black's don't bow down, how much better we should be but I don't see you doing anything to help out there! You just keep going on about how he's probably not even Pure-blood! You're too busy with your conspiracy theories to do anything!"

Silence fell upon the gathering of students and Regulus held his breath, watching as Turais' shoulders shook slightly, his head down. Barty was stood beside him and the two shared a look, unsure of what was about to happen. Sirius was pushing Turais, and Regulus really didn't like it.

The youngest Black brother knew that Turais was worried about the war, that his entire room was covered in newspaper articles and notes on the whole topic. But what could Turais do? He was only a student, albeit an incredibly bright one. Turais had always been looking after the both of them, and Regulus couldn't really picture him doing anything other than making sure that they were both safe and somewhat happy.

What would Turais have done with his life had he not been a sibling, had he been an only child? He couldn't see it, couldn't make the image fit his older brother who'd always, always been there.

"You're right."

Everyone's attention snapped to Turais who'd lifted his head, running a hand down the side of his face in distress.

"I haven't done much of anything, not really made an impact other than looking after you and Regulus."

"Misters Black!" The Professors seemed to have caught on that something was happening, for McGonagall, Slughorn and even Dumbledore where making their way over, looking furious and just a little nervous.

"Professor Slughorn," Turais inclined his head, offering out his hand and when Slughorn reached up, Turais dropped something shiny into his palm, "I quit."

"What?"

"I quit as Slytherin prefect. And.. As a Hogwarts student. I've got better things to do then sit around all day listening to lectures on things I already know."

Abd with that Turais spun on heel, walking away as the students parted around him like an ocean's wave receding.

"Mr Black! Come back here and stop talking such nonsense!"

But Turais did no such thing, instead walking up to a portrait, hissing at it, and disappearing behide it, the snap of the frame returning to the wall the only sound in the corridor.

McGonagall took in a deep breath through her nose before releasing it.

"Regulus and Sirius Black, I want you two with me right now."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sat in the head-master's office, Orion Black stared at Albus Dumbledore, his old Transfigurations professor as he tried to process the words. Walburga was off visiting her mother, leaving it his duty to come and speak about Turais. Or as they had just told him, the lack of Turais.

Sirius and Regulus, his two youngests, were sat beside him, both of whom seemed to be in shock.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Orion finally asked, shaking his head to try and clear his jumbled thought.

His first-born had suffered what would be to most pure-bloods, a meltdown. He'd quit, not just as prefect, but as a student of Hogwarts as well.

Where had it gone wrong? The boy had gotten the best OWL grade in forever, he'd been the same as ever over summer, if somewhat upset over the fact that Sirius was ignoring him. He'd shown no signs of an upcoming break-down, he'd been perhaps the sanest Black heir in decades.

"Turais Black left the second floor corridor though a portrait by the use of parseltoungue, and not even I have been able to open it as head- master. Ten minutes after the argument between both young Sirius and Turais, the ward alerted me to the fact he was no longer on Hogwarts grounds. HIs trunk is missing, along with all his personal affects. All that remains is the uniform he wore the previous day that the house-elves took to wash."

Orion could only frown, mind racing to try and figure out what Turais had done. He'd left, said he had better things to do that lean things he already knew, and left. Sure his son was bright, sure he was incredibly intelligent and independent. But he wasn't ready for the outside world yet. Was he?

"I have tried to track the boy through a hair found upon his leftover shirt, but he seems to have already masked himself form any and all forms of tracking charms. The only thing I have not yet tried is through blood." Well Orion had a sample of that home, so he'd try that the second he got back.

"I'm going to go look for him," Orion murmured, standing up, though it did nothing to lessen his swirling brain.

"Sirius, Regulus. For Salazar's sake, stay out of trouble until I've found Turais." His sons nodded dumbly, wearing confounded expressions, probably mirrored upon his own face.

It wasn't until he got home and the blood tracking spell failed that Orion really felt the tight grip of panic curl around him though. Turais was gallivanting across England somewhere and no tracking spell was working.

He only knew the boy was alive because a damningly dark spell said so.

Rubbing at his temples, Orion sighed.

How the hell was he going to explain this to his father?