"I think he forgot about me sometimes. Or —maybe that high of freedom Hogwarts gave him, made him forget who he was. He forgot that if they couldn’t control one, they still had the spare." James’ hand which had been drawing across Regulus’ bandages abruptly tightened. "He forgot they cared more about their reputation than their children." Regulus swallowed before he continued. That was a difficult confession. Regulus still didn't want to believe it. He wanted to think that his parents cared. That they thought they were doing the right thing. That it was just generations upon generations of trauma culminating into that —that he and Sirius were the cusp of ruin. The brightest star in the sky and the Lion's heart. It was written for them to be the end. He was the end. The House of the Snake-Lovers; the House of the Dragon Heart ended with the Lion's heart. Perhaps it was some sort of cruel retribution; bitter irony.