He was shaking on his way up to the Sorting Hat. It wasn't uncommon, many first years were afraid of the Sorting and surely nobody thought it was strange. But Regulus Arcturus Black wasn't a common first year and the weight of the Sorting lay heavy upon his shoulders.

When he sat on the stool he could make out his brother's face at the Gryffindor table who was smiling up to him. Sirius had told him it didn't matter how the Sorting would go, but Regulus knew it was a lie. These kinds of things mattered a lot to Sirius. Otherwise he wouldn't have plastered his entire room with Gryffindor banners just to remind their parents he wasn't what they wanted him to be.

The Sorting Hat fell over Regulus' eyes and his smiling brother vanished from sight. Now there was only darkness, and out of the darkness a voice appeared.
"Ah, another Black. Interesting, interesting."
Regulus was scared beyond reason, but he didn't even know what made him more afraid. His parents doing the same things to him they had done to Sirius? Or the look of disappointment on his brother's face? He wanted to make all of them proud, but in this moment there just wasn't any possibility to do that and it made Regulus want to cry.

"Well, you certainly do have all the qualities to be a Slytherin. It's always the same with your family, isn't it? But it doesn't have to be, no, no, I also see you achieving great things in Ravenclaw. Your wit is sharp and you have an intelligent mind on you. Hm, difficult, very difficult."

Regulus gritted his teeth to stop himself from making any sound. He could imagine how thrilled Sirius would be if the Hat called out Ravenclaw and he was sure he'd like it too, he secretly had kind of known that the house seemed to fit him. But then Orion and Walburga popped up in his mind and he saw them screaming at Sirius, he remembered the howler his brother had gotten, the punishments he had to endure when he came back for holidays, the nights spent in the basement, the supposedly never-ending screaming matches Regulus had witnessed.
He couldn't do it. He wanted to make his brother proud, but he couldn't do it. He didn't have Sirius' courage, he couldn't stand up to their parents and face their wrath like his brother did. Disappointment was easier to deal with than torture.

"Slytherin!" The Hat cried out and was pulled off of Regulus' head, companied by the cheers of the people at the Slytherin table. Regulus stood up and glanced at the Gryffindors, dreading to see his brother's face. Sirius was still smiling, but not in a happy and excited way like before. This smile was just to distract from the sadness in his eyes and Regulus felt something tightening in his chest as he walked over to the Slytherins.
There had been no possible good outcome of the Sorting for him, he would've disappointed someone no matter where the Hat had placed him.
But he wondered if he had made the right decision.
He'd always wonder.

Regulus didn't see his brother until the next day at breakfast and he had to muster up all of his courage to walk over to the Gryffindor table. People were staring at him, whether it was because he was a Black or because he was a Slytherin walking up to the Gryffindors he couldn't say. Maybe both.

Sirius didn't see him at first because he faced the other direction. But before Regulus could say something, Sirius' friend – Remus Lupin, if Regulus wasn't mistaken – had nudged him and he turned around. Sirius eyes wandered from Regulus' face to his Slytherin tie and it made the weight on his chest only heavier.

"Congrats, Reg," Sirius said but his smile seemed forced. Anyone who only knew him a tiny bit would see that. Sirius' friend were staring at Regulus, which wasn't helping at all.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. It was all he managed.

Sirius sighed and got up, beckoning his brother to follow him. Stares followed them as they left the Great Hall and with every step he took Regulus grew more afraid. When they were in the hallway and he had made sure nobody else was there, Sirius turned around to face his younger brother.

"You can imagine I'm not thrilled." Regulus nodded and stared at his feet. He didn't know what to say, but Sirius kept talking anyways.
"I thought maybe you'd break with the tradition too, but let's be honest Reg, I never really expected that to happen. You're too much of a momma's boy for that."

Regulus' eyes darted up, ready to defend himself but then he saw the jokingly spark in Sirius' eyes and closed his mouth again.
"I told you before it didn't matter," Sirius went on. "Well it might not be entirely true, of course it'll be different now... house rivalry and what not. But you're still my brother, okay? Nothing's gonna change that."

"Are you mad at me?" Regulus asked, but Sirius shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. I would've been mad if the Hat had done the same he did with Bella and Cissy, you know, screaming 'Slytherin' before he even so much as touched their heads. But it took him almost three minutes to figure you out and that means he wasn't sure."

"Yeah." Regulus glanced at his green tie. "He considered Ravenclaw."
Sirius smiled. "That totally would've been my guess, you little nerd. Listen, don't beat yourself up over it, okay? Our parents will throw you a feast, so at least there's that."
"I don't mind Slytherin, okay? It's just... you know, I didn't want to disappoint anyone."
"Good, because you didn't. Don't think you'll get a free pass for the pranks we're pulling at your house though. That'd be too much to ask."

Regulus chuckled slightly. "Why would I expect that? It's not like you spare me at home either."
"Ah, imagine what fun we could have if you weren't momma's favorite."
"Imagine what we'd be allowed if you weren't a bloodtraitor."
Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, we'd totally be two spoiled brats."

The heavy weight on Regulus' chest seemed to lift. "So you're really not mad." It should've been a statement but it turned out more of a question.
Sirius shook his head. "No. I mean, I can't be firstborn, better looking and the favorite son. That would be really unfair, don't you think?" Then he looked at him sternly. "You better kick ass, though, I only want top grades. That Ravenclaw-worthy brain has got to be good for something."
Regulus grinned. "Don't worry, I'll beat you anyways."
"I'd like to see you try, nerd."
"Then watch me."

Sirius nodded approvingly. "Yep, that's the attitude I want to see. Keep it up." Then he pulled Regulus into a hug. "Don't you worry, little brother. I don't think Slytherin deserves you, but now that the Hat decided you should bless them with your presence they're the ones that should feel honored. I'm always proud of you, no matter what. And now that that's sorted out to - pun intended - go get some breakfast and I'll get back to mine since I was so rudely interrupted by a snake house member."

And with that, he strode back towards the Great Hall. Regulus watched him for a few moments. His brother always seemed so confident and self-assured. Regulus admired him for it, but at the same time he knew that this was what made them different.
That courage was what had landed Sirius in Gryffindor, the Hat must've known he had been brave enough to face their parents' wrath.
Regulus lacked that quality. He sometimes wished he had it too, but then again when he looked at Sirius fighting with their parents he wondered if it wasn't smarter to wait it all out. Once he was seventeen he could still back out, still become a disgrace to the family.
But Sirius had too much pride to put on that act. He'd never pretend to be something he wasn't and that's why he rebelled, speaking exactly what he thought. That was the Gryffindor way, straightforward, loud, bold.
Regulus handled the whole situation differently. He didn't care much about their parents' views, but he didn't defy them like Sirius did, knowing that it'd be better for him. Those cunning folks will use any means to achieve their ends.
Now that he was thinking about it, maybe the Sorting Hat had made the right decision all along.