The Price of Family

                                    

                                          
Title: The Price of Family
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The atmosphere inside 12 Grimmauld Place's drawing room was tense, the air heavy with decades of secrets, grudges, and unspoken truths. The Black family was gathered for one of their infamous meetings, led by the patriarch Arcturus Black, also known as Lord Black. His stern face and piercing grey eyes surveyed the room, assessing each family member as if they were on trial.
Arcturus stood at the head of the table, his posture rigid. "Let’s talk about family," he began, his deep voice echoing in the room. "Our legacy, our blood, our duty—"
But before he could finish, Regulus, usually silent and composed, interrupted him. His voice was raw with frustration, the quiet anger that had been building for years finally boiling over. "Let’s talk about family? Let’s talk about the ties and the lies and the love that we had in this family!" His dark eyes blazed, a stark contrast to his usual restrained demeanor.
Walburga, Regulus's mother, sneered, her voice dripping with condescension. "Let’s talk about honesty," she said, her gaze fixed on her youngest son, as if daring him to challenge her.
Regulus’s gaze hardened as he turned to face her, his voice rising. "You know nothing about honesty!" He spat the words out, the venom in his tone surprising even himself. "Let go of your hands and our plans! And the chance that we had with this family!"
Silence filled the room for a moment, and then Walburga's fury erupted like a storm. "How dare you speak to me that way! You ungrateful child—"
"Ungrateful?" Regulus's voice was bitter, almost a laugh. "I gave everything I had to this family, and what did I get? Lies, manipulation, and expectations I never asked for!"
Arcturus slammed his cane on the floor, the sharp sound silencing both mother and son. "Enough!" he roared, his voice filled with the authority of the head of the family. "We are Blacks. We do not air our grievances like commoners. Regulus, you will remember your place."
Regulus clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I know my place, Grandfather," he said quietly, his voice steadying. "It’s right here, in the shadows of your lies. But I won’t stay silent any longer. I won't be your puppet."
Arcturus's face grew dark, his expression one of cold fury. "If you walk away from this family, Regulus, you walk away from everything."
"Maybe that’s exactly what I need to do," Regulus replied, turning on his heel and walking out of the room without a backward glance, leaving behind a stunned silence and a family that had just begun to fracture.
As the door slammed shut behind him, Regulus took a deep breath. For the first time, he felt the weight of his family’s expectations lift from his shoulders. It was a small freedom, but it was his, and he would hold onto it tightly, no matter the cost.