Title: She Broke It! Again!

Summary: Little Regulus goes to his mother to try to get her to stop cousin Bellatrix from breaking his toys.

Note: Just going through the Potterpuffs and saw the one with Sirius, Bellatrix, and Regulus. So it's a little one shot based on this.

Young Regulus Black was relaxing in his room, playing with the new broomstick model his father had brought home from Diagon Alley the day before. For the small child, it was an amazing toy. Usually his toys bored him after an hour or so but he'd always loved brooms.

And that decision had been made on his own, not based on the fact that his older brother loved brooms too.

He flopped back on the bed, his black bangs falling in his eyes and nearly obscuring his view of the small broomstick as it flew around his room in circles. Occasionally it would flip or preform some other small trick as though it had a little invisible rider who was trying to delight him.

Suddenly, his door burst open. Regulus shot up, staring at the intruder.

“Hello Cousin Regulus.” Bellatrix Black smiled sweetly. She was a few years older than him and seemed to delight in tormenting him.

“Bellatrix, what do you want?” Regulus positioned himself up on his knees, keeping his eyes on his cousin.

“Mother and I just came for a visit, going to have a lunch with your mum and you and dear Sirius...” She broke off, watching the toy fly across the room. “Why, what's that?” she asked.

“Nothing.” Of course that was a lie. Her eyes glittering, she lunged across the room. “No!” Regulus shouted. “Not that too!”

But there was a loud snap and the two halves of the broomstick landed on the floor twitching feebly. Regulus stared at his cousin, his eyes wide. She smirked as though daring him to do something to her.

Of course he didn't have the courage his older brother had so he was not going to stand up to her. Instead, his eyes welling with tears, he raced downstairs and into the kitchen. There, he fell against his mother, sobbing.

“Always, Mother, always! Why do you always invite her over? She's always breaking my toys!”

Walburga Black stared down her nose at her child, her face expressionless. A little gently she pushed her younger son away from her.

“Regulus, you are a Black, not a sniveling Mudblood. You have dignity. Whether your cousin is mean to you or not you will not cry.”

Through tears, Regulus stared at his mother. Normally she would not speak to him negatively. But she did have a point. He squared his small shoulders and sniffled a final time before heading upstairs to his room.

Bellatrix had left. Thank goodness. Probably looking for Sirius. Or a House Elf to bother.

Scooping up the remains of the broomstick, he tossed them in the waste bin. Maybe it was best she had broken it. Maybe he was too old for toys. Maybe that was his family's way of saying so. Letting out one last sniffle, he decided that would be the last time he cried over a toy. Or let Bellatrix get to him.