You know what people don’t do enough?
Sirius who used to be the bright golden child. The beloved perfect heir. Charming and bright and outgoing. Beloved by all. So beautiful. So perfect. So shiny. He was a leader, not a follower. Never a follower. For all he argued with his mother, she felt proud. Because her boy was so strong and the perfect heir, even if she needed to keep him in check so that he would not cross her.
He never disappointed his family. Even if he was rebellious. Even if he caused mischief and minor problems. He never truly disappointed them. Because they’d forgive him for anything. Their perfect, beloved heir.
And then he was sorted into Gryffindor. And then he was fraternizing with the wrong sort. Running around causing problems with the Potter boy and a half-blood.
All of a sudden, he was disappointing them. And that was catastrophic. Because that wasn’t like their heir. Their perfect little doll. And suddenly the illusion shattered. Suddenly, he was flawed and imperfect.
And Sirius was thrown away. Like any broken doll. Every birthday before his twelfth he was showered with more gifts than he had any space or purpose for. On his twelfth, he only got Happy Birthdays from his friends.
When he went home, he was shunned. Mother was always angry. Punishing him. Isolating him. For disappointing her. For going off the rails as soon as he was let off leash.
All of a sudden, Sirius was second. All of a sudden, Regulus was doted upon. Regulus. The sheep. The one who followed. He’d never be a proper heir but he’d always been the perfect spare. Irrelevant. Not a challenge. Not entirely ideal.
All of a sudden, Regulus wasn’t following him blindly. Regulus was on their mother’s side. Regulus, who Sirius always protected and defended and took care of.
And then Sirius was alone. Isolated. Trapped in Grimmuald Place like a prison. Nothing to do. No one to talk to. He couldn’t act out. Couldn’t sneak around. The portraits on the walls would be oh so happy to rat him out.
A fallen angel, trapped in a cage.
And then Sirius went back to school. And Regulus was sorted into Slytherin. Hanging around with wannabe death eaters. Shunning his own blood.
All of a sudden, it wasn’t just Narcissa and Sirius’s childhood pureblood friends shunning him. But his brother, too.