Family
It’s a good thing Regulus has never watched a TV-Family nor has he spent much time with any family that might constitute as “normal” by anyone outside PureBlood Circles. Even still, Regulus understands that families love each other and generally care for each other.
And that is why, at the heart of things, Regulus truly believes if he were a better son, his parents would be better. He even believed, for a time, that if he had been able to be better, Sirius might have stayed (although this has evaporated, the thought is a well worn path in his head and he’s liable to fall back into it for other things)
These thoughts were what helped him move forward after so much family upheaval. He could sit up straighter, he could find a way to almost make eye contact--which was enough, he could enunciate better, learn finances... Of course it has never been enough but Regulus is still trying.
After all, if his family didn’t love him, they wouldn’t push him to be better (although push is a generally light term). Of course, many of the things being asked of him are against his personality or nature--but one day, maybe, he’ll be able to do those, too.
He tries less around Narcissa ( @missmvlfoy ) and her husband ( @purestpeacock ) because, simply, they haven’t demanded it of him and Lucius hasn’t ostracized him for protesting the various things Regulus refuses to do. Bellatrix ( @lestrangebtrix ) is something different all together--and Regulus wanted to imitate her throughout his late teens but now it is more of show, an attempt, and much like what he does with his parents.
Regulus stays where he is, putting a lot of effort into learning how to be the head of house, because he loves his family and, at the same time, he has comparatively fewer people outside of it.
Sirius ( @siriuscrionblack ) and Andromeda ( @ofandrcmedas ) are both complicated topics. While Regulus might begrudgingly admit that he still loves them, trust has been largely broken and he can’t imagine a time when he’d give them something important to do involving him or someone else he cared about. When he says, ‘I’d trust you to slit might throat’ he might mean, ‘You’ll hurt me again if I trust you even a little’













