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Sirius opened his mouth to thank Lily for the lovely dinner when a sound like a cracking whip occurred and Kreacher landed in the middle of the table, upsetting various dishes almost as if purposefully trying to annoy Sirius yet create havoc for those his mistress looked down upon in disdain. “Bloody hell!”

Everyone at the table, which included not only the recently married couple but also their friend Remus Lupin stared at the House Elf standing in the middle of the dinner, not at all bothered by the fact he’d made a mess let alone splattered smatterings of food all over him. He also looked intently at Sirius which the young man did not at all like. Worse, he said, “Master Sirius.”

“What the bloody hell do you want Kreacher? And you’d better not go revealing the location of my friends to anyone who might turn them over to Voldemort’s side.”

“That would go against Master Regulus’ wishes.”

Lily cleared her voice, nervous about speaking up given the fact the House Elf would not at all like what she said let alone acknowledge the fact she was speaking to him. “Is Regulus alright?”

Kreacher turned his head towards her, then said, “Master Regulus said Master Sirius would trust Kreacher’s word that he was in need of Master Sirius’ word if he acknowledged the Muggleborn and not do things such as calling her a Mudblood.”

Which, in Sirius's mind still finding a way to use the word Mudblood was in fact Kreacher’s way of getting around the fact he was being forced to associate with such a person let alone treating them with kindness. He wasn’t quite sure Regulus was right, because even with that everything could just as easily be a trap where his younger brother would need to prove his loyalty to Voldemort, something he did not at all like.

“Did you not hear him, Sirius?” It was Lily who spoke while James continued glaring at the House Elf and Remus cleaned his mouth looking rather amused at the situation. “Your brother needs your help, and if you’re actually thinking for one moment that Regulus would ever turn you over, then you are a stubborn pig.”

“Kreacher thanks the Muggleborn for the compliment paid to Master Regulus.”

“You’re just being conned by this…”

“You don’t know your brother, but do you really think anyone on the other side would think of using a House Elf in this manner?”

Sirius opened his mouth to say that he felt Regulus would likely think of such a thing, but then quickly remembered Regulus always shared a rather odd bond with the creature standing on the table in front of them. He’d never understood his brother’s fondness for the creepy creature who would spout his mistresses rhetoric with unabandoned glee, but then again, Regulus was always a bit odd.

And, he loved his brother, which honestly made him hate his parents, even more, seeing how they influenced him and were to blame for Regulus becoming a Death Eater. He’d never felt this fit Regulus, but the way his brother collected clippings regarding Voldemort with such childish zeal; when he’d tried calling his younger brother out on this, Regulus added a sign above the door saying “Do Not Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black.”

Of course, that sign wasn’t just added because he would enter his brother’s room to see what he was doing. There were times when Sirius would step into Regulus' room simply because he wished to spend some time with his brother despite their differences that their mother would step in and start yelling at him for pushing his ideas onto his younger brother, let alone what Sirius said regarding the clippings.

For Regulus, their mother’s yelling was far worse than anything Sirius could say or do, but his one and only regret about leaving the home at the age of sixteen was leaving Regulus behind under the influence of his parents.

“Okay.”

One of Remus’ eyebrows shot up, still finding the situation amusing. “That was easier than I expected.”

“Despite his feelings toward everyone else in the Black family, Sirius does care about his younger brother,” James spoke up, making Sirius remember how he’d cried himself to sleep some nights telling James just how worried he was about Regulus being stuck in that home, something he didn’t want others to know, though somehow he knew Lily knew even without James having told her. Lily simply was that way.

In fact, if it weren’t for Regulus taking on their parent's pureblood concepts, Sirius had the feeling his younger brother would have followed Lily around Hogwarts like a little lost puppy and taken her on as an older sister figure. A sigh came about from more thoughts of how Regulus, who was a very sweet child growing up really wasn’t suited for the life of a Death Eater. He opened his mouth to say something when Kreacher beat him to the punch.

“Mistress was very heartbroken when…”

“Okay! Okay! I’ll go. Please don’t talk to me about my mother Kreacher.” Those words he felt were leading to a very awkward conversation between him and the – well, the creature. He looked at his friends with a slightly pleading look wishing that they would in fact go with him, making some of his anxieties about going with the House Elf go away.

Because even though Lily insisted it might not be a trap, it might still be. The worse thought though was that something bad happened to his younger brother, but in the back of his mind, he swore he’d never forgive his mother. There were definitely a few things he needed to ask of the now fidgeting House Elf. “Kreacher, I order you to tell me the truth.”

“Yes, Master Sirius. Master Regulus already ordered Kreacher to do so.”

“Is this a trap?”

“No.”

“Is Regulus hurt?”

“No.

“But he does need my help?”

“Master Sirius is the only person Master Regulus can trust with this, he told Kreacher to say.”

Which only made Sirius and likely his friends he would soon be leaving behind wonder what kind of trouble Regulus managed to get himself into. “Okay. Then, we’ll leave for…”

He’d not expected the House Elf to Disapparate him away from the place.

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“Bloody hell!”

Sirius found himself recognizing the place Kreacher apparated him to but finding himself in said place after having escaped four years ago felt majorly unsettling. Instinctively, he looked around, wary that either one of his parents might appear out of one of the dark corners of Grimmauld Place. As such, he sensed the person standing behind him before he felt their hand grab onto the back of his clothing right in the middle of the back while another clasped over his mouth.

Instinctively, his hand reached out for his wand, his mind taking in the way he body started tilting backward as the person behind him tugged at the back of his clothing, indicating they were in fact shorter than him; before he could grab his wand, something small tackled him around the legs, knocking him backward into the closet on top of the person who’d grabbed onto him while whatever tackled him around the legs became entangled in said legs.

As Sirius continued taking in his current situation, he realized he was indeed sitting on top of someone. In that time, the arm which latched onto the back of his clothing let go and moved to his elbow, the fingers tightening around the fabric in a manner which felt like a long-forgotten memory while the other hand slipped down so it now wrapped around Sirius’ middle, definitely hugging him while they buried their face into his shoulder.

He stiffened slightly, still unsure, but then spoke in a whispered voice as something – he guessed it was Kreacher, remained tangled in his legs. “Reg?”

The person behind him lifted their head slightly so that their hot breath was now on his neck. “Quiet, lest mother hears you.”

“This isn’t a social call Reg.” Sirius let out a sigh, feeling rather annoyed with the situation as Regulus hadn’t yet explained why he needed his help specifically. Placing his hands onto the ground so he might push himself off of his younger brother only for Kreacher to let out one of his loud, repugnant sounds. His hand clamped over Kreacher’s mouth, hopefully in time.

“Kreacher…” Regulus spoke and Sirius hoped his younger brother would in fact bid the elf to be silent. His entire body tensed, his ears straining to hear their mother moving about in the house, yet there was also their father to worry about. “Take us to that place, that place you told me about.”

Sirius opened his mouth to ask what place Regulus meant, only to find himself once again apparated away from the place by the House Elf to yet another dark place, this one he didn’t actually recognize. They landed on the ground hard and Sirius let out a groan, taking in the smell of salty air and stary night which wasn’t at all stary, giving off an ominous feeling in regards to the strange place. Letting out a deep breath, Sirius pushed himself up from the ground, dusting himself off.

“Regulus, what is going on here?” He turned his attention to his younger brother, who also stood up so he might brush himself off and use his wand to light up the place, but as he looked at his younger brother he couldn’t help but get the feeling something wasn’t right. Regulus was paler than normal, with slight circles under his eyes. Sirius blinked, shaking his head, brushing it off as being the result of his younger brother becoming a Death Eater and thus something expected. “Well?”

“Do you want to be a thorn in Voldemort’s side or not?”

 “Are you kidding me?” Sirius felt his throat strain, finding himself quite confused regarding the words he just heard crossing Regulus’ mouth. In fact, the words which just left his brother’s mouth were words he’d never thought he’d ever heard, but they definitely added to the ominous feeling he’d already picked up from the place.

His younger brother looked at him, not a single emotion appearing on his face. “What do you mean?”

“You honestly want me to believe you of all people actually ended up in Voldemort’s inner circle, but that you of all people would turn on him?” Sirius felt bile rise to his throat, his mind trying to understand the situation. He’d found himself losing sleep at night wondering when Regulus would get cold feet and thus get himself killed off, yet he’d never once imagined it would be Voldemort or one of those higher up among the Death Eaters, nor did he ever suspect his brother would rebel.

Instead of answering, Regulus stood there contemplating the question Sirius put of him which frustrated him even more, nor did it help the worry rattling around in the back of his head wondering just what his younger brother got himself into.

“Reg, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“Something only, you can help with.”

“Yes, but…”

Regulus stepped forward, standing on his tiptoes so he could look Sirius in the eye easier, reminding him of how much smaller Regulus always was. The look on his face was one of definite determination, his eyes narrowed while Sirius's eyes blinked in surprise. “No questions. Do what I say no matter what happens, but if you can’t do that I will obliviate your memory and have Kreacher take you back to wherever…”

“What have you gotten yourself into?” Sirius saw Regulus’ mouth snap shut and his hands lifted up, the look of determination on Regulus’ face honestly worrying him. “I’m not looking for an answer Reg, but do understand this is all making me feel a little worried. After all, I am your big brother.”

“I’m not a little child Sirius and I didn’t bring you here to protect me. The mission at hand is far more important than that,” Regulus turned towards a rocky wall, carefully looking it over before turning to the House Elf, pointing to a specific spot. “Kreacher is this the spot. The spot you entered the cave?”

“Yes, Master Regulus.”

Sirius opened his mouth, his mind racing, wondering what Kreacher had to do with the place let alone what Voldemort had to do with the place. It was then that he watched Regulus cut himself, letting his blood drip onto the stone so an opening appeared which only made the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach grow, but he grew even more concerned regarding what Regulus got himself into let alone how.

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The dread Sirius felt didn’t go away when he stepped into the cave after Regulus. A quick look around revealed the only light sources as the tip of his brother’s wand and a spout out in the middle of the cave in the distance which glowed green, yet the lights didn’t cast much light. Despite the lack of light, Sirius glimpsed the water's edge which his younger brother approached while looking around for something. Regulus’ fingers traced the air before shaking his head, as if unsure of something.

He watched his brother turn, looking specifically at Kreacher who also followed him into the dank place. “Kreacher, is this the place?”

“A little further to the right Master Regulus.”

Sirius of course couldn’t read Regulus and figure out what his younger brother planned. Instead, he watched his brother move a little to the right while Kreacher indicated Regulus was in the right place, but he muttered something Sirius couldn’t hear. A green glowing chain appeared out of nowhere, soon followed by a glowing green boat. In the back of his mind, Sirius somehow knew the boat would allow them to cross the lake.

Regulus took a deep breath. “Theoretically, this should work.”

“What do you mean theoretically?” Sirius shook his head, his misgivings continuing to grow.

Instead of answering the question, Regulus turned and looked at Sirius. “If I recollect, you got into trouble growing up for setting something on fire with magic.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Sirius knew full well he’d set some certain things on fire, much to the exasperation of his mother Walburga Black, but he didn’t understand what that had to do with anything going on.

“That means you know fire spells.” Regulus of course didn’t pick up on the sarcasm in Sirius’ voice, although this really wasn’t anything new. “You’ll probably need them. Actually, there is a high probability you’ll need them.” Sirius opened his mouth, but then Regulus said something else. “I’ll get into the boat first, then you.”

The feeling of dread didn’t leave Sirius as Regulus stepped into the boat, remaining emotionless as ever as if they weren’t in a serious situation. Hesitantly, Sirius got in himself, expecting the boat to sink, because somewhere in the back of his mind it didn’t make sense for Lord Voldemort not to have spelled the boat to carry only one adult wizard or witch, but as he slid into a sitting position in the cramped boat, Regulus piped up. “Kreacher, meet us on the island.”

“Yes, Master Regulus.”

“By the way, don’t touch the water.”

This almost made Sirius touch said water accidentally as the boat took off across the body of water. “Bloody hell Regulus!”

Regulus of course looked at him in surprise like he’d seen his brother do so many times, yet this time it was accompanied with definite signs of mental strain from a lack of sleep among other things. “Didn’t I tell you that this would theoretically work?”

“Regulus!” Sirius let out a huff, tucking his hands into his lap so he might not accidentally touch the lake and thus bring on whatever dangers lurked there. “Theoretically? Really? You could have forewarned me that you might not think this would have worked, couldn’t you have?”

“But didn’t you yourself figure out that Voldemort would have only allowed for the boat to carry just one adult wizard or witch?”

“Are you saying Voldemort was lax? Because he’s the last person I’d ever think would be lax.”

Regulus glanced to the side, pondering what Sirius said carefully. He then turned his head and looked at his brothers. “Not so much lax so much as not really understanding the theoretical properties behind spells which are created to purposefully focus on adult wizards.”

Which of course honestly didn’t explain anything at all. Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Reg, how many times growing up did I tell you that not everybody understands your thought process, but that some of the things you come up with don’t make any sense unless you explain them?”

“But surely you of all people would know!”

Sirius opened his eye so he could peer over the hand pinching the bridge of his nose at his younger brother who seemed quite confused. “Why? Why would I of all people surely know whatever it is you’re trying to tell me?”

“Because you love Muggles. That’s why.”

Which of course only made sense in Regulus’ mind. “I don’t follow.”

“Because it’s a theory based on Muggle science.”

Sirius didn’t know what was more surprising; the fact Regulus actually knew about some Wizarding theory based on something going on in the Muggle world given the way he followed their parents’ ideas regarding pureblood supremacy or the fact Regulus honestly believed Sirius knew everything about Muggles.

“Scratch that. It’s completely like you to actually think that my love of Muggles means I actually know everything about them, but I honestly don’t. Particularly anything overly complicated.” He took a deep breath. “Speaking of which, it honestly perplexes me that you would actually know about any theories which utilized knowledge of Muggles.”

“Why?” Regulus of course seemed confused which left Sirius also confused, allowing his younger brother to continue as if they were having a normal everyday conversation when they weren’t, which in itself was a normal thing for Regulus. “Anyways, the point is Voldemort would have overlooked said theory, right?”

“Okay.” Sirius still didn’t follow where his younger brother was going.

“Well, the mainstream theory behind spells which are coded around adult wizards is that these spells work based around when a wizard becomes of age or not, right?”

“Doesn’t that mean that Voldemort didn’t use this kind of spell?”

“No. See, that particular theory forgets that what determines whether a person is of age or not is their birthdate, which only the ministry will have records of. The vast majority in the Wizarding community don’t have access to these records right?”

“Regulus, please get to where you’re going with this.”

“Well, the theory is based on Muggle studies which pretty much explores a child’s development into adulthood and how this varies from person to person, but more importantly the theory puts forth the idea that these kinds of spells would register a person as an adult depending on their actual physical development because it’s certainly not based on their weight, etcetera.”

Sirius’ jaw dropped, then he said, “Regulus, I’m sorry. But I am still not following you.”

“Sirius, how do I look to you?”

“How old do you…” Sirius let out a soft snort. “Sixteen. You still look like a bloody sixteen-year-old.”

“I was afraid you say that. No, I’m pleased you did, considering if I was wrong…”

“Wait a second.” Sirius felt he better understood what Regulus meant by theoretical. “Are you telling me you had me get into the boat without knowing what would actually happen when I did?”

“I’d planned on telling Kreacher to pull you out, but you also said you know fire spells, so you should have been fine.”

“And what the bloody hell about you?” Sirius felt his blood go cold. “Are you bloody suicidal Reg?”

Regulus at that moment glared at him, a look of determination on his face that made Sirius’ stomach sink. “I came here completely expecting not to make it out alive Sirius.”

“Bloody hell!” Sirius honestly wanted to throttle his younger brother.

“I don’t understand why you’re getting mad at me. You of all people know Voldemort needs to be stopped, and while this won’t actually outright stop him it will hinder his progress. I brought you along because if something happens to me I need you and Kreacher to finish it.”

Sirius suddenly understood where the feeling of dread stemmed from, what honestly worried him since they arrived at this place. He’d already known before Regulus said what he did that his younger brother had gotten himself in over his head, but knowing only made the feeling even worse.

Chapter Text

The boat traveled across the water getting closer to the glowing green light as Sirius and Regulus conversed, but by the time Regulus questioned why Sirius was getting mad at him for throwing his life away leaving his older brother wondering why the younger Black devalued his own life in the way he did. In the back of his mind, he attempted to plot some method of saving his younger brother, only to discover planning wasn’t working.

Remus would likely argue it wasn’t his strong suit while Sirius would argue that he didn’t have enough details, which made him even angrier at Regulus. “No. Anger isn’t quite the right word for how I feel.” He could though, see the shape of an island in the green glow and Kreacher shivering, looking even more pitiful than usual. Regulus stepped out of the boat, heading towards a basin from which the green glow emanated from. Sirius followed, finding himself glaring at the basin. “What is that?”

“That?” Regulus turned towards him, his facial features cold and emotionless making Sirius wonder if he was still upset about, or all things, Sirius being upset he wanted to throw his life away. “That’s hardly important?”

“Hardly important?” Sirius glared at his younger brother. “Do you even hear yourself?”

“What’s inside of the basin is far more important.”

Sirius wasn’t sure if the thing in the basin really was far more important than his brother’s life, yet he knew that wasn’t what Regulus meant despite the fact it felt that way given how his brother didn’t seem to value his own life. “And what per se is inside the basin?”

“A locket.” Of course, while Regulus seemed to think a locket was important for some reason, Sirius couldn’t see why the item was important. His younger brother turned his head away from the basin. “You and Kreacher need to destroy it.”

“You’re…” Sirius wanted to chew his younger brother out for implying yet again he didn’t think he would make it out alive without giving any real details regarding what was going on.

“Kreacher does not want to work with the filthy runaway.” Kreacher, Sirius couldn’t help but notice that the House Elf was more on edge than usual nor did he like the way he glared at Sirius.

“It’s an order,” Kreacher.

“Regulus, I still don’t know what is going on here. You’ve been overly vague, but already told me you don’t expect to get out of this alive.” This of course made Kreacher begin to rail, not to mention cling to Regulus, his bony little fingers twisting into the cloth of Regulus’ clothing.

“Could you just leave it alone?” Regulus glared at him, one hand touching the top of Kreacher’s head. “I didn’t have to bring you along.”

“Yes, well, you also haven’t told me exactly what I am supposed to do.”

“I did. You’re going to help Kreacher destroy the locket he hid here.”

“Regulus…” Sirius closed his eyes. “I still don’t know anything about what is going on, but remember what we talked about in the boat and how not everybody understands your thought process?”

“When the locket is removed from the basin, Kreacher will take you somewhere safe so you can destroy the locket. I don’t like the headmaster of Hogwarts, but he’ll know what it is.” Regulus stood there, a hand still on the top of Kreacher’s head while the thing continued clinging to him, his fingers twisting into his brother’s clothing while glaring at Sirius.

“A safe place? Do you really think I’d let that thing know where I live, let any of the safe houses I might know of?”

“This isn’t a trap Sirius, but if it makes you happy…” Regulus turned his head towards the family House Elf. “You’re not to tell anybody the location Sirius tells you.”

“Kreacher already knows where the filthy runaway is when he wants to find him.” Kreacher’s words made Sirius cringe. “As much as Kreacher hates it, Kreacher can not betray a member of the House of Black even if said filthy runaway broke the mistress’s

heart.”

Meaning Kreacher would definitely turn him in if he could, which simply made him hate the House Elf even more. Regulus continued looking at the House Elf while Sirius silently fumed, but then he turned and looked at his brother. “Well. Since Kreacher already knows where you live, that should work as the safe place he takes you?”

“That…” Sirius took a deep breath. “That’s beside the point. That is so beside the point.”

“Well, since you’re avoiding giving me an answer I’m ordering Kreacher to take you there unless you give him an order to take you somewhere else.”

“Me, give an order to…” Sirius pressed his mouth shut, then said, “You’re not one to talk about being evasive which his answers.”

“Am I?” His attention turned back to the bin, yet Sirius couldn’t help but feel there was a slight look of fear in his brother’s eyes. He stepped over, looking at the green liquid filling the basin.

“I don’t see a locket.”

“You didn’t think he wouldn’t have some kind of defenses?”

“Regulus…”

“It’s a potion, Sirius.”

“A potion?” Sirius felt like throwing up. “And how do you…”

Before he could ask Regulus how he knew all of this let alone where this place was, the importance of the locket still evading him, Kreacher interrupted him. “Kreacher will drink the potion Master Regulus.”

“No. I’ll drink the potion.” Regulus took a deep breath, then continued speaking while Sirius found himself holding back yelling at his younger brother, knowing full well drinking said potion was a good idea. “No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, I need you to continue giving me the potion Kreacher.”

“What the bloody hell Regulus!” Sirius felt his throat tighten, no longer able to hold back, at least not completely. “What the hell did you even bring me here if I was to watch you die, you little twat.

Regulus turned, giving him a look that Sirius couldn’t decipher. “I wanted a chance to say goodbye.”

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“Bloody hell! I don’t want to say goodbye!” Sirius watched Regulus look at him, finding himself unable to read the look on his brother’s face, not to mention the fact there was the small inkling that his brother’s words about saying goodbye were empty. “Throwing your life away isn’t an act of courage Regulus.”

“And what? You’re going to…”

“Yeah. I could take it.”

“I didn’t want to say goodbye so you could throw your life away.”

“Regulus…” Sirius sucked in his breath.

His brother turned back to the basin. “And don’t try arguing that my life is more important than yours. I’m a dead man walking Sirius. I mean, you should know that nobody leaves the Death Eaters alive.”

“I could…”

“Not if you’re dead, so if we can stop joking,” Regulus summoned an object so he could drink from it, dipping the cup into the basin. Sirius opened his mouth, only for his younger brother to say, “Remember what I said about obliviating your memory and sending you away?”

“Yes, but…” Sirius looked at his brother, wondering if he should try wrestling the goblet out of his younger brother’s hands. He’d always been able to take his younger brother, yet his memory of such events made the idea of Regulus becoming a Death Eater sound even more like a joke, one created by his brother’s need to please their parents.

“And anyway, it’s not the potion I’m afraid of killing me.”

“Not the potion?” Sirius let his eyebrows raise up, wishing his younger brother would actually give him some kind of details regarding what was going on.

“I told you that you don’t want to touch the lake.” Taking a deep breath, Regulus dipped the cup into the basin while Sirius watched his younger brother, almost believing for a brief moment his brother’s facial features showed just a hint of trepidation.

There was still the thought of wrestling the goblet from his brother’s hands, yet in the back of his mind, he knew what Regulus said actually made sense. There was no way his soft-headed younger brother would survive on the own, which only made the whole thing even more puzzling. “That said, if he thinks I’m going to just let him die here, he has another thing coming, the little twat.”

“Kreacher, no matter what happens…” Regulus looked down at the object for drinking, possibly a goblet not that Sirius really cared. “No matter how bad things get, make sure the potion gets down my throat so you and Sirius can take the locket. Get Sirius to his safe place, but follow his orders.”

“Master Regulus?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Regulus scooped up some of the potion into the goblet, then chugged it down before Sirius could even make another attempt to protest.

“It’s useless, isn’t it? When he gets a stubborn idea into that thick skull of his…” He took a deep breath, watching his brother cringe at the taste of the liquid going down his throat. “Regulus, are you sure. Perhaps I should drink…”

“No. Once someone starts, they’ve got to finish,” Regulus chocked, an obvious shudder running through his body, dipping the goblet in, drinking some more.

Sirius swallowed, placing a hand on Regulus' shoulder only for his younger brother to pull away, flinching. He lifted his hands up. “Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to ask what the point of having a potion where the person has to drink it all?”

“It’s to hide something, but there is the expectation that they can’t drink it all on their own. Which is why Kreacher…”

“Kreacher’s not going to force that down your throat.” Sirius watched Regulus turn towards him, wanting to protest. “I’ll do it because I didn’t come along to have bloody nothing to do.”

“It’s going to be bad,” Regulus looked him in the eye, but the emotionless façade was starting to crack. “And you can’t stop. No matter what I say or do, you’ve got to continue pouring it down my throat. That locket needs to be destroyed, Sirius.”

Sirius opened his mouth, wanting to ask how Regulus knew how bad it would be, yet he didn’t ask. “I promise.”

Keeping the promise didn’t seem difficult at first. While Regulus seemed nervous, that seemed part of the course for someone planning on leaving the Death Eaters knowing that doing so was a death sentence. After a few more drinks, Regulus lost his balance, nearly dropping the goblet. Sirius moved forward, one hand grabbing onto Regulus’ arm while the other grabbed his wrist. “Regulus?”

“You promised, but it’s going to get worse.”

“How do you know that?” Sirius swallowed.

“Kreacher. Kreacher came to me babbling, not making any sense at first.”

“Kreacher?” Sirius glanced over, watching the House Elf rock back and forth, now wondering if the reason for the extra twitchiness from the House Elf didn’t have anything to do with old age. “Bloody hell! You decided to change sides because of a filthy House Elf! Do you know how bloody childish that is?”

“Master Regulus isn’t childish, you filthy…”

“No. Sirius is right, and I was wrong.” Sirius watched his brother swallow.

“You mean about pureblood superiority?” Sirius wasn’t sure how Regulus could have come to that conclusion based on a House Elf.

“No. I need to keep drinking the potion.”

“That…” Reluctantly, Sirius filled the goblet and lifted it to Regulus' lips, letting his younger brother chug it down, but with each drink, his younger brother became even more unsteady. He found himself rubbing his brother’s back while the House Elf kept telling Regulus everything would be okay, though he didn’t once believe the House Elf believed it, given the fact Regulus already let it be known he didn’t plan on making it out of this alive.

Regulus sucked in a deep breath, but then said. “Hey. Siri.”

“Yes,” Sirius felt his stomach lurch, having lost track of how many goblets of that stuff went down his brother’s throat; each dip into the basin didn’t seem to make a dent in the contents, which made him start to worry.

“Wanna know how childish I’ve been Siri?”

“Sure. Why not.”

“I honestly believed they believed the same thing as me.” Of course, Regulus wasn’t making any sense at all. “See, I thought this was for the greater good.”

“That sounds like you Reg.”

“I thought…” Regulus closed his eyes, clamping his mouth shut.

“Come on. We need to get this done Reg. You told me that.

“It’s the job of the superior to take care of the inferior, and I thought that’s what everyone believed.” Which of course didn’t make sense as Sirius lifted the drink to Regulus' mouth. That was the last thing to sound sensible coming out of his younger brother’s mouth; worse, that drink led to Regulus dropping to his knees whimpering, making those words the last words which made any sense coming out of his brother’s mouth, though the fear was evident. He was also very thirsty, something he didn’t pay much mind to.

So was hearing his brother telling him to just let him die and begging forgiveness for whatever he’d done. Sirius found himself grateful when the last goblet of potion poured down Regulus' mouth, but as he stood up he saw the locket Regulus mentioned – a locket with the mark of Slytherin on it. Reaching for t, he nearly pulled back at the feeling emanating from said object, but then slipped it into his pocket.

That was when he noticed his younger brother crawling towards the water, reaching for it. In the back of his mind, Sirius remembered Regulus telling him not to touch the water, let alone questioning whether he knew any fire spells. He quickly rushed forward, getting on his knees to pull his younger brother away from the water he crawled towards with one hand, while reaching for his want with the other.

As he pulled Regulus back, his younger brother’s finger brushed across the surface of the water, feeling Sirius with dread. Even more dread filled him when a white hand reached out, latching onto his brother. He flung a quick spell – not a fire one - at the white hand, pulling his brother backward, wrapping one arm at his chest. While the spell did succeed in making the hand move back from the impact it still came.

They all came, out of the water, the corpses, the infiri, making Sirius wonder exactly what his now delirious brother got into. Taking a deep breath, he called out. “Kreacher! Get us to a safe place!”

He felt the House Elf grab onto him and then pulling at his stomach from disappearing from that dreadful cave.

Chapter Text

With a resounding crack, all three landed on the ground hard, Sirius’ heart pounding in his chest while he pulled his younger brother closer and Kreacher attempted extracting himself from the pile of limbs on the floor. A voice in the darkness called out. “Sirius?” Then came the word, “Lumos.”

The light from Remus’ wand lit up the living area of Sirius’ flat, making the worn-out furniture appear in an eerie manner. His friend’s mouth opened and then closed, his mouth twisting as he took in the scene in front of him. Sirius looked up at him, wild-eyed. “What are you doing here?”

“Doing here?” Remus let out a deep breath while Kreacher glared at him, sending a few very choice words his way. “The House Elf of the Black family shows up and takes you away because your younger brother needed your help with something, and I shouldn’t be worried?”

“Well, you certainly didn’t say anything before he took me away, did you?” Sirius snapped, still holding Regulus close, feeling the younger Black’s head against his chest only to realize that he’d pulled his brother into his lap protectively while his arms wrapped protectively around his brother’s shoulder and arms. Letting out a deep breath, he placed his chin on top of his younger’s head, feeling suddenly tired while he looked around for any signs of the Infiri.

“Sirius?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really know what happened. Regulus was rather…” Sirius’ eyes closed. “…vague.”

“Then tell me what…”

Remus found himself interrupted by Regulus letting out a moan before he started apologizing for something he’d done again, yet also muttering regarding needing water, his fingers clawing. Remus’ eyes widened right before he turned on his heels, heading into the kitchen area. From where Sirius sat, he heard the sound of the tap being turned on, and then Remus returned, kneeling down so he might lift a cup of water to Regulus’ lips.

Regulus’ eyes didn’t seem to see anything around him, yet as soon as the liquid hit his lips he started drinking down the water greedily, his hands attempting to reach for and hold onto the glass in Remus’ hands. “Steady now. Drink it slowly so you don’t become ill, though perhaps I should say more ill than you are.” Remus looked up, his wand still lighting up the place. “Sirius? What caused this?”

“Some kind of potion,” Sirius muttered, his eyes darting away.

“A potion?”

“He drunk all of it.” He wasn’t sure how to explain the potion to his friend. “He had to drink it all to get the locket out. He said something about making sure the locket was destroyed, but wouldn’t explain why. I mean, he wasn’t planning on getting out of this alive, and if I hadn’t been there…”

Sirius’ eyes closed, not wanting to think what would have happened. Remus let out a sigh. “I’m not sure what should be done to counter whatever this potion is.”

“It doesn’t kill,” Kreacher muttered. “It doesn’t.”

Remus looked up, realizing the House Elf was still there. “It doesn’t.”

“He would know because Voldemort bloody shoved the potion down his throat first.”

“Kreacher, for Regulus’ sake can you tell me what the potion does?”

Sirius watched the House Elf shudder, but then more firmly said, “Kreacher. I order you to tell Remus what the potion does.”

“Made Kreacher relive Kreacher’s worst memories.”

“Oh. You mean mother torturing you. That makes sense.” Sirius rolled his eyes, yet he didn’t want to know what Regulus’ worst memories were, why his younger brother felt the need to worry.

“I’ll get another drink of water for him.” Remus stood up, heading back into the kitchen.

“And a Calming Draught?” Sirius asked, feeling his brother’s small frame tense and untense in his arms. He watched Remus looked back.

“No. I don’t think this is something that a Calming Draught can solve, but if it wore off for Kreacher it will wear off for Regulus as well. It might be best to get him into bed and comfortable, but I’ll contact Lily and see if she’ll drop by with a second opinion on the matter.” Remus looked at Kreacher. “What about the House Elf?”

“What about him?” Sirius gently started to lift Regulus up into his arms.

“He could easily bring either one of your parents here, letting them know where Regulus is.”

“Kreacher, with me in the other room.” Sirius let out a sigh, letting Regulus' head nestle against his shoulder while his brother’s entire frame shook, his voice still muttering apologies. ”Shush. It’s going to be okay Regulus.” He watched Kreacher scurry into the room, pulling back the sheets without being bidden, but then Regulus was his precious master. Setting Regulus down, he headed to the wardrobe, eyeing the clothes and wondering if he might just give the thing a gift, but then thought better of it, knowing that was known for backfiring on Wizards. “Kreacher.”

“Kreacher does not like the filthy runaway.”

“Yes, but you still have to take orders from me.”

“Kreacher does not want to, but Kreacher has to.”

“Then don’t tell anyone else in the family what Regulus did, where he is. Don’t bring them here.” He grabbed a set of warm pajamas and turned, watching the House Elf fidget. “What?”

“What if mistress asks?”

“Tell her that Regulus is safe and being taken care of, but that’s the limit of what you can tell her. Tell her…” Sirius paused, the words feeling like bile in his own throat. “Tell her it’s for her own safety, that Regulus wants her to be safe so she’s not to know, her and father.”

“It might kill Master Orion. The filthy runaway…”

“Tell him that Regulus is safe.”

“But Master Regulus is not safe.”

“He’s as safe as he can be, but it is better off if he is here rather than at the bottom of that cesspool with those Infiri. Whatever he’s done, he can’t go back to Voldemort.” He looked at the House Elf. “Look. I’ll see to it that Regulus is properly taken care of and if you’re needed, I will summon you. Regulus might even summon you once he is feeling better, the idiot.”

“Master Regulus is not…”

“He’s an idiot for nearly getting himself killed, and I can say that about him because I’m mad at him for nearly getting himself killed. Now be gone until you’re called for.”

Sirius waved his hand and Kreacher disappeared with a resounding crack while the warm pajamas remained in his hands. Letting out a sigh, he found himself getting to work removing his brother’s clothing, freezing upon opening up the front and seeing his brother’s ribs sticking out slightly. He sucked in his breath, just as the door opened.

“Sirius?”

Lily’s voice made Sirius look up; he felt physically tired, swallowing as he did so. “Lily.”

She moved over to his side, looking down at his brother. “He’s rather thin, isn’t he?”

“He’s always been on the small side.”

“Yes, but the way he trembles.” Lily shook her head, coming over and helping him get Regulus into the pajamas which practically swamped his younger brother.

Sirius turned and looked at her. “Is there anything…” The apologetic look on her face made him swallow. “You’re not going to give him anything?”

“No, I’m not. Just keep him warm and hydrated for now and only really do something if he takes a turn for the worst, in which case, well, the easiest solution would be to shove a bezoar down his throat since we don’t at all know any of the ingredients which went into making the potion, do we?”

“I see.” Sirius reached out and brushed a lock of his brother’s hair away from his forehead.

“That said, I will be taking shifts with Remus keeping an eye on him.”

“I can take a shift,” Sirius piped up, his eyes begging her not to leave him out.

“From the looks of it you need your own rest, but…” Lily nodded her head at Regulus. “Use your own body heat to keep him warm for the time being. Love, Sirius, can sometimes be the best medicine. This way if he wakes and wants water you can give it to him. One of us will be in the other room checking in every so often, but give a call if there is any change for the worse.”

She closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with his younger brother. Letting out a sigh, Sirius crawled in, watching Regulus’ eyelids move in the dim light from the window, indicating morning was well on its way. Every so often his brother muttered something about being sorry, particularly to their mother, but sometimes he offered an apology to Sirius. Letting out a sigh, Sirius knew it would be a long night.

Chapter Text

“Puppy.”

Sirius stirred from his sleep, feeling Regulus shift in the bed beside him. His year twitched when he felt Regulus' warm breath right before his younger brother buried his face into his black fur coat. Regulus reached a hand up in his sleep, rubbing the top of Sirius’ head before wrapping his arm around his older brother’s Animagus form, letting out a deep sigh of content.

He didn’t remember when he’d shifted into his dog form during the middle of the night, yet he didn't remember how Regulus calmed and became more receptive to a warm body lying next to him, keeping him warm during the middle of the night, which in turn made it easier for Sirius to fall asleep himself, though he felt as if he’d just woken from a nightmare.

He felt Regulus stiffen next to him, then pull away from him slightly. Sirius turned his head to see what his younger brother was doing and saw Regulus watching him right before Regulus said, “Puppy?”

Sirius let out a yawn, remaining in his Animagus form, noting in the back of his head how child-like and innocent his brother sounded, a stark contrast from the night before. He stretched, feeling the bed shift as Regulus pushed himself up from the bed into a sitting position, his eyes blinking in the sunlight which was absent from their childhood home, but from Sirius lay he could see Regulus look around the room.

Regulus started tugging at the pajamas he wore, his hands almost buried by the sleeves before muttering, “Muggle things.”

Sirius sat up, still in his Animagus form, taking in the Muggle things which were definitely in his bedroom before turning back to watching Regulus who’d lifted his arm so he might smell the clothes. He stopped when he saw Sirius—the black dog—staring at him. He lowered his arm and stared back at the black dog.

“You must belong to Siri,” Regulus said. He reached out to touch the top of Sirius’ head, only to hesitate for a few seconds. He shook his head, his mouth twisting slightly into a smile. “Lucky. Maman would never let me have a pet, but I guess that’s one of the benefits of not living under the same roof as her, huh?”

“Why did you have to bring her up?” Sirius let out a sigh. “And why do you have to smell my clothes like that? What is wrong with that head of yours?”

“I know. I know. I shouldn’t talk about her. That will just upset Siri if he hears,” Regulus ruffled the dog's face, much to Sirius's amusement, though the fact Regulus was just moments before smelling his clothes still bothered him. Regulus stopped, swallowing, his mouth pushing together in the way it always did when something was upsetting him.

Sirius suddenly bounced up, placing his front paws on Regulus’ shoulders, and did exactly what a normal dog would do when a human was upset and started licking Regulus' face. “Take that you little weirdo! Revenge is sweet, but wait until you find out, if ever that it's me doing this! Maybe you’ll think twice before smelling someone’s clothes like that!”

“Hey! Don’t do that!” A laugh escaped from Regulus, one that Sirius hadn’t expected, but the way that his brother spoke was definitely in a different tone than the night before.

“Maybe today he’ll talk to me.” Sirius hopped out of the bed and headed for the door.

“Come back!”

Which of course simply amused Sirius as he stepped into the other room, changing forms as soon as Regulus couldn’t see him. Remus started awake from where he sat. “You seem in a good mood.”

Lily spoke up from where she sat reading a book. “Be sure to get him a drink of water rather than just playing a prank on him.”

Sirius stopped in his tracks, before letting out a sigh and heading into the kitchen area, filling a cup with water before heading back into the room. Stepping into the room, he saw Regulus yet again smelling the pajama sleeve rather than paying attention to who came and went through the door. He stepped over, still holding the cup, and said, “Hey.”

Regulus’ eyes blinked, his head turning to look at Sirius without saying anything before looking away, giving him the silent treatment. The softness Sirius saw in his brother’s face, even the smile was now gone, replaced with a far more serious expression.

Sirius cleared his throat. “Are you thirsty?” Regulus didn’t answer and instead tugged at the sleeve before smelling it again. “That’s a simple yes or no question, you know.”

“Yes,” Regulus muttered.

Sirius reached out, meaning to place the cup into Regulus' hands, only to stop short. “Regi...”

Regulus continued tugging at the sleeve, absentmindedly smelling the clothes rather than responding.

“Regi, could you stop smelling my clothes?”

Sirius watched his brother’s silver eyes blink and then Regulus turned his head so he might look Sirius in the eye. He didn’t say anything. Instead, a light blush appeared on Regulus’ pale cheeks.

“Why are you smelling my clothes?”

“It smells like you,” Regulus stated, sticking his arm out, almost knocking the glass out of Sirius’ hands, but also waking him in the nose. He looked at Sirius as if said statement was a matter of fact that anybody would say.

“You little creep,” Sirius muttered, glaring at his younger brother. “I knew you had issues, but...”

Regulus narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Excuse me?” Sirius choked out.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“You were talking to the dog a moment ago.”

“Dogs don’t talk back.”

“You little...” Sirius slammed the cup of water down onto the nightstand next to the bed, not caring if the water got all over the place. “I’m outta here. Who cares about you!”

He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Silence greeted him which made him look at the other two in the room. Lily continued reading her book while Remus gave him a rather horrified look, but he finally decided to say something. “What happened?”

“That little twerp thinks it's normal to smell people’s clothing but told me it was easier to talk to the dog than it was me,” Sirius snapped.

“He smelled the clothing you were wearing?” Remus asked.

“No! He was smelling the pajamas and told me that they smelled like me! There is nothing normal about that!”

Lily continued reading her book. “Regulus isn’t normal, but you of all people should know that.”

“And what would you know about that?” Sirius snapped.

“I was in Slug Club with him, remember?” Lily finally looked up at her book. “Hearing you tell me that he finds it easier to talk to an animal than an actual human being doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

“Well, that doesn’t explain him smelling the clothes and telling me they smell like me!”

Lily glared at him. “Really?”

“It’s not normal.”

“Regulus is in an unfamiliar place, so what is the most familiar thing to him?” she added.

“That’s still creepy!”

Remus cleared his voice, finally deciding to speak up again. “At least he felt comfortable enough to do it in front of you. I doubt he would have done that in front of your parents.”

“That isn’t helping.”

“He’s doing it because you make him feel safe, not because he’s got some kind of sick fetish. But you had to go and blow up at him and getting him to open up to you, didn’t you?” Lily snapped. “You know, so we could get more details regarding whatever it was that you two got up to last night, though to be honest we haven’t even gotten the details from you, beyond the fact he had to drink a potion to get to a locket.”

“The locket he told me he wanted me and Kreacher to destroy, but doing so had something to do with bringing down Voldemort.”

“Then he has defected,” Remus whistled.

“Why would...” Lily sighed. “Any more information on destroying the locket?”

“Just that Dumbledore might know more regarding what to do with it.”

“Well, I guess we should summon him here then, given the fact there is definitely no way at this point we’ll get more information from him, is there?” Lily snapped.

“That...” Sirius glanced at the room, not wanting to summon Dumbledore yet. “He’ll talk to the dog. Bloody hell, he’ll talk to the dog that happens to be me, but not me.”

Chapter Text

How long he stared off into space, Sirius didn ’t know, yet by the time he’d let the fact Regulus wanted nothing to do with him unless he took the form of a dog sink in, he’d sat down at his kitchen table in his small flat, while Lily moved to the kitchen stove, having put the tea kettle on.

“Aren’t you going to summon Dumbledore?” Sirius asked as Remus took a seat near him. He glanced over, only for Remus to shrug and look over at Lily, who was still miffed at him from the look on her face.

“Are you going to turn into a dog to get information from him?” Lily sniped.

Sirius let out a deep breath, leaning back in the chair before turning to drum his fingers on the table, his mouth pushed together. He said nothing, unsure of what to say; his mind mortified at the idea that might be the only way to interact with his younger brother.

Lily looked up, her mouth pushed together, saying, “I was being sarcastic before. We do have other options, Sirius. From now on, please understand patience is what works best with Regulus.”

“What,” Sirius stiffened, his head tilting as she moved through the kitchen. “I don’t need you to tell me what works best with my brother, Evans!”

“Apparently, you do,” Lily said. “But apparently, you’ve forgotten how you treated him like a stranger while we were at Hogwarts?”

“What would you know about that?”

Lily took a deep breath, then shook her head. “We’ll start by getting everyone fed. Is there anything, in particular, he is used to eating? I mean, at home?”

Sirius let out a sound of disgust. “And here you were proclaiming you knew more about him than me.”

“I do know more about him than you do, but while I may know what kind of routine he had at Hogwarts, I am certainly not familiar with his routine at home. So I’m trying to turn to the one person who would know.”

“I don’t know. Tartine. Or viennoiseries of some kind.” Sirius frowned, looking at the ceiling. “Nothing I’d have here.”

Lily let out a deep breath. “I guess toast and jam will have to suffice. But we do have juice. And it will have to be tea instead of coffee.”

Sirius stiffened, the color draining from his face, while Remus ’ eyebrows went up, his mouth twisting into an amused smirk. “Coffee? Where’d you get that idea from?”

“Tout à l'heure, Sirius parlait de cuisine française.”

“I—what?” Sirius let out a deep breath. “Speak English, Lily. I never learned French as Regulus did.”

“So the Black family does have French traditions,” Lily said, placing bread into the toaster. “But for your information, Remus, the French love their coffee, but something tells me that’s more of the tradition in the Black household?”

“Whatever,” Sirius said, looking out the window. “I want nothing to do with those traditions.”

“Or do you simply not like coffee?” Lily asked. Sirius’ face screwed up, and Remus laughed. “I thought so.”

“It’s not what you think,” Sirius said. “The stuff is so awfully bitter, so I’d prefer not to have it in my house.”

Lily ’s eyebrows shot up. “So, effectively, you’ve only tried it served one way?”

“What other way could it possibly be served?” Sirius asked.

“Well, tea is served more than one way, Sirius, so you’d think that coffee would be as well,” Lily said.

“That,” Sirius paused. “I’m not getting coffee so that Regulus can have that crap. And don’t you go getting him it either, Lily?” He glanced over at the door to his room, which was still closed. “I should go and check on him.”

“You should, but don’t be a brat,” Lily said.

“He’s the brat,” Sirius said, getting up and heading to the bedroom door, not bothering to knock as he opened the door. A part of him half-expected Regulus not to be there, for his brother to have taken off. Instead, “Hey! Don’t eat my pajamas! Evans is making you something to eat!”

“Lily’s here?” Regulus said, not bothering to say anything about what Sirius said as if he’d not just had the sleeve of his pajamas in his mouth. And then, he said. “I’ll talk to Lily.”

“What?” Sirius stared at him. “You’ll talk to Lily, but not me?”

“Lily is nice to me,” Regulus said, glaring at his older brother. “You are not.”

“Bloody,” Sirius said. “She’s Muggleborn. As in, not part of the social circle they’d approve of.”

“Shows what you know,” Regulus said, letting out a sniff of disgust like a proper pure-blood. He then looked down, his fingers pulling at the front of the pajamas. “Although…”

“What?”

“I should go home and change first,” Regulus said, looking down at his clothes. “I’d best head home so they don’t worry about me.”

“Worry?” Sirius took a deep breath, then walked over, grabbing the pillow from the bed and waking Regulus as hard as he could. “You little twat!” He hit Regulus with the pillow again. “How dare you!” And again. “How dare you talk about worrying them when you were talking about killing yourself just last night!”

“It’s the phrase, a way of speaking,” Regulus said.

“Saying you’re a dead man walking is just a bloody phrase!” Sirius said, hitting Regulus again.

This time Regulus ’ hand went up, pushing the pillow away so he could look at Sirius, although not in the eye. “No. Saying one is heading home so that nobody worries is what I’m talking about.” The teenager’s thin frame trembled. “But you got it right earlier.”

“What?” Sirius’ eyes blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Your exact words were, ‘I’m out of here. Who cares about you.”

“Reg.” Sirius swallowed, not liking the conversation’s direction.

“There isn’t anybody at home who’ll be worried about me, nobody to notice I’m gone.” Regulus let out a sigh. “Well, except Kreacher. And I guess, now that I think of it, Lily would be in the right state if something had happened to me. On the other hand, had I died, everyone would be far safer, so why did you bloody save me?”

“You are bloody suicidal,” Sirius said.

“No. That’s you,” Regulus said, frowning. “I’m not the one with a death wish.”

Sirius swallowed. “I’m the one with a death wish? You were bloody talking about bloody dying last night.”

“And what other options did I have?” Regulus said, finally looking Sirius in the eyes, silver eyes full of emotion that Regulus was holding back. “What options do I have?”

“If you had no options, then why come to me?” Sirius snapped, pointing at himself. “Why?”

“Because,” Regulus bit his lip, then let out a deep breath. “I was being selfish.”

“What is selfish about wanting to live?”

“That,” Regulus frowned. “I was being selfish, wanting to say goodbye. Where do you get…”

Sirius let out a sigh, letting the pillow drop to the floor. “Move over.”

“What?”

“Just move over. So I can sit beside you.”

“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Regulus said, scooting over, so Sirius sat down. “And I wanted to say goodbye because I do care. I know it’s stupid, but…”

Sirius sat down, wrapping an arm around Regulus, which made his brother stiffen. And then he hugged the younger, feeling Regulus harden even more. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Regulus.”

Regulus spoke, head now tucked under Sirius ’ chin. “For what? You haven’t done anything wrong, whereas I’ve done plenty.”

Chapter Text

“Idiot.”

There Sirius was, trying to comfort his younger brother, to make Regulus aware he was wanted and cared for, only for that bad habit of his brother ’s to kick in, that thought process everyone around Regulus found hard to follow, while on the other side getting through to Regulus was also a process in itself.

“You bloody idiot.”

Sirius felt Regulus stiffen even more. “Siri?”

“What?” Sirius let out a sigh, wishing there was some way of getting through to the young wizard, and at that moment, he let go and stopped hugging his younger brother, a thought of how Regulus never returned such affections as James did, crossing his mind.

“Are you crying?”

Sirius blinked. “No.”

Regulus frowned. “You are. Why?”

“Bloody,” Sirius snorted, his arm reaching up to wipe the tears away, only to freeze as Regulus did the same. “What the…”

Regulus froze his arm not far from Sirius ’ face as Sirius held onto his wrist. His brother said nothing, just remained there frozen.

“You’re doing that but can’t return a hug?” Sirius said, perplexed.

He felt Regulus yank his hand away, then completely pull away into a corner of the bed, his knees pulled to his chest as he lowered his forehead to his arms.

“Reg?”

“I should go,” Regulus said, lifting his head.

“You’re not leaving,” Sirius said firmly.

“Why, when I’m always messing up,” Regulus said, holding onto his wrist as if it hurt, creating panic in the back of Sirius’ head.

“Going forward, please understand that patience is what works best with Regulus.”

Remembering that what Lily said made him not blurt out the first thing that came to mind, that he bloody cared what happened to Regulus, and instead, he thought it over, only to find himself reaching out to stop Regulus as his brother started to move. “I said you’re not leaving.”

Regulus turned his head as Sirius held onto his arm gently. “You’ve not given a reason why I should.”

“Because I’m trying to think of what to say,” Sirius said.

Regulus ’ facial features twisted in anger. “Oh. Great. You don’t actually…”

“I’ve plenty of reasons!” Sirius said. “But what can I say that will get through that thick skull of yours?” He then let out a deep sigh and moved close again, leaving Regulus pressed between him and the wall, making escape less easy. He leaned in his head to rest his forehead against Regulus’ as his eyes closed. “Please stop scaring me like this.”

“But you’re a Gryffindor.”

“Bloody! Regulus!” And there he was, hugging Regulus, making it so his younger brother couldn’t easily escape. Regulus was tense, acting like he wanted to bolt even though Sirius managed to cut off as many escape routes as possible by squishing him against the wall with his own body. “How do I get through to you, kiddo?”

“Okay. Why do you not want me to leave?”

“Because if you leave, I’m scared. The next thing I hear is that you’re dead.”

“Question.”

“What?” Sirius let out an exasperated sound. “What is it?”

“Doesn’t that imply you care?”

Sirius let out a breath of relief and then plied his brother ’s forehead with a kiss, which resulted in Regulus’ arms reaching out and his legs moving in protest.

“Gross! Sirius, why do you…”

Then he hugged tighter, and Sirius did not want to let go as he rested his chin on Regulus ’ head, not caring that his brother was tensed, obviously not liking being touched. “Yes. That does imply I care, you idiot.”

“But,” Regulus’ voice quaked. “You always say you don’t.”

“That’s because I’m an arse when I’m angry and say things I don’t actually mean,” Sirius said. “So you shouldn’t take anything I say in anger seriously.”

“So then.” He felt Regulus’ thin frame relax and heard Regulus let out a sound of relief. “Does this mean you don’t hate Papa and maman? Does this mean you’ll come home?”

“What?” Sirius stiffened, then pulled away. He reached a calloused handout and tilted Regulus’ face so he now looked at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You said all of that in anger.”

“Regulus.”

“Plus, I’m a poor replacement.”

“What are you talking about?”

Regulus gave him a funny look. “I’m not who they want as heir. Surely you know that.”

“What,” Sirius took a deep breath, rolling his eyes, pulling Regulus into him. “Come on. They never stopped talking about how perfect you were when I still lived under that roof.” He watched Regulus’ face. “Hey. Why are you frowning?”

“That’s not true.”

“Come on. They were always reminding me how much better you were than me.”

Regulus shook his head. “At least they voiced their worries about your behavior and grades to your face.”

“What are you talking about,” Sirius said, continuing to hug Regulus with one hand and with the other motioning across the room. “The future’s yours. You could do anything you want, with your grades, your behavior, and now your heir? You’re everything they ever wanted.”

“So you think leaving helped everyone out?” Regulus asked, his tone becoming dark.

“Hey. Don’t pretend I left for unselfish means,” Sirius snorted. “I couldn’t stand that family.” He reached out and pinched his brother’s cheek. “But you. You kept talking last night about dying as if it didn’t matter as if you didn’t have some kind of amazing future ahead of you.”

Regulus reached up, pulling Sirius ’ hand away. “What future? You act like the family has always had some great plan for me.”

“The family,” Sirius frowned. “I’m not talking about the family, but you.” He motioned across the room. “As I said, any future dream of yours is going to come true, but I suspect you’ll do great things whatever it is.” Sirius frowned, realizing something. “Actually…”

“You’re an idiot.”

“What?”

“Get out,” Regulus muttered.

“Hey.”

“Leave me alone.”’

“Regulus!” Sirius remained firm, not letting go even though Regulus started pushing.

“I promise I won’t leave! Just leave me alone, you bastard!”

“I wish,” Sirius muttered regarding the last phrase, yet knowing Regulus was one to keep promises, almost as if he were a House Elf instead of a wizard. He stood up, watching Regulus curl in upon himself.

“…patience is what works best…”

Sirius took a deep breath. “I wish you’d open up to me, kiddo, but I also get it. I’ve not earned your trust; I’ve done everything to do the opposite over the years. But please. I really do care what happens to you.”

Sirius stepped out of the room, taking a deep breath and calmly closing the door behind him.