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“I hate family gatherings,” Sirius muttered, giving his reflection the best sneer he could possibly muster as he straightened the obscenely antiquated tie from the Victorian era in the mirror. He let his facial features muster up a sneer before leaving the upstairs bathroom he once shared—and momentarily again shared—with his younger brother.
He stopped, jacket hanging over his arm, staring at the sign over the door telling everyone not to enter without permission from a certain someone. With a deep sigh and tilting his head in irritation, Sirius stepped in, finding, as he expected, a certain someone still in his room; Regulus, after all, hadn ’t bothered him about running late already. However, he’d not expected to find that specific someone sitting there on his bed, and legs pulled up to his chest so he could bury his face from view. Nor was that certain someone ready for the gathering they were both expected to attend.
“Seriously?” Sirius muttered under his breath.
He stepped into the room and walked over, watching Regulus not move as he got closer. He felt rather irritated at having somehow been drug back into the family—directly tied to Regulus. Sirius swallowed when his gray eyes focused on Regulus ’ left arm, the root cause of the mess he now found himself in. They’d both learned neither Orion nor Walburga wanted either one of them to join up, which was why Sirius left.
“Regulus?”
“Go away,” Regulus muttered.
“Really?” Sirius said. “You do realize I’m in this bloody mess because of you? I never wanted to come back here, being forced to mingle with the family. Yet here you are, planning on hiding away in your room, but I’ll be the one getting the chewing out because you don’t attend.”
Regulus looked up and—
Sirius found himself far from amused. “Bloody Merlin. Have you been crying?”
He watched his brother make a sorry attempt at wiping the tears away from his eyes, followed by a sniffle from a horribly runny nose.
“Well, she will certainly have a fit when you show up.”
“I’m not going.”
Sirius let out a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. “What did I say about me being the one they’ll chew out if you don’t?”
“I can’t,” Regulus said.
“You bloody well,” Sirius said, looking down in time to see his younger brother pull back his sleeve, revealing the mark that made Sirius want to gag when he saw it. A hand clamped over his mouth, his jacket still hanging from his elbow, ready to pull on if Walburga made enough of a stink. He lowered his hand, taking in the scratch marks as if Regulus had been scratching at the mark. “Why did you show me that?”
“I can’t go!” Regulus said.
“Why?”
Regulus lifted his arm, almost as if he were trying to shove the Dark Mark into Sirius ’ face. If they were closer, he probably would have succeeded. Sirius looked away, seeing the mark on his brother’s arm continuing to make him feel uncomfortable.
“Why do you keep showing me that?”
“I messed up!”
“Oh, la-di-da,” Sirius said. “I mess up all the time, remember.”
“Not like this!” Regulus said. “And I mess up all the time too!”
Sirius turned his head, looking at Regulus, before looking away. “Please. Regulus. Cover your arm.”
“See. You can’t stand to look at it, so why would you be able to stand looking at me?”
Sirius turned his head, feeling uncomfortable, but then he did something that he didn ’t think he’d ever do again in a million years. He set his jacket on the foot of the bed and sat down, his hands gently reaching out to pull the sleeve of his brother’s shirt back over the mark and then held on. “So this is what it’s all about? This is why you were crying?”
“I,” Regulus looked away. “It’s not just that. I’m used to you not looking at me.” Sirius looked up and watched his brother’s eyes narrow. “No. I’m used to everyone not looking at me.” He turned his head and, at the moment, realized Sirius was looking at him, then squeaked out. “Don’t look at me!”
“I thought,” Sirius paused.
Regulus looked away, the tips of his ears turning red. “You thought what?”
“I thought you wanted to be the heir? You do realize that means everyone’s eyes would be on you, right?”
“I never wanted to be heir,” Regulus said. “And I don’t like that. Everyone is watching me. And now I’ve royally messed up.”
“That you have,” Sirius said, musing over what Regulus just said, his mouth twisting in amusement. “So if you didn’t want to be heir, what did you want?”
Regulus shook his head, indicating he didn ’t want to answer.
“Oh, come on. Humor me. For once.”
“It’s always at my expense, though,” Regulus said, sighing. “And you’ll laugh.”
“Promise I won’t.”
“You will,” Regulus said. “But, I just wanted to be a family again. But now that you’re back, I’ve gone and done something stupid, so that’s ruined.”
“You just wanted to be family?”
“What else could I have wanted?”
“Lots of things,” Sirius said. “But something tells me you’re not ready for my jokes right now.”
“They tend to go over my head anyways,” Regulus said.
Sirius nodded his head slightly. “Be that as it may,” and then a pause. “I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s a first,” Regulus said. He then turned his head, confusion on his face. “Wait. You’re not laughing.”
“Yes. Well,” Sirius let out a chuckle. “It’s not because I planned on keeping my promise. I just really can’t laugh at what you said.”
“But now you are.”
“It’s,” Sirius looked at the bed. “It’s so you, though. Isn’t it?”
“I guess so,” Regulus said. “Can’t rightly be sure what that means?”
“Look,” Sirius pressed his lips together. “I don’t plan on staying.”
“But it’s Christmas,” Regulus said. “And she’s pleased you’re back home. Neither one of them will be pleased to see me.”
Sirius paused, then let out a deep breath realizing he would need to explain. “Yes. I am staying over the winter break. What I meant was when summer comes, I’m going to be living at my own place.”
“Oh.”
“And you’re welcome to come and visit me if they’ll allow. And if on the off chance, they kick you out, you can come live with me. Doubt they will, though.” Sirius took a deep breath. “And.” He reached out and squeezed Regulus’ left forearm, which made his brother squirm. “I’m going to take a chewing out for you.”
“What? Why?”
“Well, you’re certainly not in a state to be seen right now,” Sirius reached up and affectionately ruffled Regulus’ hair, his mind finding it strange to be doing so. “Or do you don’t think I can’t handle it?”
“Yes, but,” Regulus started to say, only for Sirius to place a finger on his lip.
“Don’t. Don’t force yourself to before you’re ready,” Sirius said. He stood up, grabbing his jacket. He held out his arms. “So. Do I look the part of a Pureblood prick?”
Regulus frowned, a sleeve wiping his eyes before getting up and straightening Sirius ’ tie, which made Sirius frown, making him want to thump his younger brother, yet he fought back the urge as Regulus sat down. “Your hair.”
“Made sure to pull it back into a ponytail tied right at the base of the neck, just the way she likes it, so hopefully, she won’t throw a fit over that.”
“She’ll throw a fit over not wearing the jacket.”
“Well, win some. Lose some,” Sirius said. “Wish me luck.”
“Yes, but….”
“It’s not as if you’ve been making yourself busy readying yourself for the family greeting. You’ve been worrying about how to avoid everyone.”
“Yes, but.”
“Regulus, it’s fine. I said I’m going to take one for you. I can handle this,” Sirius said before heading for the door, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath, tilting his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. But then—“
Sirius couldn ’t deny Regulus had that kind of effect on people. He headed down the stairs, arriving at the drawing room to see his Aunt Lucretia putting up the fireplace decorations, none of the family noticing his presence. There was Lucretia’s husband, the family head, his parents, her brother and his wife, Narcissa minus her husband, and Aunt Cassiopeia.
Without hesitation, he stepped in, grinning ear to ear as he stood there with the jacket over his arm, clearing his throat to get everyone ’s attention before saying, “Surprise. Bet nobody expected to see me, of all people.”
He watched his Uncle Cygnus ’ eyes widen in horror. “What, prey tell, is he doing here?”
“Oh,” Sirius said, still grinning ear to ear. “Nobody told you, Cygnus? That Bella got Regulus to join the Death Eaters?” He heard the clearing of throats. “Oh? And the reason I left? She tried getting me to join as well.”
He watched his uncle Cygnus suck in his breath. “Where is Regulus?”
“Indisposed,” Sirius said, watching as his uncle Cygnus slipped his wand out while Walburga bristled.
“What did you do to him?” Walburga said, her voice straining to keep herself from yelling, which she only did when something caught her off guard.
“Nothing,” Sirius said. “Pardon Reggie for not wanting to see anybody right now, given the circumstances.”
He watched his Uncle Cygnus fiddle with his wand, turning it over in his hand, his head turning to look at the tapestry. Sirius watched him walk over, his head tilting in amusement, wondering what would happen when the man uttered Walburga ’s favorite spell—the one used for removing the family from the tapestry. Moments later, Bellatrix was no longer on the tapestry.
“Father,” Narcissa said.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“I just think,” Narcissa started saying, pausing as if unsure what to say, but if Sirius heard the rumors correctly, her husband was also one of them.
“What? What is it you think?”
“Shouldn’t,” and then she turned to look at the family matriarch. “Shouldn’t Aunt Walburga have done that?”
Sirius continued smirking, heading over to the piano. He ran his finger along, remembering how Regulus loved to play the instrument when asked by one of the adults in the family or when he thought nobody else was home other than him and Sirius.
“Walburga, if I overstepped,” Cygnus said.
“It was your choice.”
Her brother let out a sigh, then glanced at the tapestry. “I know I’m out of place, but Regulus….” He sucked in his breath and glared at Sirius. “Please reconsider. Things can’t possibly be at the point you’d bring this fool home.”
“Why thank you,” Sirius said, making an exaggerated bow that made everyone glare while Narcissa rolled her eyes in disgust. “For your information, I don’t plan on stepping in as heir. So there.”
“Hadn’t planned on letting you,” Arcturus said. “Bloody whelp.”
“What do you mean,” Walburga started to say, only to be interrupted by her brother.
“Then why is he bloody here?” Cygnus said, sneering at Sirius as if he were a piece of trash. “He’s a blood traitor.”
“Didn’t you hear him?” Cassiopeia chuckled. “Bella’s the one who drove him away.”
“We all know this one was looking for an excuse to leave, Aunt Cassiopeia,” Cygnus said. “Why is Sirius here?”
“I thought Sirius was being brought back as heir, given he’d only left because,” Walburga said.
Sirius rolled his eyes. “Don’t want it. Not that Regulus wants it either.”
“What do you mean,” Walburga said, glaring at him.
“Told me himself,” Sirius said.
“Wait. You and your brother are on speaking terms again?”
“Kind of. Not really,” Sirius said, grinning ear to ear.
“Sirius?”
Sirius was startled, recognizing the voice of his younger brother. Turning his head, it was obvious Regulus was rather distraught at what he said as if he felt that Sirius had gone back on his words. He was also—Regulus hadn ’t bothered to change, let alone add anything to his wardrobe, and his eyes were still puffy from crying. His black hair was sticking out all over the place. “Ah! Regulus! Come here!”
Regulus stared, unsure what to do, absentmindedly reaching up to scratch his left arm.
“Reggie, I know you’re the perpetual silent type, but you don’t have to be so reserved with me like that,” Sirius said. “Come here.” And then, “Trust me. Please?”
Regulus looked around, his discomfort at having all eyes on him obviously, but then he came over, his head hung low. And then he said. “What—um.”
Sirius reached out, pulling Regulus into a hug. “It’s okay. You’ve not done anything wrong.”
“Wrong?” Pollux said. “He joined the bloody Death Eaters.”
“Oh. Come on,” Sirius smirked. “So Regulus messes up once when I get in trouble all the time.” He pulled Regulus in closer, unsure of how well it would go over, yet he wanted to try. He felt Regulus continue tensing at the touch, but to his surprise, Regulus relaxed and leaned in. One hand even clenched Sirius’ vest.”
“That’s not even remotely the same!” Walburga said. “Becoming a Death Eater? And can you ever learn a sense of decorum, Sirius Orion….”
“Don’t call me that,” Sirius said.
“Hold on,” Cygnus said. “Please tell me you aren’t considering blasting Regulus from the family tree? He’s still a child. He doesn’t understand.”
“Which is precisely why it’s not as bad as anything I did. You should have heard him blathering to the headmaster,” Sirius said, making his fingers speak. “I mean….”
“He did what?” Narcissa said, paling, but then if her husband were in as rumors foretold—
“It’s resolved,” Arcturus said. “Dumbledore. Actually, the headmaster and the heads of both Slytherin and Gryffindor came to bat for Regulus, but we’re gathered here to figure out how the family will move forward. That, and to have Christmas as a family.”
Sirius looked away. “Look. For anyone concerned, I’m just here for Regulus. That’s it.”
“Well, it’s nice to see you’ve actually grown up.”
“What?” Sirius glared at his grandfather, then sneered.
“We’ll talk later. For now, this is a normal family gathering for Christmas,” Arcturus said. “And both you boys will behave.”
“I,” Sirius frowned, then looked down at his brother, who was still relatively short. He took a deep breath as Regulus looked at him wide-eyed. He smiled, reluctantly, and reluctantly, he said, “Fine.”