Chapter Text
Pov Sirius
It had been more than 3 years since he and Regulus had moved to France, forgetting about life in London. He had heard about the war that was going on there at the time but it didn't affect him much. There was no need for either of them to worry about anyone else. After the Marauders broke up, they had no friends there. The fight that happened 6 years ago was a complete break from there.
After Sirius had moved out of the dorm and left the three behind, he continued his life away from them. He acted like they didn't know each other even when one of them tried to talk to him. He just kept walking. So he finished school without any real interaction with his old friends, with exceptionally good grades and a very good relationship with his brother.
Although Sirius would be lying if he said he didn't once think about stopping running from them and listening to them, he always remembered the day he was going to die and the damn letter from Remus.
Regulus really saved him that day and after. Even though he was pretty broken too. Sirius could always see Regulus' gaze fixed on James and knew that his brother hadn't really gotten over it to this day.
And when one day he receives a letter from London, which somewhat alarmed the brothers, knowing very well that there is a war there and no one knew where they disappeared after Regulus also finished school.
They both sit face to face at the table looking at the envelope in the middle of the table, which is not signed by anyone, only stamped. The stamp looked familiar but neither of them knew who it belonged to.
-So shall we open it? "Do we really want to reopen something from the past?" Regulus breaks the silence when he sees Sirius won't do it.
-I do not know. Do you want to know something from there? I know you also received letters from a few people there and I also know you didn't open them but you still have them.- answered Sirius, pulled out of his thoughts and focusing on the problem they have.
-And you did the same. But no letter so far has been sent to both of them, nor has it been anonymous.- says Regulus, looking nervous.
- So we open it. This means nothing more than a letter, right? - says Sirius taking the letter in his hand.
-Correct. Nothing more. - he says in a neutral tone.
After opening the letter, both brothers look at it carefully and begin to read it.
Dear Black Brothers,
I know you don't want my letter for many reasons, both for different reasons but I was chosen to let you know this. Your parents are dead, so you must both come to receive your inheritance. Of course not with me but at the Ministry. They died a few months ago but the letter was delayed because of the war. Also, the war is over and there have been many casualties and I don't know if you want to come to their funerals, but you were once close to them and I feel compelled to let you know about it. Besides that there will be trials of your family members and they want you to participate in them because you are the only members who had nothing to do with the war. I hope you will come and if you have any other questions we can meet before the meeting at the Ministry, it is at your discretion. I await your reply. Maybe this time I'll get it.
ps I don't know where exactly you disappeared to, I know you're wondering that, but the letters are sent by your house elf, so don't worry about the location.
James Potter.
Sirius looked at Regulus with a stunned look on his face as well. They are plain and simple. And he doesn't know if it's because the war is over or because their parents are dead or because they're not disinherited or maybe because there are people who died and were close to them or most importantly JAMES POTTER WROTE AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE FAMILY STAMP HIS.
-So this letter is a BIG THING besides what I thought.- Regulus broke the silence again for the second time that day, but with a wounded voice.
- It really is.
- Shall we answer him? - Regulus asks in a whisper.
-You tell me. I don't have a problem with him or the people there, I just don't want him to ruin my life again and I won't let him do it. - says Sirius with a steady voice.
-No, I do not want. We will go to the ministry but I don't want to see him or the other bastards. - Regulus says decisively.
Regulus' words were harsh but Sirius knew he was right, if he saw him or one of the others he knew he would let them affect his life again and he really didn't want that.
-Okay, then tomorrow we're going back to London.- Sirius says before going to his room.
The next day, Sirius and Regulus have their first flight to London, and the first place they go to is the Ministry. Because none of them want to stay here longer than they have to.
When they got there, the war damage and disorientation of everyone was obvious, and for a moment Sirius actually felt bad for leaving everyone here to fight alone.
-Hello, we are here because we were requested for the death of our parents.- Regulus' voice makes him come back to reality and realize that he has reached the communication offices.
-The family?- asks the person from the office who didn't even bother to look at them.
-Black.- Regulus says less politely, obviously bothered by the person's lack of respect.
-Enter cabinet 6, the person there is dealing with this case.- and with that both brothers rush to the door that indicates that it is room number 6.
Regulus knocked softly on the door and entered.
-Hello, are you working on the Black family case?- Regulus asks, because Sirius really doesn't feel the need to get involved in all these horrible conversations.
-Yes.- says a familiar male voice that is behind a tall bookshelf.- Take a seat, I'll join right away.- says the man, and Sirius doesn't know why he seems so familiar and Regulus' face shows the same confusion like his.
After less than 5 minutes, a tall figure, dressed in a winter sweater even though it's summer at the moment, appears in the brothers' line of sight. And suddenly knowledge pops into Sirius's brain. That voice, of course he knew it, was Grant Chapman's. And Sirius immediately frowned.
-So you are Sirius and Regulus Black, right?- Grant asks as he sits down at the desk in front of the brothers.
-As you can see.- Sirius says sharply, speaking for the first time since they arrived in London.
-So, I don't hold you back much, you just have to sign some documents that you receive the inheritance and that's it.- Grant says, visibly tensed under the eyes of the brothers.
-Okay, if that's all, send the documents to our manor.- Regulus says as he stands up, Sirius following him.
-Of course, thanks for coming in person.- Grant says before leaving the office.
-So, the next stop is home?- asks Sirius slightly amused that Regulus couldn't wait to sign the papers here but asked for them to be sent to the manor.
Sirius looked at Regulus' sudden silence and looked at him slightly nervously staring at something in the hall he was now in, only to realize in the next few minutes that Regulus had just seen James smiling and gesturing happily next to Lily.
-Reggie, let's go.- Sirius says and quickly pulls Regulus by the hand to bump into a tall and strong body.
"Damn it, can't someone just get out of this building without interruption?" Sirius shouted and looked at Regulus who was begging him to shut up, realizing that he had just made everyone look at him even James. And when he looks at the person he hit, he remains in shock. He doesn't know what to do.
-I'm sorry.- says Remus, while looking at him with an indescribable look.
- Yes, anything. "Let's go, Reg," Sirius says and reluctantly walks past Remus, even though his heart rate has increased greatly.
After they hurried out of the building, Regulus looks at Sirius with concern, of course he does.
-Are you okay?- Regulus asks in a soft voice.
-What about you?- turns his words back. And before they could answer someone called out from behind them.
-Sirius. Regulus. Wait a minute.- James shouted quickly approaching them, and Sirius just wanted to punch him when he saw Regulus' nervousness.
-What do you want?- asks Sirius.
- I wanted to see if you are all right and if you would like to talk for a while? - James asks visibly nervous.
-Why do you think we would want to talk to you, if we have generally avoided answering your letter.-Sirius says more sharply when he sees how uncomfortable Regulus is now and James still continues to look directly at him.-Potter, I'm here, don't look at him anymore - he says, making James feel ashamed.
"Um, yeah, I was thinking you'd like to come to our colleagues' funeral anyway, and you'd like me to give you the details about it," says James.
-What do you say, Reggie, do we want to do this?- Sirius asks looking at Regulus.
-Who am I?- is all Regulus says and James is visibly affected by the sound of his voice.
-Well Marlene, Dorcas, the Prewett twins.- hearing those names affected Sirius, he really wanted to cry, and James didn't seem far from it at the memory of the war dead.- Evan.- and that drew a reaction and from Regulus. Sirius knew how close they were and they talked often through letters until they stopped and Regulus finally finds out why.
-Finish. Just send the information about the funeral through an owl.- says Regulus before leaving.
-Why?- Sirius asks without many details and hopes that James will understand the question.
-Why what?- James asks, but Sirius can see in his eyes that he knows.
-Why did you have to send us the letter, why not someone else, you've been sending letters for years and they haven't even been opened.- this saddens James but Sirius couldn't care less.- Why do you keep coming back in his life? You're hurting him. - says Sirius sharply.
-Because I love him. I can't give him up. - James says seriously.
-But he doesn't. He doesn't even know who you are.- says Sirius and this shocks James.
-What?- he asks.
- I'm not telling you this to help you, I'm telling you this to make you stay away from him. In his last year at Hogwarts, he suffered so much that he just erased you from his memory. All he knows about you is that we were friends and that what happened happened and you send him letters to get to me. That's why he didn't even open them. He doesn't know you as James, he only knows you as the bastard who was once my friend. - Sirius says sharply, seeing the pain these words caused him. - So stay the hell away from him.
Then Sirius just leaves him there and goes to look for his brother, who finds him on a park bench near the Ministry.
-What did you talk to him about?- Regulus asks, strangely uncomfortable.
-I just told him to stay away from us.- Sirius avoids the conversation.
-Sirius, his presence makes me feel strange. I got angry when I saw him laughing with that girl, then my heart was pounding when he looked at me. Do you think he put a spell on me? - says Regulus not knowing what all those feelings are, but Sirius was afraid of them, because even if you forget that platform you can't forget to feel those feelings. And now Regulus feels them and not knowing where those feelings come from will destroy him.
- I just think that his presence annoyed you too much. Let's get out of here. - says Sirius.