/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

7.12.1

"at the end of the day, it isn't where I came from. maybe home is somewhere I'm going and never have been before." ~ Warsan Shire

~june 1977~

Sirius wandered the halls for a good hour before he found Regulus. He'd lost track of where he did patrol duty during the evenings, so he crept all over the castle, not caring about how much noise his footsteps made in the hopes that the sound would attract his prefect brother. It worked.

Regulus strode lazily around a corner in time to see Sirius pointing his wand at one of the paintings on the wall, bewitching the coat of arms inside to dance around the frame like a ballerina. "Oi," said Regulus. "I'll take points from Gryffindor for defiling... the castle art... good Godric, that painting's hideous."

"Tell me about it," Sirius muttered, tucking his wand back in the pocket of his robes. "How've you been, Reg?"

"I'm here."

"Right."

The brothers leaned against the wall side by side and Sirius lit a cigarette. He offered one to Regulus, who took it half-heartedly.

Sirius took a long drag, then exhaled deeply. "Listen, Reg-"

"Don't start with the big-brotherly talks now," Regulus said drily.

Sirius didn't seem to hear him. "Look, I'm going to be gone soon, Reg."

"Really?" Regulus said sarcastically. "Oh, how time flies."

Again, Sirius ignored him. "I'm going to be gone soon, and I'm worried about you. I need you to stay out of trouble when I'm gone, alright? I'm not going to be around to look after you anymore. I need to know you'll be safe."

Regulus threw his head back laughing. "Take care of me? You're saying that's what the last seven years were? You taking care of me?"

"Yes," Sirius said calmly.

Regulus shook his head, dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

Sirius kept talking. "Why do you think Gryffindor always left you alone? You never got knocked off your broomstick during Gryffindor games and I swear to you that wasn't just skill or dumb luck. Why do you think all the teachers liked you, and you never got in trouble-"

"Bullshit-"

"Why d'you think Mum and Dad never laid a finger on you?" Sirius raised his voice, his temper flaring. "Think they really love you, or I just would rather be a punching bag than see you get hurt, Reg?"

"Stop it-"

"And Artemis?" Sirius was standing in front of Regulus now, his breaths coming fast.

Regulus's eyes flicked to his brother's. "What about her?"