What if they all lived?

Chapter 30

Some harsh words nothing too serious though (pun intended)

Summer 1972

Sirius Black

Their mother was there to pick them up. Walburga frowned deeply as she watched her son say goodbye to James Potter and Peter Pettigrew and her daughter to some other boy she didn't recognize, but said nothing until they were out of the crowded station.

"I thought I told you to stay away from the impure."

"James and Peter are purebloods, too," He mumbled defensively, staring down at his feet as they walked.

"The Potters are some of the worst blood traitors in history," she said fiercely, "If they had their way, the entire wizarding world—our entire way of life—would crumble around us. Do you understand?"

Sirius shrugged, and his mother gripped his arm.

"Answer me when I speak to you, boy."

Sirius's arm ached where the fingers dug into flesh. He gritted his teeth.

"I understand."

"Athena, who was the boy you were speaking to?" The girl looked away and Sirius could swear he saw something resembling being ashamed, but not that wasn't possible.

"That was Remus Lupin"

"Lyall Lupin was great but is no longer, married to a muggle and had that boy. You two are to stay away. I will not repeat myself "

Athena Black

Her arrival home was just as horrible as she had expected it would be. It was jarring to approach the dark manor with its family crest emblazoned over the door. It didn't look any different, but as they entered the wood-paneled halls and passed under the sneering portraits of their ancestors, Athena couldn't deny that it felt different. Less like home.

"Reg," Sirius breathed, smiling for the first time since he'd left. "Reggie," she said, approaching her little brother. The boy took a step back. The twins shared a confused look.

Athena halted, stung. What was that about? She realized, quickly, that it must be the presence of their parents that had caused Regulus to withdraw.

 She elbowed Sirius and nodded towards Walburga the boy returned the nod in understanding. Their mother abhorred what she referred to as "mawkish displays of sentiment;" she had intoned countless times that such affection was unmasculine and for her sign of weakness.

Their mother set in immediately, droning on about how incredibly disappointed she was in their Sorting, how they had brought shame to the entire family, how their great-aunt had nearly had a fit when she heard the news (she was surprised she reframed from doing it in public but she expected it had to be that she didnt want to bring attention to her idiotic pair of children). This verbal lashing led into what seemed to be an endless series of rules for their behavior now that she was home.

Throughout this cheerful greeting, Regulus remained silent, barely meeting Sirius's eye and only once glanced at her.

Was Reg mad ? Hurt? Being threatened? Manipulated?

There was no chance to talk about it though, until later that night. Once everyone was in bed, they snuck out of their rooms, darting down the hall.

Regulus sat up when he opened the door.

"Sirius? Athena?"

"Reg!"

"Reginald" she loved it when he got mad at the name

"Don't call me that" there it was

Sirius shut the door behind him, bounding eagerly onto the bed. He grinned down at his brother. She was still next to Regulus.

"Did you miss us?"

Reg shifted uncomfortably, darting glances at the door. He still wasn't smiling.

"Come on, you'll get us in trouble—"

"Oh, please!" Sirius rolled his eyes, "You know they'll only punish us. It's not as if you've snuck out of bed. And we wanted to see you! We missed you."

Finally, a small smile curved across her brother's face.

"Really?"

"Of course!" Sirius said

"It's not like we didn't tell you"she replied

"I know but wanted to hear it" she smiled and pulled him into a hug that only lasted half a second as Reg, and herself, weren't keen on physical contact.

"Ugh we have so much to tell you " Sirius said

"Yeah. We couldn't with that old bat reading the letter before hand"

And so they did, whispering about the classes and the magic and the friends they'd made. He talked about how it felt to soar around the quidditch pitch, the acrid smell of a potion exploding in class, the way the ghosts looked silvery in the candlelight of the great hall. She talked about frightening people transforming into Nana and about her friends and about stupid Snivellus.

"And there's this great big fireplace in the Gryffindor common room—you'll see next year—James and I are going to try and figure out if we can pinch some of the potions ingredients to change the colors—"

"What?"

"The colors of the flames, like if you add powdered newt—"

"Sirius, you don't know if he'll be in Gryffindor"

Sirius blinked.

The door to Regulus's room swung open, and Kreacher burst in.

"A-ha!" He cried in his awful, reedy voice, "The young master and mistress are out of bed!"

"Oh, bollocks" she whispered to herself