Standing Alone.

Chapter 1 - 12 Grimmauld Place, Restored.

A/N: Hello my sweets. Welcome to a new book. I know that I just puplished a part, and I hope to get one or two more out tomorrow and the day after that. But then I will be gone for two weeks. My other story 'Don't wanna go - Part 2' will also get an update before I leave. I do hope this book catches your eye.  I am counting on uploading a chapter each week. Have fun reading!

"Do we truly have to live here..?" Sirius asked, standing outside of 12 Grimmauld place. Remus sighed and shook his head. "We can renovate all you want. I'll happily tear down the whole house and build a new one, if you just enter the damned house." Sirius made mocking faces and stepped onto the lawn, fully expecting something to happen. But nothing did.

"What..?" He asked in confusion and brought out his wand. Pointing it to the space where the house was supposed to be appearing. "It's still there..." He said and shook his head. "But why the hell..." Huffing he looked to Remus. "Has someone bought the house?" Remus shook his head. "No. It's still the old Black house. Maybe try the back-door key." Sirius sighed and nodded.

Apparating to the back-entrance, the wards allowing them through, they walked to the door. Sirius searched for the hidden key, and found it in one of the plants. Sighing, he put the key into the key-hole and turned it. A wave of magic almost knocked them off of their feet. The two men shared a glance of hesitance, before Sirius let the door swing open.

"What the..." Upon entering, the first thing Sirius saw was that it had already been redecorated. It was still black and Slytherin colours, but it was cleaned up. No dust or tributes to the dark lord. No sign of any death eaters ever having been in the house.

But the family pictures were all torn, as if carved by a knife, the only one left untouched, was the one of Sirius' mother, but the knives embedded in the wall all around the frame, showed that it was not for the lack of effort. Looking into the living room, the old furniture had been swapped out with new ones. The old awards that was placed on the mantel, were broken. The glass that had used to protect the parchment in the frames, had been shattered.

Sirius couldn't help but feel an odd feeling spreading in his chest at the sight. None of the awards were his, they were his younger brothers, Regulus', so why were they broken? The golden, perfect, child, who could do no wrong, the one his parents always wished for... It didn't make any sense...

The second thing that was odd, was the plants. Plants, everywhere. Not that the two men were complaining, it was refreshing, and lit up the place. But Sirius had never seen plants survive in this house, thinking back, he couldn't even  remember any having ever been brought Inside the house.

"Okay... I think someone may have found their way inside..." Sirius muttered and Remus shook his head. "No... The wards don't speak of anyone leaving or entering, aside from us." Sirius sighed. "KREACHER!" He called, but nothing happened. "Okay. Something is wrong. Kreacher can't go against a direct demand from the master of the house."

Setting off to find their room, Sirius back-tracked to the room that held their family tree. His eyes widened at what he saw. "What the fuck..." He muttered, entering the room with Remus behind him. "Wow... Someone has been busy..." The room was completely redorated; the wall that had previously held the scorch marks and faces, was redone, but instead of scorch marks, the people had small daggers in their foreheads. It was repainted and was quite pretty, aside from the knives.

Sirius furrowed his brows when he looked at his picture, beside it was a picture of Remus, a line connecting them. Sirius and Remus didn't have a knife in their heads, but both of their eyes were crossed out. Regulus, Sirius' brother, on the otherhand, had a knife neatly placed under his picture. He was the only one, aside from Narcissa and Andromeda, who's picture, was unharmed.

"What the hell is going on here..?" The rest of the room was filled with some of the old furniture from the living room, scorchmarks and tears in the old fabric. "I don't know... But whoever did it, seriously has some issues." Remus muttered and Sirius hummed, no fucking kidding...

Venturing further up, the two went to Sirius' old bedroom. Sirius lingered outside of it, glancing down the other end of the hallway, where Regulus' nursery had used to be. When he got a bit older, his room moved to the big one on the top floor. "We can go check on his room afterwards... If you want..." Remus offered, not getting an answer from Sirius.

Seemingly, whoever had been in the house, was not interested in Sirius' old bedroom. It was filled with a thick layer of dust, his bedding still in a clump on the end, books on the floor, along with the bookshelf that he tore from the wall all too many years ago... The dresser with open drawers, the thick window-drapes... "Wow..." Remus whistled and Sirius shrugged.

With a wave of his wand, Remus made everything get to their rightful places, sheets changed, dust gone, opened windows, books back on their shelves, the wooden book-shelf, back against the wall. And it continued to fix itself, until everything was spotless.

"There we go..." Remus smiled. "Now. Do you want to get some rest, then I'll go get some dinner cooking." Sirius nodded and was rewarded a kiss to the cheek, from his lover. "See you in a few hours." And then Remus left.

Sirius had no intention of sleeping. He needed to get to the bottom of what the hell had happened in this house while he was gone, so he went to the master-bedroom. Entering, he shouldn't have been surprised to see it scorched, but it confused him as to why. Closing the door, he sighed and moved to the stairs that led up to the last floor.

Placing a shaky hand on the reiling, he slowly walked up the steps. While walking, the feeling that he wasn't allowed up there, grew, and he felt almost pressured to leave. But his determination was greater and he made it up there. Only to blink and find himself at the bottom of the stairs once more.

"What the-"

After 5 more futile attempts on getting to his younger brothers room, the same thing happening each time, Sirius huffed and gave up. 'I'll just go lie on the bed then.' He pouted and went to his and Remus', now clean, room.

---

Remus stood in the Kitchen, looking into the cabinets and coolers. Finding them empty, he was once again confused. How come every aspect of the house looked as if someone had been living there for YEARS but the cabinets were empty? Even the kitchen had been altered. There was a big window instead of a wall by the sink, looking out over a neatly made garden. The moon-light casted a soft glow on it, and Remus found it to be very beautiful.

The kitchen itselt was still dark, but the counter was made of black, green and silver marble, the cabinets black with silver handles, a small oval dining table in the corner. The room was much more comfortable now than it had ever been before; granted, Remus had only ever seen pictures, but still. there was so much room in here, and it felt... Used... Loved... Not the dark and sad feeling that Sirius had so often claimed it to be.

When Sirius woke once more, he trodded down the the kitchen while yawning and rubbing his eyes. Upon opening them, he didn't believe what he saw. His eyes widened at the sight of the kitchen and he looked to Remus. "Did you-?"

"No... It was like this when I came here. I think I quite like it." Sirius scoffed and looked around.Granted, it was much nicer now than Sirius had ever seen it, and it felt nice too. You didn't get the feeling that someone had just died there.

Looking at the small table, Sirius smiled at the aray of food. The two men sat down and began a light conversation as they ate. Remus' eyes wandered around the room, until they settled on a small picture that he had not noticed before. Using his wand, he made it come to him and Sirius froze at the sight of it. "Who's this..?" Remus asked softly. Sirius rolled his eyes. "My idiot brother.Soft enough to believe them... Regulus Black. He was younger than me... And a much better son, as I was constantly reminded." Remus furrowed his brows, looking at the child in the photo, he could hardly believe that it was in-fact the boy, who Sirius, had detested so, in school... The boy, who had tried so hard, to get close to Sirius at Hogwarts.

"What happened..?" Remus asked, slightly confused. "He joined the death eaters." Sirius grumbled and glared at the picture. Regulus had never been so innocent. Always getting their parents love, stealing it away... Being the perfect son. It was all in his stupid plan to get Sirius out of the house. Remus watched his lover carefully, not understanding the hatred in his eyes. He himself, had always seen Regulus to be a smart, good young man. He couldn't imagine the kid joining the death-eaters.

"When he was 16 years old, Master Regulus joined the dark lord." Kreacher nodded as he walked out from his hiding spot behind some cabinets in the hole in the wall. "So proud, so proud, so happy to serve." He purred and Sirius just about strangled the creature. "You know not of which you speak!" Sirius snapped at the elf, who looked defiantly at the man. "Sirius Black is not welcome here." Kreacher shook his head. "Sirius Black was disowned, yes yes... Sirius Black cannot tell Kreacher what to do. No. Only Master Regulus can Kreacher help. Master Regulus is kind to Kreacher... Master Regulus has always been kind, so kind. Sirius Black is a jealous man. Not deserving of Kreacher or house. No no." Kreacher said as he merely left the kitchen, watering the plants as he went about.

"You don't think... The elf..." Remus gestured to the house. If Sirius had not just seen Kreacher tend the plants, he wouldn't believe it, but alas... "I..." Then he recalled the photo of his mother and he shook his head. "No. Kreacher adored Walburga. He wouldn't ever try to throw knives at her painting. Besides..." Sirius sneered. "If he truly is 'Master Regulus', then he wouldn't have destroyed all of that fools, things in the living room."

Remus furrowed his brows. "I do not understand why you hated him so much..." He said hoenstly and Sirius raised his brows, putting a potato in his mouth. "He plotted our whole lives to get me out of this house! Always  acting so damned innocent!" Remus sighed. "You were abused, Sirius, do you not reckon he was too?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm certain he wasn't. I still have spasms because of their Crucio curse. He was always the perfect child, the perfect pureblooded straight heir that they wanted."

Remus let out a small chuckle, and then full on laughed; catching Sirius off guard. "Straight!?" Remus snorted and shook his head. "Hell no. Regulus was the biggest Homosexual in the whole school. I can't believe you did not know that! You're straighter than he could ever fake to be." Sirius shook his head. "No, he fucked around with both Dorcas and Pandor-" "REALLY!?" Remus belly laughed, throwing his head back.

If it had been any other situation, Sirius would have loved Remus' cramping laughter, but right now, he was slightly pissed off because of it. "Pandora and Regulus were more siblings than you ever were to him." It may have been a hard thing to say, but it was the truth. "Sirius... You weren't there the day Regulus was brought to the infirmary because he was too sick to even breathe." A flash of worry crossed over Sirius' face. "Pandora carried Regulus, on her own, to the infirmary, Dorcas fetching the teachers, while the boys were gathering up Regulus' things... When Regulus fell off of the broom mid-game and you laughed... Pandora and Dorcas were byhis side in seconds, instantly checking him for serious injuries." Sirius rolled his eyes. "And that's what girlfriends do." Remus rolled his eyes. "Are you really that stupid?"

Remus asked, furrowing his brows. "Sirius... How did James treat you..? How did you treat James? Do I need to worry that the two of you had something going on, or what?" Sirius sighed. "Remus, me and James were best friends, brothers!-" His mind cut off and his lips thinned. "Oh..." Remus pointed with his whole hand and a small nod. "Exactly my point. Now... Pandora and Dorcas were his best-friends. He knew them better than he ever did you. Because you treated him like..." Remus closed his eyes and bit his tongue, but Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Like. What." He snapped, slowly putting down his cutlery.

"Sirius..."

"No no. Do tell. How do you think I treated him, Remus?"

Remus had enough. "You treated him like how your parents treated you!" Sirius' eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "I did no-" "Yes you did! You never helped him! You were never there for him! You practically bullied him! You tormented the kid, Sirius! Because YOU couldn't bear the thought that your parents favoured him. It is not his fault that your parents framed his work and placed it on the walls. It is not his fault that you were abused! And did you see him! He was always thin and looked so pale! He was neglected too... And when you left! How do you think he felt!?"

Sirius jaw was clenched as he stared at the man in front of him. Regulus was always the perfect child, always got what he looked at a little too long. And now, even Remus was taking his fucking side. "I'm full... Thanks for dinner."

A/N: Hello again! Just wanted to say a quick thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day/night wherever you are in the world. Remember to eat something and drink some water. And if it is late, please go to sleep, the books are not going anywhere. Bye!