The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Wanted

Wanted

It was at breakfast the next day when James started to breach the subject of Sirius possibly talking to Regulus. "I mean, you've got to be at least a little curious what it is he wants, don't you?" James questioned, kicking Sirius beneath the table. "I mean, why's he being so persistent if it isn't really, truly important? And offering up Snape as collateral?"

Sirius shook his head, "Bloody hell. He's a Slytherin, Potter. Reg's just trying to bluff his way into getting some attention. He probably doesn't know a thing about Severus Snape. He just knew that would get you to talk me into talking to him. Using you -- that's what he's doing."

"But he knew what Snape did," James hissed. "He knew he'd read my mind. If he didn't have anything on Snape, then how'd he know that?"

Sirius had a bit of peanut butter from his toast on his upperlip. "Well. I dunno. Perhaps he - perhaps he just guessed."

"Guessed! Sirius. Please. Strangely specific - and unlikely - thing to guess, isn't it?"

Sirius was stubborn, though, and he insisted, "James. There's no way Regulus is up to any good with the offer. No way he wants to talk to me for any good reason. He's got some sort of blackmail or something."

"If he had, wouldn't he have done whatever it is by now anyway?" James pressed.

"Enough, Potter. Enough, alright? I'm not talking to him!" Sirius's face was one of agitation, "I've struggled for years putting my family behind me, don't you understand? Talking to Regulus opens all those wounds back up and it hurts alright? I don't want to feel like shit all over again. Please just let it go."

James frowned, but he turned back to his breakfast without pressing the matter any further, trying to decide how else to go about worming the information he wanted out of Regulus Black without Sirius's help. There had to be something he could do that would convince Regulus to talk.

Under the table, Remus put his hand on Sirius's thigh comfortingly. He could see the stress in Sirius's jaw, the way he flexed it and stared down at his food, scooping oatmeal and blueberries into his mouth, trying not to look at James or anyone else for that matter. Remus alone knew the struggle that Sirius had been going through with his worry over the dementors and becoming his family and the darkness that Sirius had been feeling. Remus knew that Sirius's reluctance to speak with Regulus probably was stemming from that darkness looming around him, and he couldn't say that he entirely disagreed with Sirius's decision to keep Regulus Black out of his life. After all, when you've been cut down enough times by a person, you don't go back. But James was right, too, on the other hand. Regulus was being far more persistent than Remus might've expected if it was simply a bit of jest that he wanted. He glanced at James and wondered whether there was some way for the boys to find out what Regulus wanted without getting Sirius involved until they knew for certain that it wasn't something that would hurt their mate - whose heart was a lot more delicate than he liked to boast of it.

Suddenly the air was filled with owls swarming the ceiling and swooping down toward the house tables with their envelopes and packages. An owl arrived with James's copy of the Daily Prophet and dropped it directly onto Sirius's plate of toast on the table. While James was paying him, Sirius reached to push the paper off his plate of toast.

"Stinking stripey socks on a squid!" Sirius exclaimed, his free hand waving with the exclamation, sending a spoonful of his oatmeal directly into Remus's face. The gob of it rolled down Remus's forehead and over his nose and he reached for a napkin to wipe it out of his eyes, even as Sirius grabbed up the newspaper and started unfolding it, "MADNESS!" he shouted.