minnow // sirius black

forty-two

42 ; brother dearest

I sent Regulus a letter, telling him that if he wanted to, he could meet me at St. Mungo's again. Where we met last time.

I purposely went on a day that I was not scheduled to be there, and told nobody that I was going. I glamoured myself to have dark red hair and icy eyes. I didn't risk bringing Esme this time.

He was already there when I entered the courtyard, as well as two other people; both sobbing. I put a silencing charm around Regulus and I as I sat beside him.

"You look different," I said quietly. "I guess you took my advice."

"These glamour charms are not easy."

"No, they're not. Unless you're me."

"True."

So, I told Regulus what James said. When he asked what Sirius had said, I hesitated. He nodded slowly, before he said he'd do it.

Regulus told me that in three days, he'd meet me here again. This time, he'd be free of the Death Eaters. He explained that by defecting, he'd become an immediate, and high priority, target. He explained that he'd be on the kill list, likely right under my own name.

I asked if he was sure, and he nodded.

"Time to prove my brother wrong."

The day came two days after Esme's first birthday, which we spent in our backyard, watching her try to ride the magic broom that James had gotten her. He admitted he wanted her to be an amazing Quidditch player, but it quickly became apparent that she took after me in that department. She lost interest in the broom within very few moments.

I joked that maybe his own child would be the Quidditch player, as my child clearly was not. He pouted as Lily giggled.

Then, on September first, while the entire world was focused on the Hogwarts students, I sat in the enchanted courtyard at St. Mungo's. I sat there with James, talking about how much he wanted a child of his own, seeing how lovely Esme was.

He said he wanted a son.

Regulus came in the door, but because he was ginger with green eyes, neither James nor I noticed.

"Oi," He said quietly. I glanced at the ginger boy in front of me, and eyebrow raised, "Fish?"

I snorted as I stood. I pulled Regulus into an embrace, which he returned with hesitating surprise. James nodded slowly as his face screwed into one of pure confusion.

"Glamour charm, James," I snickered. "Trust me, Sirius'  brother is not a ginger."

James nodded, a sheepish smile taking over his face. He and I were glamoured too, both with medium blonde hair, him with dark brown eyes like my natural ones, and my eyes hazel like his. Sirius made a joke that we looked even more alike when we had the same eye color.

I jokingly asked him if he was suddenly attracted to my brother, to which he howled as James turned red.

"You're getting better," I said kindly as we began to leave. "You look nothing like yourself."

"Talk about giraffes," Regulus suddenly said, his voice seeming panicked. I oblidged, and after four minutes of walking and enthusiastically giving false giraffe facts, Regulus sighed in relief. "Death Eaters are everywhere, looking for me."

"Well, lets get you out of here."

As soon as we were at James' house, we took the glamour charms off, and James seemed startled.