The Silence Between Stars
The air in the room was thick with old arguments, the weight of years of division making itself known to everyone present. Sirius stared at his brother from across the table, his jaw clenched. Regulus stared back, his expression unreadable—a mask of aristocratic calm that he had been forced to learn ever since he was a young boy.
Sirius felt a slow burn of frustration rising in his chest. This Regulus was not the boy who had once followed him around with wide-eyed admiration. This wasn't the little brother who had tugged at his sleeve, begging him to just listen to their parents for once, if only to avoid another punishment. This wasn't even the sullen teenager who had ignored him in Hogwarts' corridors after the Sorting Hat's betrayal.
No, this Regulus was something else entirely—a man shaped by war, by secrets, by choices Sirius didn't understand. And that, more than anything, unsettled him.
Across from him, Regulus saw only the brother he had always known—stubborn, defiant, loyal to a fault, but only to those he deemed worthy. The brother who had walked away the moment the Hat declared Slytherin . The older brother who had left him behind without a second glance because of a situation he had no control over.
To an outsider, the gathering might have looked like a war council between enemy factions. Narcissa Malfoy sat beside Regulus, her spine straight, her fingers delicately laid on the table. Lucius stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder—a silent show of solidarity. Severus Snape stayed behind in the shadows, present but detached, his dark eyes closely examining every person present in the room.
The former members of the Order of the Phoenix sat opposite them. James Potter's arm was slung over the back of Lily's chair. Sirius lounged beside him, but his usual careless grin was absent—replaced by a tension that made his muscles coil like a spring. Remus Lupin sat quietly, his amber eyes watchful, while Amelia Bones and Minerva McGonagall maintained an air of wary authority.
The Longbottoms—Augusta, Frank, and Alice—occupied a middle ground. However, for once, it was Augusta who played mediator rather than agitator. Andromeda and Ted Tonks whispered between themselves at the table's third edge, loyalties torn between both groups.
Then, Sirius broke the silence, his voice deceptively light. "Hello, Regulus."
Regulus smiled—a small, practiced thing that didn't reach his eyes. "Hello, Sirius."
The room stilled, every eye shifting between the two brothers.
Regulus wanted to say so much more. Finally acknowledging me now that my beliefs align with yours? Now that your precious Order has no choice but to work with me? But he swallowed the words, keeping his face impassive. He could see the same struggle in Sirius—the way his fingers twitched, the way his gaze flickered as if waiting for Regulus to lash out first, to give him an excuse to justify every decision he'd ever made.
Amelia Bones, ever the diplomat, stepped into the quiet. "Hello, Regulus. It's been some time." Her smile was genuine, warm in a way that seemed out of place in this room of tension.
Regulus's gaze softened slightly, a flicker of something almost nostalgic passing through his eyes. "Amelia. You look as beautiful as always."
A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and for a moment, the air between them held something unspoken— a history Sirius hadn't known existed. He blinked, thrown by the exchange.
Augusta Longbottom, never one for sentimentality, cleared her throat sharply.
"Alright, enough pleasantries. Let's get down to business." Her cane tapped against the floor for emphasis. "Now that our children are at Hogwarts, how do we restrict Dumbledore's influence over them?"
Narcissa's voice was calm and precise. "Draco, Theo, and Pansy will be safe—Dumbledore has never treated Death Eaters' children the same as his precious Order members' progeny."
Lily's fingers tightened around the handle of her chair.
"I don't want to believe that's true," she said, her voice strained with reluctant acknowledgment. "But history has proven otherwise." Her gaze flickered to Severus—brief, complicated—before she continued. "What do we do about Harry, Neville, Susan… and Hermione?"
Narcissa's sharpened gaze cut through the room. "Who is Hermione?"
James leaned forward, his protective instincts flaring. "A friend of my son's."
Lucius's lip curled slightly. "Curly hair, sharp brown eyes, unnervingly clever for her age?"
Sirius stiffened. "Why do you care? How do you know her?"
The Malfoys exchanged a glance—silent, weighted, an entire conversation passing between them in seconds. Finally, Narcissa sighed, her reluctance visible. "She may be… important."
Most members of the room sat back with surprise.
Remus's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? How would you know that?"
Lucius's tone was measured, as if choosing his words carefully. "We don't have all the details. Only that she is… significant. And powerful."
Lily's fingers drummed against the table. "She is powerful. We met her three months ago—a Muggle-born witch, brilliant, fiercely curious. Harry and Neville took to her immediately."
Narcissa's expression tightened. "Then we must ensure she's protected as well. Dumbledore will see her as leverage—a way to sway the others."
The Potters exchanged a glance, their worry deepening.
Narcissa continued, her tone shifting to brisk efficiency. "As for the children's safety—Professors McGonagall and Severus can monitor them. They need trusted adults at Hogwarts."
Edgar Bones frowned. "Professor McGonagall is already there as Head of Gryffindor, but Severus—how will you explain your presence?"
Severus's smirk was razor-thin. "I will be taking the position of Potions Master and Head of Slytherin."
A stunned silence fell.
Sirius barked a disbelieving laugh. "How the hell did Dumbledore agree to that?"
Severus's voice dripped with icy amusement. "That's for me to know. And if you're curious enough… for you to find out."
The former Order members exchanged uneasy glances.
Severus continued, his tone turning deliberate. "Since we're sharing secrets… here's one you'll find particularly interesting." A pause, just long enough to ensure every ear was turned his way. "Dumbledore has been… adjusting the Sorting process for this year's students."
The room erupted.
"How do you know that?"
"Prove it!"
"You expect us to believe—?"
Augusta's cane slammed against the floor. "Silence! Let him speak."
Severus's gaze swept over them, coldly triumphant. "He wants the children to remember their parents' past—to reignite old rivalries, deepen the divide between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Give them an enemy to fight from the start, and he can mold them into his little soldiers without needing their parents' compliance."
Lily shot to her feet, her chair scraping back violently.
"How dare he?" Her voice trembled with fury. "I will not let him turn Harry into some—some pawn in his twisted game! I'll homeschool him myself before I allow that!"
James stood, his hand settling on her shoulder in a silent plea for calm. "Lily, I'm furious too. But pulling him out now would tip Dumbledore off and uproot Harry's life. We have time. We have allies. McGonagall and Snape are in place. Let's think this through."
Lily sat slowly, her fingers white-knuckled around her wand.
Minerva's voice was sharp with disbelief. "Severus, how do you know this? Even I wasn't privy to such plans, and I'm Deputy Headmistress."
Severus met her gaze evenly. "Dumbledore suspects your loyalty has… wavered. He's looking for a new lieutenant. And we gave him one." A beat. "Me."
Minerva's face paled.
Regulus smoothly interjected, his tone calm, commanding. "Draco knows the stakes. Theo and Pansy will follow his lead. The ones who need protection are Harry, Neville, Susan… and Hermione." His gaze flicked to McGonagall. "You're best positioned to shield them. Severus can't risk his cover yet."
Reluctantly, the others nodded.
As the meeting dissolved, the weight of Dumbledore's machinations settled over them all.
And Sirius, for the first time in years, allowed himself to admit the truth:
I miss my brother. I want him back.