Chapter 4
Sirius
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I can’t help but smirk at Reg’s reluctance to admit he missed me. Typical Reggie. Always too proud to wear his heart on his sleeve.
“I see you still have trouble expressing your feelings, Reg,” I tease, ruffling his hair, which earns me a swat to the hand.
Remus chuckles beside me. “Some things never change.”
Cassiopeia and Orion are staring up at us with wide eyes, clearly unsure what to make of the situation.
“So... you’re really Uncle Sirius?” Orion asks, tilting his head in a way that’s far too serious for a kid his age.
“That’s me,” I say, kneeling to his level. “The one and only.”
“Dad said you were in prison,” Cassie blurts out, earning a sharp look from Regulus.
I bark out a laugh. “Well, she’s not wrong. I was, but I didn’t do the things they said I did. Your dad always knew that, didn’t you, Reggie?”
Regulus shifts uncomfortably but nods. “Yeah, I knew.”
Cassiopeia studies me for a moment, then crosses her arms. “If you’re not a bad guy, does that mean you’ll teach me cool spells?”
“Cassiopeia Andromeda Black!” Y/n scolds, looking horrified. “He’s been here for two minutes!”
I grin, leaning closer to whisper conspiratorially, “Stick with me, kid, and you’ll know all the cool spells by the time you’re back at school.”
Remus sighs behind me. “Please don’t corrupt the children already, Sirius.”
Cassiopeia looks delighted, while Orion furrows his brows. “I don’t need help learning spells. I’m top of my class.”
“That’s the Black pride talking,” I say, standing and ruffling his hair. “You’ll fit right in.”
Regulus
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I fold my arms, watching my brother with my kids. It’s surreal—something I never thought I’d see.
“Sirius,” I say, interrupting the impromptu bonding session. “Maybe we should talk.”
He straightens, his usual bravado slipping for a moment. “Yeah. We should.”
Y/n senses the tension and claps her hands together. “Alright, kids, why don’t we give your dad and your uncle a minute? Let’s see if Apollo and Artemis are getting along downstairs.”
Cassie and Orion groan but follow her out of the room, leaving me alone with Sirius and Remus.
“So,” I begin, sitting down on the sofa. “You found me.”
“More like stumbled onto you,” Sirius replies, leaning against the doorframe. “You didn’t make it easy, Reg.”
“I wasn’t trying to be found,” I say bluntly. “I thought it was safer that way.”
“For who? You? Or the rest of us who spent years thinking you were dead?”
The bitterness in his voice cuts deep, and I look away. “I didn’t have a choice, Sirius. After I turned against Voldemort, I was as good as dead. Hiding was the only way to stay alive.”
“You could have told me,” he insists, his voice cracking. “You could have trusted me.”
“And what would you have done?” I snap, my own emotions boiling over. “You were in Azkaban, Sirius. You couldn’t even save yourself.”
That silences him, and I instantly regret my words.
“Look,” I say, softening. “I’m sorry. I just... I didn’t know what else to do.”
Sirius exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re right. I wasn’t exactly in a position to help. But I’m here now, Reg. We both are.”
Remus nods, stepping forward. “Whatever happened before, it’s in the past. The important thing is that we’re together now.”
I glance between them, my brother and the man he loves, and feel a strange sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we can make this work.
“Alright,” I say finally. “Let’s try.”
Y/n
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From the hallway, I smile to myself as I hear their voices grow quieter, their tension beginning to ease.
This is the family Regulus has always needed. Maybe now, we can finally start to heal.