Crossroads

29/07/1976

"And then filch was running after James. Mrs. Noris was catching up pete in the opposite direction. But the month's detention was completely worth it. You should have seen the look on Snivellus's face........" Sirius tells him then roars a loud laughter, reminiscing his story. 

Any other day, Regulus would have rebuked Sirius for that ridiculous name calling of someone whom Regulus considered a friendly acquaintance. But correcting his brother on moral grounds is the last thing on his mind right now. 

They are sitting in Regulus's bedroom. Regulus is tucked under a quilt on his bed and Sirius is sitting on a chair with his legs on the table top. 

If someone had told a month ago that he and his brother would be sitting in his room, talking amicably and laughing, he would have thought that person was confounded and send them to a healer but here he is. Sirius has been constantly sitting at his bedside for the past three weeks. Although Regulus is neither participating in the conversation and laughing is possible only if someone Imperriused him to. But the both of them are behaving as if they had never stopped talking to each other and giving the other a cold shoulder. 

"Earth to Regulus." Sirius says, waving hands in front of his face. 

"What?." He asks not having the courage to make eye contact with his brother after knowing the horrors his brother had suffered in future. 

"Reg what's wrong? You have been like this for the last two weeks and before that you were unconscious for a week and you are asking me 'what'? You tell me. What happened. Did Walburga do something to you . Is it some dark magic. " His brother asks him passionately. 

" How many times do I have to tell you that nothing is wrong and no 'mother' also didn't do anything. I was just stressed for upcoming school year. " 

"If you don't want to tell don't, but your lying is not making me feel any better. " Sirius says, Sulkily folding his arms. 

Regulus halfheartedly rolls his eyes at his brother's antics and gazes outside the window. 

Apparently, Regulus had lost his Conscious for a week due to the information overload he had received from the magical basin which has shown him the future. 

Regulus has been numb ever since he has woken up. He doesn't know what to make of all the things he had learned. 

His first instinct was to deny it. For one whole week after gaining conscious he had told himself that it was all a really dreadful nightmare and nothing was real. 

But then when he gathered up the nerves to confirm it by asking kreacher about whether he has given him any pensieve with gold and silver work, the elf has told him that it was all real that he had indeed supplied the magical basin to his young master. 

He saw himself being dragged in the lake full of inferis, eating at his flesh like it was a feast. Making him one of them to rest there for an eternity. He could almost feel the bitter burning taste of that awful potion in his throat. But the most awful thing was that he was so young not even an adult fully. Everytime he thinks of his premature end a shudder runs through him. 

He saw his brother's unlawful and unfounded imprisonment with those soul sucking monsters. Frankly he would choose death over living Sirius's life. But even before his death, Sirius did lived a live full of drama and Regulus himself can agree that there was more bad drama than good one. As is the case when you are a child soldier in a war where the enemy is immortal. And the leader at your side is dillusional at best and manipulate arsehole at worse. 

Honestly, seeing the love of your life marry someone else and to be the best man at said wedding. Then becoming godfather of the child resultant of such wedding is like Potter was deliberately trying to rub salt on Siri's open wounds. But even more torturing  and traumatizing was that the hidden and unrequited love to be uncovered by a person who used this knowledge to hurt sirius on an intimate level, despite being his friend and someone whom Sirius trusted, is unbearable for Regulus to even think about. 

Through the future visions, Regulus knows that today is the day when Sirius had take a run and left grimmauld place forever, only to return after 19 years out of sheer necessity while on the run from azkaban. 

As if listening to Regulus's morbid thoughts concerning Sirius's departure, kreacher pops in to tell that father had called Sirius to his study. 

This was strange because as far as Regulus can remember, according to vision, father had called the both of them to his study where he had ordered them to get ready as they were having a visit from some important guest. Regulus remembers what he has seen in the vision about this day. 

************

Sirius being himself could not stop himself and asked who were they hosting. 

The cold piercing gaze of his father caused his heartbeat to increase but Sirius was defiantly looking his father in the eye with head held high. 

"The dark Lord. "Came the reply after what felt like eternity. 

Regulus himself was so excited at meeting the dark Lord. His idol! 

"No." Was Sirius's reply immediately. This is why Sirius was a Gryffindor because only he can deny something to their parents. And there was a strength in that one word that Regulus had thought that Sirius would have been a formidable Lord of the house of black if he had ever wanted to be. Even at seventeen, Sirius had an authority in his words that Regulus can only dream about. 

"Sirius. You will do as you are told to or so help me, I will......" Said there father. 

Sirius interrupted him and this was the first time Regulus had ever seen his brother choose his words carefully and Regulus now knows that this was solely for Regulus's benifit as confirmed by the quick flick of Sirius's gaze towards him because Sirius himself had no problem in disobeying their parents' wishes but he knew that if he didn't listen then Regulus will be the next in line to bear the brunt of their parents demands and Sirius was trying to protecting him. 

"But father, I will not be of age until the coming November. " Last time when this happened the only thing Regulus was thinking was that Sirius is a real brat in talking back to father. 

" The dark Lord has agreed to take you in despite your age. We are Blacks. We get the top priority wherever we go. You will behave. " Father says. 

There is a surge of panic in Sirius's eyes. He is looking everywhere as if looking for a way out. His mind running a mile a minute to find a solution. 

When they exist room, Regulus rushes to get ready in his best clothes and make a good impression so that the dark Lord also takes him in early in his organization just like Sirius. But Sirius puts a hand on his shoulder and takes him to his room instead. 

"What Sirius. Haven't you been listening to father, the dark Lord is coming. Let me go, I have to get ready and so do you. " He turns to leave. 

"Listen Reggie, Regulus, we have to leave. You don't understand, father is asking me to become one of Voldemort's minion. And if I don't they will ask you. Come on Reg. This is so very wrong. I can't. We can't. "

Regulus hisses at Sirius taking the dark lord's name, "Don't be stupid Sirius, it is a great honour to help dark Lord cleanse this society of all the scum. Don't be ridiculous."

"Reg, you don't understand, this blood purity is all a bullshit, programed by all the bigots who think they are special. Muggles and muggleborns are...... ".

" Not this again Sirius, not today. All those blood traitors have been corrupting your thoughts and ideologies. Mother and father say that muggles are a threat... "

"Regulus. Cut the shit. Mother and father this. Mother and father that. Have you ever had a thought of your own. Always repeating what they say like the puppet you are."

"As if you are any better, if I am mother's puppet then you are potter's. What, you are so desperate to get his approval that you will do whatever he says. Like the loyal lapdog you are. Pathetic. I didn't know you were that desperate to get into his pants. What. Don't look so surprised. You didn't hid it as well as you thought. I could see right through you. The way you look at him as if he is the fucking merlin and shits rainbow. The way your voice go all dreamy when you talk about 'Jamie'. And everytime that dipshit attempts at asking Evan out you clean your face of all emotions to hide your jealousy. I should have known it since you dropped me like a hot potato after my sorting because if saint Potter says all Slytherins are evil then it must be the only truth." Regulus snarled, delivering the low blow with cold voice and expressionless face. Letting out years worth of bitterness. 

Sirius's whole face falls, there are tears in his eyes. For a minute Regulus thinks he is going to punch him but then he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath then another. When he opens his eyes all the fury is gone, replaced by something soft and tender. 

" Reg please. You can hate me all you want. But please don't listen to them. Mother and father they have not got the right idea about this. Please. Just this one time I am asking you to listen to me. Don't spoil your life. This is not you. My Reggie will not....... "

" Sirius, Regulus. " Their mother's footstep approach near. 

There is an urgency in Sirius's eyes which Regulus has never seen. He was pleading something but Regulus was much too excited at the prospect of being a death eater that he could not understand any word or any pleas his brother was sending his way. 

When there is a knock at the door, Regulus also turns to leave and get ready, Already fed up of his brother's bullshit. 

" Reg, please, I am begging you."

Regulus of now can understand his brothers urgency but in that old life where Regulus had not peaked into future and had naively thought of himself to be too smart and thought that his brother was in the wrong. The Regulus of then was not yet ready to actually listen and understand what Sirius was telling him. 

Sirius also understood this and accepted that maybe it was futile to think Regulus could be and do anything which is opposite of their parent's belief. His eyes turned sad as if he was mourning someone dear. One tear fell his eyes and he met Regulus's eyes and scanned his face as if memorising every nook and corner and curve of his face. 

" Take care mon frère. je prie pour que la magie mère te guide. prends soin de toi. "

The knocking on the door turned insistent, Sirius opened the door and met mother with pure defiance written on his face. Mother might have also seen this because she took out her wand immediately and before Regulus could even understand what was happening, before Sirius could get a word out and fight her or run away from the house as he was most probably going to, a word rang out. Spoken so softly and sweetly as if a lullaby. But their mother"s eyes we're anything but soft. 

" Imperio."

Sirius's face went neutral and eyes became dull in a way they never are. The beautiful silvery orbs so full of emotions and feelings are void today as if dead. 

Mother leaves after ordering both her sons to get ready and come downstairs. 

Never had mother used imperius curse to get things done. In fact, walburga black has such a way with words that there remains no need of raising a wand. 

He had seen her use few minor hexes to punish Sirius whenever he is misbehaving and needs to be punished but never an unforgivable is used as far as Regulus knows. For Regulus himself, her cold eyes and expressions are more than enough to render him speechless and get the work done. 

He himself forgets everything and leaved to get ready not wanting to anger her furthermore. Behind him he sees Sirius also stiffly getting ready. 

In father's study, mother is relegating to father about how she had imperiused Sirius and that he himself should have taken care of the ungrateful brat before she had to do it. 

Regulus himself was so busy listening to his parents' to and fro talk that no one noticed Sirius moving towards the fireplace. 

"Potter manor." He said throwing the floo powder and then he locks up his eyes with Regulus. Those grey eyes so similar to his own are full of disappointment and betrayal and pain. And then he is gone. Leaving a cold behind him. Taking all feelings and warmth that made grimmauld place a home to Regulus. 

Mother and father are staring at the fireplace as if they couldn't comprehend what had happened but Regulus thinks that they should not be so shocked. 

Sirius is a great, talented wizard. His magical prowess is something that everyone is jealous of. Thus it should not surprise them that he had broken mother's imperius curse and ran away from the dark halls of their house. 

After that everything was a blur. With his parents leaving to inform the dark Lord that they are unable to host him today as the person whom the dark Lord had arranged the meeting for had left. Then they went to meet the Lord black (Regulus's grandfather, Arcturus black.), informing him that heir black had run away. The same day Sirius was blasted of the tapestry and disowned. Next day Regulus became the heir black. 

Sirius was right, there was too much pressure in the wake of his departure of  Regulus's shoulder. He did what everyone asked him to. He did what Sirius told him not to. He did what was expected to do for heir black. He did, without listening to the small voice so akin to his brother's in his mind telling him that his wrong. He did without listening to his gut feeling. He became everything his brother hated. 

But even before drowning in that lake, the thing about which Regulus had the most guilt about was the look of betrayal and disappointment that his brother shit at him before leaving grimmauld place for good. The look which confirmed it to Sirius that Regulus is a list cause.

Because what kind of person will not be at all affected when another person who is also your brother has his free will taken away. And Regulus being okay with it confirmed to Sirius that Regulus is the same as their parents. 

And Regulus will always be ashamed at himself for that. Because that was the first of many times when wrong acts were committed in front of him and he just stood by. Then he began performing those act. 

Sirius might have lived with dementors for more than a decade but he was not guilty. But each act of wrong that Regulus seen before him or committed himself, chirped away his soul piece by piece. 

Till the time he died the real Regulus black was already dead. It was just the body that died that day. Regulus died when he stood by in silence. Regulus died when he was marked. Regulus died when he killed and tortured innocent. Regulus died when his house elf came back half dead.

Regulus died when his brother left him. 

*****

So, today is the day which was a beginning to Regulus's end. 

Why can't he catch a break. A week of unconsciousness, then many days of numbness and now a day full of drama is ahead of him now. 

Sirius's whole body tenses because of the summon from father, he gives a small smile to Regulus. 

"I will be right back reg. " And he leaves. 

Regulus is left to himself all alone for the first time in the last two weeks. The time in which his brain was all mushy and choked up. 

Why had father not called for Regulus. Is it because of him falling unconscious for a whole week and then not leaving his bed. 

That must be it. Because it is the only thing different from the last time. 

Knowing what is going to happen hits Regulus all of a sudden. This time he knows that Sirius leaving is like a trigger that led to the downfall of the entire house of black. 

Last time he was self centered enough and much too proud of himself to admit but this time he can say in the confines of his mind that Sirius is a better heir to the black family. No one except him can weather these dark times with a grace as beautiful and elegant as his brother. 

But he also does not want his brother to stay here in a place where he could not bloom into the man he became last time. Regulus knows that the love and care that the elder potters showered upon his brother were the main reason for Sirius becoming strong and almost unbeatable opponent to the death eaters. He needs that emotional support to fight the years to come.

Regulus has to make sure to either keep his family as far away from the dark Lord as possible or if not then fight tooth and nail to bring the bastard of the dark Lord down before he can hurt his family.

Regulus is not chivalrous and brave and cavalier like his brother but one thing that Regulus has is his loyalty towards his family. And the person who deserves his loyalty the most is his childhood confidant and friend. His brother. The one who knows that Regulus may think that mudbloods are beneath them but does not wants to kill them for it. That he is no killer. 

Sirius is loyal to those who he thinks are deserving of it but Regulus is unconditionally loyal to the Blacks first and foremost, whether they deserve it or not and then to the other people he cares about and at last to himself. 

He needs a solution. He has to think fast. He leaps out of his bed and rushes to father's study. 

'What to do Regulus, think fast or else the future will repeat itself. '