Epilogue
SIRIUS
Sirius? Is that you? He could hear Regulus’ voice in his sleep now, in his dreams, in times when his focus was not diverted to Remus or James or Lily or the excitement over the life inside her belly. It was hushed and hoarse and broken, but he could hear it plainly in his head.
It had been a little over two months since that last Owl from Regulus had come soaring in through the open window of their house in North Wales. His handwriting had been messy and hurried while his thoughts on paper scattered and unclear, all so unlike his younger brother.
He’d spoken of the secret to winning the war. More than once, Sirius had heard tales of Regulus fighting against the Order of the Phoenix, fighting for the Death Eaters. At first, when Sirius read his letter, he was afraid Regulus meant winning the war forVoldemort.
The longer the letter went on, the more clear it became. Regulus had discovered the secret to defeating Voldemort. Throughout the rest of the letter, his words were illegible, but Sirius had been able to make out the word horcrux, though he didn’t know the meaning of it.
The last lines of the letter, however, had been excruciatingly clear. Regulus meant to carry out this mission alone, to betray the Death Eaters, even if it meant going to his death. With tears in his eyes, Sirius read ‘If you don’t hear from me again, just know that I love you.’
And he hadn’t. He hadn’t heard from Regulus again. There was a small part in Sirius’ heart that held out the hope that Regulus had survived, that he was in hiding and couldn’t risk sending another owl. Every day without word, that part died a little more.
But he could still hear Regulus’ voice. Sometimes, it would be a memory of when they were younger – of Regulus holding a cloth filled with ice against Sirius’ blackened eye, of Sirius pulling Regulus to his chest to assure him they would be alright, of the two of them falling asleep in Sirius’ room to the sounds of Van Morrison playing on their portable record player.
Lately, it was just his voice, calling Sirius’ name. A voice that had started out so strong, so sure. The longer time went by, the more scratched his voice became, the more hopeless. Now, it only came in the dark, in the middle of the night, waking Sirius with nightmares and screaming.
“Sirius,” Sirius heard Regulus hissing, feeling a pressure on his left forearm. When he opened his eyes, Regulus looked more rattled than Sirius had ever seen him, even more than when Sirius had returned to his room with his face covered in blood from his mother’s ring.
“Reg,” Sirius struggled to say, a wave of exhaustion sweeping over him. “It’s alright.”
“It’s not alright!” Regulus meant to scream but stifled it. “You can’t leave me.” With the last slice of energy in his body, Sirius glanced over to where Regulus’ attention was focused, the wide gash in Sirius’ left forearm, the result of the intentional Diffindo he’d cast along it.
“Let me go, Reg.” Sirius felt his voice fading. “She’ll be gentler with you if I’m gone.”
“I don’t care!” Regulus cried, casting healing spells over the unraveled rolls of gauze that he pressed across Sirius’ open skin. “I don’t care about her! You’re the one I care about, Sirius!”
A sob croaked up Sirius’ throat. “I’m so sorry, Regulus. I … I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Regulus growled, his terror turning to determination. “Just focus on staying still and letting me save you.” Sirius could feel the insistence in Regulus’ spells, the impatience in the press of his fingertips onto Sirius’ bloody skin, the stress in his shortened breath. There was practiced calculation in his voice as he spoke, saying the one thing he knew would make Sirius want to stay. “You have to stay alive. I might need you to save me one day.”
For a moment, Sirius thought he woke from the dream, woke from the memory of that night in the Slytherin dorms when Sirius would have given up, if not for Regulus. When he sat up, he knew he hadn’t woken – he wasn’t in his own bed, he couldn’t feel Remus next to him.
Instead of moonlight coming in through the window next to their bed, there was nothing but blinding darkness. Instead of feeling the warmth of Remus sleeping next to him, Sirius could feel nothing but cold, in the stones underneath him, in the draft coming in through the cracks in the wall. As his eyes adjusted, he could just see a figure slumped against the furthest wall.
Without telling his body to move, he was crawling forward on his hands and knees, the breath swirling unused within his chest. When he got close enough, he could see the dark, wavy hair that was so much like his own, but now matted and unkempt. He could see the bruises and stripes and filth covering skin that was pale enough to be translucent. He could see a familiar face, once so sharp with aristocratic lines now swollen from injury and pooling blood.
Unable to speak, Sirius went still from the panic that paralyzed his limbs. The head hanging in front of him rose, just enough to showcase a uniquely silver eye color, dulled to grey.
“Sirius?” his younger brother whispered in a rasp. “Is that you?”
With a sharp, stinging breath, Sirius shot up from his place in bed, panting and sweating and reaching out for Remus, who was already sitting up next to him. Vaguely, Sirius could feel that draining feeling of his magic leeching out, the way it had when he’d been under Cruciatus, the way it had when he had mentioned Regulus to James in that coffee shop.
“I saw Regulus again,” Sirius spoke on lacking breath, trying to take in big gulps of air to recover the air he’d lost, to draw his magic back into place. Remus had already wrapped his arms around Sirius’ trembling frame, though Sirius had only just become aware of the contact.
Before Remus could reply, Sirius spoke again. “I think he’s still alive.”
“Tell me again what you saw,” Remus prompted as Sirius paced their bedroom in his underwear, trying to take deep breaths, trying to remember, trying not to panic.
“I couldn’t see anything,” Sirius emphasized, pulling his hands through his hair, getting stuck in the tangled turquoise tips. His stunted breaths had him growing dizzy.
“Sirius,” Remus said in a hushed breath, standing from the end of their bed and taking Sirius into his arms and Sirius didn’t fight the hold. “If Regulus is still alive, we will find him.”
“How, Moony?” he asked, pressing his face into Remus’ chest and using his shirt as a substitute for a paper bag, breathing through the cloth to regulate his oxygen. “We don’t know where he’s been, where he was last. We can’t exactly ask my mother. Or the Death Eaters.”
“But we can ask the Order,” Remus said under a hesitant breath. “James and Lily are coming over tomorrow …” he paused to glance at the clock, “Sorry, today. They may not know where Regulus was seen last, but they’ll be able to gather more information than we can.”
“Alright, okay,” Sirius rambled, his breaths still too numerous, too quick.
“For now, I think you might need some hot tea and a distraction,” Remus reasoned, taking Sirius by the hand and pulling him toward the door, into the hall, into the kitchen.
“As much as I appreciate the gesture, Moony, I don’t think I’m really in the mood for a blowjob just now,” Sirius said with a sharply raised eyebrow. Remus playfully rolled his eyes.
“I meant helping me make breakfast,” Remus laughed. “But you just let me know if you change your mind about that blowjob before James and Lily get here.” Putting the kettle on, Remus leaned with his hip against the counter as Sirius gathered the eggs and bacon. Before long, Sirius had a steaming cup of chamomile in his hands, watching a pan of bacon sizzle.
With a sigh, he leaned over to where Remus stood next to him scrambling the eggs and he snuggled his face into the crook of Remus’ arm. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Succumb to crippling anxiety, I imagine,” Remus grinned. Despite the grumble in his throat, Sirius still leapt up and planted a kiss to the curve of Remus’ jaw.
“I love you, you know,” he whispered into Remus’ skin. Remus hummed contentedly.
“Then don’t burn my bacon,” he quipped with a knowing smirk. In retaliation, Sirius opened his mouth right at Remus’ neck and bit down softly, but with enough pressure to make Remus squirm to get away, laughing and covering his neck. “No hickeys, we’re having company.”
“I’ll stop if you tell me you love me,” Sirius threatened, holding Remus by the opposite side of his waist to keep him from getting too far. Quickly, before Sirius could react, Remus leaned in and parted Sirius’ lips with his own, kissing him with soft pressure, but deep affection.
“I love you so much,” he sighed in satisfaction, unsettling Sirius’ lips again.
“Then don’t scorch my eggs,” Sirius smiled. Remus leaned over and bit his neck.
“They’ll be here any minute, Moony,” Sirius grumbled, albeit excitedly, scurrying around from room to room, straightening things that were not crooked and moving things that Remus immediately returned to their original place, though smiling as he did it.
After running into James Potter at that Muggle tea shop just last week, James had Owled the next day to wonder if Remus and Sirius would like to have some company for dinner, and they were both quick to agree. The first time, they’d met James and Lily at a nearby shop for fish and chips – there weren’t a lot of restaurants to choose from in North Wales, where they’d chosen to settle down (only a modest walk from Remus’ parents). Then, there had been a little bit of distrust between them, what with the war on and everything, so they met at a shop.
Any mistrust was quickly dissolved as they reminisced about their time at Hogwarts, as James and Sirius spoke about recent Quidditch matches, as Remus and Lily discussed the books they’d been reading. Their bond strengthened when James and Lily had told them of the child that Lily was carrying, that she’d been carrying for longer than either she or James knew, the child that she just recently discovered was a boy. Sirius could feel the joy between them.
Over a shared order of chips, the conversation had gone from potential baby names (Remus was rather fond of the name Harry, which was Lily’s favorite) to the status of the war raging on around them. For the most part, Remus and Sirius had managed to stay out of it, as Sirius was still hated vehemently among the Death Eaters as the worst of all the blood traitors, but they still got The Daily Prophet. They still saw the obituaries. They watched their classmates portraits appear among those pages, one by one, until there weren’t many left to appear.
Each morning, Sirius and Remus had looked for James’ name, for Lily’s name. Each morning, they breathed a sigh of relief together to find them missing from those pages. After all, James had helped to save Sirius’ life, helped to save them both. So, when Sirius had run into James at the tea shop, it was almost as good as running into Regulus. Almost.
Thoughts of Regulus and the worry and fear that accompanied them threatened to dour Sirius’ optimistic mood, so he put off thinking of Regulus just then, trying to focus on James and Lily’s arrival. After their dinner in the shop, Remus and Sirius thought it safer to dine at their home. After all, they were all still sought after by the Death Eaters. The less publicity, the better.
“Look at you, you’re practically nervous,” Remus pinched Sirius in the sides before pulling him into his arms. “Should I be worried? Are you going to try to steal him from Lily?”
The smirk on Sirius’ face grew. “Could if I wanted to.” Remus wrinkled his nose.
“I have no doubt about that, but I was hoping you’d stay mine a little longer than this,” he replied, nuzzling his nose against Sirius’ and Sirius practically melted into his grasp.
“No, you’re stuck with me, Remus Lupin,” Sirius hummed, pushing forward to claim Remus’ mouth with his own. “For all of this life and all of the next.” For several long, blissful moments, they stayed bound in their kiss, Sirius backing Remus into the wall of their bedroom.
Just as Sirius began to press Remus against the wall with his hips, as he could feel the change in the usual tranquility of Remus’ breathing, as he could feel Remus approaching the point where the growl began to form in his throat and the insistence moved into his fingertips, there was a knock at the door. With a lick of his lips and a playful hum, Sirius pulled away.
“Fuck,” Remus groaned, letting his head fall back. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Of course not,” Sirius emphasized with an expression that said you know I did, as he raced toward the front door, swinging it wide, much to the surprise of his guests. “You could’ve Flooed in, you know,” Sirius grinned. “It’s not like we weren’t expecting you.”
“Sirius,” James said with a brightness in his face as he stepped forward and unexpectedly pulled Sirius into a hug. At first, Sirius looked at Lily with wide eyes from over the top of James’ shoulder, who just looked at him with an amused grin and a lighthearted shrug. The longer James held on and the tighter he pulled Sirius in, the more Sirius found himself sinking into James’ hold until he had no will to do anything but hold James right back, just as tightly.
“Lily, I’m feeling a bit left out,” Sirius heard Remus say from behind him, that wit in his voice that Sirius fell in love with more every single day. Lily laughed and it was like a song.
“Come here and hug me, then,” she said, and Sirius watched Remus carefully wrap her into his arms, obviously trying not to press her belly, even though she had barely begun showing.
“I’m sorry you got stuck with the other half of this matched set.”
Lily laughed again. “They’re quite the pair, aren’t they?” They pulled out of their hug just in time to watch Sirius and James pull from theirs. “You’d think they were best mates.”
A strange smile crossed over James’ face. “But we are, aren’t we? All of us.” As Sirius felt the sentiment bloom in his chest, he watched the outward expression of it cross Remus’ face.
“Well, you did say we would be a fantastic bunch of marauders when we found each other again,” Sirius reminded James with a careful smile. “And here we are. Finding each other.”
That strange smile slipped from James’ expression. “Speaking of finding,” he said, taking a deep breath. Sirius watched him slip his hand into Lily’s for added emotional stability. “We’re not just here to have dinner.” He looked pointedly at Sirius. “We believe Regulus is alive.”
Just then, Remus was the one slipping his hand around Sirius for the same reason. And it was a very good thing, because Sirius felt quite sure that the strength of his legs had left him.
“And it was just a bluff, but Kingsley Shacklebolt told Avery that we were very close to bringing Voldemort’s power to a permanent close,” James said, speaking through a mouthful of mashed potatoes and roast chicken, as all four of them had been conversing and eating and plotting throughout the course of dinner. Tapping the tines of his fork on his lips, Sirius leaned in.
“What did Avery say?” Sirius asked, paying critical attention, grimacing as he recalled the name of Avery, reconciling it to the Slytherin boy who had accosted Remus in that corridor.
“He made this disgusted sort of expression and went on a little tantrum about how they should have never trusted a Black, how Regulus failed them just like his older brother had, how Regulus was going to destroy what Voldemort had built,” James said in a single breath, washing down his mashed potatoes with a heavy gulp of Scotch ale, leaving a foam trace on his lip.
“That’s what he said in the letter, too,” Sirius said, taking a few nervous breaths, chewing anxiously on the inside of his cheek. “That he’d found the secret to defeating Voldemort. He used some name for it, some strange word I’ve never heard before.” He tapped his chin.
“Horcrux,” Remus reminded him, pointing with his fork. Sirius snapped his fingers.
“That’s it,” Sirius nodded. “Anyone in the Order know anything about it?” A shallow sigh from Lily’s lips drew the attention of the four men at the table. She glanced up, all emerald eyes and dark lashes, looking as if she wished she didn’t know the information she knew.
“It was supposed to be just a theory,” she emphasized, looking somewhat defeated. “An idea of how to attain immortality. Split your soul into pieces, sealing it into an object. A horcrux.”
“Is it a theory? Or has he done it?” Remus asked with a strong swallow, glancing to Sirius.
“The thing is,” Lily continued, putting her fork down and folding her hands over her plate, still half full with food. “I don’t think it ever was just a theory, but just too taboo for most wizards to perform. The person creating the horcrux has to willingly take a life in order to make one.”
“Merlin,” James breathed out. “How do you know all this?”
“Slughorn,” Lily shrugged with a half-roll of her eyes. “Once at a Slug Club party, he drank far too much Butterbeer and got rather weepy on me about it after everyone else left. I didn’t know why at the time, but …” she trailed off, taking a breath. “I think he gave Voldemort the information to do it, back before he was ever Voldemort.” She closed her eyes softly under furrowed brows and Remus reached over the table to place a hand on her forearm.
“Don’t beat yourself up over this, Lil,” he reminded her. Sirius nodded.
“There’s no way you could’ve known what that old codger was going on about.”
“It was so insignificant to me then, I didn’t know it was important,” she said, looking rather apologetic. Quickly, James leaned over and placed a heavy kiss against her cheek.
“Cheer up, love. Look at how much it’s helping us right now,” he smiled.
“I never would’ve known without you.” Sirius added, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
With a sharp change of pace, Remus interjected. “James, when did you say they interrogated Avery?” Remus asked, setting his fork down onto his mostly empty plate.
“Just yesterday,” James answered quickly, looking quizzically at Remus.
“Then Regulus is alive,” Remus confirmed, unwaveringly. Sirius took in an unsteady breath, and Remus took his hand under the table, holding it tightly atop Sirius’ thigh.
“How can you be sure?” Lily asked.
“They don’t know what Regulus has done with it – the horcrux,” Remus said, glancing around at all the eyes on him. “He could’ve hidden it, he could’ve Owled it someone, he could’ve destroyed it for all we know. They need him alive to find out what he’s done with it.”
“What if he’s already told them?” James added.
“He hasn’t,” Remus said, shaking his head and Sirius made an expression to show his agreement. Regulus was nothing if not stubborn – for that alone, he might’ve been sorted into Gryffindor. If Regulus wanted something done, it would be done, even if he had to crawl through muck and do it himself. Remus continued. “If they already knew where the horcrux was, Avery wouldn’t have said what he said. Because it sounded like he thought the Order already had it.”
“Which means …” Sirius exhaled, hope in his chest for the first time in two months.
“Which means,” Remus looked over with a wild, eager smile. “We can save him.”
There were voices coming from above him this time. Still in the same small, stone room with the smothering darkness and suffocating mugginess in the air. There was a bit more light than there was the last time – enough for him to see Regulus in the corner, slumped over.
“Reg!” Sirius hissed, trying to keep his voice low. It couldn’t be a coincidence, it couldn’t be simply a dream for him to keep finding Regulus like this, especially now that he knew Regulus really was alive. He had to pay vital attention to every detail – anything could give him a clue.
Regulus didn’t respond and, for some reason, Sirius couldn’t move any closer to him. It wasn’t a dream, he’d decided. Maybe Regulus had drawn him here, maybe he had drawn himself to Regulus – whatever the circumstance didn’t matter. He would use this to save his brother.
The voices above them grew louder. They were shouting. There was enough flooring between them that Sirius still couldn’t understand what was being said. From the opposite wall, Regulus stirred, a pained breath moving from his lungs as he awoke. At the same moment, light flooded the room and Sirius could see now that it was a basement. A dungeon. Dirt floors, stone walls, drafts coming in through the cracks in the floor, the curves of the rocks.
More importantly, he could see the stairs out of this dungeon, and he could see who stood at the top of those stairs. It was his cousin, Narcissa. The look on her face was blurred by the rays of light shining in from around her, but he thought it looked like concern clouded there.
“Cissy!” a biting voice snapped, an unseen hand reaching forward and gripping her forearm, yanking her from the door. Sirius knew that voice. It was Bellatrix. “Leave him.”
“Bell, if they keep this up, Reg is going to –” Bellatrix cut her off.
“Does it matter? He betrayed us,” Bellatrix snorted. “This is better than what he deserves, if you ask me.” Her sharp nails pressed into Narcissa’s forearm.
“Can’t we just use Veritaserum to get the information we need?” she asked, keeping her voice low, and Sirius could hear the plea buried within it. Bellatrix didn’t seem to notice.
“Don’t you think we’ve tried?” she scoffed. “He’s good at burying his meaning in other truths, so he’s not technically lying to us. Veritaserum isn’t as good as torture, anyway,” she said, flippantly waving her hand. Sirius could feel the bile rising into his throat. “Leave him. The Dark Lord will be here in three days, we have more important things to be doing right now.”
As Narcissa wavered at the door, closing it slowly, Sirius could see part of the room that she stood in. More importantly, he could see the bottom half of a family crest hanging on the wall – a green and silver shield with what looked like a dragon along the side. He could clearly make out the words Sanctimonia Vincet Semper written in the banner along the bottom.
Before all the light in the room vanished, Sirius looked back at Regulus. His heart moved into his throat, threatening to suffocate him. On the dirt floor, Regulus leaned against the cold, stone wall. His pale face was gaunt, ghostly – he was surely two full stone lighter than the last time Sirius had seen him. His clothes were torn, covered in filth and blood. His once silky hair was matted and uneven, looking as if half of it had been cut unwillingly from his head. The silver in his eyes was nearly black as he looked up, his chapped lips parting, his thick eyebrows furrowing.
“Sirius,” he called out in a hoarse whisper, fear evident in his tone. “Don’t come.”
“It’s the Malfoy estate,” Remus stated clearly, as Sirius nodded, unable to repeat the dream out loud a second time. He’d barely been able to tell Remus about it, after he’d woke gasping for air and clawing for Remus. Only under Remus’ soothing tone had he been able to whisper out the details of what he’d seen. Only with Remus’ arms around him and his lips in his hair. Certainly not in front of a room full of people who still didn’t trust him.
It was an unofficial Order meeting at James and Lily’s house. The leaders of the Order hadn’t been called at Sirius and Remus’ request – they weren’t sure how willing they would be to risk the safety of their members over the rescue attempt of someone they saw as their enemy.
“How can you be sure?” Frank Longbottom asked, watching Sirius closely. Sirius was, after all, the only former Slytherin in the room. Almost everyone here was from Gryffindor.
“Besides Narcissa’s presence, the Malfoy crest is the most damning evidence,” Remus continued, his voice even and regulated, and Sirius was awestruck at how skilled he was at speaking with authority. “Sanctimonia Vincet Semper. Purity Will Always Conquer.”
“It isn’t really evidence though, is it?” Fabian Prewett added harshly, though his tone was void of accusation or suspicion. Like it was just fact that they couldn’t trust this vision.
“You’re right, it’s not,” Remus agreed with a shrug. “Which is why I wouldn’t blame any of you for not going with us, but Sirius and I will be going.” In surprise, Sirius looked over at Remus, who smiled confidently back at him. With a breath, Sirius took his hand, nodding.
“As will I,” James added. Lily opened her mouth to speak, but Remus stopped her.
“No, Lily,” he said preemptively. “Not you. Not right now.”
“But –” She began to argue, looking to James for support in her will to fight, but he made an expression that, while apologetic, indicated he whole-heartedly agreed with Remus.
Sirius finally added his word. “I won’t trade Harry for Regulus.” With a quick swallow, he clenched his jaw in determination, and the fight in Lily’s face faded into a smile.
“I think you just helped me make a decision on that name,” she grinned, pink in the cheeks, green eyes gleaming. “It sounds rather brave, doesn’t it? Harry James Potter.”
“It’s perfect,” James said, his whole face alight with love and wonder.
“In that case,” Remus continued, smiling. “To protect Harry, you have to stay out of it.”
Lily made a grumbling sound, placing a protective hand on her belly. “Fine.”
“If James trusts you, I’m going, too,” Longbottom added, placing a hand on the shoulder of both Remus and Sirius. “I’ve seen you both duel. And James has told all of us what happened to you both at the end of Seventh Year. You have reason to fight, and that’s enough for me.”
“Frank,” Sirius said, looking back. It came out quite a bit more wistfully than he intended.
Frank blushed. “Don’t get all mushy on me now, Black. Just … watch my back out there.”
“I swear it,” Sirius nodded as Remus patted Frank’s hand on his shoulder before Frank had a chance to pull it away, looking a bit sheepish over all the attention.
“Alice, you’re staying with me,” Lily half-ordered. Alice didn’t even try to argue, despite the expression on her rosy face that indicated she would’ve tried, if not for the same reason as Lily staying put, if not for the growing life inside her belly, if not for the life she had to protect.
“I’ll go,” Marlene McKinnon volunteered easily, looking pointedly at Sirius. “You defended me from Rosier once in Sixth Year and I knew then you couldn’t be a Death Eater.”
“I’m in, too,” Dorcas Meadowes agreed, casting a grin at Marlene. “I’ll be the first one to point out that Regulus has not cast a single harmful curse that actually hit its mark. I’ve thought for a while that he’s been doing it on purpose.” Sirius lowered his head to hide his proud smile.
“That’s six of us,” James counted. “Is that enough support?”
“It depends,” Remus reasoned, taking a breath as he glanced up. “Will Voldemort be there?” An uncomfortable, heavy silence settled over the room as the members exchanged glances, wondering and waiting. “If he is, all the Death Eaters will likely also be present.”
“Remember what Sirius heard Bellatrix say?” James reminded him. “She said Voldemort would be there in three days. I think we have a very limited window and we should act on it.”
“We should go tonight,” Marlene nodded, licking her lips, as if in anticipation, and Sirius noticed the way that Dorcas’ attention was drawn to it. “Long before Voldemort arrives.”
“Are we sure that’s true?” Gideon Prewitt added. “What if they knew Sirius was watching somehow?” Even if they hadn’t volunteered to go on this rescue mission, it was nice to feel like everyone in the room at least had a modicum of trust placed in Remus and Sirius.
“I was standing directly in the light cast by the open door,” Sirius said, placing his face into his palm, supported by his elbow on the table. “They were looking right through me.”
“I think Sirius was pulled in by Regulus’ magic,” Remus mused, looking blankly at a knot on the wooden table underneath his fingers, deep in thought. “I don’t think anyone else could have known that Sirius was there, except for Regulus. Because he wasn’t really there at all.”
“Either way,” Frank said with a short breath. “I think we should be smart about this.”
“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Frank,” Dorcas jumped in. “We go in stealth.”
The group all nodded, even the Prewitts, and James spoke. “We use my Cloak.”
“Cloak?” Sirius asked, looking up. A wide grin split James’ face.
“Invisibility Cloak,” he said, looking mischievous. “I told you we would’ve been a great bunch of marauders. Imagine all the pranks we could’ve pulled on those Slytherins.”
Remus laughed, despite looking awestruck. “You own one of the most rare magical articles in the history of magic, and you think of all the pranks you could pull.”
“Let me go in,” Sirius said suddenly, returning the conversation back to Regulus. “Let me go in and find him under the cloak. Maybe I can get in and out without being detected.”
“If anyone can do it, it’ll be you,” James said, squeezing his shoulder. “I mentioned to Dumbledore about that passage under the Lake you used to sneak out of the Slytherin dorms, and he said nobody has even noticed it existed for the last twenty years. He was a little impressed.” An arrogant grin flashed over Sirius’ face, but it washed out when Fabian spoke.
“Is that a good idea? Letting the former Slytherin have the cloak and walk right into a Death Eater nest?” he glanced over to Sirius, who was shrinking into his seat. “I like you and all, Sirius, but you acted like one of them for six years. How do we know this isn’t the act?”
Everything Fabian said was valid. Sirius had practically been a Death Eater. They really had more reason not to trust him. And the one person he knew could speak on his behalf, on the truth of who Sirius was, had little more to stand on than he did. They knew Remus even less.
“Since it’s my cloak, it’s my call,” James stated sternly. “And I trust Sirius with my life.”
“What, why?” Sirius asked suddenly. Only after speaking did he realize he wasn’t helping his case at all. But James Potter didn’t have a reason to trust Sirius with his life. Remus, sure, but James? Their only history together was a few bad puns and superficial conversations.
James’ expression softened as he looked over at Sirius. “I don’t have a good explanation for it,” he said simply, shrugging unconcerned. “Maybe I could feel it in your magic, maybe it’s an all the times I watched you defend Muggleborns in secret, maybe it’s just me wishing for a life we didn’t get to have, but I trust you with everything, Sirius. You and Remus, both.”
Without thought, Sirius pushed from his chair and encased James in his arms, squeezing so tightly that when James laughed, it was all exhale. And Remus wasn’t far behind, encompassing them both in his lanky arms and placing his head against both theirs.
“Let’s get up to no good, gentlemen,” James smiled. “And save our little brother.”
Despite their plan for stealth, Frank, Marlene, and Dorcas all still agreed to accompany them on their rescue mission. If Sirius were detected, there would be a fight, and they would need all the help they could get. They all still hoped their support wouldn’t be needed.
They’d considered the wards ahead of time, though it required quite a bit more luck than their original plan of stealth. It was a risk that Sirius was willing to take. Since Avery was in custody, and that fact was seemingly unbeknownst to the other Death Eaters, Sirius would Polyjuice into Avery in order to get through the wards, while still remaining under the Cloak.
After Sirius drank the foul liquid, after he felt the shape of his face lengthen and his hair shorten, he turned to Remus and grimaced at the way Remus struggled to look at him.
“Don’t look at me, love, I’m hideous,” he smiled, and Remus nodded.
“I’m sorry to agree. It’s a good thing I kissed you before you drank it, because I cannot in good conscious put my lips to that face,” he said, making a disgusted face, but his expression grew sober, quickly, as he took Sirius’ face (the face that wasn’t Sirius’ face) into his hands. “Be careful. I’ll be outside the wards. Send your Patronus if you’re discovered and we’ll break in.”
“Moony, I’ll be alright. I’ll have James’ Cloak. They won’t even know I’m there,” Sirius promised with a confident grin, but Remus still looked pale, sickly, terrified beyond all measure.
James squeeze Remus at his collarbone. “The Cloak will protect him. If we hear anything go on inside, we’ll go in. I’m not going to let anything happen to him, Remus. I swear.”
“Alright.” Remus took a breath. “Then let’s get this over with.” With a nod, James looked around at the group of them, all looking breathless and nervous. One by one, they Apparated out, to the edge of the wood surrounding Malfoy Manor. A last squeeze of Sirius’ hand and Remus went on before him, leaving Sirius alone in James and Lily’s kitchen. He let out a short breath through pursed lips and Apparated, an Invisibility Cloak tucked underneath his arm.
When he landed in the darkness, Remus was already beside him, steadying him and whispering promises into his ear. Regulus was inside. All Sirius had to do was get in, find him, and leave the same way. There was the problem of the front door, the problem of the dungeon door, the problem of running into anything and anyone, but he’d deal with those as they arrived.
First, he just needed to make it through the wards. Looking like Avery didn’t necessarily mean the wards would accept him as Avery. There was a chance that there was more to the wards than just a physical barrier – they may have set them up to uncover magical residue.
With a flourish of his wrists, the Cloak went around Sirius’ head and he moved forward through the wood, recognizing how the noise of his footsteps were not silenced underneath the fabric of the Cloak. This may take more time than he hoped if he had to walk silently, too.
In front of him, he could see the shimmering of the wards. With a preparatory breath, he clutched at the Cloak in front of his chest and stepped through, waiting and bracing. But nothing happened. No alarm, no commotion inside, no hexes flung in his direction. He looked down at his left forearm – the Polyjuice hadn’t been washed away. The Mark was still there, though he still shuddered when he looked at it. He pretended it was his own Giant Squid.
Crouched, he moved toward the house and he peered through the window next to the front door. At first, the house appeared empty, but Lucius Malfoy soon came into view, with a rather stricken look on his face that worried Sirius. Had he been discovered after all?
The front door swung wide open, Sirius standing in the shadow beyond where the light could reach, still unsure that he was fully hidden from view. But Lucius opened the door and moved out of it, staring off into the night, not acknowledging Sirius in the slightest.
“Two days,” Lucius said to himself, under his breath, and Sirius took this opportunity to slip into the front door, sliding silently into the darker corner to avoid running into anyone.
“Lucius, it’s two full days,” Sirius heard the grating, shrill voice of his cousin as she suddenly seemed to appear in front of the open doorway. “Your house is fine.” Like an explosion, Lucius appeared again, bearing down into Bellatrix’s face, although she didn’t budge.
“If he finds even onemoreshred of Muggle paraphernalia in this house, he may take my entire left arm to get rid of his Mark upon it,” Lucius hissed, and Sirius noticed what looked like scorch marks on Lucius’ left arm. “Comb the library again. Don’t miss anything this time.”
With a roll of her eyes, Bella surprised Sirius by actually doing what she was asked. If he had to guess, he would wager that Bella was just as nervous about Voldemort’s visit as Lucius.
The effects of the Polyjuice Potion were wearing off – Sirius could feel his face beginning to change shape, his hair lengthening. When he glanced down at his forearm, swaying tentacles began to move across the scar he had etched into his own skin, but he was still relieved to see it.
“Narcissa!” Lucius suddenly bellowed. Even Sirius flinched at the sound of it.
“Yes, dear?” Narcissa rounded the corner, her eyes wide, jaw clenched.
“Give your cousin a few more fresh wounds. I want The Dark Lord to know that we haven’t been sitting on our arses around here while the traitor lives comfortably downstairs.”
Narcissa swallowed but nodded, nonetheless. “Yes, love.”
This was it – this was Sirius’ chance to get to Regulus in the dungeon. It may mean Stupefying the cousin that hadn’t been an awful wench to him, but he had no choice. If it were between Cissy and Reg, he’d hex Narcissa a thousand times to save his little brother.
Quietly, Sirius followed after Narcissa as she descended into the damp, darkness of the basement. In the light coming in from the still open basement door, Sirius could see him, he could see Regulus, and he was just as the vision told him. Pale, gaunt, wounded. Nearly dead.
When Narcissa pulled the wand from her sleeve, Sirius readied his own, his heart beating so loudly, he was sure that Narcissa would hear it. As she leveled her wand to Regulus’ face, her hand trembled significantly, and Sirius watched Regulus take a knowing, anxious breath.
As Sirius threw open the Cloak, and Regulus’ eyes widened in response, Narcissa turned, but Sirius was faster than she was. In a whisper, he cast Stupefy and as she went limp, he quickly stepped forward to catch her, lowering her unconscious body softly and silently to the ground.
“I told you not to come!” Regulus hissed, all clenched fists and teeth.
“And I didn’t give a shit, so I came anyway!” Sirius growled, falling to his knees as tears flooded his vision. With a trembling grip on Regulus’ torn shirt, Sirius pulled him to his chest and held him as tightly as he thought Regulus could stand. “I thought you were dead.”
“I know,” Regulus whispered into Sirius’ hair as Sirius cried. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter right now, we have to go,” Sirius said, sniffling and extending a hand to Regulus as he stood. With a short breath, Regulus looked up at Sirius with a pained expression.
“Sirius,” he said heavily, lip quivering. “I’m ... they broke both my ankles. I can’t even stand.” A stuttering breath moved from Sirius’ lips as he felt his strength leave him.
“What the fuck,” Sirius exhaled under wide eyes, dropping to his knees again, his shaking hand moving over his mouth to cover the sob he could feel forming in his throat. Instinctively, he moved his hands down to Regulus’ feet, prepared to cast healing spells, and he blanched at the sight of Regulus’ legs, bruised up to the knee and swollen beyond recognition. “Jesus Christ.”
“You don’t have the time to heal it, you have to leave me here,” Regulus reasoned, though Sirius could hear the terror in his voice at the thought of being left to die.
“No, fuck that,” Sirius muttered, shaking his head. “I carried Remus, I can carry you.” In a swift motion, his hand was behind Regulus’ neck, but Regulus pushed him away.
“Stop trying to save everyone, Sirius!” Regulus hissed angrily. “Just let me save you for once.” An angry breath seethed through Sirius’ clenched teeth as he looked Regulus in the face.
“As if you haven’t saved me already,” Sirius growled, jutting his left arm out in front of Regulus, displaying the scar there, reminding Regulus that he had kept the blood in Sirius’ veins.
“You won’t make it out of here if you have to carry me. You won’t have the strength to defend yourself if you’re caught,” Regulus argued vehemently, despite his apparent fatigue.
“I won’t have to, Reg,” Sirius emphasized sharply. “Do you think I came alone?”
The tension in Regulus’ shoulders softened. “Remus.”
“Of fucking course Remus, and half the bloody Order,” Sirius huffed as Regulus startled at the realization. “So stop wasting time and help me figure out how to get the fuck out of here.”
With a reluctant grumble, Regulus sighed. “Give me your wand and turn around.” As Sirius did what he was told, he listened to Regulus perform a series of Sticking Charms, including one against Sirius’ back. “Move in as close as you can get, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“I wouldn’t have thought of Sticking Charms,” Sirius smiled, moving the Cloak out of the way so Regulus could climb onto his back. He felt the Sticking Charm all the way through his shirt, it tugged uncomfortably at his skin as Regulus wrapped his arms around Sirius’ throat.
“It’s not the best plan,” Regulus said with a soft groan as Sirius lifted his severely injured legs to wrap them around his hips from behind, careful not to touch either of his feet.
“But it’ll work,” Sirius said, feeling the pressure of two other Sticking Charms against the outside of either hip and two more where Regulus’ arms hung over his shoulders. Just as he stood with Regulus, he heard Lucius Malfoy’s voice from just beyond the top of the stairs.
“Narcissa!” he shouted. With a flailing swish, Sirius flung the Cloak over Regulus and himself just as Lucius moved into the light at the top of the stairs, his face going starkly pale as he realized Narcissa was unconscious and Regulus was missing. “Shit!” he screamed. “Bellatrix!”
As he raced down the stairs, Sirius moved silently off to the side, sure to move as slowly as was possible to avoid stirring any dust underneath his feet. Lucius sped past him without so much as a glance in their direction. For a moment, he started to head up the stairs, but he hesitated. In that moment, Bellatrix appeared at the door, descending the stairs in a flash.
The need for stealth was over – if Sirius didn’t get up those stairs before either of the Death Eaters, there was no way they were going to make it out of this house. Without thought for noise or dust, Sirius pounded up the rickety wooden staircase as fast as his feet could carry him with the extra weight of Regulus against his back. Before Sirius had even covered half of the staircase, Lucius and Bellatrix detected his movement and were flinging hexes in his direction.
“Protego!” he countered, keeping his voice quiet and raspy, to avoid identification. The curses were deflected and Bellatrix was sent stumbling backward, giving Sirius a few more seconds – just enough to make it beyond the door and slam it shut in her scowling face.
There was no time to rest. The lesser Death Eaters began pouring out from the walls, having heard Bellatrix’s shrill voice casting offensive spells. Deftly, Sirius weaved between them, avoiding any accidental touches that could give away their presence.
From the basement, Bellatrix was shrieking. “The traitor is escaping! Catch him, you useless idiots, or I will force feed you your own fuckingviscera!” In confusion, the useless idiots began scrambling around while Sirius stood silently in the dark corner next to the front door.
Eventually, one of them rushed out the front door and left it wide open, giving Sirius an absolutely indetectable method of escape. As he raced across the lawn, his breathing began to grow labored, his legs on the verge of giving up on him. From the line of trees, he could make out the glinting of Remus’ amber eyes in the dark, like the Wolf that hid within his body.
At the wards just in front of the house, he attempted to move through, not remembering that his Polyjuice Potion had long since worn off. In rejection of his identity, the wards blasted out an ear-piercing alarm while sending a breathtakingly painful shock through his right side.
“Shit,” he hissed, tearing his arm away as he watched the Death Eaters pouring from the house, Bellatrix and Lucius among them. “Shit, shit, shit,” he cursed, running toward the side of the manor despite the screaming of his lungs and the wearing down of the muscles in his thighs.
In desperation, he tore back the hood of the Cloak to reveal his location to his friends hiding in the forest, aiming his wand directly in front of him and pouring his magic into it.
“Confringo!” he shouted, his voice cracking from fatigue. The blast landed against the wards with a loud explosion, the wards shimmering and crackling. But they didn’t shatter.
“Bombarda Maxima!” he heard Remus’ voice shout.
“Expulso!” James joined in.
“Defodio!” Spells from Frank and Dorcas and Marlene landed against the wards too, as Sirius backed up to them, throwing every spell he could at the approaching Death Eaters.
“Everte Statum!” Sirius cast with a swish of his wand, adding another Shielding Charm between each offensive cast. From behind him, he could hear Remus’ voice growing more and more anxious with each spell that didn’t break through the wards. Inside Sirius’ pocket, there was a flask with more Polyjuice, but he would have to balance Regulus to get to it. Not to mention, he couldn’t afford a single moment of inattention, not even to hand Regulus his wand.
“These wards are impenetrable, my dear cousin!” Bellatrix shrieked, followed by that squealing laugh that always made Sirius’ stomach turn. “You’re going to die here. All of you.”
From behind him, Sirius was surprised to hear the next spell on Remus’ tongue, a spell that had no use except to shatter glass. “Finestra!” he called out in a booming voice. The widening of Bellatrix’s eyes told Sirius it had been successful. In the next moment, Remus’ hand was on his shoulder, the other holding Regulus’ arm from underneath the Cloak. With an angry breath, Remus looked up at Bellatrix before he Apparated. “For Christ’s sake, shut the fuck up.”
– Two Weeks Later –
“Reg, get your lazy arse up!” Sirius shouted from the kitchen as he poured his third cup of coffee and Remus hunched over the stove, yawning. An occasional pop of grease from the bacon in the pan in front of him sent him flinching, swiping at his bare waist to prevent an oil burn.
With a grumble, Regulus shuffled into the kitchen, throwing himself into a chair at their small table. “You know, if you two hadn’t been calling out each other’s names all night, a person might actually get some sleep. The wall between our rooms is very thin, Sirius. I cast every silencing and muffling spell I know and I could still hear you moaning and carrying on.”
“Oh, I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to that, Reg,” Sirius said with an arrogant grin, patting Regulus condescendingly on the head as he placed a cup of coffee in front of him, of which Regulus immediately took a long, greedy sip. “We’re not good at keeping quiet.”
“Maybe I’ll gag him next time,” Remus smirked, leaning back to swat Sirius’ backside.
“Don’t tease me, Moony,” Sirius purred, moving in to slip his hands around Remus’ waist, pressed tight to his back. Remus craned to rest the back of his head atop Sirius’ shoulder.
“Remus, you’re supposed to be on my side,” Regulus groaned, leaning back in his chair, coffee mug in hand. “That was the deal we made when I moved in. You and me against Sirius.”
With a laugh, Remus turned to plant a kiss to Sirius’ lips. “Remind me of that later when he’s being more annoying than affectionate. I’ve got to soak it up while I can.”
“Excuse you, I am always affectionate,” Sirius argued as Remus returned his attention to breakfast, leaving Sirius to place tender, delicate kisses across the back of Remus’ neck.
“Especially if James is here,” Remus said, stifling a laugh. Regulus sputtered into his coffee. Sirius opened his mouth wide and bit down onto the muscle above Remus’ collarbone.
“Speaking of James,” Regulus hummed. “Are they still coming for lunch today?”
“Of course,” Sirius said, sitting at the table next to Regulus as Remus turned off the stovetop. “It’s the last time we’ll see them before we leave. They wouldn’t miss it.”
“They have an appointment at St. Mungo’s first,” Remus reminded them. “Lily said they’re setting up a plan for the delivery, making sure everything is in order for next month.”
“We’ll come back when Harry’s born, right?” Sirius asked, concerned.
“We’ll have to,” Regulus shrugged, sipping his coffee. “They can’t very well make you their Secret Keepers if you’re not physically present when the Fidelius Charm is performed.”
“Us,” Sirius reminded him. “All of us. We’re all going to be the Keepers.”
“Genius idea, really,” Remus smiled, setting plates in front of each of them before taking his seat at the table. “The Death Eaters are going to have quite the time keeping up with us.”
“You’d think with something as precious as a horcrux, the Dark Arsehole would’ve kept them a little closer instead of scattering them about,” Regulus huffed, and Sirius snickered. “At least with Salazar’s locket, he had a plan in place to keep people from finding it.”
“Until you stole it from him,” Sirius grinned through a mouthful of eggs and bacon. “I still can’t believe you got away with that.” Regulus shrugged, but he looked rather proud.
“All I did was take the damn thing before he could seal it in an Inferi-infested cave,” he said, shoveling eggs into his mouth just as Sirius was. “You two are the only reason I lived.”
Pointing with his fork, Remus added. “You led Sirius right to you. I still have no idea how that happened. Magically, there’s not an explanation for it.” With a smile, Regulus reached over and patted Sirius on the face, who rolled his eyes dramatically, but blushed all the same.
“Hear that, Sirius? You’re an abomination,” Regulus said fondly.
“Maybe you’re the abomination,” Sirius shot back with a grin, shooing Regulus’ touch.
“Any word from Kreacher yet?” Remus asked, watching the two brothers pretend to bicker when, in truth, Sirius had never gotten along better with his younger brother.
Regulus nodded. “The Owl came in late last night. The only thing he can tell us right now is that he thinks there is a total of four other horcruxes right now, because the Dark Lo-” he paused, wincing, looking apologetic, “Voldemort went on a rampage, screaming about finding the other four. Apparently, he killed a couple of the new recruits in his fury.”
“Any ideas what we’ll be looking for?” Sirius wondered aloud.
“Mmm,” Regulus vocalized, pursing his lips to one side. “Based on his flare for the dramatic – so you’ll understand his reasoning, Sirius – he’s not going to put a piece of his soul into anything ordinary. It’ll be something flashy like the locket. Something with value.”
Remus let out a sharp, manic laugh. “Like the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw,” he said with wonder in his voice. Immediately, Sirius and Regulus exchanged a look of excitement.
“Exactly like that,” Regulus said with a grin. Slamming his palms on the table, Sirius stood with a feverish intent, a wild expression on his face and a nervous pounding in his chest.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Softly, Remus took him by the hand, smiling up at him like he was the most beautiful thing in the world and Sirius couldn’t help but believe it.
“Lunch,” Remus laughed. “With James and Lily.”
“Oh,” Sirius laughed, returning to his seat. “Right.” With a smile, Remus leaned over and kissed Sirius on the cheek and, in turn, Sirius leaned over and kissed Regulus on the cheek.
“Well, I don’t want him to be left out,” Regulus grumbled playfully as he stood, took Remus’ face in his hands, and kissed him rather forcefully on the forehead as Remus laughed.
In his own laughter, Sirius could only look on in awe at the little family he’d created for himself, by blood and by choice. When James and Lily (and Harry, still growing) arrived, it would be complete, and so would Sirius. If every moment of suffering led him here, it was worth it.
“Hey, Reg,” Sirius said, a hint of mischief in his voice as Regulus’ silver eyes found his. “I think you’re long overdue for a name change. How do you feel about becoming Regulus Lupin?”
It was very apparent that Regulus struggled to hide a grin as he said, “I’d like that.”