latitudes

"Have I ever told you how awful Petunia is?" 

The naval barracks are within view as they trudge along the street, dripping wet and covered in mud. No officers stand outside its doors— only a goat tied to a post serves as the warden. The blue coats seem to have gone down to the docks, helping the merchants salvage what they can. The Commodore is overwhelmingly understaffed, she notes. 

In the distance, the Marauder still bobs up and down, anchored a short distance off the island's coast. Severus Snape's ship, The Prince, is long gone by now. Lily is half certain a nasty pirate like him had some nefarious purpose for aiding in the destruction of Port Diagon's sturdy infrastructure. The cannon fire was brief, but the damage was permanent. 

Officers had sequestered all lingering partygoers into the musty cellar underneath the Black mansion. Lily had felt a million ants crawling below her skin because being in close quarters with the two elder Blacks and Petunia would unsettle any sane person. How she managed enough restraint to not skew anyone with the blade concealed under her skirts is a wonder. Not to mention the stale air down there, making it hard to breathe. 

She brushes a string of hair latched to her wet face, wiping it with the frilly sleeves of her dress. Regulus' curls are also drenched, flattening at the top of his head. He looks frail in the rain— pale skin turning translucent against the gloomy backdrop of the clouds above. He's rather skinny, akin to a gloomy scarecrow, with sharp angles and a harsh scowl. Though the scowl may have something to do with her dragging him out in the heavy downpour.

He regards the question with the gentility of a feral dog. "You don't need to. Anyone with eyes or ears can tell."

Lily's skull splits in half every other second at the prospect of outing the sensitive knowledge she's acquired in the past two hours. The burden lies on her, and she wishes it would all vanish. An ache tightens her forehead, settling behind her eyes and causing them to water. She can't be the one to do this. There's already one sibling relationship in this world that she's messed up.

This is Fate's cruel addition to an endless tapestry. Ultimately, she doesn't want to hurt anyone, but it seems impossible now. Everything she does from here on will hurt everyone in her life. Lily has to make peace with that. Not now, but one day, sooner or later. 

Secrets are currency.

Petunia teaches her this lesson every day, hanging Lily's most damaging one over her head like a grenade with one finger hooked around the pin. She would forgive the malevolent intent if this were a recent threat, but her sister has been unkind for most of their upbringing. The explosion will never trigger, only because of the consequences it would have in her impending marriage to Vernon Dursley. Lily wholeheartedly supports the match, if only because that man is just as awful as her sister, and she truly believes they deserve each other.

She used to yearn for rare moments of kindness. For the times when Petunia would sneak into her room after dinner to share chocolates or not so unintentionally spill dark tea on the dresses of high society ladies that tried to shame her at parties for not adhering to fashion trends. 

Altruism can be used as leverage. This is another thing Petunia has taught her. 

"As far as sisters go, she's the worst sort," she tells him while carving out a long strip of fabric. The actions do not slow down her stride. "When we were younger, she used to cut up my prettiest dresses, spill ink all over my lesson parchments, and have all her friends bully me. After our scandal, I was courted by Frank Longbottom, remember? She told him I had hair all over my body and never saw him again."

She uses the knife now to neatly slice her dress down the middle from the top of her breasts to the bottom of her hips. Regulus, who sputtered in shock when she had pulled her skirts up to unsheath the blade, holds his hands up to his face and watches through a crack in his fingers as she steps out of it.

Lily wraps the strip around her chest, realizing the slip underneath is so thin and soaked that her nipples are showing through it. She ties the lavender cloth in the back with a bow knot, satisfied with the coverage. 

Regulus is silent for too long, modeling confusion on his face. She opens her mouth to ask him what's been plaguing her for the last few hours, but he speaks first. His demeanor is stoic, yet his ears are as red as the chili peppers that grow further inland from the port. "Women are bare? I never thought… I mean, men have hair all over. It never occurred to me that women would be different. And quite honestly, whether there's hair or not, it's not as if that would prevent certain physical relations. Am I not correct?"

She would never have anticipated the younger Black to be ignorant on matters of intimacy. It's a curious thing. He has a reputation for being a rake, which she knows to be false. But still, for him to have no knowledge of a woman's body firsthand surprises her. With a face as beautiful as his, she is sure he can captivate anyone. Surely, he would have utilized it or even prompted a brazen woman to make the first move. Lily realizes she's been staring at him too long and blinks, looking away. The flush on his cheeks does not disappear. 

She wants to tease him, possibly ask him if he knows women bleed every month, but the tinge of vulnerability in his eyes stops her. "Women are not bare. We go to great lengths to remove the hair on our bodies." 

As he processes this, Regulus adjusts his grip on the ridiculous cane with which he attended the engagement party. She guesses it's a pricey family heirloom. She admits the design is pretty, but it's pretentious-looking. She loathes how much like Orion he looks when he straightens up, planting it into the ground. 

He's still pretending like he's not looking at her. He clears his throat, though it doesn't stop his voice from cracking when he speaks. "Why are we talking about Petunia? Better question, why did you drag me to the naval barracks, through the pouring rain, right after a pirate attack? And what is that smell?"

Upon escaping the cellar, checking on the imp known as Kreacher was her fiancé's first priority. She had followed him as he ran through the narrow hallways of his home, searching from the bedrooms to the servants' wing like a madman. She hadn't known the extent to how much Regulus cared. As she watched the master fret and fuss over the servant, her opinion of him grew even more. Lily knew of Kreacher as the most respected staff member. Impeccable manners. Efficient enough to impress a creature such as Walburga Black. Only then had it occurred to her that this man was possibly his only friend. The only one that genuinely cared for him. 

Potentially the only one. 

They come to a stop right in front of the goat. It bleats at them once, startling Regulus. He gives it a dirty look and then a vulgar gesture for good measure. Lily watches on, fighting the urge to laugh. Almost as though it's responding to the insult, chunks of feces drop from its rear end. A line of shit draws a barrier between it and the entrance to the barracks.

Your brother is in this building. She wants to tell him, even scream it at the top of her lungs, because while she can keep a secret, she won't be able to keep this one. The words won't come out. Instead, she asks," Never mind the smell. Before we enter, I want to ask you about your brother. Is he as awful as Petunia?"

Regulus frowns, yet it's clear that he's more surprised by her curiosity than upset. His eyes flare with something that Lily has never seen in him before. She latches on to it like a rope in deep water, clinging on with both hands. "No, he's nothing like Petunia."

"Do you miss him?" she pushes further. She needs to know how she should break the news to him. Her breath comes and goes in deep gulps and heavy exhales.

She observes him. He's squinting at her, and his frown is more profound than before. To anyone else, it would appear that he's angry or upset. Lily knows him better than that. He's guarded, but warmer energy surrounds him at the mention of his brother. He's excited, almost buzzing with it, at the mere thought of Sirius.

Regulus sucks in a breath. "Every day. Lily, I don't want to talk about my brother. Can you please tell me what we're doing here?"

"We're breaking James out of lockup, of course."

"That's treason against the crown."

She puts her hand on her hips, facing him. "Don't tell me you're suddenly a patriot."

Regulus rubs a hand across his face. "What exactly is your plan? Do you expect to run off into the sunset when we get him out of here? Where will you go? How will you manage to get past the Commodore?"

He has a good point. James is notorious for not having a plan. Lily had hoped with all her heart he would come for her, but now that he's here, she realizes that a part of her is surprised by it. In her dreams, she's on a pirate ship with a bottle in one hand and a sword in the other. She's reading books from countries she's never heard of. Dancing to songs in languages she doesn't know. When she wakes up, her dreams shift into different versions of the same thing. She nurtures a baby in her belly. She embroiders handkerchiefs and plays the piano. Entertains guests in a lavish parlor and laughs with close friends gossiping about how clueless her husband is when it comes to matters of the heart. Yet he comes home to her every night, greeting her with a kiss and occasionally a bouquet of flowers. Every day he tells her how lucky he is to be married to her. Both of these dreams have one thing in common— happiness.

That's all Lily has ever wanted. To be happy. James can fulfill one of her dreams. Regulus can honor his vows for the other. 

If she's being honest with herself, she's beginning to doubt why James came. Are they going to run off together? Or did he come to support Sirius on behalf of rescuing Regulus from this ordeal? The only way to know is to go to him. Maybe she breaks him out here and now, and then he tells her their love is nothing except a memory. Maybe Sirius will give them his blessing. Perhaps all of them run away together, including Regulus. There are hundreds of possibilities as to how this ends. 

Lily lets out a shaky breath, her head aching again as her heart pounds in her ears. Her entire body is shaking— fear and agitation dictate her functionality. Hesitation, combined with uncertainty, is all Regulus needs to let out a sound of disbelief. 

"There's no plan," he murmurs. "Your lover's a pirate. My mother will have me beaten for mentioning my brother at the party. I think I've had enough for today."

Lily panics and blurts it out as if it's nothing. "If you'd like to see Sirius again, follow me inside."

"What?"

Dumbstruck is a new look for Regulus. Lily thinks it suits him. She makes quick work of the knot tying the goat to the post with one slash of her knife. Grabbing the rope, she tugs the goat inside, ignoring how it stomps in front of her as though it's in charge. This would be impressive on its part if it didn't step in its own feces as it strolls through. She'll let it believe it's the one making decisions for now. The double doors swing open too readily, slamming into the walls on either side. She hops over the line of shit and strides in, knowing exactly where the holding cells are.

She helped build them, after all.

"Lily– what the– hold on. Wait." Regulus is choking. She turns her head, pausing to watch him have his mental breakdown. He stumbles, tripping over his own feet, managing to avoid the shit. The cane comes in handy as he keeps his balance. It's the least graceful he's ever been, yet he still manages to make each movement seem purposeful.

He's both annoying and admirable, Lily laments.

"We both have people in the next room waiting for us." Lily gestures to her right, pulling the goat in that direction. It lets out a noise of distress they both ignore. "Do you really want to keep stalling?"

Regulus moves forward.

—

Sirius steps past the double doors, unsurprised to find that he is the last one there. He's usually the first one, somehow always with two bottles in each hand to last the night. Whatever the occasion of the party, the elitist atmosphere will suffocate each of them at different points of the evening. Balconies are safe havens for the Black cousins, who inevitably find each other and commiserate over their miserable, privileged lives.

"Ah, the star of our evening arrives," Bella greets him, raising her glass. "Took you long enough."

Sirius sighs, loosening his cravat, then put his hands out to show he wasn't able to sneak out any alcohol this time. He approaches her and ducks when her punch predictably lands where his jaw was meant to be. She's got a habit of randomly attacking them for fun. It was amusing when they were younger, though now that he and Regulus know not to hit girls, he finds it unfair.

"Hands to yourself," Andy chastises. 

Cissy hands Sirius a glass, tapping on the barrel in the corner. He accepts it, raising a brow at her. 

Regulus slings an arm around his shoulder, bright as ever, looking pleased with himself. "I figured we could all drink ourselves to sleep tonight."

Sirius rolls his eyes and downs the glass in one gulp. "Next time Marlene should present. Tomorrow she'll be a Black too." 

Cissy snickers. "How husbandly of you. But no, balconies are for cousins only."

Laughter erupts from Bella. "Agreed. None of our spouses, present or future, get along."

"And yours is the worst," Andy says under her breath.

"I heard that."

"You were meant to."

"Alright," Regulus cuts in. "Why don't we get started? Cissy, it's your turn. Game, story, or prank?"

Cissy makes a show of thinking about it. She looks at them individually as though determining who she wants to piss off the least. Ever the peacemaker she is, she gives him an apologetic smile, knowing he'd pick differently from her. "Story."

They all look at Andy, their living, breathing library. She's a trove of books made into a person. As the eldest of the Black cousins, Sirius knows she assumes a certain level of responsibility for them, helping them persevere through the worst parts of a Black family upbringing. There's a darkness to her sometimes because of it. If only she could see it the way the rest of them do, Sirius thinks. Andy is the one responsible for the light in their lives. For the hope she gives them through the tales, she has never stopped telling them since they were all children.

"Alright, pup," she grins at him knowingly. "What story would you like to hear?"

He scuffs his shoe on the floor and looks up at the skies. At the stars, they are all named after. Except for Cissy, he notes. She once cried for a week and would not speak to them when she learned she was the only one left out. It was when Andromeda began reciting the stories of ancient Greece that she learned she was named after a flower instead. Being young, she was happy again until the truth behind the naming of the Narcissus came to light. She cried and pouted for another week.

Cissy forgot all about it the minute he and Regulus visited with a box of London's finest pastries. He treasures Greek myths for the trouble and comfort they bring. It has been a very long time since they have heard one. So even though he would have picked a prank, he's grateful for Cissy's choice.

"Tell me your least favorite of the Greek myths," he muses. Thus far, Andromeda has told her personal favorites, the ones that are relevant to whatever crisis they are going through or ones that she believes impart wisdom. 

He wants to hear something he hasn't heard before. 

"Are you trying to provoke me?" questions Andy.

"Only a little. Give me a break, will you? I'm getting married tomorrow."

Bella snorts. "At least you get Marlene. She's got brains and a good arm. A good fit for the family. Mine's practically a ponce."

"But he doesn't love her," Cissy points out. "Nor does she love him. Neither of them deserves this."

"Love has nothing to do with marriage," Bella says, waving her hand to imitate Aunt Druella. It's exaggerated though uncanny. Nobody can hold their laughter.

"Anyway," Regulus speaks up, redirecting their attention. "I want to hear Andy's least favorite story too."

Sirius lets the muggy breeze cradle his face as he drops to the floor gently and lays down on his back. He inhales the scent of alcohol and greasy appetizers from the ballroom inside. Beside him, he feels the warmth of his brother lying next to him. The sisters are next, carefully arranging the skirts of their dresses. All of them are content, watching the stars together, just like they used to when they were children. 

Through the silence, Andy idly hums the string quartet's tune and lets out a breath. "You all know the Titan, Prometheus, took pity on humans when he saw our struggles. He went against Zeus by presenting us with fire and teaching us its uses. Humanity thrived as a result."

Sirius has heard this one. This time there are new details, so he listens raptly. 

"As punishment, Zeus decided to create a balance for the good that humanity had received. He tasked the gods with constructing a woman so beguiling and seductive that her only purpose would be to plague us for all eternity. As soon as she was borne of these terrible qualities, our benevolent king of the gods married her to the brother of Prometheus.

As a dowry, the Olympians offered numerous gifts to her— all of the evils and sins that could befall humankind. And they pack it neatly in a jar with a strict warning to never open it. To their dismay, the woman seemed normal, like any other human creation, so she lived with her husband just like any other wife. The woman fulfilled her purpose just as the gods doubted their product. 

Curiosity led her to doom, and the woman opened the jar. All the evil and sin packed inside burst out and were unleashed upon humanity. The balancing act for Promotheus' actions was complete.

The woman was horrified by what had escaped and shut the jar as quickly as she could, trapping in the only thing that remains inside to this day— hope. And so goes the saying, that hope is the last thing that dies in a man."

Hope is the last thing that dies in a man, Sirius ponders. He wonders if this is another instance of Andy telling a story she thinks he needs to hear. It is the night before his wedding, and nearly everyone knows neither he nor Marlene wants to marry each other.

"I think I need another drink," he declares.

"We all do," Cissy agrees. "That story was horrible."

Regulus laughs harder than he would if he weren't drunk. "All the Greek ones usually are. I think that's why we like them so much."

"I thought it was because we're very distant descendants of the Greeks," Bella says with genuine confusion.

"We have more French and English blood than Greek," Andy snips, rolling over Bella to put her in a headlock.

Sirius looks at them fondly and cannot stop thinking about the story. Slowly, his mind comes to a firm conclusion, and he is consumed with the need to act upon it.

If humanity was meant to sin as the gods intended, what is stopping him from obliging?

He is startled awake by the sounds of a distressed animal. His head knocks into James' sharp chin, causing his best friend to fall over with a grunt of pain. "What the hell, Padfoot?"

He ignores his own pain and sits up. The bleating of a goat becomes louder. Sirius feels his heart stutter and places a hand on James' leg. "Shut it; someone's coming."

The heavy doors bang open, loudly slamming against the walls, and suddenly Lily Evans is in front of them. He notices the glint of a knife in her hand before anything else. Much like the first time they met, she's got a look of wildness about her. With sopping wet hair plastered to her cheek and neck, clad in only her underthings, the anger in her eyes can be felt as sharply as a slap to the face. If Sirius was a better man, he would look away, but even he knows when to appreciate a woman's body when he gets the chance. She's always been rather pretty. 

"You two are going to run out of luck one day," she snipes.

Turning his head slightly, he's eager to see the look on his friend's face, confident James will jump to his feet and try to break out with the strength of his fists alone to get to her. But he doesn't. James is stunned, frozen into place. His jaw has fallen, and he sucks in a deep breath as though his mind has forgotten how to breathe, and his body is acting on its own to keep him alive. When Sirius follows the gaze, he realizes his friend is not even looking at Lily.

James' strange reaction is irrelevant when it registers who stands behind Evans, tracking mud into the room, dripping everywhere. Sirius unravels quicker than a spool of thread. Every conflicting emotion he's managed to lock inside himself since setting foot on this damned island frees itself. He stands before he knows what he's doing and presses his body against the bars, reaching his arm out through the slits. "Regulus."

Sirius devours his brother with his eyes, tracking how he's grown in their time apart. At eye level now, he's almost as tall as Father. His hair is longer, the ends resting against his shoulders. Stress lines pinch the corners of his eyes, and his mouth looks fixed in a frown. He hasn't smiled in a while, Sirius notices, feeling his heart sink. 

But it's Regulus' eyes that haven't changed. His brother looks at him with the same warmth and understanding as he did that night. Full of pride and pain. "Hello, Sirius."

Beside him, there's a scuff of a boot, and then the bars are rattling under a second set of hands. James clears his throat. "Lily."

Sirius gives his brother a look that is returned similarly, and he's ecstatic that they can still communicate without speaking. The tension grows thicker as he and Regulus keep their mouths shut tight and watch the other two reunite. 

"James." 

Her tone is deadpan, her expression flat and unreadable. With great effort, Sirius tears his gaze away from his brother to get a good look at her. She looks almost disappointed to see him, though there is a lightness in her eyes. This is not what he expected for their reunion at all. Not with the way the captain's excitement has incited them all to come here in the first place. What happened between them for such a frosty reception upon meeting after an extremely long time? James is tapping the bars repeatedly with his index finger, indicating his nerves are getting the best of him.

"Milo." Regulus breaks the awkward silence. He shifts on his feet and throws up his hands. "We're all just saying each other's names, and the goat doesn't have one yet. I think it suits him."

A beat of silence— then James is laughing. Sirius and Lily cannot help but join in, thinking about how ridiculous this situation is. The goat makes a noise and stomps its foot, smearing sometimes that smells awful beneath its hooves. At this moment, the four of them seem to agree on one thing without outwardly expressing it.

They can save the real reunions and awkward conversations for later. 

"I came to rescue you both," Lily says. The shift in the conversation has them all breathing a sigh of relief.

"How?" James asks. "With Milo?"

Sirius is also trying to figure out what the goat is for.

She hands Milo's rope to Regulus, who takes it with the hand that isn't gripping a cane and glares at the animal as though looking after it is beneath him. He knows his brother doesn't hate it, but Sirius hates how it makes him look like Orion. Their parents' influence is in him, not for the first time; he's curious to know how much. Lily begins tapping the cell bars with the flat of her dagger from the bottom to the top. She commands their attention with her actions. "When I returned from America, a hurricane ripped through the port, destroying everything. I helped rebuild these cells. With the right amount of leverage and strength of the pull, I'm sure I can cut through metal and then have Milo pull it out."

"How are you going to cut through metal?" Regulus demands haughtily. Sirius wants to scold him for his tone but quickly learns he doesn't have to. "Any metal you worked with comes from my family's mines. It's hardly cheap quality."

Lily purses her lips. "Doubting me, are you? Shut up and watch."

He watches, astonished, as his brother obeys. Regulus has always been his younger brother— from a snot-nosed irritant in their youth to the phase where he mimicked everything Sirius did to the loyal and loving sibling he was when they saw each other last. He's never seen the man that he could be with a woman by his side. Lily isn't his woman, but she would have been if they had not come to whisk her away. He feels guilty toward James for thinking it, but Sirius doesn't think it would be a terrible match.

He likes knowing that Regulus would be the kind of man that listens to his wife. Their cousins must have taught him well.

Lily turns to them and reaches out with her palm facing up. "I need the Hallow pendant."

Another surprise there. James spilling that secret was something he had not anticipated. He was not upset about her knowing about the pendants, though the entire crew should have been informed how much Lily knew about what they had been trying to do with Madame Pandora's guidance. Sirius reaches into his pocket and gives one to her, holding it carefully by the chain. She puts it around her neck and waits for the power to permeate the room. When it does, Regulus recoils and steps towards the bars, close enough that Sirius can rest an arm on his shoulder to comfort him.

He looks at James, letting him know they must talk later. In return, James scratches the side of his head and lets out a sniffle. The crew has yet to talk about what it means to add Lily into the mix. Missions can be dangerous, and Sirius knows nobody wants Lily harmed. Death is an unfortunate side effect of laying a foot on the Marauder. Gods know how James has yet to find himself at the entrance of the Locker.

His brother stares at the chain dangling between her breasts. Rather than getting upset, James has his brows furrowed in confusion. 

Regulus doesn't notice this and pulls at his hair. "That's black magic. That's blasphemy."

Lily sighs and lightly elbows him in the stomach. "You're not religious either. Stop acting like your father."

An eye twitch is his response. "Compare me to my father one more time, Lily."

Lily grins, but it's a cruel one. "You are too easily riled. Calm yourself."

Sirius is greatly amused. "I'm with Reg on this one, Evans. It's a cruel joke to be compared to Orion Black."

He supposes James is both feeling left out and anxious when he says, "Not to be a raincloud, but we don't have a lot of time before the Commodore comes back."

"Good point," she says, returning to tapping the bars. This time, she hits the metal with a sharp edge in short chopping motions. The clanging is rackety, and he fears that it will attract attention. 

Sirius notices when Regulus finally realizes he has a hand on his shoulder. His chest feels warm when his brother makes no move to brush it off. "If you're in this cell, I suppose you've met Marlene again."

He nods, still not wanting to talk about it. Regulus seems to understand and leaves it at that.

James yelps with glee at the mention of his old friend. "Regulus, tell me what she's like."

"No." Regulus gives James a side eye filled with animosity and then returns his gaze to Sirius. "You know, you've managed to achieve the reputation for being the worst pirate crew in this part of the world."

Sirius puffs his chest out. "But you have heard of us."

"I'm also not taking 'no' for an answer. Tell me about Marlene," James whinges. It's a bit odd how he addresses someone he's just met so familiarly, yet this isn't new behavior. Sirius supposes he's disconcerted by two different parts of his life uniting in a sudden manner. "He always goes on and on about what happened but never what she's actually like."

Regulus actually rolls his eyes. Sirius' memory flashes back to the last time he saw the action. His brother, at age twenty-six, looks just as young doing it as he did at age sixteen. Emotion begins to catch in his throat. 

"The Marlene I knew was always sad," his brother says. "From what I can see, that's changed. Still sad, but not always. And they're not going by 'she' anymore. They're gender-neutral now."

His heart bleeds with sorrow, wishing he could plug his ears, knowing he doesn't deserve to be shielded from those words. Consequences have actions. It had been just one time. The one time he had chosen his own happiness, the people he loved more than he loved himself spent a decade suffering. Marlene was right earlier. He needed them to be okay and their forgiveness to be able to forgive himself. Didn't he learn that from the story on that damned balcony?

He was meant to sin and meant to suffer for it.

"Marlene doesn't hate you, Sirius," Regulus says quietly. His brother is looking at him too close for comfort. 

"Seems like you know the Commodore well," Lily finally says. He can't be certain if she's still wet from the rain or sweating. 

"You," Sirius huffs, pointing an accusatory finger at Evans. He wants to be dramatic to make the churning in the pit of his stomach disappear. "Why didn't you say anything about Marlene being here in your letter?"

Lily blinks. "Was that important?"

"Of course, it's important. We have history. Remember when I told you I almost got married once?"

"That was the Commodore?" Lily gasps. She turns to Regulus. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Regulus is affronted. "Like how you told me you knew my brother?"

"I didn't know he was your brother until two hours ago!"

A snap comes from the right, and James gestures to Lily. "You also said nothing about Snape being here. He got away with one of the Hallow pendants."

"Oh dear, Madame Pandora won't be pleased."

Sirius grips the ends of his hair and pulls. "That's what I said."

"You are acquainted with Captain Snape?" Regulus asks, throwing James another nasty look.

The captain straightens up and points a ringed finger at his brother. "Do I know him? I created the bastard. He was the first mate on my crew before that stupid mutiny." 

This is an incident James is bitter about to this day. One that the current crew will never forgive, despite not knowing their captain during that time. Sirius knows it happened one year before he met his best friend. He also knows that Snape is a slimy barnacle that probably deserves Locker. He's pieced together the story from multiple sources and firmly sides with James, but sometimes he can tell his captain hesitates to confront the enemy. There may be more to it, and the relationship between his captain and Snape, but the incident itself is enough to spark emotions such as anger and hatred.

"Of course, you would experience a mutiny," Regulus sneers.

James is offended, and Sirius doesn't know what he should say to mediate. "It could happen to anyone."

"Then why do you deserve my brother? Afraid you're not someone he could be loyal to?"

"Reg, that's uncalled for." Sirius frowns. Before today, in his dreams, he always thought his best friend would get along with his brother. He needs to find out where all the hostility is coming from.

Lily sighs. "Forgive him. He's mean to people he likes."

So clearly, this is a new development. Sirius is eager to get to know his brother as he is now. There are shades of the sixteen-year-old in there, but he's got to be mindful of the changes. He doesn't want to push Regulus away.

"I was never mean to you, Lily."

"No, you only disgraced my reputation and then refused to speak to me for years. To this day, I still don't have an explanation."

"I have one," he assures her.

"Wonderful. I thought so."

James clears his throat. "You two seem very close."

Lily shrugs. "Regulus taught me how to fight with a sword. We were sparring partners long before we were engaged."

Sirius raises a brow, and suddenly the prospect of bringing Lily on their travels doesn't seem too much of a concern. Over the years, he's obviously had more experience with fighting, but when they were boys, Regulus' natural talent with a sword had been unmistakable. If he had taught Lily, they could include her on the missions. He wanted to discuss it with James as soon as possible.

"Jealous, Potter? Don't see how you can be if you're the type that abandons your lover long enough for her to get engaged to someone else."

His brother is trying to provoke James. It's more evident than ever. The cruelty is as familiar as the kindness he knows his brother to be capable of. There's always a reason for such brashness, however. Sirius doesn't know why but will only intervene if they go too far. The captain has also realized this, and there's a challenge in his gaze, but he doesn't act on it. Shrugging it off as if Regulus is not worth the confrontation, James leans against the bars and gives his brother a lazy grin. 

"Not jealous at all."

Sirius is stuck, wanting nothing more than to keep his hand on his brother's shoulder, but he cannot allow anyone to disrespect his captain. 

"What's gotten into you?" Lily shouts in his defense. "If anyone deserves a tongue-lashing, it's you. Instead of going after the person that fixed our problems, let me go after the one that caused them. Were you ever going to tell me you're responsible for setting the fires?"

Regulus pales and glances toward Sirius with fear in his eyes. He doesn't know what this means but cannot help nausea he feels at the thought that his brother might have done something that rivals Father's cruelty. As a pirate, he's had to do unspeakable things, but Regulus is different. His brother is a scholar who likes eating too many sweets until he throws up and sneaks parchments into his pockets after lessons to sketch the patterns of the stars in the middle of the night.

"I would have told you the same time you were going to tell me you are adopted," he seethes in a low voice. "That's why Petunia is so awful to you."

Sirius was unaware that Lily had been adopted, and while this isn't entirely something to be ashamed of, she is significantly affected. She whirls on him, brandishing the knife with bright red splotches on her cheeks. Regulus has gone still, looking at her coldly, seemingly unremorseful of what he's said and done. As his brother, Sirius knows better. He's probably coming up with ways to self-sabotage and punish himself later. Lily bows her head, letting her hair create a curtain around her face, shielding herself from the three men she's stuck with. Sirius empathizes with her embarrassment and rising anger. 

"Clearly," James cuts in louder than before, "we cannot maintain civility right now. So, I propose we don't talk for the time being."

When the captain speaks, the crew listens.

Lily's eyes are shiny with unshed tears as she grabs the rope from Regulus without saying a word or even looking at him. She ties it to the bars, snatches the cane from his brother, and gives Milo's behind a whack. The goat, who had been lying on the floor to rest, bleats again as he gets on all fours and tries to nip at her skirts. She sidesteps to avoid its teeth. Regulus bends down and pets the animal in comforting strokes. He puts his hands on both sides of the goat's face and walks backward, letting Milo follow him. A giant section of the cell clangs to the floor, creating a space for James and Sirius to step out. 

Despite all that's been said and done, the feeling he's been missing for so long is no longer there. He's finally home.