Author's note: This is an AU project that I have been working on lately. This first chapter, however, could be considered cannon as none of the events contradict JKR's universe. Please enjoy. Also, this is not Sirius/Regulus slash, because I don't care that that would not necessarily be unheard of for the Blacks, that's gross. In fact, I've always headcannoned Sirius as asexual/aromantic, so if you're here for romance, please escort yourself off the premises.

Also, in case you somehow couldn't tell, I am decidedly not a middle-aged Scottish woman named Joanne. Therefore, I am unfortunately not JK Rowling. If I was JK Rowling, I would not be posting my writing on the internet for free.

If you like this story, please review, favorite, and/or follow. I live for your feedback.

November 3, 1959

An uncharacteristically disheveled Walburga Black finally leaned back onto her pillows, hair stuck to her forehead and breathing raspy. Despite her current state she still managed to fix the help with a haughty, slightly disgusted look. She took a few moments to catch her breath, dark eyes never wavering from the slightly intimidated midwife. When at last, her breathing returned to normal and she could speak in a proper tone, she cleared her throat.

The midwife turned from her ministrations on the newest Black. "Madame?" she asked respectfully.

Walburga blew out a breath in irritation. "Well?" she snapped. "What of the baby?"

The nurse gave a soft smile. "Perfectly healthy son, Madame. Would you like to hold him?"

Walburga felt her own smile form, the expression feeling foreign on her usually harsh features. "Yes, bring him here. Then you will fetch Orion, and tell him the news. He will be in his study."

The nurse gave a slight curtsy, then picked up the baby and handed him to Walburga. She exited the room with another little bow, leaving the new mother and son together.

Walburga held the boy against her knees, studying his features carefully. A tuft of dark hair lay across his head, the same shade as hers and Orion's. A little nose, high cheekbones; she traced a finger over one of them. At the touch, eyes fluttered open, and Walburga felt her breath hitch. Two orbs of mercury, staring placidly back at her. She couldn't look away, such was the force of this baby's stare.

"Sirius," she whispered. They had thought they would name him Arcturus, after Orion's father and the head of Black, but the name wasn't right for this child. Not right for a child with those eyes. Just then, the door opened and Orion himself entered, walking quickly to Walburga's side.

"A son," Walburga said quietly, her own eyes still on her son's. "Sirius Orion."

"A son," Orion repeated almost reverently. "Not Arcturus?" he asked.

"His eyes," she said, and Orion seemed to accept that as explanation enough, because he did not argue.

The next day, the three Blacks stood in another room, this one with a magnificent tapestry lining every wall. There were several charred scorches marring the cloth, but neither of the adults paid them any mind.

Orion placed his wand at the temple of his son.

"Sanguinem magia," he incanted, and Sirius gave a little whimper as a drop of blood was taken from him. The drop clung to Orion's wand, and he placed it on the golden thread that connected himself to Walburga. He watched the thread flash white.

"Corvi Lepore."

Across the room, the base of the tree enscribed with the crest of Black flared blue. The light followed up through the tree, reaching the branch of Orion and Walburga and casting an eerie glow on the room's occupants.

"Crescato."

The room filled with a blustering wind, whipping Walburga's hair and making her eyes water. The tree flashed all the brighter then all was still.

Slowly, a branch began to grow from Orion and Walburga, gracefully distancing itself from its parents. Gold thread followed the branch before connecting to a slowly opening flower. The flower opened fully to reveal the face of a young man. His mercurial eyes, perfectly matching those of the infant in Walburga's arms, glinted in the soft sunlight streaming in the window, and a slight smirk graced his smooth features. Orion and Walburga looked from the baby to the tapestry and back, before meeting each other's eyes.

"Well," Orion said. Walburga nodded. "It is done."

"It is done," Walburga echoed, and with a last glance at the tree.

January 31, 1961

"No Sirius! Put that down!"

The one-year-old looked up at Andromeda, offending wand clasped in his pudgy hand. With a grin that proudly displayed his two front teeth, he banged it on the floor. Gold sparks flew out, and Andromeda rushed over and snatched the wand out of his hand, silently wondering where the Sirius even got the thing. And whose it was in the first place.

"Andiiii…" came a whine from an armchair in the corner of the nursery. Andromeda turned and arched an eyebrow at the little blonde with a book in her lap.

"Cissy?" she returned, annoyed already.

"Why are we here?" said the five-year-old. "And where's Bella?"

"We are here because Aunt Walburga is having a baby, and she asked us to watch Sirius. Bella is wandering."

Narcissa looked troubled. "But Bella's ten, and you're only seven. Bella should be in charge," she said, as if it made all the sense in the world. Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"You know Bella doesn't like babies. She's probably off hexing the house elf. It's better to just let her be," she said as she turned back to Sirius.

Now, as Narcissa had mentioned, Andromeda was only seven. And she had not seen many babies. The Rosiers had one, a year older than Sirius, and so did the Averys. Neither of them were very cute though, the one or two times Andromeda had seen them. Sirius, however, was very, very, very cute.

She grinned as Sirius stuck his hands out, and plopped down on the floor next to him. She pulled the toddler between her legs and tickled his stomach, giggling when he did.

"Don't worry, Siri. Little siblings aren't so bad until they get older. Then they become whiny brats." She heard Narcissa huff behind her. "Babies are pretty fun, I think. But I don't remember when Cissy was a baby and my cousin Evan isn't very nice. You're nice, though, Siri, so I'd say your sibling will be nice too."

"I hope he gets a sister," Narcissa chimed in from her chair. "Then I'll get to boss someone around like you and Bella do to me."

"Why can't you boss Sirius around?"

Andromeda looked over her shoulder in time to see Narcissa wrinkle her nose. "Because Sirius is a boy, and the heir to our house. One day, he'll boss us around."

Andromeda looked back at Sirius, who currently had a lock of her curly brown hair in his mouth. It sure didn't seem like he would one day boss her around. No, she couldn't allow that. She nodded.

"Sirius won't get to boss me around, not ever. I'm older."

Narcissa scoffed. "That's not how it works, Andi."

Andromeda scoffed right back. "Watch me."

The two sisters descended back into their previous activities, Narcissa to her picture book and Andromeda to her cousin, seemingly having reached an impasse.

A while later, Druella, their mother, came into the nursery, Bellatrix at her side. Mother's hand was clamped over her eldest daughter's shoulder, seemingly preventing an escape. She frowned at Andromeda as soon as she entered.

"Get off the floor and close your legs Andromeda. It is uncouth for a lady to present herself so," Mother said as she came by and swooped up Sirius, pulling Andromeda up as she did so.

"Are we leaving, Mother?" said Narcissa excitedly. Andromeda had other thoughts on her mind.

"Did Aunt Walburga have her baby?" she asked with equal excitement.

Mother nodded. "Regulus Arcturus, another son," she said, with a touch of resentment that went well over the heads of all her children.

Andromeda bounded over to Sirius, who was now in his crib. "Hear that, Siri? You've got a brother now!" Sirius smiled again.

"Call him by his proper name, Andromeda."

"Can I see the baby, Mother?" Andromeda said, ignoring her mother's previous remark.

"Not today," the mother returned. "We must leave to give the family some rest. Kreacher will look after Sirius."

Andromeda sighed pitifully, and with a final look at her baby cousin, she followed her mother and sisters out of the room.

June 19, 1964

Sirius fidgeted in his seat, stabbing moodily at his fish.

He didn't even like fish. In fact, he didn't particularly like Bella, so it made no sense to him why he was even here. Plus, Mother didn't make Reggie come.

"Quit that, Sirius."

Sirius gave his best five-year-old glare to Cissy as she slapped his hand away from his tie. Once, at a big ministry function Father had dragged him to, Sirius had met another boy his age. Sirius didn't quite remember his name, but the boy had said that at some parties you didn't have to wear a tie. The boy had also had hair that looked like it had never been combed, so he would probably know. If it was up to Sirius, he would wear a t-shirt. Not that he owned a t-shirt, but he saw one once that was red. He would like a red t-shirt, he decided.

Andi looked at him sympathetically from across the table, where she was seated next to Bella. Bella had invited her boyfriend to her birthday party. Sirius couldn't say his name, but the older boy had gotten very upset when he called him Ralph. Sirius decided he would keep calling him Ralph. After all, Ralph wasn't very nice; Sirius figured that was why Bella liked him.

Sirius fidgeted again. He wanted to go home and play with Regulus. Mother had invited Great Aunt Cassiopeia over to watch Reggie instead of just letting Kreacher do it, for some reason. Sirius didn't like Aunt Cassie so much, and certainly didn't like the idea of her watching Reggie, at least not without him there too. If Sirius was there too, then they could explore the house while Aunt Cassie was looking in the mirror.

"Andromeda," said Father suddenly from the head of the table. Andi's dark eyes flicked to Sirius's silver for a moment before meeting Father's.

"Uncle?" she addressed respectfully.

"You are to start Hogwarts in the fall?" Father asked. Sirius's head snapped up from his plate to look to his father questioningly. Andi was what now?

Andi didn't even falter, but got a small smile on her face. "Yes, Uncle."

Sirius blinked at her in shock. She met his eyes then, and smiled, then mouthed later.

"You will do our family proud, I'm sure," Father continued, ignoring their exchange. The veiled threat went beyond Sirius, but not Andromeda, as she nodded meekly.

"Of course, Uncle," she replied with a bow of her head. Father nodded, satisfied.

Way too many minutes and much fidgeting later, the dinner was done and Mother and Father were saying goodbye to Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus. Sirius stood in the hall with Andi, back straight as he'd been told since he could stand.

"Siri," she began, placing her hand under his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes.

"You're leaving?" Sirius asked trying his best to keep his voice even. Andi crouched down so they were the same height and brushed his hair back.

"I'm going to go to school with Bella, but not for another two months. And then I'll come back for Christmas a few months after that, so you mustn't worry," Andi explained gently. Sirius sniffed.

"Can I come too?" he asked. Andi grinned at him.

"Siri, you're only four. You have to be eleven to go to Hogwarts."

Sirius huffed. "I'm almost five."

Andi nodded seriously. "Yes, you will be five in November," she said, then stood and kissed his forehead. "I'll come and celebrate with you over winter holiday, how does that sound? Bella says they have a candy store in the village nearby. I'll ask her to get you something."

Sirius didn't mention that he wanted her to be there on his birthday, because she knew that. So instead, he nodded.

Andi kissed him on his cheek, and Sirius very discreetly wiped his face on his sleeve. "Tell Reggie hello for me, Siri. I'll try and visit in two weeks, and I'll keep reading to you guys from that storybook, yeah?"

"Alright," Sirius said with a half-smile. He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor. "'Bye," he muttered.

"I'll see you soon, Siri. Let's say goodbye to Bella and Cissy now too."

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "Do I have to say bye to Ralph?"

Andi started giggling.

Later that night, after Mother had shuffled him off to bed and headed into the drawing room with Aunt Cassie, Sirius crept out of bed and silently into Reggie's room. Reggie looked asleep in his new bed, the one that was as big as Sirius's, so Sirius climbed up onto it and under the covers. As if he had been expecting it, the younger boy rolled over, so the brothers were lying side by side, facing the ceiling.

"How was Bella's party?" Reggie whispered. Sirius thought for a moment.

"Stuffy," he finally answered.

"You say that about every party, Siri," Reggie mumbled with a yawn.

"Andi's leaving," Sirius countered, wanting to get to more important matters. Reggie turned so he was looking directly at Sirius, his smoke-colored eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Why?" he asked worriedly.

"She's goin' to Hogwarts. Like Bella does."

"She hasn't finished the story yet."

Sirius yawned and shut his eyes. "She says she's comin' soon to read to us," he said quietly. "Guess what?"

"What?" Reggie asked.

"Bella brought a boy. His name is Ralph. But he didn't like it when I called him Ralph. When he left, Ralph kissed Bella on the lips."

"Ew," Regulus said simply.

"Ew," Sirius agreed with vigorous nod and a sleepy smile.

February 7, 1966

Walburga held tightly onto both Sirius's and Regulus's shoulders as she hurried down Diagon Alley, not stopping until she reached Gringotts. When they entered the marble building, she let them go with the strict instruction to stay together and still as she dealt with her business.

Regulus stood beside his brother, looking around the great room in interest. Mother rarely took them out of the house for a reason other than to go to Uncle Cygnus's house, and Regulus couldn't remember ever going to Diagon Alley before. It was all very cool.

"I want to look at brooms," said Sirius next to him.

"Have you ever flown before?" Regulus asked in return. Sirius shook his head.

"But how will I fly without a broom?" he added.

Regulus thought for a moment.

"We're wizards. There has to be a way to fly," he said after a while.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, brooms, Reggie."

Now it was Regulus's turn to roll his eyes. "No, another way, Siri. Without a broom."

"Pegusus?" asked Sirius.

"Those're extinct. Plus, those aren't easier to get than a broom."

Sirius shrugged. "We'll figure it out one day," he said decisively. "'Till then, I want a broom."

Regulus sighed, then nodded. A broom would be nice, after all.

July 9, 1969

Andromeda watched from the front row as Bellatrix married. The ceremony was long, containing every possible wizarding tradition and then ten more that were specific to the Black and Lestrange families. Through it all, Bella stood still, finely dressed in a gown of white silk with her lips painted red. She showed no emotion as she was pronounced as one with Rodolphus Lestrange. Narcissa was silently weeping beside Andromeda, as if this was the most beautiful proclamation of love that ever was. This was what Cissy wanted in life, in five years to stand in Bella's place across from Lucius Malfoy, but the idea sent a cold shiver down Andromeda's spine.

Sirius sat on her other side, gaze wholly impassive as he observed the union taking place. Regulus leaned over and whispered something in Sirius's ear, causing a smirk to appear on the older boy's face. Andromeda knew Sirius didn't like Rodolphus. She didn't like Rodolphus; hell, Andromeda didn't think Bella liked Rodolphus all that much.

Finally, the ceremony was over and the reception began. Andromeda sat at a table in the corner with Sirius and Regulus, studiously avoiding any and all mothers of young, pureblooded, men.

"I can't believe she actually married Ralph," Sirius muttered in disgust, watching the couple dispassionately dance to a traditional waltz. Regulus swirled the ice in his drink.

"It's not like she had a choice, Siri. You know that," he said, sounding troubled. Andromeda wondered for perhaps the hundredth time how Regulus could be so precocious at eight years old.

Sirius scoffed, ignoring his brother. "And Cissy's all set to wed Lucky. Andi, do you have a wedding planned that I need to get myself some new dress robes for?" Regulus cuffed him on the back of the head.

Andromeda shrugged. Truthfully, due to some careful eavesdropping she had learned that Father was talking with the Rowles. The idea of marrying Alexius, the hideous troll, was appalling. She wasn't going to say anything to Sirius about it, though; it wasn't like he could help her any.

Instead, she smiled coyly. "Nothing in the works now, Siri, but I'll let you know. You would look ever so dashing in burgundy."

Sirius smirked and opened his mouth, but Regulus beat him to it. "Sirius looks ever so dashing in everything, Andi," he mocked in a horrifying imitation of Sirius. Sirius crossed his arms in a pout, at Andromeda's laugh, but the corners of his mouth were twitching.

"Well," he huffed. "It is true."

Privately, Andromeda could not call the boy a liar. She already feared for the women of Hogwarts when Sirius reached them; none would be safe from his wiles, if he chose to use them. Regulus either, though she felt for the younger boy in that he looked almost exactly like Sirius, with some subtle differences, much like herself and Bellatrix. A little smaller and thinner, perhaps, with a smaller chin, darker eyes, and shorter hair. If Reggie was anyone else's brother, he would have been called a heartbreaker, but Sirius was unfortunately about as close to human perfection as you get. Not that Regulus seemed to notice at all.

Of course, Sirius wouldn't hear any of this from her. Her baby cousin did not need a larger head than he already had.

Aunt Walburga came striding up purposefully after a while of cousins' idle chatter, grabbing Sirius by the shoulder and bustling him off to meet with some of the other children he would be attending Hogwarts with in just over two years. That left Andromeda and Regulus alone.

She moved over a seat so they were next to each other and leaned in. "So," Andromeda began in a conspiring tone. "How is the plight of the second-born treating you?"

Regulus, much to her surprise, actually grimaced. "Father is giving Sirius special lessons, with a wand and everything. Sirius is not happy about it, you know." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Siri hides it well, but I think something's off with him. Mother has been speaking sometimes of a wizard, one who wants to purify our race. Sirius can't stand it when she talks about him, he gets all stiff and still."

Andromeda closed her eyes. She knew of Voldemort, of course she did. Bella was a rather big fan of the man, after all. She opened her eyes and studied Regulus carefully. "And what do you think about it, Reggie?" she asked after a moment.

Regulus worried his lower lip. "I stay quiet, so Mother and Father don't get upset. That's what Siri has been trying to do, but he's always gotten angry fast. He's been cold to Mother lately, and she's noticed."

"What does she do?" Andromeda asked in a whisper, even though Regulus didn't really answer her question. There was a reason, after all, though she hated to admit it, that Sirius had such a temper. Aunt Walburga had a bit of a violent streak.

"Mostly just snaps at him. Father doesn't seem to notice anything's wrong, and maybe there isn't."

"But you think so?"

Regulus shrugged. "Siri acts the same as he always has, but now it seems like he's putting on an act. I don't know," he added.

Andromeda leaned back and watched Sirius standing with the other children. If he was acting, then he sure was one hell of an actor, she thought as she watched him flash the smile that tended to melt old women at Selene Greengrass; Andromeda almost laughed when she saw Selene's older brother Hyperion pull the blushing young girl closer to himself with a scowl. On the other hand, Sirius pointedly ignored the boys who were trying to get his attention, her cousin Evan among them.

She sighed. "I don't know either Reggie. Let me know if something happens though, okay?"

Regulus, proud child that he was, looked a little offended at the notion that he couldn't handle things himself. Nevertheless, he acquiesced with a nod.

Andromeda leaned over and ruffled his hair, earning herself an indignant huff from Regulus as he batted her hand away. "Now," she said with a smile. "How's it going with that potions book I lent you?"

Regulus's eyes lit up in a grin.

September 2, 1971

"—YOU DISGRACE! DISGRACE TO OUR BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE MOST NOBLE AND ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK! A SON OF OUR HOUSE, IN GRYFFINDOR, HOUSE OF MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD-TRAITORS, WHAT WOULD OUR ANCESTORS THINK! THIS IS ALMOST AS UNACCEPTABLE AS HUFFLEPUFF, SIRIUS ORION BLACK, AND YOU WILL SEE THE HEADMASTER AND DEMAND A RESSORTMENT BY SUNDOWN TODAY OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY, YOU LITTLE DEMON!"

Sirius stared, fighting hard to keep his expression under control, at the ashes left on the table after his mother had finished her screeching. The Great Hall was silently watching the end of the Gryffindor table, some of the older students sending him sympathetic looks while most of the younger ones stared wide-eyed. At the Slytherin table, Narcissa kept her eyes firmly on her plate, while Andi looked to be fighting back tears; Rosier, Avery, and Mulciber looked positively smug.

Sirius hadn't precisely meant to be in Gryffindor. Though his little conversation with James Potter on the train had opened his eyes to the possibility, when Sirius got up to the stool and the hat was placed on his head, he had just told the thing to place him wherever it saw fit. Sirius had been reasonably sure that would be Slytherin, but here he was.

"Mr. Black."

Sirius looked up at the stern witch who had been introduced as Professor McGonagall the night before. Out of instinct, he smoothed out his features into a mask of mild distaste; Mother had taken time out of her busy schedule to go through the staff at Hogwarts with him, blood status obviously included. McGonagall was a half-blood, which put her in the "do not speak with unless positively necessary" category. In fact, everyone, Headmaster included, was in that category besides the Slytherin house head Professor Slughorn.

Sirius figured he should probably forget all of that now.

The witch gestured with her hand. "I'd like to speak with you outside, Mr. Black, if you would care to follow me," she said, her tone slightly gentler.

Sirius nodded stiffly and stood, walking with his hands folded behind his back and his chin held high. Once outside the great doors and in the Entrance Hall, McGonagall turned to face him and set up a privacy bubble.

She huffed. "Firstly, you're not getting resorted. My apologies," she gritted out the word like she couldn't believe she was saying it. "- go to your mother."

Sirius shrugged. "I figured," he said. McGonagall looked slightly stunned at his lack of argument. He lifted a brow at her expression. "Apparently," Sirius drawled, falling back into old habits. "I'm a Gryffindor. The harm has been done, Professor. Might as well live up to it."

The professor nodded briskly. "Very well then," she said as she made to turn, then paused, her expression softening. "And Mr. Black? Let someone know if you have any trouble, and do try and not alienate your housemates. Gryffindors, you will find, are not nearly as bad as you have been told."

Sirius bit back the urge to scoff. Instead, he tilted his head in acknowledgement.

Classes were ridiculously boring that day. He had, after all, been taught much of the first-year curriculum by his father over the last two years. Levitation charms? Please, Sirius had mastered those when he was nine.

That night, while his roommates were in the common room socializing and playing exploding snap, Sirius sat on the window seat by his bed, staring up at the stars. They were so visible here, on a tower in Scotland, than they ever had been in London. Sirius, for the first time in his life had felt something akin to awkwardness today. At home, everyone he knew had dressed, acted, and spoken just like him. Here, everyone spoke differently, and his posh, London-grown accent felt almost overdone. The Pettigrew boy spoke in soft lilting Belfast tones, Lupin and Potter had formed an immediate acquaintance over their mutual Quidditch team, the Caerphilly Catapults. The redhead, Evans, she spoke with a northern accent that Sirius knew his mother would have turned her nose up at, as did the blonde, McKinnon. Sirius had never felt like more of a rich ponce, and that wasn't just because he had been called one on at least three separate occasions today.

He sighed, and reached up to open the window to let in the breeze. Another freedom he didn't have at home, as Father had charmed the windows to never open long before Sirius was ever born so enemies didn't have a point of entry. Sirius had just nodded at the time and went on reading the second-year Charms text. He swung his legs around to hang over the ledge, reveling slightly in the knowledge that it was hundreds of feet to the ground; for some reason, the thought sent a thrill straight down his spine. A dark shape was gliding along the treetops of the forest, and for a moment Sirius let himself believe it was some sort of unknown creature hunting in the night rather that the bird it probably was. Indeed, the dark shape began to get close enough so Sirius could discern it was an owl. Specifically, a very distinctive black owl that was heading straight for him. Aesacus landed on Sirius's outstretched arm and hung around just long enough to drop its letter; he tried not to be offended by that. Instead, he tore open the letter with fervor.

Before he could even read any words, Sirius's brow was furrowed in concern. Regulus's usually meticulous pointed handwriting was cramped and rushed, as if he had been writing as much as fast as he could.

Sirius –

Gryffindor? I must say I'm a little surprised. Didn't think you would stray so far from tradition, honestly.

Father is furious, and Mother is even worse. I assume you received her howler this morning; she's been screeching so all day. I haven't left our floor before now. Kreacher is bringing my meals, he's repeating some of Mother's best insults for you while doing so.

Father says that I "need to catch up", so I think he wants to give me private lessons like he did for you.

Right, I'm stalling. Mother has decided she is going to screen all of your mail home to me, so chances are, if you send a letter, I won't receive it. She thinks you will corrupt me, though I don't see how you are a different person than you were two days ago. I'm not supposed to be sending this at all, but I wanted you to know from me. You need not bother to reply to this.

Brother, know that I am thinking of you, and hope you are happy with your choices. I think we have always known we were different people to some degree, and this serves only to show how much. Reluctantly, I admire your bravery.

I will write again if I can find a chance to sneak up to the attic again. I'm letting Aesacus out of the vent, like a stowaway. If I were you, I would try and stay at Hogwarts for Christmas hols.

Your brother,

Regulus

Sirius reread the letter twice, trying to take in all the information. His first instinct was to be surprised about how well Regulus had taken his sorting. Then, he was pissed.

Mother thought he was going to corrupt Regulus. Did she not think he had been trying for most of his life? Reggie was nearly incorruptible, except when it mattered. Like now, apparently.

Sirius crumpled the letter into a ball in his fist, and without conscious thought, hurled it against the wall. He was panting heavily with the effort of controlling his expression, unaware of why he was even doing so considering he was alone. Sirius glared at the parchment with everything he had, then whirled around, unable to look at it any longer.

"Are you alright, mate?"

Sirius stiffened at the voice sounding from the doorway, behind his back. He glanced at the parchment on the floor. "What does it matter to you?" he scoffed, turning his gaze back to the window. Sirius, the star, was easily visible.

Potter was silent for a while before he spoke again. "We're dormmates. Someone's got to be there for you, and if those prats you were raised with won't and our own housemates are being harsh on you— "

Sirius turned to face the other boy, mouth twisted in a snarl. "You little" -he bit back the word blood-traitor— "You think I'm upset about what those idiots out there are saying about me?"

Potter's eyes were wide. "Er… yeah?" he stammered out.

Sirius threw his arms up. "Really Potter? I'm a Black, Blacks get talked about. If I could handle it at four years old when a man implied I'd become the next dark lord at a ministry banquet, I sure as hell can handle it now!"

The other boy crossed his arms defensively and sat on his bed. "Then what's got you in a state?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, then stalked over to Regulus's letter and picked it up. He threw the crumpled-up ball to Potter, fully unaware of why he was even doing so.

"Read it, if you absolutely must, see if I care," Sirius snapped, then left the dorm with a slam of the door. He didn't know where he was going as he rushed out of the portrait hole, and it was undoubtedly an awful idea to go off wandering. Sirius was just as lost as any other first year when it came to navigating the castle.

He stormed down the seventh-floor corridor, not noticing any of the students staring at him, not that he would have cared if he had. Sirius didn't know why he was so upset about this whole ordeal anyway, it was something he should have expected. Regulus had been nice enough in his letter too, if not a little distant. That was to be expected too, all of this was predictable, and yet Sirius's blood was still boiling, and he had stopped masking his expression a while ago.

Perhaps that was why, when Andi saw him coming, she broke free from her group of Slytherins and chased after him.

"Sirius! Sirius!" the head girl called. Sirius spun on his heel, fully prepared to let out eleven years of practiced pureblood snark on whoever had dared to try and speak with him. Of course, all of that stopped when Andromeda grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into an alcove he hadn't known existed.

"What? Come to give me a tongue-lashing? I assure you, Andromeda, you cannot tell me something I have yet to hear," Sirius said scathingly. Andi winced minutely at the use of her full name, then straightened and raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Sirius," she began in a warning tone. "You'll tell me what's got you in a strop or I'll give you one better than a tongue-lashing."

"Fine," Sirius spat. "You'll be pleased to know that I have been instructed not to write Regulus, for fear I'll corrupt him. Merlin forbid little Reggie turn out a nasty blood-traitor like his brother."

Andi's expression softened into one of concern. "Siri…"

Sirius's eyes blazed silver. "I don't want your pity, Andi. I don't want your pity, or Reggie's, or McGonagall's, or James Potter's, or anyone else's for that matter."

And with that, Sirius pushed past Andromeda and back into the hall, losing himself in the twisting corridors.

September 1, 1972

Regulus wiped his sweating palms on the back of his robes, the only action that betrayed his frazzled nerves in his otherwise calm demeanor. Anderson, Sarah and Baccas, Santo were sorted into Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, respectively, before the professor McGonagall called his name.

He could feel Sirius's eyes burning in the back of his head from the Gryffindor table as he walked straight-backed up to the stool and the witch beside it. The last thing Regulus noticed before the hat dropped over his eyes was that the Great Hall had gone quiet.

"Ah, the littlest Black."

Regulus flinched a little at the sound of the voice in his head, but otherwise stayed stoic.

"Loyalty to family? Very interesting, but to what family will it be?"

"If you put me in Hufflepuff I'll see to it that you are burned," Regulus thought furiously. The hat chuckled, which was a rather odd thought.

"No, not Hufflepuff for you, though that cousin of yours... truer Hufflepuff than most Hufflepuffs are. You, a very strong mind, and an eagerness to learn. Ravenclaw would suit you very well, but then again, threatening me was a very Slytherin thing to do. Ruthlessness is not yet in your nature, however, young Black, not like your brother. It is an ingrained defense mechanism."

Regulus was silent as that hat continued to think.

"You are brave, and yes, loyal. Both traits that could very easily put you alongside your brother in Gryffindor. But yours is a quiet bravery where the elder's is loud. The Gryffindors would not know what to do with you. Yes, your intelligence is your defining feature, Mr. Black; you are sharper than most of the students I have seen in years. Ravenclaw would most definitely suit you extremely well. Alas, for this one, I must leave your fate up to you."

Regulus closed his eyes painfully, and prayed to Merlin and Morgana and anyone else who might care to listen, knowing what he was about to do would break Sirius's heart.

"Very well," the Sorting Hat sighed, sounding quite put out. "But Mr. Black, know that there is more than one path for you to follow. Perhaps, in the shadows you'll find glory, and to do that, you'll have to be in…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Author's Note: Now, I am the absolute worst when it comes to updating regularly, but I'm trying for weekly. We'll see how that goes, so if you like this story, I'd advise following and turning on alerts.