Owls were swooping down low over the tables, dropping parcels into their owners' awaiting laps and swerving to avoid the bustling of the sky.

"Mum and Dad sent letters!" Sirius said gleefully, picking up the two envelopes that had just been deposited in his lap. He tossed one to James before ripping open his own, the one with his name printed in proud, bold ink. The four friends were silent for a moment, Peter digging into a package of candy that had been sent from his mother and Remus picking at his scrambled eggs, only shoveling a forkful in his mouth when James gave him a sharp look over the top of his letter.

"They want us home for Christmas," James said, his words muffled by the toast he had shoved in his mouth. "A bit early, isn't it?"

"Christmas invitations in September?" Sirius joked. "Not at all. Wormy, Moony, they say you can come if - ah, shoot, Mum found those Nose-Biting Teacups I left under my bed."

"I told you to take them with us," James sang.

"Ah, shut it," Sirius grumbled. "Or I'm telling her you burnt that curtain and used her wand to fix it."

James mock-glared at him before directing his attention back to the parchment. "Dad got the tickets!" he cheered.

"For what?" Peter said, pausing in his attempts to unwrap another candy wrapper.

"Quidditch tournament," James said dismissively.

"'You can take a few friends,'" Remus read over his shoulder. "Who're you gonna take?"

"Oh, I dunno," James teased. "Maybe Marlene…"

Remus smirked, going back to pushing the food around on his plate, most of which had been dumped there by an insistent Peter.

"Moony, you'd better eat those eggs before James goes full mother hen mode on -" Sirius faltered when someone grasped his shoulder from behind. Acting on instinct, he whirled around, hand on his concealed wand. Rather than an alleged murderer with a Killing Curse on their lips, however, he was met with the frustrated face of his little brother, nearly identical to his, if not younger with dark, shorter hair that framed his pale face.

"I do not mother you, Pads," James was complaining before he, too, turned to see what had cut his friend off. "Oi, what're you doing?" he said to Regulus.

"I-I need to talk to Sirius. Alone," Regulus said, though he wavered a little under James' glare, which could very well stop Voldemort in his tracks.

"Why," Remus said, stating the question more than he asked.

"I just - I just need to talk to him, Lupin."

Sirius hesitated before nodding and standing, still fingering his concealed wand, though he knew it would take a lot to hex his brother. "Five minutes, fine."

Sirius allowed Regulus to drag him out of the Great Hall, only looking back once to shrug at his friends. Once in the dim, deserted corridor, he shoved away and crossed his arms, casually leaning against a nearby wall.

"I hope you know you might as well count your blessings if you try anything," he said, raking a hand through his hair, a habit he couldn't help but pick up on after spending so much time with James. "I've got three friends back there that would be more than happy to curse you into next week."

"Why'd you call them 'Mum and Dad'?" Regulus demanded, ignoring the threat. Sirius stood a little straighter, tilting his head to the side.

"What?"

"That letter," Regulus said impatiently. "You got a letter from Potter's parents, and you were acting like they were your own family. I'm your family; you've got a family!"

"When was the last time I got a letter from my real parents that didn't have an insult or a threat, huh?" Sirius caught on to what Regulus was going on about, but once he did, he could feel a bit of anger spark up inside of him.

"It doesn't matter!" Regulus said. "Potter's family isn't your family either way!"

"They're as close as I've ever gotten!" Sirius practically yelled, anger building up inside of him like a forgotten pot that had yet to be stirred. "There hasn't been a summer since I got sorted into the 'wrong house,'" he said, using air quotes over the last few words, "where I didn't come back to Hogwarts without a dozen bruises! Families don't do that to each other, Reg."

"Well… I, well…" Regulus was clearly running low on arguments.

"Well, what?" Sirius said. "Well, 'they never did that to me'? Well, 'you shouldn't have gotten sorted into the wrong house'? Well what, Reg?"

"I just miss you at home!" Regulus bellowed. He groaned, burrowing his face in his hands and looking as though he were seriously contemplating a jump off the Astronomy Tower.

"Sirius," he said, looking up after a moment of Sirius staring at him in bemusement. "Don't you reckon it would hurt, just a little, to hear my big brother call someone else's family his family? I just… whatever. It's your life; it's not a big deal. Forget it."

With that, leaving Sirius still opening and closing his mouth like a fish, he marched back into the Great Hall, angry tears being held in the corners of his eyes.

Later that night, as Regulus was sprawled out on his bed, staring at the opposite wall, he was startled out of his deep thoughts by a sharp knock on the door.

"Come in."

A girl, who Regulus recognized as a Slytherin prefect, entered the dorm room.

"A boy asked me to give this to you," she said. "Said he couldn't deliver it by owl since 'there are no bloody windows in your common room.' Merlin knows why he couldn't wait until tomorrow morning…" she trailed off, still grumbling under her breath about the indecency of making the trip as she tossed him the letter and left.

Frowning, Regulus tore open the lopsided seal and opened the hastily scribbled letter, drinking in the words.

Reg,

Want to share my family?
Yours is a load of rubbish, anyway.

Below the note, there was an address, printed a bit neater, and a date. December twenty-fifth. An invitation to spend Christmas.

Grinning like an idiot, Regulus folded the letter and tucked it under his pillow after rereading the message half a dozen times. Sure, he would decline. He knew he couldn't spend Christmas with the Potters, but he also knew his brother, despite being a git for running away, was looking out for him.

Sirius really did have family in the Noble House of Blacks, and Regulus had family in the Potters.

A/N: Yeah, a bit of a downer after the Howler. By the way, you all loved that story; thank you so much for the reviews! I accept suggestions!