Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything concerning him belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Regulus and his stupid brother

Regulus was always quite easy to find. He spent, in Sirius opinion, far too much time in the library, just like Remus did. It was the dullest place he could think of and that it was his brother's usual hang out really bothered him.

Well, it didn't bother him as much as his whole family did in general, but still.

"Hey."

Regulus was quite short. Shorter than Sirius, but then again – Sirius was tall. The little brother glanced up from his book and brushed dark hair out of his eyes. They looked alike, the two Black brothers, and yet there was something so very different in their appearances.

"What?" Regulus said softly as Sirius practically fell into the seat next to him. Regulus mentally groaned when he noticed that Sirius had dragged his friend with him and James Potter dropped into the seat next to Sirius. It wasn't really as though he had much against Potter, but his presence always made things uncomfortable and that was why Regulus hated having him around and he was pretty sure Potter felt the same. "What?" Regulus insisted. "What do you want?"

Sirius didn't reply, only took the book Regulus had been reading from his hands and glanced at the cover before raising his eyebrows at his brother. "Honestly?" he sighed with a brief shrug and pushed the book back into Regulus' hands. "Well – I was just wondering whether you were going home for Christmas or not."

Regulus narrowed his eyes. "I am. Aren't you?"

"No." Sirius snorted and laughed softly. "No, I'm not. I haven't been home for Christmas since I started Hogwarts, remember? Anyway–"

"Well, then I suppose you remember too that I have been going home for every Christmas since I started Hogwarts," Regulus said quickly.

Regulus could not understand why Sirius always insisted on dragging Potter everywhere he went and vice versa, because you usually never saw one without the other. Also, something that surprised Regulus slightly was that Potter rarely spoke when he was in Regulus presence. He would either just stand next to Sirius or, as in this case, sit next to him in silence and give Regulus suspicious glances.

Stupid Gryffindors. The entire lot.

Sirius bit his lip for half a second before muttering, "I'm not here to argue with you. I just wanted to know what you wanted for Christmas, Regulus, so – what do you want for Christmas?"

"What?" was all Regulus managed to choke out.

"I want to know what you want for Christmas. I'm going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, so I thought I might as well pick something up for you."

"This isn't a Hogsmeade weekend," said Regulus.

"I know. What do you want?" his brother grinned, "Something from Zonko's, right? I knew it."

Regulus didn't say anything; it had been a few years actually since his brother had bought anything for him at all. Sirius had even forgotten Regulus' birthdays several years in a row or so Regulus liked to think, rather than suspecting that Sirius just ignored them.

But he's only fourteen and he's already going downward and while he hadn't realise or notice himself, Sirius had and even though Regulus never realised or understood, Sirius was trying his hardest just to pull and hold Regulus back. They were brothers after all.

"I don't like Zonko's."

Sirius shot his best friend a glance and Regulus saw from the corner of his eye Potter shrug slightly and look a bit amazed and as if he was thinking Who the heck doesn't like Zonko's? Sirius turned back to his brother with a somewhat pained expression and he groaned softly. "Do you want a… I don't know, a book maybe?"

Regulus couldn't help but smile. "Sure."

Sirius face brightened immediately and Regulus thought his brother was too easy to read but it was probably the other way around. Sirius nodded however and seemed very pleased that he came up with the brilliant idea to give his brother a book and got up from the chair he had been sitting in. Potter rose too. "Brilliant," Sirius said. "Brilliant," he grinned down at his brother before continuing. "I just hope I can find some dung that you might like."

"Ask Remus for help." Potter finally spoke. "He's into that."

He had said that as though he couldn't think of a better word for it.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sirius cheerfully and Regulus hated how he could always seem so damn happy all the time. "Good idea, Prongs." Regulus rolled his eyes. Those wimpish nicknames his brother and his friends used. "See you, bro."

Oh hell, he suddenly realised.

Now he might have to buy Sirius something too.