Black Dog the pirate crept up the tavern stairway. If he was caught, the owner—an evil hag—would curse him to Davy Jones' locker.

He chuckled silently. No risk, no reward.

When he reached the topmost landing undetected, he ignored the "Do Not Enter" sign on his quarry's door and strode into the room.

The boy propped up in bed continued to read. "Go away, Sirius."

The pirate also known as Sirius Black never backed down from a challenge. "Get up, Reggie. Adventure awaits."

"Not for me." His cautious younger brother's eyes rounded as he looked up and did a double-take. "You're soaking wet!"

Sirius used the dressing gown lying across the foot of the bed to dry his hair. "Yeah. I almost made it around the Cape of Good Hope before Kreacher dragged me inside."

A flash of light streamed through the window, followed by a boom of thunder.

Reggie gasped. "You're barking!"

"I'm without a crew since Dias and the rest kept sailing." Sirius smiled meaningfully.

"No. Mother told me I'm too old to play silly games."

"I'm ten. I still play." Sirius wondered how his brother could look like him and have none of his imagination.

"You're a black sheep. There's one in every family, Mother says."

Sirius could almost hear her say the words in that exact cold tone. "A sheep? Are you saying I stink?" He sniffed. "This room is what stinks. Smells like mould and cheese." His eyebrows rose. "Has Kreacher been bringing you snacks?"

"You know Mother doesn't allow eating between meals."

Oh, yes, he knew. "We could play Romans," he said, willing to compromise. "I'll let you be Marcus Atilius Regulus, the hero who outsmarts Medusa and plunders her attic, erm, treasure cave."

Reggie looked tempted, yet shook his head. "I can't."

Sirius jumped onto the bed and made himself comfortable. "All right, then. We'll stay here and ask each other riddles."

"I hate your riddles! They're stupid."

"You might like this one. What's black and white, black and white, black and white, black and white?" When Reggie didn't answer, he asked, "Do you want me to repeat it? I said, 'What's black and white, black and white—'"

"Shut up! I'll play. Then you'll leave me alone. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Want to know the answer?"

"No."

"It's a penguin rolling downhill."

Reggie's lips twitched.

It was enough to make a grin spread across Sirius' face.

The quest had begun.

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A/N: I've had Sirius on the brain, lately, :D, so when I took up a Drabble Challenge with the prompt "Black and White" I immediately thought of Sirius driving Regulus mad with silly riddles. Captain Black Dog the pirate features in ch 21 (Visions of Sugarplums) of my Marauder fic Semi Charmed Life (it's the second pov, for anyone interested, so scroll down until you read: The Caribbean sun beat down on the weathered deck of the merchant brig Constance). "Dias" is short for Bartolomeu Dias, who originally named the Cape of Good Hope the Cape of Storms. Marcus Atilius Regulus is the Roman naval commander who was legendary for heroic self-sacrifice. Who knows? Maybe both Muggles were really wizards. As always, those who review wield magic that rivals any cheering charm. ;)