DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

~ Styx and Acheron~

"Farewell, Mother!" thirteen-year-old Sirius Prewett calls out, waving at Lucretia from the doorway of the train. What would have been a dramatic monologue is cut short as he catches sight of Walburga and Orion out of the corner of his eye. The presence of his real parents makes the playful lines stick in his throat.

Lucretia sees where Sirius is looking, but refrains from commenting, giving a half-hearted wave as her husband takes advantage of the pause to lecture the child.

"Keep your grades up this term, or I'll have Professor Slughorn take you off the Quidditch team," Ignatius warns, wagging his index finger in a manner that is intended to be threatening but comes off rather comically instead.

"Yes, Father," Sirius replies as he ducks into the train.

The old, familiar ache tugs at his heart as he watches his family from the window of the Hogwarts Express. Walburga embraces her little prince as Regulus throws himself into her arms.

Sirius can't hear the words, but he imagines that Regulus is saying something along the lines of "I'll miss you so much, Mama" as he snuggles into his mother's side. Orion reaches down and ruffles his little prince's hair, and Regulus looks up at him with watery eyes. "I'll miss you, too, Dad!"

Once Regulus is finally loaded onto the train, Orion wraps his arm around Walburga's waist and the two of them lean against each other, smiling softly as their little prince waves from the window.

Sirius turns his gaze back to his adoptive parents. Lucretia stands stiffly beside her husband. Ignatius wears the slightly-irritated expression that seems to never leave his face.

Someone calls his name from inside the train, and it takes him a moment to remember that he is supposed to respond to Prewett. Even as he turns to greet his friends, he can't help wondering what his life would have been like if he had remained with his birth family and grown up as Sirius Black.

~end~