Summary: Sirius and Regulus share a holiday moment.
Categories: Marauder Era Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 1
Completed: Yes
Word count: 1191
Read: 2131
Published: 12/20/08
Updated: 12/20/08
1. Brother to Brother by Vindictus Viridian
Brother to Brother by Vindictus Viridian
Sirius stormed up the dark steps to his room. There, at least, he’d made everything look comfortable “ Gryffindor colors and a picture of the Marauders, for a start. His friends and his own image jumped a little when he slammed the door.
A package of green-and-silver underwear from his parents and a used tissue from Kreacher marked an all-time low in Christmas presents. Regulus hadn’t even tried to pretend they were brothers. Sirius had spent a good chunk of his pocket money on Chocolate Frogs and Peppermint Toads for his mother, Cockroach Clusters for his father “ who genuinely liked the awful things, and what seemed half the rest of Honeydukes for Regulus. Every now and then he tried to act as though they were all one family.
It wasn’t getting any easier.
And then there had been dinner. He was tired of hearing how wonderful Regulus was, and how proud his parents were that he’d made the stupid Slug Club, and generally how he should be more like his younger brother. He was tired of hearing about every great-aunt and second cousin was a good Black and he wasn’t. He flopped onto his bed and glared at the ceiling.
Someone knocked quietly. Only one person ever knocked quietly. Well, actually, only one person ever knocked. “Go away.”
“It’s me.”
“I know.”
Regulus decided that was an invitation, not a rejection, and sidled in quietly. He kept one hand behind his back. Sirius suspected there was a wand lurking back there in case his temper was a little too hot. “You all right?”
Sirius replied with something decidedly unsuited to the holiday.
“I do have a present for you. I just wasn’t sure when to give it to you.”
“I don’t want it.” This wasn’t strictly true. Sirius cursed his own curious streak that asked what Regulus could possibly have thought was a good idea. He wanted to know what it was, and then he wanted to crush it, hex it, and throw it at someone. Someone would probably be Regulus.
“Whatever you do, please don’t tell Mum and Dad who gave it to you.”
The curiosity began to overwhelm the grudge. Regulus almost sounded like he’d remembered Sirius was a Gryffindor, a rebel, and a contrary nuisance “ in a good way. “That would mean talking to them.”
“I really like Fizzing Whizbees, by the way. Thanks.”
“You know you’re supposed to have outgrown them by now, right?”
“Yeah. That’s why it’s good to have some I don’t have to sneak. Anyway.” Regulus brought a roll of something out from behind his back. “I thought you’d get some use of these.”
Regulus seemed to be in earnest. Sirius relented. He sat up, making a show of it, and held out his hand. Regulus stuffed a handful of papers into his hand and backed up a little. Whether he was nervous about being so close, which Sirius thought he might feel a little bad about, or whether it was to make room for the great unrolling wasn’t too clear.
It was several sheets of glossy, Muggle-ish paper. Sirius spread the bundle out to see the top sheet. It was indeed a Muggle poster “ of a girl in very little clothing, at that. “Wicked,” he said, and meant it in all possible ways.
Regulus was grinning. “You like her?”
“Oh, yeah. Mum won’t.”
“Please don’t tell?”
“I won’t. I’ll just sneak out for a bit tomorrow, then put this fine lady on the wall.”
“The other ones are better.”
Sirius leafed over another, and another. Pretty girl, motorcycle, pretty girl, pretty girl on motorcycle… “They’re good, all right. Where on earth did you get them?”
Regulus grinned, with that little bashful tilt of his head that meant he was a bit proud of himself and thought he shouldn’t be. “Long story. Let’s just say it involved a dare, a set of Slytherins, and some firewhiskey we really weren’t supposed to have.”
Sirius laughed. “Sometimes I can almost remember we’re brothers.”
“Yeah.” Regulus sobered a little. “Me too.”
Suddenly a pile of candy didn’t seem like much, but there was something else. Sirius laid the posters reverently on his bed and went to his trunk. Way down at the bottom, below all the stuff he never unpacked at home, was something his father had given him before he first went to Hogwarts. They’d all assumed so much, then. “Hang on.”
“If it’s that far down, I’m not sure I want it,” Regulus said, but it sounded like it was for the form of the thing.
“You wanted it before. You probably still want it. And it’s not like it’s any use to me, since I’m practically not the eldest son anymore anyway.” He found it at last and pulled it out. “Here.”
Regulus held back a minute. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. It’s more yours than mine already anyway.”
Regulus took the thing and studied it as though he’d never seen it, as though he hadn’t held back tears when Father had given it to Sirius. A silver serpent twined about the Black family crest. It was just a cloak pin “ but on the other hand, it was the cloak pin, Grandfather’s, and Great-Grandfather’s, and back for who knew how long. The silver had tarnished, sitting in the trunk, but not as much as it might have. Sirius expected his tumbled-in pants had probably polished it as the train bumped along twice a year. He thought he might not mention that to Regulus, who looked awed.
“All right?” Sirius asked, breaking a silence that was becoming uncomfortable.
“Thanks. I mean… thanks.” Regulus looked uncomfortable.
“Don’t mention it. It’s for the eldest Black, and that should be someone a little more committed to the family than I am. You should have beat me to it, you know. The younger son is supposed to be the scoundrel.”
Regulus shrugged, half-laughed, and blinked a few extra times. “Take it up with Mum and Dad. I didn’t get to say.”
Sirius gave him a bump on the shoulder. “You make sure you wear that to the next Slug Club meeting, right? Make it clear to the big man that there’s only one Black to be had in ‘the set.’”
Regulus rolled his eyes. “The guy’s kind of an oaf, but the parties are good. You should have tried one, at least.”
“Nah. Lily brings back stories.”
And that was it. Mentioning Lily was all it took. Regulus backed up a step, looking at the floor. “Mind you don’t put those up right away.”
“Wouldn’t want to tarnish the little king’s reputation, now would I?” Sirius didn’t mean to snarl it quite so much.
Regulus glared, relented, and took up a distant half-smile. “Anyway. Happy Christmas. We can save the fight for tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Looking forward to it,” Sirius lied. “Happy Christmas.”
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