Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just the story.
I was there for him, always there, silent and steady to pick up the pieces. After he left that first year it changed, before he was there for me too. When he came back he didn't seem to care, I was just the brother that he didn't want. Even then I never strayed.
I was the unwanted little brother. Then I left too, but that just created a bigger gap between us. I was in Slytherin, he was in Gryffindor and our parents just made it worse by doting on me. Now, six years later, and he's gone. His name burned of the family tapestry, a black spot next to where my name stood in curly black lettering; Regulus A. Black III
He spelled his room to keep us all out, even Kreacher. I can understand why, he doesn't trust us anymore. Looking at the black skull and snake burned into my left arm, I can understand why.
Sirius watched as his brother, his "perfect" little brother, walk into one of the carriages. He was surrounded by a group of other purebloods; Narcissa Black, Evan Rosier, and Barty Crouch Jr. among them.
"Sirius, don't think about him! It'll just hurt you!" James said to him, pulling him into the carriage that held Lily, Peter, and Remus already. Shaking his head Sirius climbed in. "I still remember his face though James! Mom told me to leave and never come back and he was standing there at the top of the stairs looking at me as if I was a stranger! Like he hated me! Then he just turned around and walked into his room and closed the door! We used to be so close! What happened?" Sirius said, desperation in his voice thoughts caught on the cold, haughty look on his younger brother's (who he hadn't seen since the end of last year) silver-grey eyes so like his own cold and closed-off.
"Sirius…" James said softly before urging me out of the stopped wagon gently.
*One Week Later*
"Regulus! I want to talk to you!" Sirius called, ignoring Remus and James' groans from behind him as he finally caught his brother alone. Regulus turned slowly to reguard his brother with cold silver eyes.
"What do you want Sirius." He said, voice soft and sounding much older than his sixteen years.
"Why? I need to know why you didn't speak up against mom last year. Please Reg! I need to know, to understand!" Sirius cried, desperate.
Regulus looked down before looking up with cold, flinty eyes "Why, Sirius? Do you really want to know? I saved you Sirius, I took up the price that you would have had to pay, my dear brother!" Regulus spat harshly, yanking up his left sleeve to show the tattoo that was stark against his pale, white skin. "Mom had it all arranged for you, her little heir, to become a Death Eater, but with you gone it came to me! I let you go so I didn't have to see my brother broken by an evil git!"
Sirius, Remus, and James were frozen in shock staring at the tattoo. "This is the price I paid to save you!" Regulus turned his back on them, pulling down his sleeve. "Have a good life Black."
Then he was gone.
Three young men stood in front of an onyx grave, white marble inlay words stark against the black background. The three men were in clean black dress robes as they stared down at the headstone that read;
Regulus A. Black III
Death is merely a step in a road that extends far beyond this world, but that does not mean that those that make that step are forgotten.
Underneath it was the personal information.
Sirius Black stepped forward and laid a photo on the grave and placed a permanent sticking charm on it. The picture was of two raven haired boys around six, one slightly bigger, smiling and waving at the camera. On the bottom was, in a messy scrawl; Siri and Reg. "Love you Reg. Thank you. Otherwise it would have been me lying here. I'll see you in heaven sometime little bro." he whispered before the three walked away, back to fighting the war.
13 or so years later another grave of onyx joined Regulus', a grave that held no body, but simply a small box with the head ring of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. The brothers were once more together in death.