A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for the Hogwarts Eastern Funfair, for Hook a Ship. My prompt: surf.

Word Count: 957

Thanks to my sister for beta-ing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.

Enjoy!

"C'mon, Reg, you can do it!" Sirius said cheerily, hoping his voice didn't betray his impatience. "Just try again!"

Regulus Black, thirteen-year-old and suck-up to oppressive parents, scowled at his older brother. "No, I can't."

Sirius threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "You told me that you wanted to learn to do this!"

Regulus, his dark hair crusted to his forehead with salt, looked very conflicted. "I did— I do— I— I just can't!"

Sirius huffed. "Well, with an attitude like that…" he muttered. The oldest Black brother sighed. "Listen, Reg. Surfing isn't like school. You can't just memorize a bunch of facts and expect to perform perfectly. It takes practice, and that means falling down a few times."

Regulus was sitting on his rented longboard as it floated on the water. Sirius stood in the water, holding the board in place. Three weeks ago, Regulus had approached his fifteen-year-old brother, requesting that he teach him how to surf. Sirius has been delighted; it seemed as though there would finally be something the two of them could share. Unfortunately, now that Regulus was at the point where he had to actually catch a wave, he had decided that the sport was not for him. The brothers loved each other, but sometimes it seemed as though they stood on opposite sides of a large chasm, and there was no rope bridge to cross it.

The boys had been very close when they were younger, but their parents' views and strict household had pushed them apart. It had deeply hurt Sirius; his parents' house was toxic, and he didn't agree with them on most matters, which resulted in numerous arguments. He knew that this wasn't helping his brother in any way, but was at a loss as to how to fix things. He wanted there to be a way he could be close to his brother, but away from the rest of their family.

Regulus crossed his arms. "But you never fall down."

Sirius gaped at him. Was that the problem? "Not anymore, no. But when James first started teaching me, I fell off constantly. It comes with practice and patience."

Regulus' scowl deepened. Sirius heaved another sigh. He looked longingly to his right where, several meters away, James was riding another wave as Remus and Peter cheered from the beach encouragingly.

Regulus noticed. "Just go surf with your friends. This isn't working."

It was tempting, but Sirius had a feeling that that was not something big brothers were supposed to do. He shook his head. "I'm not giving up on you, Reg."

Regulus didn't respond, just watched the waves roll under him.

Sirius' head was hot. The sun was scorching it. He dunked it underwater to cool it, then resurfaced, but then he glimpsed something strange.

Regulus' face was flushed as he stared at the water. His hands were loosely clenched, and his shoulders were turned towards the shore. Frowning, Sirius scanned the beach, looking for what might have elicited such a reaction from his little brother.

There. A group nearby, laughing and glancing back at the two brothers. They looked, in Sirius' opinion, like a rather unpleasant lot. They were all sneers and cold features, and he regrettably recognized them as the kids his brother had begun hanging out with after school. Sirius turned back to Regulus, his brow furrowed.

"Reg," he began slowly. "you do want to learn this, don't you? And be honest."

Regulus bit his lip. "Yes."

Sirius inclined his head towards the kids on the beach. "Then why the hell are you letting them stop you?"

His younger brother seemed surprised by his perceptiveness. "I… They think it's stupid."

Sirius gripped his brother's shoulder, and grey eyes met grey. "If they're your friends, Reg, then they'll support you. That's what I've learned. You think James, Remus, Peter, and I always agree on things? Give me a break. James and I root for opposing football teams. Remus hates sports, and Peter gets carsick. I still celebrate with James when his team wins, Remus still watches our games, and Peter rides in the car to school when it's too late to walk."

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "What's your point?"

Sirius squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Friends have different views, but they sacrifice things to accommodate them. Do you think I want to celebrate my team's defeat? Remus doesn't want to sit in those stands— they're too loud and crowded for him— but he does it anyway, to support us. Cars make Peter nauseous, but he sucks it up sometimes. And when we ride our bikes to school, trust me, none of us want to arrive sweaty and exhausted. You have to make sacrifices for your friends, but they have to make sacrifices for you. What have those blokes done for you lately?"

Regulus was silent. Sirius knew he was thinking over everything carefully. After several tense minutes, Regulus lied down on his board.

"Get out of the way, Sirius. I have a wave to catch."

Grinning, Sirius swam to the side and watched his brother paddle towards a wave. He fell off, of course—- he was only beginning, after all— but one look at his brother's dripping face told him that the youngest Black would not be deterred.

Sirius half swam, half ran to the beach to get his own board, then hurried to join his brother.

Excitement was coursing through his veins; he felt as though he'd been injected with hope. Their relationship may not be perfect, but perhaps it was fixable.

He heard Regulus, childish excitement lacing his voice, shout, "Sirius! Sirius, I did it!"

Things we're beginning to change. Sirius was determined to make sure they changed for the better.