Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JKR and her various publishers.

Running Away

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It wasn't a dark and stormy night. In fact, it wasn't even night, which struck Sirius as ironic. Weren't these things supposed to happen in the middle of the night? And yet it couldn't be more perfect: his parents wouldn't find out until they'd come back from the wedding later that morning by which time he'd already be gone.

He snorted softly to himself, trying to ignore the trembling of his hands as he bent to put his folded trousers in his trunk.

"You're making a mistake."

Ah. He had forgotten about Regulus.

Sirius didn't look at his brother, although he could see him out of the corner of his eye. "You're up early," he said lightly.

Regulus shifted his weight in the doorway. "How could you choose those blood traitors over us?" he demanded, his voice tight with anger. "How could you betray your family?"

"How do you know I'm not just going on holiday?"

Regulus didn't say anything, and the hopeful silence twisted something in Sirius' gut. How could he have forgotten that Regulus hadn't gone to the wedding? Would Regulus Floo his parents? Would he try and stop Sirius? The Ministry couldn't detect underaged magic here—their father had seen to that.

"I'm not," he said softly as he folded socks numbly, still not able to look at his brother, which infuriated him. He was doing the right thing. They were wrong—them and their pureblood complexes and half-breed prejudices—so why did he feel guilty?

"Then get out," said Regulus coolly, his father in miniature. In time, though, Regulus's voice would smooth out, deepen just a hair more…

"Believe me," said Sirius, hating the rough edge to his voice, "I am."

"Good," his brother sneered.

It was on the tip of his tongue to snarl at Regulus to get out of his room when it suddenly occurred to him that that was exactly what Regulus was waiting for.

"Think Mom and Dad will send you to Durmstrang?" he asked casually, and Regulus looked startled for a moment before his face hardened into his father's mirror.

"Someone needs to represent the Blacks at Hogwarts," he said proudly, defiantly even. "Lord knows what a disappointment you've been."

Sirius flinched as though he had been struck, and he turned to look at his brother fully. The tightening in his chest surprised him, and he had to swallow several times.

He couldn't count the number of times his parents had deplored of the disappointment he was to them, the number of dinner that had dissolved into screaming matches before the second course. Seven times his father had used the Cruciatus Curse on him. His mother had Hexed him temporarily blind once so that he would learn to "see things her way."

It wasn't fair that none of those times hurt as much as now.

Regulus was talking, as though from a great distant it seemed to Sirius, and he let the words wash over him. His head felt light as he folded his clothes without feeling the material, blindly reaching for the next possession to put in his trunk.

"Reducio," he muttered, watching his trunk shrink numbly before pocketing it.

"Things are changing, Sirius," Regulus said, nearly shouting now. "You'll be sorry—y-you've picked the losing side!"

"I DON'T CARE!" roared Sirius, his voice echoing through the room.

Regulus was staring at him, his eyes huge, and Sirius realized he was pointing his wand at his brother. He didn't care. He dragged in great gulps of breath, his legs shaking as he faced his brother. When had everything gotten so complicated?

Regulus licked his lips. "Sirius—"

"Don't," barked Sirius. His nose tingled and the light in the room splintered in his suddenly burning eyes. "Just…just shut up, okay? I'm going."

He shoved his wand roughly in his pocket as he wrenched his heaviest cloak over him.

"Where are you going?" Regulus's voice was quiet.

"Gringotts," said Sirius harshly, not knowing why he was telling him. It wasn't what Regulus had really wanted to know, Sirius knew that. Yet it was more than he'd planned on telling his brother. What if he Flood his parents the minute he'd gone and they beat him to Gringotts? He couldn't Apparate.

"I…I won't tell them," said Regulus, not looking at him.

Sirius nodded. "See you at school," he said quietly.

"Yeah."

Sirius pulled the hood of his cloak over his head before he walked out of the room. The heavy wool obscured his face, and he never saw the twisted look of pain on his brother's face as he walked passed him.

Regulus didn't see his either.

FIN

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know if you liked it :)