Disclaimers: I think we all know I don't own it. And since this is a song fic, Brothers is owned by Dean Brody. I just like the song and think it fits well.

Warning! Spoilers for fifth book! Ruins entire book!

The house was like a tomb.

I was hiding in my room.

As mybrother made his way on down the hall.

I didn't want to say goodbye

And I was tryin' to deny there was a war,

And that he got the call.

Grimmauld Place was completely silent. Regulus sat on his bed, listening to Sirius move down the stairs, his trunk banging behind him. The fighting had finally stopped and his brother was leaving. Despite what might have been said during their fights, Regulus didn't want him to go. But Sirius was never one to sit still and the war was calling him. Unfortunately, it was the side opposite of the rest of the family.

I watched him from my window

Walkin' down the drive

Then I ran down the stairway

Through the front door and I cried,

You come back you hear?

And I let him see my tears

I said I'll give you my rookie of DiMaggio.

I'll do anything you want,

Clean your room, or wash your car.

I'll do anything so long as you don't go

But he said, this is what brothers are for.

Jumping off the bed, Regulus ran after his brother. He caught him in the front hall and threw his arms around him.

"Reg."

"Please don't leave!!"

"I have to. I can't take this anymore. I-I'm sorry, Reg."

Regulus would do anything to make Sirius stay. But he knew nothing could ever make him, and deep down he didn't him want to. He knew Sirius was miserable at Grimmauld Place. They may not always get along, but they were brothers and Regulus couldn't do that to Sirius.

Well I have my heroes,

But the one I love the most

Taught me how to hunt and swing a bat

And I wrote him every night,

I said I miss our pillow fights,

But lately I just wonder where you're at.

He missed the carefree childhood they'd had, laughing and playing and talking without the war hanging over their heads. Regulus never sent the many letters he wrote to Sirius. He threw them in the fire, knowing if his mother ever found them he would probably be off the family tree along with his brother. He told Sirius about the pressure from the family to become a Death Eater, a place Sirius was supposed to fill that now fell to him as the new Black Heir. He asked Sirius how he was, where he was at, what he was doing. He never got any responses of course, but he liked to thing if he did send them, Sirius would answer.

Sometimes freedom makes it hard to live

When it takes things from you that you don't want to give.

In all truth, Regulus didn't agree with the views of the Dark. He hated the whole lot of them. They destroyed his family by starting this war. Yes, the Light made things explode by fighting back. but at least they had the right ideas! Even if they did take his brother and cousin.

I said you come back you hear?

I miss you being near

To laugh and fish down in the maple grove

I'll do anything you want

Therevmust be someone I can call,

And just maybe they would let you come back home

But he wrote, this is what brothers are for.

He wondered if maybe he could contact someone and get them to tell him where Sirius had gone after he graduated. He needed his brother's advice. He didn't want to be a Death Eater but didn't know how to do it. His family sure as hell wouldn't tell him where he was, if they even knew. Neither would Sirius's friends. they just thought he was a pureblood supremacist like the rest of the Blacks. Andromeda might, but how could he get in contact with her? Everyone watched everyone nowadays. Some Death Eater would surely tell the Dark Lord if he spoke with a 'mudblood lover'.

I may never have to face the anger of those guns,

Or lie cold and wounded in my blood,

Or know the sacrifice and what it must have cost

For him to love me that much.

The next time he met Sirius, it was on a battlefield. They stared at each other, then around, desperately searching for an open partner they could duel instead of each other. For once, everyone was already engaged, which must be a first in a battle.

"Sirius..."

"Regulus."

Regulus suddenly felt the need to blurt everything to his brother. "Sirius, I never believed in it, any of that pureblood mania, you know that! We made fun of it when we were kids. Please, Sirius, as your brother, please believe me."

"I never really thought you did", Sirius whispered. "When Remus told me, I thought 'Regulus is a Death Eater? Surely not my brother Regulus! He hated it as much as I did!'"

"They forced me into it."

"I figured." Sirius knew who they were. He looked up suddenly, seeing an open Death Eater. "Look Reg, watch out for yourself, 'kay? I know this isn't very Light of me, but if you have to kill or torture someone to keep that lot happy, do it. Just keep yourself alive."

Regulus nodded. Sirius smiled slightly, then spun away. "See ya, little brother."

Well, it had been two years,

And I held back my tears

When I saw him in that wheel chair on the shore

And as I ran and held him tight,

That's when he looked me in the eye

And said I'm sorry that you have to push me home

And I said hey, this is what brothers are for.

Years later, he met Sirius after the latter fell through the veil.

"Need a hand," he said, offering his.

Sirius looked up from his spot on the ground, startled, and recoiled. "R-Regulus? But you're dead. Why can I see you?"

"You fell through the Death Veil."

"Death Veil?" And then, "Harry!"

"He's fine, Lupin's taking care of him."

"Oh." Sirius calmed. "So, I'm dead?"

"Basically."

"I hope Bellatrix's dead." Sirius finally took the offered hand and Regulus pulled him to his feet. "You wouldn't believe the row I had with James Potter over who was going to meet you. Lily finally stepped in. She's really quite nice."

They walked in compatible silence for a few minutes. Sirius stared around at the large hall they were in. It's edges were strangely blurred, like memory scenes were in those muggle movies he and the other Marauders had watched. As they walked, the need to know overcame Sirius.

"Excuse me for the rudeness," he said, turning to Regulus, "But how did you die? What exactly happened all those years ago, Reg?"

Regulus knew this was coming. He was surprised Sirius had kept quiet as long as he had. Bracing himself, Regulus explained everything that happened after Sirius left, up to his death in the cave. When he finished, Sirius looked at him. "You know, you could have written me. I would have done anything to help you."

"I wasn't sure, I was scared. I didn't know what you'd do."

Sirius seemed slightly upset at that. "Really Reg, I'm your brother, not some guy off the street. You should have known you could always count on me for help. That's what brothers do."

Sorry about skipping over Reg's death, I didn't want to add any spoilers for the seventh book after I already gave away a huge part of the fifth. Review please?