Regulus adored his brother. Why wouldn't he? He was fun and cool, and put Cousin Bella in her place. He helped too, but no one knew the "perfect son" did such a thing.

A pureblood party was at their manor. Thank Circe it was only Bella that bothered him.

"Is ickle-Siri playing tricks?", she tsked, "And you brought poor Reggi along with you. I should tell dear Aunti." Extending the 'dear' for as long as she could, she glided away.

Sirius stopped, and looked for his mother. Regulus didn't blame him. Their mother was frightening, with her high-pitched vocal chords.

Sirius then scowled. He saw Bellatrix not even near his mother, instead talking with Lestrange, near the drinks. He was walking toward it, probably seeking revenge. Regulus followed not wanting to be left behind.

"You wanna help Reg?" Sirius asked. Regulus nodded.

That was the first and last time Regulus helped Sirius with a prank. Seeing Bellatrix's indignant face didn't stop him from blaming Sirius.

Regulus was terrified to be sorted. He didn't want to anger his parents, as Sirius' sorting had.

Walburga Black screamed for days on how her first son was such a disappointment. Although he didn't want to disappoint Sirius either. However, both of them knew he wasn't Gryffindor material. He would be a Slytherin, that he was for sure of. Yet there was still part of him that wanted to be with his brother.

The first years entered the enormous hall. He avoided looking at the four tables; where ever Sirius was. He could see a stool with an old hat, at the front where the Professor who led them there stood. She began to call the first student's name.

'Surnames', he realised with dread. He would be next for sure, with 'Black' as his surname.

"Black, Regulus,"

He walked up to the hat, which was put over his head.

He half expected it to shout Slytherin the moment it touched his head. Instead, a voice popped in his head. "Another Black? Not surprising, but you..are different." Sirius popped into his mind. "No not like your brother. He was the opposite of you lot. No, you, are just different. There is no doubt which house you belong, but you may be more similar to your brother than you think." "Won't it make us more different? Putting me in Slytherin?" "That is your choice, and is what makes you different."

"Slytherin," was called. He put the hat down, and stole a glance at Sirius. He was staring at him. Regulus hurried on to the green-clad table who welcomed him.

It had been more than a few seconds.

Hogwarts had been a haven and a nightmare. He was away from his parents, and Sirius wasn't terrible. He could finally find and have a good sibling conversation. But the Slytherins were persistent. They immediately thought he was better than his brother, the Gryffindor. His mother adamantly agreed. The letter she sent, filled with pride and praise, was nothing compared to the howler she sent Sirius. He might not have been the recipient, but he was there when she wrote it. Her thoughts on her youngest son's sorting was the opposite of the first.

Sirius didn't seem to be so upset by his sorting. Regulus could see him by the lake, with a few other boys. He looked on jealously, at the spectacled teen and his brother laughing. They never did that before.

The one time Sirius did openly approach him, was during Regulus' third year. He was about to go to Hogsmead, with Rosier, Nott and Snape, when he appeared. The air seemed tense, as Sirius and Snape loathed each other. Breaking his scowl, he asked, "Hey Reg, you going to Hogsmeade? You should go to Zonko's with us. James says the stuff there is so cool!"

Regulus scowled. He hated Potter. But going with Sirius did seem nice. Even with the arrogant seeker. He then saw Snape glaring at Sirius. He inwardly sighed. He couldn't forget he was a Slytherin, and going with Gryffindors -especially blood-traitors- over Slytherins was social suicide. Shaking his head, he turned to walk with the Slytherins.

A simple choice that would affect his life.

He heard screaming, and a few spells. He had almost thought he heard the Cruciatus Curse. Either way, he knew what was happening. His idiot brother created another argument about the Potters. Oh, he hated them. Sirius probably loved his friend more than his actual brother. Not to mention they were blood traitors - people who their mother hated. Sirius and his friends had become more annoyed every time they saw him. "Slimy Slytherin, Mummy's boy," he heard. All because he was the perfect Black son. He knew Sirius would never call him that. Just Potter. If Sirius really thought that, he didn't know what he would do. They were supposed to stay together, as a family, not to add and discard others! Because if there was nothing more he hated Potter for, it was that he was like his replacement.

There was a bang and a shout.

"GOOD RIDDANCE!" his mother replied in her loud voice.

Regulus saw Sirius come down, carrying his trunk, and holding his wand like a mad man. "I'm leaving," he stated.

Regulus stared at him. Leaving? He never thought he would actually - surely this is a joke? He's always playing jokes - "I'm leaving." He repeated. He stared at Regulus. He seemed lost for words. "I- I'm sorry. Y'know - for everything. "

Regulus blinked. "Did she scream to death?" was quietly asked.

Sirius cracked a half-smile. "Unfortunately, no. Imagine if she kept screaming in death."

A hint of a smile appeared on Regulus' face.

"I still can't stay."

"I know," was left unsaid. Sirius couldn't live with the Blacks anymore. Knowing their mother, she would probably blast him off the family tree.

Sirius walked to the door frame. He halted. "Reg," he paused, and spoke in a whisper, "Love you."

An even quieter "Love you" replied.

Sirius was right. They all were. The Dark Lord was insane, murdering muggles and magicals alike. And he was his loyal follower.

Used to be. Doing this, he was a traitor. He was seen as a traitor to his brother after he first heard of the mark, the mark on his forearm that marked his loyalty to his Lord. And he was being traitorous to his Lord. Wanting to destroy his Lord's soul, and replacing it to trick him, isn't being very loyal. Besides, what kind of monster would split his soul anyway?

It had been hours before, when he was called to bring a house-elf to aid his Lord. He brought Kreacher, the Black Family elf, who was very old and hated people that weren't Regulus or his mother. He worshipped the ground they stepped on. Regulus didn't expect his Lord to ask such, but he obeyed. He had taken Kreacher to his Lord, who then dismissed him. Kreacher had later recounted the incident.

His Lord had taken the house-elf to a cave, where a basin was placed. He then forced Kreacher to drink the water within. Regulus had asked him how it tasted. "Terrible," was all Kreacher could say, with a horrified face. His Lord had then put a golden locket into the basin, and filled it with more of the water. He then left the cave, leaving Kreacher to his misery. To think he would've died, if Regulus hadn't told him to return. As house-elves always do, he obeyed his master's order.

After returning, he retold the event, and proved a possible theory of Regulus'. He had wondered if the Dark Lord had made horcuxes - the most evilest of magics. Splitting the soul, tethering them to objects, so one could stay in the mortal plane. He had assumed the Dark Lord had done so, but did not have any proof. This locket could very well be one; the Dark Lord put that poisonous water there for a reason. He used the mind art, Legilimency, on Kreacher. He saw the locket in striking detail. If it was real and not a fake, it would make perfect sense to be a horcrux. The locket was eerily similar to Salazar Slytherin's, and there were rumours the Dark Lord was the Heir of Slytherin. No better place to put your soul than your heirloom, he had supposed.

He then decided to try and stop Voldemort. No one could kill him without destroying his horcux. He then created a replica of the locket, with a note inside, to replace the real one. Regulus had then asked Kreacher to take them to the cave. They apparated to a cave, near sharp rocks, and the dangerous seaside.

After going in, Regulus realised blood was needed. After cutting his hand, he entered a cavern, with a black lake. In the middle was the basin, on a rock. To get there he would need a boat. He walked around the cavern to see if anything could help. When he was walking, he felt shackles? He touched it, and pulled. No sooner, a boat came up from under the water. He stared at it for a moment, and then went in with Kreacher. As the boat went towards the basin, he swore he heard voices. Was that a hand in the water? The boat soon reached the basin.

Regulus looked inside the basin, where he could faintly see an outline of the locket within the green water. "Kreacher, if I do not return, destroy the locket." He knew he might not make out of this alive. He then conjured a goblet and put placed the water in it. "And no matter what, make sure I keep drinking. Replace the locket with this." He took the replica out.

Regulus began to drink. It had a bitter taste, but what was more bitter was his thoughts and memories. He recalled the happy memories his family had, long before Hogwarts, his brother quarrelling, his mother screaming, his father being disappointed, Sirius sneering. Then the bitter thoughts became worse. They were not memories, or were they?

"He's my brother, not you"

"Just like your brother"

"Can't you do it right?"

"Are you scared?"

He really didn't know.

He just wanted it to stop. All of it. The sneering, the scowls, the disappointment. The Slytherins, his family, Sirius...

It hurt the most. "He's my brother, not you."

But he kept on drinking. Soon all the water had gone, and only a locket remained. "Is Master okay?"

"Fine, Kreacher." He really wasn't.

He quickly switched the lockets. "We will leave now." As he turned to leave, his foot accidently touched the water. There was definitely something in the water. And it grabbed his leg. Inferi? he frantically thought. Fire, he needed fire. But he couldn't say the spell.

"Master, MASTER!"

Kreacher, of course. But he couldn't let him help, or he would die himself.

"Destroy," he croaked, "the Locket."

Regulus could hear Kreacher's cries, as he was taken under the water. All he could think of was that he did the right thing. He did something to make Sirius proud.