This was just something I've been thinking for quite a while now. It was suppose to be a oneshot but i didn't really want just one long chapter so I'm going to make a two. Sirius will move on to do whatever it is dead people do (heaven, reincarnation, Haydes, tea parties behind the veil, whatever) as soon as everything is sorted out between him and Regulus.

Tell me what you think of it please. Actually, it came out differently from what I'd originally planned because I forgot everything almost as soon as I started writing. Oh well.

Everything happened so fast, like an action movie on fast forward. Before Sirius could react, Bellatrix Lestrange's red stunner hit him full in the chest. The laughter had not yet faded from his face as he egged her on, nor the excitement from his eyes of finally entering the action, but now it was mingled with shock. He was falling quickly through the veil; as fell, he caught a glimpse of Harry stricken face, sprinting over, desperately calling out his name as though it were a matter of life and death.

Sirius tried to yell back, to reassure him that everything was all right, but no sound arose from his throat. It was too late. Everything was quickly dissolving into a misty haze, the Department of Mysteries his cousin's hard, triumphant face, the members of the Order, Harry dashing on over…

Vaguely, Sirius could still recall his godson scream; but now, it was a soft, echoing sound, as though waking up from a dream. And then it too faded. He shouted back, but there was no answer, just an eerie, almost suffocating, buzz. But he'd simply fallen through a veil. He could just as easily jump back. He wasn't… But no, he wouldn't think of that. Harry, his best friend's son, was relying on him. Harry's life may be in danger and there he was, powerless to help, just as he was during those 12 long years in Azkaban. Except now, it was 100 times worse, because now, they both knew what had been lost.

Harry was like a blend of a brother, a best friend, and a son, as though James was alive and they were at it again on one of their little escapades. He couldn't bear losing this twice. They would be back in no time, laughing about it just as they used to, young, carefree, and thoughtless, already planning the next adventure. He continued shouting for his godson, James' child, not realizing a change of scenery.

Then another voice spoke. Sirius had not heard it for almost 20 years; yet, he knew it as well as his own. It was a calm, low, refined voice, and the tone was a reassuring one.

"You won't find him here, Sirius." The speaker rang out from across the hall. The voice was soft, and yet, the words were as distinct as chimes on a clear brisk day.

Whirling around, he turned to meet the speaker. Slowly the two locked eyes. For a full 10 seconds, neither spoke or moved; they were like statues staring back at each other, both looking so alike, and yet so different in nature. On one side, the gaze showed contemplation, perhaps nostalgia, as well as a bit of apprehension for what might be in store. On the other, it was more difficult to decipher: too many emotions were intertwined and it was nearly impossible to differentiate. But shock was definitely present, anger, pain, and bewilderment as well. Then the latter's stare hardened, the eyes narrowed, the stance tensed, and the whirlwind of emotions resealed itself.

"What do you want?" Sirius asked roughly.

Regulus Black didn't reply at first. He simply examined his brother's face, as though comparing it to what it had once been. But floods of memories were washing its way through his mind as he examined Sirius's eyes, once mischievous, but now haunted even in the first stage of death.

He was 5 again, looking on admiringly as his older brother snuck nifflers into their parents' room. He was 7, frightened because he'd just broken a valued vase, but Sirius had heroically come to the rescue, taking the whole of the blame.

Now he was 9, watching wordlessly as Mother screamed at Sirius, telling him he should act more like his brother, the better, more submissive son. Sirius meanwhile, was twirling a quill on the tip of his finger (with magic of course), looking positively bored, as though he'd heard this lecture a million times over, and once more would not be likely to make a difference. But looking up from his twirling quill, he had given Regulus a resentful glance, leaving the younger brother hurt and confused.

That same year, Sirius left for Hogwarts, and to their surprise, had not instantly been sorted into Slytherin, but instead to Gryffindor, the house of mudbloods and blood traitors. Upon his return, he was utterly changed. Rebellious and full of mischief still, but the ideals on blood purity that had been instilled in his mind since his very birth were now thrown carelessly away. He even had the audacity to make friends with the very ones whom he had once scorned at his family's example.

Now Regulus was 13, and they were both home for summer vacation. The last few years had distanced Sirius from the rest of his family, and on the same principle, drew Regulus closer. Mother was shouting at Sirius again, berating him for not acting like a proper pureblood. But for the first time, she threw in the words, Death Eater.

"Why won't you join them? Your cousin Bellatrix did. The Dark Lord knows what must be done to rid our world of mudbloods. It's an honor to join their ranks. Why do you have to be such a disappointment to our family? How come you can't be like Regulus?"

During this dispute, Sirius too had lost his temper, saying he would die before joining Lord Voldemort, and that this family was not his family. He stormed up to his room (covered with all sorts of scandalous muggle posters and artifacts), grabbed his wand, and began packing everything into his trunk. Regulus was scared; he'd never seen Sirius like this, but bravely followed, attempting to fix everything. "We're your family, Sirius. Why can't you just do as Mother says for once and join them? Why do you have to be best friends with that blood traitor anyway? Look at Lupin! Where does he get his robes? And Pettigrew! I heard he's the worst in your year and you actually hang out with him? He looks like a pig! Do you honestly think they're as good as us?"

If he thought then that this could bring Sirius back, he was thoroughly mistaken. His brother pointed the wand at his throat, his now stormy gray eyes daring him to say just one more word. "They're more my brothers than you'll ever be." Sirius said, and with that, strode out, slamming the door. Those last words had given more pain than he'd ever let on, even more as he watched Mother blast Sirius off the family tree, pronounce himself her one and only son.

More memories flashed before his eyes: posting articles concerning Death Eaters on his bedroom wall; the Dark Lord burning the Mark upon his skin; attacking an innocent muggle family with a little wide-eyed girl cringing in her mother's arms; a bawling Kreacher describe the dreadful potion he had been forced to drink; the final task the Dark Lord had imposed on him-the only one he could not and would not fulfill; entering the ghostly cave with the Horcrux; drinking that deadly poison…

"I wanted to see you, talk to you." He answered at last.

Sirius sneered. All the bitterness and hostility settled in. "Really? Funny how the last little "talk" ended up. Where are those Death Eater friends of yours, anyway? Still going around blasting muggle-borns from their path?"

Regulus simply looked weary and exhausted. Sighing, he said, "Sirius, please. Listen for a moment –."

"Listen?" Sirius exploded. "You join the Death Eaters, try to murder my friends as a member, and expect me to listen as though we were discussing over tea?"

"You've changed since I last saw you." Regulus replied, ignoring everything his brother said. Perhaps death gives one a new perspective of things, for he sensed this was the best way to mitigate his brother.

At this, Sirius reacted by slamming his fist into Regulus's nose. Or tried rather, because it didn't quite make contact.

"Wha-?" He said first glancing at his fist, and then his surroundings. Only now did Sirius notice where he was. Logically speaking, if Regulus was here, and if Regulus was dead, then that could only mean that he too, was, well, not alive. Sirius gazed around. It looked like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, though no tables were present, and witches and wizards were queuing up to get sorted by the Sorting Hat. A cloud of mist blanketed the room. All seemed in their own little world, uninterrupted by anyone else nearby. As he processed this, his breath slowed and his anger seemed to subside a little, but his face did not changed. So this was what death felt like.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Sirius asked at last. The tone was matter-of-fact, as though he were commenting on a new house. He sank down into a chair, which only then materialized.

Regulus nodded slowly. The translucent mist hid his face. "I'm sorry."

"And Harry? He's all right?" Sirius already sensed that his godson was alive, but he just wanted that fact confirmed. His voice was still emotionless, perhaps he was numb with shock.

"He's alive." Regulus assured.

"Bellatrix killed me."

Regulus didn't answer, but looked away. In life, he had been very close to Bellatrix. She had even trained him as a Death Eater, though by then, he did not always approve of what was done. A few more seconds passed. He wanted to say something, but there was too much to say, and not enough words to say it.

"Why are you the one to meet me?" Sirius's tone suddenly changed to harsh and steely. Being locked up in a house he despised while others were out in action had made his moods volatile and his temper short.

There was no disguising the hurt in the younger brother's eyes at those words. Regulus was glad that Sirius could not see his face through the mist. Then again, Sirius always did have an uncanny ability to detect his feelings.

"I wanted to – to explain some things. I had to beg your friend James Potter to let me meet you. I thought it'd be impossible but I got Lily Potter's support and she persuaded him." Regulus wasn't sure why he said this, perhaps to stall, perhaps because he knew Sirius would like to hear of his friend, his brother in all but blood...

"You've seen him? How is he? Does he blame me for suggesting Peter? For not protecting Harry?" Sirius asked, suddenly alert, impatient to hear more.

Regulus wished Sirius were that eager to hear from himself, his real blood brother but understood in his heart that it might be too late for that. The most he could do was apologize, and hope he would exonerate him for all that had happened. "I'm not allowed to say. But it wasn't your fault, Sirius. They couldn't possibly blame you for that."

"Good, good." He replied almost whispering before returning to the previous state of silence. But like quicksilver, the harshness returned as he spoke once more. "Explain what?" The eyes were narrowed, his voice close to a growl.

Regulus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had prepared for this meeting, planned it for all those years, and yet was still not ready for what was to come. All those carefully thought out explanations he had repeated over and over in his head seemed to vanish within seconds into the thick white fog.

"Things like joining the – the Death Eaters, and how I died. I wanted to – to apologize."

He waited for Sirius to respond, to make some biting remark; his brother did not, and he went on speaking, still not looking his brother in the eye.

"I'm sorry. I should have spoken up for you when we were young, like you always did for me. But I was never brave like you, Sirius. I wanted Mother to love me. And the attention was always on you. I was – jealous."

Now, the explosion came. "Me? You were the pampered little prince! It was always, 'Why can't you be like Reg? Why are you such a disappointment? Act more like your little brother, Sirius!' You always got everything." Sirius was striding around the hall now, as though trying to walk away some of the anger.

"Hear me out, please Sirius?" Regulus asked, a note of pleading in his voice. He was scared how this meeting would turn out. That everything he'd planned and hoped for would turn out for naught.

At this, Sirius suddenly stopped and his taut face seemed to relax a little. His brother looked frightened, pleading, just as he'd looked so long ago when they were children and he had broken a vase.

"No! Mother said never to go into this room!" Regulus had said as his brother peeked his head into the forbidden room.

"Oh well if mummy said not to come in, then of course, we can't come in!" Sirius replied sarcastically. He put his toe past the invisible line dividing the room and the hall. Nothing happened. He stepped lightly over. "Come on! It's fine. Let's explore!"

Not wanting to be left out, Regulus followed tentatively. He looked around the dark space. It was already starting to creep him out.

"BOO!"

"AHH!!!" Regulus jumped high into the air. On the landing, he stumbled a little, slightly tipping a wobbly table, but luckily, nothing fell.

"Sirius!" He whispered indignantly. "I'm telling mummy." He said with a childishly proud accusatory glance. He didn't wait for Sirius's reply and walked out a little too hastily, bumping slightly into the table he had already wobbled. And with a crash, the vase fell.

Both heard the footsteps of their mother rushing over to see what had happened. Regulus was still right below the doorframe, body rigid, and his face chalk-white with fear.

Mrs. Black arrived at the scene, her eyes shifting from the broken vase to her two sons.

"Who did this?" Her voice colder than either boy had ever heard it.

Regulus shot his brother a frightened, beseeching glance. At this sight, Sirius nodded slightly, knowing what he would do. He looked up at his livid mother and whispered, "I broke it."

And like the last time Sirius had seen that look, he nodded silently to his brother, who in return gave a thankful smile.

Be nice and review please. Even if it is the stupidest most pointless story you have ever read. Though then again, you probably wouldn't have made it here if it were but whatever. If you have any ideas for the next chapter, I'd be glad to hear it.