It was cold, really cold. Why was it so cold? It was June...or...was it? The last thing I had been doing was fighting cousin Bellatrix…oh yeah, then I fell through the veil. Oh no. Don't tell me I'd been bested by a veil…I mean…it's not even real material!

"Oh ho ho, you've finally decided to join us!" A familiar voice sounded behind me, or was it above me?

Putting my hands over my closed eyes to block out any possible light that could be seen in this place, where ever 'this place' was, I groaned. My head hurt really badly for some reason.

"Come on, Sirius. Sit up. It's not that bad." Another voice said. This one was kinder, less rough. I knew where I was. There wasn't a doubt.

"Afterlife." I mumbled.

"What was that? I couldn't catch it." The first voice said.

"I said you're a bloody git and need to deflate your head!" I replied, opening my eyes at last.

Standing over me were Lily and James. They looked as well as they did when I last saw them 15 years go.

"Really, you two have only been back together for about a minute and you're already insulting each other." Lily said kneeling down to inspect Sirius.

"Well, whatever, get up, Padfoot." James said, holding out his hand. I took it and he helped me to my feet, Lily rising as I stood.

"So...now that you've finally died..." James began, sounding excited, but Lily cut in.

"Thank you Sirius, for taking care of Harry." She praised me.

"It was nothing." I answered easily.

"I was wondering when you would join us; I need to talk to you, Sirius." I scowled at Regulus' sudden, and rather abrupt, intrusion.

"Can't you see I'm having a conversation?" I asked none too kindly.

"You might want to listen to what he says. Lily and I will leave you too it." James said with a nod to my brother. Why was James taking his side?

He and Lily disappeared to Merlin knows where (y'know...Merlin probably does know where...), and I looked back at Regulus. He looked just like I remember him. There was an awkward silence for a moment and finally he held out his hand as if surveying the grounds at Hogwarts and said, "Would you like to take a walk?"

I glanced around, 'where do you walk in the afterlife?' I wondered, and I was shocked to see the old grounds of Hogwarts around me. "Fine." I grunted.

We began walking, my confident strut next to his unsure shuffling footsteps. My attention was beginning to wonder when he finally said, "Sirius, I wasn't working for...for Voldemort."

Had he just said Voldy's name?

"Uh. Sure you weren't, that's why, you know, you're dead." I said indifferently.

"No, really. You know what horcruxes are?" – I nodded, of course I knew! – "that's how Voldemort's staying immortal, I found out. I tried to get rid of one, but was killed in the process by Infiri." He said forcefully, "I swear by the stars! Sirius, I really did. Alright, I admit it, I joined up at first because I thought it's what Mum and Dad wanted me to do, but I didn't like what he was doing. I wanted to stop it…but I was killed trying!"

"I've heard enough lies in the living world, Regulus! I don't need to hear them here!" I practically screamed at him. I was through with him and his lies. Without looking back, I spun on my heel and stomped away unsure of where I was going, just hoping to run into someone I knew, someone I could trust, soon before I was too lost.

A year and a half about had gone by since my death. I was still fuming at Regulus, but I'd found that watching the living is a very fun pastime. I was currently sitting with Professor Dumbledore, James, Lily and a kid named Cedric Diggory, watching the Golden Trio. They were talking to Kreacher…who was talking about Regulus.

We sat in shocked silence as we heard his tale. I was the most deeply effected. Not only was I shocked to find out that Regulus had been telling the truth, but I was impressed that he had the guts to stand up to Voldemort like that. I thought he was a scrawny little…Peter Pettigrew in a more handsome form.

I stood up, I couldn't listen to any more, if Kreacher was telling the truth (I'm sure he was) then I had made a Sirius mistake. I mean it when I say Sirius. At Hogwarts when I would make a mistake the Marauder's would joke that it was a 'Sirius' mistake because it was probably something no one else would manage to do. This was a Sirius Mistake.

James looked at me, "Do you finally believe Regulus?" he asked.

"I do. I have to set something straight." And without another word, I tore off in pursuit of my little brother.

I finally found him conversing with my parents. They were ashamed to have found out what he'd done. "How dare you go against him…?" My mother was saying (I was shocked to hear her speaking calmly…maybe she didn't believe her words.)

"Sirius, I suppose you've heard by now. Come to congratulate Regulus on being a…Gryffindor?" My father spat the word Gryffindor like it was something filthy.

I ignored him.

"Reg, listen. I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I guess we really were on the same side. We always used to be. Like when Bellatrix would pick a fight, you were always on my side. I'm sorry…" I tried to form the right words, but they all seemed so wrong. How do you apologize for this kind of thing?

"Don't worry about it, Sirius. You know what it's like to be mistaken for being on the wrong side, as do I. We're really more alike than you realize, and I get that you have a hard time saying sorry, so that will do. I forgive you." Regulus told me. When had he grown so wise?

"DON'T FORGIVE THE BLOOD TRAITOR!" My mother screamed, all dignity from previous moments lost (ahh...that's the mother I know and hate.)

"I will forgive him, he's my brother. You've always gone on and on about loyalty to blood, and here I shall be loyal to my blood and my blood brother. Our names are in the stars, stars that are meant to have been for something noble. I will be noble, and I will forgive him." Regulus answered defiantly, then turning to me, he said, "I'll handle this now, go back to your friends. Watch Harry, make sure we win." He commanded me with sparkling eyes.

I nodded and smiled. Why did it matter that he forgave me? Why did it matter that he hadn't been on Voldemort's side? I don't know, and to this day, I don't have the answers to those questions and many more. All I know is that I'm glad that my brother and I have managed to make our brotherly relationship a little less Black.