"I wrote you," Regulus says when he sees Sirius unboarding the train. He has only a minute before they're shuffled their separate ways into their respective houses, but he'll make the most of it. He didn't dare try to approach him on the train where he'd undoubtedly be surrounded.

Sirius has grown an inch or two over the summer, but so has Regulus so the height difference isn't too jarring. Sirius ruffles his hair as though he hasn't spent his entire summer away."Did you? Didn't get a one."

"I know. The owls brought them back."

"Well, our owls were always a bit dim. Where'd you send them to?"

"I didn't have an address," Regulus admits. "Just addressed them to Potter's neighborhood."

"That would do it, then." Sirius is already looking away, around, in search of where his friends have gone off to. "I was only there a few days. I went on holiday to Italy with the Potters—bloody gorgeous place, by the by—then I spent a couple weeks at Peter's place with him and Remus."

A sharp pang of annoyance wears at Regulus' insides. Here he thought Sirius would've been missing home, missing him, at least a little, but instead he was off traveling other countries and house-hopping. He's annoyed, hurt, but he isn't surprised. "..."

"Your snaky prefect is rounding up your lot," Sirius says. Before he turns away for good, his expression softens the slightest bit, and he nudges Regulus' chin up with a finger so their eyes meet. "And I'm sorry, baby brother. I know we were supposed to do things this summer. I'll make it up to you, right?"

Regulus wishes he could take that at face value, and maybe he would if he thought Sirius meant it. Making it up to him would involve a level of care Sirius doesn't seem to possess where his friends are involved, or the ability to note get into a row with Mum every time they're at home more than a day. It would require Sirius to remember that, once upon a time, he was the important person in Sirius' life. His brother turns away and vanishes into the crowd where Pettigrew and Potter jump on him with laughs and smiles not a moment later. Lupin stands aside with a funny smile on his face that Regulus doesn't like but can't decipher, until Avery's shoulder is slamming into his and distracting his attention elsewhere.

"Welcome back, Black. Going to stand there all day pining after Gryffindors?"

Regulus couldn't care less about responding to him. But when he turns he spots Snape in the crowd, battered suitcase at his side, and he realizes Snape isn't just waiting there but waiting for him, so he tries to forget about being abandoned all summer and Sirius saying things he doesn't mean, and rushes to catch up.

#

All of Snape's text books are worn to the brink of being in shambles. The spines are cracked and frayed, the embossed lettering on the front nearly illegible, and the pages are yellowed at the edges, nearly falling out.

Snape handles them with care as he moves them from his suitcase to his trunk, and Regulus watches with an odd sense of envy that anyone could be so delicate with something so fragile, and he wishes Sirius knew how to be that gentle.

#

The first Quidditch practice of the year is always the hardest, Rosier says, because it's so bloody cold outside and no one is used to getting up this early. But he's there, rubbing his tired eyes and muttering about tea and breakfast they are undoubtedly going to miss, along with the rest of the team. Regulus is the only one wide awake despite not sleeping much the night before, because he's failed this once and he won't fail it again.

When Regulus lands his broom a few feet away and holds out the Snitch, bright-eyed and smiling, Rosier shakes his head and laughs, clapping him on the back.

"Congratulations, Black. I think this makes you the youngest Seeker we've ever had."

#

His bones ache. He practiced flying every chance he got last school year, but being home all summer was not unlike shoving a bird into a cage and expecting it to fly just fine when it finally escaped. He remembers how, but his muscles are no longer used to it and he's paying for his first official practice with bruises and strains in muscles he didn't know he had.

But he did it. He did it, and now Sirius will come to his games and cheer for him instead of Potter, Potter, Potter.

He heads straight to the Gryffindor common room, where the portrait gives him a skeptical look and says in an offendingly accusing tone, "Slytherin!" and Regulus gives a patient frown.

"I'm only looking for my brother. Sirius Black?"

The woman in the portrait sniffs. "Not here, 'm afraid. Go on, shoo."

Regulus considers leaving a note, but no, he wants to tell Sirius to his face. Wants to see his expression light up and hear how proud he is. He's about to leave when he spots Sirius and Lupin ascending the steps.

They're oblivious to his presence, which is why Regulus is able to see the look.

It's a subtle thing, the look, something he wonders has been there all along and he failed to notice. It's in the way Lupin lingers so close to Sirius, like he wants to touch him but doesn't dare, like he lives for the moments where their steps have their shoulders and arms brushing. It's in the curve of his mouth and the fleeting glances as his eyes dart to Sirius' face. Regulus recognizes it because it's the way girls look at Sirius and he's always hated it when they do, and he hates it even more when Lupin does it because Sirius almost, almost looks like he's doing it back.

The look is gone the second Lupin spots him. He straightens up, having the grace to look embarrassed as though caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Regulus," he says, which makes Sirius go 'hm?' before turning his attention straight ahead. They stop at the very top of the stairs. Regulus crosses his arms and tells himself whatever he just saw was only his imagination, a result of exhaustion, perhaps.

"You're looking at the new Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team."

Sirius blinks slowly while that bit of information sinks in. "Really."

"That's brilliant, Regulus!" Lupin says, with all the excitement in his face Regulus wanted from his Sirius, not some mudblood who was just making eyes at his brother. "Truly brilliant! Normally no one makes the team this early on, especially Seeker."

Regulus doesn't look away from Sirius, waiting for a similar reaction, perhaps for Lupin's words to spark realization that what he's done is, yes, pretty brilliant for someone his age.

After a moment, Sirius does grin. He steps forward and collects Regulus into his arms, squeezing him tight, and Regulus wants to cling to him and never let go and suddenly he doesn't remember how to breathe or think beyond Sirius. He forgets himself long enough that his hands curl against Sirius' back, fisting in the fabric of his robes. He'll hug him tight and try to make his heart stop racing because it's the first time Sirius has hugged him in over a year.

And he'll try not to be hurt when Sirius grins against his hair and says, "Mum's going to be so hacked off."