Follows "Many The Miles" in Little Voice.


That first time he had talked to Barty after the fight, Regulus had held his tongue. He hadn't wanted to upset his friend. Oh, he had been angry, angrier than he wanted to admit, but he hadn't spoken. Over the course of the next couple days, Regulus had pleaded with Barty to tell Slughorn what had happened, but Barty kept arguing that Slytherin as a whole would mark him as a traitor. Regulus just didn't understand. He had gone to bat for Barty, fought three other students, and somehow that wasn't good enough.

Regulus knew he was acting irrationally, but he couldn't help but feel that way. He felt betrayed. He felt angry. But most of all, he was confused. The students weren't even going to be kicked out. No one could prove who had attacked Barty, and it just looked like Regulus and those three had started a fight that happened to end badly. No one could say whether or not the cruciatus had really been used. Madame Pomfrey had admitted that while she believed it was the case, there was no hard and fast rule to proving it had been cast.

So Regulus was frustrated and more or less afraid of what the three students he had fought would do to him. He also hated the fact that Slytherin as a whole was giving him a wide berth. Yes, he had figured that taking on two seventh-years might cause a boost in reputation, but he hadn't thought that no one would talk to him anymore. Well, that group of girls didn't count, especially since the topics of conversation they usually stumbled upon were so inane that he wanted to go jump off a cliff. He just wanted them to go away. Well, Greengrass was okay, but she was acting really weird around him now.

Earlier in the week, Regulus had gone to talk to McGoogles to verify if what his father said was in fact correct. It was, and Regulus remained confused by that. The real point was that Regulus felt so confused that he took the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade. He had told Barty the day before, when he had tried to explain what had happened with his dad. Barty had been pleasantly surprised that Regulus was actually seeking help, which had made Regulus feel awful about his previous actions all over again.

The worst part was that he and Barty hadn't really discussed … what had happened. Barty had convinced him that he wasn't at fault for the three Slytherins attacking him, but they hadn't talked about what Regulus had done. That he had fought the three was also taboo, for some reason.

Regulus sighed and wandered past the Three Broomsticks. There was too high a probability that he might run into one of his stalkers there (or his brother). The Hogshead was really pretty grimy, but the bartender was honestly hilarious. Regulus still didn't quite understand the man's obsession with goats, but it made interesting conversation. Besides, no one would bother him in there.

That was when he saw her. It didn't matter that she was so drunk that she fell off her chair laughing. It likewise didn't matter that she had a Brooklyn accent. It didn't matter that she was wearing a ratty old t-shirt and jeans. She was beyond a doubt the most beautiful—

"You are utterly pathetic," the exact person he was trying to avoid said. Okay, so he had actually asked him to come, but that was beside the bloody point.

"I am not," Regulus hissed. With a superhuman effort, he stopped staring at the woman and glared at his brother. The second half was far easier than the former. "Besides. Can you blame me for looking?"

"You mean the fact she has vaguely reddish hair and has a nice ass? I'd mark her a seven or so," Sirius said. "She's way too old for you, anyway."

"Whatever, Mr. 'I hit on Rosmerta when drunk'," Regulus retorted.

"That was only once, and you swore never to tell anyone," Sirius reminded him. He handed his brother a glass of seltzer water, because apparently he didn't trust Regulus to hold his liquor. It was honestly a fair thing to assume. "Anyway, I'm here because Dad said you needed someone to talk to and were going nuts with only Crouch for conversation. Also that letter you wrote was just sad. I mean, really, Reg? You can't even realize you've gained a fanclub?"

"What?" Regulus said inanely. "Fanclub?"

"The girls following you around? Those are called stalkers. You may remember the ones that did the same with me," Sirius explained slowly so his little brother would understand. He continued, sounding a little disturbed, "Some of them had shrines. It was creepy."

"Great. You're not even gone for a year, and they've decided to go after the spare," Regulus grumbled. He did not need to deal with romance right now. Well, he did, just not that kind of romance. The kind that could possibly destroy friendships.

"Yeah. That's it exactly. You did what, beat the crap out of some seventh-years for hurting your friend? Being all chivalrous and whatnot? Yeah, that's a major turn-off for women. Giving a shit, I mean," Sirius replied sarcastically. "Totally not what they're looking for."

"How does that explain you, then?"

"Oi! I am trying to help you here. The least you could do is respect your elders," Sirius snapped, sounding not at all upset. "I'm here to listen to your problems, and this is the treatment I get? Why in the hell did I listen to Dad? So. Shoot. Tell me the latest drama."

Regulus suddenly didn't really want to explain. How could he talk about this to Sirius, whose definition of taking something seriously was doing the opposite? But Regulus didn't want to have dragged his brother all the way out here for nothing, so he explained, "I have this friend. And he's in love with this other friend of his, but this other friend doesn't know what the hell their own feelings are. And there was some snogging. And then a lot of awkward silence. Help."

"Well, I'm assuming the 'friend' isn't you," Sirius began. "Because the only reason you'd use the third person plural in this situation to discuss someone is if the 'other friend' is also a bloke. Also, you need to stop staring at the redhead. It's considered impolite in most societies, unless you buy her a drink. So. My only question is why is this your problem?"

"Because he's my bloody friend, all right? You'd be freaking out of something like this was going on with, I don't know, Lupin," Regulus argued, belatedly realizing he probably shouldn't have used Lupin as an example. "I meant in a unrequited love kind of way."

"Point," Sirius conceded. He looked like he was actually thinking about the problem, strangely enough. Regulus just hoped to high heaven that his brother didn't come to the conclusion that the 'other friend' happened to be Regulus. He didn't want to have to talk his brother down from going all overprotective on him. Finally, Sirius suggested, "Well, why don't you just get them to talk about it? I mean, obsessing isn't going to do anyone any good, and you're the last person on earth anyone would want romantic advice from."

"Gee, thanks, Sirius," Regulus interjected sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, bro," Sirius replied, completely unfazed. He was used to this sort of reaction from Regulus. "You aren't exactly the best person ever in the romance department, and—Seriously, stop staring at her. Don't be a creep. She's Sia's cousin. Notice Sia over there? Yeah, so stop staring at her. I don't need you making Sia think I'm a weirdo by association."

"I am not staring at her," Regulus complained. Okay, so maybe he was. But not really.

Sirius sighed and muttered, "Reg, you need any more confirmation you're into women?" Deciding to hell with it, Sirius continued, "You didn't even notice that Crouch has been into you for, what, three years, and now you're having second thoughts? And you really snogged him?"

"Shut up," Regulus hissed. Sirius didn't need to say that out-loud. Well, he would think he did, but Regulus knew otherwise. Most of what Sirius said didn't need to be spoken aloud. "And I'm confused. And maybe I—" He sighed. "I don't even know."

"And what does Crouch think about all this?" Sirius asked, obviously starting to be bored by this line of questioning. "Or have you even asked him? Wait, let me guess: he yelled at you."

"He's nothing like his father."

Sirius snorted. "Trust me, I know. Guy just stares at you and you're too afraid to not follow orders. At least you know where you stand with Moody," he complained. Explaining himself, Sirius mentioned, "I just meant that Crouch was pissed off at you for your strange self-sacrificing tendencies. And, again, Reg, eyes off her boobs. We're having a serious discussion here. You can ogle on your own time. Where was I? Oh, yeah. You're an idiot. Look, Crouch's well aware that you're a skirt-chaser. As you have repeatedly reinforced over the course of this conversation. My point is that you need to realize guilt does not change your sexuality. Also, FYI, you think you're asexual because of the depression, according to Remus. He's doing psychology stuff when he's got some spare time from reading DADA at university."

"I haven't been staring at her breasts, Sirius. She's just there," Regulus corrected, more or less distracted by, well, now that Sirius mentioned it… No. He was not going to stare. Trying to concentrate on what they were talking about, Regulus said, "And how does that help at all? We're still stuck with the problem that I make my best friend miserable by virtue of proximity."

Sirius shrugged, obviously wishing he could help. "It's a problem you can't solve, Reggie. You're not Superman, you know," he reminded his little brother. "Although I wouldn't be too surprised if Mum and Dad had adopted you from another planet."

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Regulus said, hoping to Merlin Sirius wouldn't go on a jag about how they couldn't possibly be related. This fulfilled his quota for the year. "And we know you'd be the space-alien. You're the black sheep, after all."

"And damned proud of it," Sirius agreed. "Now, I gotta go. Sia looks like she's gonna kill me." He suddenly looked somber and said, "Just, remember that things'll get better, okay, Reggie? I wholehearted expect to embarrass the hell out of you for ages to come."

"Whatever you say, Sirius," Regulus replied, not quite knowing how to respond to his brother's request to refrain from offing himself. "I guess I'll see you later, then?"

Sirius grinned and confirmed, "You got it, bro. Take care of yourself."

"You, too," Regulus murmured as Sirius returned to where Sia was waiting. She seemed a little exasperated with him, but that wasn't out of the ordinary by any stretch of the imagination. With a sigh, Regulus left the bar and made his way back to the castle.

He decided to visit Barty, who seemed to going slightly crazy because of his confinement to the Hospital Wing. Sirius was right about at least one thing, though. There wasn't anything Regulus could do that would change this situation except talking about what had happened. Oh, the idiotic duel was in the past. Regulus didn't particularly care anymore that Barty wasn't saying anything to Slughorn about it. Strange that his perception could change that much just by talking to Sirius, Poster-Child of Gryffindor Stupidity. Or Regulus had simply channeled his anxiety about how he and Barty were going to move on from this into anger about the duel.

In any case, Madame Pomfrey let Regulus into the infirmary. She seemed glad that he was there. Regulus hoped it was because Barty was being annoying as opposed to being depressed. Well, it was time to actually have a serious conversation. Maybe. Or Regulus would just complain about how obnoxious Sirius was.

"Hey, Barty," Regulus said, sounding almost chipper as he took his usual seat next to the bed. Barty thought it weird that he effectively sat sideways on the chair. Regulus just thought it was more comfortable leaning against an armrest and draping his legs over the other. "Guess who's a royal pain in the ass?"