Brothers Black

Sirius

Meet me in the Hog's Head next Saturday, 1 PM.

-RB

Regulus hesitated a moment, but didn't add the word "please" to the letter. He didn't need to beg, and he could count on his dear brother's natural snoopiness. Sirius would have to swallow his pride, because Regulus knew he would die of curiosity if he didn't find out what Regulus had to say.

He gave the letter to the owl and watched as she flew to the bright blue sky.

Regulus shuddered a little while walking to the bar. It was the middle of November and the wind was colder than normally during this time of the year. He came to the Hog's Head early and ordered a Firewhisky from the grumpy barman, then sat down and waited, cold fingers around the warm glass.

He would come.

Sirius was hooded, and obviously didn't want to be seen by anyone in the company of Regulus.

"Brother of mine."

"What is it?" Sirius' voice was harsh, his eyes cold, but he had come.

Regulus shook his head reproachfully. "Tsk, tsk. Didn't you ever listen how our darling mother taught us to discuss properly? Never start bluntly talking about what you want. Remember the nice and important little questions and –"

"You know very well that I never listened to that hag."

Regulus pretended to be shocked. "Ouch. You must not talk so harshly of a woman who gave up her best years to give birth to you."

His brother made a fast, irritated movement with his head. "Will you get to the point –"

Regulus leaned closer. "So, how are you doing? Are you studying? Have a job? A girlfriend? Or perhaps you're the type that would have a boyfriend."

"Shut your –"

He was near the point where he would stand up and leave Regulus there, again. Regulus tilted his head and neatly put his hands to his lap like a well-behaving gentleman would.

"I'm going to quit school."

Sirius put his glass down, an odd expression on his face. "And what, get married?"

Regulus laughed behind the Firewhisky he had risen to his lips. Trust his brother to crack jokes in serious situations.

"I have important things to do."

Sirius looked at him without blinking an eye, cool façade had always been everything. "So you are... I can't believe you have actually..."

"Have what?"

"Have gone and joined."

"Oh, ages ago", Regulus grinned. "Shouldn't be any surprise to you."

Sirius seemed to concentrate on breathing. "And why you exactly wanted to see me here?" he then asked.

"Because nothing's better than family gossip", Regulus answered, knowing Sirius would soon have had enough. And he was right – Sirius jumped up, his hood almost falling away in the process. Before Regulus could say anything more, he had already gone, left Regulus. Again.

Regulus ordered another Firewhisky.

"Sirius?"

Jillian had been on the Diagon Alley while her mother looked after Tyler, and now she recognised Sirius Black's back in the Leaky Cauldron and came to him, just in time to see him drown a glass of Firewhisky. This probably wasn't his first, judging from the smell of his breath.

"You look terrible."

Sirius seemed to have some problems with looking at her. After a moment he finally seemed to recognise her. "You are lookin' pretty tonight."

"You are drunk."

Sirius laughed a laugh of a drunken one, but managed to speak properly. "Yes, and I've a good reason. Sit down and I'll tell you something excitin'."

Jillian sat down obediently, and Sirius seemed to be very pleased with himself. He was silent long enough to have a dramatic pause, before continuing.

"Regulus is going to quit school."

"What?"

That bloody, frigging idiot.

She noticed that Sirius was looking at her, enjoying the effect of his words. She thought he was probably too drunk right now to remember anything about this conversation tomorrow, but made herself to look uninterested anyway.

She laughed lightly and took a sip from Sirius' glass. "Great sons of the Black family, you are. A drop-out and a drunkard."

Sirius turned slightly on his chair and faced her. There was something frightening, almost raw on his face.

"And what are you?" he hissed. "A Death Eater's whore?"

Jillian rose to her feet with less grace than she had hoped. "You are drunk", she said again and hurried away from the pub.

She spent the night in her parents' house in the Godric's Hollow, and a little while before she left to her own home, she visited the Potters. Mostly she had wanted to meet James. Last night she had asked him to go to the Leaky Cauldron and pick Sirius up from there, and now she was anxious to find out had that damned Black said anything he wasn't supposed to.

James welcomed him, grinning a bit. "Just wait 'til you see Sirius – a hangover if there ever was one. OY, Padfoot!"

No answer came.

"He is in his old room, sulking."

"I'll go there to see him", Jillian said. "I want to have a talk with him."

James nodded, and from his body language Jillian knew he was waiting for Lily to come. She shrugged and walked up the stairs.

Sirius was laying on the bed, a collection of different cures for hangover around him. His hair was sticking up, eyes were red and his lips were pressed to so thin line she thought he was holding back vomit.

"I hope you had fun last night."

"Do you have to shout so loud?" irritated Sirius asked holding his head with his hands and his face having an interesting grey shade on it.

Jillian decided not to answer. Slowly Sirius let his hands fall lower.

"Listen –", he hesitated and bit his lip. "Do you know what happened last night?"

"How much do you remember?"

"Meeting Regulus in the Hog's Head." He grimaced. "He asked me to come, and I know shouldn't have gone, but – well, I went. And after that I went to the Leaky. I ordered a Firewhisky or three, and then I remember nothing until this morning."

She almost let out the deep, relieved sigh. If he didn't remember anything, she had nothing to worry.

"Well, the normal story – first you said I was pretty and then you called me whore."

Sirius groaned and covered his face.

"I'm sorry", he rasped behind his fingers. "It's just – Regulus – he told that he's going to quit school."

Jillian kept the neutral look on her face. "I see."

Sirius seemed to listen carefully her tone.

"So you don't care anymore", he said. "That's good."

She knew very well that both of them cared for Regulus Black far too much for their own good.

She left Sirius alone with his headache and walked down the stairs.

James and Lily were sitting on the sofa, Lily's head resting on James' shoulder and their fingers entwined together. They were talking with quiet voice, each syllable full of love and contentment.

Jillian's own fingers shook a bit and she clenched them to fists. She stood there, not wanting disturb, but not wanting to eavesdrop either.

They were so obviously in love, and could (and would) show it to the whole world. They were a fairytale come true.

That was something she could never have.

For that moment she envied her friends, and it hurt.