Reserve League, Season 5, Round 11, Seeker: Write about a second chance on a rainy day
Word count: 1001
Sirius swears under his breath, stepping back as the downpour begins. The branches and leaves of the great tree don't block out the rain perfectly, but they help. At the very least, he is only damp at the moment. If he hadn't been close to the forest, he would be completely soaked to the bone by now.
All because he wanted a bloody cigarette.
Irritated, he pulls the pack from his pocket. It isn't like he has anything else to do until the rain passes. He steps backward until his back presses against the tree, shielding himself a little more from the barrage of raindrops.
"Mind if I join you? Oh!"
Sirius turns. His heart races faster than he would like to admit. He's spent the last few years avoiding his brother, so desperate to live in a world where Regulus is still the small boy who would look at him like he's a hero. Now, Regulus stands before him, soaking wet, his black hair plastered to his face by the rain, and Sirius has no choice but to accept it.
Things are different now. Regulus has chosen his path, and there's nothing that sirish can do about it.
"I'll just go," Regulus says.
"Don't be stupid." Sirius tucks the filter between his lips and shakes his head. "Just wait here until it passes."
For most people, it wouldn't be a big deal. It's a long walk, and it would be uncomfortable, which is why Sirius chooses to stay back. But Regulus has never liked bad weather. Though there's no thunder or lightning, Sirius can still see the way his brother's eyes rapidly look this way and that, as though he's waiting for the sky to rip open and swallow him whole.
Sirius scowls as he pulls out his lighter, striking it a bit too aggressively. Why should he care if Regulus is afraid? Regulus didn't care about Sirius enough to follow him. Instead, Regulus had stayed and allowed their family to sink their claws a little deeper into his heart. Regulus is one of them now, no doubt about it.
He lights his cigarette, glaring as he pockets his lighter once again.
"Sirius?"
"I said you can wait here, not that you can talk to me."
Sirius hates being so harsh. He had always loved his brother more than anything else in this world. Maybe there's still a part of him that feels that way now too. It's too late, though. There's no going back. The war is hanging over them, and they've chosen their sides.
"Why do you hate me?" Regulus asks, his voice above a whisper and so saturated with pain that it cracks near the end.
The question catches him off guard. He opens his mouth to reassure Regulus that he doesn't hate him, only to stop himself. Why should Regulus believe him? Hadn't Sirius turned his back on him the moment the Sorting Hat had declared Regulus a Slytherin? Hadn't it been too painful to even look at his brother.
"Hate is a strong word." Sirius sighs heavily, breathing out a cloud of smoke. "I… I'm scared for you, Reg."
He doesn't think he's been this honest about his brother before, not even with James. But that's the truth of it. Despite his anger and disappointment, he has never hated Regulus, not even a little. Saying the words aloud bring him a feeling of relief he hadn't even realized he needed.
Sirius takes another drag from his cigarette, looking straight ahead. The rain continues to fall outside of their little sanctuary, turning the ground into one giant puddle. A drop falls from an overhead leaf, splattering against his cheek.
"I know you've been getting close to Bella," Sirius says. Just his cousin's name is enough to make him feel sick. Bellatrix has always been a little unhinged, but there is something about Voldemort that seems to bring out the worst in her, twisting her into something demented and wrong. "She's dangerous, Reg."
"I know."
Sirius returns his attention to his brother. "Then why? Why would you even entertain her?"
"Because…" Regulus offers him a sheepish, almost apologetic smile. "Because I needed someone, and she was there. I'm not blaming you, Sirius. I'm really not. But… she was there, and she looked out for me."
"Joining her would be a mistake."
Regulus swallows dryly, rubbing his forearm where the Dark Mark would be. There's a pain in his eyes that tells Sirius all he needs to know: Regulus doesn't actually want to join Bellatrix; he is still the same kind boy with a big heart, and this isn't the kind of life he wants to choose.
There's still hope.
"It isn't too late."
Regulus scoffs and shakes his head. "Of course it is. This is what I'm supposed to do," he says.
Sirius puts his cigarette out and moves closer, wrapping an arm around his brother. "No. It isn't. I think you know that, don't you?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Regulus asks.
Sirius doesn't have an answer. Not directly, at least. He can't make Regulus' decisions for him. All he can do is steer him in the right direction and hope for the best.
"We can talk to Dumbledore," Sirius answers with a nod.
"We?" Regulus looks at Sirius, at wide with surprise.
Sirius just grins and reaches out, affectionately ruffling Regulus' we hair. "Of course. That's what brothers do."
He's spent so long rejecting Regulus, desperately pretendjng that they aren't the same. It's time to start over; it's time be brothers again.
"It's funny," Regulus says as the rain lightens up, becoming more of a drizzle. "I always hated the rain, but if wasn't for bad weather, I wouldn't have my brother back."
"Come on," Sirius says, grinning as he gestures toward the castle.
As they trudge through the mud and puddles, Sirius can't help but smile. It's such a dreary day, but at least it has given him a second chance with Regulus.
