A/N: I'm sorry this has taken a long time to post. I've been working away at this and I wanted to get a few chapters under my belt to know where I'm going before posting. We're nearing the end now so thank you for sticking with the story!

Sirius slipped through the front door of Number Twelve, closing it quickly behind him. The hall was empty this afternoon, save for the usual stuffed elf heads and troll's leg umbrella stand that loomed like effigies. As Sirius began to climb the stairs to his bedroom, he could feel the eyes of the portraits that lined the walls boring into him, as if it was they who had seen him from the window. He resolutely ignored them, as he always did.

'Is that you, Sirius?' Sirius heard his mother call, her voice drifting up from the basement kitchen. Vaguely, he wondered what she was doing down there; it was somewhere she rarely went, unless it was to fuss over preparations for a family party, and as far as he knew anyway, there wasn't one of those on the cards.

Sirius didn't bother to answer as he climbed up to the first landing. If she wanted to shout at him for something, let her come up and do so. At least, Sirius thought to himself, it wouldn't have been her watching from the window. A small part of him, one that he did not acknowledge very often, was relieved. He wouldn't have to face her incessant questions and any consequences that would inevitably arise when he bit back at them.

Ignoring his mother, he made his way up to his bedroom. As he opened the door, a voice behind him made him jump.

'You're back.'

Sirius turned quickly. Regulus's face was peering out from a crack in his bedroom door opposite. Sirius let out a long breath.

'You frightened me, Reg!'

'Where've you been?' Regulus asked, the small bit of his face visible was inscrutable.

Suddenly, Sirius wondered if it had been Regulus at the window. Like so many things with Regulus these days, he wasn't sure how he should take that.

'Jeremy Osborne's,' Sirius said dismissively and he started to turn towards his own bedroom door.

Regulus opened his door and stepped out onto the landing, carefully closing the it behind him again.

'Is that Jeremy Osborne who left Hogwarts two years ago?'

Sirius turned back and stared at his brother. Regulus's face was still unreadable. Of course Regulus would know that Jeremy was no longer at Hogwarts, he probably knew that Sirius had never had anything to do with him either, but he'd never breathed a word. Sirius knew his brother would be too afraid of the confrontation of telling his parents the truth, as he always had been. And yet here he was calmly pointing out to Sirius that he had been lying for years.

'I've been out,' Sirius said, beginning to feel unnerved at his brother's transformation.

'Doing what?' Regulus asked in the same, calm and even tone.

'That's my business.'

Regulus looked hard at Sirius. He seemed to be debating whether or not to say something, and in that moment, Sirius saw a flash of the old Regulus, doubtful and unsure, before the unflappable mask appeared once more.

'Kreacher told me this morning that you were trying to break into Father's study last night.'

Sirius's stomach did an uncomfortable flip. Sirius hadn't even considered that Kreacher would tell Regulus.

'That sneaky little git!' Sirius said venomously. Why, the next time he got his hands on that thing…

'That's not fair,' Regulus said. 'You put him in an awkward position.'

'He's a conniving little shit.'

'No he isn't.'

'Why do you care so much?' Sirius said, sneering at Regulus. His brother had always had a soft spot for the elf. Sirius could never fathom why; the creature was aptly named, and a slimy, snivelling suck-up to boot. 'He's a brainless puppet.'

'Don't say that about him,' Regulus said hotly, the mask slipping again. Sirius snorted in derisive laughter. Regulus would stand up for the elf, yet he wouldn't even utter a squeak in his brother's defence when their mother reared her ugly head. Of course. However, a second later the smile was wiped off Sirius's face.

'What were you doing last night?' Regulus's voice was cool and calm once more.

'I was sleepwalking,' Sirius said. He knew it wasn't convincing but he was beginning not to care.

'I saw you talking to someone outside earlier.'

So it had been Regulus he'd seen at the window. Sirius didn't answer. For some reason, a cold wave of dread washed over him. Sirius wasn't sure about this new Regulus, this calm and collected Regulus. Sirius was confident that the old Regulus would never tell their parents anything Sirius had done to transgress their rules, but this one, this version of his brother he was not so sure about.

'So?' Sirius said, trying to put on an air that said he was completely unbothered.

'It was one of those men from yesterday,' Regulus said. 'From the Ministry. An Auror.'

Sirius didn't ask how Regulus knew they were Aurors. All this badgering was starting to irritate him, he was beginning to think that he really didn't care if Regulus ran off to tell their parents.

'What's with the interrogation?' Sirius snapped.

He saw Regulus falter slightly at his tone, and Sirius felt a savage thrill of triumph course through him.

'I just-' Regulus cool, calm facade had gone and the old, pathetic Regulus was stuttering before him once again. Sirius felt the old rush of frustration he had felt so many times before.

'Stop sticking your nose in other people's business.'

'If the family is being threatened surely it's all our business?' Regulus said in a small voice.

Sirius stared. 'The family? Be careful, Reg, you're beginning to sound like Father. Before we know it you'll be spending your mornings in the study, frowning away and getting your wand in a knot because the new Head of Goblin Liaison Office once spoke to a Muggle.'

Regulus flushed, but whether it was embarrassment or rage that coloured his cheeks, Sirius didn't know. He felt the savage rush of pleasure again at his brother's discomfort. The family? What was he parroting that line for?

'Fine then,' Sirius snapped again as Regulus stood there gaping wordlessly. 'Rush off to Mummy to tell on big, bad Sirius, the threat to the family honour.'

'I- I didn't,' Regulus stammered, but Sirius cut him off, rage building inside him.

'Because how dare this family be threatened? How dare anyone question what it's members get up to or not treat them like royalty? How dare we not be treated like the absolute pinnacle of wizarding society?'

Sirius heard again the tone Moody had used with him, the way he expected Sirius to expect differential treatment. He wanted to scream, to reach out and punch something as disgust and rage welled up inside him.

'Well maybe they're not wrong,' Regulus finally said in his small voice, though this time, there was a touch of defiance in his tone. Again Sirius stared.

Not wrong?

'Look how far our family goes back,' Regulus was saying, the defiance in his voice growing stronger. 'And wizards all the way. Why shouldn't that count for something?'

Sirius was so shocked he didn't have a response. Surely Regulus didn't believe that ridiculous tripe?

'Get a grip, Reg,' Sirius finally managed to stammer. 'You think we're really that important that none of our actions should be challenged? That we should just be able to get away with whatever we want just because more members of our family can conjure a rabbit out of thin air than any other? You don't understand what you're saying. Keep your nose out of this, Reg, I'm serious. You don't want to be involved.

Regulus again looked as if he was teetering on the edge of speech, his expression one a mix of fear and fury. But this time he kept his mouth shut.

Sirius took one last, derisive look at his brother and turned, pushing his way blindly into his bedroom.

Hours later, Sirius lay on his bed in the pitch black, staring up at the hangings of his bed. He hadn't been down to dinner. Kreacher had rapped on his bedroom door, and without waiting for an answer had entered to announce that Master and Mistress had gone for drinks at the Malfoy's, yet dinner would still be served in the dining room for Master Sirius and Master Regulus.

He wasn't hungry, Sirius had informed Kreacher shortly, and he wouldn't be coming down. The mutinous stare that Sirius gave Kreacher as he began to protest perhaps told Kreacher that it might not be wise to try and persuade him.

Sirius felt the dislike course through him as Kreacher bowed deferentially, noting the slight look of triumph in the elf's eyes, as if he felt he'd got one up on this wayward son. Sirius was sure Kreacher would inform his mother of his transgression as soon as she arrived back at the house. But as Sirius was at present the most senior member of the family at home, there was little Kreacher could do.

Sirius lay on his bed, imagining Regulus sitting alone in the cavernous dining room, being served a lonely dinner by the house elf. As night fell around him, Sirius still had not moved from his bed. His mind was turning the conversation with Regulus over and over. It seemed so strange that mere hours earlier he had been experiencing the best afternoon he'd ever had during a school holiday. His mind was a confusing whirl of butterflies of various different emotions. He longed for Rochelle's sympathy and that concerned smile she gave when they'd talked about their families. Sirius had the feeling that she'd understand, even if she couldn't know the exact details.

In spite of himself, he gave a small smile at the thought of her. He wondered how she had got on at work that evening (he assumed Muggle bartending was pretty much the same as the wizarding version). Finally feeling some sort of comfort, Sirius rolled over and fell into a fitful sleep.

'I don't suppose you've heard from the others.'

Once again, the day was bright and warm. Blinding sun shone down onto the cobbles that paved Diagon Alley. In the ferocious midday heat, there were few people crowding the street, and those that did walked quickly to their destination, fanning themselves furiously. Most shoppers had taken refuge in the many shops that lined the street, or were hiding in the cool depths of the Leaky Cauldron. Or, like Sirius and James, they were lounging under the striped umbrellas of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

'Nope,' Sirius said with a lightness he did not quite feel. 'Dear old Mum might go ballistic if I receive another owl.'

Sprawled in a chair opposite him, James took another almighty scoop of his chopped nut sundae and pulled a face.

'Mouldy old wench,' he said casually and Sirius grinned. He'd spent most of his time since his conversation with his brother shut in his bedroom, emerging only for meals, his mood foul. Regulus, it seemed, deliberately avoided his eyes during these encounters and Sirius did not attempt to seek him out.

It felt good to be out in the air again. Away from the oppressive elegance of Grimmauld Place, and with his best friend for company, things seemed to loom less uneasy in his mind. Of course, they still niggled away at him, but Sirius found it much easier to ignore his troubles here.

His mother had woken him at eight o'clock that morning with a sharp rap on his door, though she no longer entered (his decor was far too offensive). To his great surprise, she had consented to him going off to spend the day with James. He guessed that was probably something to do with the fact she had spotted the Bulstrodes and didn't want her surly, bad-tempered son making a scene.

'They wrote to me after we got our results,' James was saying, now scraping the bottom of his glass.

'How did they do?' Sirius asked. He missed writing to his friends, even Peter whose letters usually contained little of interest to Sirius, full of babbling tales of his mother's tea society that poor Peter was obliged to attend while he was at home.

'Moony did well. O in Defence and Charms, Es in everything else,' James said. 'Wormtail didn't say exactly. I got the feeling that he failed a couple of them. He did say he'd got an E in Charms and Astronomy.'

'How did he not get at least an E in Transfiguration?' Sirius said derisively, shaking his head. 'He's a bloody Animagus. Well, he can drop anything he didn't pass.' He shrugged. 'We're NEWT students now. Bye-bye Astronomy!'

James sniggered. 'Still can't believe I beat you in that.'

'All right,' Sirius said, slightly defensively. 'I beat you in Ancient Runes, so we're still equal.'

It was James's turn to shrug. 'Finished?' he said as Sirius fished the last cherry from his glass. 'Good, I need to pop into the Owl Emporium, Mum wants some more treats for Iris.'

The Emporium turned out to be so crowded that Sirius decided to wait outside. He lounged against the cool stone wall of the shop, the shade of the overhanging eaves providing some blissful respite from the sun.

Sirius gazed uninterestedly along the street for a moment, before something caught his eye. He frowned. Opposite him was the dark, narrow entrance to Knockturn Alley, and in its shadows huddled a group of people, conspicuous in the long, dark cloaks they wore in the stifling midday heat. One or two even had hoods pulled low over their faces. Suddenly, as if aware he was being watched, one of the cloaked figures turned and Sirius recognised Silas Avery.

Avery spotted Sirius lounging against the wall of the Emporium and nudged one of his companions. As he whispered to him, the man turned. He was a thinnish man, with slightly pinched features that Sirius was sure he recognised, but for the life of him he couldn't think why.

This was now the second time Sirius had spotted Avery lurking in a shadowy alleyway, and he wasn't getting any better at it. Sirius thought vaguely about going over and telling him that, when Avery's companion called out to him.

'Well, well, well, Sirius Black.'

Suddenly, Sirius knew who he was; Rabastan Lestrange. He'd been two or three years above Sirius and James at Hogwarts, but the Lestranges had been at numerous Black family parties over the years. His brother, Sirius remembered, was married to his cousin Bellatrix.

Deciding he had nothing else to do, Sirius sauntered over, gritting his teeth.

'Shouldn't be seen lurking around Knockturn Alley in these times,' Sirius said casually as he approached them. The men with the hoods pulled over their faces had vanished, Sirius noticed, probably melted into the gloomy alley behind them, leaving only Rabastan and Avery standing at the entrance. Sirius would bet the entire contents of the Black family vault that the men were Death Eaters. 'Somebody might think you're up to something. Wouldn't want that now, would we?'

Rabastan leered at Sirius. 'Now, now, what would you be trying to insinuate?'

'I'm sure you can piece it together,' Sirius said, 'You seem like you might be nearing average intelligence.' He looked at Avery, whose eyes were narrowed. No doubt he was remembering their encounters at the end of term, the challenge and the taunts that had ended with him dangling from his broomstick fifty feet above the lake. 'Not doing well at going unnoticed, are we, Avery? That coupled with the fact you couldn't even throw a curse at someone wandless… You know, Lestrange, I'd reconsider if you wanted this one to join your little gang.'

Avery's lip curled. Sirius was rather enjoying himself, it felt good to have an outlet for the frustrations that were building up inside him and seeing Avery squirm almost made up for it. 'It's good to see you, Black,' Avery said, ignoring Sirius's jab, though Sirius noticed with smug satisfaction that Avery cast a nervous little glance up at Rabastan. 'It must mean Regulus should be around somewhere.'

Sirius felt the smug look fall off his face as an icy hand gripped his innards. His eyes narrowed and it was Avery's turn to look smug as he sensed the effect that his words had.

'Ah yes,' Rabastan said in the same leering voice. 'I know your brother very well. It'd be good to have a little chat.'

'Our friends here were very keen to meet him too,' Avery said, a taunting smile on his face. 'Quidditch fans, you know. They'd love to know all about Slytherin's little Seeker.'

Rabastan laughed.

'Don't you dare go near Regulus,' Sirius spat through clenched teeth, a thrill of anger rising in him. He pulled his wand from his sleeve and pointed it at Avery's throat.

'Careful now, Black,' Lestrange said, lazily drawing his own wand. 'You don't want to get caught by the Ministry, Underage Wizardry and all that…'

'Yeah?' Sirius said dangerously. 'You know, sometimes it's useful to have parents with the Ministry in their pocket…'

Avery's grin faltered, and his eyes betrayed a flash of fear. Rabastan was looking doubtfully at Sirius's wand, too. Sirius felt a thrill of adrenaline rush through him.

'Padfoot!'

James's shout rang out across the street as he hastened over to them. As if he was awakening from a dream, Sirius lowered his wand. That was not a clever thing to have done, he thought to himself furiously, but their words were swirling in his mind.

'Come on, we'd better go,' Rabastan was saying as James approached. He pulled his dark hood up and over his face and grabbed Avery's arm, pulling him into the murky alley behind them.

'What was all that about?' James said, looking down the alley after Avery and Rabastan.

'Nothing,' Sirius said darkly as he turned on his heel and began to march up the street.

'It didn't look like nothing,' James said as he hastened after him. 'You had your wand at Avery's throat! I mean, I commend you completely for that, but it maybe wasn't the best place to do it.'

Sirius didn't properly hear his friend. Inside, he felt like screaming. There they were again taunting him about how they were circling Regulus like hawks, like vultures, their talons ready to snatch him into the darkness. The image from his dream swam in his mind, Regulus's desperate face, his pleading gaze…

But suddenly, the Regulus of the previous evening flashed before his eyes, calm and resolute and composed.

Well maybe they're not wrong…

A whirl of frustration and confusion and desperation rose in Sirius like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf him as he struggled against the chains that seemed to bind him. He reached up and grabbed hold of his hair, trying to fight the urge to tug it out. He was dimly aware that he must look quite mad, but he was beyond caring. James lurched forwards and grabbed Sirius's arms, trying to tug them away from his head, a look of alarm on his face.

'Look, will you just-'

Sirius stopped dead, his hands falling limply to his sides and he turned to stare desolately at James.

'It feels like he's slipping through my fingers.'

'Who?' James said, concern and downright fear plastered on his face.

'My brother.'

They had reached a shadier part of the street now. Without a word, James pushed Sirius onto a bench in front of a dusty-looking junk shop.

'Tell me what's been going on. There's something you're not telling me,' he said, sitting down beside his friend.

And so Sirius told him. He told him about the conversation with Regulus, he told him about what Avery and Rabastan had said, about his fears of what Regulus was being dragged into, about the dreams that haunted him and Regulus's own words. And finally, he told him about the letter he'd found in his father's study. After he finished speaking, he just stared, stared off ahead of him, seeing nothing, not knowing what to think, his feelings a confused, tangled mess.

'Right,' James said after a moment of stunned silence that greeted the end of Sirius's speech. 'You're not going back with them.'

'What?' Sirius snapped out of the fog to stare at James.

'You can't go back there.'

Was his friend mad? 'I've got to, haven't I?' Sirius said in despair. 'They're turning Regulus into some sort of puppet, I can't just leave them to it.'

'But if they're involved with Voldemort we need to tell someone!'

'How can we tell someone? Where would that leave me?'

'We need-'

'Look, just leave it!' Sirius snapped suddenly, almost wishing he hadn't told James; he was reacting exactly like Sirius knew he would. It was like that day back in the dormitory when Sirius had seen Regulus in the alleyway to the Hog's Head. He couldn't cope with James's infallible belief in right and wrong now. 'There's nothing I can do about it!'

He stared off mutinously into the distance again, aware that James's eyes were boring into him. He sighed.

'I'm sorry, Prongs. I didn't mean to snap,' Sirius said. 'It's just not that simple when they're your parents. It's like with the Slytherins all over again, who are they going to believe if we did tell anyone? My family would pay anyone off they needed to and that would be the end of it. And what would happen to me? That letter is long gone, if my father has any sense, and without it we've got no proof. The Aurors are already suspicious, we've got to let that be enough for now.'

James sighed. 'I'm just worried about you, Padfoot.'

'I know,' Sirius said. 'But I can't leave Regulus alone with them. He's not as strong as we are, and they're already getting to him.'

James looked as if he was chewing his tongue for a moment, on the verge of speech.

Sirius knew he would not want to hear whatever it was that James wanted to say. 'Not everything is black and white, Prongs,' he said heavily as he gazed down the street, the mouth of the shadowy alley gaping sinisterly in the bright summer sunlight.