A/N: Hey, look! James appears in this chapter! Also, Reggie is so cute. Probably too cute. That's why I'm going to explain to you the difference in ages. Regulus is fourteen, and will be fifteen in about a month from the beginning of the story. He's a fourth year. James is fifteen and will be sixteen the March after this story takes place. Sirius is sixteen and will be seventeen the following September. Both he and James are fifth years.

Regulus woke up some hours later to Sirius gently waking him. It took several minutes to wake up and remember where he was. Remember what they had done. Sitting up, he looked around.

"What time's it?"

"About seven," Sirius answered quietly, "the sun's just coming up."

"Are we almost there?"

"Nearly, I think."

"You've never been there, have you?"

"Nah, I went over the Easter holidays last year. Side along apparated though. Didn't see any of this."

Regulus peered over his shoulder to see the countryside zipping by in a white and black blur. He turned back to stare at Sirius.

"You can't see much now!"

Sirius laughed as the conductor came over, a steaming cup in his hand.

"There you go, lad," Leonard smiled, handing Regulus the cup. "We'll be there in a bit."

"Thanks," Sirius grinned.

Regulus sipped the cocoa as Sirius stared out the window again. They were silent for a long time, and Regulus allowed his mind to fully comprehend the events of the night before and exactly what they meant. They had really done it. They had escaped. One thing still bothered him though.

"Sirius?"

"Hm?"

"I did magic last night. I'm going to get expelled, aren't I?"

Sirius looked at him then, his grey eyes suddenly looking alive. "There are a couple of convenient loop holes in that law you should know, Regulus. One is that they can't always tell who did the magic in a house where there are other people who can do magic. You and Father did magic at the same time. They won't be able to tell it was you. Secondly, it was self-defense. We're allowed to protect ourselves from jinxes, no matter who's casting them. I looked it up. Even if they somehow trace it to you, they can't expel you."

"Oh," he said, but smiled. He took another drink of cocoa before he spoke again. "How long have you planned this?"

"'Bout a year."

"Did you always plan on my coming with you?"

Sirius laughed, "honestly? I didn't think you would come, but I wanted you to. I figured I would plan on it and hope for the best."

"Why wouldn't I come?"

Sirius simply shrugged, and the bus came to a jarring halt before Regulus could come up with a suitable response.

"Godric's Hollow, boys," Leonard said. Sirius got to his feet, backpack in hand, and Regulus followed. They had barely stepped into the snow when the bus disappeared with a bang.

The young Slytherin shifted the weight of his bag, shivered, and looked around. They were in a town that wouldn't have looked out of place in a storybook. They were standing in the city centre, which was an old square that had many side streets wandering away from it like small streams. All around them were shops, their still dark windows barely allowing a view of the holiday treats within.

Regulus felt a new weight on his shoulders and looked up to see that Sirius had taken off his own jacket to put over Regulus.

"We still have a little way to go, and I thought you might be cold."

"Aren't you?"

"Nah. It's not so bad. Besides, I have more muscle mass to keep me warm than you do."

Regulus stuck his tongue out, but Sirius ignored him and instead turned and started down one of the streets. "We've got about a kilometer to go. James's house is on the very outskirts of the town. The snow will get deeper as we go, so try to keep up."

True to Sirius's prediction, as the houses began to thin out and fields replaced them the snow began to work it's why up Regulus's thin legs. He struggled beside Sirius for a while, but it wasn't nearly as hard for his brother- who was nearly a head taller than he was- and after a while he simply walked behind him instead.

Eventually he turned down a path that had trees growing on either side whose branches were to thick for most of the snow to get through. As soon as he stepped onto the path, Regulus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"There's old magic here."

Sirius looked over his shoulder briefly, grinning. "We've reached the edge of the Potter's property. They're a pureblood family nearly as old as ours, but they're considered blood traitors because they don't hold to the same beliefs our parents do. That's why James wasn't considered good company."

Regulus increased his speed slightly so that he was once again walking beside Sirius, "what's James like?"

Sirius stared at him for a moment, and then threw back his head and let out a bark of a laugh. "Of course! You've never met James, have you?"

Regulus shook his head, "not formally. I know who he is, of course. Who doesn't? I've just never actually met him."

Sirius shook his head, his black hair catching the pale early morning rays and sending it back. "James is one of those people better met then told about. I'm sure Snivellus…"

"Don't call him that!"

"Has filled your head with all kinds of things about James that simply aren't true. I'm still amazed he hasn't managed to turn you against me."

Regulus shrugged, "he's my best friend, but you're my brother. You can be a pain in the ass, but I'm still related to you and I can't change that."

Sirius chuckled again, "well, forget whatever he's told you. Just meet James with an open mind. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's my best mate."

Regulus nodded, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive. Their already soaking wet sneakers trudged over the layer of dead leaves as they continued down the path. There was nothing but trees for several minutes until they passed through a tall hedge. Suddenly the ground before them opened up into a large space completely enclosed by the hedge.

Before them stood a grand courtyard, in the middle of which stood a fountain of a lion. Ice hung off its teeth and mane, and snow had settled on his back. Behind him was a modest looking house that had a kind of country elegance to it.

It reminded Regulus of those gingerbread houses he had seen in Muggle shop windows. It's red brick walls gave a stark contrast to the white roof that was lined with ice sickles and the frost covered windows.

Glowing warmly in one of those windows was a Christmas tree flashing with red and yellow lights, behind which shadows were moving.

"Oh good," Sirius said brightly, "they're already up."

Regulus tried to mimic his brother's confident stride, but couldn't quite manage it. He didn't know these people, and he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that he was getting out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Sirius reached the white door, and knocked sharply with lion head knocker.

"They've all been in Gryffindor for generations," Sirius offered as an explanation, "so try not to embarrass me with your Slytherinness, alright?"

Regulus crossed his eyes for a come back, but uncrossed them immediately when he heard someone moving on the other side of the door.

"No, don't get up, Mum, I've got it."

The door flung open to reveal a boy about Sirius's age. His black hair was standing up in all directions while hazel eyes peered at them from behind round glasses. He was dressed only in red pajama pants, revealing a toned chest that was only just losing the look of a child's.

"Sirius?" The boy asked, blinking several times. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hullo, James! Can we come in?"

James seemed to notice for the first time that someone besides his best friend was standing on his doorstep. Regulus looked down as the other boy looked at him, feeling his face grow hot.

"Who's this?"

"My little brother. You remember Regulus, don't you? I pointed him out to you at his sorting."

"Oh yeah!"

"James, who is it?" A kindly looking older woman appeared at James's shoulder. Her own hazel eyes grew round in her face when she saw them. "Oh, you poor dears! You look half frozen. Come inside, quickly."

James moved aside, and Sirius stepped confidently across the threshold. Regulus hesitated a moment, wondering what had possessed him to get into all this mess, before he followed and James shut the door with a snap.

"You remember Sirius, right Mum?" James smiled, leaning against the wall, as his mother removed Sirius's coat from Regulus's shoulders.

"Of course I do. How have you been, Sirius, dear?"

"That's actually why we're here, Mrs. Potter," Sirius said politely as James took his bag from his hand. James suddenly gaped at his friend, and Regulus realized that both he and Sirius had forgotten the bruise on his face.

"Bloody hell, Pads! What happened to you?"

Sirius blinked a couple of times, before slowly reaching up and touching the bruise, "oh, yeah. That's also some of why we're here."

"Things get that bad at home?" James asked darkly. Sirius didn't answer him, and instead turned grey eyes to his mother.

"Mrs. Potter, is it alright if Regulus and I stay here for the holidays? I come of age next September, so I can take care of us after that but…we don't have anywhere else to go."

"Of course you can, dear," she said kindly, pulling out her wand and gently touching it to Sirius's face. The bruise vanished. She then knelt in front of Regulus. "You must be Regulus, then?"

Regulus nodded. She had kind eyes, but he still didn't dare speak. He knew it was impolite, but he just didn't know them.

"You poor dear," she whispered, running a gentle hand through his hair. He leaned into the touch without thinking and she smiled. "You're a thin little thing, aren't you? Well, don't worry. I'll cook you boys a nice fry up, how does that sound?"

It sounded wonderful. "Yes please, Mrs. Potter."

"That settles it then."

"Come on," James said, hoisting Sirius's bag onto his shoulder. "I'll show you two where you can set your stuff and sleep. I need to get dressed anyway."