"YES!" Harry exclaimed as they apparated to Black Manor. He was finally home. No more waking up at seven everyday for lessons. He could sleep as much as he wanted, read all the magazines that he had and pretty much have a blast. After the excruciatingly long two weeks had passed.

"Pup, I know that you're overjoyed to be home. First, go and unpack your trunk. You can prance around the place later." said Sirius, grinning broadly. One year ago, Harry had started living with him. The difference between how he had been then and how he was now couldn't have been more visible.

"Unpack? Dad, no! Don't do this to me. I've traveled long and far to come home and you send me straight to my room? Please, lunch first." Harry clasped his hands together dramatically. Rolling his eyes at the boy's antics, Sirius reached forward and flicked Harry's ear. "Drama Queen," he commented fondly. "Alright we can have lunch first."

For lunch, Becky had prepared Harry's favourite ravioli. Dobby was also there, with Harry's tie in a knot around his middle. "Now you unpack." said Sirius once the plates had been cleared away.

The next day, Harry's punishment officially began. After lunch, Sirius led him to the library where he was asked to arrange all the books in proper order.

"All of them? Dad, this library is as large as the one at Hogwarts. I'll never be able to finish it." He protested, staring at the seemingly endless piles of books that loomed over him, as though taunting him. "Harry, there's no room for negotiations here. You will do it. Besides, a good deal of the shelves are already in sequence. You just need to attend to the ones that are not. Do this and you are done for the day."

"Fine, I'll get to it. But this is the most boring job ever." He grumbled. "If you think this is bad, I suggest you mentally brace yourself. You have lots more coming your way." Harry groaned at Sirius' words. "But I said I was sorry. I'll never ever do it again." He tried to convince his father but in vain. Sirius shook his head firmly. Sighing, he got to work without further argument.

As Harry had predicted, the job was truly and utterly boring. He didn't think he had ever felt so bored. It was a tedious procedure. He had to pull down all the books, sort them according to their volumes after which he had to stack them back in the correct shelves. With a grunt, he lifted a copy of 'An advanced study in Draconology: Volume XXI' and placed it where it belonged. It had taken him nearly four hours to finish the task assigned.

Harry swore to himself that at the end of these two weeks, the very thought of anything dangerous would make him shiver. Not for the actual danger, but for the aftermath.

He was exhausted from all the work but not particularly sleepy. "Dad, I swear I'll never do it again. I'll never even think of danger or anything even remotely close to it." Harry said, while they ate dinner. "Well I'm glad you think like that." Was what he said.

Later, after dinner the two of them were playing chess when Harry yawned rather loudly. Sirius glanced at the clock. "You know, when you were a baby, getting you to sleep was an ordeal. It drove people around you crazy." Sirius commented with a smile. "Putting you to bed wore me out more than any Auror mission. You simply refused to sleep." "So what would you do?" Harry asked, curiosity colouring his words.

Smiling, Sirius cleared away the chess board and patted Harry's pillow. "Lie down and I'll show you." Harry looked suspiciously at his dad. "I'm not going to tickle you, don't worry." Sirius promised with a grin. Laughing, the boy lay down on his stomach.

Grinning mischievously, the man attacked Harry's sides. The pup yelped and turned around to glare at him accusingly. "Dad!" He whined. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist." said Sirius before he gently pushed Harry down. "Believe it or not, you actually enjoyed being ticked as a baby."

"I highly doubt that." Harry replied. He felt strong fingers massage his shoulders and neck. It worked better than any lullaby. Within minutes, he was falling asleep. The last thing he felt was a kiss on his forehead. "G'night, Dad." He mumbled. "Sleep tight pup, I love you."

The next few days passed in a similar fashion. His father had been right. Harry was busy. In the course of two weeks, he and cleaned his wardrobe, scrubbed the floors, swept them and his grounding was finally over.

He thought about his desk and smiled sheepishly to himself. On one of the days, he'd taken a parchment and written on it with bold letters: I'LL NEVER RISK MY LIFE AGAIN. He'd done that one on his own.

Ron had come over and he couldn't have been happier. He loved his dad more than anyone else but he missed his best friends as well. Both he and his best mate had pleaded with Mrs. Weasley to end Ron's grounding and after much persuasion, she had relented.

"So that thing you were learning, whats it called again? Occlincy or something like that, are you still doing it?" Ron asked, as they lazily flew circles in the sky. Ron had borrowed one of the spare brooms and currently, both of them were up in the air, leisurely flying and spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing.

"Occlumency and no. Dad said I could do with a break. We'll continue sometime later." Harry replied. "We can play some quidditch after lunch. There's a pitch on the other side of the had it done before we could come home. Fred and George can come as well. It'll be brilliant." Harry offered. Ron was staying over at his house for the weekend so it would be a great idea.

"You have your own Quidditch pitch? You're bloody lucky mate! All this place and you're free to do whatever you like. It's brilliant! Wish I were you." It was an offhand remark but Harry noted something in Ron's voice that the hadn't ever heard before. Envy. What Ron had said wasn't true. Sure, Sirius gave him nice things but that wasn't why he loved living with him. It was beyond material possessions. He wouldn't have minded if Sirius hadn't given him a room, new clothes, magazines or anything for that matter. It was the sense of security that his father provided. He was always loved and cared for whenever Sirius was around, even if that love was in the form of two weeks worth grounding. Harry didn't understand why Ron was jealous.

In fact, he had been envious of his best friend all through his first year. When he had boarded the Hogwarts express for the first time, the scene at the station had nearly made him cry. A lot of hugs and kisses had been exchanged. At the station, Mr. Weasley had hugged Ron before he had climbed the train. Ron had been embarrassed but Harry had felt jealous. Not for the first time had he hoped for someone to hug him like that. During their first year, after their encounter with the troll, Ron's parents had been equal amounts of worried and angry. They'd fussed over him before yelling at him. But, no one had bothered much about Harry. Ron didn't understand what it felt like to be given a home after years of being homeless. He had always had parents who loved him.

He knew how Ron felt about his family's financial status but he knew more than most people that money didn't solve everything. The Dursleys had a good deal of money. But that hadn't stopped them from ruining their nephew's life.

"It's not like that, Ron. I can't just do whatever I like. There's certain rules I need to follow and there are consequences if I break them." Harry explained, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. He didn't want to get angry at his best friend and spoil the weekend. Ron didn't mean anything by what he had said. It's just that he had never been in Harry's position so he wasn't aware of what it felt like. "Whatever you say, mate." Ron's tone was light, indicating that he had simply been joking.

They dropped the topic.

That night, Harry settled down in bed with a Quidditch magazine. Fred and George had dropped by and they'd played a dozen games of Quidditch. The two of them hadn't stayed the night since the twins had wanted to go to their friend, Lee Jordan's house. Ron had fallen asleep immediately after dinner. He could hear his best mate's snores from the adjacent room.

"Hey." He looked up to see his father at the door and smiled. The man came inside and settled down on the bed. They chatted quietly for a while about all sorts of senseless little things. After a bit, Harry decided to ask Sirius the question that had been in the back of his mind for the past couple of days. "Dad, what did you mean the other day, when you told Dumbledore to not underestimate the allure darkness?" That line had been bothering him for a while. It sounded alright but the way Sirius had said it sounded like it meant something much deeper. The look in his father's eyes had been one of pain as well as wisdom like he had experienced it firsthand.

He heard Sirius sigh. "You didn't miss that, did you?" When Harry shook his head, the man ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the pillows. "I suppose there is no harm in telling you about it." He said.

"What happened?" Asked Harry, getting curious. "Well, it was something like this:"

Sirius tried to concentrate on the Transfiguration textbook. He didn't have to study since he already knew it well. But, he wanted something, anything to get his mind off the letter that he had shoved into his bag. He'd read through it and the contents had distributed him. Not for the actual matter in them but his reaction to it. His father had died last week so the title of the Black Lord was his now. All the money, investments and every single thing the Blacks owned, now belonged to him.

And yet, he wasn't happy. Nor was he saddened by the death of his father. He wasn't glad either but he just couldn't find it in himself to be sad. Orion Black and his son had had nothing feelings of mutual hatred for each other. Sirius' father had been a cruel, heartless, mean spirited and abusive man who cared for no one. He was highly prejudiced and used every opportunity to mistreat muggles and muggleborns. They were all powerless against him. He had been a part of Voldemort's inner circle.

Sirius knew that for most people, when their parents died, they were devastated. But Sirius felt nothing. No sadness, pain or any emotion. He felt absolutely, utterly nothing. Although he was sixteen, he knew more about most things than people twice his age. He'd seen things that was enough to give one nightmares and even PTSD for the rest of their lives. To close his mind from all of it, he had mastered Occlumency at the mere age of twelve, an almost impossible task.

People said talking helped but Sirius didn't want to talk to anyone because there wasn't anybody who would understand. He didn't want their 'I'm sorry for your loss' or their pitiful looks because, he didn't feel like he'd lost anything.

Nobody could understand his position. He didn't blame them. He would never wish for someone to have parents like his, not even his worst enemies. James, Peter and Remus wouldn't get it.

"Hey Sirius! Your brother is waiting outside for you." Sirius snapped out of this thoughts and looked at the source of the voice. It was Frank Longbottom, a fellow sixth year and friend. "Thanks, Frank." He pushed himself off the sofa and out of the common room.

A slightly shorter version of Sirius was leaning against the wall. "Reg?" Regulus, Sirius' younger brother stared back at him. Unlike Sirius, Regulus had actually loved their father even though that love had never been reciprocated. His eyes were bloodshot— a clear sign that he had been crying. Although Sirius hated his parents, he and his brother were very close. They'd been that way ever since Regulus had learnt how to speak.

"Sirius, f-father's gone." Regulus choked out. His voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. "I know Reggie, I know." For Regulus' sake, Sirius didn't mention all the things Orion had done. "Come here." He held out his arms and his little brother ran into them without a word of protest. It had been a while since Regulus had accepted such gestures from anyone.

"I'm going to miss him." The boy whispered, tightening his arms around his older brother's waist. Sirius didn't say anything but simply held him close. "I'm going to miss you too. You won't forget me will you? Promise me you'll take care of yourself?" Sirius stiffened at the odd request. Why did it sound so much like a goodbye? "Why will you miss me? Forget about you? Take care of myself? What do you mean, Regulus?"

The fourteen year old pulled away and looked at him with sad eyes. "Since father's gone, mother said that I need to take his place now." Take his place? "I don't understand Reg—"

"I need to go. Mother asked me to do this Sirius. I don't want to but I have to. I can't disappoint her." The silent 'like you' hung in the air. "Regulus, what the bloody hell are you talking about?" The other boy's eyes welled up but he shoved the tears down. "I came to say goodbye, Sirius. I know you will hate me forever after this but I hope you forgive me someday."

"Hate you? Regulus, you stop this right now!" Sirius snapped. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I had to." said Regulus. He rolled up the left sleeve of his robe and Sirius gasped when he saw it. There, on Regulus' forearm was the Dark mark. The coiled serpent and the skull stared back at him, marring the pale skin. "What have you done, Regulus?" Sirius whispered, looking at his brother with horror. "Why? After everything we spoke about! How could you do this?"

His brother choked up a little. "I'm sorry," he said, once more. "I had no choice." Sirius shook his head, refusing to believe that his baby brother was now one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. This just couldn't be happening. He was too hurt to be angry. A knot formed in his chest. He felt like something was strangling him and yet, there was nothing. "Oh Reggie."

"I don't know if I'll ever see you again. You probably hate me now and I don't blame you. But, I had to do this. Father would've wanted me to choose this path. It's not what I want but Mother said I should fulfill his wishes. I'm leaving right now."

Sirius was jolted out of his trance at that. "What, no! You can't leave like this Regulus. You're my little brother, I can't afford to lose you. Look, there's always a choice. We'll figure it out together. You cannot give in like this." He grasped his brother's arms as if trying to shake some sense into him but the other boy pulled away.

The hurt ran too deep. "I'm afraid it's too late now. The decision has already been made. Goodbye brother, I love you." Regulus mumbled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and pain. He then turned around and walked away. Sirius stood and watched his brother go farther and farther from him.

For the first time in years, a single tear slid down his cheek. That was the day Sirius Black understood the allure of darkness.

"That's what I meant the other day." Sirius finished, clearing his throat. "Now, if you could let me go, pup. I need to breathe." Harry didn't realise how tightly he'd been holding his father and he let go. The incident had left him stunned. He'd never heard his dad talk about his family before and now he knew exactly why.

He'd never known that Sirius' brother had been a Death Eater. He saw the sadness in those grey eyes and mentally chided himself for asking his father about it in the first place. All Harry had known about Regulus was that he had been Sirius' younger brother and had died years ago.

"He fought against Voldemort in the end." said Sirius quietly. Harry's head shot up at that. So he'd become good in the end? "He turned on him?" Sirius nodded, a melancholy smile on his face. "Did you forgive him?" Harry asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "He was my brother, Harry. I was angry and hurt but he was my brother after all. Of course I forgave him." Sirius replied.

"He died fighting for a good cause." said Harry. "That's what ultimately matters right?"

"You're right pup." said Sirius, gently carding his fingers through Harry's hair. "That's what matters."

Harry knew that a person's background didn't matter. Sirius was living proof of that. Despite being born into the darkest family in the Wizarding world, his father was the most kind hearted person he knew. "Did you see your brother again after that?" He asked.

"No. I saw him once when he was seventeen but after that, no. I knew he'd switched sides because we Aurors received a letter one day. It contained all of the details of death eaters and their hideouts. The handwriting was unmistakably his. In the end he's mentioned that this act of his would get him killed. He said an final goodbye to me in that letter. That was the last I heard from him. A few months later, on a mission, we found a body completely burned to a crisp. There was no way we could've identified it."

Harry felt very sad indeed for Sirius. He'd never had siblings but he was sure that if you lost them, it hurt. Bad. After listening to his dad, he concluded that although Regulus had gone awry, he's ultimately returned to the good side. "Dad, do you miss him today?" As soon as the question slipped out, he mentally smacked himself. He couldn't have asked. A more stupid question. But Sirius didn't get angry.

"Very much Harry, very much." Sirius replied, a far away look in his eyes. Harry didn't have the heart to push the conversation any further. It was the first time his father had opened up to him about his family and he felt honoured to be trusted with that. "Goodnight Dad," he mumbled, clinging underneath the covers. Sirius smiled and tucked the covers more firmly around Harry.

"I once told Regulus something and now I'll repeat the same thing to you. The world isn't divided into good and bad people. No matter how powerful or tempting the darkness may be, just remember that we've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

"Goodnight, pup."

Okay now, even though Regulus never actually made an appearance in the books, I kind of like him. Secondly, not much light was thrown on Sirius' and Regulus' relationship as brothers but I would've wanted them to be close so that's how I wrote it.

So tell me what you think of it.

I also don't know when the next update will be ready but I'll try and have it done quickly. I really like writing this story.