Sirius snapped out of his temporary trance and came to his senses. This man wasn't his brother. He couldn't really be him. Moving with amazing speed, he grabbed the person by his collar and slammed him into the nearest wall, pointing his wand at his throat. "Who the hell are you and how dare, how dare you come as my brother."

The other man seemed unsurprised, like he'd expected such a reaction. He didn't struggle or fight against the grip. "Your animagus form is a black dog." He said. "So? You could've grasped that much from anyone. I'm a registered animagus now." Sirius replied. "Sirius, I swear to you, it's really me. Your animagus skills cannot be lying." He tried to reason with him. "The scent is something that can be easily be replicated and I'm sure that the polyjuice potion helped a lot." Sirius looked quite fierce indeed.

"When I was eleven, and was sorted into Slytherin, you told me that it didn't matter. I was still your baby brother." Sirius' expression faltered for a second before hardening again. "That's not good enough." He answered. "When I was five, I fell off the oak tree on the back of the house. You carried me all the way back home and told me, 'Reggie, that's alright. I'll always be there to help you up when you fall. You told me that 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."

Sirius' grip loosened and he let the man go. He remembered saying that to Regulus. He used to say it quite often. He looked at the man before him, and realised that he really was his brother. The emotion in those grey eyes was definitely real. "Please, Sirius, you need to believe me. I'm not lying."

His brother was alive; he had been alive all these years. "Reggie?" He whispered, half afraid that it was a figment of his imagination. He reached out to touch the man's shoulder, like he was trying to convince himself that he was real. When his fingers didn't pass through him, he pulled Regulus into an embrace, holding him tightly.

The response was immediate: Regulus hugged him back, feeling equally happy. His brother was safe. His little brother had been alive and yet he hadn't bothered to reach out to him. That's when the anger came.

He pulled away from his brother, his eyes blazing. "After all these years, you show up now? How dare you do that to me!" He'd spent so many nights in Azkaban, thinking about how he had failed everyone, especially his brother. "Sirius pl—"

"SHUT UP! Not a word! I spent years, years thinking that you were gone. I thought about how I never got to say goodbye. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

"Sirius, I know you're mad at me and ha—" he was cut off once more. "Mad? Just mad? You come home after seventeen bloody years after letting me think that you were dead! Oh no, I'm not mad. I'm bloody furious!" Guilt flashed in Regulus' eyes and he looked away. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Sorry?" Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "That's all you have to say? Why did you do this Regulus? I want to know. Why did you stay away for so long?" There was a hurt edge to his words as he spoke. "I made a lot of mistakes, Sirius. I was so influenced by Mother's wishes that I couldn't see the catastrophe they brought. It was horrible, working for him. He was completely merciless. All that death, destruction, fear– I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want that life anymore, I never did, trust me. It was only then that I realised that you were right all along. After all, big brothers know best." Said Regulus with a nostalgic smile.

"Damn right they know what's best." Sirius replied and some of his anger dissipated. But he wanted to know more. "So you betrayed Voldemort. Why didn't you come home? If you wanted to stay safe, I would've helped you out."

"Sirius, you have to understand what I felt back then. I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. I thought you despised me for supporting everything that you went against. So, after your acquittal, I simply observed you and Harry from a distance. I found it wiser to let you think I'm dead than to come back and find that you didn't want to see me again." That was not the right thing to say.

"Let me think you were dead?" Sirius' voice was deadly. He shoved Regulus in the chest, causing him to stagger backward. "So you thought it would alright to do that?" Shove. "You bloody thought I didn't care about you anymore?" Shove. "You bloody idiot. You never thought about how I would felt when I realised you were dead. Throughout our childhood, I hated our parents. The only reason I came home from Hogwarts every year was because I knew you'd be there as well. How could you possibly think I never wanted to see you again!" Push. "How dare you think that way? You made a mistake. Everyone does. We could have fixed things back then if you'd just come back. But you didn't. You went away."

"I thought that I had failed you. You have no idea what you put me through. You stupid little thing. I hate you. I bloody hate you." Sirius' voice broke at the end. But even as he said those harsh words, his arms went around his brother, hugging him once again. He held on tightly. "I'm just so glad you're back." He whispered, pulling away.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Regulus asked softly, a hint of a smile in his words. "Of course it does, idiot. You're my little brother." Sirius answered. "But I swear, if you ever even think of doing this again, I will—"

"I know. I promise, I won't disappear like that again." Regulus replied. There was silence after that. "This place hadn't changed one bit. Although, I must say, it feels... happier." Regulus commented. "Oh it is. Of course it'll be a better place without a sadistic bastard controlling every inch of it." Sirius remarked.

Regulus knew that Sirius was referring to their father. As a child, he had been hungry for attention from that one man who was utterly heartless. He later realised that both his parents had been complete monsters. "So uh, how's young Harry doing?" Sirius smirked at him. "You should know. After all, you've been stalking me for over a year now, haven't you Reg?" Regulus rolled his eyes at that. "I wasn't stalking you."

"Of course you weren't. You were merely discreetly observing everything." Sirius teased. Regulus laughed, feeling much better already. "But seriously, how's fatherhood suiting you?" He asked. "Honestly, I never imagined myself as a father. But now, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Its wonderful."

"My, my. The joys of fatherhood have softened you, Sirius." said Regulus. "Very funny. How about you? Any nephews or nieces I need to know about? Wife? Girlfriend?"

"No, no and not right now." He said. "Well, that's too bad. I was really hoping for a baby Reggie or a Reggiette." Sirius replied jokingly. "So when can I meet Harry?"

"In the morning, obviously. Kid had a long day. I had to half carry him to bed." Said Sirius with a fond smile. "Where did you stay, all these years?" He asked. "In and out of hotels, motels, inns. Didn't stay anywhere for more than two to three weeks. I didn't settle down anywhere. Didn't want to draw any attention towards myself." Regulus explained.

"Mmhm. Well you're not going to do that sort of rubbish anymore." Said Sirius, firmly. "This is your house as much as it is mine. You're staying here."

"I wouldn't even dream of doing otherwise. I promise, I'm not leaving again."

"Good. Now, I need to get to bed. I'll have to be up a little early tomorrow. I must talk to Harry about this. Wouldn't want him to get the shock of his life when he comes downstairs and sees you, in the flesh." Regulus had the decency to appear a little sheepish. "I suppose so. So what's he like?"

"He's absolutely brilliant. You'll like him. Which reminds me, you will have to pick another room. It's his now." Sirius said. "My poor room. Fine, I'll chose another one. Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight baby brother." Regulus grinned as his brother went upstairs and threw his head back against the headrest of the armchair. Things had gone well. Sirius had forgiven him and that was all he could ask for. With a yawn, he made his way upstairs to one of the many guest rooms of the Manor.

He smiled as he climbed into bed, relishing the comfort of the soft mattress underneath him. They were so much better than the lumpy mattresses he had gotten accustomed to. Tomorrow, he was going to meet his brother's godson— son and he was looking forward to it.

Yes, things were finally starting to get better.

The next morning, Sirius awoke early, as he had planned. His brother was still asleep, as was Harry. He got ready and went to Harry's room. The boy was asleep, breathing deeply. With a grin, he settled down and shook his shoulder. "Pup, wake up." His son shrugged away and pushed himself under the covers. "Wanna sleep." He mumbled. "Harry, this is important. We need to talk about this kiddo. It can't wait."

Harry must've sensed the seriousness in his voice and groggily opened his eyes. "Dad, what's wrong?" He asked. "Nothing's wrong, pup. I just have to tell you something." Sirius told Harry about what had happened last night. He was equally stunned when he heard it. "So he's really here?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded in response. "He is. He's in the other room, sleeping. He'll be up in a bit and he wants to meet you."

"He does?" Harry enquired. "He sure does. Now come on, get dressed and come downstairs." Sirius ruffled his hair and left the room. This was definitely a lot to take in. He wondered what his dad's brother would be like. He had once been a death eater but that didn't matter now. He had changed. He remembered what Sirius had told him about light and dark. Regulus had gone dark, yes. But in the end, he had returned to the light. His past didn't matter. Would he be nice? Short tempered? Easy going? Funny? Would he like Harry? He hoped so.

There was no point in sitting here all day. He would find out more about the younger Black only after he had actually met him. He stretched himself and got out of bed. He was ready soon and went down.

As Harry sat at the dining table, eating, he heard his dad talking to someone. It must be Regulus. Sirius came inside, followed by another man. Harry took in his appearance, curiously. He was nearly as tall as his father and bore a striking resemblance to him. The same grey eyes and black hair, although it was a little shorter. He had a kind, easy expression on his face, so Harry found it hard to believe that this was the very same person who had once worked for Voldemort. The man, Regulus smiled and walked up to him.

"And you must be Harry. It's great meet you, mate." Said Regulus, shaking Harry's hand. "You too, Mr. Black." He replied. He took an instant liking to the man. He was nice alright. His earlier worries had been completely unnecessary. "Please, call me Regulus. Mr. Black makes me sound so old. We both know who's the old one, don't we?" Said Regulus, inclining his head towards Sirius. "Yes, we do." Harry replied mischievously.

Sirius glared at the two of them playfully. "I introduce you two and now you both are already ganging up on me. I'm hurt. Harry, I didn't expect this from you. After all I've done for you: changed your nappies, put you to bed, given you a bath and gotten wet in the process. This is how you repay me? I'm so hurt."

"Aw, come on Dad. Don't be like that. You know you're the best, right?" Said Harry, beaming. Sirius wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Absolutely."

As the three of them sat at the table, laughing, Regulus smiled to himself. Yes, they were all going to get along just fine.

"So, what's this thing about Lucius Malfoy? I remember reading the Daily Prophet a few months ago. There was something about unpaid debts? It said he owed around thirty billion galleons to our family. Did he repay it?" Asked Regulus. "Repay it? Of course not. I let him off with a couple of warnings, thinking that he had changed but he didn't learn. So, now he's going down the hard way." Sirius replied. "This sounds exciting. The bloke deserves every bit of it. I've never liked him anyway. So, what's going to happen to him?"

"He's caused a lot of problems and gotten into quite some trouble. But, he was never held accountable for them. I'm going to change that. As for the plan, you'll find out soon enough." Said Sirius. "He was one of the members of the inner circle. I've seen him do terrible things." Regulus said, sounding grave. Sirius' head shot up at this. He had always suspected that Malfoy had been a loyal follower. Regulus' admission just confirmed the fact that he needed to bear the consequences. After Voldemort had fallen, Malfoy had claimed that it had all been done under the Imperius. But Sirius knew that all of his stories were codswallop. One couldn't take the Dark mark under the influence of the Imperius curse. His brother was proof. "We'll see to it that he's brought to justice."

"Hmm. Now, enough about Malfoy. By the way, you were right about Harry. He's a great kid. He positively adores you." Sirius smiled at that. "So when will you get back as an Auror?" Asked Regulus. "In a couple of days. Probably a while before Harry's birthday."

"Ah yes, thirteen. Good luck, Sirius. Prepare yourself for the tantrums, mood swings and everything else coming your way." Sirius rolled his eyes at Regulus before throwing a cushion at him. "I've handled you. I'm sure Harry will be much easier."

"Haha. So, how often does he visit his muggle relatives? Does he miss them a lot?" Asked Regulus. Sirius shook his head at his brother, indicating that it wasn't a pleasant topic. "Let's just say they weren't very nice people. It would be better if you don't bring this up in front of Harry." He stated firmly.

His brother noticed the grave note in his words and thankfully, didn't push any further. "Sirius? What's this thing you've got in store for Malfoy?"

"Oh no, Reggie. I'm not telling." Said Sirius with a smirk. Reg looked at him indignantly. "I'm your brother, you have to tell me." His younger brother looked at him pleadingly and Sirius inwardly smiled. Seventeen years and yet some things would never change. "Besides, I could definitely be of some help. I hate him as much as you do."

He contemplated whether or not to tell him and then finally decided to do so. He opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out an envelope. He held it out to Regulus who took it from him and opened it. The other man didn't say anything but raised his eyebrows and looked at Sirius after he was done reading. "I would say it's a little too harsh but then, it is Malfoy that we're talking about. He deserves every bit of it."

"So I take it that you're in?"

"Oh I'm definitely in."

The next day, Sirius and Regulus went to the ministry where they cleared up the topic of Regulus' sudden reappearance. Scrimgeour had been one of those few aurors who had known about him being a death eater. He also knew that Reg had eventually betrayed Voldemort. Scrimgeour was aware that the younger Black was currently on the good side. For the sake of it, a trial had been held after which he was granted an official pardon. If people like Malfoy and Snape could be pardoned, Regulus sure as hell deserved it.

Although Regulus hadn't completed his education at Hogwarts, he was still much more accomplished than several fully trained wizards. He was, after all, a Black. All Aurors worked in pairs but Sirius had turned down that offer, preferring to work alone. But, when Scrimgeour suggested that it would be a good idea if Regulus accompanied Sirius occasionally, he had accepted.

"I look forward to seeing you both soon." Said Scrimgeour, shaking their hands. "Great, I'll see you then." Said Sirius, after which the two of them flooed home.

Harry's eyes opened way earlier than usual and he shot out of bed. Today was the day his dad was going back to work. He knew how much Sirius had enjoyed working as an Auror and was sure that the same enjoyment would continue. He wanted to do something special for him since Sirius always did something extra nice for Harry whenever it was a special occasion.

He went downstairs and to the kitchen. He hadn't cooked in nearly a year but he wanted to do it for Sirius. "Harry Potter sir, you is not supposed to be here." He nearly jumped at the sound of the house elf, Becky. "It's alright, Becky. I'm doing it for Dad."

He thought about Sirius' favourites: pancakes with syrup, sausages, sautéed mushrooms and bacon. Time to get to work. Up till last year, cooking had been a chore, something he had been forced to do. But now, he was doing it because he wanted to.

Harry was so engrossed that he didn't notice Sirius coming into the kitchen. "Harry— what are you doing?" He looked up at his father and smiled. "Just a little something." He replied. He remembered the last time his dad had found him in the kitchen in the almost exact same way. He recalled how he had acted back then and nearly laughed at himself.

"Harry—"

"I know, I know you don't want me doing all this but I swear, I'm doing it only because I want to. You're getting back to work today. So, this is kind of a back to work present." Harry explained.

Sirius felt a rush of affection for his son. He really did have a heart of gold. "Thank you, kiddo. I can't wait to taste it. It smells delicious."

Soon, Harry was done and the food was absolutely marvellous. "It's brilliant, pup." Said Sirius. And that one line was enough for Harry. All his efforts had been worth it.

A while later, both Regulus and Sirius were ready to leave. The latter was dressed in tailored, navy blue robes with a white shirt underneath and a red tie. The sharp jawline highlighted his aristocratic carriage.

"Okay, you ready to go to Ron's? He was back last night, wasn't he?" Sirius suggested giving Harry a hug. "I'll be back in the evening. Alright?" He said as Harry grabbed the floo powder. "Okay. Good luck Dad!"

"Quite enthusiastic, isn't he?" Regulus commented when Harry was gone. "Mmhm. Now come on, we've got a mission to attend to." Said Sirius.

With a crack, the two of them apparated to the Ministry. Last year, when Sirius had just been acquitted, passers-by would look at him rather warily. Now, it was either a friendly smile, or a respectful nod. They headed towards the Auror department where Scrimgeour and some other Aurors were already present.

He recognised some of them while the others were new faces. "So are we ready?" Sirius asked. Scrimgeour chuckled slightly at that. "Never the sort to beat about the bush, are you? Yes it's all done. Welcome back, Auror Black. As for you, Regulus, I hope you enjoy working here. I trust you will not let us down."

"Absolutely not."

"Very well. So, here are the documents as per your request. Our people will accompany you, should things get... unruly. Although, given your perfect record, I'm sure it'll go just as planned." Said Scrimgeour, handing Sirius an envelope. "Undoubtedly, Rufus." Sirius replied and his lips quirked upward into a smirk. "Come, we've got a job to do and I dare say, it's well overdue."

Sirius, Regulus and the other aurors went to the many floos lined up in the department and stepped inside. Sirius took a fistful of floo power and tossed it into the green flames.

"Malfoy Manor."

I'm sure you guys are smart enough to figure out what happens in the next chapter.

Hope you liked it!