I'm sorry it took me relatively long to update but I have been soooo busy lately. Big projects, tests, PSATs, etc, I'm sure you go through the same thing. Anyway, this chapter's a little long for my taste but I didn't know how I could shorten it. I guess I could make it into 2 chapters some day. I hope you enjoy it then.

After a lengthy silence, Regulus began again, starting from the very beginning. "I'm sorry about what happened when we were younger, Sirius, I really am. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like I did. But I wanted Mother to love me, and over time, I got used to being – that way."

He'd been about to say "the favorite" but caught himself just in time. His eyes slowly traced the room, inch by inch, though he himself did not see the same Great Hall as his brother. What he saw was an eerie cavern.

"I knew it was wrong of me to use you like I did but over time, I guess I just shoved that thought from my mind. And then you left for Hogwarts and got sorted into Gryffindor. I don't think even you know the shock you threw Mother in. She kept telling me how important it was to be in Slytherin, how not to disappoint her..."

Never more than at this moment, when everything was beyond repair, had he wished to have both: his brother and the rest of his family all at once. He regretted the abominable things he had done in his lifetime, and yet, were he to live all over again, he still was not certain of whom he would choose if he were to make that fateful choice between Sirius and Mother. But maybe if he'd been a real brother to Sirius, it would never have led so far to a screaming match that resulted in Sirius's running away. If he had chosen his words more carefully when Sirius had been about to leave, might his brother have stayed? But it was too late now, and Regulus wondered how many others in the world had done something in their own past they now most heartily regretted.

He sighed, turning his eyes to the line of witches and wizards who had so recently died, those who seemed so effortlessly moving towards the afterlife, with nothing to weigh them down. But there were other figures wrapped within the mist, standing apart, and speaking to each other. Some seemed angry, others regretful or scared. And he knew immediately that they were attempting the same exact thing: to piece together what had been broken on earth.

"And?" Sirius interrupted his thoughts, prodding for his younger brother to go on.

Regulus smiled inwardly. Sirius never was one for patience. Now that his brother had agreed to listen and the hostility dropped, it was easier than he'd expected to go on.

"As you know, I did get into that house. You remember?" They both knew that they were thinking the exact same thing: Regulus's sorting into Slytherin.

To Regulus's memory, it was so clear it could very well have been yesterday. And though Sirius would never have admitted it, that same recollection- the same excruciating wait- had haunted him even in Azkaban. It had been a distinct landmark of the two brothers' drifting apart.

Regulus had walked slowly and hesitantly towards the tattered hat. He was terrified of disappointing Mother and Father and all the rest of his relatives. Of being condemned to a lesser house full of mudbloods and blood traitors, no matter what Sirius had said. Slytherin was the one and only path.

Regulus held his breath as he gently placed the Sorting Hat on his head, fingers trembling violently as he did so.

"Please put me in Slytherin." He thought over and over in his head. To his surprise, the hat spoke back. Regulus started at the voice.

"Slytherin? Ahh, you're another Black I see. But are you sure about that? Your brother's in Gryffindor. He asked the same thing at his sorting, but then again, he didn't say 'please' as you did. Still, from what I gather stuck in the headmaster's office, he's doing well enough in Gryffindor. A little too well, rather."

"NO. I don't want to be like him! I want Slytherin!" Regulus was scared now, very scared.

"Hmm, interesting, you have such a variety of traits, from clever, to cunning, to ambitious. Ahh, but you're loyal, and so very brave too. From what I can see, it'll all depend on your choices."

"Slytherin, please Slytherin." Regulus pleaded silently to the hat.

"Why ever is that house so popular these days? But perhaps it is just a phase. Even a muggle-born asked me to put her in that house 2 years back. And that same year, after arguing for ages, I finally let a half-blood slip through. It's only the second time I've ever done that in all Hogwart's history."

"Our bloodline's been pure for centuries. Please put me there." Regulus thought desperately.

"Oh, very well then, if you're sure." The hat seemed to give a little sigh. " SLYTHERIN." The hat shouted, and the students in his new house began to applaud loudly. His cousin Narcissa was beaming with pride, a change from her usually cool demeanor.

Regulus thought his legs had turned to jello with relief. But there was a slight unease in his mind as he snuck a glance towards his older brother. Sirius seemed to be concentrating a little too intently on the next student being sorted, his face rigid and inscrutable. But as Regulus turned away, he could have sworn his brother glanced back. Quickly, Regulus pushed any unwanted thoughts away before proudly joining his new cheering table.

For the next few years, he and his brother's relationship was almost non-existent. They didn't speak or even acknowledge each other in the halls (except perhaps that both quickly looked away if their eyes accidentally met). There had been times when Regulus had wanted to speak to his brother. But he never did.

"Yeah. I remember." Sirius replied in a low voice. "It took a long time deciding."

"I begged it to put me in Slytherin. It told me it would all depend on my choices." Maybe it was too soon to decide.

"I see." Sirius replied. They both fell silent.

Regulus felt inclined to continue. "The day you – left."

Sirius tensed, but did not interrupt.

"I'm sorry about the things I said. About your friends. I thought – Well, I was wrong."

Still, Sirius made no reply.

"I didn't want you to leave." Regulus finally said softly.

Sirius didn't want to meet his brother's eyes. Nor did he want to stay on this subject, a subject he wished so much to forget. He could tell by the voice that it was the truth. He had never thought that Regulus might have wanted him to stay. He'd been in such a blind fury at the time. And yet, everything said and done that day was still so clearly etched in his mind, perhaps because that scene played over and over again throughout those 12 years in Azkaban. His mother had pressured him to join Lord Voldemort. His brother had insulted his friends. His father hadn't even bothered emerging from his office. And then Sirius stormed out. But his brother had not wanted him to leave? Was that why Reg had come up to "talk" to him when he usually tried not to get involved?

Sirius didn't want to think of this now. So he shifted to a different, but no lighter, subject.

"Death Eaters." Sirius prompted, face dark as he waited for his brother's reply. He wasn't sure how his brother could defend himself on this matter, but he had agreed to listen, and so he would.

Regulus flinched, not expecting this matter to come so abruptly. He'd had years to come to terms with what he had done, but he still felt a stab of pain to think of them. He still wasn't sure that final act was enough to atone for everything else.

He too, sat down and took a deep breath. "I didn't expect to do – those things."

"I thought you clipped every article involving them." Sirius carefully kept his voice emotionless. He was quite impressed at himself for this feat.

"I did. But there's a difference when you're really out there doing it." He paused for a moment, and then burst out, "I was 16 at the time, Sirius! I didn't understand – what I was getting myself into. Mother and Father were so proud when I told them. I thought it'd be – fun, glorious. I didn't know what it would really be like to – to hurt people."

"So you deserted and they killed you." Sirius said, voice still impassive.

The younger brother's face constricted for a moment. "No. It was Kreacher who finally disillusioned me."

"WHAT?" Sirius sputtered, utterly shocked and discomposed. "It's because of that foul little house elf that I'm here!"

Now, there was anger present on Regulus's features. His brother's disdainful treatment of Kreacher had always irritated him. Regulus had loved that house elf, who had always been loyal and good to him and the family. The house elf was part of the family.

But to Sirius, Kreacher was just a scapegoat for everything wrong between him and the rest of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. A living reminder of a home he hated. He was about as willing to befriend that house elf as he was to befriend Severus Snape. Ironically, neither were as evil as Sirius had painted them in his mind.

"If you'd ever made any effort at all with Kreacher, he wouldn't have sold you out. He's been alone for such a long time and was starving for a bit of affection. You could have been kinder to him." Regulus said fiercely, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"Yeah, because he was always ever so kind to me." Sirius replied sarcastically.

"He's forced to obey you! His beliefs are going to reflect those who are kind to him. Why can't you take the first step for once?"

"This coming from the man who went and joined Lord Voldemort." Almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth, Sirius was sorry he spoke. He went on more gently, "I'm sorry, Reg. Tell me what happened with Kreacher first."

At this, the younger brother unfroze; he hadn't heard his brother call him that for ages. His figure relaxed a little, and said, "You're right. I'd better tell you what happened." Regulus paused again. "The Dark Lord, he made these things in which he stored parts of his soul. Horcruxes, they're called. They're about the most evil things on this planet. I didn't know at the time. He needed a place to store that Horcrux, and he requested a house elf. I volunteered Kreacher."

Regulus stopped talking for a moment. "It was the biggest mistake I've ever made, next to joining the Death Eaters. When Kreacher returned, he was nearly dying. He told me how the – the Dark Lord forced him to drink from a bowl, how he heard and saw – things, terrible things."

"Like dementors? Boggarts?" Sirius inquired softly. He may have despised that house elf, but even he could feel some sympathy for Kreacher.

"Way worse. He put a locket in the bowl when Kreacher was done drinking. That was the horcrux. I think it was meant to be a secret. I doubt the Dark Lord even knew that Kreacher survived. He probably underestimated the power of house elves. That they can do things the Dark Lord himself can't. Either way, Kreacher only returned because I ordered him to beforehand. After he told me what happened, I ordered him never to tell that to anyone else, to protect him, see? That was when I saw what I'd done." Regulus shook his head, as though trying to shake out those thoughts.

"How'd you find about the horcrux?" Sirius asked, curious.

"He let slip some things when he called us together and I researched them after Kreacher's – ordeal. As long as that other piece of his soul exists, he cannot die." Regulus replied wearily.

"What? Dumbledore never said anything in the Order meetings! Are you saying that Voldemort's immortal?" Something clicked for a moment. Sirius blinked. "So that's how he came back last year. Does that mean there's no chance of getting rid of him?"

"It's possible to destroy them I believe, if you have something powerful enough."

"So what did you do when you found out about them?" Sirius asked, worried. He knew this was probably futile – after all, he was dead and it's not like you can be of any use to the living world when you're not even there, but there's always a strange bit of comfort when you know what happened, or what will happen. It's rather like taking a test that you know you did terribly on, with a grade you by no means want to confirm, and yet, you still rush over to view your score as soon as it's posted.

"I wasn't sure at first. But it gave everything a whole new perspective. And just a few weeks later, the Dark Lord gave me another task."

Regulus felt the Dark Mark burn on his arm, and knew his master was calling them. It disgusted him, after what had been done to Kreacher, after learning about those horrid horcruxes, but he had no choice. It was a lifetime of service or death. And so, he immediately apparated to meet the Dark Lord. They went through the normal proceedings; he handed Bellatrix and some others a task to murder the Prewetts, he told two others to spy on the Order of the Phoenix, and then dismissed everyone, but told Regulus to stay.

Slowly, he began speaking. "Regulus, you're a very talented Death Eater. You've served so loyally for over a year, and you are barely out of school. And thank you for volunteering your house elf, he has offered me great help."

Regulus didn't speak, averting his master's eyes, for fear his thoughts would be seen. He was accomplished at Legilimency but at times like this, even he wasn't sure.

"But I was wondering if you might do me a little favor. You see, that brother of yours Sirius Black has proved quite a pest lately. Rather like an annoying fly, as a member of the Order. Perhaps you could dispose of him?" The Dark Lord gave a high, cruel laugh.

Regulus held his breath, afraid to speak for fear his voice would shake.

"So what do you say, Black? Are you willing to murder your own brother?" A faint trace of amusement remained in the Dark Lord's tone. But this wasn't a request, for the Dark Lord never requests. This was an order. Regulus was either to do it or die trying.

Regulus breathed deeply for a second, trying to gain control of himself. Every part of his body felt cold, and he could barely stop trembling. Where was the Slytherin side, the side that knew precisely how to act and what to say for the best advantage? As calm and at the same time, as resolute as water. He willed himself to calm down and say what was expected of a Death Eater. What must be said. "Of course my lord. I will dispose of whomever you'd like."

"Good. Try not to take too long at it." And at that, the Dark Lord dismissed him.

During that brief moment, everything tangled up in his head suddenly cleared. He had been debating with himself for days, telling himself to think he had no choice. But he did have a choice, and he knew what he must do. For Kreacher, for all of the Dark Lord's victims', and for his brother. He could no longer join the Death Eaters on their hunt for power.

"What task?" Sirius asked, somewhat wary.

"To kill you." Regulus replied looking straight into his brother's eyes.

Sirius did not react at those words, just as he did not react when he at last realized he was dead. "Oh. So did you agree?" He may as well have been asking about a job offer. But the last few words sounded tighter than usual, his face a little too guarded.

"What do you think, Sirius?"

"So that's why you backed out?" Sirius asked, now whispering and looking horrified. The details were clearing up; he did not like them, especially that he'd been part of the cause of his brother's death.

"No. You see, I knew about the Horcruxes from what Kreacher had told me, and from those subtle hints he dropped when he called us over. I couldn't just let him continue forever, not with that knowledge. And I knew the relative location of where he stored that horcrux, how to get there, take it, and so forth…" At this, Regulus stopped. There was a crease on his forehead as he related all this to his brother.

Sirius used this pause for all the information to really sink in. Only, it sank in a little too deep. "So you – you tried to take the Horcrux? What happened?"

"Well, I had Kreacher take me to the cave. We rowed over on the lake, there were Inferi on the bottom, and then we approached the basin where the Horcrux was held."

"And…" Sirius pressed on, wishing his brother would talk faster. Damn his brother – why couldn't he speed up? Regulus didn't get the hint, but continued slowly with his tale, little by little, as though it were a recipe, or an instruction booklet where you move haltingly, one step, and then the next. There was a distant glaze in his eyes, as though he were seeing his last journey all over again in his memory.

"The basin was filled with some sort of liquid, and I prodded with it for a bit. Nothing happened…"

Everything had an air of foreboding, even the atmosphere itself, as Regulus let his eyes stray towards the basin. He'd imagined it hundreds of times for the past few days; it would be the cause of his death, and a painful one at that. What would it look like? What color would the liquid be? What kind of images would he end up seeing? Now seeing it, none of it mattered. Kreacher had been trembling the entire time, begging Regulus to reconsider, but the latter barely heard, but instead felt this odd numbness – almost a wash of calm, as though he were fulfilling his last duty as a Death Eater. To rid the world of his master.

Of course, this duty would hurt people too. His mother would wonder why he never came home tonight, and she didn't need more worries. Her eldest son had left the family, her husband so recently died, and now her youngest, most beloved son would go too. But he could not bring himself to write her a note; that would make things ever so much more difficult. Nor could he bring himself to send word to Narcissa, his favorite cousin, or even to Sirius, who may at last forgive him. No, it would be better if no one knows. For the family's protection, and that of the honored name of Black.

But he would let the Dark Lord know, just for vanity's sake, that one of his own servant's had discovered his most guarded secret. And that said servant would use it against him, and destroy it, for the good of the wizarding world.

"Kreacher, will you hand me a pen and a piece of paper?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of the stone basin.

Kreacher quickly obliged. And Regulus, with some thought, wrote a succinct note for the Dark Lord to read the next time he came to check on his prized horcrux. He would be dead by then, probably an Inferi, but the horcrux would be gone. That was the important thing.

When he finished, Regulus gave his house elf his last orders. "Kreacher – I want you to destroy that horcrux as soon as you get home. Do not tell anyone what happened to me, understand? Not even Mother. You must destroy that locket as soon as you can. Feed me the liquid no matter how I might plead or order you otherwise and then apparate out. Leave my body here, promise me that, all right?"

Kreacher was sobbing, begging to drink that liquid instead, but Regulus would not let him. He had to fix everything, and for that to happen, he must die. This would be the hardest form of death, this cold-blooded reception of the most agonizing torture the Dark Lord can imagine – which is saying something. And he would not be able to say goodbye, to ask for forgiveness and reconciliation, but he would do it anyway. Perhaps in the afterlife, he could elucidate everything to everyone. He wondered how they would react. What would they have heard for the cause of his demise? That he had been too cowardly to complete the last task? That he was an example for the next Death Eater who did not obey the Dark Lord? What did it matter? The horcrux would be destroyed. The Dark Lord will fall. That was all he cared about.

"Well Kreacher, I'm ready. Let's drink to my death."

Disturbance was evident in every feature on Sirius's face. "You didn't make Kreacher drink it, did you?" He knew the answer before he even asked. His brother, whatever his faults, would never do something like that. "No, of course not – you made Kreacher feed it to you, right?"

Regulus nodded, still lost in thought.

Strange really –Sirius had always thought his brother a spineless idiot. But in the end, he thought, his brother was the braver of the two.

He went over to Regulus, and hugged him like a brother. Funny. They really were brothers. But they were speaking in the realm between life and death, so only the gesture made its way through. Regulus was pleased nonetheless.

Sirius wanted very much to ask his brother what he had seen after drinking the liquid, but refrained from it for the sake of Regulus's feelings; death had certainly given him some newfound maturity and sensitivity.

Looking up at the sudden brightness, Regulus said gently, "I think its time to move on, Sirius."

Sirius smiled, that haunted look of Azkaban at last fading from his eyes. "I think you're right."

And so, the two brothers finally reconciled and could at long last rest in peace. In their happy world of lies, where the Dark Lord's horcrux was destroyed by Kreacher, and where Harry was perfectly safe, and with the hope that Lord Voldemort will quickly join them in the Land of the Dead.

By the way, Regulus knows there were more than one horcrux because LV returned to life after Harry. He still believes Kreacher destroyed the locket though. Anyway, please review. If you think I should fix anything, don't hesitate to say so in the review.