A/N: Well here is the second chapter finally! I promis I will have another up within the next week. It's been taking me longer to post chapters because I'm trying to make sure that I'm ahead of what I'm posting by a chapter, so sorry if there are some long waits :S

Chapter 2:

A man stood off in the shadows of an alley, watching people as they passed by. He didn't come across as suspicious with his casual apparel and cup of coffee he held in hand. The man looked worn from years of hardships, but there was a sense of youth about him that made him appear young.

He was probably around early 30's and was still in top shape, though one could tell he was no exercise buff. He wore a baggy light jean with a green t-shirt and converse. His stunning crystal blue eyes stood out against the green and his shaggy black hair. He looked over six-foot and one could tell that he got plenty of attention from the opposite sex.

His eyes scanned the crowd again noticing the time 3:58. They should be here by now; he knew it. Suddenly he stopped and saw a young girl standing off to the side of the front door of Flourish and Blots. She was stunning the way the sun shone off her as she stood there. Immediately, he knew she was the one he was looking for.

He contented himself with waiting till it was exactly four before heading over to where she stood. Her head moved around as she searched the crowd obviously trying to find who she was suppose to meet. He had gotten about three feet away from her when her head whipped around and her eyes locked with his. She seemed to become paralyzed and her eyes went wide in shock her face a ghostly white.

"Sirius." whispered the girl so quietly he barely caught it before her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to fall.

Quickly he stretched out his arms and caught her picking her up easily. His coffee spilled splashing out of the broken cup onto the street. Her head lolled back as he strode into Flourish and Blots and flooed to the Leaky Caldron to try and avoid prying eyes. He then aparated to his flat since it had yet to be connected to the floo network. Walking over he carefully laid her down on his couch putting a pillow behind her head and covering her with a blanket. He got a wash cloth wet and gently covered her forehead with it. Then he settled himself in a chair as he watched her waiting to wake up.

********

The corridor was dank and coated with dust. The paintings that hung from the wall had become faded over time and a film had settled on them. The air was musty and stale. She continued walking down the corridor knowing that she was suppose to get to the end, but where did it end. From what she could see there was no light, no door, only darkness that enveloped the surrounding area, crouching in on where she stood trying to swallow her as well.

She had no candle or wand with her to illuminate her path, though that didn't seem to bother her. She just kept walking, knowing that if she stopped whatever was at the end would be lost. Forever. She couldn't let that happen, couldn't give up on it. Somehow in the back of her head, she knew that if she lost it she would lose herself too and that could only end badly. Even though at the moment giving up would have been easy, would have ended the pain that tormented her very being. The pain that had left her numb and hallow.

Then it all came back to her, the reason why she was still walking down the corridor. Sirius. She had to save Sirius. Bring him back to the world, to Harry, to Remus, to the Order, to her. But she might not have to anymore. Wasn't he with her? Hadn't she found him? Then why was she still walking down the corridor? Had it all been a dream?

Something wet began to trickle down the wall and a leak in the ceiling began to drip onto her head. She looked up inspecting the leak only to get a droplet in her eye. Blinking a few times she watched as the corridor began to fade. The air cleared and her mind began to churn breaking out of the darkness. She tried to stay and figure out why she was in the corridor, but her mind was relentless and soon she was fully conscious.

********

Hermione's eyes' fluttered open assaulted by the bright light, she shut her eyes tight before blinking a few times to adjust to the sunlight that hit her face. Her mouth felt parched and had the after taste of sleep. Slowly sitting up, a wet blue cloth fell into her lap and she realized that was what the leak in her dream had been. Disoriented she looked around the room not remembering every taking herself to it she began to panic.

Throwing the blanket off her she jumped up and scanned the room when her eyes came and rested on a figure in a chair next to the couch. There was a smirk on the person's face at her reaction. That's when the memories flooded back rapidly making her remember all to quickly the events of what led up to sudden blackness.

"What happened? Where am I?" Hermione quickly questioned, taking in her surroundings, finding the quickest way to grab her wand that rested on the kitchen counter and escape. She began to run through defensive moves she knew and other street-smart tactics she had picked up over the years.

"You passed out. I brought you here so people at Diagon Alley wouldn't see. The last thing I need is to be seen at a place like St. Mungo's and then be sent off to the Ministry. This is my flat that I've recently rented." answered the man calmly seeming to find amusement in her behavior.

Hermione turned her attention back to the other occupant of the room. She studied him taking in his features. Strong build, wide shoulders, prominent jaw line framed by shaggy black hair that fell into crystal blue eyes. He was tall she guessed around 6'2 and he was clothed in a pair of dark jeans with a gray t-shirt that hung loose while still showing the muscle underneath. He looked so similar to Sirius, even around the same age as he had been when he'd fallen into the Veil, yet he wasn't Sirius.

"Who are you?" she asked suddenly curious and not so worried about her escape plan at the moment.

"I was wondering when you would ask that." he began to get out of his chair heading for the small kitchen.

Hermione stayed where she was before realizing that was where her wand was and cautiously made her way over keeping one eye on the man and the other on her wand.

"Would you like something to drink or eat perhaps. This could take awhile and I'm sure you're hungry. Go ahead and sit. I'll get it for you." the man said smiling at her as she sat on the stool where her wand was laid in front of her.

"I'll take some coffee. I'm not hungry." Hermione said as she settled herself.

He quickly got out a mug and poured coffee into it setting out cream and sugar for her so she could help herself. Hermione poured some cream keeping it mostly black.

"I believe I should introduce myself first before I begin my story,' the man sighed, "I am Regulus Black. You may know me as the youngest son of the Black household and Sirius's brother."

"But you're dead. You died when getting the locket that was one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Kreacher saw you get dragged under the surface by the Inferi." said Hermione, taking in his features. He really did look like Sirius.

"Of all the people you should know by now Hermione magic can be very helpful." replied Regulus annoyance creeping into his tone.

Hermione stared at him shocked. How could he be brought back? Kreacher couldn't have done it unless he had gotten the help of another wizard, but that was highly unlikely. How was it possible?

"See I had been planning to get that horcrux for sometime. I'd realized how wrong I had been about Voldemort, but I knew if I walked out on being a Death Eater that I would be killed before the next morning of my decision. So I tried to act as if I was still loyal, all the while planning how to obtain that object that contained a fragment of the demented man's soul. I'd been researching a way to get it without being killed in the process and finally while leafing through a book in my families library I found it. There was a spell that could duplicate yourself without duplicating your soul keeping you intact. It involved a potion and that would take a few weeks. The ingredients were not common, but luckily the Black house had plenty of dark things so obviously the potion ingredients were held there.

It took me awhile to successfully achieve the incantation. I used mice to practice on. When the potion was ready I started the process. First, I took the potion to give the duplicate of myself a personality and knowledge that I had, then I had to say the spell with a complicated wand movement creating excruciating pain to shoot through my body. It was like the Cruciatus Curse so I was use to the feel. A few minutes later the pain stopped and I felt light, as if something had left me. Looking to the side of me, I saw myself, the duplicate I had made and smiled. It had worked. The duplicate was who got killed not me.

Once I had successfully achieved the spell and quickly told the duplicate everything it needed to know I left that night. I packed a sack full of belongs and left the manor to disappear, living somewhere no one would find me and I would be safe. Since then I have lived in a secluded location keeping tabs on the wizarding world. When one day a duplicated portrait from the manor I kept on my wall, told me Sirius had died, Harry Potter was distraught and that revenge for Bellatrix plagued everyone. I knew Grimmauld Place would be abandoned soon and I would be able to go back.

Of course I would have to be careful. After all it would remain headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, but I knew those meetings would become less frequent once Voldemort was defeated. I didn't have to wait long until the time came for me to investigate the safety of the house. I apparated back and began my search through the house. Going through the belongings left, taking in the renovations that had happened while the Order used it. I came to Sirius's room and opened the door deciding to see what was left. Though to my surprise the room looked untouched. A coat of dust covered everything and I realized that no one had done anything to his room once he died.

I began to look through things. See how my brother's life had been since we had cut ties with each other. I came across a thick book battered from use. Opening it I found it empty and was about to pitch it until I saw something sticking out of the paper on the back of the cover. It was a letter telling the person how to unleash the words the book contained. Sure enough, following the directions showed the contents of the book. Words spilling out across the pages. I realized then that it was a journal my brother had kept while growing up.

I'd read it and was surprised to find myself well informed about things I hadn't known about my brother. Then I came across something at the end, a series of codes filled the rest of the book, but no matter how I tried I couldn't figure them out. So I went back through his journal and found whom I believed would be the most help. You were the person I choose. The bright and talented witch of her age, the know-it-all the bookworm. I found a computer in my brother's room; he had gotten into muggle things because of Lily, and found your email. I sent you the passage hoping that would make you show up and it did. So now here we are." finished Regulus taking a deep breath.

His face remained calm as he locked eyes with Hermione, her face showing how she was processing everything she had heard and was deliberating on what question to fire first.

"How did you get into Grimmauld Place? Dumbledore has wards on it that no one could break unless they were extremely powerful. More powerful than Dumbledore and that's so unlikely that it isn't even an option." Hermione inquired her tone, posture, expression all conveyed business.

"I am a Black. Nothing can keep me out of my own manor." replied Regulus.

"Okay, what about the spell you performed on yourself? I'm guessing it was extremely dark magic. Wouldn't something of that level be detected?" inquired Hermione.

"Not unless you're under the age of seventeen and I wasn't." Regulus stated.

Hermione eyed him carefully assessing him before deciding upon another question.

"Where did you live while everyone believed you to be dead?" Hermione asked purely interested in how a wizard could disappear so easily.

"A place in Scotland I had found and acquired so I could live there." said Regulus as if he was waiting for the one question he seemed to know she would ask.

Hermione saw his expression. He knew what she was going to ask. He was waiting patiently for her to finish her surface questions before she asked what she really wanted to know.

"How did Kreacher not notice it was a duplicate? Surely he would've known." Hermione asked finishing off the last question that just needed to be answered for her to focus on the one thing that was burned into her mind.

"The potion duplicated my personality, my knowledge, the duplicate was me." answered Regulus still waiting for the question he could see was struggling to stay unvoiced until the nessacary questions be answered.

Hermione took a deep breath. She only had one question left and it was what she had been dying to ask since she had heard him mention it in his story.

"Do you have Sirius's journal?" Hermione hadn't realized how quiet the question came out. She had barely breathed it, she was anticipating the answer knowing how easily she could hurt herself by asking it.

"Yes." was all Regulus said his voice sounding strangely to loud. The silence in the room made his answer seem to echo.

'Yes, yes, yes…he had Sirius's journal.'

Hermione felt her chest constrict making it hard for her to breath and her hands coiled around herself as if to hold herself together. Sirius wasn't back, but she could at least find out more and it oddly comforted her, almost like the journal represented himself coming back alive. Hermione looked up to meet Regulus' crystal blue eyes. The eyes of Sirius and decided to voice her next question.

"Can I have it?" she choked out her voice ragged as if she hadn't talked for a long time.

Regulus met her steady gaze with his own before answering, "Yes."

This time his voice sounded softer. Hermione could have sworn she saw sympathy in his eyes, but she ignored it. All that mattered was that she would have Sirius's journal, she would have Sirius. A small smile of thanks graced her features as she looked at Regulus and he seemed to understand. Hermione sighed realizing she could breath again.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly feeling an overwhelming hunger take her.

"Almost noon. You should probably be leaving. I'll go get you his journal." said Regulus swiftly leaving the room and coming back just as quickly.

"There was a reason why I contacted you. You're the only one who will be able to help. Can you meet me tomorrow back here around 5:30?" asked Regulus.

"Yes. Of course I couldn't forget that part of the story. Tomorrow at 5:30 then." said Hermione before grabbing her things and taking the offered journal, holding it securely to her chest and with a 'pop' was gone.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and let me know what you think and Happy New Year!