Hi there readers!

So after a long break, I'm back to writing again! Here's chapter 23, hope you like it :)

Also, I'm planning on rewriting some of this story, to flesh everything out and hopefully develop the characters a bit. I'll let you guys know about any major additions! The overall plot will be staying the same.

Read, enjoy, review :)

23. Loyalties

My thoughts were still on my nighttime stroll with Sirius the next day.

I was walking happily alongside said boyfriend to lunch when I felt Lily's thin, strong fingers tightly grip my elbow, and, bewildered, I was suddenly yanked into a nearby empty hallway.

"Go on," Lily was saying to Sirius, who was standing outside the Great Hall, looking skeptically at Lily, his hand still slightly stretched out to his side where it had—until very recently—been connected to mine. "I um… I'm on my period. Hormonal. Girl stuff. Need to talk to Adeline."

Sirius's eyes widened slightly. "Oh," he said, his eyes flickering towards my face. I rolled my eyes, silently telling him to go along. "Alright," he said, hands in his pockets now, rocking back on his heels, his cheeks slightly red. "I'll just go then."

A moment later I turned back to Lily, the both of us now alone, frowning. "Seriously, Lils?"

She rolled her eyes right back at me. "You know we need to figure out who wrote on our walls. Ignoring this problem is not going to make it go away."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. That was all I wanted though. To just be able to live my life, happily, and not deal with murder threats and death eaters and everything in-between.

But Lily had a point, as much as I hated to admit it. The fact was that my last name wasn't changing, and neither was my predicament.

"Alright," I said finally, glancing around to make sure we weren't being overheard. But everyone was eating in the Great Hall now, and we were quite alone. "But what should we do?"

"I really think you need to tell Dumbledore." Lily said immediately. "As well as Sirius."

"No." I said immediately. Telling Dumbledore would change nothing. I was already training as hard as I could, and I knew that the wise headmaster had much more pressing things to deal with.

And I simply cared about Sirius way too much to worry him. But that wasn't all… part of me was concerned about what might happen if Sirius found out. In the past few weeks, I was just starting to realize how fiercely protective of me Sirius actually was. If he found out someone was threatening me at Hogwarts… He could get the idea in his head to seek revenge against the Slytherins who were most likely responsible. I dreaded the thought that he could get expelled, or worse, hurt.

Lily seemed about to disagree, but then she sighed, probably seeing the resolve in my eyes. "Alright," she said. "then I think we need to talk to Sev."

I was about to agree with this. As much as I didn't like putting Lily through the stress of talking to her childhood-friend-turned-enemy, it wasn't like we had any leads. And Severus had been begging for Lily's forgiveness for months. It seemed logical, if anything.

But then an idea popped into my head. "You talk to Snape," I said, nodding slowly. "I know someone else who might have information."

Lily looked at me, her face clouded with concern. "Adeline…" she said, frowning. "we have to be careful about this."

"I know." I said, turning towards the Great Hall, already hatching a plan in my mind. "I will be."

I sat in the Great Hall that night during dinner, with no appetite. The last Quiditch match of the year, Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor, was now less than two days away. Lily had left a few minutes earlier, telling the boys she was headed for the library to catch up on some studying. A statement no one questioned, although I knew that she was really about to corner Severus and demand some answers.

So now I sat silently beside Sirius, who was chatting animatedly with James about strategies for the upcoming match.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I caught the eye of Regulus Black.

He was sitting in the middle of the Slytherin table, surrounded by his housemates, clearly the leader of their little group, judging by the way he seemed to be the center of attention, the one with all the admirers.

I breathed a sigh of relief when he gave a minute nod, an indication that he'd received the message I'd sent him earlier in the day and was willing to talk to me.

A split second later we both broke eye contact, and he went back to talking with the other Slytherins.

I stood. "I think I'll go up for the night," I said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear as I climbed off of the bench. "Read in the common room or something. I'm a bit tired."

Sirius looked up from his intense conversation with James, a frown on his face. "Are you sure, honey?"

"Yeah," I said, kissing his cheek. "See you in a bit."

I walked quickly out of the hall, not even glancing over at the Slytherin table, praying that Regulus would follow me. Despite my confidence, I really had no idea whether or not he would help me. But I had a feeling that maybe, just maybe…

I walked out of the Great Hall and leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed. The cold stone behind me felt good, and I took a deep breath. Better.

Just then, the big door opened again, and Regulus stepped out. I looked up, seeing him up close for the first time in over five years.

He was tall—not quite as tall as Sirius, but still, 6 feet at least—and had broad shoulders. His face was handsome, like his brother's. But his eyes were dark, not sparkling with laughter and happiness like the Black I knew so well. He looked a little sadder, a little more world-weary.

His hair was curlier than Sirius's, and lighter, more russet colored. He ran one long-fingered hand through it as he faced me, looking at me questioningly.

I didn't say anything, instead walking over to the unused corridor Lily and I had spoken in earlier that day. After glancing around to make sure we were alone, I turned, leaning against the wall, and faced the younger Black.

"I never got to thank you for sending word to Sirius over the winter holidays…" I started, glancing up cautiously. "you saved my life. Thank you."

He just looked at me for a second. A little sadly, a little guardedly. He really did look so much like Sirius. It was a striking resemblance, even for brothers.

Finally he nodded, leaning against the opposite wall, his arms folded across his broad chest. "You're welcome," he replied, his voice deep and a little dead-pan. Nothing like Sirius's.

I decided to delve a little deeper. I took a steadying breath and looked him straight in the eye. "Why'd you do it?"

The silence hung between us for a long time. Regulus blinked a few times, then looked at the ground, as if he was choosing his words carefully. After a minute or two, he glanced back up at me. His eyes had lost that guarded look, and now he watched me with a curious expression. Sad, scared, angry, but not unkind. I didn't look away as he spoke.

"The same reason I'm talking to you now." He said, shrugging. "You, Sirius, and I played together as kids. I liked you. You were sweet." He paused, biting his lip slightly. It was such a boyish thing to do, and it immediately struck me that he was only sixteen. A death eater at sixteen. "And…" he ran another hand through his hair. "I knew you were with my brother. I knew you were…" he swallowed, "on his side." A pause. "What I think, is that everyone should get to choose their own side in this war. Everyone needs a choice."

He said this almost bitterly. When he glanced up and we locked eyes, his gaze went from angry to resigned in a matter of seconds. There was a pause before he said. "Anyway, Jeanette Lowry drew the mark. I know that's the main reason you're talking to me."

It took me a moment to process that. Jeanette? Despite what I knew about her heritage, she was still the last person I had been expecting. I felt my heart sink and my temper rise. "Why the hell would—?" I started to say, my voice growing in volume.

He cut me off quickly, glancing around to make sure no one had heard my outburst. "The dark lord knows she exists. He always knew, apparently. He wants to see if she's useful. She's an extremely capable witch. Almost as good as you and Evans. She could make a good addition to his ranks, but he wants to find out if she can do what she's told." They way he said it, a slight grimace on his face, made me think the words probably weren't his.

"So you're intimidating her into doing the Dark Lord's bidding? Testing her out?" I said, shaking my head. "That's sick."

His shoulders rose, a bit defensively, and he opened his mouth as if he was about to support his lord's orders. But then he sighed, glancing down at the ground. "I know," he said softly.

We were both silent for a long time. I watched Regulus, as he leaned against the opposite wall, eyes closed, a resigned look on his face. Finally, he pushed himself off the wall. "I've got to go. I've betrayed my side enough already. I just thought… I don't know. It doesn't matter. Bye Addy."

The use of that nickname from my childhood struck a chord within me. I reached out, grabbing his arm, wanting to thank him for helping me, for saving my life, for everything. He stopped, turning to me. "Regulus," I said sincerely. "Thank you. I… I think if we had been on the same side, we would have been friends."

He looked at me, sadly. Again, his resemblance to Sirius was uncanny. "I think so too." he said.

That was when I heard the footsteps.

"Addy, there you are! You forgot your—"

I cringed, releasing Regulus's arm and turning to face Sirius, my old black leather messenger bag in one of his hands, standing frozen at the end of the corridor.

"—bag." he finished, his eyes flickering between me, my hand, and his brother. "What the hell is going on?"

Regulus sighed, glanced at me one final time, and left, walking past Sirius without a word.

"Hey," I said, walking forward and taking my bag out of his hands, silently cursing myself for being so indescribably stupid. Sirius had probably noticed that I had left to read in the common room without bringing any of my books along. I'm an idiot. And he's just a terribly caring person, whom I tried to lie to.

"Hi," he said, his voice a little hollow. He was looking down at me, his eyes confused and uncertain and maybe even a bit hurt. "Why were you in a deserted corridor with my brother?"

I sighed. Time to explain. Obviously, I lacked the ability and the willpower and the desire to lie to Sirius any longer.

"It's a long story." I told him, running a hand through my hair. "Come on."