Chapter Nine

Here comes the sun

And I say…it's alright…

It's alright…

Sirius finished strumming the guitar as Ginny finished singing.

"Not bad!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Thanks," Ginny proudly said.

Sirius set his guitar to the side and pocketed the video camera.

Ginny thoughtfully stroked Buckbeak's feathers.

"I told you singing would help," Sirius happily said, "James and I sung all the time. We once made a bet to see who could sing the longest. It ended when Professor McGonagall placed a silencing charm on us. 'Wouldn't remove it for a week."

Ginny chuckled and continued to pet Buckbeak.

"Alright?" Sirius asked.

She hesitated.

Should she ask…?

"Sirius," Ginny spoke up, "You know how you said that you'd answer any question?"

"Mmhm."

Ginny hesitated before asking, "Who was Regulus?"

She had seen the name on the tapestry.

Sirius' head shot up.

He stared at her for a moment before quietly saying, "Any question but that."

"Right," Ginny quickly said, "I…I'm sorry…I…really…I'm sorry."

She ducked her head and shamefacedly walked away.

"He was my brother."

She paused and glanced over her shoulder.

Sirius was looking solemn.

Ginny hesitated before whispering, "W…was?"

"He's…gone."

"I'm sorry," Ginny immediately said.

He nodded and muttered, "Reg was a year younger than I was. But emotionally…he was…he was pretty immature. I sort of grew up for the both of us, you know?"

He sat on the floor and Ginny joined him.

"Our family," Sirius explained, "Our family was terrible."

"I sort of got that from the portrait downstairs," Ginny admitted.

Sirius let out a hollow laugh and said, "Yeah…Mummy Dearest never really had an inside voice. Daddy Dearest was just as bad. He didn't yell, mind you. He got all quiet and spoke in a growl. They were…they were terrible…terrible…people who did…terrible things."

He shuddered and continued, "And they believed in terrible things. Voldemort was just beginning to rise when we were children. The way they talked about him…they were never Death Eaters…they were too cowardly…but they spoke highly of him. I always hated it. I never agreed with their values, even as a child. I suppose that I was the black sheep of the family."

Ginny laughed and he went on, "I wish that I could say the same for Reg. He wanted nothing more to make our parents proud. It's funny…I was obviously a bit of a troublemaker when I was younger and so was he…but I always took the blame…willingly…I didn't want him to get punished…even when he was the only one doing something wrong…I took the blame. And I think that our parents thought that he was the golden child or something. They started driving us apart; saying that I was a bad influence. But despite their best efforts, Reg and I were still close. That is…until I went to Hogwarts."

He sighed and it was a moment before he said, "I got sorted into Gryffindor; the first person to do so from our family. My parents sent me Howler after Howler. But I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was free from my family. And I had friends!"

"The Marauders," Ginny knowingly said.

Sirius nodded and continued, "They became my brothers. The irony is that my relationship with my own brother was straining. Mummy and Daddy Dearest had gotten to him when I was away. By the time he entered his first year, he was a proud little Slytherin. We still cared for each other but we weren't as close."

He sighed again and muttered, "And the rest is history. I had enough courage to run away from home when I was sixteen. Regulus joined the Death Eaters when he was sixteen. I occasionally saw him on the battlefield. I still tried to protect him. 'Drove Moody and the others mad because I would never hex him. But to be fair, he never hexed me. And then…"

His face fell and he croaked, "Moody and James came to my house. They told me that…that he…he…he was only eighteen…"

"I'm so sorry, Sirius," Ginny whispered.

"I loved him," Sirius abruptly said, "Despite everything…despite his thick head…I still loved him. I still love him."

Ginny didn't know what to say.

"It's funny," Sirius mumbled, "I spent a good chunk of my life trying to protect him. But in the end…"

He sadly shook his head and whispered, "I suppose that I have a track history of that, eh?"

"Of…of what?"

"Failing to protect my brothers…"