Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Harry Potter.

Note: Aerial here. So, what do you think? It's been a really long time since I've even thought of this story with life getting in the way. And also, the deities that were featured in the prologue are actually very vital to another fic that I've been working on for a very very long time. No, it's not Standing up, but something different.

Another thing is that the changes that are applied are minor from before. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Chapter 2: Brothers

It was barely noticeable, but the subtle change between the Black brothers relationship was becoming more apparent to Sirius.

As days passed, Sirius started to notice his brother in a way he hadn't before. He paid attention when Regulus was in his line of sight and began to subconsciously seek him out whenever he could, just to observe him. When he couldn't do either of this, his thoughts flitted over the younger boy's wellbeing, wondering at times what he was doing at the moment.

These thoughts were completely new to him and always made him pause in whatever he was doing when he caught himself thinking along those lines. It was confusing because he half wanted to dismiss the interaction with Regulus altogether, and half wanted to just go up to him and simply talk with him. He had thoroughly enjoyed regaling Regulus with stories while sitting by him with an air of peace between them. More than anything, he wanted to get to know him.

And that wanting need absolutely terrified him.

Regulus seemed to be just as unsure around him as he kept trying to leave the room every time he was in it. For some reason, Sirius always felt an annoying pang in his chest every time he did that, much to his frustration.

They had ignored each other their whole lives, and suddenly, that option wasn't possible anymore.

The tense discomfort was heavy to Sirius, and he wished fervently that it would dissipate soon. It had been so much easier when they had been indifferent to one another.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending how one looked at it, the silence didn't last for long.

After a week of not talking to each other, it was surprisingly Regulus who made the first move.

Sirius had been in his room sitting on his bed reading a book, when he heard feet shuffling toward his closed door. He quickly hid the book under his pillow right before the door opened, thinking it was his mother. He was completely caught off guard to see grey eyes peering at him through the crack of the open door instead.

Regulus shifted his feet at Sirius's staring and still stood awkwardly by the entrance. "Is it-Is it alright if I come in?" he asked self-consciously. The question snapped Sirius out of his stupor as he swallowed and gave an unconvincing smile.

"Uh, sure. Come in." he replied, head whirling as he tried to figure out a reason why his brother had come. Regulus hesitated for a second before he entered, cautiously stepping towards him as if approaching a sleeping dragon.

When Regulus stood right in front of him, a bit above eye level since he was still sitting down, he kept glancing away, eyes darting at anywhere but him. Sirius thinks he's never seen his usually composed brother so nervous in his life.

Minutes passed as the brothers didn't move or speak, both a bit lost on what to say. When the tense atmosphere finally got to him, Sirius decided to take the initiative.

"So, why are you here?" he didn't mean to sound rude, but it really was strange for his brother to have visited him. He doesn't think his brother had ever voluntarily come to him, other than to deliver messages from mother. And that was with a closed door between them.

The question seemed to make the younger boy squirm even further before he finally spoke. "I wanted to say thank you," he admitted. "for helping me."

"Thank me?" Sirius couldn't help but blurt out.

Regulus nodded.

"Yes. I doubt I could've memorized everything so quickly. You were... very helpful."

To say Sirius was surprised was an understatement. Perfect son Regulus admitting he couldn't do something? This was the last thing he expected.

He ignored the warmth he felt at the words and wanted to prod Regulus to know his intentions but stayed silent. This was probably not easy for the younger boy.

He swallowed.

"Well, thank you. And you're welcome." He added.

Regulus nodded again and turned, looking like he was just about to leave when he paused, his gaze landing on Sirius's pillow. His brows furrowed and he turned to look at him with questioning eyes.

"Why do you have a book under your pillow?"

Sirius snapped his head toward the object and wanted to curse with his limited vocabulary on swear words when he saw a corner of the book not hidden. He wanted to lie or tell him it was none of his business, but one look at Regulus's curious expression made him deflate.

With a sigh, he took the book under the pillow out and held it out to Regulus for him to see. The younger boy raised an eyebrow at the title before recognition glinted knowingly in his young eyes.

"This is a muggles book." He pointed out. Sirius nodded.

"It's called A Wrinkle in Time. I managed to buy it from a second hand bookshop in Diagon Alley with my pocket money." he snorted. "I swear, one can find anything in that maze of a marketplace."

When he had first bought the book, he had been confused by some of the muggle terms it had used, making it somewhat difficult to read. Sirius had been persistent though, and had bought a muggles dictionary in the wizarding version, quickly memorizing many of the definitions and words that were frequently used. It had taken a long time, but had been totally worth it in the end.

If Sirius didn't know any better, he would've thought he saw a gleam of interest in his younger brother's eyes as he looked at the book.

"What's it about?" Regulus asked neutrally. Sirius blinked.

"Are you interested?"

Regulus shook his head. "No, just... curious."

Sirius couldn't help but smile at the blatant lie, but didn't comment any further on it. "It's a fiction story about what muggles think about time travel. It's really interesting to see their point of view on the issue when they don't have any idea it's already possible with magic, limited as it is."

Regulus nodded, the interest on his face rising. Sirius wondered if his younger brother knew how easy he was to read at that moment. After a split second decision, Sirius gently poked the book on to the boy's shoulder, making him frown. Sirius grinned.

"Do you want to read it?"

His head moved to look at him so fast, that Sirius worried for a moment that he might've snapped his neck. Regulus blinked, looking stunned.

"B-But it's yours!" the poor boy stuttered. Sirius slightly snickered at the hitch, causing the boy to scowl. He waved a hand in a dismissive manner.

"It's fine. I already have another book I could read, so don't worry." He said assuredly.

Okay, he was lying. But how could he turn down that look of longing on his little brother's face? It would be just cruel of him if he didn't. And it was entirely worth seeing the younger boy's face lighten up when he said this.

Carefully, the younger brother took the book from his hand, brushing the cover as he stared at the title with some excitement. Sirius was almost sure that the book would be read cover to cover soon, given by the impatient twitch of the other boy's fingers. The sight made Sirius's grin soften. He never knew his brother would be the type who would want to read a muggles book. Maybe he wasn't a puppet to the Blacks after all.

Sirius let Regulus admire the book for a moment before he finally cleared his throat, catching the younger boy's attention. "Well, I don't think I need to tell you that you can't let anyone know you have that, especially mother." he shivered at the very thought and could vividly imagine her face twisting as she screams. "So make sure to hide it and be careful. You know how Kreacher can get sometimes."

"Kreacher isn't that bad."

"Not as bad as mother, true." he agreed. "But he can be pretty nosy sometimes. Just a warning."

Regulus nodded. He turned around, deftly hiding the small book under his shirt, and turned to leave. He stopped at the entrance and glanced at Sirius at the corner of his eye.

"Thank you brother. I'll... enjoy it thoroughly." with that, he left.

Sirius stared at the open door for a few seconds before sighing and flopping himself on the bed on his back. He grinned manically at the ceiling, feeling light.

This change may not be so bad.

-A-

Life went on as usual. His mother still lectured him on how all mudbloods deserved to die and that Voldemort was doing the wizarding world a 'favor' by starting this pureblood riot.

Sirius didn't even try to point out how many wizards have also been killed, pureblood or not. It would only instigate more yelling.

His father seemed to be gone most of the times due to business, and his cousins haven't visited since the last dinner party. He felt a little lonely because of it, since they were the only kids his age that he could ever interact with. Heaven forbid he goes outside and befriend the muggle neighbors.

The only highlight these days was the growing bond he had with his brother.

After the 'book incident', as Sirius dubbed it, they became much closer than before.

Much to Sirius's amusement, after only one week did Regulus come back to his room to give the book back. After he read and reread it again.

Sirius had asked his opinion on it, and was given a full out analysis from the younger boy on how 'fascinating muggle thinking was', which earned a hearty laugh from himself. Things took off from there as they discussed the story and the characters, pointing out flaws and the connections in the plot. It was the most fun he had in a long time and he had been incredibly thrilled. Judging from the small smile on Regulus's face, the younger boy had thought so too.

Unlike his cousins, they never would've been able to talk like this, or even have the ability to discuss ideas like he did with the younger boy. In many ways, though Regulus was second to youngest next to Narcissa, he was a lot more intelligent than any of the sisters. And they never would have the gall to read muggle books and history.

After the first book, a system formed for the brothers. Sirius would find a new book at the bookstore when he could and smuggle muggle novels like Harriet Tubman in the Underground Railroad. (Regulus had joked on the similarity after reading a muggles history textbook Sirius bought at one point. It was a pain to hide, but was worth it.)

Sirius was now the proud collector of Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol,and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And those were only the books he bought in two months.

Regulus, he discovered, was very different from what Sirius had perceived him. He had a surprising dry wit and was much more mature than most kids his age. Once the awkwardness went away, his brother had no qualms when it came to bantering with him. Sirius usually made fun of Regulus's perfectionist attitude while Regulus made fun of his tendency to jump at things without thinking.

That trait came up when Kreacher, a stray cat, and a muggle's water hose got involved one time. Needless to say, he knew after that he was never going to live it down. Regulus continually reminded him of it many times, eyes twinkling in mirth as he did.

If it weren't for the fact he was his brother, Sirius definitely would have socked him every time he brought it up.

Months passed by quickly as the brothers became almost inseparable during that time. More books, more conversations, and more of everything that they had missed for five years happened, making Sirius happier than he had been in his short life.

All in all, life was definitely looking up.

-A-

It was eight months after the brothers had formed their new found relationship when their mother decided to bring both brothers to Diagon Alley.

The two of them were understandably excited, seeing how they saw this as a chance to get more books. And maybe find a shrinkable chest if possible. The books that were hiding under the floorboards in Sirius's room was slowly running out of room. Besides, it would make things easier for hiding things away from prying eyes.

So on that Saturday afternoon, the two travelled to Diagon Alley via by floo and immediately separated when they got there. Their routine setup was to have Sirius run off and quickly buy a book, while Regulus stayed with his mother in order to keep her company and devoid her of suspicion. She didn't really care when Sirius ran off, but that wasn't the case for her 'sweet, precious son.'

Every time she said that, Sirius wanted to demand why she would yell and hit him then if he was so 'precious.'

So as planned, Sirius bee lined toward the bookstore and nearly tripped a couple of times due to his hurriedness. By the time he reached the establishment, his seven year old body was wheezing, his cheeks flushed.

He welcomed the savoring warmth. It was in the beginning of February and sweating was better than freezing in his opinion. After regaining his wits a bit, he finally went in the store, looking forward to the prospect of a new book.

The place didn't look impressive on the outside, as it was a rather small, out of the way place that not many people went to. The place had almost every fiction and nonfiction book one could imagine, though most of them were muggle reading material, which suited the Blacks just fine.

The place was very cozy and warm, instantly making Sirius feel stuffy as his coat and scarf suddenly became very sweltering. He loosened his scarf a bit and nodded at the owner, Jeff, in greeting.

After visiting more than a few times at the store, the man recognized him and grunted, still reading the Daily Prophet in one hand.

Shaking his head, Sirius darted toward the shelves and started to scan the titles.

His way of choosing books was unorthodox to say the least. He usually just picked a random book that sounded interesting to him before reading the back then buying it. It was all fair game to him.

He had an interest in everything, especially history, while his brother loved fictional stories of adventure and mystery. It was somewhat endearing to see Regulus's face turn luminous whenever he brought a book that was especially of his liking.

Any book was fine though. After being deprived of having anything to truly call their own, they literally followed, 'beggars can't be choosers' to heart.

So it only took him a second to find a travel book on London that instantly held his attention. Without hesitation, he snatched the thin book out and held it in one hand. Satisfied, he began to walk toward the fiction section, wondering if there was anything good.

His gaze wandered over the hard cover objects for a minute without really knowing what to look for, before he felt a hand gently tap his shoulder from behind.

Thinking it was his mother who had caught him, he spun around to face the person with dread, almost dropping his book in the process.

Only, it wasn't his mother who was staring back at him.

Startled brown eyes met his, her hand still hanging in the air.

She was a woman who looked around in her early thirties, wavy black hair and gaunt pale face making her look somewhat like a ghost. She looked like someone who had once been beautiful in her youth, her brown eyes like chocolate.

She looked back at him a bit warily now, giving him a cautious smile. "I apologize for touching you without your consent. I didn't mean to scare you."

As the realization he wasn't in danger caught up to him, he shook his head at her in response. "Oh, it's fine ma'am. I didn't know you were there."

She smiled.

"Such a polite boy. You remind me of my son." she said fondly, causing Sirius to blush. She glanced at his book and raised an eyebrow.

"My my. Your book looks quite interesting." she commented. Sirius sensed her genuine tone and nodded.

"I'm buying it for my brother."

"Ah." her smile turned wistful. "I have an only child. He's about your age actually." she tilted her head curiously. "Do you come here often?"

"Do you?" he questioned back at the suspicious question. He knew it sounded rude, but he didn't survive in the Blacks house without some preservation skills. Her face took a bitter note.

"No, actually. I don't come to Diagon Alley often." she admitted. She smiled again, though it looked a bit strained now. "Actually, the reason why I bothered you was to ask what sort of book you were looking for. Maybe I can help?"

"Oh!" he said in surprise, both at her offer and at the change of subject. "You really don't have to."

Her brown eyes, which were her best feature in Sirius's opinion, twinkled at his words.

"I quite insist." before he could argue further, she walked to stand right next to him as she leaned forward to look more closely at the book titles. After a moment or so, her face brightened up, making her gauntness soften just a bit. She pulled out a worn out looking book and handed it to him.

"Here you go." she said happily. "It seems to be an old copy, but it's one of my favorites."

Sirius looked at the title and raised an eyebrow.

"The Poems of Emily Dickinson." he read out loud. He gave her a questioning look.

She nodded. "It's a collection of poems written by Emily Dickinson, a famous poet. She is a woman who has been through much in her life, something you can tell in her writing."

Sirius looked thoughtfully at the book. He was only seven years old and has never been interested in poetry before. He saw the almost bitter look on the woman's face, as if remembering something unpleasant.

Well, that settled it.

"I'll buy it." he said resolutely. Without looking at her, he marched up to the counter with two books and counted his money to pay. If he had turned around, he would've seen the soft smile on the strange woman's face, looking a tad bit touched by his gesture.

When he was done paying, he slyly put both books in his brown, beat up bag, carefully zipping it completely closed. He turned to the woman and smiled.

"Thank you for your help. I really appreciated it."

She waved a hand off at him.

"It was no trouble at all. I enjoyed talking to you." her sincere tone made Sirius grin. Without thinking, he raised up a hand in front of her, surprising her.

"Sirius Black."

She smiled and took his hand before shaking it slowly.

"Eileen." she offered shortly, letting go.

He took a step back and turned, aware of how late he was to meet up with Regulus. Still, he couldn't help but glance behind and wave.

She waved back.

-A-

"What took you so long?" Regulus demanded the moment Sirius found him, huffing and puffing with his legs sore.

They were both standing in front of Amanuensis Quills, one brother tired while the other was just a bit ticked off.

"Was held up with something." he grinned and winked at his annoyed younger brother. "Don't worry, I got good ones this time."

"You better have." Regulus muttered. "I had to be herded by mother to Flourish and Blotts so she could meet some of her 'friends.'" he said darkly. "Luckily, she's out talking with them, so she won't be here for a while."

Sirius frowned. One of the only reasons why his mother took them to Diagon Alley was to show them off to demonstrate the Blacks social status. Sirius, in his mother's eyes, wasn't worth the time or day. Regulus, on the other hand, had potential. For what, Sirius didn't know.

He laid a hand on Regulus's shoulder, patting it in comfort. He knew how much Regulus hated being put in the spotlight. His reserved personality liked peace and privacy, something that Sirius respected.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Sirius bumped shoulders with his younger brother and gave a half smile.

"You still want to buy that chest? We got some time before the wicked witch of the west gets here, right?"

"Sirius!" Regulus swatted his arm and tried to look mad but was failing miserably. "She's our mother!"

"Doesn't change what's true."

"You're really reading too many of those muggle books."

"Pot calls kettle." he shot back.

Regulus paused.

"Fair point." he admits. He looks at the watch on his wrist. "We better run now if we want to buy it."

Sirius nodded. "Let's go then. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment is just up on left. Passed it while I was running here."

Without preamble, the older Black grabbed on to his brother's hand before pulling him behind him. Over the months, Sirius had developed the habit of holding the younger boy's hand. He didn't know why he did it, nor what the significance was, so he just went along with his urges. And Regulus never seemed to mind whenever he did.

-A-

"You're still reading that?"

Sirius glanced up at his brother and raised an eyebrow.

"I like the book."

His brother gave him a flat look.

"You've been reading that book for the fifth time. I counted."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I thank you for paying so much attention to me. It sends a warm feeling in my chest-"

"Oh shut up."

Sirius smirked and looked down at the worn out book again, engrossed by the words. It was true when Regulus had said it was his fifth time. He just couldn't stop reading the poem book for the life of him.

Emily Dickinson, he had decided when he had read the first few poems, was now his favorite poet.

Well, he's never read any other poetry other than her work, so his opinion might be a little biased.

Her simple and concise wording was like a knife, cutting to the point without consideration for the reader. He absolutely loved that. After being lied and manipulated to for so long, her words were refreshingly honest and straightforward. It took very little to know what she was talking about, yet the deeper meaning always struck a chord for the young boy.

Eileen had been right when she said the poet's been through a lot. He could almost hear the despair in her written voice.

Speaking of Eileen...

His thoughts wondered over the strange helpful woman, questioning why she did what she did in the first place. Not many would have taken their time to help someone, not unless they were whether extremely kind, or just know another's pain.

He knew that latter feeling very well.

He had briefly wondered for a time if he would ever meet her again and had immediately dismissed it. Chances of that happening were one in a million, especially with his sheltered lifestyle.

"Brother, take a look at this."

Sirius glanced toward Regulus, who was staring intently at his book while lying on his stomach on the floor. His legs were dangling in the air and his elbows were holding up his head.

It had been three weeks since they went to Diagon Alley, as they had busied themselves with the activities their mother gave them, mostly studying dark magic and attending lectures from her personally. It had been incredibly boring, the new books their only saving grace from the drawling weeks.

The older Black raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Regulus wasn't going to come to him, Sirius crouched down on the wooden floor, leaving his open book on the bed, and leaned over to see what Regulus was looking at.

"What is it?"

Regulus pointed at a muggles map, a glint in his grey eyes.

"According to here, there are all kinds of places muggles visit to, especially if they're from out of the country. Buckingham palace, Tower of London, Benjamin Franklin's House," he grinned. "I bet you would love that."

It was true. Ever since he got the muggles textbook, he's been pooling over history books like a hungry man dying from thirst, drinking in the words with fervor. It was just amazing to him how similar muggles and wizards were, and how the two different communities handled matters in such different yet similar ways, considering the advantages each had.

Biographies about great, nonmagical men who did so much left him with a fierce admiration for them. Benjamin Franklin was only one of the many.

Sirius grinned back. "It would be fun." he admitted. "Could you imagine going up to the Big Ben and ringing the bell?"

Regulus snorted.

"Only you would think such things." he said dryly.

Sirius laughed. He then noticed the frown that shadowed Regulus's face when he did and instantly turned concerned.

"What's the matter?"

Regulus sighed. "It's too bad we can't go though. Mother would never let us." the look of disappointment on the younger boy's face made Sirius's heart sink. He never liked when his brother went into his depressive moods. It's been happening less frequently lately, but it still occurred when their mother was involved.

He gritted his teeth, feeling more than a bit helpless. He didn't like how his mother controlled the both of them, as if they were puppets who had to do her every bidding. He felt like a pawn, and hated that his brother had to feel the same way.

Suddenly, inspiration hit him like a lightning bolt.

His brother turned to look at him, feeling the change of emotion from him, and raised an eyebrow. Spotting the look, Sirius smiled in a secretive manner.

"What if we just go?"

Regulus blinked.

And promptly dropped his jaw.

"What?" he exclaimed in shock, something that didn't happen often. "Are you mad? We would get caught!"

"I'm not saying right now of course, but someday. Just you and me." he smirked and jerked a thumb in the direction under his bed. "It's not like we can't pack our stuff and go."

When the boys had found the shop, it hadn't taken too long to find the right trunk.

They had ended up asking the manager for advice, and picked an oak made trunk that had three separate compartments that resized itself to become bigger every time more was put into it. Two of the compartments would separate the books they had to their own tastes, while the third, they both agreed, could be for other forbidden activities their mother wouldn't like.

What made it even more convenient, of course, was the fact it could shrink without the use of magic and was light weight due to magic, whether it was big or not. One just had to speak a password in order for it to happen.

The chest had been a bit expensive, forcing Sirius and Regulus to use most of their pocket money, but its value far exceeded its cost. There are hundreds of ways they could get away with stuff with it.

Like now.

Regulus eyed his brother skeptically.

"This is a ridiculous plan." he commented shortly. The excited sparkle in his eyes said otherwise.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh come on! We could plan this out carefully. We just have to pick a day when mother and father are out. Patience is needed in this."

"Right, because that's your strong point." Regulus said in a sarcastic manner. Sirius shot him an annoyed look, earning a cheeky smirk.

"It might take a couple years, seeing how young we are now. People might get suspicious because of our age." Regulus pointed out. Sirius nodded.

"True. Before then though, we got to plan. It has to be perfect or else we'll get caught."

"And killed." Regulus added.

"And killed." Sirius repeated in agreement.

The younger boy smiled and looked down to his book. "Thank you." he said quietly. Sirius grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"What are brothers for?"

"Apparently to be a bad influence."

Sirius only laughed.

If anyone had guessed who the woman was, please tell me by review. I have big plans for her.

Please review soon!