Sirius came to his senses a minute or so later, when he realized someone was sitting on his stomach and shaking him by the shoulders.

"Holy fuck," Sirius coughed. "I'm awake…Sadal? Get off of me!"

Sadal bit her tongue and smirked. "You passed out," she said matter-of-factly.

"I know," Sirius griped. "It's been a long few days for me, okay? Now seriously, get off me."

Sadal rolled languidly to the side and sprang to her feet. Sirius got up a lot more slowly.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"About a mile north of the train station," Sadal said.

Sirius looked around and saw they had landed in the small ally between two flimsy wooden buildings, each looking as though it could withstand maybe one more gust of wind before crumpling. Sirius tried to take step forward and immediately tumbled into a garbage can.

"Oi, try to be relatively quiet, now," Sadal barked.

"Sorry," Sirius snapped. He brushed himself off and approached Sadal. She was leaning intently around the side of the ally, examining the street.

"Okay," she said. "More or less deserted. If we get walking now, we'll catch the last train."

She turned around and jumped a little when she realized Sirius was right beside her.

"I don't have any money with me," Sirius said.

"It's all right," Sadal said, lowering her lashes and smiling. "I know a guy."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"I did him a favor once…or twice," Sadal smirked. "Now let's go."

They set off down a dirt street. It was significantly colder here and Sirius shivered.

"Who's forgotten their coat now?" Sadal laughed smugly.

"Huh?" Sirius asked as they exited the small village they'd arrived in and continued down a rural gravel road. A roaring river lay to their left. "What do you mean?" he said suspiciously.

Sadal blinked. "Oh, I…nothing."

Sirius didn't push the matter further. Instead he said sharply, "Sadal, you said this is where you sent my brother? Did you send him on a train somewhere?"

"Er…no," Sadal answered. "He should be waiting for you at the station."

Sirius nodded slowly. With sweaty fingers, he gripped the handle of his wand.

"That is if he hasn't run off somewhere," she chuckled.

A heavy weight settled in Sirius's stomach. Suppose Regulus had wandered off? After all, he was far from London now…far from everything that had just happened. Was it so unlikely that, after being told by Sadal that Sirius would soon be joining him, Regulus had decided to go off alone?

"Stop fretting," Sadal insisted. Her voice drew Sirius back from his thoughts. "I told you I was going to take you to him and I meant it. He'll be there; I was just joking earlier because he's sort of a…loose cannon."

"This is true," Sirius admitted grimly.

"Although I'd probably be a flight risk as well if I'd been worked over so hard by somebody."

Sirius flinched.

"We ran into some trouble," he said quickly. "Our home was attacked by members of the Order of the Phoenix."

Sadal nodded. "Right, he mentioned that."

"Er, what else did he say?" Sirius asked nervously. Sadal was smirking at him, watching him squirm.

"Oh not much else. That he couldn't use his wand, that he couldn't go home…oh yes, and that you tried to kill him."

Sirius skidded to a halt. "No!" he yelled. "I lost my temper, but I would not have really killed him, never! He's the only family I have left!"

"He seemed pretty worse for wear when I found him," Sadal said calmly. Sirius swore loudly.

"How is he now? Did you heal him? He can't use his wand without being traced, so he'd be unable to do it himself…" Sirius trailed off worryingly.

"I didn't heal him, no," Sadal said unfeelingly. "But he's stable."

Sirius bit his lip. "He's all I've got left," he said again.

Sadal nodded. "Perhaps you should have realized that before you smashed his face in."

Sirius hung his head. He wrapped his arms around his chest and took deep breaths; he could feel a panic attack threatening to come on.

"My family is dead," he moaned. "My life is ruined. Look at me, I've been forced to flee a thousand miles and even if Regulus is there waiting, we're never going to trust each other again."

Sadal laughed loudly. "Ha! As if you two were ever trusting of one another to begin with!"

Sirius looked up at her angrily.

"Maybe not," he hissed. "So we've never had the most loving relationship; we still had something! Maybe Regulus was an inhuman freak: sleeping all day and coming out at night to prowl, stocking his room full of dead animals and listening more to those tarot cards than to either of our parents…So what if he was never the younger brother I'd always wanted, I still cared about him! I'm still…drawn to him."

Sadal cocked her head gently to the side and took a dreamy step closer to Sirius. "You do not love him?"

"No," Sirius said immediately. "No, not really. Regulus is not…someone to be loved."

"But you do want to find him, no?"

"Yes," Sirius breathed. "Most definitely. He…deserves to be dead for what he did—"

Sadal's eyes bulged and she stepped back. "So you aim to kill him when we arrive?" she gasped.

"No," Sirius barked. "Let me finish. He truly does deserve to be killed for what he did to our family…to me…but I could never allow that to happen. I might not truly care for Regulus like an older sibling should, but I am…compelled to keep him."

Sirius started walking briskly again. Sadal leapt to join him.

"The trainyard is just up ahead," she said, pointing. "When we get there, and you are reunited with your brother, what will you do?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "Kiss him," he said finally. His nerves were all tingling with great urgency, and his whole body twinged each time Sadal's arm brushed his. "Take him."

"Oh my," Sadal said suggestively. "You Blacks really do have a touch of madness in your veins, don't you?"

"And I used to think it was Regulus who had gotten the lions' share of it," Sirius admitted. He slid off the road and down the rocky path that led to the train tracks. Some fifty yards up there was a very small, ragtag station.

"And you would still lead me to him knowing my intentions?" Sirius queried.

Sadal eyed him smugly. "Whatever you think he deserves, Sirius."

Sirius found he was panting heavily. "All right, Sadal, what time does this dilapidated thing leave?" he indicated the only train at the station.

"Ten minutes," Sadal replied. "You're brother's already on board. Last car."

Sirius craned his neck. "This isn't a passenger train, is it?" he asked.

"No," Sadal said. "But it's taking you somewhere safer, and it's going to be a free ride."

"We're not allowed on this thing…" Sirius said nervously. "When the guard comes by to check the train, he'll…"

"Brush right over us because, like I said, I know him. Now hold tight while I go inside the station and let him know we're here."

Sirius tried to follow but Sadal pushed him back by the shoulders.

"Don't come with me," she insisted. "I'll be right back."

Sirius frowned but didn't object. His heart was pounding with anticipation and a little bit of fear. When Sadal came jogging back just a minute later, she looked very tired, and Sirius could feel a drop in the levels of magic radiating from her.

"This way," she said, panting. Sirius followed her down the train. He could hear it's engines heating up and steam was starting to billow into the sky.

"Here," Sadal grabbed the door to the car. "Get in," she groaned, pulling it open. Sensing she was about to topple over, Sirius took ahold of her arm and helped her up into the car.

"Thanks," she murmured.

The inside of the car was dark, but to Sirius's surprise, carpeted.

"This train hauls magical furniture and home appliances," Sadal explained while Sirius felt his way around. "So it's more comfy than a cattle car at least."

"Okay," Sirius said, disinterested. "Where's Regulus, you said he'd be here. Regulus?" Sirius called. "Sadal I can't see anything in here, light your wand, please."

The train started to move. The initial jerk of its wheels sent Sirius careening into what felt like an endtable.

"Fuck," he cried. "Sadal, light your goddam wand."

"Erm, sorry," she said. Squinting, Sirius could just make out her silhouette as she shifted to the back wall of the car and collapsed to the floor. "I can't. I don't…uh, have the energy."

"Then throw it to me and I'll do it," Sirius said impatiently.

"No, that's not an option…"

Angry, Sirius surged forward, hands outstretched to maneuver around the beds and chairs. "Listen to me," he growled. "I swear if this is some kind of trick, I'm going to kill you. Now tell me where my brother is…and give me some goddam light!"

"Please," Sadal begged, panting harshly. "Just give me…give me a second."

A minute later Sirius could once again see Sadal's face as she held a soft orb of magic light in her hand. It was very weak.

"Give it some of your magic?" Sadal asked quietly, holding out her hands.

Sirius took the light from her and strengthened it. With a hum, it shot off in four or five different directions and attached itself to several of the lamps that stood scattered around the rest of the furniture.

Sadal looked like she might pass out. Sirius spun around in a full circle, taking in the car. There was no one else here.

"You told me that he was here," Sirius growled. He yanked Sadal to him by her collar and shook her.

"And he is," Sadal insisted. "Sirius…gods, I can't breathe."

"Start talking," Sirius hissed. He threw her to the floor, where she shuddered and gasped.

Sirius kneeled down next to Sadal. Enraged as he was, he couldn't allow her to actually die. He needed answers first. He placed a hand on her chest to steady her, and found it peculiarly flat for a grown woman. Sadal doubled up on herself, giggling now, and seemed to shrink. Her hair turned black, and when she finally rolled back over to face Sirius, it was no longer Sadal's face staring back at him.

"Regulus!" Sirius screamed. Regulus pushed himself up into a sitting position and gave Sirius a tired smile.

"Hi there," he said. He sounded almost shy.

Sirius took a moment to look Regulus over. His face was a mass of bruises and cuts, but to Sirius's relief they looked half-healed and quite faded.

"I am so exhausted, I feel like I'm going to faint," Regulus said in a raspy voice. "Sirius, if we could do a raincheck on you fucking me, my body would greatly appreciate it…but I will take that kiss you promised."

Sirius pulled Regulus to him and crashed their lips together. He gripped Regulus tightly, so tightly he could feel his brother's muscles shivering in protest as his fingers bore into them. Sirius pinned Regulus to the ground. Regulus whimpered and Sirius drove his full weight down on him to stop his thrashing.

"Why the fuck," he growled in between harsh bites and kisses. "Did you feel it necessary to disguise yourself and drag me to fucking Norway?"

"I was afraid of what you might do when you saw me," Regulus explained. Sirius slammed a knee up between his brother's legs. Regulus keened, tears rolling from his eyes.

"Continue," Sirius ordered.

"I h-had to make sure you got on the train with me. Once you were here, it'd be too hard to turn back, no matter how angry you were."

"Have you had this getaway planned?" Sirius demanded.

Regulus nodded. When Sirius only kept him pinned down, silently musing over this new information, Regulus strained his neck and shoulders to lean up and reattach his mouth to Sirius's.

Sirius kissed him again without thinking. He could taste blood and knew it wasn't his.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Away," Regulus answered. "Forever. To where the Dark Lord doesn't yet reign, and nobody knows us."

Regulus managed to snake an arm around Sirius's neck. He nuzzled his face into Sirius's shoulder.

"I don't love you, Regulus," Sirius said harshly. "I can never love you after what you did."

"But you want me, don't you?" Regulus asked, pleading. "You want me all to yourself."

Sirius looked down at Regulus's handsome face and saw the unstable magic in his eyes—the inhuman glint in his irises and the permanent black shading on his eyelids.

"Yes," he admitted. And he meant it. Briefly, Sirius's mind wandered back to Regulus's secret garden of illegal fauna, to his room full of potions experiments, to the unnatural magic that seemed to always float off his skin. How much of what he was feeling was true, and how much had been foisted on him by Regulus?—Regulus with his army of snakes and spiders, directed from afar to aid Sirius's madness.

Were his feelings genuine? Sirius thought of Regulus's Enhancing Solution and had to admit to himself that you couldn't enhance what wasn't already there.

"Then can we run away together?" Regulus asked. "Far away from everyone else, just like my cards told me?"

"Yes," Sirius promised. The feel of the car rumbling around them reminded him that they already were on their way to…somewhere.

There was a bizarre lightness to his mind that told him he didn't care where Regulus was taking him.