"You did WHAT?"
The boy cringed, his eyes welling with tears. "I thought you of all people would understand, Sirius!" He jerked his sleeve down over the disgusting tattoo. Burn. Whatever the hell it really was. A curse, that's what it was.
Why didn't Sirius understand though? He was supposed to his big brother! He was supposed to be there for him when Regulus really needed him!
"Understand? You just gave your life to a murdering maniac!"
"For our family! I was wrong. You couldn't ever understand that. You couldn't understand how you break their hearts." Regulus fought the tears hard. He didn't want Sirius to see him cry.
Sirius growled softly and shook his head. "Damn their hearts! The best thing you could have done was leave like me. Leave the family legacy behind. Because when this war is over, you'll be branded a criminal. You'll be put in Azkaban forever."
The boy trembled. Azkaban? Where the dementors fed off happiness and made people relive the worst moments of their life? He couldn't. He would break. And he knew it.
"Sirius, you have to help me. You have to save me. Please!"
Sirius gave a bitter smile. "You've already given your life to Him. You've been branded. You're beyond help."
Regulus broke. He couldn't. Couldn't hold it back. Couldn't face what he had done. He was more like Sirius than he was his parents. But he'd done this for their love and their pride.
Sirius's face softened slightly as he pulled his younger brother into a hug. "I'm sorry, Regulus. You know I love you, and it's going to break my heart when you die. Because that's what you've done. You've signed your own death sentence." He held him tighter as his own eyes welled up, "I should kill you right now. Spare you the torture later."
Regulus sniffled and gently pulled away, pulling his sleeve back up. "I'll fix this. I'll make it right somehow. For you, Sirius. I will. I promise."
He would. He had to. For himself and his brother.