December 1, 1977
After the dinner, the Marauders burst back into their familiar dorm room in a gale of laughter. As the other boys began to get ready for bed, Sirius noticed a note addressed to him left on his nightstand. He broke the black wax seal and found elegant, perfect script inside.
Brother,
I do not anticipate that you should pity me nor offer me any help, but I cannot continue on this road without first trying to leave it. I will not tell you I have seen the error of my ways; I still uphold some of the very values you abhor. But I cannot in good conscience go willingly into the servitude of one who would kill every being whose only crimes are being of "lower" birth. I pray, don't tell me this is "too little, too late". You have friends in places that I cannot go, resources that I cannot utilize. Please, brother – if you have ever cared for me, help me find a way off this path. My life and soul depend on you.
R
Sirius threw the piece of parchment onto his bed in disgust. "Cowardly little snake," he growled. "Can't stand to live with the consequences of his choices."
James snatched it up as he walked over to his own bunk. "Where'd this come from, Pads?" he asked, scanning the page.
"It was on the bedside table when I got back from classes. House elf must have left it for me," Sirius shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Reg has made his bed, and now he's got to lie in it."
James's head shot up. "You don't really mean that."
"Of course I do!" Sirius cried. "He's a spoiled little brat, and I'm done bailing him out."
"But he's your brother!" James exclaimed.
Sirius snorted. "Some brother he's been. I've been hauling his sorry ass out of trouble since we were kids, protecting him at every turn no matter the cost to myself. But there comes a point where I can't help him anymore. He threw his lot in with those other pureblood fanatics a long time ago, and he said himself that he hasn't changed. He's just scared that his gamble isn't going to pay off like he hoped. I tried every summer I was home to make him change his mind, to get him to come with me to your house, but he stayed in that dark-magic-infested hellhole. We had that blow up last summer when I refused to go back to Grimmauld Place, and I knew then that I'd lost him. So I guess this is just too little, too late."
James shook his head in disbelief. "But he's your brother."
"You keep saying that like it's supposed to mean something to me!" Sirius retorted.
"Because it means something to me!" James roared.
Remus and Peter shared a knowing glance and quietly slipped from the room.
Sirius looked at James incredulously. "What has this got to do with you?"
"How long have you called me your brother?" he whispered, his hands clenched into trembling fists.
"But that's different," Sirius protested. "You're not-"
"I'm not actually your brother," James interjected. "And if this is how you treat your flesh and blood brother who is desperately begging for your help, I'd hate to see how your "brother in all but blood" would fare in the same situation. I'd be lucky to even get 'too little, too late' out of you." He straightened his spine and, gathering his things, stalked toward the bathroom.
"James," Sirius called. Hearing no response, he flopped back onto his pillow. He hated to admit that he might be wrong, but James had a point. He really did want to help Regulus, but it was already so late in the game – the world was on the brink of the war, sides had been chosen, and lines had been drawn in the sand. It would take a miracle to get Regulus out of this mess. Sirius sat up and pulled his bed hangings shut. He would just have to forgo sleep for a night; he needed a plan, and he needed it now.
When he returned from Christmas break, Sirius had every piece of his plan lined up – McGongall found a way to let Regulus live in separate quarters from the rest of Slytherin, Dumbledore had a place for him to stay outside of Hogwarts along with a stipend for necessities, and Minister Minchum was willing to protect him with Aurors if Regulus was willing to give up information on Voldemort's gang.
It was a week before Sirius managed to get his brother alone. Regulus was trudging back to the dungeons from the library when Sirius snagged his robes and pulled him into an alcove.
"I've got you a way out!" he whispered excitedly. "It's all lined up. McGonagall, Dumbledore, even Minister Minchum are in on this. You never have to go back to those people again!"
Regulus jerked out of his grasp. "Too late, brother," he spat. "Those people, unlike you, have decided that I'm worthy of being their family. We've even got matching tattoos," he snarled, shoving back the sleeve on his left arm.
Sirius reached out to touch the ugly skull and snake marring his brother's arm, but Regulus pulled back as though burned.
"Reg," Sirius breathed. "What have they done to you? Never mind, I don't care. We can still get you out of this."
Regulus hissed, "It's too late! I begged you for help, and you left me to the wolves. Eventually, I learned that to survive the wolves, you have to become one. This is the price I paid for it."
"I am so sorry, Reg," Sirius murmured. "I should have… I… If we'd…"
"It doesn't matter anyway," Regulus sighed, looking decades older than his sixteen years. "I think I always knew this was coming. Even you couldn't save me from the plans mother had for me. Thanks for the offer, but I'm a full-fledged Death Eater now; there's no going back. It's time to face the music."
Sirius pulled his brother into a tight hug. "Promise me you'll stay safe. I don't care what you've done or will do – you're my brother, and I… I love you, Reg."
Regulus carefully extricated himself from the embrace. "You know I can't make that promise. But when this is all over, if we're both still alive, maybe we can start over again, as friends as well as brothers." Looking both ways down the corridor, he slipped out and headed back toward the dungeons as a whispered "Love you, too, Siri" echoed off the stone walls.
When he finally made it back to Gryffindor Tower, Sirius fell face first on his bed and did his best to stem the flood threatening in his eyes.
James sat down next to him and gently stroked his hair. "Too little, too late?" he asked. Sirius's sobs were the only answer he got.
Written for The Houses Competition
Slytherin, Year 6- Standard
Prompt: [Negative Pairing] Sirius Black/ James Potter
Word Count: 1160