Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for the monthly Froday challenge for July 2023 where I was to use the zodiacs for inspiration, but I went with Sirius being a Scorpio because of his in-canon birthday and Regulus being a Leo because of my headcanon of him having the same birthday as Harry.

Rattling Away

"You pompous little twit."

A pair of gray eyes that mirrored his own stared back, the mouth attached to them open slightly. Not a word came out of the mouth as the person looked back.

"Never mind," Sirius said, letting out a sigh.

"What did I do?"

"I said never mind." Sirius turned on his heels, determined to walk away from the situation as his hands clenched.

He didn't expect a hand, one that was slightly smaller than his own, to reach out and grab the back of his school robes, nor did he expect the quake in the other person's voice, or perhaps he should have given how well he knew that person. "Sirius, what did I do?"

"I said, never mind, you twat."

He started away, only for the hand to grip tighter. "Why do you have to be so obstinate?"

"Why do you have to be such a Black, Mr. Black?" Sirius snapped. He turned, reaching his hands down to unlatch the hand from his clothes, trying not to look the person in the face, determined to walk away and never look back.

But the lip was quivering.

It made him freeze, looking at the one regret, the one thing—

And then—

"You're more of a Black than I'll ever be, you know."

"Excuse me?" Sirius said.

"It's a compliment."

"Doesn't feel like one," Sirius snapped. "Not when I've bloody left that family. And you."

And there it came again, this time with that other person breathing in deeply, a slight shiver as they did so, almost as if they were holding their emotions in, which seemed strange given how Regulus—

"Regulus never shows emotions, never breaks the Black family rules such as showing weakness to his enemies," Sirius thought.

"And that's what makes you such a Black," Regulus muttered, reaching a hand up to wipe his eyes, likely trying to hide the fact he was trying not to cry.

"I'm not the one who is dogmatic and intolerant like them," Sirius said, finally moving to wrench Regulus' hand from his clothes forcefully. "And I've told you. I've told you many times. We're…"

"We're not family," Regulus said, his Adam's apple bobbing down as his eyes remained glued to the floor. "That's what…"

"That's what?"

"They say."

"Well, good," Sirius said. "Good for them."

"I don't agree, though."

"You interfering, little…," Sirius started saying.

And then Regulus looked up at him, his eyes wet as tears threatened to fall. He took a deep breath and said, "I can't stop loving you, Sirius."

Sirius felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "Say what?" He swallowed. "This feels like…"

"I mean, this is what love feels like, right?"

"Woah. Hold on," Sirius said, glancing away, determined and hopeful nobody would notice the exchange and get the wrong idea, although—

"I mean, I'm not quite sure, given I can't read emotions and stuff," Regulus continued rambling.

"Bloody!" Sirius said. "I don't want your love!"

"I know," Regulus said, trembling slightly, making Sirius realize he'd reached out to latch onto his younger brother's shoulders, squeezing tightly and hoping Regulus wouldn't do something stupid. He then smiled, a rare thing, yet it felt like a mask of what the younger Black was feeling. "I know you don't accept me as your brother, but…"

"Hold on." Sirius closed his eyes.

And then Regulus pushed his hands away. "You're my brother, Sirius. I don't care what everyone else says. You're still family."

"You…" And then, Sirius gently hit the younger Black on the head with his fist. "You moron! Save those words for a girl you like!"

"Huh?" Regulus—

It was obvious Regulus was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You know," Sirius said. "All this talk about loving someone? Isn't there a girl you like?"

"I'm not following."

"A boy you like then?" Sirius said, feeling the conversation getting even more awkward.

"Still not following," Regulus said, tilting his head. "There's only Sirius."

"You bloody little…," Sirius said. "You can't love me like a romantic partner!"

"Romantic," Regulus said. "You mean the one the family will pick out for me?"

Sirius stared, watching Regulus look off into the distance. "Say what?"

"Isn't that how it works?"

"Are you," Sirius said. "Are you serious?"

"No. That's you, or isn't that how your joke goes?" Regulus said. "I still don't get why it's funny, though."

"Regulus," Sirius said. His mind whirled, and then, "I really don't know how to explain this one." He then paused, glancing to the side. "Wait. You do know I've dated, that I've been in relationships?"

"Relationships?"

"You know, girlfriends?" Sirius said, looking at Regulus. And then, "You're still not following me, are you?"

"No, sorry."

"You go on dates to find the one, your romantic partner?"

"No. The family picks for you," Regulus said, frowning. "Is that why you left the family? So you could pick for yourself?"

Sirius stared. "No. Uh," he said. "Do you honestly believe that's how things work?"

"Isn't that how pa…" Regulus started to say before clearing his voice. "Our progenitors got together? And Aunt Lu and Uncle Iggy?" And Cissy and Lulu?"

"Lulu?" Sirius said. "And the big words again? Patronizing little twit."

"You know, Lucius." And then Regulus laughed. "He hates being called that."

"Good grief," Sirius said. "I can outright tell you that Cissy of yours definitely chose for herself, but they did the dating thing. And I was left with the impression that the same held for—" Sirius frowned. "The Prewetts and them."

Regulus frowned. "That," and then, "That might be a problem."

"How so?"

"I don't know how to do all of that." Regulus opened his mouth.

"No. I'm not teaching you."

"Yes, but you're…"

"I'm not your older brother, Regulus." Sirius shoved him lightly away. "And if you associate with me, it will be harder for you."

"What…"

"You need to focus now on being the Black heir, of living up to their expectations, which also means living up to their expectations of finding a wife."

"That," Regulus said, looking away. "Don't want to."

"Seriously?" Sirius said. "You go through life not breaking any of their rules, and now you are?"

"Where's the rule that says I have to get married?"

Sirius stared, his jaw-dropping, watching to say, " The rule of you being the heir and needing to produce—I mean—progenitor—the next generation? "

"That's boring," Regulus said.

"And I'm now in over my head here," Sirius said, slowly backing away. "I'm going to leave now."

"Wait," Regulus said, but Sirius didn't stay around to hear what Regulus had to say, his mind still churning over what he'd just listened to his younger brother—his former younger brother—say.