"Can we talk more to one another?
Missin' the days when we were younger
Now all I hear is a distant echo
Turning your back when your eyes look yellow

Follow me into the night
I'll be here 'til you're alright

Stay close, little brother
I know your true colors
When the world don't listen
You can call my name
Stay close, little brother, stay close"

- "Little Brother" by Ella Vos

Chapter 2

Sirius dragged Alice around his house by the hand, saying nothing to her in the process. She was too bewildered to speak at first. At least she was getting a tour of the house, which was larger than any she had been to in the past. They went up many flights of stairs. Clearly, they were headed somewhere.

"Sirius, where are you taking me?" she finally asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Sirius looked back at her with a grin. "Somewhere we can talk alone."

"And none of the rooms we passed will work?"

"Someone - or a house elf - might walk in."

Alice thought that was reasonable enough. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what he had to talk about that required complete privacy. They had just met. He wasn't going to try to seduce her or anything, was he? They were 12.

Eventually, they stopped, and Sirius let go of her hand. Alice's eyes were drawn to a rope hanging from the ceiling. He grabbed it and pulled down a door with stairs leading up into an attic. He grinned at her hesitancy. "Come on, I'm not taking you up there to kill you."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I wasn't thinking that, but now I am."

Sirius chuckled lightly. "You'll be fine. Let's go."

Alice shrugged and followed him up the stairs. She did not truly believe he would hurt her. She did not know what to think of him yet, but she could tell he was not a threat. She coughed as soon as she stood up in the attic. It looked like this was where the family stored stuff, though they must not have moved anything recently, for it all had a thick layer of dust.

After examining the room, she looked at Sirius expectantly. "Alright, we're alone. What's on your mind?"

Sirius' expression turned serious for the first time that day. He crossed his arms and looked her over. "I want to know if you're a believer."

Alice stared at him in confusion. "A believer in what?"

Sirius did not even blink as he answered her. "Pure-blood supremacy."

Alice's mouth fell open as she felt complete shock. Never had any of the dozens of pure-blood kids she talked to asked her that. She did not know how to respond. Depending on his views, a lie or the truth could cause him to shut down. "Ah, well..."

Sirius' face softened slightly. "It's okay. No one else is here to listen. Just me."

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You can't just ask that out of the blue. Are you a believer?"

Sirius responded with all the confidence in the world. "I definitely am not."

"That's just what I-" Alice stopped when she realized what he said, her eyes going wide. "Wait, you said you're not? You don't believe pure-bloods are better than everyone and muggle-borns shouldn't learn magic?"

Sirius grinned at her. "That's right."

Alice looked at him incredulously. "And you're just telling me this?" She had always assumed that, if she ever happened to meet a pure-blood kid who disagreed with his parents, he would be reluctant to share that information with a stranger who presumably disagreed with him. But Sirius was spilling everything with no shame.

Sirius shrugged. "It's best to get it out of the way before you get the wrong idea, don't you think?"

Alice hesitated. "Well, I guess so, but I could tell your parents."

Sirius laughed. "Don't worry about that, love. They are already well aware of my beliefs."

Suddenly, something clicked. "Oh, I see..." So, that was why he wasn't the Black family heir. now she was curious about what life was like for him. It could not have been easy.

Sirius' expression turned more serious again. "Hey, if you want nothing to do with me, I understand. It's probably for the best."

Alice realized her mistake. She was so caught up in the revelation that she forgot to tell him what she believed. "No, not at all. I agree with you. I'm not a believer either."

Now it was Sirius' turn to be surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. I believe everyone is equal. I see individuals, not groups."

Sirius' grin was back. "That's a good way to put it. I never thought anyone who my parents wanted me to meet would think like me."

Alice felt a wave of relief, and she couldn't help but grin back at him. "Neither did I."

"You're starting your second year at Hogwarts, right? We should be friends!"

Alice brightened at the thought. It would be nice to start off life in a new school already having a friend. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Great! And don't worry. I'll cover for you with my family. They won't find out anything."

Alice smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks." She knew she would have no trouble getting the truth about his family out of him. She was starting to feel good about this mission. She couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind. "What about your brother? What does he believe?"

Sirius' smile instantly fell, and she could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Reggie? He..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's a good kid - kind and sweet - but he's too soft. He believes everything our parents tell him and does everything they say. He's the perfect Black heir they wanted."

Alice's expression turned sympathetic. "He doesn't listen to you?"

"He used to at least consider my opinion, but-"

A sounds from the door to the attic caught their attention, and they looked in that direction. A second later, Regulus' head popped through the hole. His eyes fell on Sirius and narrowed slightly. "There you are," he said as he climbed up into the attic.

Sirius immediately tensed. "Great, he found us," he muttered under his breath.

"You're not supposed to be up here."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Does it look like I care? I'm talking to Alice."

Regulus' gaze flickered to Alice. She tried to read him, but she found no emotion in his eyes. A moment later, he returned his attention to his brother. "Mum and dad won't be happy."

Sirius scoffed. "They won't find out if you don't tell them."

"It's against the rules."

"Since when have I cared about the rules?"

"They're there for a reason!"

Still observing Regulus, Alice finally came to a conclusion. So, she turned to Sirius and said, "I think he's worried about you."

Sirius looked at her with a perplexed expression as if the idea had never occurred to him. "Why would you think that?"

Alice looked back at Regulus. His face was blank, giving nothing away. She frowned. Did she really see something or was she remembering the times her sister had warned her about pulling dangerous stunts and she thought she was just being bossy? Maybe it was a bit of both. She glanced at Sirius and shrugged. "I just do."

"It's dangerous up here," Regulus said, giving Alice even more reason to believe in her conclusion.

"Oh, come on. What could possibly happen?"

At Regulus' warning, Alice began to reexamine the attic. It was dusty, the floor boards were a little creaky, and the beams were not very stable. In fact... Her eyes widened in horror when she saw one of the beams cracking right above Regulus. "Look out!" she cried. She dashed at Regulus, knocking him to the floor. She placed her hands on either side of his head as she hovered over him on the floor. She winced in pain when she felt the heavy wood fall onto her back.

"Alice!" Sirius exclaimed.

Moments later, she felt the weight leave her back. She retained her position for several more seconds, though. She was too busy examining Regulus. For the first time, she could see emotion in his eyes. He looked at her with complete shock and bewilderment. The former was expected considering the situation, but the latter seemed a bit more than the typical reaction. She wondered what it meant.

Coming to her senses, she got to her feet, wincing a bit in pain. Then she offered her hand to Regulus, helping him up. She saw him try to hide his emotions again, but she could still tell he was confounded by her actions. "Are you alright, Regulus?" she asked gently.

"I - I'm fine," Regulus said. "You're the one who is hurt."

"I'll manage."

"Wow, Alice, that was so brave," Sirius said in amazement. "You'll definitely be in Gryffindor!"

Alice looked at him in confusion, having no idea what he was talking about. "Huh?"

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Ignore him. Come with me. We should have the adults take a look at you."

Sirius instantly bristled. "You're going to tell on me?"

Regulus glared at him. "She's hurt!" Sirius frowned and looked away awkwardly. Regulus' expression softened slightly as he looked at Alice. "Let's go."

Alice glanced back at Sirius before following Regulus down the ladder. She fell in step beside Regulus as they made their way through the house, Sirius trailing behind them. Finally, they found their parents in a large living room, sitting in couches situated around a fireplace. The four of them looked over when the kids entered.

"Alice, what happened?" Theo said. "You're covered in dust!"

"A beam on the attic fell on her," Regulus said with an emotionless voice.

"What?!" Mirielle exclaimed. She immediately got up and raced to her daughter. When she got there, she began to examine her.

"I'm fine," said Alice.

"Why were you in the attic?" Walburga asked with an edge in her tone. "Sirius, was this your doing?"

Before Sirius could respond, Regulus said quickly, "No, it was mine. Alice wanted a tour of the house, and I thought-"

"I saw the door, and I wanted to see the attic," Alice finished for him. "It was my fault." She had analyzed the situation with lightning-speed. It seemed Regulus was covering for his brother because Sirius would be punished more harshly than Regulus. However, Alice suspected that Regulus would still be punished, which was why she stepped in. From Regulus' grateful expression that flashed on his face for a split second, she knew she was right.

Regulus turned back to his parents. "Don't be mad at her. She saved me. The beam was going to hit me, but she blocked it with her body."

"Is that so?" Orion said, sounding impressed.

"That was very dangerous," said Theo, "but brave. I'm proud of you."

Alice smiled slightly, feeling happy at the praise. "Thank you."

"Thank you for protecting my boy," said Walburga. "I suppose we can look past this mishap since it turned out fine."

Alice nodded, feeling relieved. She looked from Regulus to Sirius, noticing that they were both watching her. She sensed there was a lot of darkness in this household, but at least they had gotten through this episode unscathed.

Alice was bursting with excitement when she entered the room her parents were staying in that evening. Theo held up a hand, so she bit her lip while she waited for him to cast a silencing charm on the room. Then she sat down on the bed between him and Mirielle. "You'll never guess what I found out Sirius!" she said in French.

"He's not a blood purist," Theo said.

Alice's smile fell. "You know?"

"Walburga and Orion had no qualms with telling us anything," said Mirielle. "They are not pleased."

"I can't imagine Sirius is happy living here," said Theo.

Alice nodded, her expression grim. "No, I don't think so."

"Do you believe he would like a way out?"

Alice's eyes widened. They had talked about this possibility before, but it had never come up. "You mean, take him out of this home?"

Theo nodded. "I do not see any evidence of physical abuse, but I get the sense that he suffers from emotional and mental abuse. If he agrees to testify, we could get him out of here."

"Only if he wishes, of course," said Mirielle.

Alice pursed her lips as she thought about it. This made sense for Sirius' well-being, but something still nagged at her. "What about Regulus?"

Her parents exchanged a look. "The younger one?" said Theo. "Do you think he would want to leave with his brother?"

Alice hesitated, thinking about everything Sirius told her. Then she sighed and shook her head. "No."

"Then we can't do anything for him."

"But he's innocent!"

"So are all the other children you've talked to," Mirielle said gently. "You can't help everyone."

"But you can help Sirius," said Theo. "You should focus on him."

Alice nodded. She knew her parents were right. She finally had a chance to help one of these kids, and she was going to take it. "Alright. I'll talk to Sirius."

That evening, Alice spent time with Sirius gazing at the stars. They lay among blankets and pillows out on a grand deck outside of the house. Alice expressed her interest in astronomy, so the two of them shared their knowledge.

"I think it's cool that you're named after a star," Alice said at one point.

Sirius grinned at her. "It is cool, isn't it? Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. Though you can't see it now, of course. Not until right before dawn, at least."

"And we won't be staying up that late." Alice chuckled lately. "Sirius is part of Canis Major and known as the 'dog star.'" She paused as she looked at him. "You know, you kind of remind me of a dog."

Sirius brightened at the comment as if it were a compliment. "You think so? I'd like to think I'm fun and also loyal like a dog."

Alice smirked. "Maybe I should call you 'puppy.'"

Sirius gave her an amused look. "Then I'll just have to start acting like a dog. Bark. Bark." He got on all floors and started barking at her.

Alice rolled around on the blankets, laughing. After several minutes, she pat Sirius on the head. "Good puppy."

Sirius made a pleased sound before flopping back on the blankets. "You know, Regulus is named after a star as well."

Alice looked at him curiously. "Yeah? I thought it sounded familiar. Which constellation?"

"Leo. Although, he's not much like a lion. Maybe a house cat."

Alice appeared thoughtful. "Cute and cuddly?"

Sirius laughed. "To people he likes, maybe. Otherwise he's quite aloof and standoffish."

"Ah, I see." Alice returned her gaze to the stars, admiring their patterns. "Does your family always name their kids after stars and constellations?"

"Yeah. The males at least, since there are far more potential names."

"That's neat!"

"I suppose it's not the worst of our traditions. Still, it doesn't mean I'll follow it."

Alice made a small sound of acknowledgement. She could already tell he was highly independent. Her mind wandered to her conversation with her parents. Now was as good of a time to bring it up as any. She took a deep breath and turned her head towards him. "Hey, Sirius, can I ask you something?"

Sirius glanced at her, appearing curious. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Do you... want to get out of this house?"

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. "Out? What do you mean?"

"Do you want to get away from your family?"

Something flashed in Sirius' eyes. He seemed to come more alive. "You bet I do!"

Alice smiled slightly. So far, so good. "Then my parents can help you."

His smile fell. "Your parents? But they're-"

"They're not who you think they are." The two of them sat up so they could talk better. Alice quickly explained her parents' role in the war. She saw understanding slowly dawn on his face. He remained silent for several long moments before speaking again.

"So, your parents can help me find a new home?"

Alice nodded. "That's the gist of it." She saw the hesitation in his eyes, and she had a feeling she knew what he was thinking.

"And what about Regulus?"

Alice told him what her parents had authorized. "He can come too if he chooses."

Sirius nodded slowly, resignation in his eyes. "He won't. So, thank you for the offer, but I can't come. I can't leave Reggie. Not yet. If I leave him with those people... they'll destroy him. He can still be saved."

Alice's expression softened. She could tell he loved his brother, and she could sympathize with his feelings. "You're trying to save him?"

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, but it's not working. He doesn't listen to me anymore. Not since I went off to Hogwarts. He was left alone with our parents, and they got to him. Maybe they told him to stay away from me or something. Probably fed him lies. He always listens to them over me. He's been growing more distant and doesn't care about anything I have to say."

Alice gently placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. That must be tough."

Sirius nodded, his expression grim. "It is. We used to be close, but now it's like he doesn't care that I exist. I don't know how to get through to him." Suddenly, a curious look crossed his face. "Hey, how did you know he was trying to look out for me when we were in the attic?"

The question surprised Alice, but she did her best to answer. "I guess it was intuition. I could just sense it."

"You said your dad is good at reading people for his job. Do you share this ability?"

Alice shrugged. "I'm pretty good at analyzing people and figuring them out."

Hope flashed in Sirius' eyes. "Then maybe you can help Regulus!"

Alice look at him in surprise. "Me?"

"Yeah! You've done that type of thing before, right?"

Alice hesitated. How was she supposed to explain this to him? "I've only done it to figure out someone's allegiance and then help people like you. I'm suppose to leave people like Regulus alone."

Sirius frowned, and she saw a hint of anguish in my eyes. "But he's my brother! You have to help! It doesn't have to be now. He's starting at Hogwarts this year like you. You're allowed to talk to people like him outside of these missions of yours, right?"

Alice nodded. That was true. Her parents allowed her to do whatever she wished in her free time. "Yes."

"Then you can try to befriend him!"

Alice held in a sigh. She wished it was that easy. She did not want to disappoint Sirius by turning him down, but it would be worse if she made a promise she couldn't keep. "I don't know... If he's as difficult as she say, then I may not be able to do much even if I try."

Sirius' face fell."I-I know, but you've got to try. Please? For me? I know you don't know what it's like to have a sibling, but-"

"Actually, I do... I had a sister."

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "But you-" Then realization dawned on his face. "You said 'had.' You mean-"

Alice nodded, her expression sad as she gazed at him. Her heart ached just at the thought of Inaya. "She died last December It's the reason I'm transferring schools. My parents thought it would help me."

Sirius gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I don't like to talk about it. She fell in the river trying to save me."

"That must have been pretty traumatic. No wonder you're switching schools. Come here." Sirius held his arms open for her, and she did not hesitate to scoot closer and wrap her arms around her. It felt good to embrace someone who expressed genuine empathy. After a moment, he spoke softly to her. "I'm sorry you lost your sister. I'm just trying to prevent the same thing from happening to me. I'm losing him, Alice. You must think I'm a horrible brother. I can't do anything to help him."

Alice's heart clenched even tighter. While she had lost her sister permanently, at least she had known Inaya loved her. She would hate to have lost her the way Sirius is losing Regulus. If there was anything she could do to help repair their relationship, she knew she had to try. "You're not a horrible brother. You recognize your limitations, and you care enough to seek help for him outside yourself. If I am able to do anything for him, it'll be partly because of you. You're an amazing brother."

"So, you'll help me?" Alice heard the hope in his voice.

She pulled back from the hug and looked up at him. "Yes, Sirius. I'll do my best to help Regulus. I promise."

Sirius' face immediately brightened, and he almost tackled her in a tight hug. "Thank you! I'm sure you can do it. I have a good feeling about you!"

Alice chuckled lightly as she hugged him back. "Well, I hope you're right."

Sirius pulled away and gave her a serious look. "And don't worry about my family. I'll make sure to protect you from them."

Alice stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"If your parents are playing the long game, you'll sure to be invited over again. Eventually, my parents may try to set you up with Regulus or me. I'll shield you from anything they may try to do as a consequence."

Unfortunately, Alice knew his concerns were valid. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. It's nice to know you'll have my back."

Sirius grinned at her. "Of course. We're friends now, aren't we. I'll always protect you."

Alice felt her heart warm at his words, which she found herself believing. She needed a friend like him after everything that had happened recently. For the first time since her sister's death she felt peace and contentment.

Regulus observed Sirius and Alice from the window of an upper room. Part of him wanted to join them. He was not jealous of his brother, though. He knew Sirius would let him hang out with them if he asked. He could not ask. They looked so happy together. If Alice got along with Sirius so well, then Regulus knew she would want nothing to do with him. They were both better off without him. So, he had to keep his distance.

Still, he could not get the image out of his head of that girl saving him in the attic. He wondered why she did it. Asking her would do not good since it was an instinctive reaction and not a conscious choice. Maybe she was just that good of a person. What really struck him, though, was the way she looked at him as if really seeing him as a person. No one except for Sirius had ever looked at him that way. He was used to people either wanting to use him or showing him contempt. She was different.

Regulus shook his head and sighed. He had to stop himself from wondering too much about her. He could not risk getting too close to her. Or anyone. He even had to stay away from Sirius. His brother might not understand now, but one day he would discover the truth. Regulus leaned against the window as he gazed outside. After a moment, he realized the kids had fallen asleep. It was cool out tonight, so he should find the adults to bring them inside.

He found them quickly and relayed the message. For once, his parents were eager to help Sirius. He knew it was a show for Alice's parents. Then again, perhaps his parents thought that Alice would be a good influence on Sirius. Regulus did not dare hope that the girl's presence would soften them for long. He had to live in reality. His and Sirius' fates were already sealed, and there was nothing anyone could do to change them.