RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

LXII.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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CHAPTER LXII.

There were many ways to describe an emotion—with words like shock, surprise, bright, warm...

But he didn't think words could ever capture an emotion. Not truly.

Not when it felt so...

There were no words to describe the emotion that Sirius Black felt when he saw Regulus Black standing outside his cell.

***

"Regulus," Sirius rasped, his eyes widening, his voice hoarse from disuse.

Sirius had spent several weeks pondering if the world had forgotten about him. If Remus, whom he had wrongly accused for betraying Lily and James, was still angry at him.

If Reia Lupin, one of the only Slytherins that he enjoyed the company of, had forgotten him.

But now he knew that even if all of the others had, Regulus hadn't.

His little brother remembered even when all Sirius did was tell him nice things and then leaving when Regulus needed him the most.

"Sirius," Regulus responded, his voice smooth but quiet, as if he was cautious, but so thick with emotion, "I...I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

It was strange to hear someone talk after so long, Sirius thought.

Regulus knelt down so he could be as close to his brother as possible, and took Sirius' hand through the bars.

They were freezing.

Regulus pulled off the scarf that was around his neck—it was his old Slytherin one; tattered with use but well-loved, and Sirius tried to laugh and failed as his brother pushed it through the bars and into his hand.

"Put it on," Regulus insisted, even as Sirius shoved it back to him and shook his head.

"No, Reggie," Sirius said firmly, "Besides," his serious tone turned into a playful one, "Gryffindor pride, right?" He gestured to himself, before slumping ever so slightly—the movement so small that anybody who hadn't grown up with Sirius wouldn't have noticed it.

Regulus knew that movement—it was what Sirius did to hide himself, when he felt scared, or ashamed.

Sirius did it when Walburga yelled at him for being filthy or impure, and when he was younger, those words had hurt him, even though Sirius would never admit it.

Walburga was his mother, and he hadn't expected her to ever say things like that to him.

Sirius didn't want to feel scared, so he hid that fear away.

But Regulus knew him too well.

"I figured you would say that," He replied, not discouraged in the slightest, "So, I brought you something else."

And Sirius' jaw dropped in shock as Regulus pulled out a scarf woven from gold and scarlet from his robe pocket and put it into Sirius' hand.

"H-how did you find this?"

"I didn't," Regulus said with a little smile, "I made it."

When Sirius looked closer at the stitches, they were a bit messier than the original, store-bought scarf that he had owned during his Hogwarts years, but it was perfect, and he hadn't known Regulus could knit.

"How did you make it?" Sirius breathed, amazed, "I didn't know you could knit."

"Molly taught me while the kids were with them—,"

Immediately he shut his mouth, upon realising what he had said.

"Don't worry," Sirius chuckled, "I suspected." He glanced around, but upon spotting several other prisoners surrounding them, he left the next words unsaid: Reia's the mother, right?

Regulus exhaled, almost in relief, "Yeah. Ari and Caelum."

"By the way," Sirius began, "Where is she? Tell her hello from me. I miss her, you know. And wasn't she pregnant with boys a while back? Where are they?" His expression was one of light-heartedness, but it faded when he noticed that his brother wasn't smiling.

Regulus didn't reply. Rather, he focused his attention to keeping his face blank of emotion—but clearly failed.

"What's the matter?" Sirius suddenly was frantic, climbing up and gripping the bars with both hands, "Did something happen to her?"

"I—she's gone," Regulus whispered, "She's been gone for years. She was captured a few days before James and Lily were murdered, and she's never been seen since. The twins she was pregnant with...well, I can only hope that they're all alright."

Sirius was silent for a long moment. The two brothers sat there for what seemed like hours—the crying of the prisoners around them drowned out as they felt like they were contained in their own little world.

Then, Sirius picked up the scarf that had fallen to the ground when he had reached to grip the bars, and wrapped the brightly-coloured material around his neck, savouring the immediate warmth.

"I charmed it," Regulus said, noticing Sirius' surprise, "I hope you like it."

"It's perfect, Reggie," Sirius said, and he truly meant it. "I'm sorry for all the times I've hurt you. I'm sorry for leaving you. Brothers don't do that to brothers. I'm sorry. Thank you so much—for even just thinking of me."

"Sirius," Regulus said, blinking quickly and averting his eyes to hide his tears, "Don't say that. T-that was ages ago and it's okay," he told him, taking his brother's hands in his own, "don't worry about it. And I could never forget about you."

He pressed something into Sirius' palm, before getting up and saying, "I have to go. I'll be back. Next time."

Sirius couldn't help the disappointment that swelled in him, even though he knew that Regulus had to leave at some point, and that he couldn't stay forever.

"Bye, Reg."

There was a little bit of timid tentativeness when Regulus said, "I love you, Sirius."

But there was no pause when Sirius responded, "I love you, too."

Long after Regulus left, Sirius unfolded the thing that his brother had put into his hand.

Sirius spent the rest of the day watching the moving photograph of himself and Regulus as children—running around, so carefree, with impossibly bright grins on their faces.

Author's Note:

I am soooooo sorry for the serious lack of updates! I just truly realised how long it's been and I'm so sorry for making you guys wait so long.

But here's the chapter, a bit of Sirius/Regulus bonding for you all--I love their relationship so much.

I hope you all liked it!

 Thanks,

lilia <3