7Hidden Truths
Sirius left the Potters house with a smile and was about to apparate away when suddenly he froze as he saw a movement out of the corner of his eyes. He gripped his wand tighter, about to call for James and Lily, when he rethought it. Whoever the person that stood in the shadows was stood unmoving, and didn't seem to plan to attack Sirius. He pressed his lips tighter together before he began walking, deciding to see what the person wanted.
Sirius had never been a very patient person, though. After a while he got tired, the person following him but not saying a word. So he twirled around, his wand pointed at where the person seemed to be, and hissed "What do you want?"
Out of the darkness walked Regulus Black, his hands held up and his wand sticking out of his pocket. Sirius looked at him in slight surprise, having not seen him since the day he left Hogwarts, talked to him since he ran away from home, but quickly changed his look to a glare. His brother was one of them. But his wand still dropped a few inches. He could curse almost anybody in his family – his parents, his cousins (Andromedea didn't count – technically, she wasn't part of the family anymore since she had been disowned) he'd even pay to kill Bellatrix who had attempted to take his life more than once – but he could never curse his brother, though he'd never admit it.
"What do you want?" Sirius spat, his hand shaking slightly.
"I need your help," Regulus whispered quietly as he stared his brother in the eyes.
"Why would I help you?" Sirius spat as he turned around and began walking again.
"Siri," Regulus whispered as he followed him and Sirius froze, hunched up. He hadn't been called that in years…
"What? What in the world would make you come to me for help now Regulus?" Sirius hissed, turning once more to look at his brother. Regulus flinched as his brother used his full name for the first time he could ever remember.
"Remember what you said to me? That day you ran away?" Regulus said quietly, his voice hoarse. Sirius looked at him oddly as he tried to remember. His eyes opened wide as he remembered that one part…
Sirius grabbed Regulus by the arm and literally dragged him down an ally of Godric's Hollow. He muttered a few spell's at the opening of the ally so nobody would see or hear them there.
"Are you insane?" Sirius hissed as he glanced around. "I thought you said it was too dangerous for you to see her…plus you're one of them," He hissed the last word and quickly let go of his arm before realizing it wasn't the arm with the mark.
"I did say that, and I still don't believe any differently, but…" Regulus leaned against the ally wall and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the ground. "She approached me, Siri," Sirius flinched again but Regulus ignored it. "I just…couldn't say no. And I told her…I told her! But she wouldn't listen…she wouldn't let me go. So the only thing I could do to keep her safe was," Regulus sighed as he made a face and gestured to his arm where the mark was hidden.
"How in the world would that keep her safe," Sirius asked, raising his hands in exasperation.
"I would know what they were doing…what they were planning. I could hide her, keep her safe, and know where to move her…" Regulus trailed off as he wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his forehead on them.
Sirius' eyes widened as he realized the perfect sense that made, and slide down the wall across the alley until he came to a sitting position. "Oh Reg," He whispered quietly.
Regulus raised his head slightly, until he was looking at Sirius, tears streaming silently down his face, and he whispered in a hoarse voice "She's pregnant, Siri, seven months."
Sirius stared at his brother with wide eyes, his mouth gapping slightly. Finally he swallowed and whispered, "What do you need me to do?"
"There's…something…I need to do. I need to make sure she's safe before I do it; I need to get her out of here, her and the baby. The Dark Lord has stopped looking for…he wanted her for something, you know she was one of the best in Ancient Runes, but now he thinks she's dead, since neither side has a clue where she is…"
"How does he know our side doesn't know where she is?" Sirius interrupted sharply, his eyes narrowed. Regulus grimaced, and averted his eyes from his brother, obviously not being able to say. But it was enough to confirm for Sirius – Dumbledore was right in his suspicions, there was a traitor amongst the Order members.
"…It's the best time to get her out," Regulus continued as though there had been no interruption. "You're the only one I can trust Siri…please."
Sirius nodded quickly as he said "Of course." But he hadn't missed something in his brother's little speech.
"What about you? Why's she going without you? What do you have to do?" Sirius said, and he couldn't help but notice how his brother shivered slightly at that as he stared blankly at the opposite wall.
"I've got to do something…only I can do it…there's no other way…" Regulus muttered, more to himself than anything.
"Regulus," Sirius said sharply, grabbing his brother and making him look at him. "You are going to join her, aren't you? What you're going to do isn't going to…" Sirius swallowed hard, not being able to finish his sentence.
"There's no other way Sirius – no other way. If we want to defeat the Dark Lord, I have to," Regulus said, moving uncomfortable as he pulled out of his brother's grasp.
Sirius was about to retaliate when they both heard a noise at the opening to the ally. They both froze, as still as foxes, before glancing at each other and simultaneously throwing the hoods to their cloaks up.
"This isn't over," Sirius hissed before they both apparated away separately.
A sleek dark car pulled up beside an abandoned field in the middle of nowhere. Out stepped a man whereing a black cloak, his hood hiding his face. Suddenly there was a movement down the road, and the man pulled out his wand, pointing it at a figure down the road, also covered by a robe and pointing his wand at the first man.
"Reveal yourself," The men said at the same time, and then together removed their hoods to show Sirius and Regulus Black, eyeing each other suspiciously.
"What did you once hide under my bed at the House of Black?" Sirius said quietly, his eyes narrowed.
"Healing potions for whenever you got injured by one of your and mom's…arguments," Regulus said, and Sirius couldn't help but snort at the last word, lowering his wand slightly.
"What was hidden under your side table at the House of Black – and most importantly, obviously your favourite?" Regulus said, not quite yet satisfied.
"A photo album of all the photos I savaged of us from mum's rampage of destroying them – and the one of us at the beach," Sirius said with a slight smile at the end. Regulus smiled too as they both lowered their wands to their sides.
"Where is she?" Sirius asked, and Regulus walked out of sight, coming back a few minutes later with none other than Anna White, who'd been unseen for a while, and at that time had quite a large stomach.
"Hi Sirius," Anna said with a slight smile, gripping onto Regulus' arm tightly. Sirius smiled lightly at her, before opening the back door of the car for her.
"It's a bit of a long journey," He said, and Anna just shrugged before turning back to Regulus. Sirius watched as they hugged, and Regulus kissed her lightly. He then whispered something in her ear and she nodded before turning and entering the car, smiling sadly at Sirius as she passed.
Sirius shut the door behind her and looked at it a few seconds before he said quietly "Does she know?"
"That there's a good chance she won't she me again? Yes," Regulus said with a sigh and Sirius looked up to see his brother's eyes fluttering shut. "But a mother will do anything to protect their child – even if it means giving up something they love. She wishes I'd come with her, but she'll go even if I won't."
Sirius stepped back from the car and looked at his brother. "Isn't there any way…" He trailed off as he saw the expression that flashed across Regulus' face.
"Anyway I can what? I've got to do this Sirius, there's no other way, I can't just go with her knowing that I left you all here with…and it's not like the Dark Lord won't expand if he gets stronger. I've got to Sirius, even if it will…" Regulus swallowed and looked away.
"What is it Reg, tell me, maybe I can help," Sirius said, stepping closer to his brother.
"NO!" Regulus gasped, stepping away, shaking his head as he stepped away. "There's no other way Sirius…this is the only way…if we want to…to be able to defeat the Dark Lord, I have to do this, so you guys can…because how can you defeat someone that's not human?"
Sirius' eyes widened as he watched his brother who seemed to be talking to himself more than anything else. "What?" He whispered his eyes wide.
Regulus shook his head and muttered, "I shouldn't have said that. Don't worry – everything will be set proper once I…then the Order's fight against him won't be for nothing."
Sirius nodded and said quietly, "Reg, is there any chance…any…that, you'll…"
Regulus looked at his brother before slowly nodding, "Of course there is." But Sirius could hear the lie in his voice, even though he pretended he didn't.
"But if I don't, just tell people I started to panic and came to talk to you – that I was trying to leave the Death Eaters – they'll just assume that they killed me," Regulus said, and Sirius nodded mutely, knowing fighting against his brother would be useless at this point. He had his mind set and there was no changing it.
Regulus turned to leave before pausing. Sirius watched him as he slowly looked back at him, and seemed to be fighting with himself, trying to find something to say. Finally he said "Be careful who you trust."
Sirius stared at him, not allowing himself to understand what that meant. But he understood. Even though Regulus hadn't meant to, he'd let it slip that there was a spy amongst the Order – just like Dumbledore suspected. From what his brother had said, though, it sounded like the spy was close to him. Sirius couldn't think about that at that time.
With that said, Regulus finally turned and left. Sirius watched his brother disappear into the darkness, and stood there until he heard the crack, finally turning, and sliding into the driver's seat of the car. He turned around to look at Anna who had tears running down her face. They looked at each other for a few seconds and an understanding passed between them. They both knew they were never going to see Regulus Arcturus Black again.
Sirius turned around and drove away.
Sirius sat, starring at the table, as the members of the Order watched him. He'd been waiting for this moment, waiting tensely each Order meeting when his brother's death would be mentioned – when it would be finally discovered. He'd hoped it never would be, meaning it never happened, but he knew that wouldn't happen.
"Sirius," Sirius' eyes glanced up at James as he said his name before looking away to Dumbledore. He sat up straight and kept his face blank, not revealing any of his emotions.
"He was found washed up on a beach – do you have any idea what might have happened to cause this?" Dumbledore asked and Sirius physically shied away as he felt his old Headmaster in his mind. James shot him a look and Dumbledore bowed his head a little, the feeling dispersing.
Sirius let out a slight breath as he kept his emotions hidden, working hard to hide his feelings as he used the story his brother had told him to, no matter how much he hated it. "He came to me a few days ago," Sirius said hesitantly, as though he wasn't sure he should say this, and he saw both Remus and James send him a confused look, obviously hearing something off in his voice.
"Yes?" Dumbledore prompted, not hearing the difference as much as the other two, though he seemed to hold more interest than Sirius thought necessary.
"He was wary – panicky, he didn't like some of the things they were wanting him to do," Sirius said, adding a subtle amount of wariness to his voice, as though worried what the other's might think about him talking so openly with a Death Eater, but none seemed to find it odd, since the Death Eater was his brother. "He wanted my help – he wanted out. If they found out…" He trailed off – that last part wasn't a lie, though in a totally different context then they thought it.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded and after a few more words the meeting turned to other topics. Sirius just starred at the table, barely paying attention.
"Sirius, are you OK?" Lily asked at the end of the meeting, grabbing his arm before he left. He glanced at her and forced a smile across his face, though he doubted it matched his eyes.
"Of course I am why wouldn't I be?" Sirius asked as James, Remus and Peter watched from the corner with concern.
"He was your brother," She whispered and Sirius barked out a laugh, though there was a harshness to it. Only Lily would dare say that – after all, she had a sister she didn't get along with, except for her it was a witch-muggle thing, but she still was always able to understand it – or as much as the eye could see.
"He was a Death Eater Lils," Sirius said as he pulled his arm away and left.
Everybody says that you always know when you're going to die, two seconds before it happens if it is a quick, unexpected thing. They also say that when you die you see your life flash before your eyes. Well they were right about one thing.
As Sirius Black duelled with his cousin Bellatrix within the Department of Mysteries to protect his godson, he was barely aware of anything around him. His only object was to take her down – he'd seen her curse Dora down, and she wasn't going to hurt anyone else.
Sirius mockingly laughed at his cousin as he taunted her and her poor wand work while continuing to dodge her spells – but he'd done it before, so he should have known better.
As he laughed, just seconds before it hit him, he saw the jet of green light shoot towards him. And it wasn't his life that flashed before his eyes, it wasn't even worry of what was going to happen to Harry, or how was he supposed to get his five galleons from Emmeline when Remus and Dora finally got together and he won the bet when he was dead.
No, what happened in the two seconds when he realized what was going to happen was two thoughts crossed his mind. I'm going to see James and Reg again and nobody will know about Anna. Nobody will know about the last Black.
I've had this resting on my files for a few weeks, as you can see with how quickly it was updated. I didn't post it...because, well, originally I was having it to continue after the war ended and Anna comes back with her son and meets Harry...but I don't really know where to go with that. So, this is going to be the end, unless somebody can give any suggestions for me to run with. Anybody (I'll post this as complete if I can't get any).