Sirius wanted to run to his brother, to save him, to do something that would make Regulus - the hero - forgive him. Sirius knew he couldn't have been completely wrong about Regulus's nature. Regulus had been a coward. And a Slytherin. And Slytherins were always evil.

Suddenly the old ideas he had believed - rather blindly - weren't as set in stone as he had imagined. The old commandments that dictated much of his life now lacked the complete meaning they had once had. Sirius certainly wasn't about to run and trust Slytherins... But maybe there were occasional exceptions. Like his brother.

Sirius shook off the concern he felt, scrambling as he realized that he hadn't even drawn his wand yet. He pulled it out as Dumbledore casted a powerful spell and the Death Eaters decided to cut their losses and Disapparated away. Apparently even Voldemort's senior Death Eaters were scared of Dumbledore. Regulus - and James - were the priorities. Sirius ran to the two fallen wizards. James was breathing, obviously unconscious but seemingly not in pain. Regulus's eyes were open but unfocused. His breaths were inaudible, and as much as Sirius wanted to believe that meant he was doing better, he knew it was because of how weak he had become. Albus pushed Sirius away from his brother, placing a hand on his arm.

Merlin, he looked so young. He was only nineteen. Nineteen and already stopping for death.

"I'm taking him to St. Mungo's," Albus said. "Take care of James."

"But - Reg," Sirius started to protest the separation from his brother, but Albus had already Apparated away.

Looking down at the bloody bricks, Sirius realized that Regulus must have lost a lot more blood than he had imagined. What if he died? What if he never had a chance to apologize to Regulus? To ask for forgiveness because Sirius had given up on him.

James moaned and stirred, jarring Sirius from his thoughts. Sirius knelt down beside his friend and saw that James's glasses had flown off. He replaced them, placing them gently on James face.

"James?" he asked, unsure of what spell had hit James but glad he was waking. "You alright, mate?"

"Yeah," he said grimacing. "Are they gone?" Sirius nodded, helping his feet to his feet.

"Yeah," he said. "As soon as they saw Albus they left." Now that the disaster had been adverted (he hoped) Sirius felt strangely closed-off about how he felt. In the past, he ranted easily about that 'damn Death Eater family' of his. But now… Now he had been wrong? No. His family was dark, was evil, was full of Death Eaters and stood for everything he didn't.

He had been wrong though. Sirius judged his brother quickly, when he was young. Merlin, he was still young – only nineteen. Sirius felt ancient suddenly, weighed down by the circumstances around him. Regulus was only a year younger than he, but it felt like Regulus still was a child, still impressionable, much slimmer and shorter than Sirius, a much less imposing personality.

James allowed his friend to think in peace, not wishing to impede on what obviously had shocked his friend to the core. He wondered what Sirius knew now; after all, James was sure Dumbledore had said something to him about the situation. Albus had had to have some wise comment about it all. He longed to ask his friend, to figure out what had happened, to figure out how a damn Death Eater from the blackest family out there had been good.

Good. Regulus Black. James never thought he'd string those words together. James threw himself into memories, remembering the small kid that distanced himself from Sirius in the very beginning. He felt a little shame that he could hardly remember anything about the kid. Then again, he and Sirius avoided anything that had to do with the Black family, and Regulus was in the cross-hairs of that issue.

After a long moment of silence, James finally decided to speak.

"Sirius, would you Apparate us back to my house? I don't think I'm quite up to it." That was true. James's body ached like hell. He hadn't even heard the spell that hit him, but he just knew that he wanted to lay down and sleep for several long hours – or days.

"Oh – yeah, sure," Sirius answered, suddenly snapping back to the present. He Apparated them to the closest street corner, helping James limp into his house. The house was small and cozy and happened to be Sirius's favourite place. He wouldn't admit that to James or Lily though, insisting to them that he loved his small flat because he wasn't dragged down by anyone there. As soon as they entered the doorway, Lily immediately appeared.

She had opened her mouth, most likely to chastise James for disappearing without telling her where he was going. At the sight of her husband, she stopped and helped Sirius half-carry James to the sofa.

"What happened?" she asked, fussing a little over James, who looked as if he was already asleep.

"A really long story," Sirius said. "I think James is okay though." Lily knew him well enough to know that he wasn't just brushing off her question and that something big must have happened.

"Sirius, please," she said again, running her hand through James's hair almost without noticing. Sirius stopped at the desperate words, adopting an expression of pain and surprise and so many other emotions that mixed into a grimace.

"I found a Death Eater that betrayed Voldemort. The Death Eater stole something from him and gave it to me. James was protecting him while I got Albus and the others came to kill him." Lily still wasn't satisfied at the clipped summary of events. She had a million questions running through her head, centering around this stolen object and her husband and, of course, the rogue Death Eater.

"Who was it?" she asked. "Did he survive?"

"Regulus Black," Sirius answered. His face, which betrayed so many emotions, contradicted his quiet, controlled voice. "And I think he's dying." Lily went cold, recognizing the name of Sirius's condemned brother.

"Where is he?" she whispered.

"St. Mungo's," Sirius said, still using the detached voice. "Albus is with him." Lily noticed that Sirius's face fell to a mix of doubt and fear and that lingering shock and anger and perhaps – just perhaps – a small bit of hope.

"You should go find them." She wanted Sirius to go to his brother. If Sirius was correct, and the young man was dying so soon after this possible redemption, then she wanted Sirius to have a chance to say goodbye. And also, that should comfort the lost man. His brother, whom he hated, whom he condemned, whom he abandoned (or perhaps that was the other way around), meant enough to him that he betrayed Voldemort in a most likely fatal way. Sirius had to be there for him – just as Sirius had to be there for himself.

"He – he wouldn't want me there," Sirius protested. "He hates me." Lily was patient with her friend. She knew he had to be in shock after this evening.

"If he hates you, then why would he come to you?"

"I don't know," Sirius muttered. "But – but I hated him."

"And now you have a chance to tell him you don't feel like that." Lily refrained from mentioning that that chance may be short lived. "You have to go see him."

Sirius nodded, and Lily saw the fear once more in his face. She wished she could go with him, but her husband needed her now too, just in case something unexpected happened to him. Plus, she knew that this was Sirius's cross to carry, not her own. It was he that betrayed his brother.

Sirius walked to the floo, his movements mechanical and short. His eyes met Lily's and she again saw that desperate fear as he announced "St. Mungo's" and then was flung from her sight.

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Hope you guys like this! Thanks for the reviews and please review this one! I don't own HP.