The new choice {Regulus and Sirius Black}

The new choice

I do not own the characters nor the plot, all that belongs to JK Rowling.

Sirius had thought about it a great deal. And to be honest he still wasn't sure he had made the right choice.

But anyways, here he was, standing where he did, staring at the green casket as it was lowered down into the ground.

He hadn't at first wanted to be here. That was the hard choice he had thought so much of. If he wanted to be here or not.

Less than a week from now, was his brother's 18th birthday.

But Regulus wouldn't be celebrating it. In fact, Sirius's baby brother would never again celebrate his own birthday. Or anyone else's for that matter.

Because, in fact, much to Sirius's despair, he was at this moment standing over his brother's casket.

But not just his brother's casket. But, his brother's empty casket.

Because even after weeks of searching, no body was found.

Sirius expected there wasn't a body left to be found. Not if it was as he thought.

Of course, no one could know for sure what had happened to the youngest Black, but Sirius, along with everyone else, knew the truth.

Regulus was a coward.

Regulus was an idiot.

He had brought this upon himself.

And maybe he deserved it.

Regulus had known what he had gotten himself into, he had made his choice. He chose this.

He had run into hiding after getting to scared of fulfilling the promises he'd made.

He had been to scared to stand for the cause he had said to be ready to die for.

And maybe this was the punishment for not keeping your promises.

But still Sirius couldn't help but feel guilty.

Because this was his fault too.

Cause he was a coward too.

Sirius had been in such a hurry to free himself, that he hadn't thought about how he would be sacrificing his own little brother.

All he had wanted was to get away. Never in a million years had he thought of which position he would put his brother in.

Because with Sirius gone, his parents had put all their faith in Regulus.

They had done everything in their power to make sure Regulus didn't turn out to be a disappointment like his older brother had.

They had manipulated, brainwashed and fed him with lies every free second they had.

No wonder Reg turned out the way he did.

In the Black family you wouldn't be taught a thing about love, only hate.

Regulus had been taught to hate.

He had been taught to hate Sirius.

His own brother.

And anyone else who dared go against them.

So Sirius couldn't fully blame Regulus.

As he looked down at the empty casket again he realized how little he knew about his brother.

The brother he'd been supposed to love more than anything. The brother he'd been supposed to protect.

The brother he'd left.

The brother he'd abandoned.

The brother he'd sacrificed.

The brother he'd ignored.

The brother he'd bullied.

The brother he'd harassed.

The brother he'd forgot about.

The brother he'd never missed.

But also the brother he knew to be a killer, no, not a killer, a murderer. A monster.

The brother he knew could, and had, tortured and murdered innocent men, women and children.

Because no matter what anyone says. That had been Regulus's own choice. In the end he had chosen to become a monster.

Sirius could blame himself all he wanted, but a part of him still knew he had made his own choice, he had chosen to be what he himself wanted to be. While Regulus had chosen to be what their parents wanted him to be. He had chosen his own path.

They had both made their own choices. And as Sirius was the one still alive, he had obviously been the one to make the right choice.

*************

Sixteen years later Sirius died still thinking his brother to be a coward.

And still not knowing the truth.

Because when Sirius died, he still did not know, that all those years ago, a few weeks before that funeral, Regulus had made a new choice.

And Sirius was right about one thing. His brother had chosen his own fate.

But no one would know this until even a few years after Sirius passing. When a boy named Harry Potter found a note written by the one and only, Regulus Black.

' To the Dark Lord,

I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I wanted you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.

I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.

I face death, in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B '