fatal love

chapter 125

Sirius woke up early on Monday, and left the dorm without waking Remus. He normally would wake him up now, or try and go back to sleep himself, but it was the moon in two days, and he wanted Remus to get as much rest as possible.

He left the Common Room, planning to go and find Evans in the Great Hall like he usually did when it was still early, but as he stepped out into the corridor, Regulus was there, waiting for him.

Sirius froze. He'd seen Regulus around since he left Grimmauld Place, of course he had, but he'd always made the conscious effort not to look. He couldn't avoid the sight here, though. Regulus looked so much older now than how Sirius pictured him in his mind. He was holding himself more proudly, his head high and his chin jutting out in some sort of permanent defiance. He looked tired, though, underneath his mask, his skin sallow and his eyes slightly bloodshot.

"Hello, Sirius."

"When did you get back?" Sirius asked through gritted teeth.

"Last night," Regulus replied civilly.

Sirius waited, but Regulus didn't say anything else, just stared at him. "Come on," Sirius said, rolling his eyes in impatience, "just tell me what your problem is so I can tell you to piss off."

"I bet you're so pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Regulus hissed, his face twisting with venom. "You can just never resist, can you, you always have to find a new way to fuck with our family!"

Sirius threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fucks sake, Reg, what the hell are you on about? I haven't done anything! I couldn't give two shits about the Blacks, I've moved on!"

"Ha! You say you've moved on, but you've stolen our money!"

That actually made Sirius pause, his anger fading into confusion. "I haven't stolen anything," he said honestly. "The Potters pay for everything I need."

Regulus tilted his head, looking at Sirius carefully. "You don't know yet," he said quietly.

"Don't know what?"

"You must have planned it, though," Reg continued, talking to himself.

"I haven't planned anything!" Sirius snapped. "Stop being so cryptic, either tell me what your problem is, or scurry back to Slytherin!"

"Alphard's money," Regulus said bluntly. "That's Black money, it should have come back to us when he died."

"Look," Sirius started, "I dunno how much he left Andy, but I-"

"He didn't leave Andy anything," Regulus interrupted. "He left it all to you. Everything."

"He did what ?" Sirius asked in shock.

"You really didn't know?"

"I- I knew he left me something," Sirius said slowly. "I honestly thought it was just a curse, though. McGonagall took the letter back to inspect it."

Regulus stared at him, his eyes suddenly shining with hurt. "Why?" he asked. "Why did you get everything?"

"I don't know," Sirius said plainly. "I mean... I only met him once, and he hated me."

Reg nodded stiffly. "Mother told me I need to demand that you return the money. It's Black money, it's rightful place is with us."

Sirius gave him a small smile. "Did she really think that would work?"

"I doubt it."

"You... are you okay, Reg?"

"I'm the Heir," he replied at once, "life is easy."