Touch the Clouds (Harry Potter)

Only a Cloud Away

"Do you know how lucky the two of you are?"

Sirius stared at the head of his house, unsure what she said was true. "I don't feel lucky."

She stared, her mouth pushed together in a firm line, before looking towards Regulus ' infirmary bed. Rather than correcting him, she asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, which was the honest truth, his mind still spinning, still trying to process what happened. "I really don't know. One moment, I was following him up on my broom, and the next thing, he was falling. I don't know how I managed to grab his hand. I think I managed to grab it before we crashed." He watched Pomfrey start her ministrations. "Is he going to be okay?"

She gently lifted Regulus ' arm, resulting in Regulus crying out in pain. She frowned, gently setting his arm down. "McGonagall. Can you help me, Minerva, with undressing Mr. Black's left arm so I can get a better look at it?"

"I—yes," the head of Gryffindor said, turning to Sirius. "Your brother is in the best of hands, Mr. Black. Pomfrey will also want to see you when she's finished with him."

"I—um, yes," Sirius muttered.

And then—

Then there was the shoulder that didn 't look right and the mark on Regulus' left arm. He saw McGonagall send a Patronus for Dumbledore. Pomfrey—Regulus screamed when she put his relocated his shoulder, her words whispering everything would be alright, doing nothing before turning to Sirius, who'd fared better.

And then— "Siri?"

"Hey," Sirius said. "Don't scare me like that again."

Regulus frowned, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "I thought you'd be glad."

Sirius sucked in his breath. "What do you mean—are you saying you did that on purpose?"

Pomfrey froze nearby.

"Hey. Why didn't you let me die?" Regulus asked, not batting an eye as if the conversation between him and his older brother was normal.

"Regulus!" Sirius choked out the words. "What's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean?" Regulus turned his head, his facial features paler than normal.

"What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Regulus repeated. "I was thinking it would be nice to touch the clouds." He moved, trying to lift his hand up only to wince.

"So, you weren't thinking you wanted to die?" Sirius said, letting out a deep breath.

Regulus frowned, then said, "That would be a lie, though, wouldn't it?"

"Why? Why would you want to die?" Sirius asked. "You have your entire life ahead of you?"

Regulus ' frown deepened. "What life?"

"Don't you have any dreams?" Sirius said

"Dreams are like clouds, Sirius," Regulus muttered. "You can't touch them, so why bother having any?"

"That's not true," Sirius said. "You must...."

"What are you doing here?"

Sirius turned, tensing up upon seeing Walburga Black standing there, Orion not that far behind. He looked away, swallowing.

"He's the only reason your youngest is alive," Pomfrey said.

"I doubt it," Walburga said. "I bet he tried to kill him."