The Black Cousins

7. Regulus

Surprisingly, Sirius and Bellatrix had gotten a whole lot closer since investigating Regulus's 'death'. Although it was unusual, Andromeda was happy for them.

She remembers how they were years ago. Bellatrix loved her sisters, yes, but she got sick of them, so she often would go to Sirius. They were inseparable for years, and that was just how it was. They always had many inside jokes, and memories that belonged to the two of them even if there was a nine-year age gap. It was hard for Bellatrix to make friends at school, her only friend being Avery, so she never grew tired of Sirius. But when Sirius started school, and Andromeda was disowned, he started forming proper opinions of his own. He started acting against the Black family and what they stood for. And when Bellatrix got married then became a Death Eater the next year, Sirius cut her off, only interested in 'good people' like his friends at school, and Andromeda.

He'd never been as close to Regulus as he was Bellatrix, but he was still closer to him than most people before he was sorted into Slytherin. He then cut all ties with his brother, which was slightly unfair, but Andromeda didn't know everything, so she didn't comment on it.

With no one else in the family to go to, Sirius then became closer to Andromeda. Almost closer than he and Bellatrix were, but Andromeda always knew she'd never replace her sister. Not when they would never leave each other's sides when Sirius was a kid. Ans she was alright with that, as she couldn't be that close as long as Sirius was still tied to the Blacks. And even after he was disowned, himself, she was twenty-three with a husband and child, and he was sixteen and still in school.

None of his friends knew how close Sirius and Bellatrix used to be. They all assumed he and Andromeda were always as close as they were now. Which is probably why Andromeda noticed Remus looking at them weirdly as they chatted and laughed in the living room.

"You alright?" Andromeda asks him, joining him at the table.

Remus puts down his copy of The Daily Prophet and looks to Andromeda, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I just noticed you looking at Sirius, that's all. Plus, the whole investigation on top of the Order stuff can be draining," she shrugs.

"Right, yeah. I'm just happy to not be reading about any more Dark Magic," he chuckles, before looking back into the living room.

"What's on your mind?" Andromeda asks.

"Just..." he looks back to Andromeda, confusion clear on his face, "I never thought they'd get along so well. He's always hated her."

Andromeda laughs, making Remus more confused.

"Oh, how wrong you are," she smirks, enjoying watching Remus get annoyed at her lack of explanation.

"So, are you going to elaborate, or are you just going to keep laughing at me?" he asks after Andromeda doesn't stop laughing.

"Well, before Sirius started school, there was no one closer to him than Bellatrix. The only person who ever had a chance of being as close was Regulus, and he still had barely a chance."

She watched as Remus's eyes widened and his eyebrows lift ever so slightly. He seems disbelieving, but he goes on.

"Well, what happened? Why has no one else known this? What about you? He's always seemed so close to you."

"Reg got sorted into Slytherin, Bella became a Death Eater, and Sirius met James, Peter, and you. He formed his own beliefs, and therefore he cut off anything and anyone he believed was against them."

Remus seemed to consider this, "So, he was closer to Bellatrix than he was you?"

"I have and will never get as close to him as she was," she laughs slightly.