In the Black of Night (Jegulus Crime AU)

Chapter 5: A Night Swim

Sirius Black was not prepared. He had never seen such a mess, which was ironic considering his entire life had been one. In fact, that's the reason why he blocked so much of his childhood out. At only sixteen, Sirius had abandoned the only place he knew as home and severed all ties to his family, this included Regulus as well. While the last thing he ever wanted was to leave Reg behind, it came down to self-preservation. And if he were ever given the choice again, he would flee from that toxic environment over and over, regardless of the hardships that came with it. The freedom he found away from Grimmauld Place was worth every struggle, yet as he stood in that rain-soaked alley, forced to confront the chaos before him, Sirius realized that some messes were impossible to escape entirely.

Sirius felt a familiar knot of dread twist in his stomach as he glanced down the alley. The sight of Peter's lifeless body, the blood pooling around him, and the sheer terror in Regulus' eyes brought back memories he had tried so hard to forget. The streetlight overhead flickered much like the daze in Sirius' mind as he tried to sort out his past and present.

He remembered the night he packed his bags and left. It was rainy, much like tonight. The only difference was the silence. On the night Sirius had left, it was loud. Thunder cracked just like the sound of a belt - a sound Sirius knew unfortunately well.

It had been a bad night, but most nights with his parents were. The specifics of the argument were hazy, but Sirius could remember Regulus muttering something under his breath, and sending their father into a fury. Sirius shivered as he recalled the scene: his father crossing the room with an undeniable rage, and Sirius, acting on instinct, throwing himself between them. The memory of Regulus' screams and sobs still haunted him, each blow from Orion meant for Regulus landing on Sirius instead. At least Sirius was doing his job as a brother, and at least Regulus would be safe.

He blinked as a drop of rain collided with his cheek, pulling him back to the present. Regulus was huddled against the wall, eyes wide with terror and hands stained with blood. He looked up at Sirius, searching for some semblance of reassurance, some indication that everything would be alright. But Sirius didn't have answers - only questions and a deep, gnawing dread.

When Regulus had called him, he had failed to mention a few details. Actually, he hadn't mentioned anything; he'd only managed to sob into the phone, and Sirius found him by tracking his phone's location. Sirius was already expecting something unpleasant, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined.

"Reg," Sirius said softly as he approached Regulus. He looked at his brother, whose eyes were glassy; it seemed Regulus was completely out of it. "Regulus?"

Regulus didn't respond at first. He just stared at Peter's body, watching as the rain continued to turn a soft pink as the drops rolled off his body. Sirius crouched down, putting a hand on Regulus' shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Regulus, look at me," he urged, his voice steady but unable to completely mask the fear. He wasn't sure what he was looking at.

Slowly, Regulus turned his head, his eyes meeting Sirius'. The terror and confusion in them broke Sirius' heart. "Sirius, I... I didn't mean to," Regulus choked out, his voice barely audible over the rain. "He... he attacked me. I didn't have a choice."

"I know, Reg, I know," Sirius soothed, yet it wasn't helping to calm his own nerves, and it was a lie. The truth was, he didn't know; he didn't understand.

Sirius moved towards Peter, and carefully slid his arms into Peter's armpits in an attempt to lift him. He knew they had to move the body.

"What are you doing?" Regulus asked, seeming to finally wake from his daze.