My Godfather

Chapter XXVI: Two Brothers

Here's another update. I want to thank you guys for all your votes and supportive comments. They really mean a lot to me. It's very encouraging to know that your readers like your work.

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Sirius snapped out of his temporary trance and came to his senses. This man wasn't his brother. He couldn't really be him. Moving with amazing speed, he grabbed the person by his collar and slammed him into the nearest wall, pointing his wand at his throat. "Who the hell are you and how dare, how dare you come as my brother."

The other man seemed unsurprised, like he'd expected such a reaction. He didn't struggle or fight against the grip. "Your animagus form is a black dog." He said. "So? You could've grasped that much from anyone. I'm a registered animagus now." Sirius replied. "Sirius, I swear to you, it's really me. Your animagus skills cannot be lying." He tried to reason with him. "The scent is something that can be easily be replicated and I'm sure that the polyjuice potion helped a lot." Sirius looked quite fierce indeed.

"When I was eleven, and was sorted into Slytherin, you told me that it didn't matter. I was still your baby brother." Sirius' expression faltered for a second before hardening again. "That's not good enough." He answered. "When I was five, I fell off the oak tree on the back of the house. You carried me all the way back home and told me, 'Reggie, that's alright. I'll always be there to help you up when you fall. You told me that no matter how powerful or tempting the darkness may be, just remember that we've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

Sirius' grip loosened and he let the man go. He remembered saying that to Regulus. He used to say it quite often. He looked at the man before him, and realised that he really was his brother. The emotion in those grey eyes was definitely real. "Please, Sirius, you need to believe me. I'm not lying."

His brother was alive; he had been alive all these years. "Reggie?" He whispered, half afraid that it was a figment of his imagination. He reached out to touch the man's shoulder, like he was trying to convince himself that he was real. When his fingers didn't pass through him, he pulled Regulus into an embrace, holding him tightly.

The response was immediate: Regulus hugged him back, feeling equally happy. His brother was safe. His little brother had been alive and yet he hadn't bothered to reach out to him. That's when the anger came.

He pulled away from his brother, his eyes blazing. "After all these years, you show up now? How dare you do that to me!" He'd spent so many nights in Azkaban, thinking about how he had failed everyone, especially his brother. "Sirius pl—"

"SHUT UP! Not a word! I spent years, years thinking that you were gone. I thought about how I never got to say goodbye. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

"Sirius, I know you're mad at me and ha—" he was cut off once more. "Mad? Just mad? You come home after seventeen bloody years after letting me think that you were dead! Oh no, I'm not mad. I'm bloody furious!" Guilt flashed in Regulus' eyes and he looked away. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Sorry?" Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "That's all you have to say? Why did you do this Regulus? I want to know. Why did you stay away for so long?" There was a hurt edge to his words as he spoke. "I made a lot of mistakes, Sirius. I was so influenced by Mother's wishes that I couldn't see the catastrophe they brought. It was horrible, working for him. He was completely merciless. All that death, destruction, fear– I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want that life anymore, I never did, trust me. It was only then that I realised that you were right all along. After all, big brothers know best." Said Regulus with a nostalgic smile.

"Damn right they know what's best." Sirius replied and some of his anger dissipated. But he wanted to know more. "So you betrayed Voldemort. Why didn't you come home? If you wanted to stay safe, I would've helped you out."