Nowhere Boy (Wolfstar)

Wish You Were Here

March, 1979

Regulus woke with a start. It took him a few seconds to relax and realise he was still in his own bed. He sighed and rolled onto his back. It must have been the rain battering off of the window that had woken him up.

Creak .

He sat bolt upright. No, it definitely wasn't the rain that had roused him. He listened intently, unmoving as he stared into the darkness of his bedroom. He couldn't hear anything, then—

Creak .

Regulus grabbed his wand and moved as quickly and quietly as possible out into the hall, his senses piqued. Someone was moving about the house and it sounded like it was coming from Sirius' old bedroom. Stepping closer to the bedroom he saw a sliver of light move under the doorframe.

His heart was beating so hard in his chest it hurt but he kept moving, gripping his wand tightly, ready for whatever he was about to face. Placing his hand on the bedroom door that was already ajar, he pushed it open and stepped into the room. A large figure was moving on the far side, shrouded in darkness. Regulus moved further into the room and pointed his wand at the stranger.

"Whatever you're looking for, it doesn't belong to you," Regulus announced and the figure in the darkness stilled. "So I suggest you put it down and leave before I lose my hospitable manner."

The figure in the dark barked with laughter, "On the contrary, brother, everything in this room is mine. Or at least it used to be."

Regulus' eyes widened. He swished his wand and flames sparked to life in the candelabras, bathing the figure in soft light.

"Sirius," he breathed.

Sirius pulled back the hood of his sodden cloak and smiled, "Hello, Reg."

Sirius looked older and more worn than he remembered – he had dark shadows under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't shaved in days. But his eyes were warm with affection, like his smile.

"It's good to see you," he said softly.

Regulus lowered his wand, "What are you doing here?"

"Came for my record collection," he quipped.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of you in two years and you turn up in the middle of the night to pick up your old records?" mused Regulus skeptically.

Sirius shrugged, "I figured you'd rather I tell you that than explain why I'm really here."

"Is it to do with the Order?" he asked.

Sirius didn't answer. Regulus took his silence as a confirmation.

"Father's dead," said Regulus conversationally.

"I heard," replied Sirius.

"Mother's lost the plot," he continued.

"Thought she already had," he joked, then added more gently. "How is she managing without him?"

"As well as you'd expect," Regulus shrugged.

"So not well at all," said Sirius.

"No," admitted Regulus.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"In bed," said Regulus. "So you better get out of here before she wakes up, too."

"I will, just let me get what I came for and I won't bother you again," he asked.

Regulus considered Sirius' request for a moment, then pursed his lips and nodded. Sirius crouched down onto his hands and knees and groped for something under the bed. Regulus wandered around to the other side of the bed to get a clearer view of what he was doing and saw that Sirius had pulled up a couple of floorboards and was rummaging through a gap in the floor.