The train came to a halt and Sirius felt a sort of warmth spread through him. Home. It felt like home more than his house ever did. He turned to his brother and was rewarded with a look of utter joy that graced Regulus's face. Yes Hogwarts truly was home.

"It's so cool!" Exclaimed Regulus.

Sirius smiled indulgently and ruffled his brother's hair.

"You'll love it here." He promised.

As soon as they got off Regulus followed the other first years to the lake and Sirius watched smiling as he raced ahead of everyone else looking up at Hagrid with stunned rapture.

"Your brother." Said James. "Is quite the charmer. He'll be very useful when we start pranking."

"We're going to continue pranking?" Asked Remus.

"Dumbledore's orders." Said James slinging an arm around Remus's shoulder. "You weren't there when he gave them."

"We can't do it as often as we used to." Reminded Remus. "We don't need to, besides I'd like my record relatively clean."

"You got twenty-five detentions last year!" Exclaimed Peter as they sat down on the invisibly drawn carts.

"You all got over 100, altogether over 300, I am alright in comparison."

Sirius and James laughed. Peter offered a distracted smile as Kingsley, Ophelia and Megan Huang came over and sat on the same cart. James could feel the other boy's horror and delight. So he gave a devilish grin and said rather loudly:

"Y'know Remus, while you were unconscious Pete was the one who saved us all."

"Yeah!' Confirmed Sirius. "If it wasn't for him we'd probably be dead."

"Damn it Pete!" Exclaimed Remus catching on. "Why do you have to be so modest?"

Blushing profusely and squirming a little Peter mumbled something about Remus's plan. But that as quickly drowned by zealous praises from his friends. Ophelia glanced up them from time to time (with what James assumed was a look of complete and utter adoration) but didn't say anything. None-the-less James considered it a success and once the girls and Kingsley were out of sight the boys did a celebration (a rather strange one that send the Hufflepuff girls giggling).

They crossed the flagstone entranced and entered the Great Hall taking their seats they further discussed Operation Mrs. Pettigrew.

"Shut up Pete!" Cursed James sweeping his hand through his hair (he'd taken up a habit of mussing up his hair claiming it looked more stylish that way) as Peter, forlornly, said that Ophelia would never consider him. "You're literally the best looking out of us."

Peter thought that it was a terrible lie. Really, if he had to choose he'd say Sirius was probably the best looking out of them, but he didn't dispute it. In fact he didn't need to for it was at that moment that the first years came in.

Regulus waved excitedly at them and it wasn't long before his name came up. There was a low murmur all around. Sirius didn't need to guess what they were discussing. Would Regulus too break tradition like his brother or would he be just like the rest of his accursed family.

The hat was placed upon his head and it lay there in silence. Sirius's heart started racing, the hat stood on his head for a whole an aching tense minute when-

"SLYTHERIN!"

A roar erupted from the Slytherin table as Sirius sat stunned and didn't even notice the jeering that came his way. His brother looked like he was about to cry. But soon Sirius found it in himself to give a smile.

"Why are you so happy?" Asked James.

"Because..." said Sirius. "The hat hesitated."

~~~

Regulus had almost burst into tears as soon as he heard the accursed word. Slytherin. He didn't want to be anywhere near the sneering Lucius who was going out with their cousin. Or that dreadful Severus who couldn't mind his own business. He didn't want to be in a house with all the worst people.

The feast would have been delicious but it tasted like ash in his mouth. He desperately wanted to be near his brother.

So as the students started filing out of the hall Regulus broke away from his house and ran to his brother almost crashing into him.

"We'll meet you at the dorms." Said James sensing that this was to be a private moment.

"What's up Reg?" Asked Sirius bending over a little. Despite their difference of merely a year (Walburga often said Regulus had chased Sirius into this world) Sirius was still a head or more taller than Regulus.

"I'm sorry..." he said. "I wanted to be a Gryffindor I asked the hat but..."

"He Reg look at me."

Regulus looked up. Grey meeting grey.

"I'm happy and I'm proud." Said Sirius holding his brother's shoulders firmly. "You're still my brother and you're going to grow up to be the best wizard in the world. To me you'll always be a Gryffindor."

It flooded through his consciousness. His brother going up to death eater meetings. His brother telling them about what the death eaters had planned even if it meant his own death. His brother caring for him when he couldn't care for himself. His brother. This was his brother and he was proud.

"If it weren't fo you Reg I wouldn't be alive." Sirius's voice was barely a whisper.

He knew it didn't fully heal the pain in his brother's heart. But it was something. A little inkling of hope that might sustain him. At least for the night.

Regulus nodded.

"You should go." Said Sirius. "The staircases bloody move it'd be a miracle if you don't get lost."

~~~

Sorry for the late update. Yes it do have this book (and the the third one as well as some of the fourth) written out on paper but I barely get time on laptop (holidays suck). So bear with me till February. Anyway hope you liked this chapter.