C'mon I'd love it if my eardrums remained intact, I can still hear you shouting at me all the way from your screens-- that it's been months! yes, I know, sorreee, but it has been crazy, still is mental.

That being said, you might need to skim through the last chapter to get a grip of what the bloody hell has been goin' on here, if you'd like.

If you wanna tell me it was worth the wait, that would be beyond remarkable ♡

***
Harry heard the call of his name with a volume of enthusiasm, and he glanced over his shoulder to find Hermione waving at him to come over; she sheepishly dropped her hand, seeing Sirius with him. Harry smiled at her, averting his gaze back to Sirius, whose eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Well then," smirked Sirius, raising his eyebrows. "Looks like duty calls."

Harry chuckled warily, glancing down. "Just er, keep the cloak with you for now," he said, folding the silky cloak into his godfather's hands. "I'll take it back when we next meet."

He had only taken two steps in the direction of the massive castle, before turning around to face Sirius again.

"It won't be long till I see you again... right?" Harry held a questioning tone, when Sirius only stared at him with a distant look for a beat too long.

"Oh, I, er--" stuttered Sirius, clearing his throat. Only when he looked back at Harry's eager expression, did Sirius catch himself with a quick nod, humming in affirmation. "Yeah, erm, yes."

Harry knew in his gut from the obvious hesitation that Sirius was keeping something from him.

"Go, Harry, to your friends," said Sirius with a heavy exhale, after a moment of self-debate.

His smile faltering, Harry frowned at the tentative farewell.

"I didn't do all that, y'know, for you to not enjoy it," said Sirius finally, cracking a fond smile.

Harry nodded and quickened his pace toward Hermione, trying to shove away the uneasiness that had settled on his shoulder.

Sirius swallowed slowly and slid the cloak on top of himself, bending his knees and arching his back to avoid having a pair of ankles pretty much visible sprinting around.

**
Moving toward the open gates, Sirius had meant to shove his way past the cheering crowd to nudge Remus and lead him out for much-needed company.

Sirius caught sight of his Moony conversing with his favorite former professor, Minnie McGonagall.

"So, did we meet your expectations?" Remus asked quietly, his gaze circling around the lit celebration of students.

McGonagall hummed in thought. "You went a little overboard, not that it's anything new."

"Proud of us, then?" Remus wondered, unable to hide his smirk behind eager eyes.

McGonagall's expression held a firm light, before her bright eyes softened on their own accord. "Always."

At this, a smile lingered on Remus' face that went deep, and even Sirius felt his heart melt.

Soon enough, the mistress of Transfiguration was called upon, leaving Remus to stand alone. Before drawing attention to himself, however, Sirius was taken aback by someone else poking at Remus with impatience.

Intrigued, Sirius wondered if this small figure had been one of Professor RJ Lupin's former students, but the aforementioned boy seemed much younger to be a third year.

The student grinned, when Remus knelt down to his level with a glint of recognition in his eyes. "Where is Dora?" The boy demanded pretty hotly for his short frame.

His interest peaked and without contemplating any further, Sirius was shoulder-to-invisible-shoulder to listen in.

Remus only raised his eyebrows, slightly puzzled. "Oh?"

"The lady with changing faces, the met--fores-- oh nevermind," the pupil added with a frown from exhausting his mental wheels. "She was with you."

Remus chuckled lightly at his struggle in describing her. "I am afraid she left."

"Okay," the child slumped his shoulder, sighing to mask how his face had fallen. "Just tell her thanks, she will know for what."

"Ooh I wonder why," Remus smirked, being on the receiving end of a glare. "But I will tell Dora, I promise," he carried on, clearing his throat, the novel name bouncing out of his tongue.

The boy nodded at him, and there was a hint of a smile sliding on his thin lips.

"Rob!" He half-scoffed at the call of his nickname, immediately knowing who was addressing him.

Remus got to his feet, his knee stretching in the process, as a tall girl with a strong physique came closer.

Sirius, who was still invisible and in the midst of eavesdropping, took a better look at her: he mostly noticed the rich volume of black curls that made her brown-skinned face look smaller and the golden shade of her red scarf seem brighter.

"Well, if it isn't Angelina Johnson, the Quidditch Chaser," said Remus in greeting, adopting a wide grin.

"Actually, it's been Captain for a year now," replied Angelina, a smug expression etched on her face, to which Remus nodded in a mixture of amusement and pride. "It's nice to see you too, Professor."

Remus gave her a radiant smile but didn't have time to respond.

"He's a professor?" Robert snorted in disbelief, bluntly giving Remus an up-and-down glance.

The tone of disgust in his bold voice made the air sprinting around heavily awkward. Remus shuffled his feet uncomfortably, all the sudden feeling self-conscious. Sirius, in return, cupped his fist around the invisibility cloak, ready to give that little brat a piece of his mind.

Maybe even scare him to death by shoving the cloak away-- Sirius pondered-- or at least pull his entitled hair out of thin air, or maybe stepping on his foot would do the trick?

Angelina speedily placed her hand on his mouth, to shush her miniature troublemaker. "Hope little Robert isn't too much of a pain in the arse," smirked Angelina, her gaze apologetic. Robert rolled his eyes when she ruffled his hair.

"He's your--?" Remus inquired in ease, interested.

"My brother," she supplied, nodding.

"Your Slytherin brother," Robert added bitterly.

And something in the last three words caught Sirius' breath in his throat.

Angelina frowned and sighed, shaking her head. "Robert, hey, we talked about this?" She questioned him firmly, to which he only shrugged.

Angelina glanced up at Remus, who smiled at her and walked over to Professor Sprout to give them a moment.

Unknowingly to her though, Sirius was finding it difficult on himself to spare her some privacy.

***
Angelina tugged her brother close, giving him a gentle pat on his shoulder.

She understood how conflicted her brother was, being the one and only Slytherin in the wide generations of their family. To quote one of his rants, her little brother often felt like an outcast, unable to fit-in anywhere-- which was dreadful to listen to, because Angelina always believed in her Robert and very-well knew how special he really was.

"Where you are, is not who you are," she spoke in a soft voice for only him to hear.

Robert merely stared at his big sister, looking into her chocolate eyes.

"I don't care if you sit across the Great Hall or wear green ties --that bring up your eyes, mind you," she added with a watery chuckle. "Rob, you're my little brother, and I love you just the same."

"I love you too, Ange," said Robert, his eyes lit up. He felt safe, having her as his strong wall to always lean on, even and most especially when he messed up-- his rock, she was.

"Just stop calling me little," he carried on in half-a-threat for the millionth time. He expected her to drop her usual comeback--"fat chance, little one"--but unlikely Angelina chose to ignore it for now.

"Just know, I'll always be there for you," she said softly, with an insistent shake of her head.

Robert had a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Too bad you won't be around next year when we surely win the House Cup."

Angelina gasped incredulously, a hand flying up to cover her mouth. "You git," she muttered, her eyes narrow. She tilted her head with a scoff, leading with full-blown confidence. "Like that will ever happen."

"You'll see," remarked Robert, a challenging twinkle bright in his eyes.

"Oh stop it," pouted Angelina, smacking his arm, provoking him to giggle.

And there it was, in heart of the crowd, an explosion of colors was fired from Fred's wand, while George stood behind grinning like an idiot. Angelina always prized herself and tortured the twins for being able to tell them apart, despite their relentless effort to confuse her.

She then cleared her throat in all seriousness. "So, you're enjoying the show? That pink toad got what she deserves, huh."

"Yeah," Robert whispered, looking down at the red blisters on his hand, "but it still hurts."

"Oh I know," replied Angelina, holding his small hands in her own, "but it will heal."

Angelina spoke from experience, with her own scar engraved on her itchy hand... merely because she fought for what's right, for her membership in the DA. She knew the extent of pain it had inflicted on practically everyone, but for now, nothing mattered to her more than comforting her brother.

She held Robert close in a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Even if it leaves a mark as the days pass on, it will only remind you of how tough you were," she told him in a soothing tone.

Robert clung to her for a peaceful moment, nodding against her neck.

They let go of each other, as another flash of bright explosion changed into fireworks, igniting the hall even further and crackling on the ceiling.

"Woah," muttered Robert, his gaze circling in fascination.

Sending each other warm smiles that placed their worries aside, brother and sister ran back to the party together in celebration.

They bumped into Professor Flitwick, who only waved them off and beamed back with pride at the red-headed twins.

George told her something that made Angelina roll her eyes and playfully smack his arm, only to hide her grin a moment later.

***
Unseen to the naked eye, Sirius fixed his gaze on the spot where the siblings of different colors had been drawing comfort from each other.

A younger Slytherin brother, Sirius thought with a smile void of any and all happiness.

As silently as he could move, with his heartbeat drumming in his ears, he went outdoors and sat on a footstep alone. Sirius had his head downcast, digging his trim fingernails into his hair.

... Just like his Reggie...

This passing parallel of fate was a punch to his gut, acting as a cruel reminder of how supportive he could and should have been. Not for the first time, Sirius felt like someone had just held up a mirror to his face to force-expose him to his inner eye.

He shook his head slowly, his eyes closed. And just like that, with a small trigger, Sirius was taken down memory lane.

"You know, there's so much more in the bloody world than your fear of being disowned," young Sirius had once spoken, stealing company with his little brother.

For the most part, Regulus had been fixated on avoiding his brother at all costs. Even now, he attempted to shove Sirius away to spare himself the headache, but his path was promptly blocked.

"I am late for class," muttered Regulus under his breath, with a scoff of confided anger at Sirius who gave him a challenging look.

"Well, too bad," smirked Sirius with a careless shrug, his arms crossed to his chest by the doorway.

"Just leave me alone," said Regulus in a low voice, his grey eyes screaming quite the opposite. Regulus bit on his lower lip, a gesture he used to do, Sirius knew, when he was self-debating to ask for help.

"I won't," said Sirius softly, shaking his head in determination, a slow smile stretching onto his face. "The only thing I want now, Reg, is to help you. Trust me, I--"

"Trust you... again?" Regulus cut him off in a hurting yet demanding voice. "I did trust you, Sirius, and you turned your back on me! I don't want to fall into the same trap twice, not sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh no, no, no! I had to do what's right, to survive, even if that meant leaving you--" Sirius spoke in a mournful tone, feeling more desperate than ever. "I just hope you could open up your choices too."

"You can't fool me, Sirius," said Regulus hotly, his voice icy and his eyes flashing. "I know you're only trying to get me to walk in your footsteps, just to anger Mother."

Sirius felt his blood boil beneath his skin and his heart break behind his chest. He shook his head in helpless disbelief, the pain in his gaze a mere inkling of the agony he truly felt.

"She's feeding you poison, and what's worsening it even more is that you're just letting her." He spoke in a warning voice, hoping to shake some sense into his young brother before, he feared, it would be too late. "I know you're not that weak, so just..."

"Right, like you care," Regulus snorted, glaring sideways, his voice a whisper but inflaming the damage just the same.

In a fit of rage, Sirius shoved Regulus roughly against the wall, his fist firmly cupped around his brother's green tie.

"Listen here, you little twit, I do care, okay!" Sirius exploded, a vein on his neck seemed ready to burst. "I care very much for you to even notice-- but if you like being so blind and a complete git, then fine!"

The reflection of himself Sirius caught in Regulus' fearful eyes, acted as a dark reminder of their father's persona. Having undying similarities with his parents had always been a product of Sirius' self-loathing, but still this time he hadn't stopped himself.

"I can show you what it feels like to have no one care for you." Sirius hissed coldly, uttering the same words that had been locked-up in his memory from what his own father had once warned him by.

Sirius knew that his mind was in complete turmoil, like he was pulling off his own heartstrings with every syllable. His glare was engrossed in darkness, provoking the involuntary release of a heavy gasp from Regulus.

"Sirius... please," whispered Regulus weakly, his face tense and his jaw trembled.

Sirius took a slow shaking breath to subside his panting rhythms. "I--I tried, I tried so hard to save you, but apparently you don't want my help, so..."

Regulus opened his mouth-- and with a spark of longing, Sirius thought his Reggie would prove him wrong that he still needed his big brother to guide him-- but Regulus' lip had merely quivered before he remained stubbornly speechless.

His hope deflated, Sirius looked at Regulus straight in the eye, pulling a detached mask on his crushed heart.

"Fine, Regulus, you're on your own."

Sirius swore that for a splitting second, he saw Regulus' face fall in defeat with a shade of disappointment. Sirius was absolutely ready to forget everything and pull his stupid little brother into a bone-cracking hug to warm-up his heart, but...

But his fragile will broke into tons of pieces, when Regulus' expression shifted into cold-stone in his last hissing words: "much better."

A punch to the gut could have hurt less.

Sirius nodded in silence, slowly letting him go.

Somehow, this was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and just there, Sirius promised himself he'd stop caring.

***
Through a long minute of slow intakes of breath, Sirius closed his eyes, and to his surprise, he felt his cheek grow slippery with water. He hadn't even taken notice that tears had been welling up in his eyes, with so much built up inside him.

I lied, I still care, I never stopped caring... the thought of this unsent and belated message made another tear slip. Shame-faced, Sirius sat in silence under the empty stars for what felt like decades.

It amazed him how he was still, after all this time, hung up over his brother's death. His grief, as it seemed, would always linger at the deepest corner of his mind, forever at the ready to resurface from the slightest most superficial touch.

Perhaps, guilt was what deepend his grief beyond the years-- yes, constant guilt.

Not for the first time, a soul-eating dose of guilt flushed through Sirius... for he had amplified the situation he was born into, by giving up on the only illuminating aspect of his sinister family, the brother he should have never left.

Remorse still hung over him from watching their should-have-been everlasting bond shatter, more every day, into tiny cracks.

In truth, Sirius never wanted for them to depart ways, let alone on misunderstood hostility, but since when did he, Sirius, ever get what he wanted.

***
His sharp senses could detect a pair of steady footsteps coming closer. Sirius couldn't care less until he heard his name in mid-conversation, so with more focus, he instantly recognized whom the voices belonged to: Harry and Remus.

"Sirius told you?" Harry had asked in slight surprise, jerking his head to stare at Remus.

"No, actually the twins did, though I wish he had," replied Remus, shaking his head with a lopsided smile. "But again, Sirius is not the type to easily say what's troubling him... that's, er, something you should know about your godfather, Harry."

"I've let him down," whispered Harry, fiddling with his sleeves, his gaze downward. "Sirius acted like he didn't want to see me at all-- he just wanted me to leave him alone."

"What the--" Sirius mouthed silently from under the cloak, his face stretching into a frown. He wished there were snowballs around to throw at his godson's thick skull to stop him from speaking gibberish.

Remus despised that Harry thought Sirius didn't care enough about him or shoved him away.

"Well, I guess he is a better actor than I give him credit for," interjected Remus, playfully wiggling his eyebrows.

Harry chuckled softly at this, provoking Remus to grin back at him-- and unknowingly to both of them, Sirius shook his head from under the hidden shadow of the cloak.

"I just can't help but wonder, after an apology and claimed forgiveness, how long does it take for the words to be forgotten-- the hurt no longer there?" Harry asked, heaving a sigh.

"I don't know, normally, it might take a while." Remus frowned, unable to give a certain answer, aiming for the answer he knew Harry needed. "But, Harry, believe me-- when it comes to you, Sirius will always come around," he spoke in a reassuring voice, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

"I hope so," replied Harry, his emerald eyes bright at the prospect, in a bittersweet way that reminded Remus of Lily.

"I know so," said Remus with a suggestive smile.

Harry nodded in appreciation, the messy curls of his hair ruffling backward from the chilly air.

"And, Remus, thank you-- for y'know, Umbridge's destruction plan," said Harry, his voice sincere with gratitude. "I thought she would get away with everything she had done."

"Of course," replied Remus, his eyes twinkling. "That's the least we could do in such short notice."

"Next time I want a revenge plot then, I'll give you a five days notice," said Harry, stifling a chuckle, not knowing what to expect as a reaction. He usually had such a banter with Sirius, but it felt like a strange mixture of novelty and familiarity with Remus.

Remus laughed freely, however, his eyes wrinkling from how wide his grin stretched. "Usually, I'd say a week, but for you, one hour beforehand will still do."

Harry scoffed, with a lively shake of his head, his smile reaching his eyes.

Remus could be fun, he realized, but only when he's pushed over the edge and desperate to let go for just a frozen moment in time.

Minutes later, Harry stifled a yawn and his eyes watered, which didn't go unnoticed. "You need to rest, off you go now," Remus told him firmly leaving no room for argument.

"If you say so," mumbled Harry, nodding.

"Wait, take the map," said Remus, pulling the folded parchment from his pocket.

"No," Harry found himself saying, "I'll take it back when I see you again."

Remus felt it a little odd but still stood there, map in hand, his frown accompanied with a smile.

For some inexplicable reason, Harry felt content that he'd left both the cloak and the map with their respective owners, the last marauders.

Harry bid him goodnight and shuffled his feet back to the castle, feeling another yawn reach his senses.

***
In a moment of serenity, Remus inhaled deeply to the fresh scent of cold air. His warm gaze was set on the calm waves of the Black Lake, lit up by the moon above him.

In the dead of night, a single statement crossed his mind, where his thoughts revolved around Harry: "he deserves all the love in the world." Remus could vividly remember exactly how Tonks had told him that, referring to Robert.

Remus closed his eyes for a long moment and felt a small smile tugging at his lips. He exhaled slowly that a breathing fog came out of his mouth, clearing his throat.

The rational marauder took heavy footsteps to sit by the castle's gate. Remus pulled out his wand and unfolded the map, to say the enchanting phrase for it to truly reveal its secrets. His brown eyes went straight to Harry's name, and Remus relaxed seeing his dot alongside that of Ron and Hermione moving towards the common room.

"Mischief Managed!" Someone had broken the silence in a whisper from Remus' right side where nothing seemed to be there but the heavily soft air.

Remus stared with arched eyebrows for a split of a second, before a knowing smirk tingled through his tired face.

"Hey, twice in a row for the day now!" Remus exclaimed in half-frustration, half-delight, and Sirius had to strip off his cloak naturally coming into full view.

"It just never gets old," said Sirius between a dramatic fit of laughter, provoking Remus to roll his eyes at him with a fond shake of his head.

For a moment too long, neither one spoke, both gazing into the distance. However, before Sirius could get ridden by his thoughts once again, he broke the silence.

"Thank you, Remus," said Sirius out of the blue, his burning eyes twinkling. "For er, always being there-- for Harry."

"Nothing to thank me for, Padfoot--" replied Remus, slightly taken off-guard, and Sirius exhaled a smile.

Remus drew in a sharp breath, his next words coming out harsher than he had intended. "You're not the only one that cares about him."

Too much was said between them in the silence of this moment.

"Oh I know," Sirius looked at Remus with a lopsided smile. "I am sure of it."

Sirius was positive that Remus, much like himself, would go to any lengths to support Harry, through any means necessary.

"Harry just, he deserves all the love in the world," Remus said his earlier thought out loud, a genuine grin plastered on his face.

"That he does, huh." Sirius spoke in a heavy voice, brushing his hair backward.

Remus hummed in agreement, giving Sirius a gentle pat on the back. "How about, erm, we call it a day?"

"Yeah," Sirius silently shuddered at the intrusive thought he was instantly lost in. "I-I'm not going back to Grimmauld Place though."

Sirius didn't have the heart to return to his cage, not after remembering what it felt like to walk, talk and breathe freely. With the reformation of the prospect of life, to really live, he couldn't handle falling back into his grave.

In empathy, Remus rested a hand on his friend's knee. "You're almost a free man now, so technically you can head wherever you want."

Sirius in return nodded, his eyes alight in thought. "Off we go then, to your cottage," he said, without even waiting for approval, getting to his feet with a low grunt. "I'll barge in with you, at least tonight."

"I can tolerate you," replied Remus, exchanging a final grin with his best mate, "For as long as you want."

The last pair of marauders walked off together, leaving behind the place they had once upon a time called home.

"Farewell, Dogwarts!" One of them had barked, waving his hand in mock salute, and the other howled in laughter.

****
I thought of ending this chapter with a cliffhanger-- but decided against it, so you're welcome :)

Also, tell me what you think of Regulus. RAB is one of my favorite Slytherins.

Hope you enjoyed the read, lovelies.

Vote and comment please, until next time.