Sirius walked through the corridors of the Ministry for Magic, flanked on either side by Gideon and Fabian Prewett. People turned and looked at him, saw the twins' solemn faces, and Sirius could just tell the way others were reacting they all just knew. They scattered out of the way, like getting bad news was a disease... Granted, there were not many people in the Ministry, it being Christmas afternoon and all, but those who were there were whispering in tourrents all around him.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to scream so that his voice would echo off the hollow walls of the atrium like their footsteps did as they walked through it, had his wands weighed at security, and Sirius attached his visitor badge to his chest.

The twins led Sirius to an elevator and they went down to level ten, where the grand courtroom and holding cells were, and Sirius followed along feeling numb and cold from the dark in the passage they walked through.

They came to a door in a hallway off the main corridor, just past the entry to the courtrooms. The door wasn't marked, but Sirius reckoned that nobody who didn't know where they were going would ever be this deep in the Ministry's guts anyway.

Fabian pushed the door opened and held it for Sirius and Gideon to step through.

Dorcas Meadows was sitting on a bench just inside. She held a jumper in her arms and she jumped up whe nshe saw Sirius and the twins. "Sirius," she said, stepping up to him quickly and engulfing him in a hug. "Are you alright?" she held him out to arm's length and looked him in the eyes.

"Let's just get it over with, alright?" Sirius said flatly. His voice held no inflection, no emotion.

Dorcas looked concerned and glanced at Fabian and Gideon.

Gideon shrugged.

Another wizard came then into the foyer where they stood, popping out from 'round a corner. He wore dark robes and protective goggles that were strapped to his head and long teal gloves that made him look like a mad scientist, Sirius thought. He spotted Sirius and his eyes instantly diverted from Sirius to Gideon. "You're here to identify?"

Gideon nodded.

Dorcas looked at Sirius again, "Honey, do you want me to go with you?"

Sirius shook his head no.

Fabian motioned for Gideon to stay with Dorcas and he and Sirius followed the mortian through the door he'd just come in from and down a short corridor lined with doors to a small room at the end, where the lights were harsh and bright in that way that muggle shops sometimes were. Sirius blinked against the bright white - everything in the room was chrome or white and it made his stomach sick.

There was a table in the middle and on it was a form covered by a white sheet.

Sirius stared at it. He wished now that he'd let Remus come along when Remus had asked, but he'd been very vehemenent in telling him no. Remus had seen enough of this type stuff. But Sirius knew now that maybe that was exactly why he should've let Remus come. Remus would know how to act. Sirius had no idea.

The mad scientist of a mortian muttered, "Be waiting out side..." and he shuffled out of the room and left Fabian and Sirius alone.

Sirius stood numb and still, not taking any steps closer to the table.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Fabian said quietly. "I saw him. I don't have any doubts. We can just... fudge the paperwork a bit if you don't want to see him. The fact you're here is enough that I can just say that you came and the body was identified in my case file."

Sirius didn't move.

"Maybe it's best if you don't, actually," Fabian was rambling now, "I wouldn't want to see the body if it was --" he stopped mid-sentence, unable to finish the thought. Then, "Sirius I'm so bloody sorry, I can't imagine what you're feelin' right now, mate."

Sirius mumbled, "I'm not feeling anything right now."

Fabian frowned.

"But I want to see it. I have to see it. I want to see what I've done."

"What you've done?" Fabian asked, confused.

Sirius nodded. "It's my fault it's happened. I said the name. It made the Mark draw him back."

Fabian's eyes were narrowed, but Sirius had stepped forward and grabbed hold of the sheet and tore it back before anything else could be said.

Regulus's face was pale and still, eyes closed, mouth very slightly open as though about to say something. Sirius stared at his brother's cheekbones and at the curve of his chin. He seemed maybe a bit younger than he had just a few hours ago at the breakfast table, Sirius thought, but maybe it was an illusion. After all, seventeen really was young - and only having turned it today...

The lump in his throat grew, but he drew a deep breath and steadied himself, putting a hand on the table.

"His pendant isn't here," Sirius said. He turned to Fabian. "Where's his pendant?"

"Might've taken it off him... I'll ask the mortian."

"They shouldn't have done. He would've wanted it on him when we --" Sirius couldn't bring himself to say bury him.

"I'll go ask." Fabian went to the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Fabian hesitated. "I'll be right back."

"Fine."

Fabian ducked out.

Sirius was alone.

He looked at Regulus. There was a long, excruciating moment of Sirius half thinking Regulus might sit up now and be like "a-ha! got'cha!" but it didn't come.

"What'd you have to go and follow after Mother and Father's footsteps for, huh?" Sirius muttered, looking at his little brother. "What'd you have to ever be evil for? Thinking your hot shit and running around being a little blighter when all along you could've been my little brother and been alright?" He paused.

With a trembling hand he reached out and ran his fingers over Regulus's forehead, stroking his head. He took a deep breath. "Once upon a time... there was a dog named Snuffles... and he -- he had a little brother dog --" Sirius couldn't even think of what to say. The story was rarely the same thing twice and he didn't really feel a version that featured eating the big fat sausages Snuffles usually ate in the story fit the moment. So he just stopped talking.

Regulus couldn't hear him anyway.

He reached for his brother's arm.

The watch was gone, too.

Sirius looked at the empty patch of wrist and he felt his face flush with anger.

He turned and stormed out of the room. "WHERE ARE THEY?"

Fabian looked up, and so did the mortian. They were digging through paperwork, and clearly arguing about something.

"Where are his pendant and his watch?" Sirius demanded. "I want them put back on him right this second. I don't care that he's dead, you're not taking his things."

"He ain't had nothin' like that on him," the mad scientist of a mortian answered, looking helplessly at Fabian.

Sirius let out a shriek of disapproval and pulled his wand. "Whoa, whoa, Sirius, don't do that," Fabian said, and he took out his own wand, "Expelliarmus." Sirius's wand flipped out of his hand and into Fabian's. "You can't be doing that, Sirius. You can't just draw your wand at the Ministry. You're lucky its us that are the officials here! Anyone else would take you in for that."

"TAKE ME IN? TAKE ME IN WHEN THERE IS A BLEEDING THIEF THAT HAS TAKEN MY BROTHER'S BELONGINGS FROM HIS DEAD BODY? THEY'RE HIS THINGS!"

"I didn't take nuffin!" The mortician snapped.

"GIVE THEM BACK OR I'LL BEAT YOU LIKE A MUGGLE AS HARD AS I CAN!"

Dorcas Meadows and Gideon came over. "What's going on?" Dorcas asked.

"HE STOLE HIS WATCH AND HIS PENDANT!"

"Sirius! Calm down!" Dorcas took hold of his shoulders. "Look at me!" Sirius was struggling. "LOOK AT ME!" He looked.

And he broke down.

"Bleedin' hell, guys, we is there a quiet place I can talk to him alone a bit?" Dorcas looked at Gideon. "Please?"

"Cmon - you can use our office."

It was during the elevator ride up that Sirius realized Regulus's wrist had been bare where there ought to have been a Dark Mark.