The wind was blowing in gusts, chilling the dark mourners to the bones. The autumn frost crunched as a few stragglers walked up towards the gathering around the coffin, intent on consoling the bereaved widow and her son standing beside her. There was a terrifying sobriety surrounding the gathering, not because everyone was terribly upset, more so because most of the gatherers wore dignified somberness as tightly wrapped as the black cloaks around them. As it quietly began to drizzle, most of the mourners began walking back to the gate of the cemetery from where they apparated with muffled pops.





The tall widow surrounded by her nearest friends walked at a slower pace, discussing in a low and haughty voice the intricacies of funeral rites with two elderly men on her sides, the one on the right holding a large umbrella over her head. Through the dark veil covering her face, one could discern her sharp grey eyes following her son who had separated himself from the crowd and was in fact walking towards the east of the cemetery away from the gate.However, decorum, the drizzle, and slight twinge of arthritis in her knees made it difficult for her to follow him. Sensing her unease, the gentleman on her left spoke in a soothing voice, “He’s eighteen, Eleanor, you have to let him go. And a fine boy he’s turned out to be, a fine boy.”





“I’ve never had a complaint about him, never.He makes the family name proud,” the widow responded with pride.





“Ah yes, he upholds the glory of the noble house of the Black, our Regulus.”





“He often speaks highly of this gifted wizard, the one who’s calling for purity in the magic world these days. I would be proud if he joins his forces.”





“You should talk to Lucius Malfoy then, Abraxas Malfoy’s son,” wheezed the gentleman holding the umbrella. “I heard Rodolphus say that he is in Lord Voldemort’s inner circles.”





In the meantime, Regulus Black had almost reached the far end of the cemetery. While standing near the grave after the coffin had been lowered, he had turned to look at the gate and had seen a tall man enter the graveyard. Instead of coming up to join them, he had moved further down the road and had stood straight below a tree in the east. The dark empty branches did not hide him at all and his stance and stature looked somewhat familiar to Regulus. After waiting all through the service for the man to come up, he decided to ignore his presence. However after the service when the guests started departing, his legs seem to lead him up to the man still standing beneath the tree. As he moved closer Regulus realized that he had indeed recognized the man. Although like all the other mourners this man was wearing a heavy black cloak with the hood up, he could almost visualize the lazy yet elegant flop of ebony black hair falling into luminous grey blazing eyes, which both of them had inherited from their mother.





Standing a couple of yards away from the man Regulus spoke coldly, “Leave.Now.You are not wanted here.”





Through the slit in the hood, Regulus could barely make out his face.The young man, for Regulus knew he was exactly two years older than him, smiled at him, showing a set of perfectly white teeth.





“Hello Regulus. As well mannered as ever I see.”





“Why have you come? Do you want trouble?”





“Trouble for whom, little brother? You think I’m afraid of these obsessive pure blood dodos?”





“If mother sees you....”





“This is not the Black Mansion, Regulus. I have every right to come to a wizard’s cemetery if I want to!” the other man interrupted in a louder voice.





“Suit yourself. For a while I’d forgotten you thrive on scenes. Where are your blood traitor sidekicks? Too scared to come? Couldn’t stop you from coming, could they?”





“He was also my father, you know.”





“And you’re really sorry he’s dead.” Sarcasm dripped from Regulus’ voice.





“No, I can’t really say that. Although I should be. He was a wise man in some ways. Misguided though. Anyway, do you really think anyone here is actually sorry for him? Least of all our dear mother?”





“What do you know? And when did you care?”





“They never cared either, Regulus.”





The drizzle decreased slightly. Regulus looked over his shoulder and could make out a group of people approaching them slowly. With the mist slowly spreading they looked like a group of dementers from afar. Regulus shivered as an uncanny feeling of foreboding pervaded him. He turned back towards his brother and spoke in an exasperated whisper, “Look Sirius, why did you come?”





“I came to warn you Regulus. Our mother is a fool. Don’t join the death eaters.”





“Stay out of my business.” Regulus snarled angrily, suddenly more tensed than ever. “What rights have you to say anything about me?”

“Stay out of my business,” Regulus snarled angrily, suddenly more tensed than ever. “What rights have you to say anything about me?”

“You’re my dear disinherited brother. I don’t want you dead.”

“Brother?” Regulus spewed as much venom possible on the word. “I’m not your brother, remember? I’m the one you can hex, the one you can taunt because I belonged to Slytherin like the rest. Potter is your brother, Sirius. You should advise him, save him from sure death, for he is soon going to be destroyed by the Dark Lord like his muggle loving parents.”

“Leave James out of this.”

“Fine. Stop pretending to show concern then, you were never there when needed.”

“Reg, you’re smart enough. Don’t get involved in the schemes of a megalomaniac murderer,” Sirius barked out in frustrated anger. He could see his mother approaching them, a few yards away, flanked by two of her close family friends.

“Sirius, go. Now. Please.”

Sirius laughed. “See, you couldn’t even bear mother’s confrontations with me.” He continued in a low whisper, “He’ll tell you to kill, Reg. Don’t do it.”

“Please go. You are not wanted.” Turning back, he hurriedly added, “Come Mother, Uncle Perseus, Bilius, I’m sorry, let us not delay anymore,” trying to steer them away.

“Who is this person, Regulus? Do you know him?”

Sirius lowered his hood and stepped forward. There were sounds of indrawn breadth and the atmosphere seemed to chill around them. The tall young man with exceptional good looks twisted his lips in the semblance of half a smile and half a grimace and spoke clearly in a low yet clear voice, “Hello, Mrs. Black. I came to rejoice at the death of your tyrannical husband and to lure your son away from you.” He immediately faced three raised wands.

“HOW DARE YOU? Go away before I kill you.”

“How dare you hurt your mother this way, young man?”

“Apologize to Eleanor immediately.”

Sirius laughed. His mother made a slashing movement with her wand and a golden light shot out. Sirius sidestepped with remarkable agility, causing the curse to hit the tree behind him etching a deep gash on the bark. The two men tried to calm Eleanor Black by making her step back from Sirius. Regulus, who had moved further away from the tree in a vain attempt to stop his mother meeting his brother, noticed another young wizard emerge from air. Almost as tall as Sirius, this young man had his wand out pointing towards Mrs. Black and her companions. Cloakless, he stood shivering in the mist, pocketing something silvery in his dark robes. Regulus was distracted as another sharp whip like crack and whitish light announced that Mrs. Black had attempted to use another hex on her disinherited elder son.

“You can’t kill me, Mrs. Black. I’m too clever to die,” Regulus heard Sirius tauntingly yell.

“Have you no respect for your mother, young man?” shouted the man without the umbrella, while attempting to restrain the widow.

“No, it doesn’t work that way, Perseus. She says I am no son of hers and I say she is no mother of mine. But you are as obtuse as your sister, aren’t you? Do you think Andromeda still considers you to be her father?”

The next curses made Sirius lift his wand.

“Protego!”Another voice made him turn to see the new tall wizard defending him standing by his side.

“Prongs, didn’t I tell you not to come? Get out of our silly little family squabble.”

“Mrs. Black, please lower your wand. Sirius, go.”

“But…”

“Just go.”

Sirius gave his mother a glare, walked up to Regulus and nodded at him carelessly. Taking a step forward, he looked back at his brother and said “Remember what I said,” and disappeared into thin air.

Perseus Black in the meantime addressed Sirius’ friend.
“Tell me young man, if you can control my nephew, why do you let him go astray?”

“He doesn’t need Potter to go astray, Perseus. He was a born a blood-traitor.”

Without answering or acknowledging the four people around him, James Potter moved forward, probably in order to Apparate.

“Are you really going to marry the Mudblood, Potter?”

James turned towards the cold, haughty widow and answered quietly,“Yes, Mrs. Black. I’m going to marry Lily.”

“Obviously you have not given it much thought. How can you pollute such an old pureblood family? Why, your children will be half-bloods!”

James smiled slowly.

“I love Lily, Mrs. Black and I’ll love my children and protect them. But you won’t understand all this, will you? Only purity of blood matters to you lot.”

And he vanished on the spot in front of them.

The elderly trio moved forward, discussing heatedly the need for eradicating wizards with no proper wizarding pride.

Regulus stood still in the empty graveyard. What is this love, he wondered. What is this feeling which he saw in Potter’s eyes when he talked of Evans? Kind, vivacious Evans who was fair even when dealing with the Slytherins who abused her all the time. Is she really in love with Potter? Was Potter’s protecting Sirius also love? And Sirius' obeying him? No, nobody’s ever been my brother, Sirius, while you always have the Marauders, he thought. Maybe, if I join them…Rabastan said He has promised us the world…and all I want is a friend, someone who will explain the meaning of unconditional love, that I will never find in the House of the Blacks…