Unwanted

"What? What did you say?"

Sirius stared, unsure of how he felt getting the confirmation that, yes, the person in front of him was indeed his younger. His jaw hung open as he watched Regulus go into panic mode, first over what he'd said, then over the fact that he'd just dropped the massive stack of books.

Remus let out a whistle as the other bookstore clerk stepped between them and Regulus, holding his arm out protectively, glaring at Sirius, his eyes narrowed. "I believe he asked you to leave, didn't he?"

Sirius' eyes blinked; his mouth wanted to say, "This is important," but it utterly clicked in his head that Regulus had just rejected him, ignored his existence, and wanted him out of his life. "Funny. That's what I did to him, wasn't it? So can I blame him?"

"My little brother," the man emphasized, looking Sirius in the eye with the deliberate intention of making the rejection hurt more. "Has been..."

"Wait," Regulus said, the corner of his mouth twitched. "This is actually..."

"You don't have to," the man said, looking back at him. "After what he did. They did?"

"I'm not," Remus said. "What?"

"It's okay, Lupin," Regulus said, putting on a smile that sent shivers down Sirius' spine.

"Because it's obviously fake," Sirius wondered, "Or because I know Regulus never smiled before he disappeared. What did Orion say to me? That Regulus was safe, that he'd be happy? And I'm..." He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Don't include Lupin in with them, okay."

"What?" Sirius' eyes opened, feeling another emotional sting.

"He's not related to Sirius or me."

"Oh," Sirius sighed, feeling a heavy emotional weight. "The family." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Something I got pulled right back into, and you managed to escape. Although..." He opened his mouth. "Regarding Orion..."

Regulus flinched, and the Muggle stepped further in front of his younger brother. "You lot never came looking for him."

"We thought," Sirius began, then let out a half-hearted laugh, which caused Regulus to tilt his head and look around at the other person, his adoptive brother. "No. That's not a matter for discussion right now, but..." He took a deep breath. "Orion. Don't lump him in either."

"Papa?" Regulus asked, swallowing. "You're referring to him as..."

"By his first name," Sirius said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Prick," the Muggle said, glaring at him.

"It's okay," Regulus said. "Means they're on speaking terms."

"Not with her, though," Sirius said.

"Can't blame you."

Sirius felt a feeling of relief wash over him. "At least we're speaking, and he's saying that." He blurted the next part out. "Means she can't control you anymore?"

The smile faultered, and Regulus looked away. "I'm not interested in having small talk, Sirius. You're just like..." Then came a pause, and Regulus said, "In some cases, you're worse."

And there came yet another emotional sting, Sirius' past thoughts of what it would be like if he did have a second chance with Regulus shattering in an instant. He let out a deep breath. "I deserved that. But thanks for not lumping Lupin in with me."

Regulus frowned, then, "Still haven't forgiven you for nearly getting him killed."

"What?" Sirius startled. "When did I?" He looked back at his friend. "Remus?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't..."

"Of course you do, Lupin," Regulus sighed. "Back at school. When you nearly got Snivellus killed. That could have also..."

"Wait? You knew?" Lupin said. "I mean, know about..."

Regulus rolled his eyes, sighing, while his adoptive Muggle brother watched, hovering protectively, his expression calming slightly, possibly due to Lupin. "I'm surprised the entire school didn't."

"What?" Sirius' eyes blinked, confusion setting in.

"I mean, logic," Regulus said. "Basic common sense."

Remus let out a laugh. You are aware that logic and basic common sense are somewhat of a foreign concept among the magical community? He tilted his head towards Sirius. "Case in point, right?"

"Right," Regulus muttered, glaring at Sirius.

"What is..." Sirius turned to Remus, realizing he'd picked up on something.

"When? When did you figure it out?"

"First full moon," Regulus said, causing Sirius to turn and look at his younger brother in horror; it clicked. "My first year."

"Wait. What?"

"So, you're a werewolf?" Regulus' adoptive brother asked, causing Sirius' jaw to drop. "Are they dangerous creatures like in the stories?"

"Yes, but only during the full moon," Regulus said.

"When we don't drink a certain potion," Remus said.

Regulus' eyes suddenly twinkled, and a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Does that mean werewolves are now able to have jobs?"

"No," Remus said, smiling, feeling far more at ease with Regulus than he was with Sirius himself. "Same old prejudices."

Sirius turned. "Just so you know, I don't think of my friends as monsters."

"Well, at least you had a friend," Regulus said, glancing away, suddenly looking rather bored.

"Hey!" Sirius snapped. "What does that mean?"

"Maybe if he had friends," the Muggle muttered, glaring at him and reminding him just what kind of barrier he served to even speak with Regulus.

"Reg," Sirius swallowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"You didn't know many things about me, Sirius," Regulus said, frowning, his head tilting, as he ran his right hand through his hair.

"Learned to use his right hand to throw people off," Sirius wondered. "About why we're here, Regulus."

"Back room," Regulus tilted his head in the direction of the back. "We'll speak there."

"Are you sure?" Regulus' adoptive brother asked. "I mean..."

Regulus' mouth pushed together, then he motioned for the man to lean in so he could whisper something.

The Muggle turned, looking upset. "Are you..."

"If they managed to convince me," Regulus said, glaring at Sirius. "Though I doubt it."

"You doubt it," Sirius said, his voice firm. "Prick."

"Look who's talking," Regulus said, walking towards the back and letting them into the back room, where he proceeded to hop up on the counter, using his right hand to pull himself up.

Sirius frowned, looking at Regulus' left arm in concern, but then brushed it aside. "Horcrux, Reggie. You know how..."

"You had to bring Lupin into this?" Regulus snapped, glaring at him. "Don't you think he has enough on his plate?"

"That..."

To be utterly honest with you, I don't care a lick about helping you.

"You little," Sirius clenched his fists, shifting from, "No. Wanting to punch him doesn't change the fact his words hurt. I want to punch him, to hex him, because what he says cuts deep."

"What is," Remus started.

"You don't want to know," Regulus said. "And if you're so keen on..."

"There's more than one," Sirius said. He watched the color drain from Regulus' face. "Convinced?"

Regulus through gritted teeth. "Send Potter."

"You..." Sirius' hands clenched to the point of turning his knuckles white.

"I prefer speaking to him over you," Regulus snapped.

Sirius let out a deep breath and reached out, grabbing the front of Regulus' clothes, his Muggle clothes, and pulled him off the table he was sitting on while Remus held up his hands. "Sirius! Calm down! He..."

"You! You sit here enjoying your life, having lost nothing, Regulus, while I lost everything!" He watched Regulus' facial features soften, followed by his younger brother shaking his head and biting his lower lip. "Don't talk shit to me about not helping with these Horcrux when I've bloody lost James and Lily as the result of them, and..."

"No," Regulus' voice strained, his head shaking. "Not..." His eyes closed, and his right hand shoved at Sirius' chest. "Let go!"

"No, you little twat!" Sirius said. "You need to hear. You need..."

"You're lying!" Regulus blurted out, head shaking. "Not them!"

"Yes," Sirius said.

"They're not dead," Remus interjected, resulting in Sirius glaring at his friend, only—

A sob brought his attention back to Regulus, watching the tension leave.

"But we still lost them, Regulus," Remus said. "They're at St. Mungos because of what your cousin Bellatrix did."

"With her husband. And the Crouch kid," Sirius said.

Regulus trembled, shaking. "Yeah. Barty's insane like her, so..." He paused.

"I thought you didn't have friends," Sirius said, remembering what the Muggle said. "Are you lying to..."

"Barty is our third cousin," Regulus said. "Which is likely where his insanity comes from." He took a deep breath. "And Evan is cousin-by-marriage. Family. Not that..." He turned his head. "Nobody to trust, even you, Sirius." Then he muttered. "Or who I'd drag into this, unlike you."

"Hey," Sirius said, yet looked at Remus.

"I want," Regulus said, his right hand tightening around the front of Sirius' clothes. "To see them."

"Hold on," Sirius turned his attention back to his brother.

"If you want my help, potentially," Regulus said. "Then I'm to see them."

"Are you serious?" Sirius asked.

"No, that's you," Regulus said. "But act it for once." He didn't look up. "Let me see the destruction you think I've so wrought upon your life, Sirius."

Sirius stiffened, Regulus' words stinging, realizing he'd just blamed his younger brother for that, for what happened to—

"I think that's fair," Remus said. "Don't you, Sirius?"

"Fine," Sirius muttered.