Chapter Text
Sirius' POV
His eyes groggily opened, a world duller than the last was his prize. The ringing in his ears slowed to a pulse and he heard a familiar voice. A voice that gave him enough breath for a singular gasp before his breath was cruelly stolen from him again.
The pulse in his ears gradually seemed to increase, taking his sense as he tried to make out the words screamed by the familiar voice he hadn't heard in so long. It was cruel.
He closed his eyes with a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to calm his racing thoughts, each competing for his attention.
Opening his eyes again he saw the outline of a person. The person was moving frantically above him. His hearing hit him like a fret train and his moment of confused bliss was gone. The shouting resumed and he couldn't believe it, willing his eyes to focus on the figure.
"God, you're an idiot! Stupid, you are! How dumb can you be?! You could have just sent a message! You're so dramatic and reckless and... stupid!-" the yelling was cut off by a yelp as another figure moved into view, placing a hand over the mouth of the smaller figure before yanking the figure out of view, "Let him breathe, Regulus. Yell at him later," another familiar voice spoke.
He couldn't believe it. They couldn't be here. They were dead! They had been for years.
"James?" Sirius whispered breathlessly as the larger figure blurred into his dead best friend. James chuckled and held his hand out for Sirius.
Sirius grabbed the hand, astonished by the fact that he could feel James, he's real. In one pull Sirius was on his feet and in a bone crushing hug. His head layed on his best friend's shoulder in comfort as his thoughts still bathed in disbelief.
"How?" He choked out and James chuckled, "Idiot, you got yourself killed," Sirius heard someone mumble and James sighed, pulling Sirius to arms length and placing his hands on both of his shoulders, "You died, Sirius," James spoke, much softer than he normally would.
"Is this Hell?" Sirius quizzed stupidly and James pulled him into another hug, "Why would I be here?" James chuckled and Sirius laughed with him, "Probably something to do with your stunt in year 1," Sirius cackled out and James winced, "Probably," he agreed.
The full consequences of being dead hadn't yet hit Sirius, he was running on the adrenaline of seeing his best friend again after so many long and boring years, alone.
"Where are we then?" Sirius asked and James pulled out of the hug to step aside. Allowing Sirius to see into the traitorous eyes of Regulus Arcturus Black, his baby brother, "I can't answer that as well as he can," James murmured as the brothers' eyes met.
Regulus starred with a calm gaze that shouted death upon its victim. Sirius starred back just as ferociously, "Um?" The feminine voice of Lily Potter spoke and the silence was so loud that Sirius heard James pull Lily away.
"You just gonna stare or you gonna answer my question?" Sirius snarled and Regulus stayed quiet, holding eye contact.
"Where are we, Regulus?" Sirius aggressively repeated, taking a step closer to his traitorous snake of a brother. Regulus remained calm, his gaze never wavering and it only infuriated Sirius more.
"We're stuck in purgatory," Regulus answered in his annoyly emotionless voice. Sirius remembers when it use to be so full of emotion, "Wh-Wha-Huh?" Sirius sputtered, stumbling through words before landing in a puddle of confused sounds, "We're in a purgatory," Regulus repeated in the same dull voice and Sirius moved in a split second, so close to Regulus face that their breath mingled and the fire in their ocean coloured eyes shone brightly, "I heard that part," Sirius snarled, "Well genius, I'm sure you know what a purgatory is - A place stuck between two or more destinations - Ring a Bell?" Regulus hissed back sarcastically.
"Why?" Sirius quizzed, stepping back happy with the answers given as they were the only ones he'd get out of Regulus. Sirius knew Regulus was silent or sarcastic, he wouldn't admit it but Sirius really missed the sound of his baby brother's voice.
Sirius watched Regulus sigh and shrug before answering, "Everyone spends a day here, day to understand - that they're dead, that they're loved ones are safe, etc. Everyday, after that day you are asked if you want to move on to Heaven or Hell - it's a choice if you think you deserve punishment then you chose to go to Hell and are punished until you believe your sins have been repented. People normally move on but you have people who want to watch over their loved ones, they stay until their loved one or ones are deemed safe and happy or until that loved one joins them here, then they go together," Regulus explained and Sirius nodded
"I thought you guys were gonna kill each other, I would have had to send Lily to stop you two," James chuckled jogging over and wrapping an arm around Sirius, "Not yet," Regulus smirked, "Hang on a minute, wait a second! You said people stayed to wait for their loved ones. Did you stay here for me, Reggie?!" Sirius squealed dramatically, pointing his question at Regulus and the boy grimaced. Regulus looked Sirius in the eye, the question unanswered as he turned and walked away.
"He's still as stubborn as he used to be," Sirius said wistfully, "He's different, just give him time," Lily spoke coming up behind the best friends.
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