"Sirius," Regulus whispered. The faint impression dusted off his robes and lounged gracefully against the dresser. "Is it your time already? Come to join me, brother?"
Words escaped him. Regulus may have been incorporeal, but he acted just the same as Sirius remembered. A foot tapped an impatient rhythm against the floor as he sent Sirius a look as though this was a normal conversation, waiting for Sirius' opinion on the weather.
"Fuck, I missed you," Sirius choked out.
"I miss you too," Regulus said, even and somber. "It's lonely Beyond."
"Is it?" Sirius asked. "Not too bad, I hope?"
"It is peaceful," he said calmly. " But it's hardly the angelic choirs or joyous mead halls religion promised. All we have are our earthly ties. I love our mother, but I would prefer some less manic company from time to time. If you're not dying, did you summon me? I had no idea you had a penchant for necromancy."
Sirius laughed. "It's a new hobby."
"It must be lonely amongst the living too, for you to make conversation with the dead."
"It's been… interesting," Sirius said. "I was in prison for a while, I don't know how to make friends after that, apparently."
"A stint in prison and practicing necromancy. My, I don't even know what to say."
"I have a kid too!" Sirius said. "Well, I didn't give birth to him, but he's my kid."
"I think that's more surprising than you going to prison."
"Fuck off," Sirius laughed. "But yeah, fair. Hey - if you had a kid, would you sacrifice any sense of morality and decency to keep them safe?"
"I suppose so," Regulus said in his unnaturally even tone. Sirius sighed.
"Even a horcrux? Could you excuse a horcrux?"
Regulus shrugged. "I'm not sure if we had the best example of what lengths a loving parent would go to for their child. But I suppose so, if the child were in danger, yes I would consider it."
That hadn't been the answer Sirius wanted. "Don't you have any undead wisdom or something? Isn't his soul destroyed beyond repair, even in death?"
"No Sirius. Your son's soul is far more eternal than any earthly magicks, even that of the horcrux ritual. Things sound very unpleasant for you. You look stressed."
"I feel old," Sirius said.
"You've lived a very hectic life. You deserve to find peace just like I have."
"Not so easy for the living." He flopped back on the bed.
"There's a very easy solution," Regulus countered.
"What do you figure that is?" Sirius asked. He looked up at the ghostly figure of his brother.
"I miss you, Sirius. You can have eternal peace and never be lonely again if you join me."
"W-what? You want me to kill myself?"
"I want you to find peace, brother." Suddenly, Regulus' calm voice felt much more sinister to Sirius' ears. The faded uncanny look in his eyes reminded Sirius that this was not the same brother as the one who'd lived, no matter how much he looked like it. Death did something to spirits, changed them in ways that even necromancy did not understand.
"Don't you want to see your friends again? Lily and James Potter? His parents, who I know were more yours than Walburga ever was. You won't be lonely anymore, Sirius. Please. You deserve to rest after all you've been through."
"Harry needs me," Sirius whispered, not as firm as he would have liked.
"Voldemort is on Death's door himself, and your boy has his mother." Regulus came closer. Sirius sat up in a flash, jumping away before the ghostly hands could reach him. "He has his necromancy, he can visit with you. Aren't you tired of it all?"
"Reggie, I - "
"Sirius, please, I miss you. I need you." His brother pleaded - his kid brother, just eighteen and dead - died alone in a fucking cave because he'd felt like he couldn't have come to Sirius for help. "Sirius, brother, please!"
"Harry needs me," he said, repeating it like a mantra.
"Hey! Dipshit, where the fuck are you?"
The brothers were started by a shout from downstairs. Alabasandria's displeased voice echoed through the halls as she searched for him.
"Allie!" Sirius shouted back. His heart was racing out of his chest, he realized. He was crying, when had that started? Everything felt cold and dark like he was back in Azkaban. Regulus regarded him with a flat, unfeeling look.
The door twisted open and the woman looked at the room with an equally flat expression. "What the fuck - Sirius?"
"You're going to keep him away from me," Regulus said solemnly.
"Sirius, what did you do?" Alabasandria ignored the spirit and turned to the man who was nearing a panic attack on the floor. Sirius didn't respond until chocolate was shoved into his face and he ate a few bites. "I told you not to speak to the spirits of loved ones," she admonished as his full-body tremors began to ease.
"I wasn't thinking," he whispered.
"Obviously," she chided, though her tone was gentle. "Not going to do anything stupid, are you? Harry would be very upset if you bit the dust."
"Just Harry?" He joked weakly. She settled to the floor beside him. In another swift move, she plucked the bar of chocolate from him and stole a bite, ignoring his quiet protest.
"Harry values your presence," she said again.
"Unlike some people."
"Why would I, when you're convinced I'm evil and that I don't care for my own child?" she huffed.
"Look, I shouldn't have said you don't care about him, it's obvious you do. But you also implied that I don't care either and that's not fair."
"You're both so emotionally constipated that it's embarrassing," Regulus interrupted.
"Shut it, dead boy, or I'll put you back underground." Alabasandria grumbled.
"What are you arguing about?" Regulus asked.
"She forced our six-year-old son to create a horcrux."
"He attributes unreasonable morality to a situation he was not privy to."
"Harry was six!"
"Oh please, he wasn't even traumatized!"
Regulus interrupted again. "Is there anything you can do about it now? Are you going to make the kid reabsorb his soul shard?"
"No," Sirius admitted.