the_debt_of_time

Sirius chuckled, unconsciously rubbing at scratch marks on his arms that had healed
years ago. "I hated that fucking beast. It used to be Mi—mine." He cleared his throat, lost
in emotion. "But we didn't get along so great, so I handed it off to your mum."
"Harry? Sirius?"
"Up here, love!" Sirius called. "What's happened?"
There was a clatter of footsteps outside the door, and Hermione burst inside,
looking exasperated and relieved all at once. "We woke up and didn't know where you
were!" she said breathlessly before turning and yelling over her shoulder, "Ron! I've found
them!"
Ron's annoyed voice echoed distantly from several floors below, "Good! Tell them
from me that they're both gits!"
"Harry, don't just disappear, please; we were terrified!" she exclaimed, calming down
as she took a good look around the room. "Did you make all this mess or was some of it
done when you got here?" She glanced suspiciously at Sirius, who narrowed his eyes back
at her. "Sorry." Hermione held up both hands as a sign of surrender. "Why don't you both
come down, and we'll put together some breakfast?"
The three left Sirius's room, closing the door behind them and heading back down
the stairs, Sirius close on Hermione's heels with Harry lagging behind.
As they passed a door on the right, out of bitter habit, Sirius made a fist and punched
the sign that hung on it as he continued down the stairs.
"Hermione, Sirius! Come back up here!" Harry said.
Hermione looked back up the stairs. "What's the matter, Harry?"
"I think I found him!"
Sirius looked back, concerned. "What's wrong? What'd you find?"
"R.A.B."
"You found... Oh my God! How did I not put that together?!" Hermione said
excitedly as she reached the landing. She smiled and hugged Harry tightly and then reached
out for Sirius as he approached the two of them, Ron coming up behind him.
"Someone want to clue me in? You found R.A.B.?" Ron asked.
"What's R.A.B.?" Sirius scanned the door carefully. Surely, they didn't mean
Regulus? What the hell would these three need from his dead brother?