Sirius glanced up sharply at the careworn face, which still was beautiful to him. Ah, weren't they both so much older than the last time they'd seen each other, when the fire of youth still ran in their veins? "Remus, I'm sorry," he whispered, "I promised I'd stay with you always, and I couldn't.... I failed you....." His eyes were sorrowful, full of the empty years that had come between then and now. But you can never turn back time, not really, recapture what might have been and change what was. "I never stopped thinking you... ever...."