Chapter Text
Three, Two, One
Them Dirty Bones: Mike Waters
13, February 1970
The breeze blew through the grass as James walked down the silent street. It was odd the silence, with Marles and Peter living right down the corner there was always usually some noise to be heard. The fact that it was a wizarding community also didn’t save their neighbours from their pranks and games. It was sunset by the time James had finished his stroll. He was able to look up at the sky and get a small glimpse of the constellations. Sirius being his favourite, it looked like a dog and he was privy to them, always asking his mother for a pet dog to chase around the house like he did Marlene. His mother’s response was usually he had Marlene and Peter to take care of and he had no time to add another child into the mix.
He turned the corner onto the cul de sac where Marlene and Peter both lived, excitement flooding his lungs as he saw them both waiting in their secret hidden spot behind the streetlamp. Marles had all the ingredients for what they needed to do, all laid out and ready. They were doing a muggle prank Peter had heard about on their neighbour’s the Filches. Their son was always pestering the group, following them around everywhere trying to catch them in the act, with parents to match. Today they had the bright idea to toilet paper their house. With James’s fathers help to gather the goods and his talent for creating products with incredible and pristine accuracy and his mother’s ability to find loopholes in absolutely everything they had found a way to use magic to their advantage with a gadget they had both created. A small little tool that would cover the house with the entirety of their supply in seconds with a simple push of a button. His parents had called it “The Toieler” for obvious reasons.
As the soft pinks turned softly into a moonlit sky the trio knew the time had come to employ the magical tool that was toilet paper.
Quickly setting up everything just as their enablers had instructed them, they watched as the magical machine did its job as the house was quickly and magically covered in toilet paper. The kids watched from their grove of safety as the Filches ran out seconds after The Toieler had vanished from existence with a small pop of fireworks likely going to his fathers work table and the awestruck faces of Mr and Mrs Filch carried by the screaming of their 30 yr old son. None of whom could fathom why so much toilet paper was hanging from their trees. The trio tried and failed to hide their laughter and quickly ran to the Potter house to recount the experience to the awaiting Parents and partners in crime.
“ It was like fire was coming out of his ears Mama, you were right to go with the stuff that tears easily-” James said with fiery passion already playing the scene out for his parents grabbing for Peter to assist with the acting.
“Yeah Mrs Potter-” Marlene cut off James her excitement coming off her in cascading waves
“Call me Euphemia, Marlene, everyone else does,” Mrs Potter said dearly, cutting her off for the reminder as always.
“Oh right, You should have seen their faces! They couldn't get it off the trees, it just kept tearing out of their hands.” Marlene was waving her arms around watching as James and Peter were doing a reenactment of the scene. James being Mr Filch, Peter being the Tree.
“And what about you Peter, how did my machine work?” Mr Potter looked lovingly towards the boy, always taking him under his wing knowing his parents never loved him as he should.
The boy looked up in shocked surprise, as he always did whenever James or Marlene’s parents talked to him, never realising that parents could love a child as they loved theirs. Like they had loved him too. “ Oh, It worked amazingly Sir, Mr Potter oh sorry Fleamont Sir. I’m sorry I didn't mean to mess up, I apologise for disrespecting you.”
Fleamont interrupted the boy and his endless anxious stuttering calmly getting onto his level saying “ You never could son, don’t worry, tell me what you thought, all you want with no restrictions or hesitations. Just like James and Marlene did, remember?”
“Yes Sir, I mean Fleamont, well it was a bloody well done sight to see, I wish you were there to see it, both of you would have loved it. It went off into fireworks coloured in maroon and gold at the end. The Filches were frozen right on the spot for such a long period it was so easy to get away.” Peter had slowly gained confidence in him as he spoke with budding excitement, engaging yet again in a show with James to express what truly a scene it was to behold.
The boys ran up to the end of the living room, grabbing Marlene along the way, pulling themselves up to the grand fireplace talking in hushed whispers before turning with a fast accuracy towards the parents with decisive plans to share the entire show the pair.
James was climbing up onto the top of the armrest on the sofa trying to accurately portray a tree with Marlene draping her hair down around his arms to resemble the toilet paper in a way the two parents of the trio could only call the worst looking knot they had ever seen. Her hair was very prone to tangles and had already gotten knotted together underneath James’s right elbow to which Euphemia tried to hide her laugh whilst Peter worked diligently to untangle the children always to James’s instruction.
It seems the parents would not be able to witness the incredible reproduction of the Toieler prank after all.
“ All right time for bed, it has been such an eventful day for you three and tomorrow will be even more so it’s your mothers birthday Marlene,” Euphemia said with a chuckle and arm out leading the kids up the stairs firmly.
“Goodnight Fleamont” “Goodnight Father” screamed a chorus of children, which followed with a chorus of laughter.
“Alright time for bed, Upstairs and to your rooms all of you.”
They each went to their rooms saying their good night’s to James and Euphemia, each being tucked in by the latter with a kiss on the foreheads.
The small boy with blonde hair and a short lanky frame always struggled to imagine how lucky he was to have the Potters. They had given him this room when they realised he was spending the night consistently before Peter had even turned 5. They had always told him that he was always welcome to decorate it to his liking, they had so many guest bedroom’s as it was this one was specifically his. It wasn’t until five years into their friendship and weekly prank n’ sleepovers that he began to actually start decorating the room he was so incredibly grateful for. His room was so different from James’s, where James was all quidditch and zonkos products with his favourite bands, Peter was more into whatever muggle knowledge he could get his hands on. His parents hated muggles with a passion, he didn’t know why, they had so many cool things, such as music and his favourite things, action figures. Mr and Mrs Potter never failed to surprise him with a new one whenever they so wanted. His favourite right now being the GI Joe ones. They made him feel like James did, strong like he could conquer the world with his friends by his side. He didn't need anyone else other than his two best friends and the Potters. His life was complete...
The tall energetic blonde who never could seem to stop moving fell in love with the Potters the moment she met them. She loved her parents and spent a lot of her time with them, but they could only handle so much of her wit and energy when they had to contest with her
three younger brothers as well. She ended up spending most of her time with James and Peter playing pranks or playing games in one of the three bedrooms. Her’s was her particular favourite, though she was biased. Her’s had the usual things, Quidditch posters, a few muggle bands James played around the house that she loved, her messy clothes everywhere which was a requirement, and she’d never ever let Dolly, the Potter’s house-elf, clean up the mess. It was something that had caused a multitude of tantrums over the years on both of the girl’s sides, however, inevitably Marlene won. As she knew she would, she always does in these matters, she's the only daughter after all. Marlene knows that holds power. Her favourite thing about her room was the painting hanging on the top of her armoire. James and Peter had made it for her on her 9th birthday. Apparently, it was a painting of the three of them but it looks more like a badly done finger painting done by two 3-year-olds of flowers. So basically mud. But whenever Marlene looked at it she saw her boys and how much they loved her, how much she loved them in return. So she hung it where she could always see it. It was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes to go to sleep and every night she always fell into a peaceful slumber...
The boy whose hair could never lay down quite right on his head and whose glasses were never straight on his face had a schedule to stick to. A good night routine in fact. One the young Mr James Potter was quite proud of and had been doing for five years, clearly and firmly coming into his motherly role. He snuck out of his tightly tucked covers patting them three times closed with a kiss, something he did every night his brother and sister stayed over, he had to tuck them in too. Plus sometimes Peter had night terrors and James had to be the only one to help him, he was the only one who knew the correct way to calm the fears and make sure Peter could go back to sleep again. And Marlene, well Marles got so energetic and never stopped moving even in her sleep that she always kicked her comforter off her bed by 2 AM so James had to sneak in and help her stay warm by putting it back on her with a warm hug and kiss to the forehead to keep the night terrors away also. Tucking her in the way he knew she liked, taking extra care to make sure she couldn't escape from this bundle of blankets. He would visit them for 9 minutes each, always matching their age. They would lie awake talking for 8 of them talking about their day and what they couldn’t tell the elder Potter’s. Everything shared between them would be secret between the pairs. The last-minute he spent tucking them in their preferred way taking their right hand and pressing his thumb in their palm three times, for family. He said goodnight, at this point they were usually almost asleep, he always kissed them on their forehead like his mom did and left their door slightly ajar so he could come back during the night to help if they needed him again.
And they always needed him again.
He always went to Peter first, every time, for everything. Not because Peter couldn't handle himself because he knew he was strong and could brave the fear, but because of the thoughts, because of his family's beliefs and pressures, how it all weighed down on Peter at night when the boy was alone. James knew how to help him, how to tell him he didn't need to listen, his parents were wrong, their son was one of the strongest people James had had the privilege of ever knowing and one day he would make sure to show it. So he went to Peter first, to show his friend that no matter what you should put those you love above everything else because they are what make life worth living.
He knocked on the door twisting the knob slightly to see the blue Doctor Who night light James’s mother had charmed to illuminate the tardis and stars in a pale light around the room in an array of colours. He snuck in making sure he waited the perfected time of 27 minutes so that his mom would never catch him in the act and make him go back to bed. He watched Peter for a moment waiting to see if, even for a brief moment, for this one night the boy would allow himself to be calm. He never did before he saw James, and James wondered what he did when he wasn’t sleeping at the place the boy had taken to calling home when with himself and his parents.
James snuck into the room quietly closing the door behind him, Peter liked the privacy. James knew that what the boy wouldn't share with him was that he finally felt like he could breathe when he got a moment alone with James, so James made every effort to make that happen whenever he could, prioritizing the boy when he knew the boy’s family and own self did not take care of him the way that he should and deserved.
“Pete, are you alright, it's time for our SSK.” The boys had named their 9 minutes Special Secret Keeping after reading one of the forbidden books in his father’s library about a fidelius charm, in which there included a secret keeper, Peter now referred to James as his secret keeper during these moments.
“Always James, I saved your spot.” And indeed the boy had, James looked at Peter’s comforter taking notice of the familiar way Pete moved the blankets to make a seat for James that was very akin to a beanbag. Peter had done the same for himself, making a complete mess of the blanket, James would never say anything about it knowing it made the boy happy and so few things did these days now that his parents so rarely let him spend time with him and Marlene, they knew of their families view on muggles and were trying to pull Peter away from such, how did they phrase it “abhorable, disgusting language, talking about the lowest class like that we shouldn’t even be associated with them much less talking about their creations.” James did not hate much but for what they did to Peter and how they spoke about muggles and anybody that wasn’t a pureblood he was sure of one thing. He hated Peter’s parents.
“Three, two, one go.” The boy said to James as he sat down in the carefully moulded blankets. The excitement began flowing off the boys flooding the room as both of them got ready for their favourite part of the day.
“Three, the Toiler prank for sure, seeing the Filches and the toilet paper ripping in their hands sure was a sight to behold. What’s your three?”
The boy wrung his hands together, “Dinner, and don’t tell me ‘It’s always dinner’ I know it is, but today was different, your mom called me son, did you hear that too? And we finalised our plans for the pranks for the next week and along with such a good meal, I had a family, James. You guys are my family, you can’t and don’t take this the wrong way, but until you know what it's like to not have a parent's love, which I am so grateful you and Marlene never will, you can never understand why I always choose dinner. Dinner is the one time where all of us are together and I’m with the family that truly loves me.”
James looked at the boy he called brother, “I know Pete, we love you and you’re welcome to have dinner as your designated three spots. I won't say anything again if it really bothers you. I don’t and won’t understand what having parents like that is like, but I won't let you go without loving parents and siblings either Peter, not when you have mom, dad, Marlene and me. You are never going to be alone in this world again.” James said with fierce determination.
“Time for your Two.” the boy said with a small but grateful laugh, and James knew the boy understood, they were children after all. No child should be going through what Peter was. There were many things James didn’t know for certain. This was one thing the young Mr Potter however was completely and utterly sure of.
“Well I'm not sure on this one, probably dinner, I did love seeing you and Marlene happy.” What he didn’t say to the boy was that he hadn’t seen him that happy in months. “Your turn Pete,” James said, turning with a large smile towards the boy moving his arms around to pull him into his arms bear hug style.
Peter looked up at James like he had just made him the happiest boy in the world, and James knew on some internal level no matter how big or how small it was true.
“When we had the sock race and all tumbled and fell into each other, it hurt but I've never laughed so much.” The two boys fell into a bought of euphoric laughter remembering the event
They all had put on their fuzzy socks, claiming it was to warm their feet to the parents. The second the parents were out of view they ran off full speed down the narrow hallway turning corners, racing to see who could get to the parlour first. Spoiler alert! None of them did because at the second corner with James in the lead and Marlene second, James had tumbled hard down on the floor, Marlene then tripped over his ankle falling flat on her face, Peter catching up but struggling to slow down caught himself on Marlene's knees as she was turning herself over and fell on top of both her and James’s abdomens and all of them in a tangle of limbs started laughing hysterically until their parents found them when they would have abruptly stopped to be disciplined however the Potter’s joined in on the laughter. It was something the trio would remember forever.
“I forgot about that! Okay, that’s my number one. I claim it right now. No, take backs.” James declared, pushing his arms into the air with a winning grin.
“What's your number one Peter?” James said, looking down at the boy in his usual motherly way when it came to his number one.
“ Being in my room again, I've missed it. It's been so long. I know it’s something so simple but I feel safe here, I don’t feel that at home.”
James wrapped his arms tighter around the boy as if he could keep him here forever safe from harm, someplace where the boy felt loved. Somewhere the boy had a true family.
“It's time-” the boys said in unison before bursting out in a collapsing fit of giggles.
“Let’s fix your blankets first thing, they’re all tangled around my legs and that’s no good for sleeping, and you need the best sleep possible if we’re to be able to do the surprise party for Marlene’s parents tomorrow.” James got up helping the boy move his blankets back into order on top of him, neatly and tightly tucking him in.
Peter held his right hand out towards James, as he always did when this time came and so James took hold of it firmly. He pressed his thumb into the centre of Peter’s palm three times, for the three friends, for their three secrets, for the three siblings. Then he pressed a gentle kiss to the boy’s forehead, easing his hand back under the covers of the blanket before turning around and easing out of the room, gently closing the door leaving it slightly open for later when the boy needed him again.
Feeling confident that it went well, Peter was breathing slowly in and out letting James know from outside the door that the boy was asleep so indeed James knew it had, he turned and went further down the hall walking toward the door painted purple and gold, his favourite girl’s colours. She repainted it from time to time when they changed, so the door showed signs that it had different colours of paint underneath this coating but that was something he loved about it. His sister was always changing her mind, Always making fast decisions, she had a quick wit and fast sarcastic mouth to go with it reminding him of a shooting star in the night so different from Peter but no less loved. He always noticed how to match her verbal and mental energy; she never stopped moving. It was something he admired about her. He had the same problem sometimes. It was what made her Marlene. Just like her messy room rules, her flaky nail polish, and her blonde hair with the red streaks she always kept re-dying, sometimes even going pink ever since her parents conceded to the action when they turned 8. He saw the door open slightly, the girl always knew when he was coming.
“James! Quick Pitches?” The girl was jumping with excitement, almost levitating off the ground with how much she was rocking back and forth on her feet.
“Always, ready with your Three, Two, One?” James said, entering the room excitedly leading her back over to the bed.
She was always ready, she loved her time with James and savoured the moments she got alone from everyone. Her excitement was infectious and infinite. It drew in everyone she ever met.
“Of course I’m ready, the question is always, are you?” Her sly smile taking up the entire right side of her side. They jumped up onto the bed making sure to find ways to take up the entire space. Finally a tangle of limbs, and a muffliato placed on the door by the knowing parents.
“Okay” said James, anxiously anticipating his friend's numbers, “What’s your three?” He bent his neck down to lean his head onto the girl's shoulder.
She looked at the painting he made for her birthday this year. “Seeing Peter again, It has been so long, I missed him. Never tell him I said that, I have a reputation to uphold.”
“So Jamsie, What’s your three? The expectant look on her face was something James was all too familiar with and found such comfort in.
“ Definitely the Toiler Prank, that will totally go down in our Prank Hall of Fame.” The girl laughed. The kind of laugh that takes up your entire body. Her face lit up brightly with a smile.
“That was my two you dingus. You always take my two. I will get you back for that you better rue me. I don’t know if I used that word correctly.”
“Marls you heard that word for the first time today, it might take you some time to learn how to say and use it correctly, but I will allow you to make mistakes.” They both jokingly started hitting each other, turning a usually calming good night routine into an energetic moment of hysterical laughter, but this always happened so they got out their energy surprisingly without getting off the bed and tossing around Marlene’s quaffle. “Well now that I know”
“STOLE!”
“Borrowed your two I can share mine quicker than expected”
James was very surprised to find himself face flat on the floor seconds after he finished speaking.
“What were you saying again Jamsie?”
“Nothing Nothing. Yep I definitely stole your two, I am forever sorry Marlene Mckinnon and will definitely rue the day when you exact your revenge on poor little me.” James said before bursting into a fit of giggles. He tried and failed to try and get off the floor and back onto the bed but with how much he was A. Laughing and B. Being pushed off by the girl, everytime he tried to pull himself up.
Finally exasperated, Marlene pulled the joyous boy back up onto her bed. “ What's your two James?”
“Dinner, I loved seeing all of us together again. It was so funny seeing your face covered in all those potatoes. And when Peter pushed the carrots onto your cheeks and they stuck there for two whole minutes.
“That was funny. Felt weird on my face but was super funny and I enjoyed the time spent with my boys.”
James looked down at Marlene. It was the first time she had ever heard her call him “her boy's” and it made him easily the happiest boy in the world.The resulting smile could light the night sky for a millenia.
She elbowed him in his ribs whilst laughing. “ I can barely breathe James Fleamont Potter and guess what YOU STOLE MY ONE YOU EVIL MOTHER HEN”
Both shaking in a full fit of laughter, James looked at Marlene raising his hands up guarding his face from the onslaught of Marlene’s small fists. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry you can get me back with Peter for this I promise. My parents will probably be fully willing to even lend their help to the noble cause, in other more important topics my one, was the sock race, It was too funny to see us all tangled up like that, and I had the most fun I have had in a while today with us three all together again.”
“I know me too, I’ve missed the trouble we get into, pranks are nowhere near as fun without Peter. We have extra time since I stole so many of yours. Tickle fight?” James looked down at their entangled bodies watching as Marlene tried to prevent her yawn in hopeless effort.
“Not tonight Jamsie, I’m getting tired of you failing. And I’m also real tired.” She proceeded to have three consecutive yawns cutting off any reply James might have had. James moved his legs out of the knot that had become the blankets and the two kids' limbs climbing out of the bed to fix the bedding.
“Move to the right side of the bed Marls, you sleep better there.” James spoke softly, gently nudging her over as she fell asleep fast. He swore this girl struggled to stay asleep but falling asleep was way too easy. He straightened her blankets out whilst the girl started breathing slower, making sure as she fell asleep that she was tucked in tightly like a muggle burrito.
He looked down at the girl from above, she was breathing slowly, having curled into a twisted position within his protected blankets that told him she was asleep. He smiled, saving the sight in his mind. Even in sleep her face was twitching slightly as she dreamed, always moving. He leaned down very gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning and leaving the room.
As James walked down the hall down towards his room he remembered. He remembered these moments. The goodnight routines, the joy, the family he had, and he knew it would be like this forever. They had an endless future together, and with that thought he walked into the night with a smile.
The Noble House Of Black
Traitor: Olivia Rodrigo
18, February 1970
The green light streamed through the room as the noble parents screamed the curse putting the visitors out of their misery.
That night the two boys cried alone in their rooms with no one to comfort their sorrow but themselves. It was always just the two of them, alone, against the cruel hidden world of the Purebloods.
19, February 1970
Sirius woke to them still hugging each other. Looking at the time Sirius knew their mother would be in any moment now and he would need to sneak Reggie back into his own room before that happened, his brother would be punished for spending the night in Sirius’s room, and Sirius had never planned on letting it happen. But he also didn’t plan on his parents using an unforgivable curse on one of the visitors who came for their dinner party. They were sneaking a watch from the stairs, had heard everything Orion had done never caring to use a mufilato on the door when it came to these matters, ‘It will make them grow up to fill their role in the Noble House of Black’ he said, for the brothers to bear witness to such words, to see such things, to know such things. While Sirius’s priority will and always will be Regulus' safety last night it should have extended to whoever was in that room bearing the punishment of Orion and Walburga Black as well. He would never let himself let go of the guilt using it to help fuel the fire for when he could escape with Reggie and leave behind the family for good. But that wouldn’t be for a long time, Sirius was just biding his time until the inevitable moment his parents turned their wands and curses onto him and he was going to make damn sure Regulus would be safe and out of the way of the parents when that moment came. He slowly got up out of the warmth of the bed and turned to look down at his brother. Reggie was sleeping so peacefully. When he had snuck in last night, Sirius had almost turned him away out of fear of their parents, specifically Walburga. He knew what their mother would do if she found out. But after the events of the night, there was no way Sirius in good conscience could turn his little brother away. He was the one who always followed the rules, the golden child. When he broke them, Sirius knew it was important.
Reaching down towards Regulus, gently shaking his younger brother until he turned over rubbing his eyes awake. Upon realising the windows were showing peaks of light outside the boy jumped out off the bed launching apologies into the air.
“I never meant to stay this long Sirius, I know what mother will do if she finds out. I can’t let you be punished again this week. I cannot watch that again.”
“ Don’t worry Reggie, nothing will happen, go to your room, I will meet you downstairs for breakfast.”
He saw the terrified look in the boy's eyes. It was Thursday, and five days into the week. Sirius had already had a punishment from mother four times. Regulus had been forced to watch two of them, as a twisted lesson on what rules to follow and which ones never to break. His mothers punishments were cruel and one of the few times he would see her smile at him. He knew she never saw them for the kids they were, what she saw he never could quite figure out. Sirius just knew she hated what she saw.
He stopped trying to notice how much it hurt to see that hatred whenever he looked at her, but he loved her, he never could help himself from that. Walburga was after all his mother. It was when she came in between him and his ability to protect his brother from her that he started to resent her, when she put his brother in a world of hatred and danger that he could never forgive. And he would never forgive her for the path she started him on. Started them both on.
He watched solemnly as his only brother, the person he vowed to protect with every bone in his body, left his room. Left his presence with a low nod and shaky promise that he would see him at breakfast safe when Sirius knew his mother would probably punish him beforehand. Sirius needed his brother to follow the rules and recently he had begun breaking them when it came to Sirius’s safety and that was not his job in their relationship. Regulus was not the protector Sirius had made it his own job to make sure he never was put in situations where he was given the ability to be. But lately, their mother was giving him opportunities to have his protective side come out and Sirius hated her for it. Regulus was going to get in danger if Sirius couldn’t control it. He knew his mother was dangling the situation over him to control Sirius’s defiant behavior and for that forgiveness would never be an option. With how close Regulus was coming to being on the receiving end of a punishment and them having nowhere to go if that happened. And Sirius would refuse to let them stay if that happened. If that woman laid her hand or wand on his brother he swore with his last breath it would be his hand that ended her life, no matter how much or how little he loved her. He knew if she did anything to his brother what love he had for her would vanish into nothing. They did call the Noble House of Black notorious for their revenge and hatred and they didn’t do it for nothing.
The Black family was notorious for their cruelty and if Sirius was pushed too far there would be no limits to how deep and cruel he would go for revenge against the people who hurt his brother. He would end them with a flick of his wand when he could. He may still be ten but he had a vengeful wrath to be scared of. And they would one day, oh they would be very scared of Sirius Orion Black.
He heard his mother coming up the stairs right as he heard the slight click of Reggies door close shut. He was safe for now, he had to keep it that way. She went to check on Reggie first, always the favourite son, always first in his mothers eyes. Sirius tried not to let it hurt as much as it did.
As the minutes passed in a restless stir of time and stress, Sirius finally heard the rustle of his brother's door open, hearing Regulus start on the long path from their bedrooms of 12 Grimmauld Place down to the dining hall for breakfast. His mother stepped out second, taking her time walking down the hall towards Sirius.
It was that that scared him.
He knew then he was going to face his mothers wrath and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
At least Reggie wouldn’t be able to hear his screams.
She walked in slowly. Her wand out in front of her like the weapon Sirius knew well enough by now that it was.
“You know you weren't allowed to do that boy”
“Yes, mother and what's the problem with causing a little ruckus around this house, we could certainly use it. It’s way too quiet sitting around like ducks whilst we wait to go to Hogwarts, you have too many sticks up your arse-”
“Diffindo!”
He felt nothing but the pain and the faint screams in the distance.
Regulus could hear Sirius’s distant screams from the kitchen, loud and filled with fear and childlike need. He never forgot how young they were. How much Sirius went through to protect him, but also just so his mother could have her way of control over them though she would never have control over Sirius. They were children and Sirius was alone screaming in so much pain he knew this time a healer would be called.
But Regulus had learned by then to never intervene. It will end soon. He hoped.
Walburga hated Sirius for everything he had taken away from her, and everything he was. He represented her cage, infinite and eternal. She could never forgive him or herself for that. She would never forgive herself for giving birth to a son so much like her either. Unlike her however, her firstborn would have all the freedom in the world to do whatever he pleased.
She was jealous and cruel and would do whatever necessary to take whatever joy he had away from him. Just like her mother and husband did her. They looked exactly like Orion, and were even named after him. By him. She may have given birth to him but they were Orion's children. She would never love Sirius, maybe Regulus but never could she love someone so much like herself. It only made her hate the boy even more.
“You're a vain, cruel, spiteful, ungrateful child. You will never be worth the Noble Black Family Name and yet here we are. You are worthless and yet you're the heir to this family. You will take everything from me, so I will take everything from you.”
Sirius couldn’t hear clearly. Everything was distant, he couldn’t see either. Everything was black. Fitting he thought, he finally lived up to the family name. He was dying because he knew, this had to be what death felt like. Floating and everything in the distance. He was brought to peace until he started to feel the pain and the wetness on his skin. He was not unaware enough to not think it was anything but blood, but there was so much of it. His mother had never done anything to warrant this much of the substance. He was staining his carpet, his mother would punish him again for that later. What curse had she used, had she used a Muffliato? She had too, she always did.
For Reggie’s sake, he prayed to whatever saints were out there that she did.
As he laid in agony slowly but accurately noticing just how many times she had cut him this time. Diffindo, Sirius realised, was the curse she used, a favourite of hers’. Meant to be used to cut open objects. At least he finally knew now what his mother saw him as.
She usually only used it once, and she used it frequently. Whenever Sirius did something she particularly didn’t like, which was often. On the time when he was punished for lesser offenses it was usually wandless and physical discipline. But that was rare, Sirius never enjoyed the punishments, however he enjoyed the fact that he knew it made his mother mad, and that meant he had control in the situation. It was the only control the boy had.
This time something changed that made her use it more. He noticed at least five cuts, all still bleeding after all the time that had passed. For the first time he would need a healer. Whatever he did that made his mother that angry, he had forced her to bring in someone that took away from her perfect image, that would force them to see him in this state. He had the upper hand.
The door opened and it took all Sirius’s strength not to cower in the corner from the incoming pain he knew was coming from his mother. But it never came. Instead a soft caring voice spoke softly from the shadows reaching his ears with fear in his bones leaving coldness in Sirius’s blood.
“Sirius, it’s Reggie, I snuck some food in. Mother doesn't know I’m here, can I help? I heard everything, I had Kreacher get me some supplies from the healing kit, mother sent for the healer but made sure they didn’t come until she knew they would scar. Let me turn on the light.”
Before Sirius could stop him, light filled the room.
The two boys stared at each other. The younger stood in the doorway tall yet small and scared, worried for his brother willing to do whatever in his power he could to help, but helpless at the sight of the room. The elder was curled in a twisted position on the rug on the floor, bloodied, cut in seven different places with magical wounds that would never fully heal, and always scar, all he could feel was the pain, he was weak and scared, nothing like the strong and confident older brother he always was. He had no way to protect his brother. He couldn’t even move.
“Reggie, Get out, I cannot have you seeing this. I need to protect you”
“It's too late Sirius. Plus if I dont help you get clean and out of that pile of blood you're going to get an infection. And a magical infection at that. Do you know how hard those are to cure?”
Regulus had never seen his brother like this, Sirius was so small, in such need of comfort that he would never allow himself to be given. This was all Regulus’ fault. He knew Sirius was only punished because his mother found out about him staying in Sirius’s room overnight and she never punished him for anything.
“No, I won’t allow you to see me like this anymore than you have now GET OUT!” Sirius yelled, tears dripping down the sides of his face. He was crumbling apart from the outside in. Reggie was not allowed to see this.
“Okay, fine, I guess mother was right then.” Regulus screamed with pain edging his voice slamming the door closed.
Sirius watched the blood on his shirt disappear as his tears blurred his vision. He cried until he couldn’t breathe. He lost his brother, he should have let him protect him. IN the one moment Sirius was weak and Regulus was strong, he should have let his brother help. He knew Regulus didn’t mean it. He would never mean something like that. But this meant something. Their relationship would never be the same, it had shifted. Maybe, as he cried for the loss, maybe his mother was right. Maybe Regulus was right. And that was why the boy cried.
He wanted to be loved, and he knew he was as unlovable as the constellation he was named after. He was an impossible case. He was worthless, He would never be worthy of Regulus. He would never be worthy of love.
And so Sirius spent the next two days until the full moon on the floor in indescribable agony. The healer never came. His brother never came back. When his mother found out he had gotten the carpet stained with his blood, she had used her favourite curse again, and again. He never got a break. His cuts never did get to heal, he came so close to death. Eventually a week later they started to close up. It was only Kreacher, Sirius liked to think by Regulus’s direction, who came to take care of him on the floor. He helped him get cleaned up after his mother came back. Kreacher who had always hated him, was probably the only reason why Sirius lived. No one else cared enough about his life in the first place, it shouldn’t have surprised him.
When The Moon Rises
Innocent: Taylor Swift
21, February 1970
Remus was clawed awake from the pain that came from the day of the dreaded moon. Tonight he would change into the monster that shattered apart his little broken body every month. He would walk up the long stairs alone. He would enter the attic past the silver door alone. And be locked in the unholy space for the night alone with no comfort hearing his mothers cries outside the door before he changed and cowered in the corner abusing his own body in an attempt to attack his own kind like he read werewolves do until the full moon left the starlit sky.
He would awake bloodied and scarred mildly aware of his parents opening the door, their faces red from spending the entire night awake worried with constant flows of tears. Holding him as he curled up in their arms small and broken with scars that he would never be able to unsee. He would always awake to know he was a monster. That he was the reason there was a silver door with seven locks in their attic. He was the reason there was no one welcomed into the Lupin household for tea, or playtime to the point where the rest of the families have forgotten they had a small child. And He was the reason the neighborhood had a resident story of the haunted house on the edge of the street who never knew what fractured horrors happened to him every full moon.
The Noble House of Black
No Time To Die: Billie Elish
28, February 1970
Sirius’s scars were red and inflamed. Thanks to Kreacher he was alive, clean, and off the floor now. He had food two times a day because of the elf. He was as healthy as he could possibly be given the situation. Kreacher was kind, which scared him, but he didn’t have any energy to talk, or move. His mother had successfully broken his once confident soul. And he didn’t have the energy to get it back. He didn't have any energy at all. He hadn’t moved from his bed except to be fed the food Kreacher brought him by the elf himself. He was weak, and it was fully on purpose. Every time he made some form of improvement, some steps in recovery, his mother made sure he was humbled again. And without Regulus Sirius didn’t care enough to even try and fight anymore.
Kreacher was making sure Master Sirius got back on his feet if it was the last thing he did. Because Master Regulus demanded it with tears in his eyes and knees on the ground. Master Sirius would have died and still might if Kreacher stopped taking care of him, he didn’t care anymore and his mother was having too much fun toying with her son's lifeline.
This boy as much as Kreacher hated him, and it was mutual, was strong and he knew would one day escape the Noble House of Black which was something he hated about him and also loved. At this moment he was the latter. The boy was never meant to be a member of this family. He was stronger, braver. Nobler. He would surpass all members of this family if only Kreacher could give him his life back, if only Kreacher could bring the boy back to himself.
Something in the boy broke that first round of torture with his mother. And he hadn’t recovered. He didn’t think the boy would ever be the same. But if he could give the boy some hope, get him to say some hateful comment. To say something, anything in general. Kreacher had to save the boy, he realised not just for Master Regulus but for himself. To show himself that the two sons were two sides of the same coin and there is light and goodness in this cruel broken family.