He's left gasping and shaking when the curse finally lifts, and for a moment all he can focus on is breathing again. Is realizing that it's not hurting anymore. It keeps him distracted from the conversation Bellatrix and Regulus are having, until a sudden, cold silence falls over the room.
He can't help the way he glances up, suddenly terrified, though he isn't sure who for. He wishes he hadn't, because then Regulus and Bellatrix are standing side-by-side and Bella is telling him to hate and Sirius knows, knows that the hatred Regulus feels for him must be so much deeper than Bella's. That this is going to hurt and he is going to deserve every single goddamn moment for exactly the abandonment his cousin is speaking of.
It stops his heart. It honestly terrifies him. It's got him shutting his eyes in terror; in preparation for the wave of agony.
It doesn't come. It doesn't come, and Regulus is saying that he can't and fuck.
Sirius' eyes shoot open and he tries to marshal his shaking arms into getting him back up again. Hope hurts, but it's growing in his chest anyways because Regulus said he can't and Bellatrix is talking about toughening him up like he isn't already and fuck. Fuck. Now is not the time for the realization that's creeping into his mind.
"Reg--" His voice is already tinged with hoarseness when he speaks. He doesn't know what he wants to say; doesn't get it out anyways because Bellatrix is Silencing him as she rounds on Regulus.
"Regulus," she says, her voice sickly sweet and incredibly dangerous, "I think you're forgetting the goal here, sweet cousin. We're meant to remind this blood traitor that he's a place in our Lord's army. What would he say if he finds out that we didn't do everything we could to convince him of that?"
If Regulus didn't do everything he was meant to, specifically.
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He can't help the way he glances up, suddenly terrified, though he isn't sure who for. He wishes he hadn't, because then Regulus and Bellatrix are standing side-by-side and Bella is telling him to hate and Sirius knows, knows that the hatred Regulus feels for him must be so much deeper than Bella's. That this is going to hurt and he is going to deserve every single goddamn moment for exactly the abandonment his cousin is speaking of.
It stops his heart. It honestly terrifies him. It's got him shutting his eyes in terror; in preparation for the wave of agony.
It doesn't come. It doesn't come, and Regulus is saying that he can't and fuck.
Sirius' eyes shoot open and he tries to marshal his shaking arms into getting him back up again. Hope hurts, but it's growing in his chest anyways because Regulus said he can't and Bellatrix is talking about toughening him up like he isn't already and fuck. Fuck. Now is not the time for the realization that's creeping into his mind.
"Reg--" His voice is already tinged with hoarseness when he speaks. He doesn't know what he wants to say; doesn't get it out anyways because Bellatrix is Silencing him as she rounds on Regulus.
"Regulus," she says, her voice sickly sweet and incredibly dangerous, "I think you're forgetting the goal here, sweet cousin. We're meant to remind this blood traitor that he's a place in our Lord's army. What would he say if he finds out that we didn't do everything we could to convince him of that?"
If Regulus didn't do everything he was meant to, specifically.