Poly-Marauders Torture Hell

[rab]

TIMELINE: 2 mo after Find Out Pregs. Relatively soon after getting Remus to return from being a TRASH HUSBAND. Bun In Oven about 3mo along.

Regulus finds out about the plan before he knows he's even supposed to be involved. He finds out when he overhears Bellatrix talking about it and his blood runs cold. He slips away quiet and hidden to send off a panicked owl with what information he can give without being incriminated.

S.

Do not go home tonight. B going there. Will be V. BAD. Safe elsewhere.

R.

Each emphasized word is underlined twice.

He barely gets it sent off and goes back among the others when Bellatrix slings an arm around his shoulder and asks him if he's excited to go on the mission. He forces a smile at her, but he feels like he's going to vomit. It's easy to get there though, easy to get to the flat with Bellatrix's...methods. They're left waiting for Sirius to return home and Regulus is only barely not shaking. Bellatrix is draped over an armchair like this is a social call, leg hanging over the arm of it. Regulus is standing nervously behind it and looking at the door every so often.

"You know he's not going to change his mind," said soft. They're not wearing their masks tonight.

There's a silence before Bellatrix's voice slithers out from her perch where he can't see her. Her knife smile is in his mind. "That's not the point, darling cousin."

(Regulus isn't religious, obviously, but what he does now is something very like praying.)

WARNINGS: torture, violence, Mean Things Being Said, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Comments

[rab]

Regulus hadn't accounted for Remus yelling, he realizes, but even now he can't bring himself to silence him. He clutches Remus' face in both hands instead, looking at him. "You can help," he says, softly, trying to break through his panic. "I need you to be able to tell Dumbledore. No one else can do it, and if you go with me you won't be able to. Please, that's all I can ask of you."

And another kiss, light, before he whispers against his mouth. "Don't think it's you. I was going to do this anyway. I need you to let me go. I do love you, I do."

He has to hurry now, glancing over his shoulder as he goes and shutting the door behind him. He has to go say goodbye to Sirius, too. He hopes he's already awake so he doesn't have to wake him. He doesn't have much time. He pauses outside the door though, wiping his face and schooling his expression calm with a faint smile. Compartmentalizing.

Then he steps inside the room to speak to his brother.

[siriusno]

His sobs are barely differentiable from his incoherent cries now, and he throws himself forward with such force once Regulus pulls away that the heavy base of the chair tips forward dangerously. But no matter how hard he tugs and pulls and strains against the invisible force (will he have scars marring his skin from this night too?), the spell holds firm.

Remus' screams follow Regulus down the hallway, a steady litany of No! and Please! and REGULUS! that carries nearly all the way to Sirius' room.

[effingsirius]

He's unconscious, still, when Regulus comes to his room. It hasn't been so long, after all-- for all that it must have felt like a lifetime to both Regulus and Remus. He's resting more or less peacefully.

At least, he is until the door opens and the faint sound of yelling gets him stirring slightly. He's remains asleep, but it might be easier to wake him, now that there's been noise to stimulate his senses.

[rab]

Regulus should have expected this. All of it. He considers casting a belated silencing spell on the door at least but it's too late anyway, so instead he just hurries up his timeline, each cry making him feel like he's being stabbed in the heart repeatedly.

And of course Sirius is still asleep; he steps close to the bed and places a gentle hand on top of his brother's, glancing to the door furtively just in case. "Wake up, gēge. I need to go, but I want to talk to you first."

He hopes he doesn't have to do much more to wake him.

[effingsirius]

He wakes up slowly; blearily, blinking up at his brother with obvious confusion.

"Dìdì?" comes the mumbled, sleepy response, "'s the matter?"

[rab]

Regulus shakes his head a little, still wearing that mild smile. It hurts his face. "Nothing's wrong, gēge. I talked to Remus a bit, we've kissed and made up, emotionally speaking. It was all just a misunderstanding. He'll probably be in here later to talk to you, but I think he's tired. We all are. I've got some things I need to do, but I wanted to come here and say bye first."

It isn't lying. Technically.

[effingsirius]

"'s good," he slurs out in response to the knowledge that he and Remus have made up. He would have hated it, if they stayed at odds because of him, "'nd thanks for swinging by first. Make sure y'get yourself some rest after y'do what you have to, 'kay?"

Because of course, even from his hospital bed, he's going to fuss.

[rab]

Regulus' smile falters but only for a split-second. Then he's nodding, leaning down to kiss the top of Sirius' head affectionately. "I'll get plenty of rest, I promise. You get rest too, okay? You need to focus on getting better."

He needs to go. He needs to hurry. He doesn't want to but he squeezes Sirius' hand again, one last time, before taking a step back. "I'll go and let you rest now, okay? I love you, Sirius."

It's soft but readily audible for his brother to hear. Once he finishes with his goodbye he leaves the room and looks around once he shuts the door. There are a couple Healers rushing to the door he'd closed on Remus.

"Fuck."

It's not graceful but he takes off, tearing down the corridor with his cloak fluttering behind him. It's late enough not many people are around so it's easy, but he makes sure he's out of sight and gone before they can get Remus free.

[effingsirius]

He moves so quickly it's confusing. Makes Sirius wonder if maybe he's fallen asleep in between sentences. He hopes not. He doesn't want to miss a moment of having his brother really back.

Which is why he can't help the slight frown when Regulus backs away, "'ll right. Come back soon, okay? I love you, too."

And then his brother is gone, and Sirius is still trying to process the speediness of it all.