regulus arcturus black. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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marauderstower2016-10-15 12:31 pm
rab) wrote in marauderstower2016-10-15 12:31 pm
Poly-Marauders Torture Hell
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.
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.
no subject
He winces visibly with each crack, breath coming in quiet and shaky gasps but Bellatrix is too preoccupied with what she's doing, with Sirius' screams. Thankfully he's able to get some semblance of normalcy to his expression before Bellatrix looks to him - he'd winced when the burning started but keeps as impassive as possible. He nods, but when he speaks it's a lazy drawl and there's no tremor to it. He's coming into his own, with this. "Of course, Trixie." The nickname flows like honey from his mouth, affectionate and dear - "he's called both of us but it won't take me but a moment to Obliviate Sirius - you know everyone comes in over the course of a few minutes, so I'll be able to. We all know you always go to his side first, but I won't take long at all. If you'd like, you can put in a good word for me and tell him I'm putting the final nail in the coffin to set up my in as a spy and that I'll be there promptly after. It should please him well enough. This won't be a struggle."
She seems to be considering it but the pull for her to go is too strong and she finally nods, looking him over. "You'll be such a good spy, darling. I'll let him know of your progress. Don't take too long."
(And then she's flouncing out to leave, nudging Sirius with a boot like he's so much trash before she does. There's a crack of Disapparation and she's gone.)
Regulus lets out a choked sob as soon as they're alone, the noise of it caught in his throat. He moves to Sirius' side quickly but doesn't touch him, just drops to his knees there on the floor. "I'm sorry," he whispers, "I'm so sorry I couldn't get her to stop. I know I'm a coward, but I--she would have killed you. I'm not going to Obliviate you, I just--" A shaking breath and he wipes his eyes with his fingers. "I know you probably hate me now but I tried to warn you, I swear, I told the owl to find Lupin if it couldn't find you. I don't have long, I have to go, but--" Another breath and he pulls out his wand, leaning close but still not touching him, murmuring softly under his breath. Inaudibly. It won't be a familiar spell but it will help, a coil of warmth around him and a numbing of the pain and gentle comfort. He can't fix his bones but he can make him hurt less in the meantime, at least. It's a strong spell but it's still going to hurt. Quite a lot. It will just be easier to breathe now, easier to relax and not disappear into it.
It's all Regulus can do.
He still doesn't touch Sirius for a long moment before one hand smooths over his hair, barely-there and gentle as he kisses his forehead. "I'm sorry," he murmurs again, "I love you, even if you hate me more after this. I have to go."
He gets up to leave but seems to realize something at the last second - he casts Obliviate at a potted plant (which breaks, but obviously can't forget anything) just in case he gets asked or checked. The man he's going to is paranoid, after all. Then he clears his mind and puts all the locks on it at once, breathing slow and even before he runs out the door to Disapparate.
--
When he arrives his expression is schooled into a lazy sort of smirk and Bellatrix is just reaching the end of her tale of how even she was convinced of Regulus' fear and determination to help Sirius, and just how good of a spy her little cousin will be. Regulus knows that won't be good enough.
"Is this true, Black?"
Regulus nods, bowing his head with proper respect. "I've Obliviated him, my Lord. Immediately after that, I cried and told him how sorry I was and that I had to go but that I'd wanted to help him. He believes me. My path is paved well."
(There are crawling fingers in his mind, digging, prying, but they find nothing.)
He nods, satisfied. "You've done well since coming up with the idea. I will require one more thing from you to prove your loyalty before I let you go to do this bidding, though. I require an Elf for something I am testing, I trust you will not mind if I take your household's?"
Regulus goes cold and he feels guilt picking at his psyche but he nods, eyebrows raising as he smiles. "Of course, my Lord. I would be honored."
"Good boy."
--
As soon as he gets home, Regulus goes to the bathroom and vomits. Then he sits there, breathing slow, and is glad his parents aren't home. Finally, finally, he goes to Kreacher and explains that he'll be helping the Dark Lord, but that no matter what, he is to come home afterward so that Regulus can take care of him.
He apologizes over and over but Kreacher doesn't understand why because he's just meant to follow orders.
Regulus doesn't know what the job is, but he thinks it must have something to do with what's been on his mind for months now.
It's almost morning by the time Kreacher finally returns, and he's different. Broken, somehow. Regulus does the best by him as he can, and eventually, when the sun is fully up, Kreacher can tell him what's gone on.
He decides, then and there, that he's going to go steal it.
no subject
But then all that comes is a nudge of Bellatrix's foot against him, which still hurts because it's well-placed against his injured ribs, but that's all. There's the sound of Disapparition that echoes through the room, and then Regulus is at his side.
It hurts too much to think, let alone speak, so most of his energy is focused on listening to his brother, much though he wants to respond. There's an instinctive flinch and a soft accompanying groan that escapes his lips when Regulus leans in with his wand, but then the pain is ebbing just slightly. The relief of it earns a choked sob, and then actual tears when Regulus leans in to press a kiss to his hair.
It clears his mind enough that he manages, or at least tries, to murmur a quiet, "Reg--" but his brother's attention is elsewhere, now, and then he's gone. Sirius whimpers a quiet, "I love you, too," to the empty flat, tears streaming down his face.
He's crying even as he shifts as carefully as he can so he feels more supported by the spell taking the edge off the pain. He can't help it, between the physical pain and the emotional agony he's feeling ripped to shreds over. Crying hurts, so he tries to hold it in as best he can, but he's not entirely successful.
Regulus said that Remus might be getting the owl. He hopes that his partner does, and that he comes soon, because much though he wants to he can't get himself to move towards the fireplace to call for anyone else. He's no idea where his wand is at this point, either. All there is to do now is wait, and try to breathe through the hurt, and hope that Regulus' charm lasts until then.
When Remus does come, at least there won't be a Dark Mark waiting for him. It won't be much of an assurance, for all that the flat will look mostly intact. There's still the fact the lights are on in one of the rooms. There's still the broken potted plant, dirt spilling everywhere and the plant on its side, at the entrance of said room. There's still Sirius' wand, abandoned on the floor not far beyond the plant
And then, once Remus enters the room, there's still Sirius himself, his body crumpled and broken on the far side of the room.
no subject
He Apparates back to the flat immediately, much to the hungry owl's dismay.
There's no Dark Mark over their home, which isn't as comforting as he'd like it to be, and it only gets worse from there. The front door is locked as it should be, the flat is still and quiet... nothing seems out of place, except that the lights in the entryway are on, and they're never on when no one's home.
He sneaks through the flat, wand in hand, and the next clue that something has gone wrong is the broken potted plant he sees in the doorway as he turns the corner. As he gets closer, he sees Sirius' wand on the floor, and he's already expecting the worst.
The wards haven't picked up the presence of anyone who isn't supposed to be there, but he's cautious anyway, up until he can see Sirius' body on the ground, limbs twisted unnaturally, and no apparent threats still in the room.
"No! No no no no please--" He rushes to him immediately, certain that he's too late, that Sirius is already gone-- but no, he's breathing, he's alive, he's even conscious, and Remus lets out a sob of broken relief, falling to his knees beside him. He draws back his focus, tapping his wand to Sirius' broken arm. "Ferula." He repeats the process with the legs. It's a temporary fix until they can get a proper Healer to him, but it should keep him from making the breaks any worse, as well as help with the pain a little. He adds a few localized numbing spells, then sends off three Patronuses with messages to Dumbledore, James, and whichever Order-aligned Healer it can find first. Then he takes Sirius' unsplintered hand in his, stroking his thumb over the back of it soothingly. "Padfoot-- Padfoot, it's alright, I've got you."
no subject
"--Sorry," he gasps out immediately afterwards, knowing that the flinching away is only going to make Remus hurt even more, "Merlin, Moony--"
He's so glad to see him. He's overwhelmed. He was crying already but the tears begin anew, now, especially as Remus goes to work on his injuries. It makes his breath come out sharp and shaky, and he has to fight the pain to add, "Ribs, too," because that's hardly going to be obvious, and his broken limbs are obviously more distracting.
Once all the spells are cast and the pain feels a little more distant, he's going to squeeze at Remus' hand just to assure himself he's real. He's still hurting and traumatized enough that his eyes are bright with pain and a little unfocused. When he speaks, it's a babbling, incoherent mess still.
"--I love you, oh Merlin, I love you, he said you'd be here and you are and it hurts, but he did the best he could. He did, Moony, fuck, he's being so stupid but I'm so proud of him. She wanted to kill me, I could see it in her eyes but he stopped her, he's so fucking smart, Remus--"
His pulse is fluttering like a hummingbird's and his words fly just as quickly from his lips, and he's still crying. He doesn't know if he remembers how to stop. But Remus is here and that means help is on the way, so he thinks that maybe he's allowed to crack a little bit. He certainly doesn't know if he can stop himself, either way.
no subject
He numbs his rib cage too at the mention, though the spell needs to be a bit milder to keep the organs working properly.
It hurts to see Sirius cry like this, like he hasn't since perhaps their second year of school. He can't help but keep his wand in hand, though, as much as he wants to stroke Sirius' hair, to offer as much comfort as possible. Whoever attacked could likely return, after all. He tries to make sense of Sirius' babbling, and it takes him a minute, because honestly, it's been a while since he's had cause to think of Sirius' brother, but he remembers the note and things start adding up.
"Are you-- talking about your brother? Regulus was here? And--" Her-- B-- He let out a rather choice expletive. "Thank Merlin you got out of that alive. I love you too, Padfoot, so much." He'd tell Sirius about the note later, when he was a little more coherent. Right now, keeping him talking was more about distraction, keeping him from going into shock.
no subject
"Reg, a-and B-Bella, and they wouldn't've killed me at first, Moony. He wants me on their side." And there's only one he he can be referring to, with such venom in his voice, "But Reg doesn't hate me; he couldn't do Crucio me even though I was trying to make him because she was going to kill him if he didn't and she tried to make me hurt him when she realized--"
There's a crack right through his voice as he says that, words briefly devolving into a sob because there's still almost nothing in the world he hates more than the thought of harming his brother, and that's even more true now, after tonight.
"--But I didn't. I couldn't. I fought her, Remus, I didn't know if I'd be able to but I did and she was furious. Thought for sure I'd get hit with all three Unforgivables in one night." A rough, terrified laugh, one that makes his breath come in sharp because of the way it shakes his ribs, "But he managed to convince her otherwise and now he's off doing Merlin knows what--"
And he's terrified for his brother, and in pain, and feeling guilty and relieved all at once. His shoulders shake with the force of his sob this time, earning another sharp inhale in pain.