ink - sirius black

psychotic blackmail and slow progress

"His brother dying isn't just one thing, Anneliese," Leo snapped, just now getting back from talking to Myra. "And telling him Regulus is dead over and over again while screaming doesn't help at all. You're the one starting the argument here."

Callaway stared at her brother in disbelief.

"We don't need any extra conflict right now, Leo," Remus snapped, looking warily between Anneliese and Sirius. "Don't start another argument by making one between you and A."

"You know what," Anneliese said as she grabbed Black's leather jacket off the hook by the front door, a sense of betrayal shooting through her. "I think I should just leave."

Leo and Remus both turned to her in alarm, but Sirius just looked even angrier.

"Yea, go run off to James," he said, and Callaway failed to hide her shock that he had so easily guessed where she was planning on going. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I saw you two earlier tonight. And what exactly did he want you in that room for?"

"You're lucky that I'm ignoring that you just said that because I know you're going through a lot right now," Anneliese said coldly. "Please get a grip on yourself by the time I get back."

"You're not going anywhere," Sirius snapped, grabbing her wrist tightly as one hand went onto the door. "It's not safe. Did you already forget how Regulus died? Alone. He died because he was alone. The same is not going to happen to you, not on my watch."

"Let go of me," Anneliese said, looking down at his hand as she ignored his words. "Now."

"Not if you're just going to run away the second I let go," Black shook his head firmly, heart skipping a beat as he thought of losing her. "You are staying here, Anneliese. It's safe here. Don't leave. You can't. You can't just leave when things are getting hard. My brother just.. I need you right now."

Callaway couldn't look at him, because if she did, she would stay and do what was best for him instead of what was best for her. She had to get out of here. Anneliese was scared one of them was going to hurt the other, badly.

It was for both of their safety.

But Sirius had other plans whether he meant to or not, plans that just proved her right.

A halfway twist of a knob. A hand yanked away, the other slammed down. A shout, a shaking crack, a jolt of terror in both of their stomachs. A frozen moment when Anneliese just stared at Sirius as he pinned her against the door by her wrist, a hand next to her head, while the other remained limp by her side.

Her breath was caught in her throat, her whole body frozen. Remus and Leo got to him before she could.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?" Lupin roared. "YOU PUT YOUR BLOODY HANDS ON HER? ARE YOU FUCKING MENTAL?"

Sirius didn't even get a chance to reply before a blow collided with his cheekbone from Leo. Anneliese ran forward, pulling her brother off Black and shoving him up against the wall instead with a remarkable amount of strength, sending Anderson stumbling off balance.

A painting crashed down as Leo's head and shoulder hit the wall forcefully enough to give him a concussion if it had been from a slightly different angle, the glass shattering all over the floor.

Callaway's hands shook with fear as a whimper of pain came from her throat, a sound far from the sweet melody Sirius was used to hearing. His stomach went cold. She clutched her wrist in pain, hands shaking as purple red marks started to form on her skin.

Black knew what he had done wouldn't go away so easily this time.

Anneliese grabbed a shard of glass off the floor.