fatal love

chapter 179

"I'm sorry, Mother, I'll do better, I promise, please."

"Not good enough," she sneered. "You need to pay for the shame you brought to this family." She waved her wand once more, and Sirius' limbs were pulled away from him until he was lying spread-eagled on the floor, face down, unable to move. "Lacero!" Mother spit, and Sirius felt a phantom blade pushing into his back.

It moved slowly, drawing out the pain, and Sirius screamed and wailed and screamed even more, but Mother didn't stop. His shirt was soaking red, he couldn't run away and more and more of his skin was being torn open. He felt the cut continue down his back, carefully and with precision.

"Please! Please! Stop! I'm sorry, Mummy, I'm so sorry!" His words were garbled and screamed and he didn't even know what he was saying, but all he could do was beg and cry. Finally, Mother lowered her wand and the invisible shackles released him, leaving behind a long, thin line all the way down his spine. He gasped in relief, but he couldn't do more than curl into himself on the cold wooden floor and weep.

Mother sighed. "Do not cry, Sirius. You are still a Black, you must not show weakness. Take your punishment like a man."

"STOP FUCKING DOING THAT!" he roared at his mother, full of reckless teenage anger and the sting of familial betrayal. "DON'T EVER FUCKING DO THAT!"

His mother just rolled her eyes, like he was throwing a temper tantrum over nothing. "You were causing a scene, Sirius," she said in a bored tone. "Honestly, you bring this on yourself. I take no pleasure in it, but you have to learn how to behave like a respectable Heir somehow."

Sirius was so angry, he made the mirror in the hallway crack, and then shatter, without even meaning to.

His mother looked at him with derision. "You must learn to control yourself, showing these emotions - it's so embarrassing."

Sirius was fuming, and he wanted to scream at his mother for hours. But he could also tell he was going to start to cry in the next two minutes, and there was no way that he could let her see that. So, with what little composure he still had, he glared at her one final time before turning around and stalking up to his room.

No sooner than when the door had shut behind him did tears begin to stream freely from his face. He couldn't do it. He couldn't he couldn't he couldn't. He wanted to be with Andy, he wanted Dumbledore to have helped him, he wanted his mother to love him, he wanted to make her proud, he wanted to be a good Heir.

"CRUCIO! "

A bolt of red light shot from his mother's wand, hitting him in the chest. Sirius fell to the floor instantly. It felt like every single nerve in his body was on fire. The Stinging Hexes, the Laceros, he'd never felt pain like this. He was screaming, blood-curdling screams that he could barely hear because all of his senses were dead, all he could register was pain, pain, pain.

Finally, after what felt like hours, it stopped. Sirius could feel tear tracks on his face, though he hadn't known he'd been crying. He slumped on the floor, next to the dining table; he didn't think he could stand up if he tried. His body felt like it had been liquified.

Regulus peered down to look at him. His eyes were wide and red, his face pale, and he was shaking. He made no move to help him.

"You will not insult the House of Black again," Walburga whispered.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about?" Snape gloated. "What, don't feel like the mighty Heir anymore? Look at that - the Heir is just some weak, attention-seeking little boy who can't even stop his own parents torturing him. Honestly, if I didn't hate you so much, I would pity you."