The Black Brothers

#11

"Sirius! Wake up!" Zac yelled, shaking him for what felt like the hundredth time.

Each passing second that he didn't wake continued to worry him further. Sirius rarely fell asleep while he was high and that was what worried Zac so much. Sirius' eyes slowly pried open and the much scrawnier boy hugged him tightly almost immediately. He was shocked but hugged back nonetheless.

"Are you okay?"

"I thought you were dead!"

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"Like you're one to talk. You live, sleep and breathe drama."

"That is true but I didn't assume you were dead. But move, I am dying."

"Headache?"

Sirius nodded and Zac got up, holding a hand down to him. The boy that was meant to be at Quidditch practice took it gratefully and Zac led him out of the common room and to the hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to help your hang over."

"Where are the others?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions? Peter is with Remus to make sure he's alright because he fell asleep and you know how his nightmares get. James is at practice."

"I should be in my dorm and with James!"

"One thing at a time. We'll get you sorted first."

————

"Regulus, what do you have to say for yourself?" Walburga asked with a murderous glare, approaching his isolated seat.

He bit his tongue quite literally to hold back what he so badly wanted to shout. He took a deep breath through his nose and looked up at his mother. Parents are meant to protect you, not destroy you.

"I am deeply sorry and I beg for your forgiveness. Sirius manipulated me into saying those things."

Blaming his brother in this moment was the only way to survive. Sirius had people that would help protect him but Regulus had no one. Not a single person would help him anymore and he knew that.

"You have one more chance before you are thrown away like a useless House Elf. Are we understood?"

Regulus nodded, not daring to lift his gaze once. Kreature stood in the corner of the room, doing nothing but listening. He may have liked Regulus but he wasn't going to help him. Regulus' grip on the arms of the chair tightened and Walburga tilted his head up, holding his chin so tightly that the skin surrounding her hand turned a paler white. She dug her thumb nail into his chin and tutted at how easily it pierced. Regulus groaned in pain and ripped his head away.

"I'm going to be late for Quidditch practice. Enjoy your evening."

He got up quickly and ran through the wardrobe without hesitation. Regulus quickly toppled out of the other wardrobe, landing on his hands and knees. His chin was already bruised and dripped a small amount of blood onto the freezing tiled floor below him. Tears pattered onto the floor, mixing with the blood, and he choked on a sob as he tried to keep quiet.

"Regulus?"

The said boy snapped his head up to see the infamous James Potter in his Quidditch uniform, broom in hand.

————

"What in the actual fuck is this?" Sirius said in disgust, sat at a table in the kitchen of Hogwarts.

"Doesn't matter, drink it."

"It does matter, it smells disgusting."

"Just cover your nose," Zac said, pushing the drink closer.

Sirius groaned and did as instructed, downing the drink as quickly as he could.

"It's absolutely foul! What did you put in this?"

"Is your headache gone?"

"..Yes."

"Does it matter then? It helped."

Sirius shrugged and folded his arms over his chest. Zac smiled at him and turned to do his own thing again.

"Why are you good at potions?"

"My mum is a nurse, she taught me a few things," he spoke softly, trying to keep his mind off of his family.

"You don't tell us much about you. What is your family like? Your sister is in Slytherin, rught? What year is she in?"

"I.. can't talk about them right now. It still hurts a bit..."

Sirius nodded as he completely understood how he felt and stood up.

"Come on, I'm going to miss practice completely if we don't hurry."

"I thought you wanted to go to Remus first."

"He's probably pissed off at me still after yesterday."

"I'm sure he's more upset than angry. He's never angry with you."

"That is true.. I'll talk to him after practice."

They thanked the House Elves as they walked out of the kitchens and talked about how everything was going for them as they weren't exactly the closest in the group.

————

"Go away!" Regulus yelled, tears still dribbling down his cheeks as he managed to stand without stumbling.

"What happened to your face?"

"Your mum sat on it too hard!"

Way to go, Reg. So smooth, Regulus thought to himself as he ran off and James stayed in his first position in shock.

"Did that little shit just imply he had sex with my mother? I am so owling her about this."

Certain jokes never seemed to process in James' head, even though he was the King of Comedy supposedly - he named himself this. He started walking towards the owlery, absolutely shocked at this piece of information. Regulus, a third year, just had sex with his mum somehow. James thought he was genuinely going to be sick at the thought until Sirius and Zac came into his eye line.

"Guys! Regulus just said the rudest thing to me!"

"What did he say?" Sirius said, haw clenching as he was already in a mood with him.

"He said that my mum sat on his face! I can't believe my mum would sleep with him! I need to tell my dad!"

Sirius snorted but tried his best to keep a straight face, failing miserably.

"It's not fucking funny!"

"James, it was a joke," Zac said, giggling to himself.

"Who jokes about that? This is serious!"

"No, I'm Sirius."

"I hate you! You're not helping my parents situation!"

Sirius eventually got over the laughing fit that soon followed and spent the next hour explaining "your mum" jokes with Zac. They managed to dumb it down enough for him but he still didn't understand why people used people's parents as a joke.