Consumption

Ever since Sirius fell into the custody of Severus Snape at Denoaks State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the press has gone crazy. Constant emails asking for interviews with Sirius, people knocking on his door begging to be given an exclusive story; and how could he resist? Which is why, the one and only, Rita Skeeter, sat across from him in his lair of an office, quickly setting her recording device on the desk and allowing it to roll.

“Sirius Black continues to insist that he’s innocent,” Rita starts out, her obnoxiously flamboyant pen being gripped in her fist. “It seems as though he fully believes that the renowned serial killer, The Artist, is behind his arrest…What do you think about this?”

Severus leaned back in his chair, an aura of nonchalance radiating off of him. His elbows rested comfortably on the arms of his chair as he stared intently at the woman before him. His voice was low as he spoke, “In my experience, it’s the people who claim to be innocent who are most deserving of incarceration.”

Rita nodded, her blonde curls cradling her face and lightly bouncing at the movement. Snape had to avoid a grimace at her attire, the green and gold patterned dress accompanied by jangling gold accessories and a fur jacket was a little much for the man's taste; she stood out like a sore thumb against his darker office. And yet, he accepted her interview due to her status. Although she was frequently at the forefront of backlash due to her tendency to extend the truth, she brought in the views. People were interested to see what she had to say, even if it was an exaggeration.

Severus would be a fool if he didn’t let the incarceration of Sirius Black help his social status. This thought alone allowed his mouth to continue to move, “Mr. Black has a very traumatized mind. He claims to have an empathy disorder yet he has no official tests to back it up.”

“Have you run any tests?” Severus stared at the woman and her frilly pen with distaste before he spoke.

“He has refused everything.” Snape's voice was dripping with spite. He was slightly ashamed to admit that he had yet to have a proper look into the mind of Sirius Black. The man was very guarded, and for quite a bit, he refused to even speak a word to the doctor. “But we have started to get somewhere.”

“Is he still in contact with his previous therapist, Remus Lupin?”

“No.” Severus had been hesitant to let Doctor Lupin visit Sirius in the first place, but the man insisted that he had a right to visit his patient. He had yet to see the doctor since that single visit, and he would be lying if he said that made him upset. It was always tricky dealing with the people trying to steal his limelight. The more people that had inside information on Sirius Black, meant the less his name made it into the papers. “He had visited once in the beginning of Sirius’ time here, but he has yet to return.”

Rita’s head tilted slightly to the side as she stared at the pale man, her unwavering gaze setting Severus on the edge of his seat. “Has he shared any insight?”

“Doctor Lupin has refused to be of any help towards the treatment of Mr. Black.” After Remus’ brisk visit with Sirius, he had promptly walked out of the hospital, saying his polite goodbyes and not attempting to engage in any more conversation. Neither him, nor the FBI had been any help in cracking the hard shell of Sirius Black.

“Sirius has had no prior run-ins with the police, he has a clean record. He even was in the police force at one point in his life.” Rita’s hand was furiously writing things down in her notebook as she spoke, her eyes not even on the page as she kept her head facing the doctor. “Do you truly believe he is capable of these gruesome acts?”

Severus paused. He had seen the lives of a variety of murderers, being able to look in the heads of the most insane. Sirius had that detached look in his eyes, like he wasn’t truly present, like he wasn’t even aware that what he did was wrong. A chill went down the doctor’s spine every time he was in the same room as the prisoner.

“He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.”

The metal was cool against his skin as he leaned against the bars of the cell. Despite his current living situations, this was the clearest Sirius’ mind has felt in a long time. The scales had fallen off his eyes and he could finally see. He could finally feel. And he could finally understand.

A slight bubble of anger sat like a paperweight in his stomach. It lurked with revenge, urging him to do something about this influx of feelings and emotions. Since his time in DSHCI, Remus Lupin had started to take up most of his thoughts. In the beginning, Sirius attempted to push him as far to the back of his mind as he could, but as the weeks passed, he crept closer and closer to the front.

It’s a terrifying feeling, having his emotions controlled by one man alone, someone who he hasn’t even seen in weeks. Yet it also leaves a sense of liberation to circulate around his mind. Remus Lupin let him see him, or well, start to see him. How many people had he given that privilege to?

Very few if Sirius had to guess.

Remus, this mass murderer, this cannibal that people fear, is under Sirius’ thumb. He could destroy Remus, he could give the FBI a tip of what truly goes on behind the closed doors of the doctor's kitchen, advise them to test the meat that plenty of them have feasted on…But what’s the fun in that? Remus had his fun, now Sirius can have his.

The switch of his mindset didn’t go unnoticed to Sirius. He felt the darkness clawing up his throat and shouting to be let out of its bounds, and Sirius allowed it. He picked up the key and unleashed it, letting it corrupt his very being.

His previously nonexistent morals have been emphasized, shining through and leaving a murkiness in his eyes. He regained his sense of control, no longer subject to the whims of Remus Lupin.