Chapter 14
"Mr Black!" Their defence against the dark arts professor, whom Sirius never remembered the name of, woke him up from where he was dozing against his parchment.
"Sorry Professor, can you repeat the question?" Sirius gave him a grin.
"I asked you to name me the unforgivable curses."
Sirius stomach felt like it was about to come out of his mouth. "The cruciartus curse, the imperious curse and the killing curse, would you like a demonstration?" He said before thinking about it.
"Detention Mr Black."
Red light echoed in his mind, his mothers shouts, his father's unnervingly calm tone. 'Crucio!' 'you're a stain on this family Sirius' 'be quiet, or do you want your brother having the same fate?' Sirius' breathing quickened, panic surged his mind. Regulus, he needed to make sure Regulus was safe. He stood up.
"Sirius?" He could barely hear James' voice before he was abandoning his stuff and running from the room. He could hear someone following him, which just made him move faster.
"Sirius stop!"
His pursuer caught up with him, spinning him around, grabbing his forearms. "Sirius what's wrong?" It was Evan, he would know, he would know where Regulus was.
"Reg, they're going to hurt him, they're going to-" Sirius said between pants. "We have to find him."
"He's safe. Look at me, he's safe. You got him out Sirius." Evan was cupping his face now. "You're safe."
That was too much, and finally, the walls crumbled and he started to sob. Evan just pulled him into a hug. "you're okay."
"I can't do this anymore."
"Come on." Evan offered him his hand and he took it, following him to the safety of Barty and Regulus' dormitory. "It's okay."
Sirius was trying to control his cries, to be quiet. But sat on Barty's bed, Evan pulling him into a hug, he couldn't keep it in anymore.
Evan just let him cry, holding him like he was the most precious thing, stroking his hair and occasionally telling him he was safe.
"What happened?" Barty and Regulus raced into the room, both pausing when they saw the two curled up together. It had been maybe an hour, the school day had ended and they had already heard that Sirius ran from the class.
"We were covering the unforgivable curses." Evan replied gently. "He panicked." He didn't say more, there was no need, Regulus understood.
"Reg?" Sirius murmured. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Regulus sighed. "I'm fine."
"I thought she was going to..." Sirius shook his head.
"It's okay, we're all okay." Regulus told him.
"And we're here too!"
"Barty, you're not helping."
"Sirius, my sweet." Barty sat down beside him, dramatically wrapping his arms around him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine I just... The first time mother and father used the cruciartus curse on me, they asked the same question. Name the curses. Then they demonstrated each and every one." Sirius replied.
"Who did they kill?" Barty asked from where his head was resting on Sirius' shoulder.
"Our house elf's mother." Sirius replied.
"They started when you were eight?" Regulus asked. "You said they didn't start until you went to Hogwarts." He looked like a little kid, wide eyed, tears threatening to spill. Sirius wrenched himself out of Barty and Evans grasp to hug his brother.
"I'm sorry." Was all he said. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to protect you, I was trying to protect you. The longer you went without knowing, the longer you had before they did the same to you."
"You don't have to protect me, not if it means you die!" Regulus was crying into his brother's shoulder.
"I'd give my life for you. You're all I have Reg." Sirius replied. "It's my job to protect you."
"You can't die, you can't do that to me." Regulus replied.
"I'm here, I'm right here." Sirius promised.