“Just keep the house safe.” Arcturus sighed.
He didn’t want to stay at Grimmauld place while his friends and the order went to the ministry, but he couldn’t really argue with Sirius Black. As much as he and his uncle didn’t really like each other much he still couldn’t deny listening to him. It was boring with nothing to do, but he had to keep on high alert.
To bide his time he decided to clean up, the least he could do to help Sirius. Kreacher watched him from afar silently, he could feel his gaze and occasionally saw him in the corner of his eyes. Passing by the covered up portrait of his grandmother who always kept whispering under her breath, he considered uncovering it but the last thing he wanted to hear was how disgusting his mother was for being a halfblood. He was carrying a trash bag around the large and empty house. It was about the third one he had opened. Seeing Kreacher duck behind a corner he shook his head and lugged the almost full bag back down the stairs.
“Filthy mudblood, poisoning my grandson.” He heard Walburga loud and clear.
Looking up he noticed that the portrait was half uncovered. Something dropped in his chest seeing the regal woman. She wore a large intricately designed green dress, her black hair was pinned up to show the family's status as the elite. She was staring at him.
“Poor boy has to do the chores servants should be doing.”
“I’m doing this of my own accord.” He sighed and spoke back to the painting.
“Disgusting.”
Arcturus had decided it was best to ignore and avoid Walburga as much as he could. Which meant he was stuck in the kitchen with the three trash bags he was going to take out later. Pulling out a wizard chess set he glanced at the doorway.
“Do you want to play with me?”
“Kreacher wishes only to watch.” The elf muttered.
“Creepy, but okay.” Arcturus shrugged and laid out the chess board.
After a single game against himself Arcturus groaned and slumped over on the table. He really really wanted the others to come back so he wouldn’t be bored and alone with nothing to do. It was absolute bullshit that watching the house was the most important job. The chair scraped against the floor as he pushed away from the table and traipsed upstairs. He would just go to his room and read while waiting it out because there was a book Neville bought that was calling his name. He stopped at the landing on the third floor, there was a room that’s door always remained shut. His mother had told him never to go poking around in there. Like he was drawn to the door he found himself turning the doorknob and pushing it open. Dust illuminated by the sun streaming through the specky curtains.
The room smelled stale and the room was as if it lacked oxygen. The dust that caked the room was gray and when he swiped a finger over the dresser against the wall he grimaced at the amount of residue it left behind. He looked back to the door, swiping his sleeve over the plaque that hung on the door. Initials were in black bold letters. Just initials.
Deciding to rifle through the room more he dug through the drawers. They were still filled with someone’s clothes, just also covered in dust. He dug through the clothes for something hidden within them. He found nothing and wasn’t disappointed. Sitting on the bed as clouds puffed into the air he waved it away and coughed. A moving picture caught his eye and he turned to the nightstand. Nothing in the room looked like it had moved, as if it was a living museum for someone who may have disappeared. Wiping away at the glass he still couldn't quite see what was in the frame.
“What are you doing here?” Kreacher asked. Suddenly the elf sounded angry, like he had been the entire time the order was here.
“I wanted to see if there was trash to throw out in this room.”
“Nothing is trash! None of this is trash!” Kreacher screamed.
Arcturus suddenly got pulled out of the room and the door slammed behind him. His body was being propelled toward the stairs and he struggled to get out of the control that Kreacher had on him.
“Alright! I’m sorry! I was curious!” His cry fell on deaf ears and he found himself at the bottom of the stairs. Leaning against the wall.
“Maybe this isn’t the most boring job…” Arcturus muttered.
There was a loud crack in the air and the boy could smell death that followed. It smelled fresh, like spilled blood. Arcturus pulled himself off of the landing on the second floor. The boards creaked somewhere on the first floor and he froze like a deer in headlights. Listening and waiting. The smell of death was brought here by someone. Then he heard another creak. His wand was in the kitchen, there was no doubt the intruder had already seen it. Looking up at Kreacher the house elf wasn’t on the third floor anymore. Carefully tiptoeing down the stairs he poked his head around the corner.
In the hall stood a tall man with dark, gangly hair and a large dark coat. He left behind footsteps covered in dirt from where he had first apparated into the house. Thick mud caked the dark boots and he swore there was some blood on him as well. The best he could do at the moment was stay out of sight because there was no telling what a kind of wizard like him would do. He pressed his back flat against the wall and breathed slowly, minimizing the sound as best he could. All he had to do was make the intruder think no one was home.
“You hide like a coward!” Walburga hissed at him, he was staring right at the portrait. He could hear the floorboards creaked and he cursed her under his breath.
Arcturus was quick to dart into the other doorway, just barely missing a spell that was fired at him. There was a mark on the wall just above where his shoulder was. Now in the living room he ducked behind furniture as the man stormed into the room and started to blast at the furniture. Arcturus crawled along the floor, hiding under the sofa as soon as he heard the spells crackling from his wand.
This was what Sirius meant when he said to stay home.
The dark haired boy had tried to leave the living room but was ultimately caught by the dark wizard. His body was as stiff as a board and he stood in place. The footsteps got louder and he swore he could smell the man's foul breath before he could finally get a good look at him. He was going to ingrain his appearance into his memory. The man was dirty, he sported a beard that was littered with garbage. His eyes were dark and blood thirsty. Arcturus was frozen, he couldn’t break free. Suddenly his body was pulled into the kitchen and the doorway was boarded up with the dining room table and chairs. The chess set had long since been discarded, smashed on the floor along with his wand just lying there.
“Now, I didn’t think anyone would procreate with that foul mutt.” He chuckled, the tip of his wand dragging across Arcturus’ jaw. “Sirius Black has a son, this makes it all the easier.”
Arcturus felt the hold on his body disappear and he almost collapsed onto the floor. The man stepped away, staring Arcturus down. Nodding at his wand his lips pulled up in this twisted smile.
“Take it. Let’s see if you’re just like him.” He snickered.
Arcturus scrambled to pick up his wand, immediately throwing a random spell at the dark wizard to buy him some time. The last thing he expected was for someone to actually break into the house. With the kitchen boarded up he had nowhere to go, no other choice than to duel a wizard who just as well may be far more powerful than him.
“Okay, that’s how you’re playing it.” The man shot a spell that looked like red thorns, Arcturus held his arms in front of his face. Cuts peppering his skin. “I can play dirty too.”
“What do you want with me?” He asked. “What do I have to do with any of this?”
“The mighty guardian of the house of black is just a boy! They mock me with the likes of you!” The man yelled. A green blade sliced through the air knocking Arcturus back.
“Who are you?!” Arcturus shouted.
“Don’t you recognize your dear cousin-in-law?” He made a curling motion and Arcturus’ legs bound together. “Does Rodolphus LeStrange ring a bell?”
“No.”
“Liar! You know who I am!” Arcturus felt hot searing pain rush through his body, it grew within him like the roots of a plant.
“I don’t!” Arcturus’ hands shook, he’d let go of his wand and doubled over. Trying to resist the pain that spread throughout him.
“Fight me!” Rodolphus roared. The pain in Arcturus had gotten worse and he cried out, eyes scrunched up as tight as his fists. “Pick up your wand.”
Arcturus felt himself leaning down, his hand grasping his wand even though the pain felt as if it were ripping his muscles. Standing up straighter the pain suddenly went away. He could no longer feel Rodolphus controlling him for now.
“Sectumsempra!” It was the only offensive spell he remembered, Harry had taught it to him at school. Ducking under a fired spell Arcturus quickly realized there was no cover for him.
“You’re nothing but a baby!”
“Why are you doing this?!”
“The locket. I want the locket!”
“What locket?!”
Arcturus screamed, falling to his knees as his body burned and ached. Rodolphus was forcing him to the floor. He kept a tight hold on his wand and stupidly tried to resist being controlled, resist whatever was happening. If Sirius left him here then that meant he was at least strong enough, right? For a second Arcturus felt as if someone else was in the room with him. As ringing filled his ears he could hear a voice calling to him.
“Arcturus…”
It sounded so familiar yet so estranged. He had never heard that voice before in his life. It cut through the deafening ringing. He grit his teeth, his jaw felt as if it was going to shatter into a million pieces.
“Arcturus, let go. Arcturus, don’t fight it. You’ll be okay.” He felt like he should listen to the voice, his willpower only surrendered slightly. A face flashed behind his eyelids and it felt as if his heart had almost stopped. A familiar face like one he would see in photos at home. He had most certainly seen that face before in his early life. The more he thought about what he was seeing the more his body began to gradually give up to the spell that was assaulting him. He could no longer hear what Rodolphus was shouting at him, he tried to think of names. He tried to think of all the names he knew but the only one that came to mind each time was Neville Longbottom. Was this how his parents felt? Was he going to come home to find Arcturus on the floor?
As soon as he could feel the pause Arcturus lifted his wand shakily, trying to conjure up a spell to us, his body fell limp against the floor of the kitchen.
Just as his body fell to the floor another crack was heard in the air and Rodolphus turned towards the sound like an animal rounding on its prey. Neville had come back with Remus when they heard the commotion and saw the tables barricading the doorway. They could only assume the worst as they had come back from something equally as upsetting. Harry, Luna, Ron and the others had come back as well greeted with the sight. Before Neville could even think of acting he blasted the tables covering the door and was welcomed by Rodolphus LeStrange, one of the men that had tortured his parents mad. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen as if he owned it, holding Arcturs’ face in his hands. The boy's body was lifeless.
Neville did the only thing he could think of doing. He picked up a chair and smashed it against Rodolphus’ back.
“This is for my parents, again!” Neville shouted, hitting the man with a spell before he disapperated.
“Arcturus? Arcturus!” Roan pushed past Remus into the room, falling to her knees and picking her son up. Holding his body close to her she couldn’t stop the sobs that were wrenched from her throat. “What happened? What happened to my baby? Remus, what happened to my boy?!” She turned her head, snapping at him.
“Cruciatus curse.” Neville said grimly.
“Now, Neville I don’t think– “
“It’s a cruciatus curse.” Neville stated again.
“Where’s Sirius? I need a word with him. Remus– “
“He didn’t come back.” Remus looked down. “Sirius didn’t come back from the ministry.”
“What?” She stared at him. Holding her boy she started to sob uncontrollably. Not only could she possibly lose her son but on the same day she’s lost the last true link to the man she once loved so dearly.
Remus knelt down and pulled Roan into a hug, she cried into his shirt. Neville looked down at Arcturus’ body, he knew that Arcturus may not have been driven mad but he was still unmoving and unconscious.
“I- I’ll take him up to his room.” Neville spoke slowly, picking Arcturus up after Roan had finally let him go. She squeezed the life out of Remus but he couldn't complain.
“Remus, leave her to me. You focus on cleaning up here.” Molly had stepped into the kitchen, immediately taking Roan into her arms. Brushing her hair and swaying her.
Unsteadily, Remus began to tidy the room with just a wave of his wand.
Neville moved past his friends to the stairs, Luna helped him carry Arcturus up. She didn’t say anything, neither of them did. It was silent as they took Arcturus up to his room but they could only make it to the third floor before Arcturus began to wake up. Quickly Neville pushed open the door to the room Kreacher tried to keep people out of, but this time he could not shout at the boy. He only looked at Arcturus laying on the bed and a thought came to the elves' mind. He thought about Regulus, the times he would tend to the boy who was often sick. This time he thought of what he assumed would be Regulus’ dead body after finding out about his plan to backstab the dark lord. Kreacher stepped up to the bed, his eyes held realization.
“Kreacher will go fetch medicine.” He spoke softly to himself, walking off before the witch or wizard could ask him for anything.
“Neville? Are you okay?” Luna asked, she noticed how tense the boy was. Just staring down at Arcturus, holding back tears.
“...Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”
“Nev– “
“I’m fine.” He repeated again, louder. He was holding Arcturus’ hand really trying not to cry.
Neville wasn’t there the day his parents got tortured, it didn’t mean that wasn’t still traumatizing. For all his life he only ever saw them at St. Mungo’s in those hospital beds barely aware of what was going on around them. For all his life his mother had been giving him gum wrappers that he held onto with a shred of hope that his parents still remembered who he was. Now, Arcturus was laying on a dusty old bed unconscious and he couldn’t help but think of the hospital beds in St. Mungo’s, he could already smell the stale clean air and tears rolled down his cheeks. He cared for Arcturus almost as much as he cared for his parents and even if he didn’t see them get tortured he couldn’t help the way his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach.
Roan came up the stairs following Kreacher, her face was red and puffy. She didn’t think her son was going to die or that he was tortured beyond belief but that was where her mind wandered off to. She stepped into the room and her breath hitched in her throat. She remembered this room vividly, the waterworks came this time before she could stop them. Holding a hand over her mouth she stopped into the doorway. Leaning against it she tried to stifle her sobs. Footsteps ran up the stairs and Sev stopped just on the landing. He only saw a glimpse of Arcturus’ lifeless face and he was frozen on the spot.
“Mum…” Arcturus called out, his voice barely above a whisper. Before he even opened his eyes Roan was right next to him stroking his hair.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Hush now, you’re safe.”
His eyes fluttered open dramatically like he was in a movie. The dust filled his lungs and he started coughing instantly, waving away the particles as he sat up. For a second he didn’t recognize the room until he saw the plaque on the open door. The room he had been rifling through. A question came to mind.
“Who’s room is this?”
“Don’t worry about that right now.” Remus was in the doorway now. “Just focus on taking it easy, we’re not sure how long you’ve endured– ”
“It felt like eternity,” Arcturus cut him off. “I could see the clock in the kitchen before I fell unconscious, it was an hour at that point.”
“An hour? How are you alive?!” He realized Neville was holding his hand.
“He… I think his name was Rodolphus… Didn’t start right away, he was looking for something first and- I think he made me duel him.” Arcturus brought his other hand up to his head, then he noticed scars like stems with thorns just risen on his skin, the scars were reddish-pink. They were fresh and painted him like a mural.
“Rodolphus LeStrange?” Roan gasped. “But you just told me Bella– “ She pointed at Remus.
“Let’s– Let’s not talk about that right now.” Remus could already see the question in Arcturus’ eyes and he didn’t have the heart to tell him. Not now.
“At least I know his name for when I kill him.” Arcturus shrugged, moving to get out of bed and wincing as a sharp pain ran up his spine.
“Don’t get up yet.” Neville helped him to lay back down. “Your body isn’t quite ready just yet.” He knew Neville knew what he was talking about.
“I have some chocolate, eat up.” Remus handed him a chocolate bar as opposed to the small pieces he’d be given during school. “It doesn’t fix much but it can make you happy.”
“That’s why you hand out chocolate! I never knew.” Luna was grinning from ear to ear.
“Madame Pomfrey said the same thing when she would give Sev chocolate.” Arcturus shrugged, unfazed.
“Oh thank Merlin you’re alive!” Sev hugged him tight, practically squeezing the life out of him.
“Yes, yes. I’m alive. Where is Sirius?” Arcturus asked.
“Oh.” The entire room had fallen silent now.
Arcturus looked from Neville, to Luna, then to Remus, Kreacher and finally he stopped at his mother. Her face looked so pained. She was holding back tears, covering her mouth with her hands as if the words that were going to escape were too much to handle. Her choked sobs broke through the room and Arcturus felt the pit in the bottom of his stomach expand. Practically squeezing Neville’s hand he stared blankly at his mother while she cried.
Although he knew of Sirius for two years he hadn’t truly known him. The once escaped prisoner had preferred to spend his time with Harry either way. One could say he was estranged from his uncle. That in his mind the only family he had were his mother and Remus, no one else could take up the family tree he had for himself. The realization hurt more than he thought it would have. It felt as though part of him died along with Sirius. He wasn’t a fool. It didn’t take too much to figure out the grim looks on everyone's face meant something happened, and with the absence of Sirius he only put two and two together.
“I’m sorry he’s dead.”
“No, no, you don’t have to be sorry.” Roan quickly wiped at her tears with the ends of her sleeves. “I just– I’m glad I didn’t have to lose both of you.”