Badger That Bites

Changes

[NARRATOR]

Sirius was halfway to the Slytherin common room by the time James had caught up to him, not that that was going to stop him. 

He had known that Reggie had changed after he moved out, living in that house alone could kill even the strongest of men, wilt them from the inside out until they became just as cold and unfeeling as Orion and Walburga. This was too far he couldn't touch Monty he had already hurt her enough as it was, not to mention he knew things, things she could never hear, not from him not from anyone. 

In hindsight, Reggie hadn't hurt Monty that bad, in fact, it was barely a scratch but that wasn't the point, he needed to know that he couldn't lay a finger on her, not while Sirius was watching, not while any of the Marauders were. 

"Padfoot! slow down mate" James panted, breathlessly following Sirius as they rushed down the stairs. 

"Did she tell you?" his eyes not moving from the stairs below him as he pressed on. 

"Tell me what?" 

"Her arm did she tell you?" Sirius snapped turning his head to face his friend following closely behind him. 

James thought about it for a second. No, she hadn't, only now noticing how strange it was. "Why?"

"Oh, so she didn't tell you?" steam practically bursting out of his ears as he spoke "She didn't tell you it was my fucking brother" 

James reached for Sirius' arms stopping both of them in their tracks though Sirius was a few steps below and already shorter than him Sirius was practically straining his neck in an attempt to look up at his friend. 

"He did what?" James was about ready to burst he wanted to kill Regulus but he knew he couldn't though that prompted the question. If he didn't would Sirius? "Did he tell her about you know-?"

"No" Sirius stated firmly. 

"Do you really wanna do this?" James's face was doing a rather poor job of hiding the concern he held for both Sirius and his brother. 

Sirius' eyes fell as he finally took the time to analyze the action he was about to take, he didn't wanna hurt his brother he wasn't even sure he deserved it. In fact, he knew that Regulus didn't he knew it wasn't his fault but it wasn't Monty's either nothing was not what happened in her first year and not what happened with her parents... not that she actually knew about that.  "Someone has to..." 

James took a deep breath not fully ready for the words he was about to utter "I'll do it" 

"No- you can't"

"I can and I will now stop it" with that the two of them continued down the stairs on a mission. 

***

[Her]

This was absolutely ridiculous I was about to go into the Slytherin common room and get myself killed all to stop Regulus from being killed.

Son of a bitch probably wouldn't even care.

By the time I had reached the stone wall and spoken the password I swore I could hear Padfoot and Prongs racing down the hall but they were nowhere in sight. Not that in any way eased the sense of dread which was coursing through my veins as I slowly walked down the corridor into the common room. 

The room was dark and had only a few students lying around on the stiff leather couches, although I recognized most of them my eyes focused on the three who seemed most significant at the moment. Barty Crouch jr, Evan Rosier and Regulus of course.