Regulus Black - The marauders era

Chapter 4 - Saving Regulus

Sirius was settled down on the sofa gazing at a photo book full of photos from his hogwarts days and he smiled fondly while looking at them. Sirius' peaceful musings were interrupted by a loud crack and the appearance of kreacher and his brother Regulus Black. Regulus was in a bad way and was lying on the floor gasping and soaking wet.
"Kreacher what happened?" Sirius growled and gently picked skinny form of his younger brother and placed him on the sofa where he previously been sat.
"Master Regulus said I couldn't say," Kreacher said a pained expression on his face and Sirius got really annoyed, here was his brother dying and the stupid house elf wouldn't say a thing.
"Kreacher TELL ME!" Sirius roared but the house elf just cracked away and Sirius was left with his dying baby brother.
"Siri," Regulus muttered and Sirius moved to reassure the younger boy that it was indeed him.
"Reggie, what happened?" Sirius asked in a soft voice while removing the wet cloak from around his brothers shoulders and replacing it with a fluffy blanket instead.
"I- no no I can't don't please," Regulus cried clutching at Sirius a fearful look on his face and Sirius glanced down at him concern etched in his features.
Regulus was only 18 and Sirius really didn't want him to die as much as he had hated Regulus for getting the dark mark this was still his baby brother and he wouldn't send him away in this state.
With a murmured easy Reggie Sirius had stroked the young boys hair until he fell asleep then proceeded to tuck him and then left to go make him some soup. Sirius had just about finished the soup when he heard screaming coming from the living room, Sirius knew it was Regulus so he immediately dropped the spoon he was holding and ran.
"Reggie hey hey hey calm down what's wrong?" Sirius asked a kind expression playing on his features.
Regulus had a look of pure terror on his face and held out his arm for Sirius to see. It was the arm with the dark mark and Regulus was frantically scratching at it as if to erase it from his life.
"Careful now don't hurt yourself," murmured Sirius gently separating the two hands and rubbing Regulus' back.
"Get it off," Regulus muttered staring vacantly at the mark on his arm as Sirius sent a worried expression his way.
All of a sudden Regulus' features contorted into one of pain and disgust as he desperately tried to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop it but it was too late as he threw up all over the floor.
"Dear me what am I going to do with you hey," Sirius said in a soft tone leaving to go get a wet flannel and a bucket.
The bowl of soup lay discarded on the kitchen counter but nobody seemed to care. Sirius glanced worriedly at his brother as he returned. Regulus was not in a good shape, he has been slightly chatty before but a look of utter terror seemed ingrained in his eyes and Sirius desperately wanted to take revenge on anybody that hurt his brother. Regulus' condition was deteriorating rapidly and he lay lay on the sofa hair plastered to his brow because of fever and he was throwing up frequently. Sirius laid the cold flannel on Regulus' forehead but that to was soon radiating heat as Regulus' fever burned through it.
"What to do," Sirius muttered pacing up and dow hand it was a wonder that his feet didn't wear a hole in the carpet.
A small whimper that erupted form Regulus' mouth snapped him out of his musings and he hurried to his brothers side gently stroking his hair back from his sweaty brow and murmuring how it would all be ok.
"Siri, locket, poison," Regulus muttered and Sirius' head snapped up in concern, had someone poisoned his brother?
"Reg you've got to tell me exactly what happened so I can help you alright," Sirius said to him and Regulus gave a weak nod.
"Locket, I drank the poison and then I went to drink and then I got attacked," Regulus murmured and Sirius wondered for a moment if his brother was delirious from the poison, why on earth did he keep muttering about a locket and what significance did it hold?
"LILY!" Sirius cried and Regulus whimpered at the loud noise and Sirius quickly apologised.
"Sorry Reggie but I've got to leave I'll be back soon alright," Sirius whispered to his brother while gathering a cloak and his wand before apparating to the Potters household.
Sirius burst through the door and Lily turned around in shock.
"Sirius I wasn't expecting you I thought you were coming over for dinner tomorrow night," She said but then taking in Sirius' disheveled appearance she frowned.
"Would you help it Reg he's been poisoned or drank some poison himself I don't know just please help him," Sirius said frantically and Lily dashed around grabbing her coat and wand before ushering Sirius out of the door.
"Regulus I thought you hadn't heard from him in years," Lily said confusion washing over her features.
"I hadn't but Kreacher apparated him in and now he's delirious and keeps muttering about a locket," Sirius said taking Lily's hand and apparating back to his house.
A small whimper erupted from the sofa and Sirius hurriedly flung off his cloak and ran to his brothers side removing the now sweat ridden cloth from his brothers forehead.
"Reggie I'm back," Sirius murmured and Lily was surprised at his gentle tone towards his brother because whenever they had been at hogwarts the 2 boys were always standoffish and cold to each other. How times had changed in the few years they had been away.
Regulus whimpered again and Sirius grabbed the bucket just in time and Lily winced at the sound of retching.
"Sirius I'll make Regulus a potion for poison alright it should be done by the early hours of tomorrow morning just let me notify James on my whereabouts," Lily spoke softly and moved to Sirius' kitchen to wrote a letter.
Sirius only nodded still focused only Regulus but was relieved that Lily was here, after all she was top of the class in potions.
"Thanks Lily," Sirius called and a muffled no problem sounded through the walls.
Over the course of the night Sirius barely slept and when he did it was fitfully as he woke up every half hour to check that Regulus hadn't deteriorated anymore which luckily he hadn't. Sirius also changed Regulus' cold flannel on his head regularly to keep it cold as he was at the height of his fever, which was soon to break, and sweat constantly beaded his brow plastering the black hair to his forehead, which Sirius was gently brushing away at that very moment. Regulus was also sick a couple of times in the night and that to kept Sirius up. It was around 4:03am when a loud crack sounded in Sirius' living room waking him, who had been asleep in a large armchair, and Regulus up.
"Morning Lily," Sirius muttered yawning and brushing the hair out of his eyes.
Regulus weakly propped himself up gazing at Lily with large bambi like eyes and his face was still flushed from fever. Handing the potion to Sirius Lily sent Regulus a small sympathetic smile while he just lazily batted his eyelashes at her in response.
"Come on Reg drink up this will make you feel better," Sirius said approaching the sofa and sitting rather heavily down and the potion in his hands tipped precariously and Lily made a sound that ranged from a snort to a hiss.
"It's alright Lilyflower I've got it,"  Sirius said and Lily scowled at him while he just smirked.
Regulus whimpered and cowered under the blankets at the sight of the potion and Sirius looked at him in concern and curiosity. Regulus' strange behaviour made him wonder about what had happened to the point where Kreacher had brung him here half dead.
"Come on Reggie I won't hurt you and Lily made it so nothing is wrong with she was always good at potions," Sirius murmured, softly pulling the blankets away from Regulus and lifting the cup up to his mouth.
"Alright I best be off," Lily announced and apparated out of the house.
Regulus tentatively took a sip of the potion and as soon as he found out that it didn't remotely taste like the poison he drank it rather quickly.
"There we go," Said Sirius gently rubbing the younger boys back and guiding him back to the pillows where he had previously laid.
Regulus' had broken after the hour and he didn't seem to be vomiting anymore, which was a relief to Sirius. Sirius laid down next to his younger brother murmuring words of reassurance and soon they were both fast asleep and were back to being the close brothers that had been many years before.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will accept requests of what you want to read.
~ Hazel