Black Rose [Regulus Black]

17 - ballistic troglodytes & better agreements

"Where. Have. You. Been?" Walburga snarled, her voice barely above a whisper but so loud in the deafening silence of the house.

He opened his mouth and closed it, but then opened it and closed it again, trying to come up with any reasonable excuse that would justify him coming back at five in the morning. Unfortunately, it was very early in the morning and he hadn't slept well, so his brain wasn't functioning at full capacity. "I... Out."

"Out," his mother repeated, beginning to laugh hysterically. "OUT? YOU THINK I AM SOME SORT OF FOOL?"

For what felt like the millionth time that week, he wished that he had died in that lake full of Inferi. It would have been a better fate than this, than what was about to come.

"Mother, you shouldn't worry so much, it's not good for your health," he told her placatingly, but it only seemed to spur her on further.

"IF YOU CARED SO MUCH ABOUT MY HEALTH, ONE WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD DO AS I ASKED, AM I RIGHT? BUT NO, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A DISOBEDIENT SON, JUST LIKE YOUR- LIKE THAT BLOOD TRAITOR."

He ducked as she picked up a vase off the counter and chucked it at him.

"YOUR FATHER WOULD BE ROLLING IN YOUR GRAVE RIGHT NOW," she screeched, looking every bit like a madwoman. How could he have not seen it before? She wasn't concerned about him, or his welfare. She was obsessed with the family, or rather, the version of the family she wanted them to look like. She couldn't care less whether he lived or died, as long as it was 'honorable' in everyone else's eyes. She looked so psychotic, so deranged, with her hair flying everywhere and face twisted into an agonizing expression, and he felt actual acute fear coursing through his veins, making him dizzy due to the black spots dancing across his vision. "HOW DARE YOU TRY AND MAKE A FOOL OF ME? YOU THINK I WOULDN'T FIND OUT THAT YOU'VE BEEN GOING OUT TO SEE HER? THE POSITION YOU PUT ME IN WHEN DABRIA ASKED ME WHO THAT BLONDE GIRL WAS, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO THIS HOUSE, AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE, I SHOULD BE DISOWNING YOU RIGHT NOW. I WILL NOT LET THIS GO ON ANY LONGER. IN FACT, YOU KNOW WHAT? KREACHER. KREACHER, COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT?"

"Mistress?" the house-elf popped in, looking visibly fearful as he cowered in front of her.

"Bring me that stupid blonde whore," she whispered, her voice eerily calm. "NOW!"

Reg shut his eyes as Kreacher reluctantly appeared with Alessandra in tow.

"You," Walburga snarled, advancing on the blonde with a bony finger pointing at her. "How dare you?"

It happened at the speed of light, and his mother had marched up to Sandra and slapped her across the face. The sharp sound echoed throughout the house, and his heart further sank into the pits of his stomach. He felt paralyzed on the spot, unable to do or say anything, and wondered if this was what dying felt like, because as every moment passed, it felt like he was dying on the inside. The situation was escalating terribly, and he was at a complete loss as to what to do. He watched with bated breath as Alessandra snapped her eyes open and touched her now reddening cheek. Before he could even blink, she had swaggered forward and slapped his mother. She'd returned the favor with ten times more force, and the elderly woman went tumbling to the floor.

He placed one hand against the wall to steady himself, because he felt like he was actually about to faint once again. Upon seeing his mother get up, he quickly placed himself between the two women, unsure of who he was actually protecting.

"How dare you?!" his mother shrilled, trying to land another blow on her, but she was obstructed by him and therefore unsuccessful.

Alessandra blinked. "How dare I what?" she challenged, fed up of this woman. She knew it was horrible of her to think so, but still desperately wished that she'd drop dead already, because she had been creating nothing but problems in their lives. Her health was fading, as Reg had mentioned, so why couldn't she just kick the bucket already?