Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 23: SIRIUS: WORDS STILL HURT...

Sirius tried not to cry out in surprise as he felt a wand tip poke the invisibility cloak.

"Who's this? Who's hiding?" They had enough sense to hiss, and Sirius slowly turned his eyes to the person, fully prepared to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

"I know someone's there..." they drawled. Sirius sighed, he knew that voice. They lazily spoke again. "I wonder who would have an invisibility cloak and be daft enough to walk in the center of the corridor?"

Sirius looked back and saw Regulus, face pale and thin. "You're here?" He said, not realizing how loud he was being.

"Regulus?" Walburga's voice echoed throughout the narrow corridor. "Everything alright? I thought you were just going for a breather."

"Everything's fine, mum. I...I just need to rest up, the Dark Lord may need me at anytime." Regulus kept a strict check on his emotions as his voice was strong and clear, not a hint at lying. Then he tugged on the hem of the cloak, hard, sending it off of Sirius and into his hand.

"What're you doing?" Sirius grabbed at the cloak.

"Shh!" Regulus's eyes burned with fury now, and he led him to a nearby room that was left ajar to them. "You know why I'm here! Why are you here?!" Sirius had never seen his brother so angry, his face was red and he was shaking. "If I get caught with you, we're both finished! Now, I need an explanation, and don't even try to lie."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I hate you." Reg did not back down. "I'm here to rescue Morta, you hear me? Morta! So I have every right to be here."

"No, you don't." Regulus hissed, shaking. "No, you don't, nor will you ever-" there was a sound of the door opening.

"Regulus?" Walburga called out, followed by Bellatrix.

"Little cousin? Mummy's come to check up on you!" Regulus paled noticeably.

"Hide." He motioned for Sirius to get out of sight, but it was too late. Walburga walked in. She stared at both her sons for a moment, eyes wide and slightly bugged in her sallow face, before letting out a Walburga-worthy shriek. It would have been funny if it wasn't terrifying.

"Sirius! The filthy traitor is here!"

Sirius sprinted by, feeling his mother pulling at his clothes, he yelped and kicked at her. Bellatrix screamed and the whole house shook. This was bad, very bad. Tearing free, he grabbed the invisibility cloak from the floor and put his wand in his mouth.

He was transformed and outside before anything could happen to him, or so he thought. Walburga was not going to let her son get away.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW OR YOU WILL NOT LIKE WHAT HAPPENS!" Sirius chuckled.

"Just the same as always, mother. So charming." Then his father's voice joined in, and Sirius fell silent, hiding between the bushes and the house. His mother was cruel, but she usually only used magic and insults to hurt him, which still burned, but his father was the one who used to hold him down and beat him.

"Regulus, were you talking to Sirius!" Frantic voices came from the window.

"No, I swear, I didn't know, he scared me too, had some kind of invisibility cloak with him!" Sirius winced. That was a weak lie, and from the tone of voice Reg knew that too.

"Lier." Bellatrix growled. "We should kill him now. Walburga, what is your problem with rebellious offspring?" When Walburga spoke, it was calm, but there was anger in her voice.

"There's nothing wrong with Regulus! Sirius was a freak of nature, a filthy stain on our family, yes, but we managed with Regulus didn't we?" Sirius felt like he was going to cry, he hated his mother and had no longing to be in good standings with her, but it still hurt to hear her speak so blatantly. "And that's rich coming from you, Bella. You haven't managed a child at all. Don't make absurd comments about my child until you have brought heirs to your own line."

From almost in tears to trying not to laugh, Sirius wondered what it was with women under the Dark Lord. Bellatrix sounded truly angered now, despite Walburga's shriek, she tortured Regulus.

"There he is, a worm on the ground! You call this managed?! Get up, boy!" The screams ceased, but Bellatrix was not done. "Find Sirius, find him now Orion, or I will not hesistate to kill Regulus, and the Blacks will have lost every heir they hold dear."

"No, please!" Sirius felt horrible. Here were the people who tortured him as a child, but they had nurtured him before they were so cruel. He hated how terrified they sounded, and it sparked and instinctual anxiety in his chest.

"I'll do it. I'll kill him, if that's what the Dark Lord wants Bella. But don't hurt Reg, at least not till I come back." There was a loud smack. "My son will not be seen with filthy traitors who consort with our enemies!"

Footsteps made their way closer to Sirius's hiding spot, and he felt himself trembling. With a whine, he curled on the ground under the invisibility cloak. Nobody would even suspect he was here. That's what he told himself anyways.

"Sirius?" His father's voice was soft, menacing and cruel. "If you don't come out right now, I'll kill Regulus. I know you care for him...come out my boy." Sirius stayed hidden. He knew for a fact that Walburga would never allow for anything of the sort to happen.

Don't. A voice trickled in his ear. I don't need you, and we're in the backyard, by the peacocks.

"Sirius?" Again, his father called him. Sirius bared his teeth. He lunged suddenly, the cloak flying off him, but somehow staying attacked to his tail. He latched onto Orion Black's leg.

"Bloody hell! What the- gerroff!" Orion kicked at the dog, then tried to send a stunner in the dog's direction. Sirius didn't stop till he tasted blood, and it filled his mouth. The he let go, racing across the grass, but for the front lawn, not the backyard. He wasn't going to lead his father back there. He didn't make it far until a woman stepped out of the literal shadows and grabbed him by the neck. She dragged him into the shade.

"Shh. Don't move."

"Do I know you?" He whispered.

"Yes. I am Morta."

Finally...