Black Manipulation

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

A/N: This is for the Emilie Autumn challenge! Please R and R!

Regulus knew how to push people's buttons and manipulate them. He knew how to make people agree to things they didn't want to do or how to make people admit the truth without actually confronting them. Regulus knew how to play with people's emotions and play word games like he knew the back of his hand. He could speak the languages that were the mind and body of a person.

Of course what could Remus expect? Regulus was a Black, trained and honed to be the best of the best, to remain on the top and be ever so wanted. Remus' best friend was Sirius so how could he not know that? Sure the two brothers were different but they were so similar really. They could always gravitate people to them and let people lose themselves in their hypnotic lips, words, laughs, smiles, and so much more!

That's how Remus was where he was. Remus fell head over heels for Regulus, a young soon to be Death Eater that would hate him as soon as he knew Remus was a werewolf. Regulus believed in polices that Remus found repulsive and was completely against. Regulus didn't believe Remus' views on blood purity and such. If they were on opposite sides of the blood supremacy spectrum then how could they mesh and work together? This was a significant and life changing, as in Death Eater or not, issue after all.

But Remus had to face it; they weren't meshing together. Remus and Regulus clashed together really, with someone, most often Remus, getting hurt in the end. Love never seemed like such a battlefield or a game before Regulus came around and messed with Remus' naïve mind. Now their secret relationship was a tally of how many victories and losses both sides had. This twisted version of love wasn't what Remus had in mind when he thought of falling in love for the first time. Remus also didn't think he fancied boys but look at him now.

Regulus was pulling off his shirt and snogging Remus. Remus was clay in Regulus' hands and he was Regulus' little puppet. Remus couldn't say no or stop under Regulus' touch or twisted logic. All Remus could do was moan, beg, and cry.

"More, Regulus, more," Remus panted against the other man's ministrations. Remus was so masochistic. He would take all the pain Regulus gave him day after day after day. He would lie to his friends for Regulus, he would slip in his grades, and Remus would lose every shred of his beaten dignity. Regulus demanded everything and Remus gave it to him. After sex, as they lay side by side, Remus' head was spinning and his heart was aching. Remus was glad to be in his lover's dorm room bed but he hated the pain, the hoops of fire, he had to jump through to get to moments like these that he could cherish.

Regulus held him close and then threw him away for a week, maybe two, and then as if no time vanished at all, he would pull Remus back into the arms of passion. With the younger boy Remus was on a roller coaster and it wasn't at all fun. How could Regulus act the way he acts, and how can Remus really let the boy trample on him? He's not pond scum or a sex toy. Remus was a breathing, achingly alive werewolf. All Remus ever wanted was someone to catch him as he fell but in this relationship it was as if Remus was free falling, spiralling down, and in the end he would crash and break while Regulus smiled from eighteen floors up like he hadn't caused the tragedy before him.

Remus' thoughts replayed in his head day after day. Or at least more than they normally did and something just stirred in him. Maybe it was his lost dignity or his pride, whatever it was Remus could hear it screaming. Remus needed to be liberated. He needed to be free and away from Regulus. That's why Remus trapped the younger boy in the hallways one day and discreetly slipped Regulus a note to meet him that night at the Astronomy Tower for something important. Remus couldn't wait until Regulus called him like a dog next week or in a few days. If he was going to end this it was going to be on his terms and not Regulus' from start to finish.

Remus was pacing the floor's length over and over again. He was not looking forward to this. He knew it had to be done but it seemed so impossible now that he had a few minutes before Regulus would arrive. Remus was nervous and fidgety and really what kind of Gryffindor was he? Remus stopped himself and started to breathe deeply and evenly before running his prepared speech in his mind. Yet as he kept going through the words he felt like they were useless. Nothing could prepare him for Regulus, that hurricane of a boy. Remus knew briefly what needed to be said, he didn't have to prepare an entire speech. If Remus knew Regulus then he would need to prepare for his anger. Remus turned to look at the sky, putting his back to the door. He needed to think.

"What seems to be the problem?" a velvety voice asked from behind him, making Remus jump. He turned on his heels to stare in shock at the younger boy.

"Regulus, you scared me. I didn't hear the door open. How-?" Remus questioned before Regulus silenced him with a kiss that Remus couldn't resist. Remus' plans were already slipping and going awry. He had to be firm. He needed to find his backbone and use it.

"I'm just that sneaky," Regulus answered cockily with a breath taking and playful smirk. Remus' heart was running a marathon in his chest and he couldn't say a thing. He stole Remus' heart while he was right in front of him. Of course Regulus was sneaky.

"What's the reason you called me here? Miss me already?" Regulus repeated his wonder and Remus shook his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand: getting his heart back in one piece and not Regulus' charms.

"No I want to stop this," Remus informed him. Remus waited a moment and saw the transformation from a relaxed and confident Regulus to one he hadn't ever seen before, a shocked and perhaps hurt boy.

"Excuse me?" Regulus quickly hid the image Remus saw a split second before behind a calm façade, and now the hurt little boy was an icy man.

"This 'relationship' isn't right and it's not good for me. You're tormenting me and you think this torment is romantic - well it's not for me, only for you," Remus tried to explain just as he tried to burn the haunting image of a slightly broken boy out of his mind.

"Oh really? That's funny because a few days ago you were screaming my name. Or did you forget that? Is this 'torment' that you speak of loving you? Then fine, prosecute me for my 'crimes'." Regulus' voice carried a cold venom that made Remus' knees weak and not in a good way. Especially when added to carefully prepared words of hurt, that were almost shaped like daggers. The tables were starting to turn and the power was going to be in Regulus' court and Remus couldn't allow himself to back down.

"Regulus it's not that. It's the roller coaster of you being kind and then throwing me away, the flirty public games with the girls in Slytherin," Remus told him as firmly as he could, but the slight begging in his voice for Regulus to understand didn't help his argument.

"Because we wanted to keep the fact that we fancy boys a secret, I can't ignore women. I have a reputation and it would look suspicious. I can't just drop my 'hatred' for the Marauders now can I?" Regulus played the card of "just being a talented actor for his lover's wishes" well. Regulus didn't leave any room to question his judgment and he knew Remus didn't want to. Remus knew he was being played but he was weak for the love and acceptance Regulus provided on a different level than anyone in Remus' life. After all, who could love a werewolf?

"No, but-" Remus now was feeling guilty that he had made Regulus go through this. Damn Regulus. Yet Remus couldn't even stay mad at Regulus. Regulus took Remus' hands in his and traced swirls on his palms before speaking.

"I love you but if you don't want to see me that's fine, just end this because you don't love me, not because you hate what other people would think," Regulus requested and Remus' heart agreed and his brain knew he wouldn't win, not tonight.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Remus apologized.

"It's okay," Regulus smiled triumphantly, and forgave him with a kiss, sealing the continuation of Remus' torture. If only Remus was strong enough to stay away, but the idea of love, even twisted love, is often too tempting to pass up on. Regulus was also a master weaver with his specialty of lies and sweet nothings that could change anyone's mind. So how could the lion-like werewolf ever say no?