So. There's this. Which has been floating around my mind for forever. I quite like it. The style seems a bit different so far from what I usually do. What is it, you ask? What is it? I'll tell you what it is. It's a Remus/Sirius AU based off Beauty and the Beast. What? What's that you said, just now? That this has already been done before? Point. But it's never been done the way it should be. With Remus as the beast. I've got some fun stuff planned ahead, oh, yes. You're going to like this one.
Sirius closed his eyes as he splashed his face, reveling in the cold water. He straightened himself, noticing in his mirror reflection the water soaking into the sleeves of his expensive dress robes. It represented everything he hated: this family, this house, this life. He loathed it. He also hated hiding in this damn bathroom. The bathroom was his safe haven for the time being, though.
Really, the whole thing was stupid. No one smart who had come to Sirius' and Ella's engagement dinner would say they were in love, and Sirius didn't even care. He certainly didn't love her: she was too quiet, too gentle when she laid a hand on his arm, or politely laughed. And everything was too orchestrated. Sirius wanted love. This wasn't love. This was society, and rules, and laying your napkin across your thigh even though in the stiff, upright position Blacks are supposed to sit in you're more likely to spill on your shirt than your pants. Regulus never managed to spill anything. Maybe he was just too scared to.
Trying to sponge the water out of his sleeve because really, wet sleeves were annoying, Sirius jumped when he heard pounding on the door. "Sirius Orion Black! Open this door right now, or I'm locking you in there!" Orion roared from the other side of the room. Sirius laughed, partially to relieve the stress, partially at himself for his obedience up to this point. He knew he was no longer going along with their ridiculous plan. They thought they could marry him off, just to tie themselves to this important family from the neighboring, larger town? Of course not. He hated Ella, really. Or maybe not. Maybe he just hated the idea of Ella. The idea of being forced to marry someone against your will just to climb societal rungs on the ladder.
More shouting occurred from the other side of the door, in the form of, "If you don't open it right now, we will disown you!" Sirius laughed again. This was it, wasn't it? All this culminating unease about Ella and his arranged courtship was finally reaching a breaking point. The dam was breaking and Sirius was welcoming the water, closing his eyes and letting it soak him.
He opened the door.
"Hello, father dearest! Whatever do you want at this hour?" Sirius drawled, bowing sarcastically. He was in for it. And he knew it. But he might as well go down laughing and brushing it off. He couldn't let them see how scared he was; not now, and not ever. Times like these were meant to test us, and Sirius would not fail.
His father's face was unnaturally unreadable, the way it always looked when he was so close to his breaking point, but resisting because company was there, or because he had to. "Sirius, your mother and I are highly embarrassed by the way you acted at dinner. You were horribly rude to Ella. Do you know how bad that looked? How disrespectful it made us look?" he lectured, desperate to get his point across.
Sirius threw his hands up, nearing hitting the light attached to the wall. "I don't care! I just don't care! You can make me marry the girl, but you can't make me like her! I'm done with this! I'm done with all these bloody rules! Do this, do that! Say please and thank you! Never interrupt someone when they're talking! I hate it!"
"What problems do you have with Ella?" Orion's lip curled, "She's beautiful, she's rich, and her family has important contacts for miles around. How can you be so ungrateful as to want more than that?" he demanded.
"Maybe I don't want a girl!"
Silence hung in the air, like a curtain slowly suffocating them. Orion's face dropped to neutral again, this time out of shock rather than manners. And Sirius knew it was over. He laughed once more. The dam didn't hold. His one secret, the most important thing he'd kept from his parents, gone. He felt exposed, and yet somehow relieved. At least he'd no longer have to worry about getting caught with complete strangers in the back alley at important galas, or have to lie about going to the bookstore when he was really meeting Eric or Jack or Ian or the latest bloke of the month. At least the deception was gone.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice his tied up arms and legs until he felt his body hit the floor. He yelled. His father did this sometimes, terrible and bloody fucking annoying as it was. It was usually when the family was going to have a conversation Sirius was likely to run away from. He did that. A lot, actually. Take off on his broom and fly until it was dark, and sneak back in his window.
Orion ignored his protesting, of course. He dragged Sirius down the stairs by the collar, not caring if his head hit a few steps. Sirius didn't care, either. He was sure he would be hurting a lot worse by the time this was done. Still yelling whatever cuss word came to mind, he felt more than registered it himself that he was dragged onto the couch, his mother coolly staring at him. "Orion," she inquired, not taking her eyes from Sirius, "What's the problem, now?"
His father paced, not even flinching as his shin bumped the coffee table. He ran a hand through his hair, spiking it in strange directions. "Our son is a fag, Walburga. He said so himself. He's a disgusting, mental, filthy fag." His mother spit out her tea. Another homophobe, Sirius thought. Of course. All purebloods were homophobic. If you can't produce chubby little purebloods, you weren't worthy to live.
"Shut up! Both of you just shut up!" he screamed. "I'm not filthy, and-" but he was cut off as his tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth. His mother, of course. Sirius sneered at her, unable to speak. His father pulled her to her feet, and took her into the kitchen, talking in hushed tones. Sirius watched them go.
It was only then he noticed his brother standing in the doorway. Regulus, the only part of the family he could stand. He pleaded to his brother with his eyes, begging him to untie him. So he could escape. He didn't know to where; maybe he'd take off for his uncle's place. Anything to escape the wrath of his parents for a while. But Regulus just stood there, sending a clear message back; He couldn't. If he helped Sirius, his parents would punish him. And Sirius couldn't make him do that. He might be a coward, but Reg was his brother, and he loved him.
His parents finally reentered the room. They looked grim, his father looking downright pale. Orion coughed, "We've decided you can't stay here anymore. So, we're moving you." Sirius frowned, not expecting that answer. He was anticipating a long night of packing, only to be thrown to the curb and burned off the family tree. But moving him? To where?
Orion adjusted his sleeves, holding his wand up. He didn't show a sign of remorse or shame as he added, "More specifically, we're selling you."
Look at that. Look how lucky you are. You got the definition of the title in the first bloody chapter. Oh, but look at that cliffhanger. Bet you're not pleased about that.