The Hidden Side of The Black Family
Bright green flames erupted from the grand, marble fireplace of the Potters paneled living room. A black haired, sixteen year old coughed and spluttered as he staggered to the nearest armchair and collapsed into it. He sat there, breathing heavily, trying to ignore the agonizing pain in his side. He heard footsteps on the other side of the closed oak door and turned to see who they belonged to, in time to see an elderly man enter the room.
He was a very attractive man who had jet-black hair with parts of grey; he gave the impression of someone who was in amazing shape before he was hit by age. His hazel eyes widened behind his thick rimmed glasses when he saw the boy sitting in the chair by the fire. It seemed to take him a moment to recognize him.
"Sirius? James said you – " he stopped in mid-sentence when he discovered his unofficial son had not risen from his seat and embraced him. There could only be one reason for this.
"Dorea! Dorea! Come here!" he called for his wife, "she's done it again!"
There were hurried footsteps from outside the room and an elderly woman came rushing into the room, her red flecked grey hair flying behind her. She rushed to Sirius's side.
"We told you Sirius! We can't keep hiding this from James you know that!" she exclaimed as she tried to pry Sirius's hand away from his side, "I can't help you if you don't co-operate Sirius, you know that."
Sirius looked into Dorea's kind blue eyes and slowly moved his hand from his ribs, wincing in pain as he did so.
Dorea, who was a trained Healer, gently rose Sirius's shirt and looked down at the damage that had been caused this time. She paled.
"She broke your ribs…"
Charlus looked horrified at Doreas statement and collapsed on the ground beside Sirius and looked for himself.
Sirius knew that he shouldn't burden his pain onto the only adults that had ever cared for him, but he had no choice. They only knew about very few occasions were this had happened before, but this time he could not cope any longer. He caught a glimpse of himself in Charlus's glasses he discovered that his swollen eye was developing a black one and he had a long gash in his cheek leading from his right temple in a jagged line all the way down to his jaw.
He screamed in pain.
He didn't hear the response from his adoptive parents; he was too busy staring into the fireplace as the flames turned green once again.
A thirteen year old, basked head to foot in black, including his hair which hovered an inch above his shoulders, stepped clumsily from the flames, his hands clutched around the handle of a large wooden trunk Sirius recognized as his own.
Regulus looked over at his elder brother, who was clearly in agonizing pain, his grey eyes filled with tears. A crimson hand mark imprinted on his right cheek. He collapsed at Sirius's feet.
"I am so s-s-sorry!" he spluttered though tears, "I-I-I am s-so sel-selfish, I-I w-wish that y-you could t-tell me w-what is g-g-going on! It-its all m-my f-f-fault!" he buried his head into Sirius's torn jeans and sobbed. Sirius patted his brother lightly on the head.
"It's not your fault Reg," he winced as Dorea poured a potion onto his shattered ribs, "no one can blame you. Shes is just violent."
"B-but – "
"Regulus, please don't be upset, I don't blame you, so you shouldn't either okay?"
"o-okay."
Sirius smiled down and brave little Regulus. It was a mystery how he ended up in Slytherin like the rest of his family. He was so brave and always thought about others before himself. Not exactly Black or Slytherin material.
His smile seemed to cheer up the distraught teenager. He sat up and wiped his tears on his sleeve, and took several deep breaths before he could speak again.
"I can r-really see h-how you en-ended up in Gr-Gryffindor, y-you are so b-brave a-and n-n-noble. Unlike me."
Sirius looked at him shocked.
"No, no you are brave Regulus; you came here to see me, even if it was on her orders." He nodded painfully to the trunk Regulus had dropped at the fireside.
"I really want to stay, but I had better go." Regulus rose, wiping his remaining tears and turned to Doreas and Charlus.
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter for everything you have done for my big brother, it really means a lot to me."
He stepped over the trunk and took some Floo Powder from the pot on the mantel piece, he sighed.
"Twelve Grimmuald Place!" he announced as he stepped into the fire and vanished.
James stood in silence in the doorway. He had heard and seen the whole thing. He dripped onto the solid wood floor, drenched from the pouring rain outside.
This explained a lot he thought; he always has more injuries than the others. Why didn't he tell me? I could have taken it. Remus is a Werewolf, Sirius is abused, what's next, Peter's a Death Eater? I just wish he trusted me.
Five years went by and James didn't mention that he knew his best friends secret to him or anyone else, not even Remus or Lily. He knew that Sirius would tell everyone eventually. When he was ready to.
It was a week before Christmas when Sirius received a letter from Doreas.
The four Marauders sat in the Waiting Room of St. Mungo's hospital an hour later.
James had an arm around Sirius's shoulder to comfort him. Remus was pacing in front of them, as worried as Sirius was. Lily, who had a scan that day anyway, had gone upstairs to fetch Sirius a strong coffee (A.N. I know Sirius coffee, but they wouldn't allow alcohol in a hospital).
The door of the ward opposite them opened and Doreas left appeared, shutting the door behind her. Sirius shot to his feet.
"Is he okay? Will he be alright? I knew I should have wrote him on the list too. It's all my fault!" Sirius collapsed into his chair again and broke down into tears. James put his arm back around him and Remus fell into the chair the other side, grasped his hand and looked up and Doreas.
"Is he okay?" he asked nervously.
"He should be fine. He has mild concussion and has no recollection of the incident, but he does need to stay here for a couple more days to recuperate."
"I'm staying with him." Sirius spoke into his palms, "he needs me," he looked up, "can I see him?"
Doreas looked at her son before nodding her head and allowing Sirius to enter the room. He ordered them all to stay outside as he opened the door and entered his brother's ward.
Regulus was the only one in the room, even though there were five other empty beds inside it. He rushed to his side, and fell to his knees, grasping Regulus's hand.
"It's all my fault!" he confessed, "if I had been there none of this would have happened! I would still be mums punching bag! Not you!"
"Siri," Regulus breathed, "don't blame yourself, she would have moved onto me eventually. As you said, she's just violent."
"I-I"
"No Siri, I have to tell you something." Regulus shifted in his bed and rose the sleeve of his left arm.
Sirius stared at it.
"I had no choice, I had to help stop him. I'm really sorry Sirius."
Sirius didn't speak.
"Please Sirius say something!"
"Is this why?"
"No, she doesn't know." Regulus bowed his head and winced in pain because of the sudden movement.
"Don't move." Sirius laid Regulus back down, "I don't hate you, I know I should have seen this coming, but I didn't think that it would be so soon. What have you discovered?"
"He has Horcruxs."
"Horcruxs?" Sirius repeated confused.
"There – " Regulus cut off when Doreas re-entered the room.
"I'm sorry Sirius but I have just spoken to the headmaster and he wants you to return to Hogwarts."
"Okay." Sirius rose, kissed Regulus's scared cheek and turned to leave the room.
"Don't tell anyone either!" Regulus called to him hoarsely, "as I am not sure of the second."
Sirius nodded.
Narcissa watched in astonishment as she watched her cousin verbally attack her Aunt Walburga, before pulling out his wand and throwing her across the room with a spells she hadn't seen before.
"I hate you! Stay away from me and my brother got it?" he spat before storming from the house for the last time.
It was only then when Narcissa noticed why Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor, he was very brave and cared for his family.
Unlike the rest of the Black Family.