he knew why the Dark Lord kept him around. it had nothing to do with the former's like for him. Instead, it had everything to do with his liking for his sister. He was nothing more than a guard dog, making sure Alecto rose up the ranks, while he stayed at the very bottom. He was not blind, nor foolish, despite what the Dark Lord seemed to think. He knew he was expendable, even when the other Death Eaters tried to pretend that they were treating both brother and sister equally.

It would have been easy for him to hate her. But Amycus had never done "easy". Easy had not been what life threw at him. Everything he had done, he had done for her, putting his own needs aside. And apparently, he had to continue to do so.

So he saved her every time a spell was thrown at her during a raid, stood by her and ensured everything was alright as they reminded the students of Hogwarts of the true power of the Dark Lord.

And yet, every day, he would have to remind himself that he was fine with it; fine with not having an identity of his own, fine with just being his sister's keeper.

He never quite convinced himself.