A/N: Blaming the handful of reviewers that gave shoutouts to Stay Strong Sirius recently for making me want to revisit it nearly a decade later. Figured a revamp was necessary but where it was posted in 2013/before we got Fleamont and Euphemia's names I'm not willing to touch the original document.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is very happy to admit she is not J.K. Rowling.
Trigger warning: This story will contain references to child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, blood, scars, and depression/anxiety. If that makes you uncomfortable, feel free to exit and check out one of my other works.
Ragged breaths escaped while Sirius tried his best to summon enough strength to knock on the door in front of him. His whole body was trembling, bloodied dress shirt up against his nose in a feeble attempt at staunching the crimson liquid escaping from it.
The events that led up to his arrival at the Potter's doorstep were a blur. He had opted for using the Knight Bus, his traveling late at night unquestioned since Regulus cast a glamour spell on him. The only thing Sirius had to do was call the bus and clearly state the name of the next street over from where he wanted to go.
Focusing was hard. His thoughts swirled around wanting to sleep but he knew he couldn't. At least, he wouldn't be able to until he was certain he was safe.
His trip on the Knight Bus was mostly uneventful. It was haunted by flashbacks of the moments leading up to his leaving.
The shouting match during dinner shouldn't have been surprising. A few days home and the one topic his mother fixated on was the company he kept. Of his three close friends, James Potter was the only one deemed respectable enough for her heir to be somewhat friendly with. Even that was a stretch because of the people the Potters associated with.
Next was a comment on Peter then something about the mangy-looking half-blood. Whatever else was said about Remus didn't fully register. Sirius was seeing red. His fingers clenched hard enough around his wine glass to make it shatter, causing crimson drops to scatter across the white table cloth.
The sound of broken glass made Regulus jump in his seat. He threw a warning look at his brother from across the table. Sirius shook his head and clenched his jaw to keep from doing anything else to further draw attention to himself.
"Hit a nerve, have I?" Walburga quirked a brow at her oldest son. Sirius avoided making eye contact with her. "Peculiar that it took the comment about the shabby one to get that strong of a reaction."
An argument followed after and got bad enough for his father to take control of things. Orion seldom stepped in when it came to disciplining his children. He was the most severe of the two. Where Walburga stuck to the occasional cruciatus or imperious curse on Sirius, Orion preferred more lasting punishments. The sort that did more damage than good and often left Sirius refusing to speak for days to weeks at a time.
Sirius made sure they didn't lay a finger on Regulus. Their parents were in the habit of punishing him for the slightest infractions on Regulus' part. Regulus was always forced to watch. It kept the two walking on eggshells when at home. Compliance was the expectation and anything else ended poorly for Sirius.
The punishment from Orion resulted in a stunning spell being cast on Sirius when he refused to apologize for his outburst, swearing at his mother having been the thing to push Orion into action.
Sirius could only look on in silence when his father took a carving knife from the table, stuck in a seated position in his chair.
"Father," The hissed word escaped through Regulus' lips and earned a glare from Orion.
"No," Orion growled then set the knife down, having changed his mind about what instrument to use for the lesson that was going to be taught. Regulus flinched back and sat up straight in his seat, struggling to keep an eye on Sirius. "It is about time you learned what happens to blood traitors in this household."
Regulus mouthed the word blood traitor and paled, not noticing that his mother was now tightly holding onto his wrist. The rule of no wands at the table during mealtimes and knowing his asking them to stop only made things worse kept him from trying to take action.
Orion lit a cigar and took a long drag from it, exhaling the smoke in his oldest son's face. He positioned it between his teeth and undid the buttons of Sirius' dress shirt, carelessly allowing the garment to slip down his son's arms. There was a moment where he looked over his son, taking note of a poorly healed scar from the last time things required his stepping in, then pressed the cigar against Sirius' chest.
The only acknowledgment to come from Sirius was his eyes watering to the point of tears. He couldn't move or do anything since the spell kept him still. Fighting against it would only deplete his magic.
Orion drew back when the cigar put itself out against his son's skin and re-lit it, continuing to leave several dots along his flesh. A low chuckle escaped when watery eyes turned into tears. Regulus managed to mask the look of horror that wanted to appear. He didn't move from Walburga's side.
"Regulus," His father's tone was nearly unrecognizable when he spoke. "Come." Walburga slackened her grip around his wrist and gave him a pointed look. Regulus swallowed back the feeling of bile that suddenly tried to come up and stood, needing a deep breath before he was able to approach his father.
Gray eyes focused on his shoes, unable to look at what was being done to his brother.
"I expect you to finish it," Orion held the cigar out to his son. Regulus' gaze shifted to his father's extended hand then moved to Sirius. He bit down hard on the inside of his lower lip to keep from saying anything. The letters t, r, a, i, and t were dotted on his brother's skin. Bits of blood were dripping down his chest.
Regulus' hesitation caused Orion to slap Sirius across the face. His wedding band left an extra red-looking mark on Sirius' cheek.
"Now," Orion spoke through gritted teeth. Regulus nodded but couldn't bring himself to raising his arm. Another blow was given to Sirius' face. This one caused a crack sound to come from his nose. "I will keep going until you are done."
Another nod from Regulus. His arm trembled when he brought it up and he met his brother's gaze, nearly crying out when he spotted the tears that were trailing down Sirius' cheek.
He mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' then did as he was told, not wanting to risk any more damage done to his brother.
"You are not holding it long enough," Orion spoke from beside him. Regulus shuddered then pressed harder, the letter o finished within a matter of seconds. The r was the one that gave him trouble since he didn't want to do anything else to his brother.
"Good son," Orion spoke through gritted teeth. "Now it's your mother's turn." Regulus took several unsteady steps away from his brother and his father, gazing back at his feet.
He lifted the spell and Sirius slumped forward against the table, breathing raggedly. Sirius forced his head up and glared at his father. The look was half hearted since he could barely sit upright. He grit his teeth to keep back a sob that wanted to escape and squeezed his eyes shut, not caring that the sudden change in posture left blood dripping on the lightly colored tablecloth.
"Not a word from you," Walburga rose from her spot at the table, wand drawn and directed at her youngest son.
"Not a word," Regulus spoke to show he heard her and stood in the way she and his father expected him to. Head held high, arms crossed at the wrists behind his back, and his gaze focused on a spot over Sirius' shoulder to look as though he was watching whatever lesson would ensue.
"Crucio," She flicked her wrist and gave a laugh when Sirius fell from his chair, writhing on the ground in pain. He clenched his jaw down to keep from screaming, hoping twitching on the floor would be enough to satisfy the monster he was supposed to call mother.
Luck was not on his side since Walburga put more anger into the spell. His stubbornness broke and made him cry out in pain and start begging for her to stop. The yelling left Regulus with his eyes squished shut, shoulders shaking since he truly couldn't do anything to make the situation any better.
There was no way of tracking how long Walburga held the spell but her removing it left Sirius shaking at her feet.
"Get out," Walburga grimaced and pulled her left leg back then swiftly shifted it forward, smirking when the blow to her son's stomach was accompanied by a crack and groan of pain from him. "Five minutes to gather your things. Then you are no longer my son."
The parents left the room after that, leaving a panicked-looking Regulus to assist with getting Sirius back on his feet.
"'m fine," Sirius winced when he sat up. Tears escaped despite him trying to keep them from falling. He wanted to prove he was strong enough to handle things but they had gone too far. "G-Get the … trunk's packed already. Wand is inside. And the mirror on my nightstand."
Regulus nodded then crept upstairs to grab his brother's things. They wouldn't have wanted him helping but Sirius wasn't in any shape to do it himself. The only thing Regulus left behind in the room (besides the items that were permanently stuck by his brother) was the one framed photo where he and Sirius looked cheerful.
He called on Kreacher and was shocked to find out their parents hadn't banned the elf from answering to him. The request was accompanied by the elf muttering under his breath but he was able to ask Kreacher to deliver the trunk to the Potter's home. His last order was Kreacher not being allowed to breathe a word about where Sirius might go.
Once sorted, Regulus was back at his brother's side. He had his wand and the mirror in his hand.
"Yours," Sirius winced when he gestured at the mirror. "Unless you come with me." Regulus rapidly shook his head.
"Can't do that," Regulus whispered. "If they come after me it means they will have to take you back and that… Not worth it after tonight. You need to do what is best for you."
"Two-way mirror. All you have to do is say Prongs' name," Sirius spoke in a rush since he could hear heels echoing from down the hall. "I love you."
"Love you too," Regulus gave a sad sigh then stepped toward where Sirius sat, kneeling to button his shirt up. "How are you—"
"Knight Bus," His brother interrupted. "To Prongs'." Regulus nodded then pulled his wand from his pocket.
"I am going to cast a glamour," He whispered and waved his wand. A glamour and scourgify left Sirius looking less beat up. "Can't have you sent back for looking like hell."
"Appreciate it," Sirius muttered then pocketed his wand. He grabbed hold of Regulus for support then tugged him in for a hug before taking off running.
A gust of wind brought Sirius back to his senses, shakily exhaling when he found the nerve to curl his fingers into a fist and knock on the door. He hadn't stopped trembling since his mother's attack. The only bit of relief was having been able to grab his trunk from the outside of the wards on the house. Most of his energy went toward tugging it onto the property until it was properly warded then making his way to the door.
He managed to give two knocks then had to drop to the ground, curling into himself at the foot of the Potter's door. His hand hit his nose in the process and caused it to bleed again. Sirius clenched his teeth together to keep from crying out in pain, forcing his eyes open since he needed to make sure the knocks had been loud enough to get someone's attention.
A light flicked on in the hallway that led to the door and Sirius let himself slip into unconsciousness.
"Regulus doesn't joke," James grimaced, following behind his father as they made their way downstairs. He set the two-way mirror down on the bottom step.
Euphemia beat both men in her life to getting downstairs and had already gotten the lights on. She could be heard rummaging around in the kitchen, searching for first aid supplies.
"Sounds like the same thing that happened to Andromeda but her parents didn't resort to violence since she left on her own accord," He was rambling, the rest of his thought a garbled mess of words since he had made it to the front door.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take over?" Fleamont asked from behind his son.
"I can do it," James shook his head. He didn't know a lot about Sirius' homelife but there had been a few times at the start of the school year or coming back from winter break where Sirius returned with a bruise or cuts and tried hiding it. "He may not respond well if you or mum are the one to greet him."
Not knowing what to expect caused James to hesitate in opening the door. The most worrisome thing about the situation was having heard two knocks then nothing. He took a deep breath then opened the door when he exhaled, jumping backward since something solid made the door move fast. Sirius fell into the doorway, unmoving.
"He's bleeding," James whispered. There was little room for words since he was fretting over his friend's wellbeing. "And he's breathing. I can.."
"Leave him," Fleamont frowned. "We need to check him before we go to move him. I don't want to make anything worse."
A loud gasp announced Euphemia's arrival. She had her wand in hand and looked at her son.
"Is that the only damage?" She asked, unable to take her gaze off the blood dripping from Sirius' nose.
"It can't be," James mumbled. "Regulus said he cast a glamour since he—" The rest of the thought was lost to Euphemia removing the glamour charm. "Holy shit."
Neither parent chastised James' language, expressions grim since the spell revealed the damage that was done to Sirius. The blood on his shirt was a mix of drainage from his nose and something on his chest.
"Who did this to him?" Euphemia asked. She placed her wand in her bun, needing the answer before deciding her next move.
"His parents," James answered. "Regulus said they only ever went after Sirius. I… I think that was Sirius' doing but neither of them really speak about what goes on at home. I'm beginning to think their parents threatened them into silence."
"Oh bloody hell," Euphemia grimaced. "Fleamont get the camera. We are going to need documentation. I will reach out to Minerva once we get him stable." She cautiously undid the buttons on Sirius' shirt and gave a muffled cry at what she saw.
"Are you certain they didn't do anything to his brother?" She asked softly, knowing speaking above a whisper would turn into her emotions taking over. The word traitor was dotted on Sirius' chest. A closer inspection revealed they were burned into his skin. There were several bruises in various stages of healing along his abdomen.
"Positive," James frowned. "Only thing that seemed off was his keeping quiet. I don't think his parents know he helped him. He seemed shaken."
"Why didn't he go with him?" The question earned a shake of James' head. Euphemia had a feeling she didn't want to know the answer.
"Sirius always said his family didn't like him," He mumbled. "I didn't — He didn't give me or Remus a reason to believe things were more extreme than the glimpses we got. Regulus coming would have meant both parents at our doorstep."
He didn't say anything else after that, head hanging down since he felt like a terrible friend for not realizing Sirius was hiding secrets about his home life.
"I should have known," He announced when his father returned with a camera, healing ointments, and a quill and parchment.
"You can't blame yourself," Euphemia sighed then took the camera from her husband. She carefully shifted Sirius so he was laying on his back. The only relief in regards to the situation came from hearing his shallow breathing.
She took several photos, focusing on the marks on Sirius' face, his nose, and the word on his chest. Removing his shirt became necessary and she spotted a swollen spot on his stomach. Another picture was needed then she turned to her son.
"Do you have any reason to believe they may have done something below the waistline?" She asked. The question earned a grossed-out look from James.
"No," He shook his head. "That's a question better suited for Remus since they…" He paused and gave another shake of his head. "No, sex-wise everything is fine. Remus would have said something if there was anything suspicious."
"Okay," Euphemia nodded then shifted to start tugging at Sirius' trousers. Thankfully the teen had boxers on so she could give him some dignity. His legs seemed fine except for a scar down his left calf. Another photo was taken then she turned to her husband. "We need to sit him up to make sure there isn't anything on his back. Carefully."
Fleamont nodded then got to Sirius' level. The option of keeping him passed out wasn't one any of the Potters appreciated. With how much energy Sirius tended to have, it seemed best to get the initial observations done first then bring him back.
He cautiously sat the teen up then took a look at his back, sounding all too relieved when he answered.
"Nothing unusual, although you may want a photo for the sake of being thorough," Fleamont gave a grim smile.
"What are you going to do with the film?" James asked. Euphemia shrugged her shoulders.
"That will be up to Sirius once he heals," She murmured. "If he decides to take action against his parents, it will be necessary for proving he needs new guardians. The school will need to know something happened but I won't be giving full details unless he wants me to fully disclose things. Right now it will be a message to Minerva stating he will be here with us for the rest of the summer with minimal information about what happened."
"And if he doesn't want to take action?" James frowned, cautiously eyeing the friend he considered a brother.
"Then we get rid of the film," Euphemia answered. "It is best we are prepared for either situation once he is well enough to decide."
James gave a nod in response. He and his father carefully picked up Sirius so they could bring him to the couch in the living room. Euphemia summoned a new set of clothes for him and placed the ones he arrived in a bag with the camera. She dug her teeth into her lower lip while she clothed him then cast a spell to see what other damage had been done over the last week.
A piece of parchment came out of the tip of her wand and was several inches in length. Once it stopped, she read over the diagnostics and grimaced.
"We are going to need to get a healer," She announced. "I don't have enough here to make sure we don't run into issues."
"What happened?" James looked alarmed. "Regulus had said…" He trailed off since Euphemia went to talk again.
"Broken ribs, dehydrated, the marks on his chest, nose may be broken, and it appears he spent several minutes under the cruciatus curse," She couldn't hold back the sad sob that escaped when she admitted the last part. "There's no knowing if any permanent damage was done until he properly comes to."
James and his father exchanged an uneasy glance. Fleamont pulled him in for a hug since he looked ready to cry.
"This isn't your fault," Fleamont murmured. "I will get tea going and floo for a private healer then see if I can find his trunk."
"I'm going to bring him to," Euphemia whispered. She cast a spell on the couch to make it widen in size then put a protective spell over it in case Sirius tried to flee. It would hopefully keep him from landing on the ground. A wave of her wand caused Sirius to take a loud gasp of air, his hands flying up over his face to protect it from another blow. He was shuddering with his eyes shut, unwilling to open them since it likely meant being face to face with his father.
"Sorry," The word escaped in a whimper. "I'm sorry." He didn't move after that, only risking opening his eyes when he wasn't immediately hit or hexed. Gray eyes could barely focus but he recognized the outline of the Potter's sitting room. He had made it and was safe.
"Nothing to be sorry for, mate," James sighed then reached forward to hold Sirius' hand, grimacing when the teen flinched and curled into himself. The action earned a whimper of pain from Sirius but he didn't say anything else.
"We've got you. Mum is going to make sure you heal and rest up," He tried to smile at Sirius but it wouldn't meet his eyes. "Regulus wrote Remus so he will likely be here tomorrow. We've got you. You are home now."