Unforgivable
Chapter One: The Brothers Apart
James Potter had never thought he would mourn Severus Snape's death.
But it wasn't only Snape's death that brought him here, it was the death of a long and wonderful brotherhood, now torn apart with a few careless words.
He knew Snape was sitting in Heaven or Hell and hating him right now, hating him for living, hating him for trusting, hating him because the actions leading to this had started as revenge. Sirius had wanted to get back at Snape for hurting James Potter.
James didn't care that as he sat on the grass he had to be careful not to get the bandages covering his leg dirty, and not to move too much, lest he make useless the ones covering his neck, chest, and shoulder. He didn't blame Snape for that any longer, because here and now, there were things less forgivable that had been done.
He felt someone tap his good shoulder, and looked up and around at the man who was now probably his best friend alive, Peter Pettigrew. Peter was looking sadly down at the grave, but, "We've got to get back," he said softly, and James nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said blankly to the stone. He knew that wherever his archrival was, Snape didn't care, but it was better to say it than not to say it.
_-_-_
Sirius fiddled with the fragments of broken wood in his fingers. He deserved worse than he had been given - there was no doubt about that. He was a murderer, a destroyer. He was Dark. He couldn't be called a wizard any longer, not with his wand broken, not when he would never get another.
He heard from behind him a chuckle, and turned to see Regulus in the doorway. "What the Hell are you doing here?" Sirius asked sharply, his voice almost a bark. Regulus was fifteen and their parents were quite proud of the younger son.
"Well," Regulus drawled lazily, rolling his eyes up to look at the ceiling and leaning against the doorframe casually, "you see, I live here."
"Get out."
"Or what, you'll set a werewolf on me?" Regulus laughed and Sirius felt a shock run through his body, as if sparks had just shot through his blood. Red clouded his vision. "Don't be stupid, Sirius."
Sirius stood from the bed, feeling his fingers loosen and the pieces of wood fall from them. They clattered softly to the floor. He saw, as if through a mist, Regulus look up almost in startlement, and then he realized that his fingers were around his little brother's throat tight and that he was hissing unplanned words into the stupid boy's ear.
"Don't say that. Don't you ever say that -"
He was blind, deaf, he could not feel or think, all he knew was that nothing was right or ever would be, that he was a murderer and that now he was acting the part even better. His senses returned, and he could hear a voice cutting through a haze of rage and pain.
"Sirius," Regulus choked, barely audible. "Please."
He let go. He could see fingerprints on his brother's throat; Regulus had collapsed, gasping and coughing, to the floor.
He looked down at the pitiful form, and said in a cold, distant voice that had never belonged to him, "Promise me."
"I promise," the whispered reply came.
It was only then that Cepheus Black appeared in the doorway. "Regulus?" their father gasped, confused, and then his gaze rose slowly to meet Sirius' blazing black-rimmed grey eyes.
"You," the man whispered, and shook his head. "I've wasted too much money and effort on you, boy. This is the last straw. Do you have any idea how much it took to keep you from getting charged as an adult and sent to Azkaban? Do you have any idea how much we had to pay to keep this out of the press as much as we did? Even the little that did leak out has tarnished the good name of Black. You're lucky you're mother hasn't blasted you off the tapestry! And this is how you repay your family?" He gestured in fury at Regulus, who had stood and was massaging his bruising throat. "I'm warning you now, boy. You're on your last chance. You've got a week to shape up or you're out. Now apologize to your brother."
Sirius merely blinked at his father, who stood red-faced next to Regulus. The younger boy shook his head, seeing the look in Sirius' eyes. "It's all right, Father," Regulus said hoarsely, shooting worried glances between the two of them. "I.provoked him."
Ignoring Regulus, Cepheus held up a hand, balling it into a fist. "One week, Sirius," he breathed, calling the young man by his name for the first time since receiving an owl with notification that his eldest son had been placed in Gryffindor.
_-_-_
When they reached the common room at half past two, it was to find Albus Dumbledore sitting in the chair previously occupied by Remus. Upon seeing him there, James looked at his feet and Peter felt tears start in his eyes, of guilt and remembrance and shame.
James sat in his chair and Peter in his own, and when the headmaster did not speak, James, not meeting those blue eyes, asked softly, "Sir? Are we going to be punished?"
As if startled, Professor Dumbedore's head came up sharply. There was a silence, and then, "I would say," the headmaster sighed, speaking in a slow, measured way, "that you have been punished enough."
Peter answered him in a soft voice. "Thank you, sir."
"I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you," Dumbledore said bluntly.
"Difficult," James said flatly, and blew out a breath. "Wow. No offense, Professor, but difficult doesn't begin to do this justice. I hated Severus Snape. But that doesn't make it any easier. My old best friend, taking revenge for what was done to me, led my arch-rival to my werewolf friend, resulting in Snape's death. Remus came back insane, got taken to St. Mungo's, and today I get the word that he's vanished. Sirius has been expelled, but not punished except for having his wand broken, which I don't think will stop him too much. I mean -"
James flushed suddenly, and Peter shot him a warning look that did not help. Dumbledore had obviously caught it, for his eyebrows raised breifly, but then he sighed and said, "I'm afraid it's getting worse, although I'm not certain what your current opinions on this matter will be. The Ministry of Magic is about to arrest Sirius."
Chapter One: The Brothers Apart
James Potter had never thought he would mourn Severus Snape's death.
But it wasn't only Snape's death that brought him here, it was the death of a long and wonderful brotherhood, now torn apart with a few careless words.
He knew Snape was sitting in Heaven or Hell and hating him right now, hating him for living, hating him for trusting, hating him because the actions leading to this had started as revenge. Sirius had wanted to get back at Snape for hurting James Potter.
James didn't care that as he sat on the grass he had to be careful not to get the bandages covering his leg dirty, and not to move too much, lest he make useless the ones covering his neck, chest, and shoulder. He didn't blame Snape for that any longer, because here and now, there were things less forgivable that had been done.
He felt someone tap his good shoulder, and looked up and around at the man who was now probably his best friend alive, Peter Pettigrew. Peter was looking sadly down at the grave, but, "We've got to get back," he said softly, and James nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said blankly to the stone. He knew that wherever his archrival was, Snape didn't care, but it was better to say it than not to say it.
_-_-_
Sirius fiddled with the fragments of broken wood in his fingers. He deserved worse than he had been given - there was no doubt about that. He was a murderer, a destroyer. He was Dark. He couldn't be called a wizard any longer, not with his wand broken, not when he would never get another.
He heard from behind him a chuckle, and turned to see Regulus in the doorway. "What the Hell are you doing here?" Sirius asked sharply, his voice almost a bark. Regulus was fifteen and their parents were quite proud of the younger son.
"Well," Regulus drawled lazily, rolling his eyes up to look at the ceiling and leaning against the doorframe casually, "you see, I live here."
"Get out."
"Or what, you'll set a werewolf on me?" Regulus laughed and Sirius felt a shock run through his body, as if sparks had just shot through his blood. Red clouded his vision. "Don't be stupid, Sirius."
Sirius stood from the bed, feeling his fingers loosen and the pieces of wood fall from them. They clattered softly to the floor. He saw, as if through a mist, Regulus look up almost in startlement, and then he realized that his fingers were around his little brother's throat tight and that he was hissing unplanned words into the stupid boy's ear.
"Don't say that. Don't you ever say that -"
He was blind, deaf, he could not feel or think, all he knew was that nothing was right or ever would be, that he was a murderer and that now he was acting the part even better. His senses returned, and he could hear a voice cutting through a haze of rage and pain.
"Sirius," Regulus choked, barely audible. "Please."
He let go. He could see fingerprints on his brother's throat; Regulus had collapsed, gasping and coughing, to the floor.
He looked down at the pitiful form, and said in a cold, distant voice that had never belonged to him, "Promise me."
"I promise," the whispered reply came.
It was only then that Cepheus Black appeared in the doorway. "Regulus?" their father gasped, confused, and then his gaze rose slowly to meet Sirius' blazing black-rimmed grey eyes.
"You," the man whispered, and shook his head. "I've wasted too much money and effort on you, boy. This is the last straw. Do you have any idea how much it took to keep you from getting charged as an adult and sent to Azkaban? Do you have any idea how much we had to pay to keep this out of the press as much as we did? Even the little that did leak out has tarnished the good name of Black. You're lucky you're mother hasn't blasted you off the tapestry! And this is how you repay your family?" He gestured in fury at Regulus, who had stood and was massaging his bruising throat. "I'm warning you now, boy. You're on your last chance. You've got a week to shape up or you're out. Now apologize to your brother."
Sirius merely blinked at his father, who stood red-faced next to Regulus. The younger boy shook his head, seeing the look in Sirius' eyes. "It's all right, Father," Regulus said hoarsely, shooting worried glances between the two of them. "I.provoked him."
Ignoring Regulus, Cepheus held up a hand, balling it into a fist. "One week, Sirius," he breathed, calling the young man by his name for the first time since receiving an owl with notification that his eldest son had been placed in Gryffindor.
_-_-_
When they reached the common room at half past two, it was to find Albus Dumbledore sitting in the chair previously occupied by Remus. Upon seeing him there, James looked at his feet and Peter felt tears start in his eyes, of guilt and remembrance and shame.
James sat in his chair and Peter in his own, and when the headmaster did not speak, James, not meeting those blue eyes, asked softly, "Sir? Are we going to be punished?"
As if startled, Professor Dumbedore's head came up sharply. There was a silence, and then, "I would say," the headmaster sighed, speaking in a slow, measured way, "that you have been punished enough."
Peter answered him in a soft voice. "Thank you, sir."
"I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you," Dumbledore said bluntly.
"Difficult," James said flatly, and blew out a breath. "Wow. No offense, Professor, but difficult doesn't begin to do this justice. I hated Severus Snape. But that doesn't make it any easier. My old best friend, taking revenge for what was done to me, led my arch-rival to my werewolf friend, resulting in Snape's death. Remus came back insane, got taken to St. Mungo's, and today I get the word that he's vanished. Sirius has been expelled, but not punished except for having his wand broken, which I don't think will stop him too much. I mean -"
James flushed suddenly, and Peter shot him a warning look that did not help. Dumbledore had obviously caught it, for his eyebrows raised breifly, but then he sighed and said, "I'm afraid it's getting worse, although I'm not certain what your current opinions on this matter will be. The Ministry of Magic is about to arrest Sirius."
