A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. However, I hope the wonderfulness of this chapter will convince you not to judge me too harshly. This is dedicated to Reader4ever who loves it so much and to everyone who has waited nearly three months for it!

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me…except Carina and I don't like her anyway!

Chapter 12: Promises

"Kneel!"

Sirius resisted the impulse to roll his eyes only because Lucius was pointing a wand at him.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I know all the unforgivable curses. Because crucio is my speciality and because I now know that you care for the muggle girl. Do you thing she'' ever like you Black if you're the one responsible for her being in pain? Kneel!"

Sirius stayed still, silently facing the wand point, refusing, even now, to plead.

Lucius lost his temper. "Get down on your fucking knees Black!"

There was a sarcastic retort already forming on Sirius's tongue when he remembered his promise.

I will protect you no matter what…I swear.

Shrugging and trying to look as if it was a matter of no concern to him, Sirius sank gracefully to his knees at Lucius's feet. He stared fixedly at the hem of Lucius's robes not thinking about what he was doing, feeling more than hearing Snape disguise a snigger. The wand pressed into his forehead but he didn't look up, refusing to let them see that he was afraid of what was to come, so when it came, it came without warning.

"Crucio!"

The pain blasted through him, crippling him. Disjointed words floated through his head. Don't…let…them…hear…you…scream. All the same, he was screaming more loudly than he had ever done before.

At last it stopped. Sirius lay on the floor, trembling and trying to muffle his sobs. The laughter of the others brought him back to himself and humiliated he hauled himself back to his knees refusing to seem and weaker.

"Kiss my foot Black," taunted Lucius, knowing that he would not.

"No!" responded Sirius, somewhat predictably.

Lucius's voice took on a dangerous edge. "I'll ask you only once more Black. Kiss. My. Feet."

"Never!" Sirius's voice was little more than a whisper.

This time when the wand touched his head he looked up, knowing that they could all see the terror rampant in his dark eyes. Even so, he wasn't able to fling himself sideways.

"Crucio!"

More pain. More uncompromising agony. Sirius sank his teeth into his bottom lip, determined, this time, not to shriek. The blood ran down his face to mingle with the sweat and tears. This time when Lucius lifted the curse it took Sirius longer to force himself back to his knees.

When the wand point touched his head for the third time it wasn't that he didn't want to look up, it was that he physically lacked the strength.

"Cru-"

"No! Please!" the words were out before he could stop them. "Please…I…I'll do it," Sirius muttered, his voice tinged with defeat. He leant forward, meaning to touch his lips lightly to Lucius's boot.

"If you get blood on my new boots Black your girlfriend won't even live long enough for you to regret it." Sirius drew back in time to avoid the kick Lucius aimed at him though the effort left him dizzy.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice cracking with desperation.

"Nothing you can't give Black don't worry," smirked Lucius. "I want to break you. I want you to submit to me because you are too weak, not because I threaten the girl. Then you can't explain it away as being a noble, heroic, Gryffindor action. So I find myself facing a dilemma Black, do I want to hear you beg for a respite or do I want you to grovel for me to turn my wand on her?"

Beg. Grovel. Alien words to Sirius who came from a proud line. Even at school he'd rather struggle than ask for help. Than admit he couldn't do it.

"Tell you what," Lucius continued his voice dripping with malice, "tell you what, I'll just keep crucioing you and see which happens first."

Sirius gave an involuntary whimper which he attempted to disguise as a cough.

"Unless you can convince one of the others to ask me not to in the next minute."

Sirius's instinct was to tell Lucius to crucio him. He would ask no one for help on bended knee, there was nothing he needed that badly. But Carina. If Lucius touched him with that wand again he'd be past protecting anybody and who knew what would happen to her without him. "Regulus?" he tried hesitantly.

Nothing but the younger boy's high pitched giggle.

"Bellatrix? Narcissa?"

Silence.

"Please," his voice was filled with desperation, "please won't one of you help me?"

Still nothing. So much for blood being thicker than water then. That left one person. Just one. Everything in Sirius balked at the idea of crawling before Snape.

I will protect you.

Slowly. Sirius inched over until his head was level with Snape's knees.

"Please Snape," he deliberately kept his voice level, this was degrading enough without whimpering, "please will you help me?"

Snape looked down at him.

"Please," Sirius implored again.

Still Snape said nothing. Sirius felt a rising sense of panic, so intense that it cooled even his blush of mortification. He was going to have begged Severus Snape, on bended knee no less, and no help was forth coming. He swallowed convulsively and licked his dry lips. His brain seemed to be frozen. 'You are not going to remain like this' he told himself 'you are going to stand up and do your utmost to appear unafraid.' He stayed exactly where he was.

"Ten seconds," drawled Lucius.

"I'm not opposed to getting blood on my shoe," Snape hissed viciously.

Sirius twisted his lips to stop himself from retching. He wouldn't…he couldn't…he'd rather die…

I will protect you

No! Never! Not even for her!

No matter what

"Six…five…four," chanted Lucius mockingly.

I swear

Sirius leant forwards and quickly kissed the toe of Snape's shoe.

"Three…" now the others had joined in too, "two…one…cru-"

Sirius looked pleadingly up at Snape, sacrificing what was left of his pride.

"No. Wait." Snape said calmly, sneering as he spoke. "I vouch for him Lucius. I ask you not to crucio him."

"You…what?"

For a heart stopping moment Sirius thought that he wasn't going to honour his own agreement, then, "Oh very well."

Sirius made as if to rise.

"Say thank you Black," jeered Snape.

Lucius was still holding the wand.

"Thank you," muttered Sirius bitterly.

Then he clambered to his feet, swaying slightly, barely able to stand. He looked at each of them in turn, saving one last defiant glare for Lucius before brushing past them and striding from the room, hearing the laughter start up behind him as he left.

A/N: Aww! My poor baby. The only thing worse would've been if James had seen him. I suppose that's chapter 13 then…Please review and let me know what you think.