Months passed, and it was summer holidays. As Sirius boarded the train, he decided he would sit with Remus even though he knew what his parents would do. Remus tried to protest, but Sirius insisted. Eventually, Remus relented and sat with Sirius and James. When Sirius got home, things took a turn for the worst.

"Reg, go upstairs and don't come out no matter what. Stay upstairs." Sirius said.

"No. He stays." Sirius's mother said. She spoke with authority. She had heard.

"Don't make him watch this." Sirius said.

"He won't be watching. You will." His mother said.

"NO! No, I won't let you do that to him!" Sirius yelled.

"You'll do as I say!" His mother shouted. She pointed her wand at Sirius.

"Imperio!" She shouted. She forced Sirius to watch as his dad used the Cruciatus Curse on Regulus. Sirius fought the curse until he broke free. He jumped in front of Regulus and told Regulus to go upstairs. Sirius then got a few rounds of the curse.

"CRUCIO!!" Sirius's mother screamed. Sirius bit his lip so hard he tasted something metallic in his mouth. Blood. He didn't care. He didn't scream either.

"CRUCIO! CRUCIO, CRUCIO, CRUCIO!!" His father joined in. As usual, it was enough to make Sirius scream. He received a beating from his father too, and several dark magic spells from his mother. They didn't heal, even by the time he returned to Hogwarts. At that point, his friends noticed something was off. Sirius missed the Dinner Feast, and missed his brother's sorting. Another Gryffindor. They joined Sirius in the Private Ward of the Hospital Wing.

"Sirius?" Remus asked gently, reaching toward the curtains.

"No. Don't. It's.. Bad this time. Don't open the curtains." Sirius said.

"Let us in, Sirius." Remus said gently.

"C'mon mate." James said.

"One at a time. At least for now. Remus first." Sirius said, conceding. They agreed, and Remus gently entered the curtains. Sirius was covered in unsealed and infected cuts, bruises, broken bones, and so much more. He was in bad shape.

"It's worse without my robes on." Sirius said.

"Let me see." Remus said. Sirius sighed, but got up. He untied his robes and let them fall. He was wearing nothing bit his boxers. Sirius was right. It was worse without his robes. Sirius gently put his robes back on, being careful not to hurt himself.

"What happened?" Remus asked cautiously.

"James's turn." Sirius said, changing the subject. Remus expected this, but stepped out to let James in.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, mate." Sirius said.

"So are you. How bad?" Jane's asked.

"Bad. I'll tell all of you everything after I talk to Peter too." Sirius said. James nodded.

"Is it true, what you said? About it being worse without your robes?" James asked. Sirius nodded, and stood up. He groaned a little. Madam Pomfrey hadn't noticed Sirius sneak in, so she hadn't healed Sirius. Not even partially. Sirius let his robes fall. Again, he was wearing nothing but his boxers. Again, he slipped his robes back on gently. James was shocked for a moment, but smiled affectionately.

"Peter's turn?" James asked.

"Yeah." Sirius said. Peter stepped in, and Sirius dropped his robes to avoid the question of if he was telling the truth about it being worse. He slipped his robes back on and sat on the bed.

"You'll be okay, right?" Peter asked Sirius.

"I'll be fine, Pete. Really." Sirius said. He tried to smile, he was happy after all, but couldn't. It hurt too much.

"I think it's time we get Madam Pomfrey to heal a few of these and clean the rest. Don't tell her, but.. I cut. Over the summer. Most recently last night. I used Glamour Charms this morning before I got on the train. Besides you and the others, Reg is the only one who knows I cut. And.. I'll need you all here when Madam Pomfrey does it. It's.. Going to hurt. A lot." Sirius said. Peter smiled, and left to get Madam Pomfrey.

"Sirius. You slipped past me." Madam Pomfrey said as she entered the Private Ward.

"My specialty." Sirius said with sarcasm in his voice. He still couldn't smile painlessly, though he desperately wanted to smile. Madam Pomfrey allowed the others in, and got cleaning supplies for Sirius's wounds. Dittany, bandages, muggle antibiotic ointment, and medical tape.

"This is going to hurt." Madam Pomfrey warned.

"I know. Remus, hold my hand?" Sirius asked, desperate for some moral support. Remus nodded, and sat down made to Sirius's bed and took Sirius's hand in his.

"You'll need to take off your robes." Madam Pomfrey said. Sirius did. Madam Pomfrey started with an ordinary Scorgify. Sirius moaned in pain. Remus squeezed Sirius's hand. Madam Pomfrey then did the Dittany. Sirius bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. Madam Pomfrey noticed.

"You can scream, Sirius. I did Silencing Charms on the walls. I expected that when Peter said how bad it was." Madam Pomfrey said. So Sirius let himself scream. Remus squeezed Sirius's hand. Madam Pomfrey worked as quickly as the could, and Sirius was mostly healed after a couple hours. Regulus came to see him after.

"Hey, Siri." Regulus said.

"Hey, Reg." Sirius said weakly.

"You took the brunt end." Regulus commented.

"As usual. I'm used to it, but I won't let them do it to you. I fought as hard as I could the fist day, but I'm sorry I didn't take it sooner." Sirius said.

"You shouldn't have taken it at all. Pain?" Regulus asked.

"Pretty good right now. Where are the others?" Sirius asked.

"Common Room. Madam Pomfrey said you're free to go. Everyone else is asleep. I'll take you there." Regulus said. And Regulus did. He even knew the password, which surprised Sirius as he was expecting Regulus to be a Slytherin.

"You guessed right. I'm Gryffindor. Like you." Regulus said, as though he read Sirius's mind. Sirius chuckled slightly and linked into the Common Room. He sat down next to Remus.

"What happened the first couple days?" Remus asked.

"They started with Reg, to punish me. Used Imperio again. Made me watch. But I fought it until I won and jumped in front of Dad's wand. I told Reg to go upstairs. He obeyed, and I got several rounds of the Cruciatus curse, a few beatings and some dark magic curses from mum after." Sirius said.

"Mostly the same every day." Sirius said. Regulus agreed.

"Bed." Sirius said weakly and went upstairs. He went upstairs and crashed hard. No nightmares. He finally had a good night's sleep.

Years passed, and Sirius was sixteen. After his fifth year at Hogwarts was over, his mother burned his name off the tapestry and made Sirius watch. The day after his sixteenth birthday. Regulus had been disowned to. Sirius took Regulus with him and went to James's house, and the Potters took him in. He was finally an Animagus and helped Remus with his transformations. He even began researching a way for Remus's transformations to become even more bearable. And he found one. A new potion. Wolfsbane, he called it. Remus would keep his mind when he transformed. And it worked, too. But it didn't relieve the pain. Now that he lived with the Potters, he could start making the Potion again and sending it to Remus. Remus was grateful and very glad Sirius was out of the house. Sirius was glad he was too, and glad Regulus was safe. Regulus did not become a Death Eater, and was totally safe. James and Lily still died, but Sirius didn't go after Peter, and never ended up in Azkaban and even got custody of Harry. Harry grew up happy and healthy.

The End

PS: So, that's all. Sorry I cut the story short, I had every intention of going into the Animagus process but wanted to start another story. No spoilers! Only it starts in what would have been Harry's seventh year, bad Harry nor started hunting the Horcruxes with Ron and Hermione.