Will, darling, I finally wrote this for you! I might be turning it into a collection too, so maybe be prepared for more Ministry RemReg!
Also, happy belated birthday :)
(This may have been what put me on my current RemReg kick, so you have this to thank for our current rp...)
Disclaimer: This is VERY CANON DIVERGENT! Also, I am absolutely not at all learned in any sort of law or criminal defense practice. I did no research on this, so if it's 100% wrong or not believable, just know I wrote this for fun and… yeah XD
Warnings: Some foul language, very slight steam (I'm so bad at steam so it's there but light), it's a trial scene so like.. Mentions of murder and war and Voldemort. I think that be it.
Harsh Lines (Soft Smiles)
Regulus straightened the collar of his official robes, taking one last look at himself in the mirror. He kept trying to tell himself that he wasn't nervous, but he never once believed that lie. This was his first time presenting in front of the Wizengamot. Of course he was nervous.
But he knew he couldn't show it.
Still staring at himself, he fixed his hair, ignoring his boyfriend's voice in his head telling him he didn't like how it was styled. It was his boyfriend's least favorite thing. Too much gel, he would say. I like it when it's loose and floppy. This version of you is too rigid.
But he had to be rigid. This was a big day for him.
With one final deep breath, he gave himself an encouraging nod and left the bathroom. Before long, he was walking into the courtroom. His eyes flickered up to where the Wizengamot would gather. A few of them were seated already, sharply dressed people with sharp minds. There, sitting casually, amber eyes burning everything they passed over, was the youngest member of the Council yet—
Remus Lupin.
He made Regulus nervous, especially when they locked eyes. It was something in the way he sat, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap. He was calm and collected. Too calm and collected. Every word that pushed past his lips was carefully crafted and artfully spoken. He could talk any man into a decision that would change their life.
Stand up straight. Regulus heard his boyfriend's words from earlier that morning playing through his head. Show them all that you belong in the same room.
He squared his shoulders, his eyes hardening as he stared at Councilman Lupin. He gave the man a look that said, "I won't back down."
Councilman Lupin only smirked in response. It was a challenge. He was taunting Regulus, and they both knew it. After what felt like eternity, Regulus turned his eyes away, realizing the courtroom was filling up with spectators and the rest of the Council.
Regulus took his seat in the center of the courtroom. After a few more minutes of agonizing anxiety for Regulus, the doors to the left opened, revealing a young man flanked by two Aurors and two Dementors. A chill filled the air and it was all Regulus could do to keep his back straight and chin up.
"This is nonsense." The voice that spoke was clear and strong. Regulus tilted his eyes up to see Councilman Lupin standing, pulling his wand from his official plum-colored robes. "Expecto Patronum," the man said, and from his wand burst a large, silver wolf.
A calm settled the room, though it didn't last long.
"That is not how things are done," said another man. Regulus recognized him as Councilman Avery. "The Dementors are to stand guard for the duration of the trial."
Councilman Lupin hummed as he turned to the man, his lips set in an almost apologetic smile, though his eyes were fiery. "The accused has been magically restrained and is before a room of very highly trained witches and wizards. He should be no trouble for us, no? And this way, our decision isn't at all marred by the unpleasant effects of the Dementors."
As always, his words were precise and effective. Councilman Avery backed down almost immediately. It would have impressed Regulus if he wasn't so infuriated. After a moment of staring at Councilman Lupin, Regulus turned his attention to the accused.
He was a little surprised the Wizengamot allowed him to present this case. After all, it was his brother being magically strapped to the chair beside him.
"You ready for this, Reg?" Sirius asked, twitching in the chair as soon as the Aurors finished binding him into place. Regulus could tell that he was itching to be able to move. His fingers tapped against the armrest, his legs bouncing in place. If there was one thing that Regulus knew about his brother, it was that he couldn't stand sitting still.
Regulus nearly scoffed. "Of course I am. Now keep quiet and let me get you out of this situation."
Sirius made a noise of indignation before relenting. He was quiet, though Regulus knew he hated that almost as much as he hated staying still.
Only a few more minutes passed. Then Bartemius Crouch Senior cleared his throat, stood from his place in the middle of the Wizengamot, and held his wand up to amplify his voice.
And the trial began.
Regulus barely heard the official words that Councilman Crouch spoke. He knew his brother's charges by heart: the murder of Peter Pettigrew, the murder of 12 Muggle bystanders, and the attempted murder of James Potter, Lily Potter, and Harry Potter, as well as being The Dark Lord's right hand man.
Regulus also knew how Sirius pleaded. "Not guilty," he called out when prompted, standing from his chair, his hands splayed on the desk in front of him to bear his weight. He could feel the entire Council's eyes on him, but none burned as harshly as Remus Lupin's.
When he was given the floor, Regulus let his hands leave the desk. He stepped in front of it, in front of where his brother was bound, and he addressed the Wizengamot.
"This will be a quick trial," he promised, doing everything in his power to keep his voice strong and his eyes hard. "Sirius Black has consented to a dose of Veritaserum. There will be no question as to the validity of his words."
On his cue, the side doors opened again, and in walked a man holding a vial of clear liquid. "The Veritaserum has been prepared by the Ministry's own Severus Snape. If the Council wishes to test this batch, I propose we hold a short recess. After the potion has been verified, we can proceed with the trial and free this innocent man."
A collective murmur spread throughout the courtroom as Regulus held Councilman Crouch's gaze. Then, after an agonizing few moments, the leader of the Wizengamot stood. "We will break for a fifteen minute recess."
Regulus felt himself relax a miniscule amount, until his eyes caught Councilman Lupin's. He held his gaze for a moment, then nodded and turned to his brother. "Fifteen minutes. Are you fine if I step out for a breather?"
Sirius shrugged. "I guess. I just wish I could step out with you," he said. He looked as anxious as Regulus felt.
"I know," Regulus replied with a sigh. "But Severus' potion is good. You'll be a free man again soon."
Sirius looked like he wanted to argue, most likely about Severus doing anything well, but he held it in, and Regulus was grateful for that. With a slight, encouraging smile, Regulus clapped Sirius on the shoulder before stepping away.
As ridiculous as it might be at a time like this, Regulus needed something to eat. Mainly to still his nerves, as this was his highest profile case to date. So, with roughly fourteen minutes of their recess left, Regulus went down to the Ministry cafeteria and bought himself a pastry. He ate it slowly, his eyes closed as he ran through what the rest of the trial would entail.
Finally, with about five minutes of the recess left, Regulus began making his way back up to the courtroom. He was nearly there when a burning pair of strong hands grabbed him and pulled him into a smaller, empty courtroom.
He had been expecting something like this to happen, but not before the trial had ended. "You look so good out there," a low voice said as lips latched against his skin, sucking at his pulse point. "So calm and in control. So beautiful."
If the hands on his hips burned, then the lips on his skin seared white-hot and overwhelming. "Fuck," he gasped, his head dropping back against the wall behind him. "This isn't fair. I have to go back out there."
"Language," the man in front of him tutted as he pressed against Regulus' body. "You have four minutes to regain control of yourself. I expect you to perform well, Mr. Black."
And then Regulus was alone, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. He let out a low string of curses before straightening himself up and fixing his appearance. With two minutes left to go, he left the smaller courtroom and returned to the larger one to be by his brother's side.
As soon as he was in place, he raised his gaze to find Councilman Lupin looking as smug and in control as ever. Regulus glared at him in return.
Regulus' boyfriend's words echoed in his ears once more. Show them all that you belong in the same room. He straightened his shoulders. "I won't let you distract me," he mouthed to Councilman Lupin.
"Good. Perform for me," the other man mouthed in return before tilting his head in an almost arrogant smirk.
Regulus glared until he heard Sirius snort. "You two are so weird," he said, and Regulus turned to direct his glare at his brother.
"Get over it. At least we have an ally on the Council," Regulus said in return, his voice short and low. "I guarantee, if they were hesitant about accepting the Veritaserum route, Lupin pushed them in favor of it."
Sirius made a noise of agreement. "I'm not doubting that, but you could probably stand to not be so obvious about your 'partnership,'" Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
Regulus opened his mouth to say something more, but was cut off by Councilman Crouch calling the court back into order.
"The Veritaserum has been checked and the Council has decided to allow its use in this trial. However, supplementary evidence must be presented to support Sirius Black's claims as he is under the effect of the potion, as even Veritaserum is not infallible. Mr. Black, you may proceed," Councilman Crouch said, and Regulus nodded, allowing himself to take a calming breath before standing up.
Show them all that you belong in the same room.
"Mr. Snape, if you will administer the Veritaserum?" Regulus said, standing aside, giving Severus the space he needed to step forward and give the potion to Sirius. Thankfully, Sirius allowed Severus to give it to him with no griping.
Three drops and one minute later, Regulus took one last deep breath. He addressed Sirius directly. "What is your full name?"
"Sirius Orion Black."
"Your age?"
"Twenty-Two. Today's my birthday."
Regulus winced at that. His brother deserved a better birthday than to stand trial for the murder of one of his closest friends and the attempted murder of three people who are practically family.
"Hogwarts House?"
"Gryffindor."
Finally deciding he was done with the generic questions, and hoping the Wizengamot was satisfied with the ease of Sirius' answers, Regulus moved on.
"Have you ever conspired with the Dark Lord?"
"No."
"Have you ever considered joining him?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"He is evil and so are his views. I believe in equality."
Regulus nodded, taking a steadying breath. The courtroom around them was surprisingly silent, and Regulus could swear that the beating of his heart could be heard by everyone in the room.
"How long have you known Peter Pettigrew."
"Eleven years."
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"You were seen having a fight with him, threatening his life in front of Muggle bystanders. Is this true?"
"Yes."
"Why were you threatening him?"
"Because he is the one responsible for the attempt on the Potters' lives."
"We will move onto that in a moment. Before then, tell me… After you threatened Pettigrew, there was an explosion that killed Pettigrew and twelve Muggle bystanders. Were you responsible for the explosion?"
"No."
And so the trial continued. By the time Sirius' Veritaserum wore off, he had discounted all of his charges as well as outed Pettigrew as an Unregistered Animagus (though Regulus had particularly worded things so Sirius didn't out himself or James in the process). He also revealed that they made Pettigrew the Potters' Secret-Keeper at the last minute, but even then had asked Regulus to place a second layer of protection over his closest friends.
As it so happened, that second layer had saved the Potters' lives, though both Lily and James had been injured in the break-in. They were both still unconscious at St. Mungo's, but the Healers were almost positive they would make full recoveries.
Sirius leaned back in his seat, looking exhausted. "The potion has worn off," he finally declared. "I can't feel it in my system anymore."
Regulus nodded before turning to the Wizengamot. "There. Do you still believe this man is guilty for the things he is being accused of?" he asked, standing up straighter. They were so close to being done—he could see the apprehension in over half of the Council's eyes, and even Councilman Lupin looked impressed.
Councilman Crouch, on the other hand, watched Regulus passively. "Perhaps he isn't. However, you have yet to provide the Wizengamot with supplemental evidence to support Sirius Black's claims."
The air in the courtroom was charged. Regulus knew most people didn't believe the Wizengamot needed more evidence on top of Sirius' Veritaserum charged testimony, however Councilman Crouch never backed down. It wasn't in his nature.
Regulus was just about to open his mouth to argue, to do as a Lawyer should do and fight for his client, but he was cut off by a familiar voice.
"May I make a proposition?" Councilman Lupin asked, shifting forward in his chair and leaning his elbows on his forearms. The entirety of the courtroom turned to face him, but he didn't seem bothered by it one bit. If anything, he preened under the attention.
Councilman Crouch raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
"All of Sirius Black's claims can and will be either verified or disputed once Lily and James Potter wake up. If he truly is an innocent man, it would be wrong to send him to Azkaban until that happens, so what if we place him under a modified House Arrest?"
"Is that really—" Councilman Crouch started, but he was cut off rather quickly.
"Not in his childhood home, that would be counter intuitive. Besides, even the worst of criminals don't deserve that horror," Councilman Lupin said with a wave of his hand. "What I'm suggesting is that he stays with one of the Wizengamot. Someone qualified, with the proper wards on their home to keep him in place."
Councilman Crouch didn't look impressed. "And who do you suppose would take on this task?"
The smile that Councilman Lupin bared was wolfish, his amber eyes burning. "Why me, of course. My home is best equipped for keeping dangerous beings locked inside, as I'm sure you're aware."
The courtroom was silent for a moment, air as charged as ever as everyone waited to see how Councilman Crouch would respond. Even Regulus was holding his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from Councilman Lupin.
Mere seconds passed, but it felt like much longer, when Councilman Crouch seemed to deflate. "Very well," he said, sitting back in his chair. "We will have a team of Aurors transfer and secure Sirius Black into your custody for the foreseeable future, effective immediately. This trial has been put on hold until James or Lily Potter awakens and regains enough strength to share their testimonies."
And with that, Regulus' most anticipated day was over.
…
Regulus stepped out of the shower, wrapping an annoyingly fluffy towel around his hips. The towels were his boyfriend's idea. Everything soft in their home was because of his boyfriend, including Regulus himself.
Out in the public eye, he was all rigid and sharp edges, but at home he was fluffy and soft and little. And that's the way his boyfriend liked it.
"Finally. I like your hair much better like this," his boyfriend said as he wrapped his arms around Regulus from behind and pressed his nose to his freshly washed hair.
Regulus glanced in the mirror and met beautiful amber eyes. "Please… this isn't even the first time today you've seen it unstyled. Besides, you didn't seem to mind in the courtroom. I believe you called me beautiful?"
Councilman Lupin—Remus—the love of Regulus' life—let out a clear laugh. "You're always beautiful, Reg," he said, squeezing his arms around him a little tighter. They were both silent for a moment, though the joy never left Remus' expression. "Did you see the look on Barty's face when he realized we lived together?"
Regulus snorted, shoving Remus back a little. "You get way too much joy out of people's discomfort, Re."
Remus released Regulus, holding his hands up in surrender. "True," he said with a mischievous grin. "Speaking of which, you do realize we get to torment your brother for a little while, right?"
The glee that Remus exuded was infectious. Regulus couldn't help the grin that spread over his lips. "Of course I do," he replied, turning to face Remus. With steady hands, he cupped his boyfriend's jaw and pulled him into a searing kiss.
Then, against his lips, Regulus whispered, "This will be fun."