Chapter 2: Running Away
The next morning Sirius woke up feeling as if a train had passed over his body. He groaned and turned to bury his head a little deeper in his pillows, when he heard someone knocking at his bedroom door.
He got himself up so quickly, he almost fell on the floor, grabbing his wand to kneel on his bed and looking at the door, like a dog sensing danger.
-It's just me... He heard Regulus say on the other side. -I... can I come in? Sirius sighed in relief and groan in approval as his younger brother entered shyly into his room. -Huh ... I ... He held him out the tray he was carrying with a big meal on it. -You must be hungry? I... I know Mamma will not let you eat anything if you refuse to eat during dinning so... Well…
-Did she send you with this? Do you really think I'm stupid enough to eat what she'd prepared? Sirius hissed, still on the lookout, eyebrows frown, piercing throw his brother's eyes.
-No! No, it's me who... Papa went to work and Mamma went to have tea at Aunt Druella's... Regulus explained quickly. -I just took the opportunity.
Sirius continued to stare at his brother for a moment, seeing Regulus's cheeks catching fire as he seemed nervous, stamping from foot to foot. He finally got out of his bed to look around and grab clothes to put them on quickly without saying anything.
-You know that Mamma would be furious if she saw you with all of this on your body? All those tattoos. mentioned Regulus, seeming to have regained some of his nerves. -You'll not be able to hide the new one you've got on your forearm for a long time.
Sirius shrug his shoulders as he peeked into his left forearm. It was completely covered with a magical tattoo of a stag, a dog, a wolf and a rat under the moonlight, the animals were moving their heads, the moon was twinkling. -What would she do? Tortured me? He asked sarcastically with a laugh.
He then pick up the tray his brother had brought him, his belly crying for food. He was eating as little as possible during dinner, because one evening, his mother had threatened to poison him if he kept on with all his talking about Gryffindor. As he knew she would be please to do it, it was safer for him to not touch anything that was on his plate. Only Walburga had forbidden him to eat anything if he did not eat with them at meals time.
-Hurry up, eat! I told Kreacher that it was for me so he will surely be here soon to pick up the tray. Sirius snorted when he heard their house elf's name, which caused Regulus to roll his eyes. -If you were nicer with him perhaps that he…
-Gentile with that little thing as much terrific and vile as Walburga? Sirius cut him coldly. -I'll be nice when his head goes with the others on the stairs, if I could cut it and hang it there myself I'd be delighted!
-Sirius! Regulus screamed as Sirius was putting back the empty tray in his hands. -You will not be able to defy papa and mamma for much longer! He received a dark look. -I'm serious! You're a damn Black! A Black you hear me! From both papa AND mamma!
-But it's not a good thing to be a Black! Sirius shouted at him perhaps a little louder than he wanted. -It's called, consanguinity and in their case, it's clearly incest. Said Sirius with a smirk. -All this shits are just going to bring me mental disorder nothing more.
-The Blacks are not suffering from dementia. Said Regulus on a reproachful tone.
-Did you come up here to lecture me, to watch me for mom or bring me food? I'd like to know Regulus because right now I'm sick of all this. I already have enough for the rest of the summer, until I can go to the Potters.
Regulus started to stamp on his feet when he heard Sirius mention the Potters. He avoided Sirius's glare, he had noticed the sudden agitation of his little brother. Regulus mutter that he would do well to bring back the tray to the kitchen before Kreacher came up. The house elf would be too happy to tell Walburga that Sirius had gone down to steal foods.
Regulus picked it up quickly and get out of the room to head for the lobby but Sirius had not said his last word. He had followed him and as he was grabbing him by the arm to make him turn around, Regulus was so surprised that he let the tray fall on the floor in a big echoing sound.
Walburga's painting on the ground floor began to howl, Kreacher was already there next to them. Regulus tried to get rid of Sirius, who had begun to shake him like a plum tree, ordering him to tell him what he knows. Sirius could be as frightening as Walburga some times. They both had the same gleam of pure rage in their eyes when they were angry and normally, nothing could make them heard reason when they were that furious.
-You will not go to the Potter's! Regulus shouted at him, pushing back his brother, who fell to the ground. -You will not join your little Gryffindor this summer! Mamma said you would stay here and that she would send you to another school if it was necessary, that you were finally going to take your place among us! Holy God Sirius, what did you expected!? He said when he saw Sirius's expression of horror. -Our place is at the Dark Lord's side! He will show the right way to all of us! He is the one we need to follow! He will rise the wizarding world at his highest like never before!
- Shut the fuck up Reg, I may vomit if you keep talking... and for heaven's sake SHUT THIS PAINTING AND THAT STUPID ELF DOWN! Sirius shouted as he rose to kick Kreattur, who was muttering incomprehensible blabbers since his arriving. The elf let out a squeal and went to hide himself behind Regulus.
He glared at Sirius before patting the elf gently on the head and asking him to stop talking and to go back to his duties. He went down to the ground floor and spoke to the painting, which also consented to silent itself, and uncomfortable calm coming back in the house.
-I hope you're ready Sirius, because you will take your rightful place, whether you like it or not. Said Regulus without looking at him -I should have been the eldest, at least I would not have made our parents suffer and I certainly wouldn't have dishonor our family. He raised his head, and Sirius looked at him with disgust over the railing. -You've tainted the house of Black for your mere amusement, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Sirius clenched his fists and said nothing, going back in his bedroom to lock himself inside. He was boiling with rage, his heart was going to explode he wanted to kill. Who did he think we was that little bastard of a Death Eater!? Giving him orders lecturing him about what was right or wrong! -So they all think they can dispose of me as it pleased them. He shouted for himself, punching the wall.
He looked rapidly around him, breathing heavily, a lightning ripping the sky, rains coming to bang at his windows. -It's the only way. He said to himself, aloud. -Or I'll become even more insane than I already am. He burst into hysterical laughter before running into all over his room, throwing his most important things into his trunk.
He did not have much time. It was already almost dinner time, Orion would be back from work around five o'clock and Walburga could come back at any moment now. He had had enough of this. If his mother thought she could stop him from going to James's house for the rest of the holidays, if she thought she could continue to inflict him the Imperius and the Cruciatus curses she could just kiss his ass.
He had enough, it was over he was going away and he would never come back to Grimmauld Place. -Never! He shouted again for himself. -I will not be your puppet any longer! He said at the door, talking to someone invisible. -I will never be forced to be locked in here anymore did you hear me! IT'S OVER!
He kicked his trunk to close it, a new lightning ripping the sky. To hell with Regulus, to hell with his heirloom and his lineage and to hell with all his family he would do well on his own. He grabbed a muggle coat and quickly put it on, shrinking his trunk to put it in an inside pocket with his wand.
He loved muggle clothes, it was much more practical than the ridiculous kind of outfits wizards could wear and it had always made his mother furious, so it was two for the price of one. He left his room on tiptoe, hearing the voice of his father on the ground floor. If only he had James's invisibility cloak, he thought bitterly. He went downstairs, trying to avoid cracking steps, waiting patiently on the first floor for his father to entered the living room.
He was with Regulus, so Sirius was free to rush quickly to the entrance door. Orion might have protect the house with all the defenses known to the wizardkind to prevent anyone from being able to find them, but that was to stop people from entering the house, not getting out, so its should be a child's play. Sirius laughed inside. As if normal people would have wanted to find them anyway.
-What are you doing? said a cold voice in his ear and he felt nails sinking into his shoulder. He turned his head with pure horror to see his mother's eyes. She was looking at him from head to toe and it was no good for him. -Orion! Your bastard of a son is trying to run away! She shouted as she pulled out her wand.
Panic, he slapped her violently before she could lift her wand and he turned on his heels when she fell, jumping down the stairs to let out a scream, falling to the ground, his father having jinx him with he didn't know whats spell. He felt his breath cut off in his chest as he spat out a stream of blood.
But he got up and took advantage of his father helping his mother to get up, getting up himself, adrenaline rushing through his entire body. He barely had time to get out of the house, avoiding the other curses that were thrown in his direction.
Once outside, he began to run like never before he had run in his life to reach the little wood further down the street. The rain was dripping hard on his face. He knew that his parents would not go further than the threshold of the door, but he sank into the wood as deeply as possible before falling against a tree when he thought to be far enough from Grimmauld Place.
It was over. He thought trying to catch his breath. He let out a new laugh that looked more like a sob and he could not tell if it was rain, or tears streaming down his cheeks.
He took a moment before getting up painfully, leaning against the tree to look around him. He would be fine, he told himself, no matter what, he was better outside than inside with them. He took a deep breath, his lungs hurting him, a drip of blood flowing down his chin before he transform into his Animagus, reaching the other side of the wood in his dog form.