Chapter 2 - Bella.
A/n- First off, I have nothing against Slytherins. Just felt the need to put that there. This chapter is dedicated to my best friend. Happy Birthday in advance!
Chapter 2- Bella
"Her face, oh Godric, her face," Sirius gasps as I clutch my stomach and laugh lightly. I watch as Bella's face turns red and then purple and bite my lip to keep in my laughter. As inappropriate as this is, it is hilarious. Sirius has turned her elegant Slytherin green dress into a garish purple and gold. Bellatrix Black, the picture of poise, standing in a robe that no one but Dumbledore would even think of wearing. He hair is still in the stiff curly bun that she preferred before she joined the Death Eaters, her fee clad in heels as befitting a noble lady but all of this only works to throw into contrast just how eccentric the dress is. All this right before she goes to see her dear Aunt Walburga, the matriarch of her family. Had I been in her place, I would have destroyed the criminal behind this, I realise as I laugh along with Sirius.
"Sirius Orion Black!," she screeches and for a moment my blood runs cold, expecting a cackle. The screams of those under her Cruciatus. How she wielded pain like an extension of her arm, but then Sirius guffaws next to me and I am brought back to the present.
"Regulus, brother mine," the stupid lump starts solemnly as I roll my eyes, "I think it's time to run!"
And giggling in a completely unacceptable manner for the Heirs of a Most Ancient and Noble House descended from the Great Salazar Slytherin himself, we run.
Sirius flops down on my bed while I sit on the desk chair, the picture of poise.
"Remember Regulus, you must always project confidence and authority. Keep your back straight and your chin tilted up, like a proper Black", my father's voice instructs from another life, in another time. This will happen again next Friday before we leave for Hogwarts. It's a family tradition, for the Lord of House Black to instruct his Heirs before they make their way into the thick of the magical world. Hogwarts, where you first form connections and spread your influence. Where the House you belong to defines you even beyond the castle walls. Where you gain allies and enemies alike. The first foray into the magical society. Preparation for the seats in the Council.
"What thoughts bother you, oh brother of mine?"
My older (now younger?) brother's mocking tone pulls me back to the actual present. Among the two of us, he's got more of the looks, something that would become glaringly obvious during our years at Hogwarts.
Where my hair was kept shoulder length as any respectable pureblood should, my brother tied his back with leather ties and lined his eyes with some muggle product. Part of me felt he did it to annoy Mother but he insisted it brought out his beauty. And those were not the only differences among us. His face was more jovial, his muscles easily stretching into smiles and a playful wink thrown at everyone who crossed his path. There was a certain something in his posture, something that Mother said made him look like a ruffian, but when compared to my stiff back and blank composed face, none would deny that Sirius radiated charm. Needless to say, this had irked me all through my school years.
"Earth to Reggie," Sirius says, waving a hand in front of my face. Scowling I push it away.
"Pretty good for your first prank brother," he says with a smile just as Kreacher enters the room. My room is the last place anyone would look for Sirius and that can be seen by the shock on Kreacher's face at finding him here. Muttering, he informs Sirius that Mother has requested his presence and we both follow him down the stairs.
I know how this will play. Last time I had been with Mother and Bella, eagerly trying to gain their attention by agreeing to everything they said about pureblood superiority and the greatness of the new Dark Lord. Sirius, being Sirius, had pulled the same prank and once found, Mother had asked him to apologize. At his refusal, Bella had cast a spell that had my brother pale and screaming in pain. I can recall him biting his lip till blood dripped down his chain as his face paled and soon he was on the ground, clawing at his skin and drawing even more blood. as he bit his lips and after a long while screamed while blood dripped down his chin. He was left spamming for hours and would walk with a twitch for days. It was still one of my worst memories and the fear remained amongst the staunched reasons for never daring to defy my family. Unlike then, now I know what the spell was. A Blood Boiling Curse. As we descend the stairs, I remember the moment in my past life when I had finally realized what curse had been used on Sirius. As much as I despised him at the moment, or so told myself, I still had spent hours engulfing stomach calming potions after that realization. Now, I have a chance to save my brother. Perhaps mend a few bridges. After all, it is wrong to curse someone's clothes or hair, even if the person in question is Bella.
"Mother, Cousin Bellatrix," I say formally, bowing. Sirius just stands next to me with a grin and waves at Bella. Knowing this will end badly if I let him continue, I put my hand on his back and push. If only I had my wand, I think, but before I can so much as look at Sirius, he is bowing. The frown on his face and the smile on Kreacher's made clear what has happened. I stifle a part relieved, part amused laugh. Good old Kreacher.
Mother's eyes widen slightly. This past year Sirius has been such a nuisance to her, that to see him behaving adequately, something he has never been particularly adept at, was astonishing. She didn't say anything though, simply inclining her head at Cousin Bella, who was sitting on the green couch Mother had bought a few weeks before. Above her head was one of the mounted house-elf heads and in front of her own, the table was a china set from which she delicately held a cup, the picture of elegance. Except for the dress which made her look rotten, evil, and ridiculous.
"What have you done to my clothing? Reverse it now! Aunt Walburga, this is what I have been telling you. We should write to Dumbledore and have Sirius moved! There is always Durmstrang otherwise," I have to grip Sirius' hand as he flinches at that as she continues, "this is what happens when one spends time with the likes of blood traitors and scum!"
Before Bella could continue or Sirius explode in accidental magic at the insult to the three idiots he roams the castle with, I step in.
"Cousin Bella, forgive me for intruding but Sirius has spent the duration of your entire visit with me, telling me about the wonders of Hogwarts. Not once have either of us been in enough proximity to curse your clothing. However, if you feel we did it, whether accidentally or otherwise, I apologize. Now, I would very much like to hear more about the castle and the grounds of Hogwarts, and I am sure Mother and you would like to return to your discussion about the elimination of the weak and unworthy. Excuse us, please."
Inwardly cursing myself for the more mature and rude sounding words, something I will pay for later in some form or the other, I pull my seething, and glowering brother away and up the stairs. I am sure Kreacher has silenced Sirius and this turns out to be correct when my brother explodes with anger and noise, the moment the spell is lifted off him.
Ducking a punch, I move to the opposite side of the room.
"Sirius! Stop."
"Don't you tell me what to do! You are just like them! Prejudiced and evil! Can't you see, Reggie? Can't you? They're evil! But no, how can you know what they're making you into. You with your attention seeking ways! Always following Mother and being the perfect pureblood child! Why are you even here! Go and join those discussions! An evil, blood-worshipping snake is who you are!"
In another life, his words would have hit too close to home. None are exactly lies. I stand with a mask over my features as he rages on. Quite a few of my possessions are flung at me, not to mention his fists and kicks. Ducking them, I am suddenly grateful for the years of quidditch muscle memory and fast reflexes that are integrated into myself - and for extension my younger body, even if my older body was much better at this.
"Fight me, you coward!" Snarling, Sirius launches his whole body at me. This is it. I have had enough.
"Kreacher! Make him stop!"
Apparating at the call, Kreacher shots the elf version of a petrifying charm at my brother. Fortunately, it stopped his fist. Unfortunately, his entire body landed on mine, knocking the air out of my lungs. Pushing him off, I stand and dust my robes off. In my previous life, at this point, I would have walked out or maybe screamed at Sirius telling him how he was wrong to treat half breeds and muggles as equals and how much I hated, no, loathed him. Hell, I had wished him dead more than a few times and neither of us was above using our wands in a duel. Never did I use my fists though. No, that was much too muggle for my tastes. Still is, perhaps. Hitting people, that is what thugs do, whether they be magical or not. I have realized this by now. Looking at the prone figure of my brother, I decide against getting Kreacher to lift the spell. Salazar knows that Sirius would either hit me or storm off. Listening was never his strong point. Gryffindor to the brim, he was.
"Listen to me, brother", I start, taking a seat next to his head.
"The things you said, some of them are true. Yes, parts of me are like Mother. Yes, I believe that purebloods are superior," at the look of concentration and anger on Sirius' face, I wonder if he'll be able to break through the spell by sheer will or if it will take him accidental magic. Either outcome is bad, I need him to listen. Glancing at Kreacher still in the corner, I request that he makes sure Sirius can't escape until I have finished speaking.
"But I don't believe that because we have more power or any of that. It simply is that we have lived longer in our world, we have older tomes, we can practice magic at whim and having grown up around it some spells are instinctive to us. We are used to an environment saturated in magic. A half-blood or muggle-born can achieve this too, but for this, they need a proper introduction to our society, they need to be taught our ways. Some inventions of theirs, such as Skele-Gro, are useful, but we need them to understand our culture before they go judging it. After all, haven't we all been taught that a Healer who knows little of his craft is more dangerous than one who knows nothing? Knowledge, brother, is power and thus purebloods are powerful. Yes, I follow Mother around seeking her approval, I try to be her perfect son but don't you live the way you want? Seeking approval from those you like? Maybe", and here I cannot contain years of bitterness, " maybe if you had recognized that as a kid I did it more to protect you, just like you protected me, maybe if you had contacted me from Hogwarts, maybe if you had paid attention to me instead of always being so… so… high and mighty, maybe you would have realized that I wanted your approval just as much! I just cannot play the fool like you do, because brother, Mother is hurt when you do it. Your actions and disregard pain her, and am I so wrong to want to not hurt her? All I have heard this past year is how much trouble you are in, I have seen horrible punishments inflicted on you and yet being ignored, maybe spared of them, because you are the Heir. Can you blame me for wanting to avoid the pain?"
Stopping, I release a breath. I cannot lose my composure this way. Without a look at my brother, I move away, towards my desk and ask Kreacher to release him. I don't know what I am expecting, maybe he'll storm out like always.
"Reggie?"
The question in his voice is shocking. Sirius never sounds unsure.
"What do you mean I never wrote to you? Regulus, I sent you letters every week. Even James sent you a letter! And Remus! Well, towards the end of the term I only wrote monthly but Hogwarts is busy! Pranks to play, exams, but I always wrote to you! I even sneaked into the Ravenclaw common room to send you a picture!"
"Sirius, stop lying."
My voice is tired.
In six years of studying in the same castle, how many times had he acknowledged me? I know holding him for things he hasn't done yet is not the best strategy but it's so like him to lie to my face that all thoughts and ideas leave my head. He is my older brother! I am supposed to be his top priority, the one person he protects! Instead, he abandoned me. Weekly letters? In both lives, I never received a single thing from him, let alone from those friends of his.
"Don't you call me a liar, Regulus Arcturus! I know I wrote to you. Are you saying I am delusional?" Sirius' voice is rage personified and to be completely honest, it isn't half as scary as the calm he will learn to project in the coming years.
"Okay. You wrote, but where are those letters then, Sirius Orion? Maybe you just forgot to send them or perhaps you addressed them to James! Because I certainly got not one letter from you, not one!"
My voice is shaking and I absolutely despise this lack of control. Kreacher stand still in the room and for a moment I am on the verge of asking him to bring me a spare wand so that I can curse my brother. A slow curse that would take days to be seen and even longer to get rid of.
"But I did write to you! You filthy liar! I bet Mother has hidden the letters, burnt them and since you never read them, you are saying this! Why, you coward, you haven't even spoken to me since I returned home! Following Mother around and nodding you perfectly oiled hair to her comments about Gryffindor scum!" Sirius has grabbed me by the collar and is shouting in my face when I push him with all my strength.
"Why should I speak to you? You never wrote to me, and since the moment you stepped off the train all you have been talking about how wonderful your friends are! Writing letters to them, sneaking off to talk to them, planning visits! I tried to talk to you, Sirius, I tried so hard but all I heard was the pranks you pulled on the Slytherin! The most likely House for me to be sorted into! You practically called me evil to my face, brother!"
"But… but Kreacher and Mother told me that you did not want to speak to me! I tried to talk to but you shouted at me to leave. Again and again. You either screamed at me or found me when I was busy and you seemed to agree with Mother and those Slytherins are mean and evil! Just look at Bella! And I did write to you!" Sirius screams, pulling on my foot so that I too topple on the ground.
"Kreacher," I ask, trying to gulp down air. Something here doesn't add up. Something that had nagged me my whole previous life when I had spent so much time wondering how Sirius had forgotten me, replaced me within just a year.
"Is all this true? Tell me the truth Kreacher, I order you!"
"Young Master," he is wringing his hands and pulling on his ears as he shifts from one foot to another.
"Kreacher," my voice has taken on a sad note. I know what is going on and it makes me nauseous. Ten years. Ten years of not speaking to each other, ten years of only knowing about my brother by helping James prank him, ten years of hating him, all because of this. A misunderstanding. Mother's plans. Why didn't he ever say anything? Why was it me always left to try? Why wasn't I braver? I smile sadly, knowing I will never know these answers even as I hear Kreacher's tale. How Mother ordered him to tell Sirius I didn't want to speak to him, how she burned his letters and sent him scratching replies of never wanting to speak to him again.
Small things and I wonder what else mother has done. She's a Slytherin like me, small plans might be her speciality but she won't stop at this. Examining her actions of the past week and my memories, I realized the beauty of her plan. I am awed, I truly am.
It is in the small things. Of course, she will need to put in effort keeping us apart but this way, neither of us would ever be able to see what has happened. Or would have never been able to, had we been two children. Sometimes maturity and determination are a great help.
"Her plan is marvellous. It gets her everything she wants. She knows that I will beg the Hat to put me anywhere but Gryffindor, if ever the Hat considers that, and being in different Houses, the natural rivalry and just the correct word here and there would serve to keep us apart. She can try moulding you into the perfect Heir, but failing that, she has me. With all that bitterness inside me, I would readily side against you, be easier to manipulate and force into being the perfect Heir, dependent on her praise. She has used our very natures against us", I say on a sigh because it's cunning, awesome and one of the worst deceptions I have ever come across.
"That bitch! The heinous hag who should rot in hell!"
At thirteen, Sirius displays an alarming love for profanity which I know will never truly go away. I watch amused as he calls our Mother various disgusting names and for once I can't find it in me to stop him. My faith in her is… is gone. When I first woke back here, I thought of her as misguided, old, someone who fell into the Dark Lord's trap but now… Now I feel as if she never saw Sirius and me as anything but ways to gather reputation in the society, that she would have thrown us to any wolves and mad hippogriffs out there whether they be Voldemort or Grindelwald.
Turning to the side, I see Kreacher hitting himself in the face and tiredly order him to stop and then leave. Time to deal with Sirius. This past week, it seems as if that is all I have done. Tried to mend our relationships but now that I know why he seemed either busy every time or why Kreacher always told me he was out despite Mother forbidding him, now that I know Mother's plan, my own goal has become much easier. Know your enemy. Never thought I would put Mother in that list.
"Sirius, calm down. Now that we know her plan, we can work against it. After all, Ravenclaws are known for being witty."
"Ravenclaw?"
I smile at his surprise. I knew this would pull him out of his anger faster than anything else.