Chapter Text
I love you. I will always love you. Even when your hands are around my throat. Maybe especially then.
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Sirius had messed up again.
Regulus will never understand why Sirius feels such an insistent need to rebel at every single moment.
They've both learnt by now that any form of misbehaviour will be met with the end of one - or both - of their parent's wands. Yet Sirius still continues to lash out and defy their parents, no matter how often they crucio him.
Today is different, though. Regulus had sensed the change earlier in the week, he'd noticed the way their parents watched Sirius even more closely than normal, as though they were eager for his next punishment.
Of course, as usual it didn't take Sirius long to earn one.
It wasn't even a particularly extravagant defiance this time. Sirius had simply scoffed at the dinner table while Walburga was once again giving them a lecture on how they should be acting.
It was a standard lecture and Sirius' reaction was also fairly normal. Almost every time they get that lecture Sirius makes his distaste clear, and the large majority of the time he is punished for it, although their parents only crucio him if they're particularly angry that day.
"Sirius, Regulus, drawing room. Now." Walburga says coldly, and all the plates at the dinner table disappear.
Regulus stands, keeping his back perfectly straight and walking elegantly into the drawing room. Sirius follows at a more lethargic pace, but Regulus can tell he's anxious because he's scuffing his feet on the floor in a particularly exaggerated manner.
Regulus is nervous too. They've never asked for both of them to come to the drawing room. Normally, when they're punished, the other is ordered to go to their room and stay there. Of course, they both know exactly what is happening in the room below, and the screams always give it away anyway.
So, yes, Regulus is scared. He doesn't let it show, though. He stays upright and pauses in the centre of the drawing room.
Their parents walk in a moment later, closing and locking the door. Sirius and Regulus stand close to each other, neither of them moving but both acknowledging that whatever is about to happen they'll stick together.
"Imperio." Walburga says softly, pointing her wand at Sirius.
Sirius' tense body relaxes as the curse takes over, forcing him into a state of perfect submission.
Both of them have been put under the imperio before, although it's a far more rare occurrence than the cruciatus curse. Their parents will use it on the odd occasion that they want Sirius or Regulus to do something immediately after being cruciod when they're still too weak to even stand.
"Me and your father have noticed that you don't seem to learn no matter what we do. And over exposure to the cruciatus curse will make you insane, so we were at a bit of a loose end. Of course, there's always new punishments we can come up with, and we've agreed that this one is far more likely to keep you in line." Walburga smiles, showing all her teeth as she does.
Regulus feels a cold sense of dread wash over him. Whatever is about to happen, he knows it won't be good. There's something in their parents faces which makes Regulus' mind scream at him to run.
Danger, danger, danger.
The word chants in his head like a blaring siren, shouting at him to leave, to get away, but he can't. Not only have they locked the door, but Sirius is here. Regulus doesn't want to leave him.
"From now on, any time you disobey us, Regulus will take your punishment." Orion explains coldly, and Regulus freezes.
He wasn't moving much to begin with, but he's stopped breathing now too. He doesn't even blink. He stands there and he waits. He isn't sure what he's waiting for. For them to get on with it? For Sirius to break the imperio and save him? For the nightmare to end?
He isn't met with an answer. He doesn't immediately get cruciod, and Sirius doesn't break the curse, and Regulus doesn't wake up.
"Sirius, you will stand there, and you will watch. You might have noticed that we've been a bit more... lenient, with your behaviour recently. We thought it would be a nice surprise to save your punishments up for tonight. Doesn't that sound lovely?" Walburga taunts, but her voice sounds as sweet as honey, even though it's really as poisonous as a deadly snake's venom.
Regulus can't breathe. He doesn't think he's ever been so scared in his entire life.
He's only been cruciod a handful of times, he's always so careful to ensure he avoids the most extreme punishments, but Sirius isn't. Sirius acts like he enjoys being cruciod with the rate he disobeys their parents.
And now Regulus is going to take his punishment for him all while Sirius watches.
"We're sorry, Regulus. If it helps, we're actually rather proud of you. This is the only way, though. It's a pity it's come to this. Perhaps your brother will finally learn now." Walburga continues, and then she lifts her wand and aims it at Regulus.
He doesn't even hear her utter the curse, the ringing in his ears is too loud. Then his screams cover any other noise he might have heard.
He can't help but collapse to the floor, writhing as the curse sets his nerves on fire. It burns through him with a vengeance, tearing through his muscles and joints, shooting through his blood stream.
He screams until his vocal cords give out, until all he can do is gasp and whimper as the pain just keeps going.
The curse is lifted, but the agony doesn't leave. He doesn't expect it to, but all he can do is breathe a sigh of relief that at least the worst is finally over.
He shakes on the floor and waits for their parents to leave, but after a few minutes have passed and no sound has been made, Regulus finally looks around and sees that they're still stood in the same place, and Sirius is still there beside them.
Sirius' face is void of emotion, but there are tears streaming down his face and his face is flushed a bright red.
"Sirius, crucio him." Walburga orders.
So Sirius does. He lifts his wand and obediently says the curse.
Nothing happens.
Not even a spark leaves his wand. Regulus breathes out another sigh of relief. He hadn't really expected the curse to work, he knows that Sirius won't be able to crucio him. You have to mean the curse for it to take, and no matter what petty arguments they've gotten into, they've never truly hated each other. Never even gotten close to it, really.
They're brothers, after all.
"Sirius. You hate your brother. Crucio him, hate him, do it properly." Orion orders, and now the fear is back again.
Because the tears have stopped, and although Sirius' face is still void of emotion, his eyes are cold and hard - just like their parents.
This time, when Sirius lifts his wand, the curse takes.
Regulus is already on the floor, but somehow, he crumples even further. He tries to stop himself from screaming out this time for Sirius' sake. It helps that he knows to expect the pain, but Regulus think it might be worse because he knows what to expect.
There's a level of intimacy to the cruciatus curse. You can feel the hatred the other person has for you. It forms a tie between the victim and the attacker - a bond of sorts where you're forced to be exposed to how pure, unadulterated hatred feels.
Regulus never, ever, expected to find out what it would feel like from Sirius.
It's the worst pain he's ever felt.
No matter how hard he tries to keep it inside, the screams still spill out. He clamps down as hard as he can to stop them, and at one point, he thinks he's bitten straight through his tongue. He doesn't feel it, though. There isn't any kind of pain worse than the cruciatus, so every other feeling is secondary, everything else just... turns off.
So Regulus screams, and he writhes, and he bleeds on the floor as his brother tortures him with a stone-faced expression.
It lasts longer than Walburga's did. Like she was just the warmup, the appetiser to the main course. It's ironic that at that thought Regulus throws up everything he ate at dinner. He starts choking on his own vomit, but someone, presumably his mother or father, vanishes it before he starts truly suffocating.
The brief lack in oxygen doesn't help, though, so a few moments later - although it feels like eons pass by - Regulus blacks out.
It's the only small mercy he's given throughout the entire evening.