Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky
Instead of replying the dog simply transforms into the sixteen year old Sirius Black. Remus winces slightly under the added weight. “’lo Moony,” Sirius states calmly, as if it were perfectly normal to show up at his boyfriend’s house at 4 in the morning.
“What time is it?” Remus asks, shifting slightly as Sirius moves so all his weight is not on Remus’ legs. “I think you’ve gained weight this summer, love,” he adds as the other boy stretches out beside him.
“I think it’s about four,” Sirius tells him before yawning. “It took awhile to get here. I forgot about the Knight Bus and tried to walk for a few hours,” he explains as he shifts closer to Remus and nuzzles his shoulder. “And I have not gained weight, unless I’m more muscular,” he adds, pretending to be offended.
“Maybe it’s just your hair then,” Remus muses as he twists a finger through Sirius’ long black hair. Sirius laughs softly. “So er, as wonderful as it is to see you, Sirius, what brings you here at four in the morning?”
Sirius grows tense for a moment, Remus’ dig at his hair long forgotten when he remembers the events of the previous evening. “Well I would have gotten here much sooner but like I said, I sort of forgot about the Knight Bus in my haste. Realized my mistake just in time though as I was exhausted and a bit lost.”
“Your parents were just going to let you walk to go visit your half-blood boyfriend?” Remus questions, noticing that Sirius avoided flat out answering him.
“Well no, I suppose they don’t much care where I am anymore,” Sirius admits quietly.
Remus sits up and looks down at Sirius. “What happened?” He reaches down and takes Sirius’ hand in his own and squeezes it gently.
“I got blasted off the tapestry just like Andy,” he tells Remus as he moves so his head is resting on Remus’ lap.
“Mistress says you must come down to dinner,” Kreacher informs him. Sirius merely grunts in reply. He waits a few moments before getting up from his bed. He trudges down the stairs which creak loudly under his boots.
“You’re late,” his mother comments from her seat at the table. Regulus doesn’t look up at him and neither does his father.
“Kreacher-“ he began but was quickly interrupted.
“-was sent up to fetch you because dinner was ready five minutes ago,” Walburga stated harshly.
“Alright.” He didn’t bother to apologize as he sat down. After all, it was only five minutes.
“Aren’t you going to apologize?” she asked. Regulus finally looked up from his untouched plate, first a quick glance at his mother and then a light frown as he turned his attention to his brother.
“What for?” Sirius questioned. “It was only a few minutes.”
“Your brother was on time. Why can’t you be more like him?” Regulus’ eyes widen slightly before he turns his attention back to his plate. Sirius loved his younger brother but the boy never stood up to their parents ever and he hated how cowardly they made him.
“I don’t want to be,” he replied boldly.
Orion looked up at him finally. “Sirius,” he warned, without bothering to finish the statement. He’d never been one to talk much. That was Walburga’s job.
“Yes father?” He knew he was pushing the limits. Even though he hated his family, he tried not to do too much to anger them without reason during the holidays. He’d gotten bolder though. Ever since he and his friends had finally become animagi, since he and Remus had realized they were in love, since he almost ruined that by nearly getting Severus killed, Sirius had known that he did not belong with them.
He would not be like his parents. He would not marry his own bloody cousin just to keep up their prestigious bloodline. He was not going to have children and name them after stars or ancestors who were just as screwed up as his parents. He would not be like Bellatrix who married Rodolphus because it was expected of her. She was completely mental anyway. He reasoned that it was because of all the inbreeding. After all, it was bound to catch up to them sooner or later. He wouldn’t even be like Andromeda, even if she was his favorite cousin. She may have married a muggleborn but she was too much like Bellatrix and gave her daughter a completely ridiculous name.
“Don’t talk that way to your father! Do you hear me Sirius?” his mother nearly shouted, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“Of course I do, I’m not bloody deaf,” he snapped. Sirius could never be like them anymore. He was in love with a half-blood and a werewolf no less. The Black family was in ruins anyway. Their numbers had slowly been dwindling. Bellatrix hadn’t had any children yet, neither had Narcissa (though she’d only just been married), and Andromeda’s didn’t count. Sirius knew he wouldn’t be having children what with his being completely bent for Remus. He doubted very much that Regulus would ever have children, even if his parents did make him get married, not that there were any cousins left to marry.
He had always found Astronomy Class to be very strange as they learned about all these stars and constellations that were names of his relatives. Their family tree was like a horrid star chart with too many repeats and too many black holes (no pun intended) where those who apparently were not worthy of their family name got blasted off. Andromeda had been blasted off as soon as Druella and Cygnus told Walburga about their daughter eloping with Ted Tonks.
Regulus caught his gaze and looked uncomfortable, silently begging Sirius to just let it go.
“Apologize to your mother, Sirius,” Orion demanded.
“Or what?” Sirius knew it was too late to back down now.
“Sirius Orion Black,” his mother always used his full name when she was angry. “How dare you act so ungrateful towards your father and I, after all we’ve put up with from you! Your brother never causes any trouble.” Regulus’ cheeks flushed slightly. Sirius knew the younger boy hated getting dragged into these fights. “Neither do your cousins-“
“What about Andy?” he interrupted her.
“Don’t you dare mention that filthy-“
“She’s just as much a member of this family as you, even if she didn’t marry back into it,” he growled before his mother could finish that insult.
Orion slammed his hand down on the table, startling all of them. “Go to your room, now, Sirius,” he commanded firmly. His voice was oddly calm.
Sirius refused to move though. “No,” he muttered.
“You will listen to your father, Sirius,” Walburga hissed.
“Or what? You’ll lock me in my room? I’ll get out. Or will you burn me off that stupid tapestry like you did Andy?” Sirius laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t mean a bloody thing.”
“You ought to be grateful to be a part of this family. Our bloodline is the purest-“ Sirius laughed louder at his mother’s words.
“I may have your bloodline but this is no family,” he told her calmly. “My friends are more of a family than you’ll ever be.”
Walburga glared at her son. “You mean that bloodtraitor and those two half-bloods? You’re lucky we’ve allowed you to-“
“Allowed me to what? Be friends with them? You can’t control what I do at school. You’ve no control over me at all. I’ll be seventeen soon and then you have no say in what I do or who I’m friends with,” he reminded her. He intended to move out as soon as he came of age.
“We can keep you from going back,” she warned. Sirius honestly didn’t doubt that she would do something like that to keep him from spending time with his friends.
“But then how are you going to find some disgusting pureblood girl I’m related to for me to marry?” he questioned sarcastically. “They won’t want me if I haven’t even finished school.”
“With your behavior as it is, we’d be lucky to ever find a wife for you,” she snapped.
Sirius smirked. “Oh, so you know I’m bent then?”
Regulus looked up at him again, shocked.
“What?” Walburga was shaking with anger.
“I’m bent, queer, whatever you’d like to call it,” Sirius replied. He’d never intended to tell his parents about this. It had just sort of slipped out. He couldn’t quite say he regretted it though.
Walburga stood up and started to walk towards him. “You’re lying.”
He stood up. He was now as tall as her, almost taller. “No mother, I’m in love with a half-blood and a guy no less.” He was tempted to add and a werewolf too but knew better than to let his parents know about that just yet.
Walburga slapped him, hard. His parents had always been strict but never physically abusive towards him. “Apologize for lying,” she snarled.
“No,” Sirius stated. She went to slap him again but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“SIRIUS!” His father shouted, obviously concerned that he would retaliate against her.
“I’ve no reason to apologize for lying, I’m not lying,” he growled. “Not that any of you would know anything about love. All you care about is blood.” He released his mother’s arm.
“If these friends of yours are so much more important to you, then why don’t you just go live off of them? You’ve caused us enough problems,” Walburga snarled as she drew her arm in towards her chest. “Wasted enough of our money and ruined our family’s good name.”
Sirius decided that was a very good idea. He’d had quite enough of their nonsense about pure-blood supremacy. He nodded firmly before walking towards the door.
“Sirius, stop,” his father warned.
“No, she told me to leave and I’m going,” he told them before opening the door and walking out of the room. Unfortunately the next room was where Walburga kept the tapestry. Sirius stared at it for a moment. Their family tree was a twisted mockery of their supposed nobility. It was like a mangled star chart. His mother stormed into the room after him.
“If you leave this house, you’re no son of mine,” she warned, pointing her wand at his name.
Sirius turned to face her. “I can’t leave soon enough then,” he replied calmly. He turned his back on her and continued on his way, making sure he had his wand in his pocket. He heard her yell and the sound of the blast hitting the tapestry. He didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, that bloody thing was just a poorly drawn astronomy lesson and the sky was already spiraling towards destruction with each new star. The only thing he cared about in the sky was the moon.
Remus runs a hand through Sirius’ hair. “Pads… are you alright?”
Sirius sighs. “I think so. I mean, I always sort of knew this would happen… I just wish… I mean… I don’t want Regulus to be alone with them,” he admits. He wouldn’t tell this to anyone else but he told Remus everything. “He can leave if he wants to, but he won’t, bloody coward.” Sirius disguises the hurt as anger. Remus doesn’t press the matter.
“I’m going to go to the Potters’ tomorrow. I know they will take me in. Don’t worry, I know you would too but this is the best plan. I just… I needed to see you tonight.” Sirius admits as he sits up and looks Remus in the eyes.
Remus nods slowly. He knows the Potters would be much more able to take on the responsibilities of another son. His own family was barely managing with just him, especially financially. “It’s not really night so much anymore, it’s practically morning, Sirius,” Remus teases, knowing that Sirius won’t want to keep up all this depressing talk of his family.
“It’s enough time before your parents wake up though, isn’t it?” he asks, grinning suggestively before pushing Remus back down onto his bed and kissing him.
“What time is it?” Remus asks, shifting slightly as Sirius moves so all his weight is not on Remus’ legs. “I think you’ve gained weight this summer, love,” he adds as the other boy stretches out beside him.
“I think it’s about four,” Sirius tells him before yawning. “It took awhile to get here. I forgot about the Knight Bus and tried to walk for a few hours,” he explains as he shifts closer to Remus and nuzzles his shoulder. “And I have not gained weight, unless I’m more muscular,” he adds, pretending to be offended.
“Maybe it’s just your hair then,” Remus muses as he twists a finger through Sirius’ long black hair. Sirius laughs softly. “So er, as wonderful as it is to see you, Sirius, what brings you here at four in the morning?”
Sirius grows tense for a moment, Remus’ dig at his hair long forgotten when he remembers the events of the previous evening. “Well I would have gotten here much sooner but like I said, I sort of forgot about the Knight Bus in my haste. Realized my mistake just in time though as I was exhausted and a bit lost.”
“Your parents were just going to let you walk to go visit your half-blood boyfriend?” Remus questions, noticing that Sirius avoided flat out answering him.
“Well no, I suppose they don’t much care where I am anymore,” Sirius admits quietly.
Remus sits up and looks down at Sirius. “What happened?” He reaches down and takes Sirius’ hand in his own and squeezes it gently.
“I got blasted off the tapestry just like Andy,” he tells Remus as he moves so his head is resting on Remus’ lap.
“Mistress says you must come down to dinner,” Kreacher informs him. Sirius merely grunts in reply. He waits a few moments before getting up from his bed. He trudges down the stairs which creak loudly under his boots.
“You’re late,” his mother comments from her seat at the table. Regulus doesn’t look up at him and neither does his father.
“Kreacher-“ he began but was quickly interrupted.
“-was sent up to fetch you because dinner was ready five minutes ago,” Walburga stated harshly.
“Alright.” He didn’t bother to apologize as he sat down. After all, it was only five minutes.
“Aren’t you going to apologize?” she asked. Regulus finally looked up from his untouched plate, first a quick glance at his mother and then a light frown as he turned his attention to his brother.
“What for?” Sirius questioned. “It was only a few minutes.”
“Your brother was on time. Why can’t you be more like him?” Regulus’ eyes widen slightly before he turns his attention back to his plate. Sirius loved his younger brother but the boy never stood up to their parents ever and he hated how cowardly they made him.
“I don’t want to be,” he replied boldly.
Orion looked up at him finally. “Sirius,” he warned, without bothering to finish the statement. He’d never been one to talk much. That was Walburga’s job.
“Yes father?” He knew he was pushing the limits. Even though he hated his family, he tried not to do too much to anger them without reason during the holidays. He’d gotten bolder though. Ever since he and his friends had finally become animagi, since he and Remus had realized they were in love, since he almost ruined that by nearly getting Severus killed, Sirius had known that he did not belong with them.
He would not be like his parents. He would not marry his own bloody cousin just to keep up their prestigious bloodline. He was not going to have children and name them after stars or ancestors who were just as screwed up as his parents. He would not be like Bellatrix who married Rodolphus because it was expected of her. She was completely mental anyway. He reasoned that it was because of all the inbreeding. After all, it was bound to catch up to them sooner or later. He wouldn’t even be like Andromeda, even if she was his favorite cousin. She may have married a muggleborn but she was too much like Bellatrix and gave her daughter a completely ridiculous name.
“Don’t talk that way to your father! Do you hear me Sirius?” his mother nearly shouted, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“Of course I do, I’m not bloody deaf,” he snapped. Sirius could never be like them anymore. He was in love with a half-blood and a werewolf no less. The Black family was in ruins anyway. Their numbers had slowly been dwindling. Bellatrix hadn’t had any children yet, neither had Narcissa (though she’d only just been married), and Andromeda’s didn’t count. Sirius knew he wouldn’t be having children what with his being completely bent for Remus. He doubted very much that Regulus would ever have children, even if his parents did make him get married, not that there were any cousins left to marry.
He had always found Astronomy Class to be very strange as they learned about all these stars and constellations that were names of his relatives. Their family tree was like a horrid star chart with too many repeats and too many black holes (no pun intended) where those who apparently were not worthy of their family name got blasted off. Andromeda had been blasted off as soon as Druella and Cygnus told Walburga about their daughter eloping with Ted Tonks.
Regulus caught his gaze and looked uncomfortable, silently begging Sirius to just let it go.
“Apologize to your mother, Sirius,” Orion demanded.
“Or what?” Sirius knew it was too late to back down now.
“Sirius Orion Black,” his mother always used his full name when she was angry. “How dare you act so ungrateful towards your father and I, after all we’ve put up with from you! Your brother never causes any trouble.” Regulus’ cheeks flushed slightly. Sirius knew the younger boy hated getting dragged into these fights. “Neither do your cousins-“
“What about Andy?” he interrupted her.
“Don’t you dare mention that filthy-“
“She’s just as much a member of this family as you, even if she didn’t marry back into it,” he growled before his mother could finish that insult.
Orion slammed his hand down on the table, startling all of them. “Go to your room, now, Sirius,” he commanded firmly. His voice was oddly calm.
Sirius refused to move though. “No,” he muttered.
“You will listen to your father, Sirius,” Walburga hissed.
“Or what? You’ll lock me in my room? I’ll get out. Or will you burn me off that stupid tapestry like you did Andy?” Sirius laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t mean a bloody thing.”
“You ought to be grateful to be a part of this family. Our bloodline is the purest-“ Sirius laughed louder at his mother’s words.
“I may have your bloodline but this is no family,” he told her calmly. “My friends are more of a family than you’ll ever be.”
Walburga glared at her son. “You mean that bloodtraitor and those two half-bloods? You’re lucky we’ve allowed you to-“
“Allowed me to what? Be friends with them? You can’t control what I do at school. You’ve no control over me at all. I’ll be seventeen soon and then you have no say in what I do or who I’m friends with,” he reminded her. He intended to move out as soon as he came of age.
“We can keep you from going back,” she warned. Sirius honestly didn’t doubt that she would do something like that to keep him from spending time with his friends.
“But then how are you going to find some disgusting pureblood girl I’m related to for me to marry?” he questioned sarcastically. “They won’t want me if I haven’t even finished school.”
“With your behavior as it is, we’d be lucky to ever find a wife for you,” she snapped.
Sirius smirked. “Oh, so you know I’m bent then?”
Regulus looked up at him again, shocked.
“What?” Walburga was shaking with anger.
“I’m bent, queer, whatever you’d like to call it,” Sirius replied. He’d never intended to tell his parents about this. It had just sort of slipped out. He couldn’t quite say he regretted it though.
Walburga stood up and started to walk towards him. “You’re lying.”
He stood up. He was now as tall as her, almost taller. “No mother, I’m in love with a half-blood and a guy no less.” He was tempted to add and a werewolf too but knew better than to let his parents know about that just yet.
Walburga slapped him, hard. His parents had always been strict but never physically abusive towards him. “Apologize for lying,” she snarled.
“No,” Sirius stated. She went to slap him again but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“SIRIUS!” His father shouted, obviously concerned that he would retaliate against her.
“I’ve no reason to apologize for lying, I’m not lying,” he growled. “Not that any of you would know anything about love. All you care about is blood.” He released his mother’s arm.
“If these friends of yours are so much more important to you, then why don’t you just go live off of them? You’ve caused us enough problems,” Walburga snarled as she drew her arm in towards her chest. “Wasted enough of our money and ruined our family’s good name.”
Sirius decided that was a very good idea. He’d had quite enough of their nonsense about pure-blood supremacy. He nodded firmly before walking towards the door.
“Sirius, stop,” his father warned.
“No, she told me to leave and I’m going,” he told them before opening the door and walking out of the room. Unfortunately the next room was where Walburga kept the tapestry. Sirius stared at it for a moment. Their family tree was a twisted mockery of their supposed nobility. It was like a mangled star chart. His mother stormed into the room after him.
“If you leave this house, you’re no son of mine,” she warned, pointing her wand at his name.
Sirius turned to face her. “I can’t leave soon enough then,” he replied calmly. He turned his back on her and continued on his way, making sure he had his wand in his pocket. He heard her yell and the sound of the blast hitting the tapestry. He didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, that bloody thing was just a poorly drawn astronomy lesson and the sky was already spiraling towards destruction with each new star. The only thing he cared about in the sky was the moon.
Remus runs a hand through Sirius’ hair. “Pads… are you alright?”
Sirius sighs. “I think so. I mean, I always sort of knew this would happen… I just wish… I mean… I don’t want Regulus to be alone with them,” he admits. He wouldn’t tell this to anyone else but he told Remus everything. “He can leave if he wants to, but he won’t, bloody coward.” Sirius disguises the hurt as anger. Remus doesn’t press the matter.
“I’m going to go to the Potters’ tomorrow. I know they will take me in. Don’t worry, I know you would too but this is the best plan. I just… I needed to see you tonight.” Sirius admits as he sits up and looks Remus in the eyes.
Remus nods slowly. He knows the Potters would be much more able to take on the responsibilities of another son. His own family was barely managing with just him, especially financially. “It’s not really night so much anymore, it’s practically morning, Sirius,” Remus teases, knowing that Sirius won’t want to keep up all this depressing talk of his family.
“It’s enough time before your parents wake up though, isn’t it?” he asks, grinning suggestively before pushing Remus back down onto his bed and kissing him.