*headdesk*
Feb. 15th, 2006 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lls_mutantPlease, PLEASE somebody stop this. PLEASE! For crying out loud, why must I make everything so fricking complicated??? ARGH! ::sigh::
He hadn't seen Arden Black in years, not since that terrible Easter at the Potters in their fifth year. The tall, formidable, terrifying man he remembered was gone, replaced by a thin, wiry gray haired man with shifting eyes and musty robes. He was sitting in the library, a book in his lap.
"Father," Regulus said, kneeling beside the chair. Remus stood over Regulus's shoulder, and from where he stood he could see the book had gory illustrations. Arden Black looked at his son with rheumy eyes and grasped his hand. Regulus covered the hand with his own. "How are you, Father?"
"I didn't know you were home, Regulus." Mr. Black's voice was softer than Remus had ever heard it.
"I just came home for the night. Father, I need some help."
"What sort of help do you need?"
"It's something I need to do for the Dark Lord," he said, and Mr. Black's face lit up with obvious pride. "It's important," Regulus said, "but it's also very important that it remains secret."
"Whatever the Dark Lord commands, of course," Mr. Black agreed. His eyes flicked up to Remus- a brief, searching glance that seemed like a vague attempt at recognition. Remus could almost see the mental shrug and dismissal as he turned his attention back to his son. "What do you need?"
"A Bonder for an Unbreakable Vow."
If Remus had asked that of his own father, his eyebrows would have shot to his hairline and an inquisition would have followed. Mr. Black simply nodded, as if Regulus had asked if he could make a peanut butter sandwich. "Do you have my wand?"
"I do." Regulus disentangled himself and crossed the library. He pulled out a book and tapped it, murmuring the incantation for a Transfiguration spell. The book became a box, and Regulus fished a stone out from a chain around his neck. He pressed the stone into an indentation, and the box sprang open. Remus saw him take something gold out of the box and stuff it in his pocket, and then he removed a long oak wand and handed it to his father.
Mr. Black's eyes lit up and he trailed his fingers down the wood. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes."
Remus backed away.
"One spell, Father," Regulus said, in a voice that was almost sing-song. "Remember. You promised Mother."
Mr. Black's eyes were fixed on the wand, wide open and intent. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and Remus suddenly found swallowing very, very difficult.
You're insane, he told Regulus mentally. HE'S insane. But Regulus just grabbed Remus's hand.
"Are you ready, Father?"
Mr. Black snapped out of his trance. "Yes."
"All right." Regulus turned to face Remus, and Remus felt Mr. Black's wand trained on him. "Do you swear to obey me, without question, until my task is complete?"
Everything in Remus's body was longing to scream NO!, to snatch his hand back, and to break out of this house and run until his lungs exploded and his body collapsed. And yet… he closed his eyes. "I swear it."
He waited for Regulus to add on something more, but there was nothing, nothing but the fire wreathing their conjoined hands and sending heat up his arm. He tried to pull his hand away but it was immobile, locked in Regulus's grip until the fire died out. When it did, Remus found himself sprawled on the floor. He struggled to his feet, frantically dusting off his robes and looking at Regulus, expecting to see the usual countenance of scorn. However, Regulus's attention was entirely focused on his father.
"I need the wand back now, Father."
Mr. Black drew the wand against his chest. "No."
"Yes. You know the rules, Father. You're only allowed to have your wand if you give it back."
"You can't make me give it back."
"Yes, I can."
"No. You can't." Mr. Black's voice had sunk to a ragged hiss and he backed up against the shelves as Regulus advanced on him. "It's mine. Mine. I am your father and you will listen to me."
"Yes, Father. But you will give me the wand."
"No. NO!" As Regulus reached out, Mr. Black darted to the side, evading his son's hand. "It's mine, you little brat! I am your father and you will listen to me!" The back of his hand struck Regulus across the cheek.
Regulus rolled with the blow and came up immediately, wand in hand. "Stupify!" he cried, and Arden Black sank to the ground, unconscious. Regulus dropped to his knees beside him, prying the wand from his now limp fingers.
"Is he…?" Remus began, but he couldn't finish the sentence. He wasn't sure what the end of the sentence was.
"He's fine," Regulus said. He replaced the wand in its hiding place and then used his own wand to levitate his father to a couch. He carefully covered the man with an afghan and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Let's go."
"But your father-" Remus wanted to argue, but an unpleasant heat surged through him, making him dizzy. The Unbreakable Vow. He gripped his head in his hands until the pain subsided. Regulus simply raised an eyebrow, and then left the room.
Remus followed. "He'll be all right?" he finally dared, when they were back in the safety of Regulus's bedroom.
"He'll be fine. He's been like this for the past two years. This was a good day for him," Regulus said. He picked up a bag and rifled through it, checking the contents. "If you really must know, there was an accident in the Department of Mysteries."
"So that Quibbler article was true?"
Regulus made a face. "I wouldn't know. I never read that trash. But it wouldn't surprise me if someone had gotten hold of the story."
"Sirius-"
"Sirius doesn't know," Regulus said, his voice dripping with scorn as he fastened the clasps on the bag and set it on the floor. "Sirius doesn't know a thing that goes on beyond these walls. Sirius cares nothing for this family."
"So he'd like everyone to believe," Remus muttered. "Including himself."
"Well, he's successful then, isn't he? We're going now. I sure hope you can swim."
He hadn't seen Arden Black in years, not since that terrible Easter at the Potters in their fifth year. The tall, formidable, terrifying man he remembered was gone, replaced by a thin, wiry gray haired man with shifting eyes and musty robes. He was sitting in the library, a book in his lap.
"Father," Regulus said, kneeling beside the chair. Remus stood over Regulus's shoulder, and from where he stood he could see the book had gory illustrations. Arden Black looked at his son with rheumy eyes and grasped his hand. Regulus covered the hand with his own. "How are you, Father?"
"I didn't know you were home, Regulus." Mr. Black's voice was softer than Remus had ever heard it.
"I just came home for the night. Father, I need some help."
"What sort of help do you need?"
"It's something I need to do for the Dark Lord," he said, and Mr. Black's face lit up with obvious pride. "It's important," Regulus said, "but it's also very important that it remains secret."
"Whatever the Dark Lord commands, of course," Mr. Black agreed. His eyes flicked up to Remus- a brief, searching glance that seemed like a vague attempt at recognition. Remus could almost see the mental shrug and dismissal as he turned his attention back to his son. "What do you need?"
"A Bonder for an Unbreakable Vow."
If Remus had asked that of his own father, his eyebrows would have shot to his hairline and an inquisition would have followed. Mr. Black simply nodded, as if Regulus had asked if he could make a peanut butter sandwich. "Do you have my wand?"
"I do." Regulus disentangled himself and crossed the library. He pulled out a book and tapped it, murmuring the incantation for a Transfiguration spell. The book became a box, and Regulus fished a stone out from a chain around his neck. He pressed the stone into an indentation, and the box sprang open. Remus saw him take something gold out of the box and stuff it in his pocket, and then he removed a long oak wand and handed it to his father.
Mr. Black's eyes lit up and he trailed his fingers down the wood. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes."
Remus backed away.
"One spell, Father," Regulus said, in a voice that was almost sing-song. "Remember. You promised Mother."
Mr. Black's eyes were fixed on the wand, wide open and intent. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and Remus suddenly found swallowing very, very difficult.
You're insane, he told Regulus mentally. HE'S insane. But Regulus just grabbed Remus's hand.
"Are you ready, Father?"
Mr. Black snapped out of his trance. "Yes."
"All right." Regulus turned to face Remus, and Remus felt Mr. Black's wand trained on him. "Do you swear to obey me, without question, until my task is complete?"
Everything in Remus's body was longing to scream NO!, to snatch his hand back, and to break out of this house and run until his lungs exploded and his body collapsed. And yet… he closed his eyes. "I swear it."
He waited for Regulus to add on something more, but there was nothing, nothing but the fire wreathing their conjoined hands and sending heat up his arm. He tried to pull his hand away but it was immobile, locked in Regulus's grip until the fire died out. When it did, Remus found himself sprawled on the floor. He struggled to his feet, frantically dusting off his robes and looking at Regulus, expecting to see the usual countenance of scorn. However, Regulus's attention was entirely focused on his father.
"I need the wand back now, Father."
Mr. Black drew the wand against his chest. "No."
"Yes. You know the rules, Father. You're only allowed to have your wand if you give it back."
"You can't make me give it back."
"Yes, I can."
"No. You can't." Mr. Black's voice had sunk to a ragged hiss and he backed up against the shelves as Regulus advanced on him. "It's mine. Mine. I am your father and you will listen to me."
"Yes, Father. But you will give me the wand."
"No. NO!" As Regulus reached out, Mr. Black darted to the side, evading his son's hand. "It's mine, you little brat! I am your father and you will listen to me!" The back of his hand struck Regulus across the cheek.
Regulus rolled with the blow and came up immediately, wand in hand. "Stupify!" he cried, and Arden Black sank to the ground, unconscious. Regulus dropped to his knees beside him, prying the wand from his now limp fingers.
"Is he…?" Remus began, but he couldn't finish the sentence. He wasn't sure what the end of the sentence was.
"He's fine," Regulus said. He replaced the wand in its hiding place and then used his own wand to levitate his father to a couch. He carefully covered the man with an afghan and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Let's go."
"But your father-" Remus wanted to argue, but an unpleasant heat surged through him, making him dizzy. The Unbreakable Vow. He gripped his head in his hands until the pain subsided. Regulus simply raised an eyebrow, and then left the room.
Remus followed. "He'll be all right?" he finally dared, when they were back in the safety of Regulus's bedroom.
"He'll be fine. He's been like this for the past two years. This was a good day for him," Regulus said. He picked up a bag and rifled through it, checking the contents. "If you really must know, there was an accident in the Department of Mysteries."
"So that Quibbler article was true?"
Regulus made a face. "I wouldn't know. I never read that trash. But it wouldn't surprise me if someone had gotten hold of the story."
"Sirius-"
"Sirius doesn't know," Regulus said, his voice dripping with scorn as he fastened the clasps on the bag and set it on the floor. "Sirius doesn't know a thing that goes on beyond these walls. Sirius cares nothing for this family."
"So he'd like everyone to believe," Remus muttered. "Including himself."
"Well, he's successful then, isn't he? We're going now. I sure hope you can swim."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 08:40 pm (UTC)And, oh, how sad. I can't believe I actually was feeling sorry for Mr. Black. I've had relatives go through mental decline and it's not pretty.
I'm becoming quite fond of the remus and Regulus interaction, by the way. You're gonna make me cry by the end of this, you know.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 02:19 pm (UTC)I know how you feel about Mr. Black. I almost felt sorry for him too. But I felt even sorrier for Regulus, because he does still love his parents and he won't desert his father, even if he's moved out. The scenario I picture is that Regulus does have his own place, but visits every day or two and takes care of his father. Makes you wonder if that's part of the reason he dropped out of Hogwarts.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 08:54 pm (UTC)I accidently ate your post on VENOM about fic cliches. I meant to quote it, but I pressed edit instead, and I just got made a mod, so your post is gone now, and I'm so so so so so sorry. If you remember what you said, and you wrote it out again, I could put it back for you.
I'm really, really sorry. I could just crawl into a hole and die.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 10:33 pm (UTC)I really can't wait to see what they've gotten themselves into now. They just don't learn.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 02:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 11:12 pm (UTC)You're really the only WIP that I have to follow right now, as LC and CC are complete and SOHW is on hiatus.
*snuggles Lissa and her wonderfulness*
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 02:22 pm (UTC)Btw- what's SOHW? That one's not familiar to me (at least, the acronym isn't!)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-17 07:51 am (UTC)I believe she f-locks it on her journal, but it can also be found here: http://theguestroom.houseofhobbits.com/hp/sohw.html
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 02:38 am (UTC)You know, I'm not sure I like teasers or not! I LOVE them, don't get me wrong but then I just want more, more, MORE!
I'm a greedy little bitch. =(
Love where this is going! Can't wait to read the rest!
Thanks for the snippet!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-18 04:37 am (UTC)(I'm sorry if that italics didn't work, I'm terrible at html!)
Anyway, those few sentences really say alot about Regulus's character. In a way (please don't bonk me) he seems even stronger than Sirius. He's accepted his responsibility as a Black, even though he's beginning to hate it. He rolls with the punch, he accepts the path he's followed and accepts the responsibility of his parents although we know he realizes he's made some mistakes. I just feel for him. Poor Regulus. *sigh*
Love it. Good luck with the rest and I hope it's stopped giving you so much grief.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-18 01:15 pm (UTC)::claps:: Oh, wonderful! That's exactly what I've been trying to do. :):):) Regulus must have been something else again, if you think about it. It took a lot of guts for Sirius to be as open as he was and leave his family, yes. But Sirius also had James, Remus, and Peter, and the Potters. He had support. Regulus defied Voldemort, and he likely had no one that he was truly intimate with that could help him. Even in this, you can see he's not confiding in Remus, and I know my version of this isn't going to be even close to canon. (But screw canon.) Plus, Regulus figured out in months or years what took Dumbledore decades.
I used to think Regulus wasn't going to be important, but I'm so glad I was wrong!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 11:17 pm (UTC)Just a tiny thing - I know you don't go overboard on the Britpicking, but to say 'sure hope' sounds particularly American. I think 'sincerely hope' seems more like what Regulus would say.