*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."
