Silhouette | J.Potter

chapter 10

TW: abuse, degrading language

When we got back to 12 grimmauld place, my father told Regulus to go back to his room. He looked hesitant but he left. I was pulled in deeper to the house, into the dinning room. My father seemed calm, almost stoic, but walburga the expression on her face was awful. A wicked smile adorned her lips and her eyes were filled with hatred.

“You are a failure, a blood traitor and a waste of space,” Walburga said, slapping me across my face making my head spin. As the prickling sting of the slap spread across my face, I held my head in my left hand.

“And you are a bitch who beats and belittles children,” I replied standing up straight. Orion sat down by a large window and poured himself a bourbon as he lit up a cigar, puffing the smoke out of a window.

“You will not use that term for me, you insolent brat,” she said striking my other cheek.

She knocked me onto the floor, I felt pain ring throughout my body as I collapsed to the floor in the wrong position. I didn’t feel like saying anymore witty remarks but, they needed to know every time they striked me how wrong they were. They both needed to learn a lesson and right now I couldn’t use my wand.

“You soulless monster, hitting a child for no other reason than who I chose to spend my time with and what Hogwarts house I was sorted into,” I screeched standing up again.

“Since you still like the witty remarks, I will teach you a lesson that you will never forget,” she growled pulling out her wand.

“CRUCIO,” walburga roared, pointing her wand direcly at me. The spell only worked if you meant it and by her tone I have never met antone who meant it more.

I was on the floor curled into the fetal position. It was torture, it made me feel as if I had tiny cuts all over my body inside and out; as they cried out in pain a different type of pain erupted. From my toes to the crown of my head, I felt as if I was being burned. Blistering burns that were begging out for the cold. The cold sensation didn’t give me relief as it filled my body, it bit at my extremities as if someone had locked me away in Ice and buried me in the deepest part of the ocean.

I knew what the spell crucio did, it didn’t hurt you physically but that did not stop me as I started throwing up. Suddenly it stopped, all the pain went away. I had never felt so relieved in my life. I saw Orion Black as he slapped Walburga across the face for no other reason than for punishment and took away her wand. 

“The dark lord does not want her irreversibly marked, can’t you remember that?” he finished striking her again. The woman seemed unphased by the punishment.

“To your room now, dinner will be ready in an hour. Look respectable,” He demanded. I nodded low and quickly made my way back to my room. That curse, by Merlin that curse made me weak, the pain made me want to be a coward and to back down from any confrontation.

By Merlin, did Sirius have to deal with this every time. I went to the boys room, it had Gryffindor logos all over the walls, I didn’t feel like smiling but seeing did make me feel better.

I used magic to pack everything away, and send it to the Potters. On my way out I locked the door, hoping they wouldn’t go back in there at least until I was back at Hogwarts. I went back to my room and found Reg in tears on my bed.

“They didn’t touch you, did they,” I said, trying not to let the tears out of my eyes.

“I heard your screams, you were crying out. I could hear every moment of your pain. The cruciatus curse, they used it on you. She used an unforgivable curse, because I told them you were in Gryffindor. She has never used one before, I would never have done it if I knew what was going to happen. I am sorry, I am sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” he cried, spewing the words quickly.

“Reg, I chose to stay here. I could’ve left if I wanted to. On that note, I have a letter for you from Sirius,”

I rummaged through my pockets and gave Reg the note. I didn’t ask to read it, it was not my right to know what Sirius said, how he had explained himself. I sat beside the boy at the end of the bed, stroking his back until he calmed down. Reg looked at me with worry, I hoped he didn’t know how badly I hurt or that I was angry at him. 

I needed to get changed, so Reg left me alone. My muscles were sore even though Crucio does not leave any physical markers. The Dark Lord, he’s l'homme qui apporte les ténèbres (the man who brings darkness). He doesn’t want me physically marked, what does he want from me, what does he think that he can gain.

I went into my en-suite bathroom, when I saw my appearance I understood why Regulus looked so worried. I looked awful, my eyes were red, my lips cracked, my skin was a shade paler and my hair was in disarray. I put on light Make-up to hide the new found bruising on my cheek and tied my hair into a tight bun, before changing into a loose fitting, black dress.

I sat on my bed, silently waiting for a house-elf to pop into my room.

The pop, I heard it before the house-elf spoke, I hadn’t learnt all of their names yet but I believed this one was called Kreacher. “Master Black has asked for your appearance, in the dining room,” I walked down the stairs without the house-elf and past a corridor that disgusted me. The decapitated heads of house-elves hung with plaques, that is not a proper way to remember someone in death.

I found the dining room, Regulus sat on his father’s right and Walburga sat on his left. I sat down beside Regulus, Sirius would usually sit opposite me. When Orion started eating, the meal began silently. Walburga seemed to be in a worse state than I, I suppose it was a chain. Orion hits Walburga and Walburga hits children because she’s trapped in a toxic marriage.

“Twilfitt and Tattings, will supply you a dress for the ball, in three days. A house-elf will aparate you tomorrow, I will supply you enough Galleons to buy the best quality dress and a cream that removes bruising,” Orion said, patting his mouth with a napkin. I nodded quickly, putting my cutlery vertically on my plate.

*POV switch: SIRIUS BLACK 𓃢*

James and I got back to the Potters safely. Euphemia and Fleamont, were really welcoming. James said he thought they were embarrassing for how they greeted me but I couldn’t believe their great kindness.

They apparated us back to James’ home, and they had a room ready for me and another one ready for Iris. I hoped Iris was okay, how could I just leave her there. Euphemia came up behind me, making me flinch out of habit. As I looked into a room that could have belonged to Iris. “It’s not your fault dear that she didn’t come home, James told us good things about her,” she said smiling sadly.

I nodded at the woman, thanking her for letting me stay in her home again. Before finding James. 

James had put a record on, as we screamed along to Killer queen James started jumping up and down on his bed and I moved to turn it up until, I heard a loud thump downstairs. For a moment I thought Iris had changed her mind, but then I remembered that I had asked her to send the luggage. James and I went downstairs, leaving the music on as we ran down to get the luggage solidifying my new home at the Potters.

*POV switch: Iris Artemis Black 𓆙*

When I finally escaped the dining room after a near silent dinner, and I did not have to share the same air as Orion and Walburga, I felt better. I walked slowly back up to my room lost in thought, trying to forget. Louis was waiting at the door for me, his little head turned at an angle and his bid eyes peering into mine. 

I wrapped my arms around Louis’ and whispered the correct enchantment into it, turning him into a large black panther. I did it because I wanted to know that I had a protector, even if he was only in my room.

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