Sunflowers & Hot Chocolate | Remus Lupin

the cruciatus curse

The woman who had appeared to be Walburga Black grabbed a hold of her two eldest children, one with each hand, digging her nails into their skin.

“12 Grimmuald Place” she said coldly and the four of them disapparated to their home.

“Where have you three been? I told you to be home on time” she stopped to check the time, “That was three hours ago!”

“We went out with our friends, Walburga” Sirius mumbled.

“Have some respect when you talk to me boy!” She spat, “you were with those blood-traitors and not to mention the filthy half-breeds and mudbloods!”

“Don't call them that, they're our friends!” he said defensively

“Your friends?” she cackled

“Yes.”

SLAP

“Don't you dare talk back to me boy. To think I raised you right and now I have a son who is placed into Gryffindor house and befriends filth”

“They're my friends too!” I slipped out. “You just don't give them a chance mother. You're blinded to blood purity. How dare we call ourselves 'The Noble House of Black' there is not a single noble element to our family!” I protested passionatly

Walburga's face dropped and went half a shade paler which I didn't know was possible.

“After all I've done for you, you ungrateful brats!”

She stood up straight, face full of rage, and pointed her wand towards my twin and I

“CRUCIO”

I cried and cried some more, it felt like hundreds and thousands of little daggers glazed in alcohol were stabbing into my skin nonstop. Is this really what Sirius goes through whenever this happens. It hurts so bad.

“S- stop. Make it stop” I was drenched in my own tears, sweat and blood. I used as much energy I had left to turn to look at Sirius. His face broke my heart. I hate it here, I hate it. How could Walburga cast an unforgivable curse on her blood? On her own children: her eldest son, her only daughter.

“Aaargh!”

“P- Please make it s- stop, I'm begging you” Sirius cried

“Oh? You beg, do you?” Walburga cackled again and then finally she lowered her wand.

It stopped the pain stopped I was no longer suffering, well I was no longer physically suffering.

“Leave. Get out of my sight! You better hope your names are still on the tree tomorrow!”She spat “Go!”

Sirius and I ran to his room and sobbed.

My head pounded, I couldn't stop thinking about what'd just happened and how it must've felt for Sirius who had been going through it for the past three years.

“Siri, I'm sorry, I should've just kept my mouth shut and this wouldn't have hapoened”

“No Artemis, you're sorry she finally got you.” he spat

“I'm sorry what? After all these years of cleaning up all your messes and this is what I get!” I said in between sobs

“I never asked you to do that!”

“Well it's kind of my job as your older sister!”

“Twelve minutes, Artemis, and if you're forgetting the fact that you left me”

“No!”

“We were nine, Artemis, and you left me.”

“Stop!”

“You and Esme and Reg!”

“Sirius please just stop!”

The door swung open making me tense.

“Hey” The voice said sorrowfully it was Regulus. I wiped my tears away and straightened up. “I'm sorry, I should've stopped her.”

“Hey, hey, hey. It's not your fault, it's her's. We'll be free of her real soon, I promise" I said hugging my youngest brother, “Sirius I heard what you said to Missy you know.”

My chest was no longer pounding but now a steady pace.

“How dare you, you know. Missy and Esme are the best people in our lives at the moment and you spoke about them like that, shame on you.”

“I'm sorry” he murmed

Tens of minutes went past and we'd all stopped crying and hopped on top of Sirius' bed.

“How about I'll roll a tape and we can watch a film, yeah?” Reg  suggested trying to lighten the mood

“Yeah whatever” Sirius shrugged and I rolled my eyes.

Regulus had put on Disney's 'The Aristocats' .