Love, Life, And Lies- Regulus Black

.bruises.

.i may be a gentleman, love. but if you keep looking at me like that, with the devil in your eyes, biting your lower lip, i will take you against the nearest surface i find.

I started hyperventilating the moment my feet hit the entrance hall. My body started shaking from the adrenaline that was coursing through my veins.

I braced my hands on the hall table, dropping my head. A quiet sob escaped from my throat. I looked up into the big mirror on the wall. I looked ghastly.

My frame was too thin, and there were dark purple shadows under my eyes. But what drew my attention were the red handprints that looked like angry burns across my neck.

I prodded the mark, feeling the soreness erupt. It wouldn't be easy to hide them.

I sighed, wanting nothing more than to drink a hot cup of tea and fall into a dreamless sleep.

But a horrible sharp shrieking from the drawing room drew my attention away from the mirror.

I straightened up, smoothing wrinkles from my dress and rushed up the stairs to follow the noises.

I froze in the doorway at the scene before me. That terrible, gruesome scene. Walburga was holding up a dress that had a burn mark in in, likely from an iron.

And wailing on the ground in front of her was what made me stop dead in my tracks.

In a small little crouch was Kreacher, sobbing as he was forced to iron his hands for what I assumed was his mistake. The sounds from his throat were heart shattering as he tossed his head back in agony, his big green eyes magnified with tears.

"What is going on here?" I shot, startling Walburga.

"This miscreant ruined my dress for tonight's gala." She hissed, aiming a swift kick at Kreacher.

It took everything I had not to give her the most condescending look possible. With a flick of my wand I repaired the burn in the dress, it looked as good as new. Funny how magic worked. It made me sick that she would make such a big deal out of something that could be fixed so easily.

"There." I declared through clenched teeth. "It's been repaired. Please let him go."

Walburga looked the dress over, unable to even find where it had even been damaged in the first place.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't let up on the little elf.

"It's about the principle." She claimed, her voice haughty as she looked down her nose at him. "He should have been more careful."

"Walburga. Let. Him. Go." My polite tone was gone. I wouldn't tolerate her treating a living being that way. I moved to stand in front of them, blocking her path so she couldn't kick him again.

"Get out of my way." She hissed, her voice sharp and cutting.

"Kreacher, stop. Put the iron down." I commanded.

Kreacher obeyed my command, dropping the iron with a thud. His hands were horrifically burned, and he rolled over into the fetal position trembling all over.

"How dare you get in the way." Walburga tried to shove me aside, but I wouldn't budge. "Kreacher. Pick the iron back up."

Kreacher didn't.

"You stupid little elf. Pick it up." She shrieked.

"He won't disobey my command."

"I am his mistress."

"Yes, but Regulus is the heir of the Black family. Following the chain of command, Cygnus is the highest, but then Regulus as the heir is next. He has more power than you or Orion. And as his wife, I have more power than you. Kreacher won't disobey a command from me."