Some Day | Wolfstar

Fifty-nine

"Tell me what happened with Regulus," Sirius glared at his father. Remus looked at him too, recalling Regulus' limp form lying on a bed at Hogwarts, and how Sirius had stayed up for days looking for a cure with Severus. Oh Merlin, Severus...

"What do you mean, what happened with me?" Regulus frowned. "What he's asking is how you went from lying unconscious for weeks in a bed and disappearing from Hogwarts to being completely fine and clueless," James clarified.

"Me? Unconscious?" Regulus wanted to ask James if the Malfoys had maybe struck him with a Confusing Charm. "I only stayed here-"

"Let me explain, Regulus," Orion looked at him for a second, and turned to Sirius. "The boy in the hospital wing was not Regulus."

Remus almost choked on his own breath. What?

"The boy in the hospital wing?" Regulus asked, extremely confused now. Orion ignored him. "We found that the Malfoys were after the ring a few weeks ago. That's why I called you back home, Sirius. But then I found out that you had given it to Regulus."

"Yes, because I have no right to carry it," Sirius said.

Orion sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I immediately removed him from Grimmauld Place. We found quarters with an old friend of mine until the vacation ended. That's when Regulus worked on Nigrae Radicae with that boy Severus."

Sirius drew in a sharp breath at the mention of his name, but it went unnoticed by Orion. "Then you brought me here for an extended vacation." Regulus accused. Orion didn't respond. "Your safety was important, love," Walburga spoke up.

"And Sirius' wasn't?" Regulus looked at her with angry eyes. She frowned. "As he is so fond of insisting, he is no son of mine."

Remus' heart ached at those words. He moved closer to Sirius and wrapped his arm around him. Sirius pressed himself into Remus' side, but his face was set to show an indifferent expression.

"If it wasn't Regulus, then who was it?" He asked. Regulus frowned. "Wait... you said I was unconscious..." his eyes went wide as he turned to Orion. "You cursed someone with it? How could you?"

"It was necessary, Regulus," Walburga sounded angry. "No, it wasn't! You promised, father! How could you? When I haven't even found a cure yet?"

"Don't raise your voice at your parents," Walburga warned. "How about you shut your darling mouth for a minute, mother?" Sirius snapped at her. Her eyes flashed with anger, and Remus thought he could feel Sirius flinch.

"Let's not get carried away," Orion quieted them. "The boy is a mudblood we found on the streets. No one important."

Sirius was out of his seat in a flash. "No one important? Who the hell are you to judge his worth? You just picked someone off the streets and played with their life like that? Do you not-"

"Enough!" Green electricity shot forth from Walburga's wand. Sirius gasped and dropped to his knees. "No!" James cast a spell at her, but she deflected it easily. Remus pointed his own wand at her, "Expelliarmus!"

Walburga's wand flew from her hands. Regulus rushed to his brother, and helped him up. Remus helped him lay Sirius down on the couch. "No, stop!" Remus grabbed James before he fired another spell at Walburga.

"Is he okay?" James asked, touching Sirius' face. "He passed out again..." Regulus murmured sadly. He looked at his mother, tears blurring his vision. "Why would you do that, mother?" He whispered. James pulled him into a hug. "It's okay. He'll be okay," he said. "Don't cry. Sirius would hate to have you cry over him."