Drowning

Regulus opened his eyes and immediately groaned, a deep ache settling into his bones once he realized what happened. The Slytherin Quidditch Team were all rushing down to the grass to help him, screams echoing as the young Black's head spun wildly.

"Regulus!" Julia, the captain, called out to him, kneeling beside the seeker and sitting him up. "Salazar's tongue, mate! Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he croaked. "I just - I missed breakfast and I feel a little dizzy, that's all."

"You missed breakfast?" she frowned at him. "Black, you can't do that. You're supposed to have enough stamina for practice, at least. What if you got seriously injured?"

"Sorry," he breathed out, black spots dancing before him. 

Suddenly, Gino and Phil were beside him, helping him up and telling Julia some bullshit about going to the hospital wing. Regulus' feet dragged through the ground, staining his quidditch boots with grass. The inside of his left arm was pulsing painfully, his own blood roaring on his ears. He could faintly hear Gino screaming for people to get out of the way and he could see blue and bronze and a little bit of green which he certainly hoped wasn't Elías.

Time was a blur of pain and the next time he opened his eyes it was to scream out loud, thrasing against the various holds the Slytherins had him in. His house mates all cursed, trying to get a good grip but all Regulus wanted was for the pain to stop. Was this how the cruciatus felt? Had someone realized how he looked at Elías and hewas finally receiving his punishment?

"Keep still, Regulus!" that was Severus, he could recognize his voice anywhere. And Severus always protected him, always held him in a tight embrace when everything got too much and he was choking on his own words. "Regulus!"

The pain intensified, and the next scream tore out his voice and he tasted blood. Someone cursed again in Merlin's name and a pencil was shoved between his teeth. Regulus realized he'd bitten his own tongue.

Then suddenly the pain was gone, and his voice died away. Various hands pushed him to the side, so his back wasn't against the cool dungeon floor anymore. Regulus sobbed and spat out the blood coating his mouth. The black dots disappeared and when he tried to stand, hands pushed him down again to sit on the floor.

"Are you mad?!" Gino's voice, and soon his face. He looked worried as hell. "Regulus! Look at me! Don't faint!"

He shook his head, but looked at his friend and held his blue eyed gaze. Gino's chocolate locks were stained with blood, his hands, too, and his face was paler than he'd ever seen it. Not even when he received the Dark Mark had he seemed so ill.

"Hey," Regulus croaked, blood and saliva dribbling down his chin.

"Severus, can you do something?" Phil, and there was also Lionel and Romulus talking behind him. There wasn't a first year or second year in sight, and he guessed it had been Goyle.

"Of course," the seventh year Slytherin replaced Gino in front of Regulus and gave directions to someone about potions in his dorm or something. Severus snapped his fingers in front of the younger Black, who managed to open his eyelids slightly. "Regulus, can you understand me?"

"Yes," he mumbled out, voice sore and broken. 

"Your body is rejecting the Dark Mark," he stated, and as soon as the words came out, Regulus' blood went cold. "Do you know why?"

"No," he whispered.

"It's because you weren't willing," his hands were bloody, too. There was also a scratch on his neck, looking like claw marks. Regulus looked at his right hand and found his nails coated with skin and blood. He felt nauseous. "You do not want the Dark Mark, and that wish is so powerful that your magic, somehow untainted, is trying to reject the Dark Arts."

"That's," he choked out. "That's insane, I want the Dark Mark! I want to serve the Dark Lord!"

"You fool," Goyle spat from beside him, and Regulus looked up. His robes were tainted, too. Goyle was one of the ones who held him down. "None of us want the Dark Mark. The only ones who did were Lucius and that insane cousin of yours."

"Bella," he murmured. Oh, what would Bella do if she knew? What would his family do? He began to shiver. What would the Dark Lord do? "Does... he know?"

"No," Severus pursed his lips. "This has happened before, Regulus. Ah, Flint, thank you."

Lionel pushed a bunch of vials into Severus' hands, and soon they were drawn to Regulus' lips. The sixth year swallowed them one by one, recognizing some by the immediate effect - Pepper Up, Blood Replenishing, Pain Solution and pthers he did not know, but somehow suspected were Severus' own concoctions. 

"Better?" there was a trail of dried blood on his cheek, where his hair was pushed behind his ear. Regulus nodded slowly, hesitated, and lifted his left arm to look at it, but Severus grasped it. A painful shock made him gasp. "Remember, Regulus, that no one is judging you. You're sixteen. We're a family, all of us, here. You're fine."

He wasn't fine. Not as soon as he saw his arm and started to throw up.

***

"Where is he?" 

Lyssandra stood, starstruck that her fiancè had just ignored her and had moved immediately to Lionel, Romulus and Phil. The four Slytherins stared at him, the new Ravenclaw Beater, looking more furious than worried. They hadn't had any classes with Ravenclaws yet, so how could he know that Regulus hadn't left the Dungeons?

"He's tired," Phil chewed his food slowly, but the tired bags under his eyes were evidence of something else that had happened. "He stayed at the Dungeons, sleeping."

"That's a lie," his worry turned to absolute fury. Lyssandra was still gaping. "Where is Regulus?"

"Asleep," that was a truth.

"Why?" the Spaniard pressed.

"You know why."

Elías' head snapped to Severus' voice, the Slytherin not even looking at him as he kept eating. For a moment, the Ravenclaw stared, then stood to his full height and glared deeply at him.

"Of course," he spat, and Lyssandra jumped slightly. She hadn't seen him angry in the entire month and a half he'd been at Hogwarts, and now he was shaking. "He's sick. And I supposed Madame Pomfrey doesn't know shit about it."

"Don't talk unless you want to be involved, López," Zabinni glared from her side of the table, next to Goyle. "I don't think you want to."

"I hope at least someone's given him the proper care of a friend, and not the proper care of a fellow DeathEater," Elías turned on his heel, walking from the green and silver table away from the Great Hall.

"I," Lyssandra kept her wide eyes on the door. "He was so angry..."

"They've known each other since they were kids," Lionel frowned at his piece of pie. "Regulus may act like an ass when Elías is around, but he does that with Black as well. We... we all know how he gets along with him, or, at least, how he used to."

"Bollocks," Phillip gripped his spoon tightly, knuckles turning white. He shook, and when Lyssandra reached out for him, he threw the spoon down with a loud noise and jumped from his seat. "I'm going to see Regulus and Gino."

"I'm coming with you," Lionel stood, followed soon by Romulus and Lyssandra.

***

Sirius had good friends and terrible enemies. His good friends were currently flanking him - James on his right, Peter and Remus on his left. So when he saw the approaching figure of pureblood Elías López, he honestly thought he'd walk right by them despite the decided look in his malaquite eyes.

"Hey!" James called out as Elías gripped Sirius' collar and shoved him inside a classroom, pushing him against the wall. 

Immediately, three wands were drawn against him, door shutting softly and leaving them in the persimmon light of the setting sun. Sirius held the pureblood's gaze, trained to do so. Elías' wand wasn't even out of his pocket, so he soon relaxed and lifted a hand towards the rest of the Marauders.

"He's fine," he said softly.

"Fine!?" James called incredulously.

"You have to help him," Elías whispered.

"What are you mumbling there, López?" the Head Boy challenged.

"James," Remus called, grasoing his shoulder and holding him back. "We better go."

"No," James spat. "Sirius, you tell me."

"You can leave," he responded, collar still under the Ravenclaw's hand.

"What?" the youngest and only Potter heir looked at his best friend, defenseless against someone who he knew for sure was a Slytherin and not a Ravenclaw. "Mate..."

"Fine, you want to stay?" Elías glared at him and shoved Sirius towards his friends. Remus caught him, glaring at the Spaniard with intensity. "You, Black, need to do something and quick."

"I've done everything I can!" Sirius barked. "I can't do anything! He's chosen his path and he can go to hell with it!"

"This is bigger than a petty family dispute, Sirius!" he pulled on his hair, shaking his head and seeing Miguel thrashing against the floor, blood staining his arm and his parents standing right in front of him, doing nothing at all. "He's going to die!"

"He's Death Eater scum," the elder Black hesitated, just for a moment, before he crossed his arms. "There's no turning back."

"That's why he did it!" he shouted, loud and clear. "Don't you get it?! He thinks you've given up on him and all he has are those bloody Death Eaters and your goddamn mother!"

"Why do you even care?!" Sirius shoved Elías, slamming his against the wall. Remus took a step forwards but held himself back. "All you've ever done to him was confuse him and make him miserable!"

"He knows who he is now! It can't be ignored, Sirius!"

"He could've! And he would've been happy!"

"He can still be happy if you'd help him!"

"He's happy being a Death Ea - !"

"I'M NOT LETTING MIGUEL BE A DEATH EATER!" 

The room fell silent. Sirius took a little step back and the door of the classroom squeaked. They all turned their heads towards Lily Evans, hand over her mouth, tears shinning in her eyes. Before Elías could even blink, Sirius was rushing out of the classroom and sprinting through the hallways. James was quick to follow, Peter looking apologetically at Lily before leaving, too.

"Well," Remus ran a hand through his sandy hair. "That explains a lot."

"My God," Lily sobbed. "Is Regulus really a Death Eater?"

"Wake up, Evans," Elías spat at her. "Nothing's all magical and pretty like Charms Class makes it out to be."

"Shut the bloody hell up, López," Remus glared at the aravenclaw, who glared right back. "You're no better than Sirius."

"I, at least, try not to leave those whom I want to protect," he icily responded.

"It's more complicated than you think," the Gryffindor began.

"Ah, no," Elías pushed Evans out of the way. "It's more complicated than whatever you may think."