Written for

The Hogwarts Talent Show

Song - Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons

Every Wolf Deserves a Star WolfStar Challenge.

Prompts: "Books are made to be read, not thrown." (Dialogue) , DeathEater!Sirius (Condition), "Did I just say that?" (Dialogue)

Bonus Prompts: "-insert character name-, get your arse over here!" (Dialogue), Blender (Word/Item), Fraud (Word), Sing (Action), Slow (Word)

~Touch my mouth and hold my tongue~

Sirius lay on the floor, willing the words to pass his lips. He had tried. He had fought, but he wasn't going to give up. He would have to be dead before he gave up. He wanted to inform his parents of that.

If he could speak, he would have told his parents exactly what he thought of their views, though they seemed to have gotten the idea from everything he had already told them.

His favourite part had been when he had bragged about climbing into bed with a Werewolf. Let them deal with the shame that their son allowed himself to be fucked by what they considered a half-breed abomination. Let them roll in the shame of the heir of the Black family being gay. It didn't matter that it was a dream, a lie. They didn't need to know that. The thought of their son wanting to do that was bad enough.

He knew he would pay for that comment and the following ones, as hate spewed from his lips whilst the curses and hexes landed over and over on his body, tearing at his flesh, burning him, shocking him, forcing him to his knees in agony.

"Silencio," his Mother had finally roared, after Sirius realised that detailing exactly what he wanted to happen with the Werewolf was the way to hurt his parents the most.

He had won. The words couldn't come from his lips, so she couldn't hear him beg her to stop. She couldn't hear him scream, and he knew that's what the sadistic woman wanted to listen to the most.

~I'll never be your chosen one~

He lay on the floor; his eyes forced open. He wouldn't close them as he didn't trust the people around him in the slightest. He was weak, drained. The silencing spell had worn off, but he hadn't a word to utter to them.

They had chosen him. They had informed a man – a stranger – that Sirius would join his group. Sirius knew what the group were. He had read in the papers about the torturing and killing of Muggles and Muggleborns.

He would never join.

He had informed his parents that he would rather stand with the Muggles than against them, and that's what had started this chain of events.

But they couldn't make him become one of them. One of those Death Eaters.

~The pull on my flesh was just too strong; stifled the choice~

"Imperio."

Sirius could only watch his actions and not control them. He was too weak from what his family had done to him to fight against the sudden control.

In a terrified, yet blissful state, he climbed off the floor, standing obediently. His mother issued orders for him to follow her, and before Sirius realised, the four of them were standing in a cold Dining room – one he didn't recognise.

"My son," Walburga said, her bony fingers wrapped around Sirius' arm, he could feel her nails digging slightly into his skin before he was ushered forward.

"You will take this mark," the man he suspected to be Voldemort told him. "You will join the other Death Eaters and be loyal to only me." Sirius watched him spin his wand between long fingers. "You will rid our world of impurities and Muggles and Mudbloods. Do you understand?"

Sirius felt his head nod, though he wanted to tell the man that he wasn't interested.

"Roll back your sleeve," the man demanded.

Before Sirius even realised what was happening, he was overcome with pain.

~I will not speak of your sin; There was a way out for him~

Regulus bundled the cloak around him. He had been sent with his brother on a first raid. He had been told to observe, to see what he would be doing next year when he was of age.

He stuck close to his brother's side. Knowing he was under the Unforgivable, but knowing that with the Curse, Sirius would be told to protect his brother. He watched his brother throwing hexes at an old man guilty only of having no magical blood.

This wasn't what was promised. Regulus had been told they would improve the world. That they would take their rightful place above the Muggles.

Not kill them for sport.

Regulus felt sick. He didn't have to be a part of this – Voldemort would be satisfied with only Sirius... but he couldn't let his brother do this.

He saw his brother fighting the curse. The Crucio trying hard to pass his lips, but to no avail. The wand was shaking in his hand. He jerked his hand, a spell shooting past the man, hitting a blender on the counter, causing it to shatter.

'Fight it,' Regulus willed, in his head, hoping that Sirius could snap out of it and get away. He could see the cold empty eyes dart around, as though there was finally someone there.

"Imperio," he heard someone sing. Regulus spun around, spotting his cousin, Bellatrix, a satisfied smile on her face. Regulus looked back at his brother, his face dangerously empty once more.

"Crucio," Sirius whispered, the man dropping to the floor, screaming.

But what could Regulus do to stop this? His parents wouldn't listen. His family wouldn't listen. He had no way to help his brother.

He thought about the letter that had arrived that morning addressed to Sirius that his parents hadn't had a chance to turn away. Potter, Lupin or Pettigrew no doubt... but he couldn't tell them what was happening. Sirius would never want them to know.

Or maybe they were Sirius' only hope?

~But oh, my heart was flawed I knew my weakness; So hold my hand, consign me not to darkness.~

Remus watched the hooded figure dance about, hexes flying in familiar movements. He had been out with James when they felt the tingle of magic. They had decided to follow it, only to find themselves facing three Death Eaters, clearly finishing up after a house raid.

One was reluctant to fight, and the other was duelling James, leaving Remus duelling the third. From the moment the wand was pointed in his direction, he struggled to throw a serious curse or hex at this Death Eater.

Because he had duelled with all his room-mates more times than he could count. He had danced with one of them too, knowing the way the man moved.

He knew under that hood and behind that mask, was Sirius Black.

His lips felt dry and he moistened them, hoping he could hold out long enough for James to take out the other Death Eater. Maybe they could somehow take Sirius down, bind him, drag him to the Potter's and try to fix whatever had happened. But James was looking exhausted and had no idea who was under any of the masks. Remus had never beaten Sirius in a duel - not of them had, but he had to this time.

Moments later, Remus heard a 'Stupefy', and heard James' body hit the floor. Seconds later, he was disarmed, his wand flying from his hand, landing on the ground behind where Sirius stood.

The figure approached, the hood was pulled down and the mask removed.

Remus' breath caught at the sight of the man he loved. He had hoped he was wrong because Sirius would never... his eyes met the empty grey and he realised that this wasn't his Sirius. Sirius' eyes were stormy, expressive. But now... now it looked like a Dementor had taken away Sirius' soul because all Remus was seeing was an empty shell.

"Sirius, it's me," Remus said. "You wouldn't hurt me."

His friend advanced towards him, wand pointed.

"I love you," Remus whispered. "Don't do this. You've got to be in there somewhere."

The wand stayed raised, but not a word was uttered. Remus could see a slight shake to the wand, showing that Sirius was hesitating. Hope filled Remus, he was right. Sirius was still in there and Sirius was fighting whatever control was over him.

"That's right, whatever it is, fight it," Remus whispered. "I love you, and I know you won't hurt me. I trust you."

The wand started to lower, Sirius' hand shaking as though he was putting everything into pointing the wand away from Remus.

"Imperio," came a shriek, as the Death Eater that had taken down James pointed her wand at Sirius. The struggle was harder now. "No," Sirius whispered, the wand falling from his hand to the floor.

"Stupefy," came a soft voice. Remus had forgotten about the Death Eater at the back. He hadn't expected Bellatrix Lestrange to be the one to fall to the ground.

"Sirius?" Remus whispered, reaching out and taking the hand that had dropped the wand. "We're going to take you back to James' now. You'll be safe." He used his grip on Sirius' hand to pull the other man close to him, and Sirius fell into his embrace.

~I can take the road and I can fuck it all away.~

Sirius opened his eyes and looked around in a panic. His eyes fell on the body curled against his, clutching him tightly.

"Remus?" He whispered.

"Sirius," Remus murmured, relieved. "You're awake. What do you remember?"

Sirius' mouth began to move, about to tell Remus he remembered nothing, until the memories flooded into his mind. About the people he had hurt and tortured. About duelling with Remus, and the moment of realisation in Remus' eyes as he realised who Sirius was.

About the voice in his head that was telling him to kill Remus. He was only a Werewolf.

He remembered fighting it, before everything went black.

"I almost killed you!" Sirius whispered, starting to panic, trying to move away from Remus. How could Remus bare to touch him after everything he had done? "I was so close to doing it. I've done... I've hurt people. Oh Merlin, I've hurt so many people." He climbed off the bed, putting distance between them, sinking down on the window-seat.

"It wasn't you," Remus said, following him. "I've been reading up on the Imperius curse – the book is on the desk by you, and –"

"Fuck what it says," Sirius said, grabbing the book and throwing it at the bin.

"Books are made to be read, not thrown."

"I'm not joking – this isn't a joking matter," Sirius roared. "I could have killed you. What's wrong with you – you should have defended yourself better. I was trying to hurt you, yet you didn't try to hurt me or stop me."

"I would never hurt you," Remus whispered.

"Then I'm a fraud," Sirius said. "Because I told you the same thing months ago. I promised to never hurt you again. I almost killed you, Remus. I would die without you."

"It doesn't make you a fraud," Remus said. "You had no choice – no control over your actions."

"I should have fought against it harder," Sirius snapped, turning to walk away.

"Sirius, get your arse over here!" Remus demanded, causing Sirius to freeze and turn back around.

"Stronger willed men than you have tried to fight the curse and failed," Remus firmly told him. "You hesitated when you could have just killed me. You fought against it. You would never willingly hurt me. It was your parents. They tried to force you to kill me, but you proved in that moment that you are stronger than them. You lowered your wand. You dropped it to the floor because you are strong."

"I would never willingly hurt you," Sirius whispered. " I love you." He clapped his hand over his mouth. "Did I just say that?"

"You did," Remus replied, a smile on his lips. "I meant it when I said it last night. I love you."

"Even after everything I've done?" Sirius asked, rolling up his sleeve, feeling sick at the sight of the Dark Mark on his arm. Proof that everything that had happened was real, and not some twisted dream. He wanted this mark gone, but knew it wouldn't be easy. He would willingly burn the layer of flesh from his arm just to make this disappear.

"Even after everything you were forced to do," Remus confirmed. His movements were slow as he closed the distance between them, his arms moving around Sirius' body.

He held Sirius as he began to shake, whispering words to comfort him. He brought a hand up to run gently through Sirius' hair, the same way he would comfort Sirius during a storm, even though Sirius claimed that he wasn't scared of them.

Finally an emotionally drained Sirius was led back to the bed and curled up in Remus' welcoming arms.

~But in this twilight our choices seal our fate.~

"They are only seventeen," Dorea snapped.

"And Sirius has already fought," Charlus replied. "He's not a child. He's shown me what they forced him to do. They branded him. If he wants to fight against them, it's his right."

"None of that should have happened," Dorea said, her voice breaking slightly.

"But it did," James said, his gaze moving between his parents. "We all want to join the Order, and Regulus is terrified of returning home because of what will happen to him after he helped Sirius. We knew about the Order before, and wanted to join then, but we're more determined now."

Dorea's gaze moved to Remus, hoping that the most sensible of the bunch would hear reason.

"They aren't getting away with what they've done to Sirius," Remus replied, his eyes flashing in anger.

Charlus stood up, his eyes moving between the four friends and Sirius' younger brother.

"I'll speak with Dumbledore in the morning," he said. "You won't be allowed to join until after Hogwarts is over. Regulus, you won't be safe in your house there. We'll have to discuss ways to keep you safe."

"I'll be the Head boy, so I'll have a private dorm. Regulus can stay in my room with me," James offered.

"I'll arrange the meeting with Dumbledore," Charlus said. "Now, get some rest. There are three weeks left before you return to Hogwarts."

"I'll start looking for ways to get rid of the mark," Remus whispered.

"We'll all help," James insisted, Peter and Regulus both nodding in agreement.

Sirius' hand found Remus', and he held it tightly. He knew he could come to terms with what he was forced to do, with Remus by his side. Charlus had asked him if he wanted to be Obliviated, but Sirius wanted to remember. He needed to know how powerful that Unforgivable truly was. He needed to remember how his parents controlled him.

It showed him that even under a curse, he would not hurt Remus.

Review please :)

Thanks to Firefly for betaing :)