Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters nor places, because I obviously doesn't own Harry Potter - that honour belongs to the great J.K Rowling.

"Regulus Arcturus Black!" Walburga screamed to her 9-years-old youngest son who stood cowering in front of her. Regulus stared at the ground, deathly afraid but not daring to move in fear of increase his mother's wrath. "How dare you disgrace the family like that?!"

The Minister for Magic had been on dinner in the House of Black's estate and meanwhile the adults had been having tea in the parlour Regulus and Sirius had been sent up to the second level so they wouldn't disturb them. Just as they was taught and practically forced, they had kept silent and sat in Sirius' room talking quietly, careful not to make any noises that could reach their parents and their guest. Walburga and Orion Black didn't take easily on their sons disturbing them, especially not when they had guests. The sons of the house had learnt that ages ago.

But, then Mrs Black had wanted her sons to come down since the Minister had wanted to talk to them. She sent Kreacher to get them and Sirius and Regulus had come downstairs. The Minister had served them a cup of tea herself and Sirius had graciously thanked her on French ("Merci, Madame Ministre.") and walked to his armchair. Regulus had done the same, but when he reached Sirius' armchair Kreacher had stumbled and spilled tea on the carpet – an authentic expensive Persian carpet – and Mrs Black had ordered him to punish himself substantially. Which he had done. Sirius didn't particularly care, he right out hated the family's most loyal house elf, but Regulus had been very upset, he loved the elf. So he had quickly turned around with the tea still in his hands and when he screamed that Kreacher should stop he had tried to hurry forward to the elf and he also stumbled and the tea fell over Minister Jenkins.

The Minister had screamed since the tea was very hot and she was drenched in it and after getting excuses from Mrs Black and desperate apologizing from Regulus meanwhile Sirius tried to calm him down she left back to the Ministry through the Floo.
After dismissing Kreacher with more orders of punishing himself he ordered Sirius to stand back and Mr Black only stood there passive. He didn't really care what happened to his children as long they didn't disgraced the family.

Which takes us back to where the story began.

"I-I'm sorry Mother." Regulus stammered with wide grey eyes, fear filling them. "I didn't mean to disgrace you or father."
Just like Sirius he was incredibly good at keeping his voice smooth and un-stuttering even when fearful, something Mrs Black had beaten into them in young years, and even if he succeeded very well even now, he couldn't entirely stop his voice from trembling. Luckily Mrs Black was too angry to hear even if Sirius did.
"You did, thought." She said, a bit calmer now. Much calmer than when she handled Sirius since Sirius was much more alike her in his temper than Regulus. "And for disgracing the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black and spilling tea on the Minister for Magic, you'll have to be punished."
Regulus nodded worthily but it wasn't hard to see the fear in his face. Mrs Black was horrible when she punished her sons, and no one knew that better than said sons. The smallest of offences got their punishment, and it wasn't things like cleaning or cooking like many parents because that was unworthy of a Black and absolutely unthinkable that the heir or the heir's brother would do.

He trembled when Mrs Black raised her hand to strike. But the hit never came. Sirius rushed forward and threw himself between his mother and little brother with his legs broadly apart, standing steadily and his arms outstretched to cover Regulus who stared at his brother's back, grateful and afraid for Sirius' sake.

Sirius winced and let out a whimper as Mrs Black's hand hit his cheek but he didn't move when she screamed at him to get out of the way.
"It wasn't Regulus' fault, Mother." He said with unfaltering and protective voice. "It was mine. I-I tripped him when he turned around. I'm sorry, I didn't mean the tea to get on Madame Minister."
It was a working excuse, Regulus had been close to Sirius when he fell, and Mrs Black who unwillingly admitted that her youngest son could do something wrong without the fault of her oldest, the mischief-making heir, immediately believed him. In many cases Sirius was the perfect heir of the House of Black, he was proud, skilled, talented, arrogant, knew he was better than anyone else and determined and all those characteristics was things his parents encouraged, but he was also an incurable prankster and that was something he refused to stop with no matter how much his parents punished him, with beatings, curses, boggarts or room arrest. At least he didn't prank guests anymore (he had never been foolish enough to prank his parents) and only did prank the House elves, which Mr and Mrs Black didn't care a bit about, except Kreacher a little, little.

Sirius trembled a little when Mrs Black looked at him, vivid, but his gaze was steady when he looked in his mother's eyes. Then he lowered his head and bowed lowly for his mother, a bow that would've outdone many court-men during the 1700's.
"S'il vous plaît permettez-moi de m'excuser." he said with smooth and callous voice. A Black never showed weakness, even if he was right out terrified what his mother would do. But she could punish him a thousand times as long she didn't touch Regulus.
Mrs Black nodded.
"Yes, do. I want to hear what you have to say in justification." She told him with cold voice and without the slightest hint of motherly affection. Either of her sons only ever got affection when they had done something really worthy of a Black. Sirius had quite lost hope of ever being good enough for his parents and didn't care as much any longer even if he still tried to make them proud, but he knew Regulus was desperate to making them proud over him, to see that they loved him.

Sirius straightened his back and looked his mother in the eyes. He knew he looked ashamed. He was very good at acting and could probably be a famous actor is it hadn't been a disgraceful job for a Black. And that he didn't want to be an actor of course. He had to be, or else he shouldn't survive a day in the pureblood elite society he belonged in.
"I can't justify myself Mother. I disgraced the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black and there's no excuse. I'm sorry, even if I do not expect you to accept my apology." He said all that with a neutral voice with the slightest hint of shame – which of course was played. No one would believe that that only was acting. Neither did his mother. She nodded.
"Since you realizes that your punishment will be slightly easier." She said and Sirius felt the knot in his stomach be a little smaller. He had to resist to smile of relief even if he knew that he still would be punished. For something he hadn't done, but he couldn't let her touch his baby brother.

"Thank you Mother."
Mrs Black looked strict when she told him what his punishment should be.
"Your father will discipline you five times, Sirius. I do not wish to hear from you during your punishment. Is that understood?"
Sirius swallowed. His father would discipline him? Wow, it must really be bad, spilling tea on the Minister. He nodded once.
"Yes Mother. I understand."

Mr Black had only stood watching in disinterest during this whole episode, waiting for their mother to decide their faith. He looked at his wife and nodded. He would do as she wished. When it came to their children he always listened to her, it was she who had the power over them. He waved his wand and summoned a belt and Sirius eyes glimmered in fear, but one look at his absolutely scared to death little brother made him swallow the fear and feel determined to take his punishment as a true Black.

"Take your shirt of, Sirius." Mr Black ordered and Sirius did take off his expensive robe coat and shirt, folding them and placing them at his armchair. He gave Regulus one last gaze before walking to his father.
"Don't look ." He ordered before turning to Mr Black. "I'm ready, father." He said with respectful voice and lowered his head, trying to look as timid and respectful as possible in hope to make his punishment easier. The Head of the family nodded.
"Turn around and stand in front of the wall."
Sirius immediately obeyed. Soon he stood with his hands on the wall, shirtless, and feeling cold sweat in his face, fearing what would come. He had been whipped a lot of times, but it was always just as horrible as the last time. Luckily his parents healed him directly afterwards – it wouldn't do that he had scars that destroyed his good looks, and they always avoided his face in fear of making injuries that couldn't heal.

He took a deep breath when he saw his father's shadow raising the hand that had the belt and prepared himself for the pain. He had never understood why his parents, who loathed muggles so much, so often used muggle punishments at their sons and nieces and nephews. He bit himself in his lip when the first strike came. He felt blood spring out from it from biting too hard, but Mother had ordered that he wouldn't make a sound so he shouldn't.
Mr Black counted the strikes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
When the last hit came, Sirius thought he would cry in relief. It hadn't been as bad as it could be, but it still hurt so much. One sob escaped him before he could stop himself and a single tear floated down his face. Unfortunately his mother saw it.
"A Black does not cry." She said sharply. "Only weak cry."
Sirius swallowed his sobs and blinked away the tears before nodding.
"Yes Mother. I know, Mother." He replied, voice strained by pain.
"Now, lie down on the floor." She ordered. Sirius did as ordered after looking at Regulus, who luckily had been closing his eyes the whole time.

Sirius lied down on the Persian carpet, hoping he would be healed, not punished again. It was hard to know, even if Mrs Black hadn't said anything about more punishment.
He was lucky and Mrs Black took out her wand, saying a few healing spells and soon the pain disappeared together with the blood-strained cuts on his back.
Mr Black gave his family an uninterested gaze before turning around and walking back to his working room to continue with his studies – whatever he was studying.
"Take on your robes again." Mrs Black ordered as soon her son didn't risk to get scars or blood down the robes and Sirius nodded and stood up again, doing so. As soon he had Mrs Black told him that he would be without dinner tonight and he was not to make Kreacher bring him food as last time before walking out again.

Sirius grimaced as soon she was gone. He was a growing boy and hungry. Actually, he was always hungry, and missing dinner wasn't anything he fancied.
Regulus stared at him with tears in his eyes even if he didn't allowed them to fall before flinging himself onto Sirius, hugging him tightly.
"I'm sorry Siri!" he sobbed even if he still didn't cry. "I shouldn't have let you! I-I was so afraid!"
Regulus always felt so bad for letting Sirius take his punishments, but he was always so grateful for not having to. There was nothing Regulus feared more than making his parents disappointed and punishing him.

Sirius hugged back and hushed him, placing his face in Regulus' black hair, so much like Sirius' own.
"Shhh, Reggie, shhh." He whispered quietly. "I know you're sorry. Don't be. I would never forgive myself if I let them touch you. I would rather take a million whippings rather than letting them lay one finger on you. You know that and you don't have to apologize. Let your big brother take care of you. It's my job."
Now Regulus couldn't stop his tears from coming. He would never let his parents see him cry, and he knew he was pathetic who cried, but he also knew Sirius didn't care. Sirius would protect him, he always did.

Sirius held his baby brother tightly until he stopped crying and then smiled broadly in a try to take Regulus' mind of Sirius' punishment.
"So, what do you want to do now? We have no guests, father is working and mother is doing who-knows-what. We're free."
He grinned at the thought. The best time of the day, no the year was the few occasions where both their parents were busy and they had no one who told them what to do.
"Can we go and see if Kreacher is okay?" Regulus silently asked. He knew Sirius loathed Kreacher, but he was worried.
Sirius knew Regulus knew this, and he knew that Regulus really cared for the horrible elf, so he nodded.
"Sure Reggie. Whatever you want to do. But as soon we've done that, do you want to play a prank?" he asked with excited voice. He loved pranks. That was a reason he longed so much after Hogwarts. When he was in Hogwarts he would hopefully find someone in Slytherin who, just like him, loved pranks and they could pull them on the Gryffindors – and everybody else. None of his "friends" except Regulus did like pranks, but he hadn't met his whole future House yet, maybe one of them did…

Regulus nodded with a grateful and happy smile.
"Yes, I'd love to." He answered and it was true. Right now he would do anything for his brother, and playing prank was fun as long none of the elves got hurt, which happened sometimes.
Sirius grinned wider and dragged him towards the exit of the parlour meanwhile one of the elves that he never cared to learn the name of even if Regulus surely knew them all appeared and began to clean up the blood, tea and all the other mess in the room.

Sometimes it was wonderful to live, Sirius thought. And sometimes horrible, but mostly wonderful. Especially when your baby brother was happy and you should play a prank you already knew was going to be awesome. Sirius smiled brightly and Regulus did too when he saw how happy his older brother was. Together they walked through 12 Grimmauld Place, with big smiles, on a quest to find Kreacher who hopefully had stopped punishing himself by now. Not that Sirius cared, but he wanted Regulus to be happy. That was everything he ever wanted.

S'il vous plaît permettez-moi de excuse : Please allow me to apologize.

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