little miss black

-108-

Regulus emerged from the side room he had been hiding in. He didn't want to have to fight Sirius and his friends, but he also didn't want to fight against his parents. He froze as he heard a blood curdling scream.

He sprinted in the general direction of the noise, flinging the doors open to empty rooms. As he neared the end of the corridor, he heard weak cries of pain. A sound he had heard one too many times before.

It couldn't be.

Cass wouldn't be in some random side chamber, would she? She would be with Sirius, getting rescued. Regulus pushed open the door to the final room, bracing himself for what he was about to see.

Bellatrix was standing over a shaking Cass, the cruelest look that Regulus had ever seen plastered on her face. Cass screamed again and Bellatrix laughed. She laughed.

She turned as she heard Regulus enter the room, her smile only growing.

"Come to join the fun have you Reggie?" Bellatrix cackled. "Ooo, this will be good practice for when you join the dark lord." 

She cane towards Regulus, gently guiding him so he was standing over Cass.

"Do it, torture her." Bellatrix hissed in his ear.

Regulus looked down at Cass and felt his stomach twist. He could have mistaken her for dead, if it wasn't for the gentle rise and fall or her chest and the tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Reg.." Cass choked out. "Reg, please."

There was no way that Regulus was going to hurt her. Not when she was already in so much pain.

"Do it Regulus." Bellatrix commanded.

"I- I can't." Regulus said. "She'll die."

"And good riddance." Bellatrix sneered, aiming a kick at Cass. It landed in her ribs, causing her to suck in painfully. "If you won't do it, I will."

"Don't." Regulus snapped. "Haven't you done enough?"

"I don't think I have." Bellatrix said, tracing her fingered up Regulus' arm. "Maybe dearest Cassiopeia would find it beneficial to see her darling brother tortured."

"Don't t-touch him." Cass snarled.

"Do it Bella, I dare you." Regulas said, sticking his chin out defiantly. "I don't think my mother would be very happy to hear it."

"Well, I don't think she'd be happy to hear you sticking up for this filthy blood traitor!" Bellatriz screeched. "Enough of this! Crucio."

Regulus watched in horror as Cass convulsed on the floor, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Regulus grabbed Bellatrix's arm, forcing it away from Cass.

"Stop it." He said. "Enough."

"You don't have the stomach for this Regulus, the dark lord will have to teach you his ways." Bellatrix hissed. She glanced down at Cass. "Oh dear, it appears she couldn't take it anymore."

Cass had passed out from a combination of blood loss and fear. Regulus knelt down beside her, whispering healing spells.

"Stay with me Cass, c'mon."

•

Clarisse finally managed to send Avery flying backward with a flick of her wand. The aurors swarmed him, placing him under arrest. What for; no one really knew, and they wouldn't until Cass told them.

Dorcas and James, who had been hit the hardest by the death eaters, were carted away on stretchers. Grace, Alice, Marlene and Remus went after them, all six of them headed for Mungos. Clarisse reluctantly went with them. Sirius and Noah remained, blatantly refusing to go until Cass went.