Painted Scars // WOLFSTAR

Winter Break, 1975

"Sirius, wait up a moment, would you?" Professor Slughorn called to him from the other end of the Great Hall.

The hall was decorated with festive lights and a large Christmas tree, and Sirius had to duck under a wreath to get back to her. When Remus had suggested staying at Hogwarts for the break this year, he'd been surprised. Now, however, he was glad for the suggestion. Except for about a dozen other kids, everyone had gone home for break, leaving the Marauders with the castle all to themselves.

"Want me to wait up?" Peter asked curiously, peeking back into the hall, which was now completely empty, save for Slughorn and himself.

"Nah, go on ahead. I'm sure it'll only take a minute."

He strode up to Slughorn plastering on a charming smile.

"What did I do this time? Am I getting detention?" Sirius began pondering aloud, "Can you even hand out detentions over break? Am I going to be the first?"

Professor Slughorn didn't laugh, but he hadn't figured he would anyway. Instead, he looked profoundly saddened, and Sirius lost his smile. "Sirius," he began, words full of sympathy, "I feel the need to apologize to you."

"What?"

"I did everything in my power to stop it, but I should've tried harder. He just seemed so frightened, but any more of my meddling would've only ended up hurting the boy–"

"Whoa, Professor, what's going on?" Sirius asked, suddenly nervous. A look of realisation dawned on her, and the pain that flooded his expression didn't do anything to quell his worry.

"You didn't know? Your brother came to me a few nights ago and asked if there was any way I could owl your family to let him stay over break with you."

Sirius's mouth formed a small 'o' at this news. "He did what?"

"He wouldn't tell me why, but I could tell something was wrong. I couldn't stop them. I did everything I could, but they refused to let him stay, and as Regulus's legal guardians, there was nothing to be done."

The ground fell out from underneath Sirius. Regulus was so scared to go home that he spoke with Professor Slughorn about it?

"Now, I don't want you to blame yourself, Sirius. He told me he'd spoken with you about returning home, and I'd just like to tell you that you had every right to deny your brother's request to return to that house. This is purely on my shoulders, and if you ever feel unsafe in a situation, by no means should you return."

"Feel... unsafe?" he asked, the words not registering. Merlin, what were they doing to his brother back home?

"It's natural to want to stay quiet about these things, but if something is going on at home that you want to tell me about–"

"I need to go home," Sirius said at once, effectively cutting him off.

"Sirius..?"

"I never should have stayed here. If Regulus is home, I need to be there too."

Slughorn looked at him with a sad quiver in his lip that made Sirius feel small. "I can't allow you to do that."

"But Professor–!"

"No," he said with an air of finality. "The train has already left. If something is going on at that house, please, tell me. We can get Regulus back safely to Hogwarts if you're willing to come forward–"

"Nothing is going on at home! What does that even mean, 'get Regulus safely back,' he's plenty safe!" Sirius yelled, stepping away from him. "And stop talking to me like my best friend just died!"

Slughorn had the kindness to at least look shocked by this. "Mr. Black, there's no need to get so–!"

"To get so what?" he barked. "You tell me you suspect my parents are abusing my brother, refuse to let me go and see him, and then give me an ultimatum in which I have to come forward if I ever want to see him again? So tell me, what am I getting, Professor?"