"A Web of Deceit"

Sirius's anger still simmered as he glared at Regulus, who was now pouting and rubbing his sore hair. "You're going to listen to me, Regulus, and you're going to listen now," Sirius growled, his voice low and menacing. Regulus looked up at Sirius, a scowl on his face. "I don't see why I have to. You're always so bossy and controlling," he said, his voice dripping with bratty entitlement. Sirius's face twisted in frustration. "Controlling? You think I'm controlling? You're the one who's been getting mixed up with those Slytherins, Reg. You're the one who's been putting yourself in danger." Regulus crossed his arms, his lower lip jutting out. "I can take care of myself, Sirius. I don't need you to babysit me." Sirius's patience snapped. With a swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Regulus's shoulders, shoving him towards James. Regulus let out a surprised yelp as he stumbled and fell into James's lap. James looked up, startled, as Regulus landed on him with a thud. "Hey, easy does it, Prongs," James said, his eyes flicking to Sirius's angry face. Regulus glared up at Sirius, his face red with anger and humiliation. "Sirius, you're so mean!" he exclaimed, his voice rising to a whine. Sirius took a step back, his chest heaving with anger. "Mean? You're the one who's been playing with fire, Reg. You're the one who's been risking your own safety and our friendship." James placed a hand on Regulus's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Reg, come on. Let's talk about this." But Regulus just wriggled out of James's lap, his face still scowling. "I don't want to talk about it. I hate it when you and Sirius gang up on me." Sirius's expression softened slightly as he looked at Regulus. He knew his brother was hurt and scared, but he also knew that Regulus needed to learn a lesson. "I'm only trying to protect you, Reg," he said, his voice a little gentler. "But you need to listen to me and James. We care about you, and we don't want to see you get hurt." Regulus looked up at Sirius, his eyes still flashing with anger and hurt. For a moment, it seemed like he might storm off, but then his expression crumpled, and he let out a small sniffle. Sirius's heart twisted with concern as he realized that Regulus was still struggling with his emotions. James stood up, Regulus still looking up at him with a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes. "Let's get out of here," James said, his voice soft. "We can talk about this later, when we're all calm." As they left the common room, Sirius couldn't shake off the feeling that this wasn't the end of the problem. He knew that Regulus was still in danger, and he was determined to protect him, no matter what it took.