Atsurekino Kurome: When I started The Betrayer I had two ideas for which way I wanted it to go. One was where the Death Eaters betray Voldemort because of his Horcrux(s). The next was the idea that I'm posting now. Almost everything will be the same except of course where they decide to turn against him.

1980

# 12 Grimmauld Place

Regulus Black was alarmed at the condition that his house elf was sent back to him in. Not even his mother treated Kreacher in such a way! Kreacher was like family to him! What did the Dark Lord do to him?! The poor wretch was babbling on and on about some potion that he was forced to drink. Regulus was more than pissed at the treatment of his house elf! He had just been about to order Kreacher to take him to where the Dark Lord had been when a thought stopped him. While it was true that his family had forgotten more dark magic than the Dark Lord could ever dream of knowing... Regulus was no where near his Lord's level of power. What would running of acting like a foolish Gryffindor do for him? Get him killed that's what. He glanced at Kreacher in worry then shook his head. He would just have to do his best to help the elf return back to normal health.

1996
Department of Mysteries

Serafina Thalia Potter watched the devastation in the Ministry unfold around her. It wasn't supposed to be like this! They were supposed to get in save Sirius and then get out! But instead Sirius wasn't really here! It was a trap! Just like Hermione said! Oh she should have yelled louder for Sirius when she tried to contact him through the floo! For all she knew Kreacher could have been lying to her! Now Hermione had been downed by Dolohov, Ron had been hurt by those brain things, poor Neville looked like he about died when he saw Bellatrix and Ginny and Luna were cornered by an unknown Death Eater! Then Sirius barged in and started dueling Bellatrix. Oh what was he doing not taking this duel seriously?! She watched as they traded insults and spells. The longer they dueled the nastier the curses and jinxes got. She could feel Remus trying to pull her away from the fight. He was saying something about getting her to safety. No! She couldn't leave Sirius! This was all because she thought he had been in trouble! She needed to help him! She wouldn't leave him! She couldn't live without him!

She reached her hand out to him when Bellatrix had her back turned to her and he was facing her. "Siri…" his blue eyes met her green eyes and he nodded. Most likely telling Remus that it was alright to get her out.

"He'll be fi-" suddenly Bellatrix spun around and both she and Sirius shot of stunners that sent Remus and someone else flying.

"Get her cousin!" Bellatrix shouted as Sirius ran towards her. He scooped her up and began running. The last thing she saw before he apparated was the look of shocked betrayal on Remus' stunned face.

What was going on? Why did he and Bella- No! No! Sirius wouldn't! He couldn't! No!

She started to struggle in his arms to get away. He just held her tighter until they appeared in front of Grimmauld Place. He rushed in gave a few orders to Kreacher before dumping her on a chair. She sat in the chair too stunned to say anything. No. No. Nononono.

"Sera-" She jumped up, snatched his left arm to her, and pulled his sleeve up so she could see his forearm. Dropping his arm she backed away, the Dark Mark on his arm glaring at her.

"No…" She shook her head.

"Seraf-" He reached for her. She jumped back and ran around the couch.

"Don't touch me!" She ignored the hurt look that flashed across his face. He was a Death Eater! He didn't really care! "You lied! You lied to me! You lied to me! And Remus! You betrayed my parents! Your friends! You really are a traitor!"

"No Seraf I'm not! I didn't betray them like that! Peter-"

"Liar! You have the Dark Mark! You're a traitor just like he is!" She couldn't believe him! He wore the mark and he had the gall to say that he wasn't a traitor! She trusted him! She looked up to him! She had wanted to live with him! She had a crush on him!

"Of course I am." She reeled back as if slapped. "I took the mark before Peter did. I was the one who convinced him to join the ranks! I'm a Black, Seraf! The darkest of the dark! The only one darker is our Lord. I left my family at sixteen. I thought I could make it living in the light. I thought I could pull of being a good little Gryffindor and be like the Potters. I thought I could follow Dumbledore and ignore the blood that ran through me like James did. I loved James like a brother. But it became evident early on in our friendship that the fact that I was a Black would always be there. The idea that I wasn't born of the light always dangled in my face!" He spat. "Even Remus saw it! But he was too greatfull that Dumbledore allowed him to attend Hogwarts. So shortly after I ran away I returned home. Everyone thought it was to get the last of my things. No I returned home to tell them what an idiot I had been. It took a awhile for them to fully trust me. They thought Dumbledore wanted me to spy on them. I took the mark shortly before school started back after Yule break." he had moved closer to her as he spoke. When he reached out for her again she jumped away once more. Again she ignored the hurt look that crossed his face. "I spent the next several years playing spy. Not even Snape knew. He didn't join until after school. After your mum and dad got married. And no one knew how things were being leaked. They never bothered to check for the mark. After all why would the Dark Lord need more than one marked follower amongst his enemies? And then..." he paused as his eyes bore into hers, "then you were born. And Merlin never once before then did I ever regret taking the mark." her birth made him regret the mark? He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "After you were born I didn't know what to do. So, I decided I would face my Lord's wrath and beg for your life." He what?!

"I couldn't... I couldn't let you die. I couldn't lose you. But then that damn woman had to go and make that damn prophecy! And I knew then that he would never let me keep you. But I had to try!" he started to pace behind the couch. "When they made me Secret Keeper I was overjoyed. That gave me time to think of a way to get you! But then James ruined it all by deciding that I was too obvious a choice! So I had to act. I wasn't going to let him keep you from me! I went to the Dark Lord and begged for your life. It was painful... but I was able to convince him that if we took you and trained you; raised you our way, you wouldn't be a threat to him. I would get to raise you as my own... and there would be one less obstacle in the Dark Lord's way." he stopped pacing in front of her and looked down at her with soulful eyes. "I didn't give away your location. Peter did. He was supposed to wait until I got you out of there. But the little rat didn't like the fact that I had a mark and he didn't. Only the inner circle gets the mark. So he turned on me. And the Dark Lord always rewards his followers."

"But... But why? Why only me? Why not mum and dad? If you loved dad like a brother why let him die?" he was too close to her! Even though he was a traitor she still couldn't help her crush. She knew she should hate him. He helped kill her parents.

"James was too far into the light. He never would have understood. He was Dumbledore's Golden Boy. All set to pick up the reins when Dumbledore was ready to hand them over." Sirius sneered. "And Lily... Snape asked for her life... If she had stepped aside the Dark Lord would have let her live. He told her he didn't plan on killing you..." he reached out to touch her face. She couldn't back away anymore because of a wall, "like I said I couldn't let you die. I couldn't lose you."

"Why did you go after Peter? To keep up with appearances?" she could feel her face heat up at his proximity.

"No. I went because the bastard betrayed me to get his mark. I was going to get you after I took care if him. He out moved me though. Don't worry though, I'll get him now. You could even get back at him. Just think... Had he never given away the secret, James and Lily would have lived longer." He was trying to manipulate her! She shook her head trying to block out his words. "I could have raised you if he hadn't done what he did." No! She wouldn't listen! "You never would have been left with those filthy muggles. You would have had a family." he wrapped his arms around her as she started to sob. "Shhh. Don't cry. We'll take care of the rat. He'll get what he deserves. And then we can take care of those muggles. How does that sound? Hmm? We can make them suffer. They'll feel every ounce of pain they made you feel over the past fourteen years." she just sobbed harder as he pet her. He moved them to a seat where he started to rock her and sing softly.

Don't fret precious I'm here,
step away from the window
Go back to sleep

Lay your head down child
I won't let the boogeyman come

Counting bodies like sheep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Pay no mind to the rabble
Pay no mind to the rabble

Head down, go to sleep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Pay no mind what other voices say
They don't care about you, like I do, like I do
Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils,
See, they don't give a fuck about you, like I do.

Just stay with me, safe and ignorant,
Go back to sleep

As she sat there in his arms, still crying, she couldn't help but think how demented this song was. She also couldn't help but think that he was really one of the few people who cared. He had done everything for her. He had faced Voldemorts' wrath to beg for her life! But it cost her. She had no parents. She had ended up with the Dursley's. She had been ignored, abused, and starved for most of her life. And he offered up the man that truly caused her parents' deaths. And offered to make the Dursley's suffer. But he was a Death Eater. A traitor. A killer. He would have raised her to kill. To hate muggles. She would have hated Hermione, and Ron. And she would have been friends with Malfoy. She never would have been sorted into Gryffindor. She would have been in Slytherin. 'Where you belong.' that traitorous little voice that always spoke at the worst times whispered.

Oh Merlin. What should she do?

Atsurekino Kurome: like I said everything will practically be the same until right before Sirius has his meeting with Remus.