AN: A story that's a mixture of the Legend of King Arthur, Harry Potter, a one-shot I wrote called 'Black Prince' and Romeo and Juliet. I hope you enjoy.

In this Walburga Black (Sirius' mother) tricks the King who is also her half-brother, Charlus Potter, into sleeping with her. She falls pregnant and when Charlus realises what she has done he banishes her from his kingdom. Years later she marries Orion Black (her second cousin) and they raise the illegitimate child (Sirius) as their own. Meanwhile Charlus marries another woman, Dorea Black, and they have a son who they call James…

I hope that's not too confusing for you, lol. It's quite convoluted. (The name 'James' actually means 'He who supplants'…I found that rather apt)

The prologue is simply an overview of each boy's upbringing, it is there to show the differences in each family. :)

Tarnished Silver

Prologue

The babe wailed. Its high voice shattering the peace like a siren and set the woman's teeth on edge, she hissed and climbed out of her bed before moving to the side of the large crib. She looked down into a lurid pink face, as round as the moon with a smattering of pitch black hair. Gently she reached inside and picked the child up, holding him close to her breast she sat down on a rocking chair and began unbuttoning her night shirt. Slowly she rocked him back and forth as she hummed to him before putting him on her breast. "Hush little one…" She crooned softly as the child suckled contentedly. "There, that's it…drink up and grow to become a fine man. Drink and become strong. Soon you will be older and I shall finally have my revenge." Her smile became cold as she lifted her eyes to the mullioned window, outside the wind howled like a banshee, the branches from a tree tapped at the glass as if begging entrance and her smile widened. "You will grow and I will teach you everything you need to know. I will teach you to hate the man who dares call himself King! I will teach you to hate that bitch who married him and…and you shall learn to despise that spawn they have produced! My dear, sweet little Sirius…you will come to understand my hatred and take it on for yourself, it will corrupt and twist your innocent little soul until the day you are strong enough to take your rightful place upon the throne. Yes, yes, beautiful child…you will be my weapon, my tool to destroy our pathetic, lying King." She chuckled softly as the child fed, its hand curled into a fist upon her night gown. Gently, almost lovingly, she caressed his head. "It is through you that my revenge shall blossom like the most beautiful, bloodstained flower. You will never know love, nor compassion nor mercy…you are the embodiment of my will!"

~XXX~

"He's beautiful, my love." Charlus smiled and kissed his wife's sweaty brow, between them the new born baby shifted and sucked hungrily at the air. "You've done magnificently!"

Dorea gazed down at the crimson wrapped bundle in her arms and smiled sweetly. "He will be a good boy." She whispered sleepily.

"He will, my dear…let me put him back in his cot and you can sleep."

"Thank you, Charlus…" Dorea reluctantly handed her son over to her husband and lay back into the pile of soft cushions, she fell asleep with a smile.

The King took the time to stare down into the face of his son, he had never been so happy before. There had been some fear that they would be unable to produce an heir but just when his wife was coming to despair she had fallen pregnant. The whole Kingdom was rejoicing and he had declared a national holiday to celebrate the occasion, gently he reached down and touched his son's cheek. "I shall name you James…" He whispered and kissed his forehead.

~XXX~

"Mama! Mama! Look'it what I got!"

Walburga sighed and set aside her sewing, she turned to see her eldest son holding out his cupped hands. "What is it?" She snapped impatiently and Sirius' grin widened.

"Look!" He opened his little hands and revealed a beautiful blue butterfly, he looked pleased with himself. "I caught it all by myself! Can I keep it? Can I?"

Walburga looked at the hapless little insect for a moment before reaching out and picking it up by its vibrant wings. "Why on earth would you want something so pathetic?" Sirius' smile fell and he looked upset, he watched as Walburga held the pretty thing up to the light that streamed through the window.

"B-But…but it's so pretty!" He said quietly but fell silent when his mother sent him a fiery glare.

"No matter how pretty something is, if it is weaker than yourself you must destroy it…" As an example she tore off one of the insects wings and let it fall to the floor. "Do you understand why this is so?"

Sirius gazed at the fallen wing as it lay on the green carpet as he considered his mother's question carefully. "I-I…Because…because weak things are…are bad?" He offered tentatively, casting a nervous look in his mother's direction. She smiled and lifted her hand, he went to her and let her stroke his head.

"Yes, my sweet. Weakness is evil and must be eradicated…All weak things betray the strong in order to gain a power that does not belong to them. Do you understand, dear?"

Sirius nodded slowly as his mother placed the dying butterfly back in his pudgy little palm, he watched it limping across his skin and was overcome with a wave of intense revulsion. Tears sprang to his eyes and he let the insect fall from his fingers before fleeing the room, in the bed in the corner Walburga's second child awoke with a huge yawn from his afternoon nap. Walburga stood and, as she moved to her youngest son's side, she stepped on top of the butterfly and crushed it beneath her shoe.

~XXX~

"Dorea! Dorea, come quickly!"

Dorea felt a sudden surge of panic at the sound of her husband's voice, she stood up from her desk and ran into the large courtyard garden as fast as her legs would carry her. When she entered into the bright sunlight she saw Charlus standing before her wearing a huge grin, before him sat their young son holding a perfect red rose in his hand and beaming just like his father. "What on earth…?" Dorea asked breathlessly as Charlus took her by the hand and pulled her towards the rose bush where many buds were sitting, unopened.

"Jamie, my lad…" The king said jovially and the boy blinked up at him with a smile. "Can you do that again for your mother?"

"Kay." James reached out and put his fingers onto a rose bud, Dorea watched in fascination as it slowly began uncurling itself to reveal its blood red interior. She gasped and put her hands to her lips as it bloomed into a beautiful flower.

"Oh my! Oh! This is…this is…wonderful! Oh James! You're growing up so fast!" She smiled and pulled her son into her arms, she giggled happily at the praise.

"He's coming into his magic and it's so well controlled! He's going to be a wonderful wizard when he's older, my love."

"It's so amazing! James, I'm so proud of you." James wriggled free and smiled at his parents happily as they fussed over him, they didn't mind his dirt stained clothes or leafy hair. They didn't mind that he had spent most of the afternoon using his hands to dig up the flower beds to collect worms, they didn't mind that he had a jam jar full of them to put down the maids daughter's dress. He was surrounded by love and warmth and he didn't understand, nor know pain or darkness.