Interlude: Tooth for Tooth

He wears his sister around his neck.

Sometimes, when Corban starts to forget how much he hates her, all he must do is open the locket and there she is again: Lysandra Yaxley, forever sixteen years old, smiling shyly through her hair in the faded photograph. It reminds him of his failure. Of what he has lost. But it also reminds him of what he could gain – if he is but cunning enough to secure it.

That is the thing about Yaxley: he was arrogant once. He admits it. He walked the way Sirius Black does now, like a man who owns the world. Who was to know that little Lysandra would be the undoing of them both?

She was named after their father's great-aunt, who married Arcturus, of the House of Black. History doesn't repeat itself – but it tries to.

But he's different now. Yaxley has learned his lesson. He knows that weakness is measured in the pain you get and victory in the pain you give. He has done both. He has tasted his tears on his tongue, felt his blood on his face.

Sirius Black has not.

Sirius Black thinks that he is a god. That he is invincible. That he is free.

Yaxley has taken it upon himself to teach Sirius Black otherwise.

He hears the rumours pass, in a soft susurration of voices, through the hallowed passageways of Malfoy Manor.

"Did you hear? What the Black boy brought back? Says it's a spoil of war…"

"The Dark Lord let him. Boys will be boys, after all…"

"Wait. Which Black boy are we discussing here? There are two of them, after all."

"Try to disguise your foolishness a little better, Goyle. Regulus is not yet of an age for the Mark."

"Sirius took it at that age. That brother of his does make me wonder, sometimes…"

"Not as much as his cousin does. Cygnus and Druella's youngest – the one in Gryffindor. She has yet to prove her loyalty to us…"

"Hold your tongue, Crabbe, before Bellatrix Lestrange tears it from your mouth. You know she'll not hear a word against her sister."

Yaxley waits impatiently. Finally, someone obliges him.

"So what's her name? She must be beautiful, if Sirius Black is the one who's taken her."

"I can't remember. A McKinnon. Half-blood."

"A half-blood…"

"A half-blood? And yet the Dark Lord –"

"Calm down, Nott. It isn't as though he's marrying her. Need I remind you of the dalliances you had when you were seventeen? Perhaps I should reminisce about it in your wife's company…"

"I never touched a half-blood. And you can go ahead – if anything, she was worse than me."

The conversation drifts then, but Yaxley has heard enough. He returns to his room before dispelling the Disillusionment Charm.

And he thinks.

AN: I know these are very short but they are useful for the story!

B - no worries! I'm glad you were off being productive lol. Thank you so much for your two cents! 3 3 3 The best thing about writing Sirius and Lily is that they know they can't actually kill each other, so they just bandy death threats around and it's so fun to write. James will be back soon don't worry! Yes you're right, Marlene and Sirius haven't interacted in front of Lily until the last chapter. Lily is actually pretty self-centred, I'm only just realising haha - much love xxx

Shruthi - don't worry, James and Lily DO live and have a HEA in this story! After not updating for 4 years I couldn't really do anything to you guys haha. I just won't say it won't be a dark HEA... Ooh thanks for the rec! I hadn't heard of it. My own favourite portrayal of Narcissa is in captainraychili's one-shot, From Narcissa, With Elegance, if you haven't heard of it!