Chapter One

Voldemort stroked the supple cheek with the back of his hand, enjoying the tight coils in his belly at the physical contact. It had been far too long… "My child," he hissed into his lover's ear. Leaning forward, Voldemort placed his lips on the sensitive skin below the ear, knowing that Izar always found that endearing.

"T-Tom," the boy whispered.

The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes, the pleasure in his stomach slowly souring in anger. That name… it dirtied the child's lips. "Don't call me that," Voldemort murmured, trying to hide his fury beneath a husky hiss. "You are far too pure to utter such a dirty name."

His fingers stroked the boy's silky strands. With a possessive tug, Voldemort continued to pull at the tight waves of his lover's hair.

"No…" Izar whispered pathetically.

Crimson eyes narrowed further at the broken and suffering tone. He could never remember a time when Izar had sounded so weak, so pathetic. Reluctantly, his fingers left Izar's hair and he took a step back, eyeing the younger wizard

Izar's fingers curled into his shirt, clutching his chest as if he were in pain. The boy hunched over, his usually flawless face, blotched red with strain and suffering. "It… its… inside…" Izar panted, pulling at his shirt, staring up at Voldemort in desperation.

Voldemort took another step backward, critically eyeing the boy as his alluring charcoal-green eyes turned onyx.

"It's in me, please… please help me. Help me. Help me."

"What's in you?" Voldemort demanded, reaching for his wand. His fingers only touched an empty pocket.

Izar whimpered as his fingers moved from his chest to his hair. He started pulling at it angrily and Voldemort tsked, reaching forward to curl his hands around the boy's bony wrists. "Stop that," he scolded. The boy suddenly stilled, his hands still curling at the roots of his hair. "Izar?" Voldemort called.

Izar lifted his chin, his eyes no longer an inky black but all white. The boy opened his mouth wide and issued a scream that sent Voldemort backing away, goose bumps dancing the length of his flesh.

Crimson eyes slowly opened before they narrowed sharply in consideration. With a disgusted grimace, he realized his arms were still littered with goose bumps and his ears still rung with Izar's scream.

It was time for his child to come home.

{Death of Today}

Assassination Attempt on Undersecretary Riddle!

The Prophet folded over, allowing charcoal-green eyes to lock with the expected stare of his father. "You don't suppose that's true, do you?" Izar asked Regulus. Izar then slid his gaze across the breakfast table to Sirius. The man had his head bowed over his plate, seemingly not paying attention. His elbows moved at rapid speeds as he shoveled food into his mouth.

Izar's lip lifted as he watched pieces of scrambled egg fall from the corner of Sirius' mouth and stick to his chin. Unfortunately, Izar wasn't too surprised with the display. Sirius probably ran away from home and to the Potters around the time he was learning table etiquette at the Blacks. Through the course of the summer, Izar had to put up with Sirius' ghastly performances at the dinning table.

Regulus sipped at his tea. The man had read the Prophet long before Izar had even gotten up. For as long as Izar could remember, he had been an early riser. Even in the orphanage he would be up before the other children. Now, it seemed as if his teenaged body was growing favorable to late mornings in bed and longer nights awake.

"I expect there to be some truth to it," Regulus responded crisply, his eyes hard. He had no love for the Dark Lord. "However, Tom Riddle has probably had many failed assassination attempts over the course of his days in office. I believe he manipulated the Prophet in order to gain your attention. He wants you back with him in Britain. Remember what happened on your birthday?"

Izar leaned against his chair, his breakfast long forgotten. He found his attention locked on the moving photograph on the front page. Riddle. The young Black gave a dry snort, his eyes tracing the length of Riddle, hating that he was almost obsessed with an image of the man he hadn't seen in three, almost four months.

"Yes, I remember, all too well…"

Izar tore his eyes from Riddle as the Undersecretary spoke somberly to the press.

"Your orphanage burned to the crisp. The Muggles authorities were bemused that the occupants inside the building couldn't escape. The wizarding world, on the other hand, knew that the exits were sealed shut before catching fire." Regulus began as if Izar hadn't known what happened.

The young wizard flashed a look at his father. "The second public act of the Death Eaters happened to be killing orphans," Izar mused, a bit amused. The Dark Mark had been cast over the orphanage after the attack. The wizarding world had obviously recognized the Mark from the Triwizard Tournament and the fear was starting to become thicker around Britain.

"He wanted to draw you out of hiding then, this is no different."

Izar's lips thinned. He didn't know what he felt about the death of all the children inside the orphanage. It had been his home for the past fifteen years; it should have affected him somehow. Instead, he felt a bit impassive about the whole thing. He felt no pity for the lives lost, no pity for the building, and no triumph over the destruction of the hellhole. Izar was unsure of Voldemort's motives behind burning the orphanage. Had the man done it in spite of Izar? Or had he done it as means to avenge Izar and also try to lure him out of hiding?

"Don't forget that dear Bellatrix has been hot on our trail ever since you stepped foot out of Britain," Sirius retorted into his half-eaten sausage. The man's gleeful eyes caught Izar's growing smile before flashing a wink.

Izar would never forget the events that transpired in the first month of their summer. They had settled at the Black manor in northern Britain.

"No," Izar declined, a bit irritated. The man wouldn't take 'no' for a bloody answer.

Sirius swam toward him, a mocking frown to his face. Izar and Sirius had just escaped the confinements of the manor against Regulus' order to stay within the wards. Sirius had been the one to disregard the orders as he pulled Izar outside the manor and toward the cool lake. At first, Izar had stubbornly stayed on the shore of the lake, hating the whole situation. But after being pushed into the water by a grinning Sirius, Izar had relaxed enough to strip down to his boxers and enjoy the lake's cool escape from the glaring sun.

That is, until Sirius started nagging him about doing a flip off the cusp of his hands. It was childish, immature, and Izar would have no part in it. He already had to put up with Sirius' close examination of his manipulated Dark Mark. The man had chuckled merrily, praising Izar of appreciating the 'fairer sex' and teased he might get a matching tattoo. Pity the man already had several tattoos on his body...

Izar turned away from the approaching figure of Sirius and froze when he saw another figure advance stealthily toward the lake. Her black curls veiled her face, but Izar knew exactly who it was.

"Look who it is," she laughed joyously, clutching her wand in her hand. "My wayward nephew. The Dark Lord is rather angry with you; I wouldn't try anything to upset him even more…"

Sirius turned, grimacing. Within seconds his face morphed into one of determined amusement. The man reached toward his clothes on the shore and called his wand to him wandlessly. "Go, Izar," Sirius pushed at Izar's shoulder. "I'll distract her while you run to the wards."

Izar had no arguments with that. He didn't have his wand and Sirius was an Auror. The man could take care of himself.

Stumbling onto dry land, trying to get used to his own weight, Izar grabbed his clothes. Bellatrix stood in his way, pointing her wand directly at his face. Before she could cause any harm, Sirius finally stepped in. Unfortunately, when Izar thought that Sirius could take care of himself because he was an Auror, he thought the man would kick arse. He should have never overestimated Sirius…

The man's spell hit Bellatrix in the face. Her black curls suddenly turned a shocking color of crimson and gold and her eyebrows were burnt off.

Izar blinked before sprinting past the surprised Bellatrix. As he neared the Black wards that would deny Bellatrix entrance, he heard her screech of rage and Sirius' loud bark-like laughter.

Only when Izar made it safely on the other of the wards, he turned around and stared, speechless.

Sirius was running away from Bellatrix, clutching at his wet boxers to keep them from falling down. They were weighing him down and he seemed to realize this, for he let his boxers go. The man sprinted quickly away from Bellatrix's oncoming hexes, nude. His laughs turned into high-pitched screeches, intentionally mimicking the witch's screams behind him.

Izar stared, feeling something swell in his chest and belly as he watched the nude form of Sirius lead Bellatrix around in tight circles, matching her screeches.

He gave a chocked-cough before the awkward chuckles turned into peals of laughter. His lithe body shook with the power of the laughter and his vision blurred with tears. Izar suddenly felt lighter than he had in… forever. Even catching sight of the approaching figure of his father didn't stop his laughter. Regulus looked furious, but when the charcoal eyes rested on Izar, his expression lightened and a sly smile crossed his lips.

"He hasn't changed one bit," Regulus murmured fondly as he watched Bellatrix and Sirius dance around each other.

Remembering the incident brought a light smile on Izar's face. It had been immensely amusing watching as Sirius had finally fallen to the ground as one of Bellatrix's hexes caught his heel. Regulus eventually had to assist his older brother and they had quickly moved locations to Russia. Izar hoped that Bellatrix had returned to the Dark Lord with her Gryffindor-colored hair and loss of eyebrows.

Across the table, Regulus shook his head at the memory before sending a stern stare to Sirius. The man had already had a 'talk' with Sirius about the incident. A stern talking with his younger brother didn't seem to frighten Sirius, though. The man shrugged it off and continued to do his obnoxious, yet slightly amusing tactics.

Because Bellatrix was the only one in Voldemort's service who knew of most the Black estates, she had been the lone Death Eater trailing them. The wards Regulus placed up around the estates blocked her from even seeing inside the barrier, let alone entering past them. They were safe unless Bellatrix caught sight of one of them outside the wards.

Izar looked back down at his uneaten breakfast. It had been a relaxing few months. Originally, they were only going to stay away from Britain for three months at the most, but Regulus had claimed Izar needed more time. The Black heir didn't feel as if he did, but he listened to his father and continued to enjoy the vacation while it lasted. His mind had healed several weeks into the summer and since then, he tried to reinforce it.

While he worked on his mind, he also worked on his dueling and inventions. Unfortunately, Sirius and Izar had exhausted their dueling partnership. It was beginning to be a struggle for Sirius to hold his own against Izar. It had both pleased Sirius and irritated him as he tauntingly claimed that the student should never overshadow the Master.

Thinking he would need to continue practicing on his own, Regulus had surprised Izar as he stepped in as a worthy opponent. For the first few months of the summer, Regulus had disproved of Izar doing anything strenuous. Obviously, Regulus had come to terms with Izar's restlessness and chose to aid his son in dueling.

The man's persona was a direct opposite of Sirius' joking and light aura. Instead, Regulus was serious when he dueled with Izar, with almost a dark spark in his eyes. While Izar gained the upper hand over Regulus most of the time, he still struggled to surpass his father every time. Regulus had a few of his own invented spells up his sleeve and matched Izar's creativity. And unlike Sirius, Regulus had darker magic. A few nasty spells always managed to slip past Izar's shields and he had to focus on alternatives such as dodging and ducking.

When the mood struck Izar, he sometimes asked both the Black brothers to duel against him.

While this summer was meant to heal Izar, he realized that the vacation also benefited the other two. He could see the shadows beneath Regulus' and Sirius' eyes lighten before disappearing completely. Both men had been under a lot of stress and a few months away from their problems had lightened the weight on their shoulders.

But Izar wasn't a fool. All their problems weren't gone, they were just put on hold. He wondered how long it would take for reality to destroy their images once again.

Izar had his own demons to battle.

The three hadn't spoken about heavy topics, save for Izar's days in the orphanage. Aside from that, they hadn't spoken of past events, sides of the war, or futures.

Today was the day Izar was going to remedy that. Regulus was sheltering him. And while Izar was grateful for Regulus—and Sirius, he wasn't a young boy.

They needed to go back to Britain. Although Izar was enjoying the break, he felt an itch to go back. He didn't like dwelling in the safety of the wards when a war was brewing outside. "I suppose we need to go back, nonetheless," Izar started attentively. He touched the Prophet and pushed it away from him slightly. "Even if Riddle hadn't been targeted, I believe we should head back to Britain."

Silence spread across the table, but Izar nodded. Yes, it was time.

Regulus was the first to break the stillness of the morning. "Are you certain you're ready, Izar? Are you ready to face him?" Regulus nodded at the Prophet with his chin, yet his eyes remained locked on Izar, watching and waiting for a reaction.

Only, Izar lifted his chin, a cool expression on his face. "I am more than ready to face Tom Riddle, Regulus." And that was the truth.

For two months, Izar had stewed and vented his anger and hate for the Dark Lord. But after his childish tantrum had passed, he had come to terms with what had happened. There were many mistakes on each other's part. Izar should have stood up to Voldemort a bit more about the Tournament and he shouldn't have been so blinded to the manipulations flying under the radar. Voldemort, on the other hand, made a mistake by putting Avery Senior in charge of going after Izar. There were other ways to go about the Tournament's conclusion, but it had been a true and honest mistake.

Even Dark Lords made mistakes.

While Izar had come to terms with it and accepted it as a human mistake, he did reassure himself that Voldemort would need to kiss his arse before Izar put anymore trust in the man. He would make the man work. It wouldn't be easy for the Dark Lord to get Izar back to where they were before.

And there was also the pain he knew was waiting for him. Despite Izar wanting a bit of equality from Voldemort, he knew the man was a Dark Lord and had every right to hand out punishments. Voldemort wouldn't be pleased with Izar's absence and he wouldn't be pleased with the Dark Mark's manipulation.

Maybe the both of them would be angry with the other. And when they were both angry, their heads would clash.

Regulus gave a small nod as he recognized Izar's sturdy-will behind his masked face.

"Are you ready?" Izar countered softly. He breathed deeply, keeping himself on track. "You need to be Marked on your return, no doubt. Are you ready for that?" Even Regulus knew he would have to go through pain upon his initiation. He had betrayed the Dark Lord almost sixteen years ago; he would not be welcomed warmly into the Dark Lord's ranks. Izar would try his best to lighten his father's punishment, but knew he was helpless to the situation.

The silence was even thicker than previously. Sirius pushed his plate away, his face crumbling gravely. Regulus stared at Izar, a warning line to his lips.

"He already knows," Izar murmured, motioning toward Sirius. Charcoal-green eyes studied his quiet uncle. "You're in Dumbledore's Order, aren't you, Sirius? You know damn well that I'm a Death Eater, you know who the Dark Lord Voldemort is, and you know what happened to Regulus all those years ago. And you know about Lily's betrayal to him, don't you?"

Sirius clasped his hands in front of his mouth as he looked at Izar before eyeing Regulus. "I do," Sirius admitted. "Regulus came to me before… before he had to go into hiding. He told me everything that happened."

That was news to Izar. He hadn't known that Sirius was informed about Lily's past doings.

Sirius leaned back in his chair, touching the hot cup of tea with the pads of his fingers. "At the time, I couldn't believe Regulus. I couldn't believe that sweet Lily Evans could lure Regulus around by the neck by telling him she was pregnant with his child. And when Regulus told me she made it all up, that she wasn't pregnant, I told him off. I wouldn't believe that Lily would betray James' loyalty and twist my younger brother so…" Sirius shook his head.

Izar noticed a tick in Regulus' jaw. The man hated replaying this event in his past, but it had to be done. Izar needed to hear it. They both needed to hear this out loud.

Sirius looked up at Izar, a bitter grin across his face. "Regulus and I always had a shaky relationship as children. I didn't approve of his love for the Dark Arts and he didn't approve of my treatment to Snivellus." The man's face twisted in disgust.

"Severus," Regulus interrupted harshly. "His name, Sirius, is Severus Snape. I would think, after everything that has happened, you'd be courteous to at least address him by his surname."

Izar leaned forward, intrigued. He remembered Regulus telling him about Sirius' and James' treatment of Snape during Hogwarts. He just hadn't known Sirius' hate for the man was still strong even after all those years. Was it petty dislike? Izar believed it was. It was a child-hate that Sirius had developed for Snape and he hadn't let it go since his days at Hogwarts.

"Snape, then," Sirius growled, flashing a look at Regulus. "I hated that the two of you were so close. Nonetheless, I always loved you. You were my little brother. Yet, even when you came to me about Lily sixteen years ago, I was still distant from you. I picked my friends over you, Regulus, and I'm sorry for that."

Regulus' face closed as he surveyed Sirius. Izar was forgotten in the room, but he wouldn't leave. He wanted to hear this, to see their interaction. He would have thought they had talked about this before, but obviously they hadn't. It was a conversation that needed to be aired out.

Regulus gave a small nod, offering Sirius a small smile. "You realized in the end."

"In the end," Sirius scoffed. "It was too late. When I heard of your 'death', I went to James—devastated. I couldn't believe you had been killed. Your story slowly started to piece together and when I went to James, he confirmed it all." Sirius bowed his head. "He didn't know Lily was pregnant, she hid it from him, but he knew she had an affair with you. He knew everything."

Sirius leaned forward and cupped his hands to his face. "I tried to tell him that it wasn't right, that it was my brother she had twisted. I told him he shouldn't stay with a woman who threw away his trust and could ruin a man's life, but he told me he had to stay with her in her time of need. And with Remus gone—,"

"Remus?" Izar interrupted the desperate tirade. He could see the man's aura. It was darkening with emotion.

The dark charcoal eyes of Sirius looked up at Izar. "Remus Lupin," the man whispered softly. "He was one of our good friends at Hogwarts, the only one of us who had a level head. He moved to Switzerland to help out a young boy who was bitten by a werewolf," the man paused, looking down at his hands. "When he arrived, he was attacked and killed by his own sire, Fenrir Greyback. Greyback was thrown into Azkaban. But with Remus gone, I had no one to help me convince James to leave Lily. So… I left him when he didn't see reason. He was always so fascinated with Lily. I never imagined his love for her to go so deep that he became blind to her wrongdoings."

Izar lifted an eyebrow, pleased with his uncle's choice. It may have been hard for the man to walk away from a good friend, but it showed that Sirius held his family in high regard. "And you avoided him since? Aren't you two both Aurors?"

"Oh, I tried to avoid him," Sirius began. "We're in separate departments in our Auror division, but I'd see him from time to time. He would try to explain to me that he loved Lily and understood her faults. And I told him that I couldn't understand why he could be with someone who caused the death of my brother. We never saw eye to eye on the situation."

Izar nodded. Before he could speak up to question Sirius' loyalties, the man interrupted him.

"If I had known, Izar, that she was pregnant with you, I would have searched for you. But when Regulus told me she had lied about ever being pregnant with you, I didn't think twice. When I saw you at Hogwarts last year, I knew that she had lied. I knew you were Regulus' son. There was no mistake." Sirius spread his hands out in a gesture of helpless surrender.

Cocking his head to the side, Izar eyed him warmly. "You had no way of knowing otherwise, Sirius. I do not fault you."

Across the table, Regulus gave Izar a pleased nod, offering a lipless smile at his son's choice of words.

A weight on Sirius' shoulders seemed to lift, almost if he blamed himself for Izar's orphanage issues and could only be relieved of it by Izar's acceptance.

Izar shifted in his chair before leaning forward and reaching out to lay his hand near Sirius' elbow. He had all eyes for his uncle despite Regulus' intense stare on the side of his face. "Sirius, I must ask you of your loyalties. Are you truly going to fight against Regulus and I when it comes down to it?"

Sirius reared away from him just as Regulus scolded him harshly. "Izar," the man's charcoal eyes gleamed at Izar, furious.

Izar straightened, not at all taken aback by his father's actions. He had seen glimpses of this darker side of Regulus throughout the summer. Izar almost found himself salivating over the prospect of watching Regulus in battle. It would be…delicious.

"Oh father," Izar drawled. "We had almost four months of remaining silent on this topic. Quite frankly, I find myself tired of side-stepping this conversation." The young Black heir then turned to Sirius. "Are you on the Light side, Sirius, or will you allow the Dark Lord and I to court you to the Dark?"

Sirius' tight wavy hair shook as he rolled his head to the side in an uncomfortable manner. "I am not a Dark wizard, Izar," the man rasped out.

"You're a Black," Izar pronounced slowly, his eyes hooded as a lazy smirk settled across his lips. "Every Black has submitted to the seductive call of the Dark."

Regulus stood up, casting a warning stare at Izar. "I believe this conversation is finished. He has stated his side. There will be no more talk of this."

Izar sat back against his chair, grinning lightly as he met his father's stare head on. Briefly, he wondered if Regulus just didn't want to hear that his older brother was on the opposite side of the battlefield. Izar had watched the brothers' interaction throughout the summer. While they had gotten closer, there was still a noticeable drift—a tension that was tangible. Izar believed that the conversation today would lessen that tension, but there was still the fact that they were on opposite sides.

Izar's eyes slit as he surveyed his unwavering father. "I'm going to start packing," he declared.

He stood from his chair and slowly left the dinning room.

{Death of Today}

"…I was raised to worship the Dark," the voice was muffled behind the door.

Regulus stealthily approached Izar's half-opened door, peering inside. He surveyed the scene, smiling grimly as he watched Sirius push down Izar's clothes in the trunk. His son was sitting calmly on the side of the bed, watching Sirius closely.

"And because of that you wanted to rebel? You wanted to show your parents you were your own person?" Izar inquired softly.

The hairs on Regulus' neck stood at his son's tone. It was difficult to come to terms that this young man in front of him was the same boy he had met last year. Last year, Izar had been a young child who struggled to remain self-assured despite his young age and insecurity. Through the summer, that uncertain young boy had transformed into a confident young man. Izar was only sixteen, yet he had the posture and the eyes of someone far older.

Ever since the incident with the Dementors, Izar had also become… a bit darker. Regulus hated to admit it, but his son was starting to adapt some of the Dark Lord's characteristics. There was an arrogant, confident, manipulative, and sinister air about Izar. Many men tried to imitate and mimic powerful figures such as Dark Lords. They spent years masking their emotions and mastering their actions in order to appear similar to their idol. They never succeed. Only, Izar seemed to have succeeded without really trying.

His son was also a lot calmer than before. And while there was a darker mood about him, Izar was also able to smile and laugh more than he had before. But Regulus knew it had something to do with Izar's acceptance with his family.

It was a positive change, but it also worried Regulus at how much Izar was reflecting the Dark Lord. Even if he didn't feel threatened around Izar, he would still get a few goose bumps in the boy's presence at times. Moreover, Regulus found himself noticing Izar's aura. The boy's aura was cool and it would always chill him pleasantly. While Regulus wasn't magic-sensitive like Izar, he, like many other wizards, were able to feel a tickle of aura coming from powerful Lords.

There were numerous of changes Izar had gone through this summer. Not only did his persona change, but he grew physically.

Regulus' mouth twitched. Izar was almost eye-level with him. It had been surprising to witness Izar's growth spurt, only because Regulus hadn't gone through his spurt until his late teens and Lily was very compact. Nonetheless, the boy had been thrilled with the change. Perhaps that was one of the factors that gave Izar a renowned confidence?

Regulus had to admit that his son was… stunning. Instead of moving awkwardly and uncoordinated like most teens did when they found themselves with extra limb growth, Izar was a lot more flowing, a lot more graceful. Height suited Izar far more than a petite body stature.

His son was a young man now. It was strange for Regulus to come to terms with that. He had just found his son; he didn't want to let the boy fly solo already. Even so, Regulus was content that he had a chance to grow closer to his son this summer. Izar had opened up about his orphanage experience; he had trusted Regulus enough to help him overcome his memories.

Was it selfish of Regulus to want to keep a tight clutch on Izar and hold him close forever?

In the room, Sirius bowed his head, a light smile playing his features. "You got it in one," he admitted.

Izar looked slyly up at Regulus. The latter stayed rooted in position, not turning to leave like an idiot. It was to be expected that his son would sense his presence.

With a cool nod, Izar turned away and continued to watch as Sirius fidgeted with his clothes. Regulus' lips thinned at his son. The boy was too smart for his good. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Izar was more than aware that Regulus wanted to hear the reasons for Sirius' decision to turn Light.

"I would have thought the strive to be your own person would fall on to the younger children, not the firstborn." Izar straightened the cuffs on his shirt. "In my mind, Regulus would have been the more likely candidate to want to turn Light." The boy gave a slight grimace at that. Regulus had to smile.

Sirius nodded slightly. "Regulus and I were only a year apart, Izar. I don't think it had anything to do with sibling rivalry and the thirst to prove each other as different beings. I believe that I was just born differently than the other Blacks. I'm a Light soul, I feel comforted and pure when I use Light magic. When my parents tried to push the Dark Arts on me, I couldn't handle it. I escaped to Hogwarts and immediately befriended James Potter."

Izar gave a light scoff. "Potters are the model wizards of the Light."

"They are," Sirius agreed. "That's why I sought James. I didn't expect to like him at first, but I was wrong. We formed a very close bond; a bond I believed was stronger than the one I shared with Regulus."

"A bond you thought was stronger?" Izar questioned. "You and Regulus were two different people growing up, opposites in fact. Don't you think you can admit that the bond you shared with James was stronger than the one you had with your younger brother?"

Regulus placed a hand on the wall next to him, leaning closer to the door. It didn't hurt to hear that, only because he had felt the same. He still did. Severus… Severus was a man who Regulus would do almost anything for. He had thought the same for Severus as Sirius had felt for James, perhaps with even more intensity.

Sirius gave a quick shrug. "I hated my parents most the time, but Regulus was my brother. He was family. I had a bond with him that I could never share with James."

Izar looked down at the quilt on his bed, caressing the fabric in a pensive manner. "So your friendship with James Potter pushed you further along into the Light side?"

Sirius issued a bark-like laugh. "You have no idea," he murmured fondly. "I lived with his family for the better part of my teen years. They had a lot of influence on me. James is a good person, Izar. Far more mature than I could ever hope to be, but he got in over his head with Lily."

Regulus sneered at the same time as Izar gave a quiet chuckle. "Yes, she seems to be a common factor among many downfalls of decent wizards," he mused, giving a pointed look in the direction of Regulus.

His son said it more for Regulus' benefit than Sirius'. Regulus clenched his right hand, knowing what he did sixteen years ago had been one of his biggest mistakes. Not only had he lost himself, but he destroyed Izar's childhood and he also betrayed and destroyed Severus.

A cool and seductive tendril of magic suddenly hit Regulus' vulnerable face. He looked up and watched as Izar stood from the bed. The boy had a serene expression on his face as he approached his uncle. Regulus stiffened, feeling his pulse heighten at his son's predatory-like actions.

"Have you ever tried to accept the Dark, Sirius? And not fight it?" Izar murmured softly. The boy had a light smile on his lips as he came to a stop next to a stiffened Sirius. He leaned close to his uncle, his eyes visible even from across the room. "The Dark is not always about death and suffering, you know. It's a very erotic branch of magic. It can protect you just as strongly as the Light, it only makes you feel…invincible."

A sharp tug in his groin made Regulus back up quickly, a crimson flush staining his cheeks. Self-hatred boiled his belly over his arousal. Clenching his jaw, Regulus breathed deeply in order to control himself. He would never lay a dirty hand on Izar, never. His son was trying to seduce Sirius over to the Dark side. It was understandable and not many wizards beside Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord could succeed as well as Izar. Regulus was always drawn to the Dark, to power, to beauty, and his son was all three combined.

But Regulus held nothing for Izar but a platonic fatherly love.

He couldn't say the same for his older brother, though. Sirius' eyes were dilated as he watched Izar closely. "You want your friend back, you want James back, it's to be expected. And it's entirely understandable," Izar continued quietly. He stepped closer to Sirius and Sirius angled his body as close as he could to Izar—a dazed look on his features.

Regulus' nails cut open the skin on his palms as he struggled not to storm inside. Sirius had better not lay a hand on Izar. This was too much. Izar was only a child.

But even as he thought this, the scene in front of him proved otherwise. The Dark Lord's interest in his son was also raw evidence of Izar's maturity. Did Voldemort know this side of Izar? Or did he breed it out from Izar throughout the course of last year? Or perhaps this was an outcome to the Dementor attack and the breaking of his mind?

"Lily is so far lost in Dumbledore's manipulations that she only sees the greater good and not the consequences of her actions," Izar offered a coy smirk. "If you embraced the Dark side, you would be able to make James see reason. You'd be able to take Lily out of the picture."

Sirius' face slowly began to clear. "I- I can't…"

Izar leaned forward, touching Sirius' arm before pulling away just as quickly. "But you can. James would never have to know it was you. In fact, you don't even have to raise your wand against her. There are many others who would be glad to rid her."

Like me, Regulus thought darkly.

"You would be back with James, the way it was meant to be."

For a long moment, Sirius struggled with himself. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Izar by the biceps, pulling him close. Their noses almost touched and Sirius' eyes were scrunched as he eyed Izar critically.

Before Regulus could enter, Sirius pushed Izar on the bed and turned away. "Don't," Sirius murmured. "Don't do that to me, Izar." Sirius buried his head in his hands, rubbing his palms into his eyes. "You make me feel dirty, the Dark… it always makes me feel wrong."

Izar recovered and sat up calmly. "Perhaps it's not the Dark that's making you feel the way you are. Maybe that's who you truly are but you're struggling in vain to cover it up by being Light, by being someone who you are not."

He was pushing too much, Regulus noted. If he were Izar, he would have stopped as soon as Sirius pushed him away.

"There is nothing wrong to wanting power, Sirius. There isn't anything wrong with feeling the way you do."

"There is," Sirius retorted, turning back around to face Izar. "I fear the Dark, I can never accept it. Please, Izar, understand me when I say I am comfortable with the Light. I cannot succumb to the Dark because I know I would lose myself."

Regulus was surprised to see a spark of respect flash across Izar's eyes. The boy issued a soft smile, bowing his head in surrender. No matter how skilled Izar may or may not be, Regulus knew Sirius would never turn to the Dark. It was ingrained in his magic an in his spirit that he was Light.

"I can't fight against you, Izar," Sirius continued as he took another step closer to his nephew. "I don't want to fight for Dumbledore, but I don't want to fight for the Dark Lord. I don't believe in his views but I also don't believe in Dumbledore's control. Allow me to stay neutral in this war." Sirius reached out and cupped Izar's cheek.

Izar curled his hand around his uncle's wrist, holding it almost lovingly before giving a bitter smile. "I would like nothing more than for you to stay neutral, Sirius. But in the end battle, everyone must choose a side. Hopefully you'll find a way to sidestep that choice."

The two shared a smile and Regulus slowly backed away before ducking down the corridor.

His mind flashed back to the respect that shown behind Izar's eyes at Sirius' persistence to stay Light. He wondered on that for a long moment before understanding his son's feelings.

While Sirius admitted he feared the Dark, he was strong enough to stand by his morals and refuse submission. Despite the Dark being one of the strongest branches of magic, it was also the most controlling and possessive. Those who practiced Dark Arts were all but slaves to its bidding. Even with the Dark whispering seductive promises in Sirius ears, his brother was strong enough to turn the other cheek.

There were times when Regulus wondered if the Light was the stronger side. He wondered if Izar thought the same.

Quickly, he pushed that thought away. The Light, while not as controlling as the Dark, was easy to harness. Many wizards could grasp the understanding of Light magic with simplicity. The Dark Arts, on the other hand, took an incredibly strong wizard to control. While most of the users became servants to the Dark, there were a selected few who were able to control it.

The Dark was, by far, more sophisticated and compelling than the Light.

Regulus walked through the corridors, his mind heavy with the burden of going back to Britain.

Izar said it was time to go back.

And Regulus found himself agreeing.


{Notes} I'm still debating if I want to write from Voldemort's point-of-view again. There were some people who thought it ruined the 'mystery' of the Dark Lord. And I full heartedly agreed. It's impossible to put down Voldemort's mind in words. He's… twisted, dark, and complex. A very difficult character to write. I'd like for him to remain a mystery. I'm just curious what you all thought.

And no, there is not any future incest. Promise.

Thanks for the reviews ;) I didn't get a chance to respond to them. School is reaching a climax so things will start to get a bit busier in the next month.