A/N: Ha! Thank you SO MUCH! I'm glad you liked the way James died. It was strange to be cheering for the death of a character I usually mourn… Oh well! Here's an update. Fluff abounds, if that counts as a warning!

Chapter 24- Three Sides, Second War

Sirius Orion Black lay in a private room in St. Mungo's. He was alive, though his skin was far too pale for the Healer's tastes. He was in a healing sleep and had been since being brought into the Emergency Ward at 11:30 in the evening two days ago. Currently sitting at his side was his son Rial, watching his dad's peaceful sleep with a mixture of emotions in his dark green eyes.

Next to him lay a small pile of newspapers. Their headlines screamed the mood of the past couple of days. 'Auror James Potter Murdered, Family Grieves'said one, while another showed a picture of Bellatrix Lestrange and said, 'Bellatrix Lestrange Given Dementor's Kiss for Use of Unforgivable!'. Yet another read, 'Minister of Magic under Wizengamot Review!' while next to it read, 'Cornelius Fudge Sacked! Rufus Scrimgeour Elected Minister of Magic'.

Rial had been collecting the papers for his father, whom he knew would want to read them after waking. He had finished his last OWL test just this morning, Severus and Lucius had wrangled permission from the Board of Governors for him to stay with his father today. Despite the victory he'd won two days ago, Rial felt strangely empty.

His tormentor was gone, Zachary wandered around the school looking like one of the ghosts and Lily Potter refused to meet his eyes. He wondered if the woman suspected who had really killed her husband. Rial didn't care; he'd long stopped trying to make his ideals fit the opinions of others. Rial shivered, looking at his dad's still body. The damage had been worse than he'd initially thought.

When the Healers had removed Sirius' shirt, they'd found deep gashes in his back and one dangerously close to his heart. A few ribs had been cracked as well, one almost piercing a lung. His left kneecap had been shattered and the right wrist would be arthritic the rest of his life. He'd been under intense sessions of the Cruciatus Curse as well as other 'milder' curses, like the Cutting Curse Rial himself had used against James Potter. The Healers had come to the conclusion that he would need intense care for a couple of months and was lucky to be alive.

Rial refused to think about how close he'd come to losing his father. It was something not to be examined too closely, for fear of being sucked into a whirlwind of other emotions. He looked at it like the ultimate representative of his house, from a calculated emotional distance. Harder to look at objectively was the death of James Ignotus Potter and his own role in it.

At the moment all Rial knew was that he would never cast another Unforgivable. He shuddered in remembrance of the curse, of the way it felt to one as magically sensitive as him. He wanted nothing more than to forget that he'd used it, but he had a feeling it would remain there, a taint on his skin, for as long as he lived. Dark Magic left a tangible presence and the use of a curse that caused death could wreak irrevocable damage.

What scared Rial was how easily the curse had come to him. He could feel it even now, in the back of his thoughts. It swirled tantalizingly in his magic, beckoning him to use it again. Rial had thought himself a firmly grey wizard, now he was forced to reevaluate his magical orientation. He had come to the startling conclusion that the great mass of his magic was starkly dark. Rial tried to act like an adult, but at the moment all he wanted was for his father to wake so he could throw himself into his arms and babble about his fears.

A few tears tracked down his face as he watched his father, not noticing the presence of Severus Snape, who came flowing into the room with his usual silent elegance. The man's dark eyes were filled with compassion as he watched Rial's rare show of emotion. When Rial turned his head, however, Severus' expression was back to its familiar blank mask. Strange as it was, the expression comforted Rial. He fully trusted Severus and felt willing to lower his considerable shields in his presence.

"The Floo Network is open downstairs for you. You may Floo directly into my study tonight, as long as you go from there straight to your dorms. It is almost curfew, after all."

"Yes sir," Rial whispered. He stood, walked up to his father and drifted a kiss across his cheekbone. "Get better soon, please."

Suddenly feeling vulnerable he wrapped his arms around Severus as well, startling the man slightly. Some of his grief and mixed emotions lightened as he felt the man hug him back, wrapping powerful arms around his shoulders. He walked out the door and began the familiar trek downstairs to the Floo. A pinch of sparkling green powder later and he was exiting Severus' study and heading for the Slytherin dorms.

When he entered the Slytherin common room, none of the few students present remarked on the sheer emotion visible on his face. They had all been told by their Head of House about how his father had been captured and tortured by Bellatrix. Light-blonde hair caught his eyes and Draco stood. As Rial walked up to him he said simply, "I was waiting for you."

Gratefully Rial leaned into his embrace and the pair departed the common room. When they reached their dorm Rial simply shed his shoes and outer robe before collapsing on the bed. Draco crawled in as well, sprawling close enough to wrap his arms around Rial's waist and encourage the teen to rest his head on his collarbone. At the moment, Draco was the only student who knew the true extent of what had happened in the Department of Mysteries.

When a tear ran down Rial's face Draco whispered, "What's wrong, Rial?"

"I'm scared of myself, Drake," he sobbed softly. "I will never use a spell like that again, it's so awful. Voldemort is truly sick. When I cast it, I could feel things, Draco. I could feel part of James' magic being pulled into my core, that's how the spell kills so quickly. It takes the magic from your body and a wizard's body can't survive without a magical core."

Draco's arms tightened down gently around Rial's waist as he murmured, "Why are you scared of yourself, though?"

"Because, Drake, I can feel the Dark Magic in the back of my core. It always there, wants to be released. I'm scared I won't be able to control it if it does get loose. It's too much, Drake. I hate it, I hate this."

"You will control it, Rial," Draco whispered with conviction. "You may need lessons from my father and Severus, but if anyone can control magic like that it's you. You'll have to work on your temper, you get angered easily and that provides an outlet for it. Besides, if Voldemort and his ridiculous Death Eaters can do it, you can!"

Rial laughed weakly, "I guess you're right. I'm so glad I have you, Draco. Who knows what my life would be like without you in it?"

"You'd be a real mess," Draco replied lightly.

Rial chuckled and slipped into a relaxed slumber. He didn't feel Draco change his clothes to a pair of sleep pants with a wave of his wand, nor did he feel the blonde tuck him lightly into his covers. He slept peacefully for the first time in two days, comforted and relatively untroubled.

-D-N-S-D-

For a long moment Severus watched Rial's departure with a bemused smile on his lips. Then he turned to the room and its single occupant. Gliding across the floor he took a seat in the chair Rial had occupied after changing it into a comfortable leather armchair. He pulled out a Potions magazine and flicked the glossy pages until he came to the article he'd wanted to read.

It was three hours later that a faint noise caught his ears. Looking discreetly in Sirius' direction he watched the long-fingered hand twitch slightly. He watched with bated breath as the Auror stirred restlessly and grey-blue eyes flickered open. For a long moment Sirius lay very still and it was only when he attempted to move that Severus finally spoke.

"That might not be a good idea, Black."

When Sirius merely looked in his direction and arched an eyebrow, he resisted letting a flush stain his face. Early on in their relationship Sirius had forbidden Severus use of his last name unless they were in public or around Albus Dumbledore. It was a hard habit to forget and he needed reminding more than once. To cover his reaction, he filled a small plastic glass with water and held it to Sirius' lips.

Sirius smiled at him gratefully and murmured, "Thank you, Severus. My throat was too dry to even ask for water. How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Severus replied. "Rial has been saving you the issues of the Daily Prophet. They are interesting, to say the least. You will be happy to hear that your cousin Bellatrix Lestrange was given the Dementor's Kiss."

"That is good news," he replied with a sigh. "Once less crazy Death Eater to deal with. I won't have to worry about her being after Rial either. Speaking of my son how is he?"

"He is handling things the best he can, I think. I doubt he will ever use a spell like that again, it is damaging to a person's magical core."

When Sirius looked slightly alarmed he continued, "I mean it in an emotional sense, Sirius. Rial was a mostly grey wizard before that night; he used mostly light spells with a few of the darker hexes. An Unforgivable lands in the darkest of Dark Magic, it warps and changes a wizard's magic. He is still grey, but now it's borderline dark."

When Sirius frowned in worry he decided it best to change the subject. "The Healers are fixing your injuries as best as they can, however a few of them will require time to heal, such as your kneecap. They think it best that you have someone available to stay with you 24 hours for the next two or three months at least."

When Sirius groaned at the idea he continued hesitantly. "If the idea does not displease you, I would be glad to relocate to Black Manor and take care of you. You would not be an inconvenience, though I will have to come up with some way to keep you out of my Potions."

Sirius chuckled at the last part, like Severus had hoped he would. Grey-blue eyes caught onyx and he said softly, "Are you sure, Severus? Your lifestyle is somewhat of a busy one and I know you would probably rather not spend your free months looking after someone."

Severus hesitated and reached out to take Sirius' hand in his. "Why would I? Sirius, I know this is abrupt, but I care deeply about you and your son. Taking care of you would most certainly not be a burden and I would be glad to have this opportunity to know you better. This relationship of ours is a sudden one but it feels right. That's why I haven't protested it more, though I have to admit it snuck up on me at first."

Sirius looked deeply into his eyes and seemed to find something that pleased him. "All right, Severus. If it's not a problem for you it certainly isn't one to me."

As he watched Sirius slip into slumber again Severus couldn't resist the smile that curled the edges of his mouth. As a result, he felt that he rather startled the Healer that came in to check on Sirius. He didn't mind.