A/N) Thank you for the feedback for the last chapter! This chapter didn't pan out the way I had expected it to… Oops.

Twisting Time

Chapter Eleven

Lucius Malfoy's response came quicker than Pollux had anticipated however the reply did not please him. Not one bit.

Now is not the time to act against the hero of our world. To assassinate him in a time of peace would be folly and would lead to a thorough investigation which would reveal the true perpetrators of the plot. If I am linked to any assassination – and I am not infallible – I will bring you down with me. I am not risking my position within the Ministry to satisfy your desire of succession in the Black family fortune. Draco will inherit, I can promise you. The time will come when the Dark Lord will rise again. When he does, Black will die. I will make sure of it.

A part of Pollux had anticipated this response. He knew it was folly to attack the blood-traitor but he didn't want him to inherit. If he wasn't killed now before he could file a relevant Will with the Ministry then the family fortune would never go to Draco. Sirius Black would ensure no Malfoy, whether they be of Black blood or not, would ever earn the right to inherit. He'd probably give the fortune to blood-traitors like the Potters!

The unfortunate thing was, was Pollux could understand where Malfoy was coming from. If the Dark Lord did rise again, Black wouldn't be so lucky as to survive again. He would die. With Sirius' death others would fall. The Potters would die and perhaps the Black fortune and estates would go to someone more worthy… He cursed angrily. He might not live to see that glorious day and he wanted it now. He was old and no longer had the youthful strength he once had. His grandson knew how much he despised him. Sirius wouldn't face him. He would smell a rat. But that didn't mean Pollux wouldn't attempt to end Sirius's life on his own. He still had other contacts he could use. Other ways to ensure the assassination of the Black heir.

For appearances sake, he would have to accept his worthless grandson to be heir to his noble and ancient house. The time wasn't right for Lucius Malfoy to act but it was time for Pollux to set events in motion that would lead to Sirius Black's untimely death.

Though he had declined Pollux's desire to rid himself of the blood-traitor, Lucius found it heartening to know that not all the Blacks had chosen to side themselves with the Wizarding hero. The political climate was still too much in favour of Sirius Black to even attempt an assassination. Any attempt would be thoroughly investigated and no matter how one may attempt to cover their trail there would be those who would willingly betray those in favour of a lesser sentence. Any attempt would eventually link back to Lucius and he realised he wouldn't be able to pay people to keep himself out of trouble. Even though he was skilled at hiding his tracks, attempting to kill a hero was political suicide.

Currently.

Black was hidden far too well. He rarely socialised and the only people who knew where he lived where those he was close too. There were no records in the Ministry of where he dwelled either though Lucius was certain at least one individual knew. At most Black did not reside in Grimmauld Place though in recent days the house had been closed off to them. His wife, Narcissa, had been a frequent visitor to the house in the past few years but was now unable to get there. She had been in the house after Walburga's Black death, suggesting her sudden inability to enter the ancestral home of the Black's was down to the fact Sirius Black had taken claim to it and had visited the place and ensured that no one other than his desired guests could enter.

Though he had turned down the opportunity to rid the world of the blood-traitor at the moment, that didn't mean Lucius wasn't already working on something. Long ago his Lord had gifted him with a diary. Now it was something he was keeping to use for a special time. Word from the Ministry was Albus Dumbledore had offered a teaching position to Sirius Black but he had refused though Black had intimated he would be there for his godson's education, who was due to start in six years.

Six years may be a long time to wait to act against Sirius Black but it was time Lucius didn't mind waiting for. He had the diary for a reason and he fully intended to use it against the man that had defeated his Master.

He smirked.

Black would fall and the family fortune would be his, just as Pollux Black wanted.

Saturday 30th November 1985

After nearly a week of wearing the locket Sirius had come to realise it was bad for his health. He was constantly angry and shouted several times at Remus despite the werewolf not doing much wrong. He was agitated and felt dark and gloomy and it was only on the Thursday that Remus commented that perhaps Sirius should remove the locket. When he did Sirius vowed to never put it back on again, which was then itself in a problem as they required a way to keep it safe until they could find the means to destroy it.

Wearing the locket reminded Sirius of what he felt like whilst cooped up in Grimmauld Place and he never wanted to be reminded of that period of his old life again. It was then he considered the idea to store it inside his Gringotts vault, electing to move the majority of his gold to the Black family vault which he now had full control over.

In his own personal vault Sirius put every security measure he could upon the locket to prevent anyone from acquiring it. Thankfully he and Remus were the only ones who knew exactly what the locket was and it seemed likely Voldemort had never known it was missing otherwise he was sure Grimmauld Place would have been razed to the ground.

Especially if the Dark Lord discovered Regulus Black had been the one to take it from its original hiding place.

Sirius had elected to not visit the cave where Regulus had died though a part of him wanted to. Kreacher could lead them there if Sirius asked him to.

Sirius also took the unusual measure of ensuring he was the only one who could access his vault, preventing even the Gringotts Goblins the privilege to open it. It was a security measure that was only gifted to those of an ancient bloodline which Sirius qualified for. The Goblins didn't like this measure however agreed to it on Sirius' instance as an extra security addition. Sirius did, however, key Remus' signature into the wards he had erected thereby ensuring if Sirius died then the vault would open for Remus but not while Sirius was alive.

Now the locket was dealt with for now and hidden securely until they could find a way to destroy it, Sirius had decided to search the Black Family Vault, a place he had never visited as his grandfather and father had always controlled the family finances. The vault was huge and stored large amounts of gold. It wasn't just gold stored in the vault; there were also other family treasures.

Yet he was here for a specific reason. He had known of a specific artefact stored in the Vault which his father had once told him about as a boy. It was what he sought now.

He found it rolled up tightly and magically sealed against a wall: a piece of preserved parchment. The Black family crest was visible upon it.

Taking it with him, Sirius was hopeful the parchment would answer some questions he had about Voldemort. He just hoped it was worth it.

"How did you find out Voldemort was the heir of Slytherin?" asked Remus as he leaned over the parchment Sirius had brought back from Gringotts. "I know it shows it on here but you seemed to know it before seeing this." His right hand was pointing to the name 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' and his left towards 'Salazar Slytherin' which was inked further up the parchment.

Sirius blanched. Truthfully he had learned it from Harry in his old timeline when the boy had caught him up on how hectic his first two years at Hogwarts were. "Dumbledore knew and told me."

"And you only thought about telling me now?" Remus raised one eyebrow watching his friend carefully.

Sirius shrugged. "He only informed me recently," he lied.

Remus didn't look convinced. "We've been searching for information about Voldemort for years. I would have thought the first thing you would have done upon learning this was to tell me. But you didn't." He narrowed his gaze. "What are you keeping from us?"

"Nothing," replied Sirius. "Look, it was an oversight okay?" He really did need to be more careful. Why was he getting so complacent with what he said? Maybe it is because I am sick and tired of the secrets. Just maybe Dumbledore is right and I should trust them.

Remus shook his head and loose strands of grey-brown hair fell about his face. He looked down at the parchment again which displayed a family-tree that kept being updating magically whenever a new heir was born. It was an ancient parchment that kept growing as the family trees grew. "This is a remarkable piece of magic. Where did your grandfather get this?"

Sirius shrugged, brushing back a bit of hair behind his hair. "I don't know. It's been in my family for years. It was rumoured this was created by Salazar Slytherin to keep track of all the Pure-blood families. It was a way for them to see where ones line became impure." He brushed a finger against Salazar's name and then at Tom Riddle's. They were different colours. "Gold names show they are pure-blood, red means they are contaminated with Muggle blood."

"Kind of makes me wonder how many of Voldemort's followers knew he was a half-blood?" smirked Remus.

"I suspect he kept that secret to himself," answered Sirius. "If he discovered he was the heir of Slytherin and learned of his true ancestry it was possible for him to then lie about where he came from. He could have easily told people his magical parents died when he was small and he was raised in the Muggle world. No one would realise he wasn't a Pureblood. At least this tree confirms what I suspected. He is related to the Gaunts and he is the last of the line of Slytherin."

"Voldemort is also related in some way to everyone else in the Wizarding World. At least the Purebloods anyway," Remus grinned nastily. "You're related to Voldemort, Sirius!"

Sirius glared. "Shut up. And it is very distant anyway." He traced a finger to the parents of Salazar Slytherin's wife. They'd had more than one child. He was only related to Salazar through marriage. Salazar Slytherin's wife had, had a younger brother. That brother's child had married a member of the Black family. The gold thread from that particular union came down to the present day where Sirius' name sat golden at the bottom of the parchment. He had never assumed he wasn't related to Voldemort. The majority of the Pureblood families were interwoven so much it was likely every Pureblood had some link to him. Even the Potters had one such link, through James' uncle Charlus who had married Dorea Black. It was very distant but it had made his point.

"This tree doesn't give us much information other than confirmation of things we already knew," said Remus. "What's next?"

"Talk to the people Voldemort went to Hogwarts with. Dumbledore hasn't been very forth coming about me accessing old school records so I needed to find a way that tells me what witches and wizards went to school with Voldemort. The dates of birth on here enable me to track down those who did. It will take time but I think it will be important to learn how much Voldemort changed over the course of his school years…" Sirius explained. "At the same time we need to be researching ways to destroy the Horcrux. And maybe look for other ones… Unfortunately we can't confirm if he has anymore… There is one thing I want you to do for me."

"On top of everything else?" asked Remus dryly.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I need to know where the Gaunts resided. Voldemort wants to be a Pureblood. I think finding it would help us." He sighed. "As far as I am aware the Gaunts were very private. It's unlikely any records exist of where they lived. Maybe search the Muggle directory. See if you can find anything about the Riddle family. They likely lived close to the Gaunts." He wished he knew where Harry had been transported to in the Triwizard Tournament. All he knew was it involved a graveyard but exactly where in the country he wasn't sure of. Dumbledore had never told him.

"And what are you going to do in the meantime?"

"Continue searching for ways to destroy this Horcrux." Sirius folded his arms across his chest.

"You could just ask –"

Sirius glared at him. "No."

Wednesday 4th December 1985

"Moony!"

Remus knelt down as Harry rushed to him and leapt into his arms. He laughed as the boy wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him. He was looking so much like James now. Apart from the eyes: Lily's eyes.

"Where's Padfoot?" asked Harry.

"Padfoot couldn't come to visit today," said Remus.

"Oh," Harry looked momentarily sad. "Put me down please, Moony, I'll play by myself then."

Remus shook his head as the little boy rushed off to the playroom. He made his way towards the kitchen where James and Lily sat at a wooden table, sipping cups of tea. "I want to know what spells Sirius used to bewitch Harry into preferring him over me."

James snorted. "Trust me. I ask myself that same question on a regular basis." He took a chocolate-covered biscuit from a plate in the centre of the table and bit into it. "What do you want, Moony? We weren't expecting you today."

"This is the first chance I've been able to come over and talk to you both." Remus sat down. He felt guilty over what he was doing but his suspicions had been raised far too much. "Have either of you ever noticed anything strange about Sirius in the last few years?"

Both nodded.

"Not just me then," commented Remus. "We need to talk to him. Find out what he's hiding."

"Good luck trying," James drank from his cup. "I've attempted twice before. He won't talk."

"Perhaps we need to come at this from a different angle?" suggested Lily. "He's still Sirius Black but…" she hesitated, searching for the right words, "…he feels and looks older than he is. His eyes show a depth to them that have never been there before. Some of the things he has said to Harry over the years… It makes me uneasy but you cannot help trusting him. He changed in one day back in nineteen eighty-one. Even then I noticed it…"

"What are you thinking?" asked James. "Your theory… I know you have one…"

Lily shrugged. "It's not my place to say. I may not be correct."

Remus frowned. "Does Dumbledore know?"

"I would assume he does," said Lily. "He and Sirius work together or they did… If anyone knows why Sirius has changed it will be him."

James stood from this chair. "Well I'm sick of Padfoot's secrets. He's my brother. He should trust us! He'll need us when Voldemort comes back."

Lily shuddered. "I realise it is inevitable he will return but I worry he will still focus on our son…"

James sobered. "From what little we know I don't think Harry will be a target. He swore revenge on Sirius."

"But they could still use Harry against him!" Lily sighed. She shook her head, her red curls falling over her shoulders.

"Back to the problem at hand, why don't we just floo to Sirius' and confront him?" asked Remus. "He can't deny us all together surely?"

James snickered. "You don't know Padfoot like I do. I tried that by myself. As soon as I started talking to him, trying to get him to answer, he used magic to throw me out. Pushed me through the Floo. He's also got wards on his house that attacks anyone who attacks him. He's got every security measure on it. A confrontation wouldn't work."

"Can't we break some of his protective measures down?" queried Remus.

Lily shook her head. "No. They've been keyed to his signature. Anyone who tries to break the wards down he is alerted to. Even if I did help build the wards myself even I'm not immune to their effects. Sirius is very stringent on his security. Only he can bring them down."

James pulled at his hair, tugging at the black strands. "Then what do we do?"

"Go to Dumbledore," advised Lily.

"I did warn Sirius years ago to trust you about who he really was." Dumbledore sat in his chair, eyeing the three wizards in front of carefully. "He refused and has continued to do so whenever I have bought the subject up. I knew it wouldn't be much longer until you got tired of his secrets and decided to try to force his hand. I am glad however you came to me first."

James stared at his former Headmaster. They had dropped Harry off with Frank and Alice so they could meet with Dumbledore at short notice. "You know why Sirius is different?"

"I was one of the first people he came to after he changed," smiled Dumbledore, not giving anything else away.

Lily gasped, remembering that night in nineteen eight-one vividly. He had been so relieved to see them alive. "James and I were the first. James thought he was drunk… He wasn't was he? He was in shock!" She brushed a small hand through her hair. "Even if we do confront him, he still won't tell us, will he?" She had known for a while who Sirius really was but had kept it a secret for years, confident in the knowledge that one day he would confide in them but after four years he still hadn't.

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, fingers tapping together as he considered the young witch in front of him. "How long have you known, Mrs Potter?"

Lily's lips quirked up. "A while."

"Lily?" asked James.

She turned her bright green eyes on her husband. "October nineteen eighty-one, everything changed. But he hasn't been careful enough. I'm very perceptive. He used to talk to Harry… tell him things that I thought were strange… but they make sense if I go with my theory. It's the only way he knows so much about our son. And why he changed his mind so suddenly about asking Pettigrew to be our Secret Keeper."

Dumbledore stood from his chair and walked around his desk. "I think it is time for Sirius to tell the three of you the truth, whether he agrees with that assessment or not. The longer he holds out, the more you will resent him for hiding things, and he will need you all in the coming years. To alienate you from his secrets doesn't make a strong friendship."

"Then how do we get him to talk to us?" asked Remus. "Without running away? He has a habit of doing this."

"We will bring him here." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he spoke.

When he stepped into the Headmaster's office, Sirius had not expected to see James, Lily and Remus sitting there. A sick feeling rose in his stomach and he knew why the Headmaster had summoned him. He glared at the old man who stood behind his desk, ignoring the stern glare Sirius was throwing his way.

"Sirius…" Dumbledore began, still ignoring the angry gaze of the younger wizard. "You can't hide it anymore. Lily knows and Remus has suspicions. You need to trust them."

"No, I don't," he stated, though his heart was aching to. But he couldn't see past his fear of them hating him for his actions in his old life.

James stood and approached his friend. "You trusted me about the abuse you suffered with your family and I helped you… This is no different. We won't think differently of you."

Sirius bit his lip. "You don't know that. You can't know!" He hated he had been pushed into this position. But he had brought it upon himself. He had been slipping up for a while now as if a part of him wanted them to know.

"Padfoot, we're your best friends. You expect us to trust you when it comes to dealing with Voldemort," said Remus quietly, "but how can we when you won't trust us?"

"You'll hate me if you know," answered Sirius, his shoulders sagging. He needed to get out of here.

James rolled his eyes. "We won't hate you if you tell us."

"With the secrets I've been keeping?" Sirius snorted. "I'd find it surprising if you didn't."

James moved forward. "Friends shouldn't have secrets. It's what drives them apart in the end. Secrets destroy friendships, Sirius! Yet for years you've kept something big from us. You tell Dumbledore but not us! Why not?" James' voice had risen and his hazel eyes flashed at his best friend.

"Because I needed an ally that wouldn't judge me for what I'd done!" shouted Sirius. "Someone who wasn't involved in what I did!"

"We wouldn't judge you either!" yelled James, pushing Sirius back roughly against the wall.

"Shove off, Potter!" Sirius threw James' hands away from his shirt.

But James was beyond caring. He was angry, pissed off and annoyed that even caught in a dead end, Sirius still wouldn't admit to anything. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't end our friendship right now!"

"James!"

"Prongs!"

Both Lily and Remus pulled James away from Sirius.

Sirius obstinately turned his back on them and reached for the door, only to find it locked. He glared at Dumbledore over his shoulder. "Let me out."

The door unlocked and Sirius stepped out, slamming it behind him. He didn't want to be followed.

"JAMES! How could you do that?" Lily laid into her husband, anger flashing darkly in her eyes.

James groaned and sagged, the anger he held over Sirius' long-term secrets evaporated in a second. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"That's an understatement, Prongs," growled Remus.

"We have to go after him."

"He fears telling you because of your precise reaction, James," interrupted Dumbledore quietly. "You've shown him what he stands to lose if he lets you in. But you would never abandon him would you? No matter what happens."

James shook his head. "No. I wouldn't. He's my best friend, my brother. He saved us. He risked his own life to face Voldemort. It's just… whatever he's hiding, no matter how big or small it is, I'll still love him like I do now. He's a part of my family. I know getting angry at him at his refusal was stupid but secrets do tear families apart."

"Then you have to make him understand that you will still love him, regardless of the secret he bears," advised Dumbledore. He peered out of the window. "Sirius is still in the Castle. If I'm correct in my assumptions of where he will be heading you still have time to catch him. I cannot stop him from leaving the grounds however if he reaches the school boundary."

"PADFOOT!"

Sirius sped up. He needed to reach the gates before they caught up but he knew it would be impossible.

He heard hooves pounding behind him and he knew James had transformed. He could run faster as a stag than as a human. Trying to get away was hopeless, not when they had the means to stop him. Sirius sighed and turned around just as the stag stopped and Prongs returned to being James Potter.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry at you or to…" James sagged. "No matter what you are hiding we will stand by you. All of us."

Sirius saw over James' shoulder, Remus and Lily stop behind him, both slightly out of breath after running through the grounds to catch up with him.

"I've been keeping secrets for years with good reason," said Sirius slowly. Everything in his head was precious, every moment he held from another life was a lesson he could use in this life. "I worry how much you would judge me if you knew…"

James took a deep breath. "Sirius, you're my brother. You have been a part of my family for nearly fifteen years. My parents adopted you! I made you Harry's godfather! You're a hero to everyone… What could you have possibly done to make you believe we would abandon you? I can't hate you… I never could."

Sirius shuddered. "You would if you knew… the truth," he whispered. Why couldn't he believe they would stand by him? Why was he making it so difficult for them?

"You don't know that," replied James. "It is your fear talking. You are a Gryffindor, aren't you? You've faced Voldemort and lived! Why can't you face us with the truth? We won't run away and we won't abandon you." Cold air rippled around them, ruffling through James' hair.

Could he really do this? Could he trust them to not turn their backs on him? He was sick of hiding everything. Sick of doing this alone. He had made mistakes recently and kept opening his mouth when he shouldn't be and making them even more suspicious. A large part of him wanted to tell them the truth, to let them in… "Prongs…"

"Sirius… whatever it is you are keeping from us we will always stand by you," reiterated James.

Sirius turned away, bowing his head and taking in deep breath after deep breath as he considered the words his friend was saying. A small hand reached out for his left hand and he recognised the soft feel of the palm belonging to Lily.

"Will you really stand by me after what I've done?" Or now didn't do since I changed the timeline.

"Sirius… we are your family. And we trust you. But it is time for you to stop keeping secrets and let us in," said Lily quietly, her voice like a song in his ears. She squeezed his hand gently. "I think I've worked out what you are keeping from us."

Sirius felt his heart start to beat faster. He couldn't help it. He could run, make a break for the gates but doing so would break the friendship he had… He couldn't do that to them. Trees rustled around them and a light breeze tugged at their hair and clothes. He kept his head bowed, not daring to believe this was happening.

"Your eyes look older. They reveal your true origin," continued Lily serenely.

"How long have you known?" asked Sirius, his guess Lily Potter had realised who he was years ago had been correct. Instead of pursuing him for answers she had just kept it to herself, waiting for the day when he would trust them with the truth.

"A few years…" she smiled gently.

Sirius took a deep breath and turned his body around so he was facing James and Remus. He squeezed Lily's hand letting her know he was ready.

Ready to make or break his friendship, but he wouldn't be the one to reveal the truth.

No, they needed to hear this from Lily rather than him. They might believe her if the words came from someone other than him. But what she revealed was the last thing Sirius expected her to say.

"James and I died on the thirty-first October nineteen-eighty-one, didn't we?"

He didn't register James' shocked 'what?' and Remus' paling expression as those words leaked from Lily's lips.

Sirius swallowed. He felt a single tear trickle down his cheek. "Yes…" he finally admitted the long kept secret he had held for four years. His voice choked as he continued. "And I killed you both. It was my fault."

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

First of all I did not intend for this confrontation to happen this soon – it was going to happen and I had a good place for it a little bit later… but then as soon as Sirius starts making Remus suspicious he's going to want to know. And I knew I couldn't hold it off much longer. Sirius does want to tell them the truth but he is also afraid too – he worries they will abandon him.

The next chapter will deal with Sirius talking to James, Lily and Remus…

As for the assassination attempt – I thought about this for a long time. Lucius wouldn't risk it politically and Pollux knew this – he wrote that letter out of anger at being denied what he thinks should happen to the family fortune – and I figured Lucius wouldn't try anything at the present time either. Lucius would be more concerned about keeping up appearances then focusing upon the assassination of Sirius. Whereas Pollux really doesn't have much to lose at this late stage of his life so we will see more of him in the future…

Sirius and the locket – I figured as soon as he knew how irritable it was making him feel he would be getting it off of him and hiding it somewhere else and Gringotts is by far the safest place at the moment. Unlike Harry, Ron and Hermione, Sirius does have the luxury of hiding the locket in a secure place instead of carrying it around with him wherever he goes.

The family tree Sirius found doesn't seem like much but it does help Sirius track down people who may have been at school with Voldemort. I don't think he would be able to easily get hold of student records and I think Dumbledore would refuse his request. Students need their privacy after all. And Sirius' family having married into the line of Slytherin is likely considering we know from canon the majority of Pureblood families were related in some way, so it stands to figure that Sirius is related to Voldemort distantly, way back in the family tree.

In the next chapter… the confrontation between Sirius, James, Lily and Remus continues…

Until next time,

the-writer1988