Twisted Fascination

I opened my eyes slowly, the movements making me feel tired despite the fact I had just been sleeping.

A room primarily furnished in expensive dark wood bore the colors silver, white, green, and the occasional black accent. The fireplace crackled softly as it warmed the room.

I gazed around lazily, taking in just how expensive the room around me was. I could feel that the surface below me - couch of sorts - was incredibly soft. I sat up with a bit of a struggle and looked around even more. I froze, however, upon seeing a man sitting in a chair not too far away from me.

The man looked to be in his early fifties. He had short, but wavy black hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. He wasn't smiling as he stared at me, but rather frowning as if he was staring down at some pest. His black robes fluttered around him despite the fact there was no breeze of any kind in the room.

I blinked a few times, worried that I had officially lost my mind.

The man stood up, not making a single sound as he did so. He approached me wordlessly, and his aura of power was almost suffocating. The man stopped before me, his eyes staring directly into mine without showing even a hint of emotion.

For a long moment, nothing happened. We simply remained in place, just staring in silence.

That moment ended when the man opened his mouth. §You really shouldn't have questioned my orders.§

I swallowed thickly as I stared up at him. §Who are you?§

He chuckled darkly. §You truly don't recognize me? I'm insulted.§

I continued to stare, knowing that I had to have seen him somewhere if I became fascinated with him. I just couldn't place the initial memory, however…

He leaned down a bit, causing me to shift back automatically. §Tell me, Colton Potter, do you know why your eyes turn red?§

I frowned a bit before answering, §I don't know why beyond the fact the Dark Lord and I are connected somehow.§

His brown eyes suddenly became a crimson red hue, and the missing peace of the puzzle finally revealed itself to me.

§Where am I?§ I asked right away.

§That's a good question,§ he approved, §You're somewhere in the deep recesses of your mind.§

§Why am I here?§ I pressed.

His lips curled up a bit into a rather cold smile. §Your foolish actions brought you to the brink of death, allowing the two of us to meet in this way.§

I remained silent for a moment before saying, §I could have died several times in the past. As I happen to recall, it was your voice that insisted that I cling to life each time.§

His smile grew, and he moved from my personal space and toward the fireplace. §I'd hate to lose you to something like a dementor.§

My brow furrowed as I stared at the man. §Why do you say that?§

He hummed softly. §Why, indeed…§

I felt a bit irked, but accepted it for the time-being. I decided to shift the conversation, if only slightly. §How long have you been with me?§

He looked over his shoulder with a raised brow. §How long have you had that scar?§

I immediately grimaced. §You know everything about me then, huh?§

He turned his head back toward the fire. §There's no need to be embarrassed. I'm as much a part of you as you are me.§

My brow furrowed deeply. §I don't understand…§

§No thanks to Dumbledore,§ he said with the utmost annoyance. He looked back at me with those dark brown eyes and stated, §I know part of a prophecy that involves the two of us.§

I frowned deeply. §And I don't know about it?§

He chuckled. §In fairness to you, Dumbledore kept the prophecy from getting to the ears of the public. I doubt anyone outside five people still know about it.§

§What does this prophecy say?§ I inquired.

§As the seventh month dies, twins will be born. One is destined to die, and the other to surpass the Dark Lord,§ he informed me.

§Which twin do you believe I am?§ I asked.

He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. §You're obviously the one that will surpass me.§

I gave a humorless chuckle. §At this rate, you're going to be the only reason I live to see my fifth year. Besides, didn't you want to kill Harry?§

The man looked downright insulted by my question. §If you honestly thought I would consider a mere infant to be a threat to me, you're sorely mistaken. I simply wanted to see if the prophecy was speaking about either of you two.§

§Why kill my parents, then?§ I asked.

He turned his gaze back to the fire and admitted, §Anyone who dared to stand against me would be punished. They just so happened to try to kill me, so I dealt with as I saw fit. As for your brother and you…§ A grimace was audible in his voice as he admitted, §I admit that I wasn't exactly in the right state of mind when I accidentally made the two of you horcruxes.§

I blinked slow enough to be considered stupid. §Horcruxes?§

He waved it off dismissively. §All that matters is that your mother used sacrificial magic to protect the two of you. When I hit her with the Killing Curse, her magic managed to rebound toward me. The slivers of my soul managed to latch onto both Harry and yourself before my body was destroyed, much like the rest of that hideout in Godric's Hollow.§

I considered his words for a long moment before saying, §You're surprisingly open considering you believe I'll surpass you.§

He chuckled as he finally left the fireplace behind. He approached me once more, and amusement was clear in his dark eyes.

I watched carefully, though I knew I couldn't truly defend myself if push came to shove.

§Now, now,§ he said as his smirk widened, §I'm not going to hurt you. I've had time to think this over, and I've decided to lend you a helping hand. You'll have to pay a heavy price for that help, though.§ He sat down on the loveseats across from me and asked, §Well?§

§If I can kill Bestla and your young self all on my own, I doubt that I'll need you to guide me to power. What's your real reason for offering to help me, beyond the ability make me pay a heavy price?§ I asked.

§Perhaps there is no reason beyond that,§ he mused as he sat back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other.

§If we're anything alike, then I know you have another reason,§ I said as I folded my hands together.

§You're quite persistent,§ he mused, §But you have no power over me, nor do you have the strength to overcome me and force answers from me. Perhaps, once you get that power, I'll answer that question.§

§I suppose that you're right,§ I said, §However, you should know that I'm not accepting your so-called help without answers.§

He chuckled as if amused by my response, but nothing more.

§If you simply wanted to bug me over this minor exchange, then I suppose I'll have to find my way out of here now,§ I said as I stood up.

§We'll meet again soon, Surpassor of the Dark Lord,§ he said as he gave me a charming smile.

I turned away from him, only for my eyes to widen by the blindingly bright light. I quickly winced away from the light, stepping back to make space between the two of us. My foot caught the edge of something, and I began to fall backwards.

A soft surface hit my back, and the light suddenly disappeared.

My eyes snapped open, and I stared at a somewhat familiar stone ceiling. My gaze drifted around before I realized that I was in the hospital wing. I felt confused as I struggled to sit up, wondering for a brief moment why I had been left alone when I felt so cold. I quickly dismissed my thoughts as I recalled that I was going to be in so much trouble once the others realized I was awake. I hung my head for a moment before beginning to pat myself down, looking for any physical injuries. I was quick to realize I had none, so I decided that I could proceed with getting out of bed.

Of course, that thought was quickly dashed when the doors to Pomfrey's office opened.

I bit back a cringe as I looked over at her and saw the furious look on her face as she came storming over. I didn't even get the chance to plead for mercy when she began screaming at me.

"I cannot believe a student would try to take on a dementor all on their own! Were you not warned about how dangerous they are, or are you just daft?!" She yelled furiously.

"As long as I'm still alive, I'll be fine," I waved off dismissively.

"You're only alive because Dumbledore saved you!" Pomfrey ranted, "Had he come even a second later, you'd be dead, Mr. Potter!"

Before either of us could continue the argument, the doors to the hospital wing opened.

Of course, it was Dumbledore, and he was followed by McGonagall and Snape.

I have a heavy sigh before laying back down, not in the mood to deal with anyone else.

Dumbledore immediately came to my bedside, looking like he had genuinely worried for my being. "How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?"

"Like I'd rather still be sleeping," I answered bluntly.

"We were all quite worried for you," Dumbledore said.

I gave a small grunt of acknowledgement as I pointedly stared at the ceiling.

"You better have a good reason for going out there," Snape said through gritted teeth.

I remained silent for a moment, which was apparently a moment too long for them.

"Colton, my boy," Dumbledore said gently, "Please, tell us why you went outside to confront Sirius Black."

I scowled deeply, knowing that he had either seen the fugitive or the dementors somehow ratted me out. "He owed me."

"Owed you?" McGonagall repeated questioningly.

"I was going to make him give me answers," I declared.

McGonagall sighed heavily at that. "You mean you wanted revenge…"

"I never said that," I snapped irritably. "I just wanted to know why…" I trailed off before clicking my tongue. "It doesn't matter now, I suppose. I haven't gotten the answers I wanted, and now I doubt I ever will."

"What answers did you want?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Well, first and foremost, I wanted to know why he spared me in Surrey," I admitted. "Then, I wanted to know more about what transpired the night of my - my parents death."

"Why not just ask me?" Dumbledore pressed.

I scoffed loudly. "Granger and Weasley overheard the Minister in the Three Broomsticks talking about what happened. They told Harry, who told me. If any of you adults actually cared, you would have told us the truth right after Black escaped, maybe even before then."

McGonagall looked horrified as she said, "So… you know?"

"I know Black is Harry's godfather, I know he was the secret keeper of my parents, and I also know that he killed Pettigrew and those twelve muggles after Pettigrew tried to avenge my parents," I stated bluntly.

The four adults around me shifted uncomfortably, clearly not happy with my knowledge.

"I also know that Harry wants vengeance," I said as I frowned deeply. "I thought that, if I could just give him the answers he surely had questions for, he would drop his pursuit of Black."

"You wanted to protect your brother," Pomfrey said softly, and I flushed a bit.

"I'm the older brother," I said, "It's my responsibility to keep Harry safe."

Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh before looking down at me with saddened blue eyes. "You'd risk death for Harry, wouldn't you?"

I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. "So what if I would? I'm not apologizing, and I don't regret my actions."

There was silence for a moment before Snape finally spoke up. "You're getting detention for a month."

I barely bit back a groan of annoyance. Instead, I acted like a good little student and said, "Yes, sir."

"What did Black tell you?" Snape then pressed.

"He had the audacity to ask if I missed him and if I'd give him a hug." I scoffed loudly at the memory as I opened my eyes to glare at the ceiling. "He even called himself Uncle Sirius. I would have cursed him if it weren't for the dementors. I didn't know they were so fast, and while I was distracted by them, Black made a break for it. Why they came after me and not him, I don't know, and it really pisses me off."

"How did you know where he was?" Dumbledore pressed.

"It's not hard to miss his hair in the snow," I said dismissively. "I didn't even hesitate to grab my cloak and chase after him."

"Clearly, you didn't think, either," Snape commented dryly.

I almost rolled my eyes, but I didn't because more detention would have killed my grades.

"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore said in a warning tone.

"Did you…?" I hesitated for a moment. "Did you find Black?"

"Unfortunately, he seemed to have slipped away again," Dumbledore said gravely.

I groaned in annoyance. "Now Harry will definitely go after him. I should have just cursed Black, and then demanded answers."

Snape gave a noise of exasperation.

"Anyway," I said as I looked over at Pomfrey, "When can I leave?"

"You almost died, Mr. Potter!" She exclaimed, clearly outraged with my nonchalance.

"Yes, but I'm healthy-"

"You almost lost your soul!" She continued.

"I understand-"

"Do you?!" She yelled furiously, "A wizard cannot live without a soul!"

I gave a single hum of acknowledgement. "Does that mean soon?"

The woman groaned in annoyance before flicking her wand at me, performing a quick diagnostic spell. She checked over everything she possibly could before begrudgingly saying, "You can leave…"

I immediately sat up. "Excellent-"

"If you even look at the doors to Hogwarts, I promise you more than a simple detention of scrubbing cauldrons," Snape threatened.

"Yes, sir," I replied as I grabbed at the robes on my bedside. "Also, what day is it?"

"It is the 27th," Dumbledore informed me.

I gave a small grunt of acknowledgement before saying, "Well, I'm going to get changed now…"

The four adults accepted that, and they walked to Pomfrey's office for a quick chat that they knew I wouldn't interrupt.

I got changed into my robes before dismissing myself from the hospital wing. I headed down towards the Slytherin common room, and I purposefully looked at the front doors in an act of defiance on my way. Once done with that, I finished heading down to the common room and found that my homework was still scattered on the table where I had left it two days ago. I shrugged before sitting down and continuing with my work. Once dinner time came around, I forced myself to stop doing my homework. I headed up to the Great Hall, and I bit back a groan of annoyance upon seeing that single table for everyone to sit at.

"Colton!" Harry exclaimed as he stood up to look at me with wide eyes.

"Harry," I greeted politely as I approached the table to take the only open seat. Before I could sit down, Harry wrapped his arms around me rightly, causing me to tense up. It took me entirely too long to realize he was giving me a hug. I hesitated for a moment before patting his back gently. I was released, and Harry gave me a look of relief. I felt uncomfortable as I forced myself to smile at him.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the table, having me sit between him and Higgs. "I'm so glad you woke up," he said as we sat down at the table. "I was afraid…"

I waited for him to finish the sentence before realizing he wouldn't. "It won't happen again," I assured Harry, "I've learned my lesson."

"Why even go out there in the first place?" Harry asked as he looked at me curiously.

"I needed to clear my head," I lied as naturally as I breathed, "I didn't think the dementors would target a lone student, but I suppose us Potters are just unlucky."

"In any case," Dumbledore cut in, "Let us eat."

We served ourselves food and began to eat like civilized people.

"Oh, right," Harry said as if just remembering something. He looked at me curiously and asked, "Did someone send you a Christmas present with no name on it?"

"No, why?" I asked.

"Someone sent me one," Harry admitted, ignoring how Weasley gave Granger a wicked glare.

I bit back a heavy sigh, knowing damn-well that Black was just mad enough to do that. "I hope it wasn't anything dangerous."

"It wasn't," Harry assured me, and Granger pursed her lips.

I gave a small hum of acknowledgement.

There was a long lull in the conversation as we ate.

The thing to break that silence were loud banging noises from upstairs, like someone had set off a bunch of firecrackers.

"PEEVES!" Filch screamed furiously as he shot up from the table and rushed off.

"Where did Peeves get explosives?" Granger asked, sounding rather worried.

"If there's one poltergeist that doesn't need them, it'd be Peeves," I commented.

Higgs nodded before standing up. "Well, I'm done for tonight."

"I am as well," I said as I stood up from the table, my own plate clear of food.

Higgs and I went down to the Slytherin common room and proceeded to do our own things for the night.

I continued on with my homework before eventually being forced to bed when it was time for lights out.

The next few days passed by in a blur, and soon enough, the vacationing students returned to the school.

I was in the Slytherin common room, minding my own business, when I was rudely approached.

"You were attacked by dementors?!" Malfoy all but yelled at me.

I groaned loudly before asking, "Who told you?"

"I overheard Weasley telling his sister," Malfoy said.

"Of course you did," I grumbled before looking at the boy with the utmost annoyance. "Yes, I was attacked by dementors."

"How?" He stressed.

"It doesn't matter," I waved off dismissively, "Just know that I'm more motivated than ever to learn that Light spell."

"You weren't chasing after Black, were you?" Zabini asked as he approached the table I was at.

"Do I look like the type of person to go after a man and get attacked by dementors in the process?" I asked.

"You're mad enough," Nott said with a nod.

I shot him a fierce glare.

"Potter, please tell us that you didn't actually go after Black and get attacked by dementors," Davis pleaded.

"I didn't actually go after Black and get attacked by dementors," I said, causing her to sigh in relief. "I went after Black, cursed the man, and then got attacked by dementors."

"That's basically the same thing!" Davis yelled angrily.

"Ah, but it's not exactly the same thing," I said as I gave a grin, "You forgot a step."

"Merlin's balls, Potter, you actually went after Black for answers?" Malfoy asked. Before I could answer, he pressed, "What did he tell you?"

"All I got out of him was that he's a sarcastic brat that finds humor in annoying me," I grumbled, "'Did you miss me'?" I scoffed loudly. "He's lucky I let him off easy for that."

"Did the dementors hurt you?" Zabini asked, causing me to look at him with a raised brow. "Physically, I mean."

"No," I waved off dismissively. "I'm all recovered now, too."

He hummed once before asking, "Did you do anything else of note?"

"No," I replied, "I just focused on my schoolwork for the rest of the break."

He nodded in approval.

"I did get a month's worth of detention, though," I mused.

"A month?!" Malfoy exclaimed, clearly appalled.

"No House Points were lost, so we're all good," I assured the blonde.

He just stared in silence for a long moment.

I waved him off, uncomfortable with his staring. "If that's all, you can go bother someone else now."

Malfoy gave a wilting glare before nevertheless turning heel and stalking off.

I bit back a chuckle before looking down at the book I had before me. I tried to read it, but it was a night where I could do little more than stare blankly at the same words. I decided to forgo dinner that night in favor of tucking in early.

The other boys in my dorms made it a point to be as quiet as possible that night, all of them clearly worried about waking me. They clearly didn't know that I was merely feigning sleep in an attempt to get some time alone.

It wasn't until deep in the night that I managed to sleep into the arms of sleep, and I only got about an hour of sleep before I was awake again, the scream of a woman and the cackle of an insane man bouncing around my mind. I decided to spend the right of the night staring at the top of my four-poster bed.

Dawn came after far too long, and I had forced myself to pay attention in classes.

It was the second period of the day when we Slytherins went to D.A.D.A.

Lupin, though he should have been feeling much better after the full moon passed, looked just as ill as he did before. He avoided looking at the majority of the class that day, looking like he was far too tired to deal with anyone. One time, though, as he was writing on the board, the sleeve to his patched robes fell down a bit. The mark there was undoubtedly that of claws, but they weren't like the other marks on his body. He wasn't scratched by werewolf claws, but the claws that did scratch him were similar.

I bit back a scowl as I realized just who to blame for Lupin's state of body and mind.

Black was probably quite satisfied as he sat in that shack after beating the shit out of his former friend. What a downright bastard…

The bell rang shortly after, dismissing the class from session.

"Professor, I have a question about today's lesson," I lied as I stood, bringing up my textbook to stand before the man's desk. I stared down at my textbook as I put my finger to a particular line. "Here, in the textbook…"

The last of the Slytherins left as Lupin leaned over to look at the textbook. The man jolted away from me when I pulled out my wand and cast a quick Privacy Charm.

"Why did Black attack you?" I asked right away as I looked at the man carefully.

Lupin looked much like a cornered animal that was ready to lash out at me. His eyes darted around nervously as he said, "Mr. Potter, I-"

"You will tell me now, or I'll tell others that you're an unregistered werewolf," I threatened, and I watched the man pale rapidly.

Lupin then sighed before practically falling into his chair. He hung his head in his hands and said, "I deserve it…"

My brow furrowed as I stared down at the man who seemed to be crumbling apart.

"With all my blunders in life, I should be punished," Lupin said in a surprisingly shaky voice.

"Are you crying?" I asked, horrified that I had to deal with a grown man showing such emotions, even if I had pushed him there.

Lupin lowered his hands and looked up at me like he was a truly broken man. "I'm - I'm so sorry, Colton."

I immediately regretted my action to push a man that was obviously at his breaking point.

"I never should have abandoned you and Harry, my own problems notwithstanding," Lupin said, "When you two needed me the most, I turned my back and ran away."

Awkwardly, I nodded once.

"I'm your godfather, Colton," Lupin said, answering my unspoken question. "I should have taken you two in when Sirius couldn't, not let you get thrown into hell with those awful muggles. I've let you two down so much, and now…" He sighed heavily as his hands clenched together. "Now, I'm afraid that I can't do anything more than burden you."

"Sir-"

He shook his head as he lowered his gaze to his hands. "I'm not deserving of such respect."

"Sir," I said once again, this time with a bit more force. "Why did Black attack you?"

"Because I'm a failure," Lupin said as he gave a pained smile, "One that has cursed both you and Harry to a life of hardships."

"What did Black say?" I asked.

"That you live with abusive muggles," he admitted, "Ones that would gladly watch you get mauled by a dog."

I immediately forced myself not to roll my eyes. I definitely needed to jinx the shit out of Black the next time I saw him.

"He said that a man who should have been a trusted adult forced himself on you," Lupin continued, "And that a Death Eater took care of that bastard."

Correction, I thought, I'm going to jinx Black to the point of tears.

"That I was a fool to ever trust Dumbledore, and Pettigrew is out there, probably getting ready to run off and serve the Dark Lord once again," Lupin said, the guilt clearly eating him alive. He sighed heavily before bringing his hands up to his face once more. He wiped furiously at his eyes as he said, "I should pack up, shouldn't I?" He gave a forced chuckle as he said, "Though, it's not as if Azkaban will let me take my trunk, so-"

"You're running away again," I said, causing him to look up at me in surprise. "If you truly wanted to prove yourself to me, then you'd straighten your back and stay here."

"But I-"

"Are you a coward like Pettigrew that only knows how to run away, or are you a man like Sirius that will remain steadfast in his goals, even at the risk of cutting your remaining life short?" I asked, causing his eyes to widen marginally. Before he could reply to my question, however, I stepped back. "Actions speak louder than words. Show me that answer after truly thinking about it." I flicked my wand, taking down the Privacy Charm. I pocketed my wand and picked up my textbook, turning heel to leave the man to his thoughts. I collected my bag on my way, not looking back once as I made my way to the Great Hall for lunch.

Whether he realized it or not, Lupin would become a pawn for me just as Black had.

I refused to allow Dumbledore to dictate my life any more than he already had. I would break free of the chains that bound us, whether they be magical or otherwise. If I needed to temporarily sell my soul to the Dark Lord, I'd do so. I just had to be ready to stab that wraith in the back when the time came.

I had barely sat down at the Slytherin table when Davis asked, "What took so long?"

"I asked about getting private lessons to learn that spell," I lied as I served myself two ham sandwiches. "Unfortunately, with my month of detentions, it seems he cannot help any time soon."

"That sucks," Nott commented.

I nodded once in acknowledgement.

The rest of lunch was a quiet affair, and the class after was Potions.

As that class came to an end, Snape said, "A word, Mr. Potter."

I made sure my bag was packed before heading up to his desk. "Yes, sir?"

"After dinner, your detentions will be served in my office," Snape informed me.

"Of course, sir," I said right away.

He waved me off after that.

I left his class behind and continued with my day as normal. I went down to his office right after dinner, and I was permitted entry. I immediately saw the jar of leeches and bit back a heavy sigh.

Snape wordlessly motioned to the leeches as he kept his eyes on the essays he was grading.

I went through with my task for roughly half an hour before there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Snape asked, sounding more than a little irked.

"It's Remus," the man on the other side of the door answered.

Snape scowled as he glared daggers at the door. "What do you want?"

"I need your opinion," the werewolf said hesitantly.

Snape rolled his eyes as I awkwardly continued squeezing the leeches of their essence. "We are not friends, Lupin."

"That's precisely why I need your opinion. You won't lie, and you certainly won't coddle me," Lupin said.

Snape grumbled under his breath before saying, "Give me a minute."

"Of course," Lupin replied.

Snape stood up and came over to me. He eyed my progress before demanding, "Let me see your hands."

I held my hands up and my brow furrowed as he vanished both the excess juices and blood.

I was then healed before he said, "You're dismissed for the night."

"Yes, sir," I said politely before heading to the door, Snape right on my heels. I opened the door and pointedly ignored the way Lupin tensed up as if I'd suddenly attack him. I headed on my way to the Slytherin common room, determined to work on my essays before lights out.

"You better have a life-threatening dilemma," Snape said with venom clear in his voice.

Lupin remained silent as he entered the office.

Snape gave a small growling noise as he, too, entered his office, slamming the door behind him.

I could only wait to see what happened next, and from there, I'd move forward with moving my pawns.