An Interesting Offer
-October 16 1991-
“So how should we do this?” Remus asked, his scarred hands wringing at the hem of his shirt nervously. “I mean… we can’t exactly walk up to the Dark Lord, can we?”
Sirius smiled encouragingly at his lover, walking up to him to grasp his hands gently. He gave them a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry,” he said with a soft smile. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“I just… this is a big change, Siri,” Remus said softly, his hazel eyes drifting to the floor. “Can… can we really do this?”
Sirius sighed, one hand dropping Remus’s so that he could cup his face. He lifted Remus’s jaw, forcing his lover’s gaze to meet his. At the sight of the nervous hazel orbs, Sirius smiled sweetly at him. He gently pressed a kiss to his lover’s, and after a second, he pulled away.
“I promise, Remmie,” he whispered, letting his forehead rest against Remus’s. “Everything is going to be okay. This is going to be good for us.”
Remus took in a shaky breath before he nodded. “You’re right,” he responded, smiling at him nervously. “I’m just a little weary.”
Sirius pulled away with a chuckle. “So am I,” he said. “But if we want to have a part in Harry’s life… we have to do this.”
The couple stood next to each other in silence for a few seconds before Remus broke it. “What do we do?” he asked, looking to Sirius.
“We need to find a way to get in touch with the Dark Lord,” Sirius said, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought. “It has to be inconspicuous, too. We don’t want the Order to find out about this.”
“Whyever not?” Remus asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if they hear it from us?”
“Moony, why would the Dark Lord let us join his ranks if we didn’t have anything to offer?” Sirius answered with another question. Remus stayed silent and Sirius took that as a sign to continue. If I were the Dark Lord, and someone had just kidnapped and attempted to kill Harry, I’d be really suspicious of everyone who was in contact with him. He’s not going to want to let ex-Order members just waltz into his ranks.”
“So how are we going to convince him that we’re serious?” Remus asked. “And don’t make a name joke, please.” Remus added quickly, stopping Sirius mid-joke.
Sirius pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“Come on Siri,” Remus said. “How do we do this? If the Dark Lord won’t let us in his ranks---”
“Oh, but he will!” Sirius said quickly. “After all, wouldn’t you want more spies?”
Remus stared at Sirius, his eyes wide. “You can’t be serious.”
“Well actually---”
“Do not.” Remus said firmly, and Sirius’s mouth snapped shut. “Sirius, really? You want us to sell out our friends?!”
“Do you have a better option?!” Sirius cried, crossing his arms defensibly. “Look, I know this isn’t ideal---”
“That’s one way of putting it.” Remus scoffed.
“---but this is the only way!” Sirius continued. Sirius let out a harsh breath before he sighed, his hands dragging down his face in a nervous gesture. “Look. This isn’t what we want to do, I know, but we can’t convince the Dark Lord to let us join without this.”
“It’s just… they’re our friends.” Remus said softly, his gaze drifting back down to the floor. “And we have to betray them so we can stay with our family. Nobody wins here.”
“It’s the only way…” Sirius repeated. “The only way.”
Remus breathed in deeply, and Sirius pretended he didn’t hear the hitch in his breath. Sirius looked at his lover, suddenly nervous. Would… Would this be the deal breaker? Sirius was going to do this, no matter how much it hurt, because he needed to be with his godson. Would Remus disagree?
“So…” Remus said softly, his eyes lifting from the floor to meet Sirius’s. Sirius’s heart stopped. “How are we going to do this?”
Sirius let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and let out a sharp, nervous chuckle. “Well…”
Remus narrowed his eyes.
“This is never going to work!” Remus cried, looking at Sirius incredulously.
They were standing outside of Knockturn Alley, cloaks covering their faces, as they waited. Sirius chuckled beside him, a hand slipping out of his cloak to clutch Remus’s. No one bothered to look at them, too used to seeing shady people in this area. They blended in perfectly, and that was exactly what they wanted.
“It will.” Sirius insisted. “Have some faith.”
Remus scoffed, but before he had the chance to retort, Sirius yanked on his hand and pulled him deeper into Knockturn Alley. Remu glanced up to see a flash of white. It appeared their target had arrived.
They followed him at a safe distance, waiting until he was alone for a chance to speak with him. Said man quickly turned down an empty corridor, and Sirius pulled on him a little harder so that they could keep up.
They entered the corridor only to pause at the empty sight. The man was gone. Sirius let out a harsh breath.
“Hell…” Sirius said, his fist clenching at his side.
Suddenly they were flung backwards, magic pressing them into the stone wall. Remus grunted on impact, and the cloaks protecting their identities were vanished, their faces clear as day to the world. Remus struggled, but the magic pressing him against the wall was too strong. They were stuck.
Lucius Malfoy stepped out of a covered alcove, shadows melting away from him as he walked. His aristocratic face sneered, and Remus forced himself to calm down as the man they’d been following, leaned down to get in their faces.
“Why were you following me, hmm?” he asked. “Hoping to find some information for that old man?”
“No, we---” Remus attempted to speak but his mouth was spelled shut.
“Sirius Black,” Lucius said, not sparing Remus a second glance. “Such a shame to see a mighty bloodline fall so far.”
“Nice to see you too, Lucy,” Sirius sneered. Lucius scoffed at him. “Look, we’re not here for Dumbledore.”
“Oh?” Lucius said, feigning interest.
“We need to see your Master.” Sirius said firmly. At this, Lucius paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced over the pair. It was silent in the alley for a long time before Lucius spoke again.
“And why would you need to see him?” Lucius asked finally, his hands coming up to cross over his chest.
“We want to join him.” Sirius said. This time, Lucius was unable to contain his surprise. His silver eyes widened slightly, and he stared at them for a second too long before he let out an unusually indignant snort.
“You want to join the Dark Lord?” he asked, bemusement shining on his features.
“Please,” Sirius said softly, pride shining through his onyx eyes as he was forced to beg. Remus sighed softly. Lucius looked intrigued. “We don’t trust Dumbledore anymore. He’s hiding something… Please, take us to meet your master. We just want a chance.”
Lucius was silent, and Remus couldn’t help but cross his fingers in his head. If Lucius refused, they’d be done for. They had no other way to get to the Dark Lord directly without alerting the Order of their true intentions.
“Very well,” Lucius said finally. Remus and Sirius let out sighs of relief before they slumped to the ground, the magic holding them up disappearing. “Come with me and I shall take you to him.”
“Thank you.” Sirius said softly, helping Remus stand up. Remus nodded at Lucius gratefully but Lucius merely scoffed.
“Don’t thank me,” he said. “I can’t guarantee the Dark Lord won’t slaughter you on sight.”
“We’ll take that chance.” Remus said softly. Sirius nodded beside him.
“Then you are greater fools than I thought.” Lucius said simply.
They followed Lucius silently, the only noise coming from the trio were from Lucius’s clicking footfalls. They followed him deeper into Knockturn Alley where he led them to a shop hidden in the very back. He led them through the shop, Remus pointedly ignoring the incredibly dark merchandise, and followed the Malfoy Patriarch to the back where the fireplaces were located.
Lucius picked up a handful of floo powder before he pressed it to his forearm where the Dark Mark sat. The floo powder turned from light green to deep red before Lucius threw it into the fireplace and called out, “The Dark Lord’s Castle.”
The fire roared red and at Sirius and Remus’s questioning glance he said, “Public floss aren’t connected to the Castle, lest the riff-raff get in,” he said with a disgusted sneer. “There are extra precautions to ensure the security.”
Sirius and Remus said nothing and Lucius gestured for them to step through. Remus shared a weary glance with his lover before he stepped through the fire. Remus shuddered at the disorienting sensation before he stepped out of the connected fireplace and looked around, gathering his bearings.
He was standing in a grand hall, dozens of fireplaces lining the walls. The hall was intricately decorated, banners and expensive tables with decor, adding to the grandeur of the hall. Remus turned when the fireplace flared twice more and Sirius and Lucius stepped out.
“Nice place…” Sirius said quietly. Lucius snorted once more.
“Come.” he said plainly. Remus and Sirius followed the man, Remus’s eyes widening as he took in the castle. It was, for lack of a better word, magnificent. Everything about the place screamed powerful, and Remus couldn’t help the awe that filled his being. “Mipsy.”
Remus started at the pop signaling the entrance of a house elf. Said elf curtsied in front of them and looked to Lucius for instructions.
“Inform the Dark Lord that there are two… persons of interest who wish to see him.” Lucius said. Remus stiffened at the title Lucius gave them and shot another nervous look at Sirius. Sirius smiled at him, albeit shakily, and nodded.
“Right away, Master, Mipsy be doing that!” Mipsy said, popping away. They stood in silence for several seconds before the elf returned. “The Dark Lord be wishing to see them in his Meeting Hall.”
“Follow me.” Lucius said, nodding at the elf. Remus and Sirius followed the man through the beautiful halls, and Remus found his eyes straying towards the grand windows on the farside of the castle that displayed the beautiful gardens outside. Lucius stopped outside a pair of grand, wood doors. The deep red wood had metal flourishes on them, and the looping, crossing metal intersected in a braided pattern at the handles. “The Dark Lord is waiting for you in there.”
“Thank you,” Remus whispered softly, his eyes not leaving the intricate door handles. “For everything.”
Lucius gave a curt nod. “Good luck.” and with that, the Malfoy Patriarch stalked away, his robes billowing gracefully behind him.
Remus breathed in shakily and looked at Sirius. Sirius gave him a soft smile. “Ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” Remus answered. Remus’s hands trembled as he pulled the door handles.
His senses were instantly assaulted by the sheer power that was radiating from the room. The hall in question was just as grand as the others, but this one was clearly more practical. Several chairs lined the wall and directly in front of them lay a raised platform where a large stone throne sat. Sitting comfortably in said throne, the Dark Lord, his crimson eyes narrowed dangerously as took in the pair.
“Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.” the Dark Lord said. Remus shivered as his name passed the Dark Lord’s lips, the pure hatred in his tone sending gooseflesh down his spine. “Why have you come to see me? Answer very carefully.”
Sirius sank to his knees, a hand shooting up to grab Remus’s arm and pull him into a bow. Remus conceded and his pride bubbled dangerously in the back of his throat as he bowed to the man responsible for so many deaths.
“We… we have come to join your ranks… My Lord,” Sirius said, his gaze staying steady on the floor. Remus was honestly impressed with how Sirius was handling himself. “We offer ourselves as spies for the Order.”
A dangerous chuckle escaped the Dark Lord. “Spies, you say?” he said. “What use have I for more spies? As of lately, spies are quite low on my wish list.”
“Please,” Remus said, his words low in volume but high in determination. His strong tone rang through the empty hall. “Dumbledore is not who we thought him to be. He is hiding something incredibly important from us. He… He has not given us what he promised---”
“And you think I can provide what he has failed to?” the Dark Lord asked, amusement laced deep within his words. “Even if I could, tell me, why should I?”
“Because we are closer to the Order than Snive---Snape.” Sirius said. “We are privy to information he is not. They have never once questioned our loyalty.”
“I find it interesting that you would switch sides just like that,” the Dark Lord mused. “For someone who faithfully served the Order for years, something very drastic must have happened to change your mind. Tell me what it is.”
Though it was phrased as a question, Remus knew better. The demand rang heavy through the stone halls and Remus shuddered under the weight of it. “Dumbledore insisted that a child that should have rightfully gone to Sirius, was placed in an abusive home.” Remus said.
Suddenly the temperature dropped. Remus risked a glance upwards to see the Dark Lord leaning forward in his throne, his eyes trained on the pair with an indecipherable emotion. “Oh?” he said, subtly compelling them to continue.
“He’s been strangely obsessed with him,” Sirius picked up. “We… we recently found out what happened to the child. Dumbledore did nothing to stop it.”
“And what exactly happened to the child?” the Dark Lord said, his crimson eyes narrowed to the point of slits.
“I think you know… My Lord.” Sirius dared to say, lifting his head. “After all, you were the one to rescue my godson. You brought him back to life.”
Voldemort eyed the pair with interest. Black’s gaze did not waiver, even when Voldemort met his eyes with his own. The proud man stood strong, and Voldemort found it to be incredibly amusing. Lupin was looking between Black and himself with wide eyes, and it only added to the amusement that tickled him.
What did not amuse him, however, were the words that Black had spoken.
“I will warn you once, Black,” he hissed. “Watch what you say.”
Black nodded once, his eyes glancing away from his, thus breaking the staring contest. “Seeing Harry again…” Black continued. Voldemort bristled at the use of his precious’s old name. “It was all we ever wanted. Dumbledore promised us that he’d get him back---”
Voldemort’s magic flared out dangerously, and the pair in front of him choked under the suffocating pressure. That old man had promised them what? It appeared that Dumbledore was far more idiotic than he’d thought. Voldemort would relish in the man’s death.
“Tread carefully.” Voldemort said, and though he spoke quietly, his magic multiplied the sound, making it sound all the more dangerous.
“W-We realized that it would be impossible for us to see our godson again if we stayed with Dumbledore,” Lupin said nervously. “So we decided to come to you instead.”
“You’ve come to join me, offering to sell out the people you call friends---” Voldemort noted the flinch Lupin gave at that. “---all in the hopes that I’ll allow you to see my child?”
Black opened his mouth but Voldemort refused to let him comment. “Shut. Your. Mouth. Black. Little One is my child and if you think that you can come here and stake some sort of claim on him because you think you have a right, you are dead wrong. And soon, you’ll only be dead. I don’t care if the people that brought my precious into this world named you godfather. They are not here. You were not there as my precious suffered under the ruthless muggles. You weren’t there when he was murdered. You weren’t there as he struggled to cope with his trauma. You weren’t there.” Voldemort snarled. “But I was. Do you know what that makes me? That makes me his father. If you wish to continue breathing, I’d watch what you say.”
Black and Lupin trembled, Voldemort’s rage only served to fuel his flaring magic, and the temperature in the room dropped to icy as his rage continued to explode out of him. The sheer nerve of the man in front of him made his fingers twitch with the desire to kill.
How dare they come here and insinuate that they can take Little One away from him? Little One was his child and he’d gladly rip them apart before they could so much as speak to him. Voldemort audibly ground his teeth together, and the pair shivered.
“We… w-we don’t mean to take him from you,” Lupin spoke. Voldemort trained his eyes on the werewolf. “We simply want the chance to see him. Get to know him. We swear!”
“You have nothing to offer me,” Voldemort responded evenly. “I don’t trust you in the slightest, especially not around my child. Tell me right now why I should accept your offer?”
“He recognized us,” Black spoke suddenly. Voldemort raised a delicate eyebrow. “Har---Little One did. He… He knew who we were. He said that he missed us.”
Smoldering jealousy reared its ugly head. Voldemort stiffened at the thought of his precious missing someone other than him. His fingers clenched around the stone armrest, and Voldemort forced himself to maintain an air of indifference.
“And?” he asked.
“You claim to be his father,” Black said, and Voldemort felt his hackles rise at the word ‘claim’. Voldemort is Little One’s father, no one could claim otherwise. “Fathers always put their children’s needs first. Do you put Little One’s needs first?”
Voldemort stood up, his hand automatically whipping out his wand to point it at Black menacingly. “How dare you insinuate otherwise---”
“If Little One needed us,” Black rushed out quickly, his hands raising defensibly. “Would you allow us to join you? If Little One missed his Uncles Moony and Padfoot, would you welcome us into your ranks? For the sake of your child?”
Voldemort swallowed the lump in his throat, the idea of Little One missing, wanting, needing someone other than him making his stomach roll with rage. But… But… Voldemort could concede that he would do what was necessary to make his precious happy. And if Little One needed Black and Lupin to be happy…
Voldemort straightened his back, and when his posture was perfect, he crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head to narrow his blood-red eyes at the pair. (Voldemort knew that the pure loathing he felt for the pair was broadcasted plainly on his face)
“For Little One,” he said carefully. “I will consider your offer.”
Voldemort watched as Lupin and Black sagged with visible relief. A shaky smile spread across the couple’s faces, and Voldemort longed to ruin their hope, longed to destroy them for daring to be here.
“This is not a definite yes,” Voldemort added, watching with sick glee as the hopeful expressions on their faces died quickly. “And should you join, you will be watched constantly. I do not trust you. Should you be allowed to see Little One… you will be watched then, too.”
Black nodded nervously. “Thank you… My Lord.”
Voldemort smirked at Black’s obvious discomfort with the title. “Now,” he said firmly. “Get out of my Castle. If I have need for you, you will be summoned.”
They nodded and quickly made their escape, and Voldemort waited until the doors clicked shut to release his pent up fury. His magic flared out and the room’s furniture smashed to bits. He ground his teeth together, his magic flaring dangerously.
Black and Lupin… They were brave to come here (or stupid) and Voldemort found their Gryffindor tendencies to be utterly exhausting. No one had ever dared to say the things Black said to him, especially not to his face.The small part of him that found the behavior to be refreshing was instantly overtaken by his possessive rage at their insolent request.
Voldemort could reluctantly admit that having two extra spies in the Order would be incredibly helpful to him, but of all his options, did it have to be the pair with a connection to Little One’s old life?
Voldemort sucked in a harsh breath, his hands dragging down his face before they came up to smoothe his hair down on his scalp. Voldemort reigned in his magic and sat down on his throne. He waved his hand and repaired all the damage that had been done seconds earlier.
As loathe as Voldemort was to admit it, this was a good offer that he should consider. Obviously he’d have someone watching the pair twenty-four/seven---after all, they used to be loyal to the Order. No matter their reasons for coming to the dark, they had too many connections to the Order to just ignore.
If he was going to do this… He would have to let them see Little One. Familiar possessiveness rose up in his chest, but Voldemort pushed it away. Even if Little One got close to the couple, he would always call him ‘Papa’. No matter how hard they might try to sway Little One, Voldemort raised him.
Little One would always be his.
Voldemort let out another sigh before he leaned his head against his hand. “Get ready,” he said no one, a smirk bleeding across his face as plans came together in his mind. “Black, Lupin… Get ready.”
Ah yes, it was all coming together now.