{irreplaceable}

24

Dear son,

We need you to come home now. As much as we detest you and your muggle ways, we have come to an agreement with Dumbledore and you will be leaving Hogwarts for an extended period of time. He's a very easily fooled man. You must come. After everything, we still are your parents, even if you are no son of ours. Meet your father in the Forbidden Forest tonight. He will explain more. 

Walaburga

Sirius stared at the words in shock. He didn't really comprehend them, more like they were just figures floating in his mind. He was leaving? 

His parents always did have a knack for being vague. What was he going to be doing? Where was he going? Why? But there was one question in particular that was particularly worrying him.

What about Kylie?

He loved her. Far much more then he ever could have imagined possible. What would happen when he left? He couldn't do that to her. A sickening thought ran through his head. Would he have to break up with her? He pushed that thought away and dropped the letter. It fluttered down to the floor as the portrait hole door slammed. It was time he talked to his father. 

****

"Father." Sirius said coldly. Him and his father were the same height now. The resemblance, Sirius noted proudly, was far less noticeable anymore. His father was balding slowly, with unhealthy looking limbs. It was as if his skin was hanging onto nothing. Sirius on the other hand, was toned from years of Qudditch training. His hair was brushing his shoulders, and he wore leather jackets instead of pinstripe suits. The black family ring stood proudly on Orion's right hand, while Sirius's was just a scar. 

Above all that, they were still father and son. The same nose, high cheekbones, and piercing gray eyes. The same scars, from different incidents. The same darkened eyes. "Sirius. You've aged." 

"Yeah, that tends to happen over a course of someone's life." Orion held back a response to his son's insufferable sarcasm. Clearly, the boy hadn't matured. "What do you what, Orion? Tell me what I need to know so I don't have to spend more time with your privileged ass." Orion smiled, revealing his yellowed teeth. "Don't have to ask me twice." Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"The Dark Lord has... requested your skills. He has been watching certain students who could prove useful to him. You, apparently, qualify as such. You would require to leave school for an undetermined amount of time, approximately no less then a month and a half. He requires your full attention, which means no Mudblood girlfriends that I hear you have." Sirius started shaking with anger. 

"And should I refuse?" Orion revealed his teeth again.

"Regulas shall take your place." Sirius froze. Reg. 

"If you chose to uphold the great honor, I will be back at sunset tomorrow. You must tell no one of what you're doing or where you're going. The Dark Lord admires your skill and abilities. You could prove quite useful to him. You have VERY nice contacts within the Order." Sirius furrows his eyebrows.

"Order? What even is that? I can't leave Kylie." Orion shook his head. "She is irrelevant. Should she prove a distraction... you are fully aware of the Dark Lord's willingness to do whatever it takes to benefit his needs." Sirius's eyes widened. "He wouldn't. I won't let him." Orion raised his eyebrows. "Sirius, you are no match for the Dark Lord." And with that heart crushing thought and a sweep of his cloak, Orion was gone. The only thing left was the lingering smell of grease. Sirius collapsed against a tree, heart beating a million times a minute. 

He sank to the floor, hand between his knees. For the first time since he was 11, a tear slipped from his eyes. He wiped it away angrily. He had some thinking to do.