Story Scraps, Notes and Ideas

Prologue

"I am glad to see that you are alive and well." Hades stated as he gazed down on the assembled teens, Adeline beside him. They were rather beaten and many had injuries when they first came, Perseus had shown up with a long cut along his cheek that had been bleeding heavily. They were healed for the most part after a rather long trip to the infirmary.

"I have a mission for you all."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regulus was looking over the front entryway of the Black Manor as the duo that would become his headache for the next few years arrived.

"Hello Gran. Regulus." Young Adeline greeted, barely acknowledging the man watching from the landing above. She was only four years of age, yet she seemed much older than that and she behaved much like a six or seven year old.

"Hello," her brother, Perseus if he remembered correctly, said quietly as he eyed Regulus and Walburga warily. He seemed tense and on edge.

Regulus frowned slightly, being wary of those around you is not normal behavior for a child. Walburga seemed to notice it to as her ever cold eyes seemed to become colder.

"Adeline, Perseus." She acknowledged. She looked to the woman behind them, "Sally. Why are you here? Shouldn't you still be celebrating Perseus' birthday?"

"That would normally be the case. Unfortunately that is not the case today. I have to leave these to with you for now while I visit the child services in America." Sally said tensely. Regulus' frown deepened she was as on edge as her son.

"Aren't you missing a few?" Regulus questioned as he noted that she said two instead of five.

"There was a Death Eater raid near our hotel. The 'great and powerful' Dumbledore was the one who collapsed the hotel. Andy, Estelle, and Dawn didn't make it out." Adeline informed them, her cold mask never faltering, her even tone giving nothing away as to how she was feeling about the event.

Regulus thought hard, what raid happened that could have done this? Then it came to him, and he felt so incredibly guilty. He had been in that raid, it was against one of the Order of the Phoenix bases. Turned out to be a trap for the 'Dark'. Dumbledore had been there too, although Regulus wasn't sure why exactly as there had been no one of importance on the raid. Either way, Dumbledore being there is what made such a dent in the 'Dark's' numbers. If he hadn't been there the Order would have been easily overpowered.

"I suppose I must agree then." Walburga conceded. "Regulus, prepare two rooms for our guests. Come, have some breakfast before you go."

"Yes Mother." Regulus replied before going off to complete his task.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't understand. Why don't you want to stay at Sirius' for a few days?" Regulus asked Adeline a few days after her mother left for America.

"As much as I love Sirius and the mayhem he causes, he can't cook for the life of him. Whenever we stay with him either I cook or he explodes the kitchen after burning water." Adeline said plainly.

"I suppose he's gotten worse since we were kids then," Regulus muttered. "But how does one burn water?"

"I have no idea but he somehow managed to burn it. He'd also spend more time making out with that puppy of his than taking care of us."

Regulus' pureblood mask fell as he was overcome with laughter at her description of Remus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------