Disclaimer: the Harry Potter characters, settings and other miscellaneous details do not belong to me nor do any lyrics used within this story unless otherwise stated. Harry Potter and its details do not belong to me but to J. K. Rowling whose characters I will be borrowing with no personal gain, etc. The Angelus family, etc-are my creation, please ask if you want to borrow them.Please do not sue for the use of the HP details.

Golden Angel

Prologue: Golden Child

Facing off in the middle of a red and gold study two men sit, one white haired with blue twinkling, kind eyes and the other dark haired with green cold, piercing eyes. The white haired man breaks the silence of the room, "Four godfathers and two godmothers? Don't you think that's a bit… unbalanced, Marius?"

The green eyed man, Marius Angelus, smirks and walks silently to the corner of the room, lifting an infant out of the crib and returning to his seat holding her. The baby coos within her father's arms and her blue-green eyes rest on the other man as she reaches out a tiny hand. Her father, taking her hand in his much larger one, looks towards the other man, "I would have four godmothers, Albus, but unfortunately only one of the men are married and I have no other female friends whom I would trust with my child besides Narcissa and Lily. If Remus, Sirius or Severus were to marry I would consider their wives but other then that there is no one."

Albus Dumbledore looks at the child, smiling gently as she blows bubbles at her father, "Why not only two godparents? Perhaps Lily and Lucius? Or possibly two sets and have the two married couples be godparents?"

"James Potter? Godfather? You must be joking, Albus, I would never allow that man to hold guardianship over my child!" Marius stands suddenly and the young child shrieks in delight as her father lifts her into the air above his head, "We never seen eye-to-eye. His family and mine… there was a lot of bad blood between us and whenever our families met… As I'm sure you know, it was not friendly."

"Surely it is time to let go of the past, Marius? You are now the only male member of your family left and your daughter is the only female. Surely you don't wish that she grow up disliking the Potters simply because of what's in the past?"

Looking over his shoulder at Albus, Marius lowers the child back into crib and settling her down once more, "You're right, Albus. It is time to put the past behind me, but he still will not be my daughter's godfather. I have chosen close friends of mine to be Aurelia's godfather, friends equally balanced from both sides of the fence. I have know the Blacks, Lupins, Malfoys and Snapes since I was eight years old; my mother was good friends with Severus' mother, my father good friends with Lupin's father and, besides that, the Black's and Malfoy's have been friends of my family's for years. Plus it's family tradition to have four sets of godparents. I may not have the other two women but when I find two suitable women…"

"Surely, Marius," Albus murmured, "You could be the first to change the tradition? Four sets seem slightly excessive!" Marius raises a questioning eyebrow and turns to watch Albus as he shifts slightly under the piercing gaze.

Growling slightly Marius pointedly replies, "I have made my choice."

"What about your wife's friends? Is it possible for the other godmothers to be found among them?" Albus questions with a sigh of defeat. He questions himself as to why he thought he could change Marius' mind on this matter. No one could.

A scornful laugh escapes Marius before he responds silkily, "No. Jewel's friends disapproved of our marriage and, to be completely honest, I didn't approve of them." Albus glances towards the fire as it crackles and pops, contemplating his response before he asks.

"Oh?"

Marius looks towards Albus, meeting his eyes with a smirk and a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "I took her away from them. Didn't like her going out with them…" He looks away as Albus nods, beginning to understand, "they didn't appreciate it. But it doesn't matter." Looking at Albus as if to challenge him Marius finishes, "My decision will do as it stands."

Albus sighs and looks towards Aurelia, "Still, you must admit, it is rather odd to have four godfathers! Two is unusual also, but four!" Marius looks up at Albus and then into the crib in which his daughter lies, gurgling quietly at the ceiling,

"It is unusual but she is strong, Albus. Never has a female in our family been this strong. She is not the same as I, yet carries many of my skills… she has also inherited her mother's talents. Tom Riddle has already come to see her; he wants her to join his 'cause' although I do not support it. When I am called I fear that she will still be young. If this happens between the four men and two women she will be sent to the right schools, meet the right people and, hopefully, be raised in the right ways for an Angelus. I want her to be everything she can be; I do not want her to be thrown to one side only. She must decide for herself when I am gone." Albus looks at Marius thoughtfully, considering his words and weighing the validity of Marius' claim. Finally, Albus asks,

"She did not inherit your unique condition? How is that so? Every Angelus child has been destined to become the next Dark Angel since before I can remember!" Marius smiles ruefully and returns to his seat across from Albus lifting his crystal tumbler into the light and observing the gold of his scotch in the firelight.

"She is the first to break the curse; according to prophecy this means that only I and the family before me will be Dark Angels now. The deal was that only so many generations would need be Dark Angels and then, after these generations, the next child would inherit amazing powers. The other part of the deal was that the child of the last Dark Angel could be made one of us, but that they would never be fully human." Albus looked up, waiting for Marius to continue, "She will have amazing powers and will be able to rival a Dark Angel in her skills."

"You believe she will not be seduced by Riddle and his ways?" Looking doubtfully at the child, Albus remembers all whom have succumbed to the Dark Lord's seductive powers and wonders how a child will be able to resist.

"I will always be there for her. Even when I take my place in Hell. Aurelia will not be fooled by Voldemort's empty promises and inflated opinion of himself." Marius smiles thinking of his late wife, "She is so much like Jewel already. She cried when he came near and tried to avoid him. My beautiful Golden child." Albus smiles sadly, regretting the loss of Jewel Angelus just as much as Marius did,

"She was a wonderful person, Marius, and will never be forgotten. She would be very proud of the way you have been looking after Aurelia. It's hard to believe she is already one month old." Marius echoes Albus' wistful smile and sits back in his chair, watching the fire crackle in the hearth silently. Silence blankets the room and, after a few minutes, Albus stands, "I must be off, Marius. Hogwarts does not run itself."

Standing, Marius reaches out to take Albus' hand, "Thank you for the visit, Albus. It was good to see you again." Smiling, Albus nods his head in agreement, before moving over to the crib in which Aurelia lies, gurgling contently. "I hope to see you in Hogwarts when the time comes, my dear. Look after your father and yourself." He murmurs and gently touches her fair hair before stepping towards the fireplace, turning before he leaves Albus looks towards Marius with one last question, "Marius, Aurelia's name means golden, does it not?"

Marius looks towards his daughter and nods, "Yes, it does. Jewel named her; she said one day I'd understand… Whatever it was, it was her last vision..." Albus looks back at the child in consternation,

"Very well. Good bye, Marius. I will see you at the naming ceremony." Throwing the floo powder onto the fire and with the word, "Hogwarts" ringing in the silence, Albus steps into the fire and disappears as Marius murmurs quietly,

"See you then, Albus."