"So they are letting you see your son before he goes to Zadius?" Sirius asked as he picked up a few letters that where scattered acrossed the floor.
Adelaide nodded and cleaned up some glass shards from her smashed mirror, her wounded hand was wrapped up with a bandage and a soft lilac nightgown adorned her features, her hair still unkempt and messy, she sighed and rubbed her aching head, a result of last nights wine, she must have gone a little to overboard last night, she barely remembered anything, the destruction of her living-room shocked her when she came in this morning, she couldn't even remember when Sirius and Remus had gotten here or how she wounded her hand.
"I would go with you" Sirius mumbled walking over to help her "but going into the ministry is too dangerous right now, even by my standards" He smiled a little to her, taking some glass from her hands.
"I know, thank you Sirius" Adelaide croaked "I'm sure i'll be okay"
After last nights events both Remus and Sirius stayed over night, after much convincing that is, whilst Remus wanted to go back Sirius was adamant too stay, in the end they both ended up staying and helping out to clean, not much was done though, due to Adelaide refusing to eat or sleep, in the end they gave up and settled for making sure Adelaide had some food and got some rest.
Remus stayed up most of the night to keep watch in case any dementors visited and Sirius stayed with Adelaide, cuddling to her until she eventually gave up trying to fight the sleep and blacked out, he fell asleep not too soon after her holding her close, the next morning Remus left early to go home and rest, he made sure to leave a note that he would be back a little bit later.
"So, what will happen after you pay the fee?" Sirius asked walking into the kitchen and throwing away the glass shards.
Adelaide followed him "I'll have no money apart from the few sickles i managed to hide in my room, my home will most likely be taken since i have to pay rent soon" she explained "I'll probably sell some of my belongings and move out, see if i can get a cheaper room at an inn, it will be easier than worrying about a separate payment"
Sirius nodded and leaned against the side, watching her slowly clean up the ransacked cupboards, she looked completely broken, her happy and jolly demeanor had completely been wiped from her, he felt bad for not having the power to do much, if he could he would help her but he couldn't, he couldn't think of anything that would help...
"So, you're going to France?" Adelaide asked looking up to him as she cleaned up the kitchen side, she remembered that from last night, before falling to sleep she heard Sirius and Remus mutter about when they where going to tell her, it must have been just before Remus left.
Sirius nodded "It's out of the Ministry's reach" He replied "I'll be safer there than here, no dementors will get me out there" a twinge of fear entered his features as his mind reverted back to his time in Azkaban.
"Good, will you be updated on Harry's progress in school?" Adelaide asked quickly distracting him from that haunting memory.
"Hopefully" Sirius replied with a small smile.
Adelaide smiled a little in return then headed into the living-room, she began to pick up the remaining objects that where scattered on the floor, her eyes where darker and lifeless, they where completely different from the lit up face Sirius used to see, it was upsetting to see how someone so full of life could be instantly broken within seconds.
Sirius crossed his arms and stared at the kitchen floor, he didn't want to go to France, he would be leaving any news about Harry and now he would be leaving his friend who would be thrown into a tirade of trouble, he rubbed his face and walked into the living-room, his eyes following Adelaide as she fluttered about the living-room a permanent frown etched onto her face.
"Come with me" Sirius suddenly blurted.
Adelaide froze for a second and looked to him, her eyes slightly widened "To...France?"
"Well, yes, why dont you come with me?" He asked.
"I-I dont know..I need to say goodbye to my son, i dont think leaving England is really a good idea right now" Adelaide replied.
"I'm sure i can convince Remus to hold off the trip until you say goodbye" Sirius replied "We don't have to go straight way."
Adelaide took a seat on her sofa and looked around her cottage in thought, if she left with him she wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to live or a better paying job for a while...But what if there was still a chance for her to get Thomas back? Could she really leave knowing she could have done more? Or at least tried to win again?
"Pay off your fee and sell this place, we might not have a better life out there but i can assure you that we will at least have a roof over our heads" Sirius said walking over to her his voice soft.
Adelaide looked to him, it was so tempting, so inviting to leave all of this behind and just run away...The adventure she craved for, for so long, something inside her told her to go, her mind however begged her to stay and try again, scramble together what she could and fight for her son.
"What if i can get Thomas back?" she asked "I can't leave knowing i could have done more."
Sirius took a seat beside her and took her hand in his "they've closed the case Delia, there is nothing more you can do, not unless Zadius changes his mind"
Tears welled up in Adelaide's eyes, he was right, there was nothing more she could possibly do, she would really have to say goodbye to her son...
"I cant" Adelaide croaked "I..Just can't"
Sirius rubbed her arm softly, maybe suggesting that was a little to hasty, he didn't know what came over him, he just blurted it without thinking, maybe deep down he had wanted to suggest that, he didn't know.
Adelaide leaned against him and felt his arm wrap around her, she closed her eyes and calmed herself, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, she could quit her job, sell some of her things and her home then just leave, leave all of this behind, it was there, the opportunity was there staring at her right in the face, she had craved to get away for long enough, maybe now was finally time...
"Alright" Adelaide spoke up moving away from Sirius a little "I'll go with you"
Sirius looked to her softly "Are you sure?" He asked.
Adelaide looked around her home one last time, she would be leaving this behind, the home she worked so hard to build and the people she had gotten to know, she took a deep breath and nodded, if she stayed here any longer she was going to loose her mind and she had already lost so much.
"In that case, I'll talk to Remus" Sirius smiled "I do warn you, we may not have the most comfortable life out there"
"Anything is better than being here" Adelaide replied rubbing her aching head.
Night rolled in as Sirius and Remus left, leaving Adelaide with her now clean cottage and empty thoughts, she sat on her sofa staring blankly at the wall her face placid and empty of all emotion, she didn't know how to feel anymore, she should be excited that she was leaving to go to France with Sirius but she wasn't, she didn't want to be either.
After this she didn't feel like she deserved anything, she felt useless and horrible for letting Zadius get the better of her but he always did though, always managed to win over her and she just bowed down to him, she wasn't like she used to be...Not after...
Adelaide shuddered violently a hand instantly coming up to grip her arm, she shook her head and looked down to her lap, she was tired and when sleep began to settle in, her past came to haunt her, she hated remembering it, but it haunted her relentlessly.
Sirius didn't know anything about what had happened and she would rather keep it that way, only Remus was told because he was one of her most trusted and close friends, her brother, she would lay her life down for him, she appreciated everything about him, everything he did for her in the times she needed the most help, she would always make sure to return the favor.
Before France, before meeting Zadius and during her time of running away, she used to sneak off to the muggle streets, after making sure Sirius was okay she would never go home straight away, instead she would spend her time wandering the streets, meeting muggles and seeing things she never got to see, this led to her meeting her first ever boyfriend.
Stephen, muggle boy who was just a year older than her, seventeen, he was a charming lad with a punk look who often wandered the streets at night , he was perfectly harmless and when Adelaide met him she was entranced, whenever she snuck out she would see him after her friend, sure their relationship didn't last longer than a week but he was charming and a good friend.
One night when Adelaide finally returned home, she barely stepped through the door before her father began yelling at her, red faced and drenched in the scent of alcohol, he had found out about her muggle friend, how? Adelaide never found out, she never bothered to find out, she never went back to that home.
Yelling was not the worst of what happened, her father deemed her a blood traitor and made sure everyone new it, with his wand he carved the words 'TRAITOR' into her back, leaving a permanent scar today, her mother divorced him that night and ran away with Adelaide to stay at her mothers for the night.
Memories of that night always seem to return, she had never been able to come to terms with what happened, she always felt worthless because of the vulgar comments sputtered and the mark that still remain on her back, when she married Zadius she never showed him, it was a secret she managed to keep until he caught sight of the mark one night.
The night he began to lose interest.
Adelaide promised herself to not open up to anyone that easily again and so far she had stayed by that promise, the only other person who has seen her scar is Remus, she hated the feeling that Thomas would be raised by Zadius, it worried her more thinking that something could happen to him similar to her, it scared her so much thinking her son could be in trouble.
France would be a nice escape but she knew sooner or later she would need to come back to England and face everything again, unless... Unless she stayed out in France, she knew that place very well and maybe living out there could be a fresh start, then again England was her fresh start, she left France to start a new life with her son and even now she managed to mess that up.
Adelaide got up from her seat and ran a hand through her hair, she made her way to her bedroom her other hand fiddling with the nightgown she wore the last night, she walked into her room and took a seat on her bed.
Right now she had more pressing matters to think on.
Overthinking now would only lead to another meltdown.