Disclaimer: This is a story that I thought would be quite interesting to write but I would like to say that I'm not going to claim anything you can recognise from JK Rowlings marvellous works because I'm not that talented. So as before I don't own it.

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Shadows and Dust

This is the story of Lady Imacia Black, may she rest in peace.

Born a Lady

It wasn't exactly a desired notion of hers; she detested the very idea that she was under scrutiny of her parents for everything she had ever done. The Blacks were a highly respected family, Imacia was the daughter of Coldwin and Kalmara Black, born nobility due to her Mother's Father passing the title to her thus making her father a Lord. Imacia had tidy straight black hair that ran all the way down her back and eyes to match, they glittered like the moon and her father often likened her temper to that of an exploding star. Her mother told him that she would never get a husband and that their only child would die a spinster, how wrong she was.

"Get dressed Imp! You're father wants a word with you!" Her Mother called up the creaking stair case of the home Kalmara had inherited from her father when he had died many years before Imacia was born. Her mother always called Imacia Imp, basically because she was always very short and slender, not that that had ever born any references to the real looks of an imp. Coldwin thought it was a stupid thing to call her but then he never liked to argue with Kalmara, they were always very happy together.

"What have I done now?" She called expecting that she had yet again forgot to feed the cat or he was just annoyed that she had still not got a real job after Hogwarts and that she was nineteen and unmarried. This bothered her father immensely; she couldn't care less if she died without a man, and in her opinion they just got in the way.

"You haven't done anything my dear!" Kalmara cooed up the stairs, Imacia started to mouth and that's the problem, when the sentence changed completely. "Icabod is here. He and your father are discussing something, It's about a job my dear, a Muggle job however, you can't let him know that we are shall I say gifted."

"But I have no idea how I am going to do some Muggle work, I don't do Muggle work. It's too difficult." Imacia complained.

"Get your backside down here before I come and drag you down by your hair in your underwear!" Imacia knew this not to be an empty hearted threat either; her mother often did things that made her wish she were dead. Kalmara wanted her daughter to be normal but it just wasn't working, Imacia refused to conform. Most other young witches would be in love at this age but not Imacia, she wanted to go hiking about the globe and chase Dragons. Reluctantly Imacia robed herself so when she faced Icabod he would immediately be put off hiring her. She wandered down stairs and her mother who was dressed in sky blue looked at her depressive daughter and sighed, Imacia was accustomed to her mothers thought patterns and right now she must have been thinking she would never be married.

She walked into the room where her father was talking to a young gentleman dressed also in black, but a tidy suit with his light brown hanging loftily from his head. He had eyes golden as the sun and before her father had chance to even introduce them Icabod was already introducing himself and Imacia was blushing.

"Mr. Icabod Thrust and your service my Lady." He said in a sophisticated voice and Imacia giggled.

"Imacia Black." She said as he kissed her hand. He was very charming and his golden eyes immediately enchanted Imacia. He looked into hers with a look that she couldn't help loving, she'd not felt like this about any wizard she had met. Icabod seemed to fill the criteria the wizards she knew seemed to lack.

"I know we have only just met but will you marry me?" He dared.

"Excuse me but isn't this a little sudden Mr. Thrust?" Coldwin said not bothering to ask his concern. "Imacia, don't even entertain the thought!" But she was, the nagging question was always there with her mother, Kalmara however had left the room. Imacia looking into the eyes of this honest man and felt weak, she smiled and Coldwin scowled at her. He could see what she was thinking. "Imacia!"

"I apologise, Mr. Black, really.... I've no idea what came over me.... Imacia I'm so sorry. It was wrong of me to ask such a thing of you." Icabod backtracked going a little red.

"Lord Black Mr. Thrust, I'm a Lord and my daughter is a lady. I'd no idea that you were so quick to make life long decisions, marriage is forever, and you don't know Imacia and se does know you..." Imacia looked at her father vengefully.

"Quick decisions are what got me my money Lord Black."

"Love is not the same!" Coldwin added coldly.

"I'll do it!" Imacia said grabbing Icabod's warm hands.

"What?" Coldwin and Icabod both said in unison.

"I'll marry you." She said facing Icabod and kissing him. Icabod was shocked at what was happening his eyes were wide open as she kissed him before he grew used to what she was doing. Kalmara walked in and fainted into her husband's arms.

"Imacia," Coldwin pleaded. "Think about this please."

"I have. You wanted me wed and now I have fallen in love. I know it's short notice but it takes some people minutes or even seconds to form. If he upsets me then you are quite free to castrate him but Dad.... Please allow me this freedom." Icabod didn't really know what was happening anymore.

"Alright!" Coldwin said looking down at his wife.

"What happened?" Kalmara murmured waking up.

"Imacia is getting married my dear." He said sadly. Kalmara jumped out of his arms and threw her arms around Icabod's shoulders kissing him on the cheek.

"You brilliant boy!" She said tears in her eyes. "How soon?" She asked.

"As soon as possible with your permission Lady Black." Icabod said moving her arms from his shoulders. "Imacia, my darling.... I'm so happy!"

"Mum.... Please... Stop crying... Please?" Imacia said as Kalmara began to sob to her husband's shoulder. Coldwin seemed a bit annoyed but was sure Imacia was able to make her own mistakes and when she was done being a fool he would be there to help tidy the mess. "I'm not quite sure how this works.... uhhhh.. where are we going to live?" she said scratching her head.

"I have a house just outside London.... there I guess would be okay." He said putting his arms around her.

"Set a date then you can both see each other at the wedding." Coldwin said determined to keep his daughter away from him in time enough that she might pick up on hat was happening or fall for another, a wizards perhaps.

"I don't know anything about weddings." Imacia said hopelessly.

"Me neither.... I'm a bit useless when it comes to that sort of thing. I had to try to get flowers for my mother's funeral and I failed at that." Icabod said and Kalmara and Imacia's hearts melted, he didn't have a mother.

"I'll fix everything for August!" Kalmara butted in, she wanted to see them married in the summer and it was nearly over.

"Kalmara!" Coldwin said through gritted teeth.

"Hush!" Kalmara silenced her husband. "You must stay here until then!" Kalmara grabbed Icabod's arm and showed him out of the room to the guestrooms in the house leaving Imacia with her father.

"This is something that needs though Imacia... You can't just marry someone because you feel a physical attraction." Coldwin said Imacia often however won her father over easily.

"I know, don't worry. I'm in love with him after several seconds and I don't understand it myself but could you at least try. I'll be married and happy okay. I must check that mother isn't scaring him too much." Imacia ran out of the room feeling happy and for once thought that her mother was right about love.... It was short to come to her but something she thought would last forever, but not everything goes to plan.

The weeks passed before they were due to get married and Imacia's friends especially one of them was not happy about her decision but then Rycrypt Snape was not the person to talk to about love. As far as Imacia was concerned he never understood it anyway. He was her best friend and had met Icabod on several occasions and not liked him simply because he looked like his eyes were too far apart. Rycrypt had brown hair and black eyes that were hollow but they never really bothered Imacia but everyone else was terrified of him. That was partly the reason they were best friends, he terrified people with his eyes and she scared them away with her intellect. Rycrypt was the only one who had the brains to match hers and Coldwin had always liked Rycrypt for some reason. Her relationship with him however bothered Icabod. She didn't really have any female friends and it bothered him.

Finally the day came and Imacia Black, became Lady Imacia Thrust this was her first husband so no matter what happened he would remain a Lord and their children would be noble but if she were to marry twice she would be the only nobility in the family. She began to think of these things more and more. Imacia was still desperately in love with Icabod and he too felt the same way. Eventually Icabod and Rycrypt got used to each other becoming firm friends and Imacia was happy that Rycrypt kept the fact that Imacia was a witch to himself. It would have really unsettled Icabod to know their first child that was due in a couple of months was going to be capable of magic he would have flipped. It had been about five months after their wedding that Imacia discovered she was expecting a child. Rycrypt thought it would be funny to see what the child was going to do to show that he was capable of going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they had done. The father would have no idea what was going to happen. Which was where the chid came into play. Born on the twentieth of April the young Titus Thrust was an unusual child. Rycrypt thought he was a lot like his father but also had an air about him that made your think he was going to be a complete jackass. Rycrypt was very good at Divination and often gave the impression that he could read Imacia's mind. She hated it when he did that. It was something that she wasn't able to control. But he was also very good at Dark Arts and at first when Rycrypt and Icabod met she thought he was going to use to Cruciatus curse to make him suffer what he had asked.

Icabod however changed a lot after Titus was born. He spent more time away from home and Imacia began to feel lonely. Titus opened a new window to something sinister on the morning of his first birthday. Sparks shot out of the tips of his fingers when Imacia wasn't around. Icabod was so shocked he had a heart attack on the kitchen floor. By the time she had got back to her husband he was dead.

When she returned to her home with her parents with her son and no husband Coldwin gave the impression that he was not surprised Kalmara was very distressed however. It meant that Imacia was single again and this posed a problem for her, Kalmara wanted to see her daughter married and stay married.

She repeatedly pestered Rycrypt who refused to do any such thing because she was newly widowed and they were friends. Imacia was left alone with her one-year-old son and a dead husband according to Muggle police he died in suspicious circumstances and that seemed the way it would be for the rest of her life.

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"Hey Detric!" Rycrypt called out. Detric Bell was a friend of his and was also one of Imacia' favourite people. he was always very nice unfortunately it didn't often get him far.

"How's it going Detric?" She said sitting in the Three Broomsticks with Rycrypt who was now calling for more drinks.

"Imacia, Rycrypt!" Detric hummed. "You two married yet or do I have to bring the vicar here?" He joked.

"We will never marry Detric, we are friends right Rycrypt." She said nudging him. Rycrypt agreed but deep down he felt differently. He'd had girl friends but non-he felt he would ever spend the rest of his life with. He was an Auror so anything he did was difficult, most of the time it was easier to turn a blind eye that is why Imacia never thought he understood love. He would however have died for her if she were in trouble.

"So what have you been doing lately?" He asked them both.

"Married and widowed. I have a son but he just is with my parents at the minute." Imacia said, Rycrypt kept his mouth shut.

"Well, that's very unlucky..... I'm so sorry Imacia. What about you Rye?"

"Married and divorced then married again then divorced, I have two children by my first wife and no money because of my second." He said smirking. "Nahh... You know me. I'm still single and have nothing but my money to show for my existence. And you?"

"Oh... just working for the ministry. That's about it. We should meet up more often." He said looking at Imacia and she knew exactly what he meant.

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Author's Note: Well this chapter is a little strange sorry for the lack of dialog and stuff. I will up date everything eventually and make it better.... I would however like you all to say if I should continue with this or not because I'm not going to bother if you think it sucks. Anyway, I hope you like it.

I.C. Fire

Oh yes, and I should like to beg your forgiveness for the names I have made up... Icabod is well... I don't know and Rycrypt... It seemed interesting at the time. Imacia was a name I liked the sound of and Kalmara was another Coldwin I thought would be quite funny. And as for Detric.. that is just a name I think sounds cool so just give me a slap if you don't like them... hehehheh never mind hey.. lol..

As my friend Nimph (check out her writing... it's very good) says..

Ciao...

I think she says it like that anyway.

silver_shadow54@hotmail.com