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.
Chapter One: Aveda Kedavra
Eight weeks later Marius finds himself in the red and gold study once more, staring into the fire. His three month old daughter is in her crib in the corner and he is grateful that he was not holding her when he received the news. James and Lilly Potter are dead and now Sirius Black has been put in Azkaban without trial.
Six weeks ago had been his daughter's naming ceremony. Three nights later James and Lilly had been killed by Voldemort, leaving behind their son- Harry. Marius himself had offered to raise Harry, especially when, two weeks later, Sirius Black had been placed in jail for the murder of Peter Pettigrew. Tonight he had discovered that Sirius would have no trial. Ever.
The events of the ceremony replay in his mind. So many people had come to watch his daughter's naming ceremony, Peter included. Lily and James had brought Harry, Narcissa and Lucius had brought Draco, Frank and Alice Longbottom had brought Neville, the Zabinis brought Blaise, the whole Black family had been there… Every prominent family in the wizarding world had been there. It had been perfect.
"How could things have one so wrong?" Marius murmurs out-loud, rewarded by a sleepy murmur from Aurelia as she bites on her teddy bear's ear. The teddy that Lilly had brought her. Fuck.
' "It was a beautiful ceremony, Marius." Lily murmurs as she gently places Aurelia back into Marius' arms, "Jewel would have thought it was wonderful."
"I'm glad you think so. I just wish Jewel could have been here, she would have been so proud…" Lily's hand gently squeezes Marius' arm in comfort as James walks over with the one year old, Harry. "James." Marius acknowledges with a regal inclination of his head before looking at Harry, "Hello, Harry."
Lily laughs as Harry looks away shyly and Marius looks to his daughter as she reaches a hand up towards his face. Suddenly, as if by magick, Sirius and Remus appear by his side and Marius watches as Aurelia manages to catch Sirius' finger on the first try. Laughing, Sirius gently pulls his finger free and smiles, "With reflexes like that she could end up being a Seeker!"
"What about Harry?" James asks dryly as Sirius had made the same comment of Harry not long ago, Sirius looks stumped for a moment before responding,
"Harry will be a Chaser, Prongs! Just like his father!" Rolling his eyes at Sirius' predictions, Marius walks towards the high chair that had been set up for Aurelia.
"Arms getting tired, Marius?" Sirius teases.
"Not at all, Padfoot, just thought I'd let her sit for awhile. She's been carried all day so far, I want to put her down for a nap soon- before she gets grouchy!" Marius looks at Sirius with an answering smile as Remus looks towards Aurelia.
"She looks a lot like Jewel, doesn't she?" Remus asks and everyone easily agrees, "Except her skin. Where Jewel's was pure white Aurelia's seems to have a slight tinge of gold through it." Marius smiles and gently touches his daughter's face as she yawns.
"Marius, how are you?" Lucius asks as he comes towards Marius with his wife, Narcissa and twenty-month old son, Draco.
"I'm well, Lucius. Hello, Draco." Marius says with a smile and then takes Narcissa's hand, gently kissing it, "Narcissa."
Smiling, Narcissa responds, "Hello, Marius," before nodding to the others present as Severus joins them with a nod.
"So, Severus, you began teaching this year, enjoying it?" Marius asks with a smirk as Severus scowls at James.
"Immensely." Severus drawls sarcastically and Lily hides her smile behind her drink as James and Sirius seem about ready to pounce.
"Snivellus, teaching?" James asks, incredulously, "What are you teaching them? How not to wash your hair?"
"How to be a loathsome little git?" Sirius adds.
"Or…" Cutting them off mid-taunt, Marius says,
"Not today. Call a truce, for Aurelia." Looking as if their noses had been pushed out of joint Sirius and James fall silent as Severus scowls at them. "So…" Marius begins in an attempt to reduce the tension, "I understand a lot of the kids will be in the same year at school. Harry, Draco, Neville, Blaise…"
Lucius looks up, "Yes, it should be interesting." Marius sighs and shakes his head with a smile.
"I'm going to put Aurelia to bed." Picking up Aurelia he heads to the house after everyone has said goodnight.'
Shaking his head, Marius stands and places his empty wine glass on the table next to his chair. "Won't do any good dwelling on it." He murmurs to himself, making his daughter appear in her room with a thought and placing a spell so he can hear her if she cries.
Now with Voldemort temporarily gone there will be some peace, if the Ministry doesn't screw it up. Laughing, Marius wonders how much chance there is of that, quickly coming up with the answer- very little. Looking at a photo of his daughter's naming ceremony, his daughter's godparents standing with him as he holds Aurelia. Now Sirius is in Azkaban, Lily is dead, Remus has 'disappeared' and Lucius and Narcissa are being investigated. Only Severus seems to be fine.
Thinking back on the jewels that he gave each godparent before they left, Marius wonders what happened to them.
' "There's one more thing before you go." Marius says to his daughter's godparents. They are the only ones still there and for this he is grateful. "I have some things to give you for Aurelia. After I'm gone it's up to you who she goes to stay with… and up to you to decide when she is ready to handle the Angelus jewels…"
"The Angelus jewels?" Remus repeats, "You're trusting us to look after the Angelus jewels?"
"Some of them. There are others that will be kept in the vaults, some she will get early on and a set will be given to Dumbledore. The house, should you wish to stay here, will be hers once I am gone as will be everything that belongs to the Angelus family."
"Marius," Lily says, "Why not just leave all the jewels here? Or in the vault?"
"Why give them to us?" Sirius asks and Lucius looks on, a gleam in his eye at the thought of holding onto some of the Angelus jewels.
"I trust you. All of you." Marius smiles, "And it's tradition."
Severus snorts, "And a way to ensure that we stay in contact with her? Good thinking, Marius."
Smiling, Marius nod and then turns towards the table, six mahogany jewellery boxes sit on the onyx surface and Marius reaches for the first box. Opening the box to reveal a platinum chain with a two and a half carat diamond tear drop on dark blue velvet, Marius shows the others and then hands the box to Lucius.
"It's beautiful, Marius." Narcissa murmurs, "How will we know when she's ready?"
Lifting another, smaller box Marius reveals a pair of dangly earrings with three circular diamonds and diamond briolette droplets on black velvet to everyone before handing the box to Narcissa. "She should be ready before I go, so I'll send word. Then it will be up to you when you give it to her."
Laughing, Sirius cheekily asks, "Can we wear them?"
Marius looks up at Sirius as he opens a box, revealing a bracelet of twisted platinum set with blue-green tourmaline, emerald and sapphire on burgundy velvet, which he hands to Remus, "If you really want to wear them, Padfoot, I guess it depends how sensitive you are to pain." Opening another box he reveals a choker, five strands of black diamond join in the centre with a cluster of emerald, sapphire and ruby, resting on white velvet. As all around him gasp, Marius hands the box to Severus and smiles, "She's going to want that one first."
"How on earth can you just give this sort of jewellery to us?" Remus asks incredulously as Marius hands a platinum anklet with ruby, topaz, citrine, emerald, sapphire, iolite and amethyst droplets on green velvet to a shocked Lily.
"He trusts us." Lucius answers, standing up straighter.
Marius laughs as he reaches for the last box, "That and if you touch it with the intention of using its powers or keeping it, it will burn you." Sirius is watching the box avidly but still manages to make a quip,
"I wonder why Lucius and Snivellus aren't screaming yet?"
"Sirius, be nice. And stop jumping around so much!" Marius responds as he opens the last, smallest box. In the deep purple velvet nestles a beautiful platinum and emerald ring, diamonds channel set into the band glitter and Sirius stills.
"Look after it, Sirius, it was once Jewel's." Sirius nods and accepts the box reverently before looking at Severus and Lucius, smirking. Marius shakes his head before leading them to the door.'
"Gods, let me have done the right thing in choosing them." Marius murmurs before walking out of the study, switching off the lights with a thought.