A/N This has been edited. Again let me know if I've spelled any names wrong as I've only listened to the audio books.

A Loving Family

Chapter 1:

Through the Portal

Acheron Parthenopaeus sat in his living room, watching Simi eat her way through an enormous platter of raw meat. Charonte demons loved eating, and raw meat was one of their favorite foods. The horned demon was covered in blood up to the wrists, her face smeared with gore and her expensive leather vest stained heavily with it. Ash smiled indulgently and turned his swirling silver gaze away. He picked up his guitar and began to tune it without looking at the strings. Ash had perfect pitch, and had been playing guitar for decades now.

"Don't eat too fast, Simi," Ash warned in his deep, resonating voice. "You'll give yourself indigestion again. You know how much that hurts."

"Oh don't worry Akri," said Simi, flapping a bloody hand at him. "The Simi has eaten bigger things than this. The Simi will be careful."

"I know," said Ash wryly, "You're still a growing Simi, Xiamara."

Ash began to play his guitar slowly, letting his fingers wander over the strings in no particular pattern. When Simi was done and cleaned up, she came to sit beside him and cuddled into his side. Ash was grateful for her presence. He never felt lonely when she was around, except on the rare occasions like now, when he wished he had a significant other who didn't care how terrible his past was, or that he was the harbinger of destruction. He was also a god, a god slayer, and sometimes his mind just felt too full of titles he felt buried by them.

"My son," said a soft female voice in Ash's head.

He knew that voice very well, and he sighed wistfully as he put down his guitar. It was the voice of his godly mother, trapped in the underworld. That was the voice of the woman he could never see in the flesh, for if he ever did, she would destroy the entire world and all living things. She was the Atlantian goddess of destruction, Appolymi.

"Hello Matera," said Acheron, frowning a little sadly. "You haven't contacted me in a while. What's wrong?"

"I have something to tell you, my son," said his mother Appolymi as Simi touched his shoulder gently and transformed into a dragon-shaped tattoo.

"What is it Matera?" Acheron asked curiously, packing away his guitar in its case.

"I have been contacted by another world," said his mother gravely, "Another world not like ours. There is a little boy there who needs your help."

A misty portal formed in front of Ash and he stared at it, frowning darkly. How could someone just waltz into his private home and create a portal to another world? This person must have a lot of power. He would have to investigate this, but at the moment, his eyes were drawn to the images which flickered in the portal's depths. Simi shifted against his skin nervously as his swirling silver eyes took in all that he saw before him. Ash saw a tiny space, probably no bigger than a cupboard. A little boy, perhaps three years old, was lying on a worn out mattress having a nightmare.

"Matera," Acheron asked, anger lacing his voice. "What is this atrocity? How could someone be so cruel as to lock up a little boy in a cupboard?"

Scenes from Ash's own terrible past flashed behind his eyes and he involuntarily curled in on himself. He remembered the little golden balls pierced through his tongue, his human self being taken over and over again, the drugs he used to forget about it all… Tears of sympathy flooded down Ash's cheeks as he continued to watch. Now the little boy stood on a stool being forced to wash dishes. His tiny hands were scalded by the hot water, and for every spot he missed with the dish rag, he would receive a scolding and a cuff around the head. It was nothing compared to the last scene however.

Ash watched as a very old man sat down on the porch of the house, then noticed a tabby cat transform into an olde woman in tartan robes. Ash deduced she must be some sort of shape shifter. They had a very emotional conversation, though Ash couldn't hear it. He almost tuned out when a flying motorcycle soared down from the sky and landed on the ground. He watched as a giant man got off the motorcycle, holding a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. He wanted a flying motorcycle so badly now.

"Focus, Appostalos," said Appolymi's stern voice in his head.

"Apologies Matera," said Acheron sheepishly, collecting his thoughts.

The very old man tucked a letter into the baby's blanket and placed him on the doorstep of the home. Ash was enraged at the casual way the man just left the boy there. It looked very chilly from what Ash could tell of the images of swirling wind and a cloud over the moon. How could they just up and dump a baby on the doorstep before leaving? The giant left on the motorcycle and the woman turned into a cat before slinking away. The very old man clicked what looked like a lighter and a dozen balls of light whizzed back to their street lights.

"Matera why?" Acheron asked in a pained voice, looking away and squeezing his swirling silver eyes shut. "Why are you sending me there? How could they treat him so badly? Is it my mission to save him? I can't be the only one."

"The boy needs help Appostalos," Appolymi said as Acheron clenched his large hands into fists of rage. "It's the only way I could get you out of this world for a time. It's the only way I can keep you from entering the underworld and setting me free, for a little time at least. You will have to will yourself to appear to be aging though."

"What do you mean?" asked Acheron, gaping. "I haven't aged since I was a human."

"If you don't," said Appolymi saidly, "The humans might notice and take the boy away from you. Living in one place too long and still appearing young will be suspicious. You must free a man from prison, and find another man named Remus Lupin. I'd advise you to find Lupin first. He will be instrumental in freeing the prisoner whom I believe is called Sirius black. Don't disappoint me my son. Give that little boy the childhood he deserves."

"How am I supposed to free the boy from this torture? Was asked of Acheron's knees."

"It won't be easy," said his mother with a sigh. "You will have to use stealth and cunning my son. By the way, your powers will be limited in this world. There are other powers there which won't understand your ways."

"Of course they won't," said Acheron, facepalming. "It's a different world. What am I supposed to do for money and amenities?"

"You will see when you get to the other side," Appolymi said. "May fortune be with you my son. Make me proud."

The voice of his mother was gone now and Ash stood up. He stormed over to his room and began to pack a huge suitcase with everything he thought he and Simi might need in this other place. He then called a couple friends, informing them that he would be leaving town for a while. He didn't specify where he was going, nor for how long he would be gone. That would just complicate things. Once he had everything his godly powers could carry (well maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration) he stepped through the portal and vanished from sight.

()()

Remus Lupin was sitting alone at The Three Broomsticks, sipping the last of his money away. It was his birthday, but it sure didn't feel that way. James and Lily were dead, as well as Peter. Sirius was in Azkaban, and Remus was alone. What was he to do now?

"Happy damn birthday to me," he said sullenly.

He lifted his half full glass up to the ceiling, before downing it in one go. He then stood from his stool and walked out of the pub. He needed to get some fresh air. As he walked out and disapperated into muggle London and walked toward his house, he felt a mega shift in power. He shivered and kept going. He didn't care enough to go and investigate.

"It's probably just some revelers throwing another party," he said, kicking at a stone in the road. "I never did like Halloween."

Remus stopped and looked around in befuddlement. It wasn't Halloween. Halloween had been a few months ago. What was he thinking? He shook his head and began walking up the steps to his apartment. He opened and closed the door, going to get himself a glass of water to clear his head. He would sleep and the next morning he would go out again to look for a job.