Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light!
14. Procrastinate now!
"Find someone who knows that you're not perfect but treats you as if you are." - Anonymous
The young couple was almost to their destination when they heard a voice calling, "So this is Leo? Are you going to introduce us?"
They turned around to see Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf standing there, Silena with a happy smile and a look like she was about to squeal with joy. Electra chuckled lightly. "Of course. Silena, Beckendorf this is my boyfriend Leo Valdez." Leo's arm tightened around her shoulders when he recognized his brother's name. "Leo this is Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf."
"Nice to meet you," Silena said smiling broadly.
"Same here," Leo said. "So you're Beckendorf? I've heard a lot about you."
"Good to see you little brother," Beckendorf said going to shale Leo's hand.
Silena pulled Electra off to the side. "Let's give those two a chance to talk," she said before smiling in a way that Electra just knew meant she was about to get interrogated about her love life. The same thing has happened when she'd come to the Underworld after she and Leo had started dating. "So..."
"So what?" Electra asked warily.
"Has he proposed to you yet?" Silena asked grinning.
Electra blushed. "No he hasn't."
"What about-?" Silena asked suggestively. Electra turned tomato red at the implications. She managed to shake her head. "OK. It was just a question since you had just returned after being gone for almost a year. I know you probably wouldn't have."
"Them why ask?" Electra wondered before getting an idea. "Please tell me it wasn't because there's a betting pool on my love life."
"OK I won't," Silena replied. Electra buried her face in her hands.
Beckendorf chuckled from where he was talking to Leo and giving him a little bit of advice one son of Hephestus to another. "I think we should rescue your girlfriend before Silena drags every detail of your love life out of her."
"Yeah and I don't want Hades angry at me," Leo said grimacing.
"No you don't since he is your girlfriend's father," Beckendorf said clapping a hand on Leo's shoulder. They walked over to the girls. "Well we should let you get on your way."
"See you around," Silena said waving.
Electra and Leo headed down the street. "What happened to that house?" Leo asked pointing to the Prewett's house.
"I'm not entirely sure," Electra admitted. "Pranksters live there so that probably has something to do with it." She walked up a path and rang a doorbell. "I think we need to go around the back."
"Are you really keeping whoever you're taking me to see a secret still?" Leo asked.
"Yep," Electra said giving him a peck on the cheek and a smile. He squeezed her hand.
They went through to the backyard, Leo noticing an alarm wire but because Electra didn't care he didn't worry about. However as soon as he saw the machine shop in the backyard and the woman walking towards them, he froze. It had been about ten years but his mom hadn't changed at all. Her dark hair was still held back by a grease stained bandana, her hands had machine oil on them and she looked at him in the same way. Wel not quite there was something new in her eyes.
Electra pushed Leo gently towards his mother and left to give them some privacy. She walked over to her mum and uncle's house. "Hey," she said as she walked inside.
"Hey I didn't expect you back so soon," Cassie said going and hugging her daughter.
"Yeah well Leo was having troubles with his projects so I decided to bring him down to see his mum," Electra said smiling.
"That was nice," Cassie said.
"Hang on her boyfriend is here?" Sirius asked Regulus quietly.
"Apparently," Regulus said just as silently. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Time to have a little heart to heart with this Leo," Sirius said smirking.
"So Electra when are you going to tell your friends about all this?" Regulus asked.
"I don't know," Electra sighed. "I'm not even sure how to."
"You'll figure it out," Sirius said. "And we'll help but first…" He grinned. "Lady Black…"
"It's time for Head of House lessons," Regulus finished smirking as his niece groaned dropping her head in her hands.
Two hours later Electra's head was swimming with information and there was a knock on the door. She got up to answer it before the others could. Opening the door she had just enough time to see Esperanza wave goodbye before Leo swept her into a tight hug. He pulled back to kiss Electra soundly. After a few moments he pulled away and buried his face in her hair.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"It was nothing," Electra responded.
Sirius cleared his throat after seeing his niece hugging her boyfriend for a couple minutes without acknowledging anyone. "Are you planning on introducing us?" he asked not ready for his niece to be growing up in this way so soon.
Electra and Leo separated though he still had an arm around her shoulders and she had an arm around his waist and a hand resting on his chest. "Sorry. Leo this is my mum, Cassie Black, and my uncles Sirius and Regulus Black. Mum, Uncle Sirius, Uncle Regulus this is my boyfriend Leo Valdez."
"So-" Sirius started before Regulus elbowed him.
"Could we have a word Leo?" Regulus asked politely. "Don't be such a Gryffindor," he hissed to his brother as he turned around. "Do you really think electra wants us to interrogate her boyfriend about his intentions in front of her?" He smiled beckoning Leo to follow. "Besides what is that muggle phrase? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar? If we're polite at first then we will be able to drive our point home that much stronger."
"You know right now I don't mind your Slytherinness," Sirius replied as they walked into the room just off the living room. Regulus smirked.
Electra grimaced when her uncles said they wanted to speak with Leo. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'd hoped they wouldn't be like this."
"I'll be fine," Leo sadi smiling. "They can't be any more protective than your father. Besides I've faced Old Dirt-Face remember?"
"Don't remind me," Electra said. "Go on. No sense in keeping them waiting." Leo smiled and kissed her temple. He followed the elder Blacks out of the room and Electra sat back on thte coach.
"He'll be fine," Cassie said reassuringly.
"Uh huh," Electra said distracted by some of her notes on duties as Lady Black. One she was happy to know but the other… She swore and started to pace.
"Language," Cassie scolded. "I swear I wish I could have Sisyphus's head. What's wrong?"
"Something I need to ask Uncle Reg or Uncle Siri about."
"Ok." Cassie was a little confused as to what had made her daughter so upset. She knew it had to do with what they'd been talking about before Leo showed up but didn't know why.
Ten minutes passed before Leo and Electra's uncles came out though it felt longer to Electra. "He'll do," Sirius said.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
"As Head of the House of Black I can access the vault of any member?" Electra asked.
"Yes," Regulus said. "We just went over that."
"That lying cheating little goblin," Electra grumbled. "He said I couldn't."
"Wait did you break into a Gringotts vault?" Sirius asked.
"What's Gringotts?" Leo asked looking at his rapidly blushing girlfriend.
"Wizarding bank," Regulus said staring at his niece.
"You broke into a bank?" Leo asked surprised. "You never cease to amaze me."
"I didn't exactly break in since the vault we went into was one I was legally able to enter," Electra admitted.
"Why would you 'break in' to any vault?" Cassie asked.
"Well our psychotic cousin had something in her vault that we needed to retrieve to destroy Riddle," Electra said sitting down.
"There was a Horcrux in Bellatrix's vault?" Regulus asked sitting down in shock.
"Horcrux?" Leo asked. He sat down next to Electra and put his hand around her waist pulling her against his side.
"Fragmented soul in an object created by murder in order to survive after death," Regulus said as Electra grumbled. Leo nodded in understanding. "What was it?"
"Hufflepuff's Cup," Electra said. Regulus shook his head at Voldemort's audacity.
"How'd you get out?" Sirius asked.
"Escaped on the dragon," Electra said making the group laugh. She rubbed her left temple. "I need to get that sorted out soon. Maybe Bill can help me set up an appointment with whoever I need to talk to in order to clear this up."
Regulus conjured a piece of parchment and a quill and passed them to Electra. She scribbled a quick letter to Bill. While doing so no one noticed Sirius hit the front doorway with a spell. Electra folded it up and sent it off with her screech owl. She rested her head on Leo's shoulder and he covered her right hand with his own.
They all talked for about an hour or so and then Cassie said, "I think you guys should be heading back. I know you've got a busy day tomorrow Electra and you should spend the rest of the day with your friends."
Electra nodded. "That's probably a good idea." She and Leo stood up together and said their goodbyes.
When they left the house Electra felt something strange. Once they were out on the street Leo looked over at Electra and ran a finger over her newly appeared furry ears.
"Nice," he said laughing.
Electra turned to look at him and chuckled. "You've got cat ears and a tail too." Leo looked over his shoulder in shock. "Uncle Sirius pulled a prank that I really should have seen coming."
"It's funny and all but I'm not sure I want to show up at Camp with a tail," he said. "I don't think you do either."
"It always wears off when we get back to the surface," Electra said smiling. "Though that isn't to say I won't get him back for this."
"You'll let me know how that goes, right?"
"But of course." Electra grinned and Leo kissed her. "Let's go before he decides to pull another prank because honestly I don't want to be talking like a cat for who knows how long." Leo nodded and they headed back to Hades' palace to shadow travel back to camp.