BETRAYAL

It was early afternoon, and most of the family and guests that had arrived to attend to birthday ball of the two youngest Aurelian Princes, were now in their rooms, resting before the start of the festivities planned later that evening.  On the third floor of Ravenwood Palace, that was the home of the Aurelian Royal Family, in a large, brightly lit room, sitting relaxed in one of the chairs before an empty fireplace, was the High King of the Aurelian Planetary Star System, James Carles Potter.

In a matching chair across from him sat his best friend and Guardian, Sirius Orion Black.  Also in the room, sitting on various chairs and couches spread around the fireplace that took up nearly one wall, was James' wife of thirty eight years, Lily Rose Durin-Potter.  Standing behind her was another of their best friends, and her Guardian, Remus Lupin.

His eldest son and Heir, Crown Prince Alekzander sat beside his mother, while Lily's brother, and King of Erebor, Thorin, sat to James' right.  Another of James' long time best friends and the King of Calseres, Corvus Lestrange, sat on the loveseat across from Lily and Alekzander, his eldest son and Heir to the Throne of Calseres, the husband of his and Lily's only daughter, Kaelyn, Crown Prince Christian, sat beside him.

To this day, many people wondered how James and Corvus had ever become such good friends, even Sirius and Remus had often wondered, as it was known that the Lestrange's were as dark as the Potter's were light.  Light and dark magic, he thought, were opposites, like love and hate, life and death.  All of them two sides of the same coin, and you could not have one without the other, not without destroying the balance that existed, despite what Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Tom Riddle, the self proclaimed Dark Lord, now called Lord Voldemort by those that followed him, would have everyone think, and believe.

To them, it must be one or the other, for you could not have both,  'Fools.' James thought.  'The both of them were fools.'  It was why he had resisted sending his children to Hogwarts, because he had not wanted them to be pulled into THAT war, as well as the one that was going on with the Imperium for control of the known, and the unknown Galaxies.

Ruled by Emperor Palpatine, known by a few to be a Dark Lord of the Sith, and known to be extremely strong in the Force.  The Force, and those that were able to wield it was no where near as prevalent as magic was, and it was even more rare that you could use both.  Which his son Adreian, as well as his two youngest could.  He had, so far, been able to keep that from the Dark Lord Voldemort, as Tom Riddle was now calling himself, and Emperor Palpatine on Coruscant, though he had not been able to keep it from Albus.

As a member of his Council, as well as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, he was in the Palace everyday, and would constantly badger him to send Hadrian and Hunter to the school, so that he could teach them what they needed to know to control not only their magical abilities, but their Force abilities as well.  How, James had asked him tartly, did he hope to teach his sons how to use something that he himself could not use?  Dumbledore's answer, as always, had been vague, couched in explanations no one but him could ever hope to understand.

The Force, most unfortunately, had all but been wiped out in the Galaxy.  Those that were able to use it to any affect now in hiding from the man who had once been a Councilor of the Senate, but had, in fact, turned out to be a Sith Lord in hiding until he had been powerful enough to take over completely, killing the Jedi Knights.  Even the children that had been in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, had all been killed.  It had not been long after that, that Darth Vader had appeared, now serving the self proclaimed Emperor, hunting down the Jedi that had survived, or not been on Coruscant at the time of the--

"James?" came the quiet question.

James turned his head, his eyes meeting those of his beloved wife.  "Nothing, darling, just thinking of things I can't do anything about."

"Then can we please get this started?" she asked.  "I'd like to make this as quick as possible, as I need to go up and check on Hunter."

James smiled at her.  "Of course, Lils.  Corvus, my friend, Lily and I have, of course, spoken to you on this matter before, but at that time, Rodolphus was still married, and we had discussed the possibility of betrothing Hunter to one of your two youngest sons.  But now..." he paused, looking between Corvus and his son in law, who, even now, sat back in his chair, blowing on a steaming mug of coffee.

Corvus followed James' gaze, smiling at Christian who sipped carefully from his mug.  Realizing that they were now looking at him, he raised his eyes, returning their smiles.  "Now, we can thank all the Gods, Dolph is a widower, you have since betrothed Rabastan to Harry, and Cameron...well now, there's the question, isn't there?"

"Christian," Corvus scolded his eldest, though in truth he couldn't put mush heat into it.

Christian turned his head.  "I'm not going to say I'm sorry, Papa, because I'm not.  Everyone is perfectly aware of how I felt.  That...BITCH made Rodolphus' life sheer hell for the short time that they were wed.  I know she was your cousin, Sirius, but had Bellatrix not been killed in that accident when she was, I was, may the God's forgive me, strongly considering killing the spiteful, hateful bitch myself.  Your pardon, Lily."

"No pardon necessary, Christian.  Much to all our regrets, none of us saw just what Countess Lady Bellatrix hid so well beneath the surface, and yes, Siri, I'm well aware you tried to warn us all about her."

"Yes, he did,and as I am sure you know, Chris, I would have gladly helped you," Alekzander spoke up.  "As would Rohan, Aidyn, Ethan, Fili, Brady, Simon and Adreian.  In fact," the grin he gave would have made lessor men shudder, it was so malicious, "we had already spoken to Maverick, Raiden and Kartiel.  They gave us some very good id--"

"Alright, Alek, that will be quite enough, if you please," James said amid Sirius' not so soft chuckle, which had him turning his head.  "Sirius," he said, even as Thorin began to chuckle as well.

Sirius shook his head.  "I warned you all that Bella was not at all what she seemed, but none of you would listen to me because she seemed to be so perfect.  I may be your Guardian, Jaime, but I feel it is as much my duty to protect your children, and their friends, as much as it is my job to protect you."

Alekzander gave Sirius a warm smile.  "For which we are thankful for, believe me, but as you wish, Adad {father}," he said as he sat back beside his mother, her hand slipping over his to give it a squeeze even as her lips twitched.  "Though I DO feel the need to mention it was actually Aidyn and Rohan who came up with the best idea's to get rid of her."

"Ah yes," came from Christian, "the vengeance of empaths and Healers.  You should have heard what my dear wife, your beloved daughter wanted to do to her on more than several occasions," he gave a deep shudder.  "VERY nasty."

Lily laughed.  She couldn't help it.  She threw her head back, laughing heartily, making them all look at her.  "Never, my dears," she said breathlessly, wiping tears from her eyes as she looked at them, "doubt the vengeance of a woman bent on protecting those she sees as family."

"Amen to that," Christian said heartily, raising his mug in salute before drinking his slightly cooled coffee.