Chapter 1- Innocent Beginnings

Adelaide Fawley, a member of the sacred 28, was widely known as The Pureblood Princess, a name she personally detested. As the heiress to the Most Nobel and Ancient House of Fawley, she grew up amongst the proud, noble, and prejudiced. She was raised to conform to the beliefs that contradicted every fiber of her being.

She acted her part well.

Too well.

She had everyone around her convinced that she was one of them. Well, almost everyone. There was one person that could see through her act, who saw past the mask she wore and into her very soul. One person who knew all too well the mask that she wore, for he himself had worn it many times. Sirius Black.

Growing up Adelaide was groomed to be nothing more or less than a lady of high society. She despised it. She hid her distaste well, but every so often her pristine persona cracked under the weight of her inner turmoil. It was on one such night that Sirius Black first noticed the young girl.

At just barely 11 years old, she stood in the hall to greet their honored guests. She was dressed in beautiful floor-length emerald green silk gown, a symbolic reference to the house she was destined to join upon starting school in the upcoming weeks. Her long blonde, almost white, hair tumbled down in smooth loose curls. She stood in the wide marble atrium of the Fawley manner with a painted smile that gave the illusion of joy to the company around her.

No one could see the rage that burned deep within with every mention of 'mudbloods', 'blood traitors', or 'muggle filth'. No one noticed how her smile never quite reached her forest green eyes.

"Ah yes," sighed Walburga Black, "it is a shame that have outlawed muggle hunting Cathryn."

Walburga Black. She and her husband Orion were just as awful as her own parents, if that's even possible. Adelaide watched as Orion spoke harshly to the older of their two sons, Sirius, with his hand gripping his arm tightly. Regulus, the younger of the two boys, stood watching their interaction with a pained expression.

"Indeed. Although I imagine it won't hold up much longer," replied Mrs. Fawley with a cold laugh.

This last inhumane comment was enough to set Adelaide over the edge. Fury bubbled up within her. If she didn't leave soon she knew she would do something she regretted. She swiftly excused herself to the 'ladies room'. Once out of sight of the guests she chucked off her horribly uncomfortable shoes into a random hallway and continued to sprint to the garden.

Hot tears began to pour down her face. Out of anger? Sadness? Frustration? She didn't know. All she knew was that her carefully constructed mask was beginning to crumble. She realized that she wouldn't be able to fool them all forever. She couldn't.

She couldn't just sit and watch as those around her spewed their hateful ideals without second thought. However, she also couldn't deny that a part of her, a larger part than she was willing to admit, was afraid of what would happen when that day came; of what would happen when those closest to her knew where her loyalties truly lied.

Adelaide sat with her arms around her legs in the garden that had become her only safe haven. Whenever she would hear her parents going on and on about 'those filthy muggles', she would steal away to her personal secret garden.

She had got the idea from her favorite nanny, Ethel Weasley, who would read her a muggle book, The Secret Garden. Her parents never found out about the book, so they never questioned why Adelaide asked them for her own secret spot for her birthday that year. However, they did find out that Ethel had more 'rebellious views' about blood purity, so needless to say, she was soon asked to leave her post.

Although Ethel had only been her nanny for six months, she completely changed Adelaide's views on muggles, and in extension, her parents.

Sitting on the dirty ground, surrounded by beautiful luminescent flowers, she began to dry her tears with the hem of her long gown, feebly trying to regain her composure.

"Um excuse me, are you alright?" Said a voice. Adelaide looked up to see the boy whom she had seen earlier being scolded by his father. He was about the same age as her, had shaggy yet refined black curly hair, and grey eyes that bore into her with a striking amount of intensity.

She didn't trust her voice, so she merely nodded before hiding her tear stained face. She briefly wondered how he had found her in her secret place... the entrance was covered by ivy and difficult to find, even if you knew where you were going. He must have followed her.

The boy was not easily deterred. He crossed the garden path and sat next her in silence for a moment before saying, "you're lying."

He stayed there beside her in silence until she finally calmed down enough and was ready to re-enter the party within.

With a deep breath and some last minute adjustments, she and the boy stood up and walked back inside without a word.