1976

Sixteen year old Sirius Black flopped down on the cushioned seat on the Hogwarts Express. School was over. It was a week since exams were finished, and all he wanted was to forget that OWLs even existed. He knew he passed them, so why even bother worrying about them?

"Alright there, Padfoot?" a sandy-haired boy took a seat next to him. "I guess exams were a breeze for you."

"Of course, Moony my dear man, how about you?" Sirius exclaimed.

"Not bad, granted, the tortoise I was transfiguring into a teapot had a shell pattern on it, everything else went great."

The two were joined by two more boys and resumed their plotting on one Severus Snape.

Sirius was all ready for school to be over, but didn't really want to go home; the House of Black was stifling, and he didn't want to go back to a place where he was treated like a pariah. His mother hated him, but his father simply ignored him. His brother Regulus was favored. But there was a bright light; he was going to spend the summer with James and only had to be at Grimmuld Place for a week.

And just like that, there he was, sitting in his room, staring at the ceiling where he'd stuck a poster of a muggle American actress called Farrah Fawcett in a bathing suit.

CRACK

"Master Sirius is being summoned by Mistress." The house elf croaked, glaring at him before cracking away. Sirius rolled his eyes ran his hands through his messy (but still perfect) hair and ventured to the drawing room.

After knocking once and hearing a call to come in, Sirius opened the door. "You called for me, Mother?"

"What are you wearing?" she shrieked disgustedly. Sirius looked down and then grimaced. His jeans, black t shirt and leather jacket were probably not going over well with the old bat. "You're dressed like an animal! Go change into proper clothes and get back here. We have much to discuss."

Sirius bowed to his mother respectfully (to her at least, it was totally mocking on his part), and left the room to change. Black slacks and a deep blue button up shirt with silver buttons replaced his much more comfortable clothes. He pulled a simple set of black day robes on and left them open. His long hair was pulled back into a low pony tail, and he darted back down the stairs, sliding down the main banister with a grin. When he got back to his mother's drawing room, he knocked again.

"Much better!" she snapped when he entered once more. "Now then boy, you are the Heir to a noble and ancient house, no matter how much I wish it weren't so. Therefore, it is your duty to marry and bring forth an heir of proper blood and pedigree. You will marry in three year's time to the only daughter in the direct line of a noble House."

"You have already chosen my wife? Mother, with all due respect, do I not get a choice in the matter?" he asked quietly.

"'With all due respect', Sirius? Let us be reasonable, boy; your 'respect' is what this is about. The hat put you in Gryffindor for starters. Your choices in friends, the Potter boy, the half blood Lupin, and that Mudblood girl you consort with. Lord Malfoy's son keeps us well informed on your dealings at Hogwarts."

"I wasn't aware that the Heir of a second tier family like the Malfoys was reporting back to you." Sirius spoke coolly, thinking of the 7th year Slytherin.

"Your cousin Narcissa will soon be his wife, they will marry next summer. He will soon be family."

"You guys sent Sissy off to marry Lucius Malfoy?" he exclaimed, losing his composure. One of his favorite cousins was being forced to marry Lucius bloody Malfoy of all people!

"Lucius Malfoy is of good standing; good blood, and has the right priorities! Narcissa is weak and fanciful; claiming that she wants to work after Hogwarts. Lucius will steer her in the proper direction, just as your wife will do for you!"

"And just who have you chosen for me, Mother?" he snapped back.

"Vivienne Lestrange. Her cousin Rastaban just took your cousin Bellatrix as a wife last summer if you recall."

Vivienne Lestrange was a year beneath him at Hogwarts; A quiet Ravenclaw; very pretty with curly brown hair and deep blue eyes. She wasn't exactly on the radar, as she tended to have her nose in a book. But her blood was pure, and she never spoke to anyone in her family about doing anything as silly as working after school. Sirius grinned at the thought of her. She was actually rather nice if you asked around.

"You are smiling, boy. I take it you are pleased with our choice?" A voice came from the doorway. Sirius turned to see Orion Black standing there tall, proud and every bit of him calm as usual.

"Well father, I don't know Vivienne well, but she is quite lovely, and is of good stock." He replied neutrally.

"Then you are dismissed. However, know this; you are still on thin ice, and your fulfilling this contract is the only thing that is changing our minds about disowning you as both an heir and as a Black." Walburga spat at him. Sirius bowed to both of his parents and left the room, he packed his trunk and immediately left Number 12. One Knight Bus trip later, he was in Devonshire, and standing at the gates of Potter Manor.

He'd married Vivienne two days after she'd graduated from Hogwarts in 1978. Two months later, he was the best man at James Potter's wedding, and in 1890 on April 6, Sophia Carina Black was born. Unfortunately, Vivienne, who Sirius honestly did care for, died during child birth. So Sirius raised Sophie on his own, and was right there when Harry James Potter was born on July 31 of the same year. The two were only 3 months apart in age, and their little family, complete with uncles Moony and Wormtail persevered on even with all of the darkness surrounding them.

And then it happened; Sirius took little Sophie trick or treating with James, Lily and Harry. He took Sophie home and tucked her in, and then he got the fire call.

Lilly and James were dead. Harry was all alone, and Peter had betrayed them all. Sirius did the only thing he could; he got back on his bike, Sophia asleep and in a side car beside him and went straight to the house in Godric's Hollow. Hagrid was there to take Harry to Dumbledore. He gave Hagrid his bike, told him that he would come and claim his godson in a few days; just make sure he gets to Dumbledore safely. Carrying his daughter he went next door to old lady Bagshot and asked her to watch the precious sleeping girl for the rest of the night. Bathilda smiled, nodded and closed the door tightly. That taken care of, Sirius could go find the Rat and bring him to Justice.

But the tables were turned. 24 hours later, he was on a boat on his way to Azkaban prison without a trial. He couldn't believe that it was happening. The first thoughts that were taken away from him were of a beautiful dark haired one year old with blue-ringed grey eyes. A baby girl that called him "Da".

Present time

Lord Sirius Black was finally free. His godson, Harry was his, and in his 4th year at Hogwarts. Sirius was a Lord of a top tier House, and didn't need to work, but he didn't like being idle. He took on a position as an Auror Consultant, giving his insight on Dark Spells, Wards, Rituals, and Curses. He didn't go into the field actively, but he was called upon daily by the DMLE to answer questions. He may not practice the Dark Arts, but he was well versed in them, growing up in the house that he did.

He had free time, and spent most of it searching for his daughter, his Sophia. Bathilda Bagshot was dead, and no one seemed to know what happened to the child that was in her care 13 years ago. Orphanages were baffled, and most of the Ministry was no help. Sirius was pouring through the Black Library trying to find a spell or a ritual that would help him find her.

So far, no luck.

He knew there was such a spell; he'd run away from home at least 4 or 5 times, and every time, his father found him. He knew it was a potion-spell combination as well, but with the sheer size of the Black Library, the search could take months, even with Moony's help.

Remus Lupin, although he no longer lived and worked at Hogwarts, no longer worried about where he was going to live and work. He took a part time job at a muggle Library, and lived in one of the many Black properties; this particular one being a small cottage near the town he worked in. Sirius refused to take rent from his long time friend and instead asked his help in finding Sophia.

One day in Mid-May, they finally found something.

It was called Lorem Patris Sanguinis, the Father's Blood Search. It was a ritual that allowed a paternal head of a house find anyone who had his blood in their veins. It was borderline dark due to the need to have blood and a potion that had thestral blood in it. But the potion would only take a week to brew.

With Remus's help, the two got the potion brewed and Sirius was able to start the ritual. A map of the world, a bowl of the potion, and his wand were spread out over a table covered in a deep green cloth. He had a small pile of shaved elm, maple and pine sitting in a pewter bowl. A quick incindio had the pieces of wood burning.

'Ignis de acer, ulmus et abies; licet mihi quod meum est locus." He began to chant. He levitated the silver bowl of potion above the fire and let it come back to a boil. As soon as it boiled, he cut his palm and let some of his blood fall into the potion. The deep green potion turned silvery and resembled liquid glass. Sirius poured the potion on the map and the liquid began to morph itself into a tiny clear marble. "Vestibulum Filia!" Sirius called, waving his wand over the glass marble.

The ball rolled. Out of Britain, out of Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean, and into North America. Sirius tapped the map and it zoomed in so that he could see things in the continent clearer. The ball rolled out of Canada and into America. He had a better idea and zoomed the map in even closer.

He found her.

I had this idea cooking in my head for a while. I know fics like these are either really bad, or really good. I'm striving for the latter. my OC Sophie will not be a Mary-Sue in any sense of the word, I promise. She'll have her flaws and I'm trying my best to make her seem like a real character that will fit in rather well. So, come into this with an open mind? Thanks!

Nique