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Of Earth and Stars

Chapter 1: A Beginning and An End

Author's Note:

And here we are! This is the sequel to Thorns, my Sirius Black fanfiction. Even as a sequel, Of Earth and Stars, is also a standalone. If you are a first time reader, you'll likely be able to follow along, however there will be elements in this story that will make sense if you read Thorns.

But a quick synopsis for those choosing to read Of Earth and Stars only: Suri Rosier-Black is Sirius Black's daughter who starts at Hogwarts in 1988 (4 years before Harry Potter). She has unusual skill as a legimens which is passed down to her through her grandmother's lineage. There will be a love story, but for the sake of my readers who followed Thorns, that one will be kept under wraps as long as possible. :)

First and foremost, this story will be rated T! I would almost consider this a T+, because there will be times in which this story will have "triggering" themes such as sexual assault, violence, and generally, what it means to grow up as a girl. I will do my very best to forewarn you in the chapters these themes are most prevalent in.

Secondly, this story will be written similar to Thorns such as major time-skips through the years. It is my intention to take you through Suri's years at Hogwarts and a little after... :)

Thirdly, because this is my story, of course, there will ultimately be a love story. So, I'd love to hear your guesses on who that will be! ;)

Finally, the Harry Potter universe and majority of known characters, locations, spells, and timelines belong to J.K. Rowling. It is my goal to make a "believable as possible" series of events within the established universe while remaining as canonical as possible... :)

Without further ado, welcome to Of Earth and Stars (this opening bit is also found on the last chapter of Thorns).

November 1981…

She held tightly to his hand that cold November morning when people came up to her with long, sad faces.

"You'll catch a cold," he murmured as he crouched in front of her to adjust her coat zipper, pulling it higher, and tucking her scarf around her neck more snuggly.

"Moons," she said, her small voice pausing his actions. The young man looked at the little girl, his scar-filled face tired, his eyes dull and broken.

"Yes Suri-girl?"

Suri held out her arms to him, a silent askance to be held, to make the people stop coming to her with their crying eyes, looking at her with a mixture of sadness and pity. She didn't want to see that anymore.

"Up?"

Suri nodded and walked into Remus Lupin. She clung to his neck as he lifted her from the ground. This was the second funeral she attended in two days. The first was for her mother, Contessa Rosier; killed by her boyfriend's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, the Daily Prophet reported.

Today's funeral was for Lily and James Potter-baby Harry had already been removed to live with his mother's family. Suri was sad she didn't even get to say goodbye and kiss his forehead like she always did whenever they parted.

She also didn't get to say goodbye to her daddy, Sirius Black who was taken to a very bad place. People kept saying he did very bad things, and Suri didn't understand. How could someone who gave her tickles with his stubble, kisses, and sang her songs do something bad? All she knew was she didn't have a mom or dad anymore, and Moons was going to take care of her.

She rested her head on the shoulder of his shabby coat, soothed by the way he clumsily pat her long black hair. He had picked her up from her Granna a couple of days ago-after receiving an owl that Suri would not stop crying until she was with her Moons. Remus was therefore left on his own to do her hair, and he had no idea how to tie a bow into a little girl's hair and make it look nice.

Remus stood with Suri in his arms long after the last of the guests left. It was just him and the little girl in the cemetery with roses thrown over two caskets lowered into the ground. A couple feet away, the earth was freshly turned, covering the place where Contessa Rosier had been buried.

When it was just the two of them, Suri wiggled from Remus's arms and walked over to her mother's grave. Already, a heavy black stone was placed at the head of the grave that read:

Contessa "Tessa" Maeve Rosier
Beloved mother, friend, and exceptional witch

December 18, 1959 - October 31,1981

Suri stared at her mother's headstone before looking at the Potters' caskets. She then turned her sea-colored eyes on Remus.

"When Mummy died, where did she go?"

Remus walked over and crouched next to the girl, and Suri slid her hand into his. "She went to a very good place where only the best people get to go to wish us luck."

"Are Ally and Uncle James there?"

Remus swallowed hard, choking over Suri's pet name for Aunt Lily; "Yes," he finally answered, "Most definitely."

"Is Daddy there? He's nice."

"Suri, your daddy's not dead-" Remus's eyes were wide, and he tried not to cry in front of the little girl who stared at him so solemnly. Remus wondered how he would ever tell this girl that her father turned mad the night he lost his best friends and best girl and ended up in Azkaban-a fate worse than death.

"Baby Harry?"

"Baby Harry is alive and well too."

Suri looked away from Remus and at the three graves. "Moons, I want to go to the good place too," said Suri. "I want to be with Mummy and Ally, and Uncle James. Maybe we can find Daddy and we all go there. Baby Harry too."

"Suri, you won't get there for a long time yet," said Remus, standing straight and pulling Suri up with him.

"But I miss them, Moons. I miss Mummy." Suri looked into Remus's face, trying hard to wrap her mind around the concept of death. Granna said it meant people went to sleep for a very long time. That means they just needed to wake up.

"I miss them too, Suri. I miss them so much." Remus cursed himself when he realized he was crying again. He didn't want to scare Suri, but it was too much. Suri gently reached out to wipe away a tear, and Remus turned his head to kiss her hand and offer her a smile.

"See, when people go to this place, it means they aren't on earth anymore. And it also means they live in our hearts forever, and we have to do our very best to always remember them."

Suri put a hand over her heart, over the crystal vial with swirling silver. She thought of her mother and felt her heart beat steadily. She slowly started to understand that death was more than a long sleep-it was saying goodbye for a very long time. Her father was as good as dead, since she would never see him again.

"Remus."

Remus turned, Suri still in his arms, to see Amalia Rosier, her face pale, walk up to him. In her hands she held a rolled parchment.

"Amalia," Remus greeted. For a moment they were quiet and their eyes met, and they both understood their mutual loss of Tessa Rosier. "I am so sorry."

"I am too, Remus." Amalia said, her deep blue eyes were rimmed with red as if she couldn't stop crying either.

Amalia paused in front of Remus and Suri, and she offered a smile at her granddaughter, before looking at Remus. "Remus," Amalia said, and she held out the parchment with a shaky hand, "I have a letter for you."

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It took all of Remus's physical and mental strength to pull Suri from his neck and put her on the ground as she tightened her arms around him and sobbed loudly into his ear.

"No! No more going away! Granna please! I want to stay with Moons, Granna! Please!"

Amalia Rosier kept her expression neutral, but anyone who could see her eyes knew that she was breaking when she held tightly to Suri's hand to keep the little girl from running.

"G-Granna," Suri stammered between cries, looking from her grandmother to her godfather. "I want to live with Moons! He makes really good grilled cheese sandwiches and he reads my favorite stories! He's good at taking care of me!"

"But Suri-girl, look at your hair-" Remus tried weakly. "You need your Granna, your father wrote a letter that says that you would be best with your grandmother."

"No! I don't care! I'll learn how to do my own dumb hair! I'm smart, I can learn!" Suri used all her strength and wrenched from Amalia's grip and put her arms tightly around Remus's legs.

"Suri Rosier-Black, that is enough now," Remus tried to keep his voice strong as he bent down in front of Suri. "Your daddy's wish was for you to be taken care of by your grandmother, and Amalia will be able to take care of you in ways that I can't." Remus drew a breath. "You're going with her, Suri."

"No! I don't want to!" Suri looked at both adults, and saw that they weren't budging. Suri pulled away from Remus and started running.

"I hate my daddy! I hate him! I wish I was with Mummy!"

Remus sprinted after the girl and quickly caught up with her and plucked her from the ground. For a minute, Remus held Suri as she cried. After a few minutes, her loud cries turned to quiet shudders, and she was quiet against his chest.

"Suri," said Remus, his voice calm, because for the moment there were no more tears left in him. "Don't hate your Daddy. Padfoot loves you so much, and he did what is best for you. Don't you ever hate your dad. And even though I'm your godfather, it's better for you to be with your grandmother."

Remus walked Suri back toward Amalia who watched the exchange with a heavy heart. This time, Suri did not run when Remus put her down next to Amalia.

"Will I see you again?"

"Definitely," Remus promised the girl with a sad smile. "I will always be thinking of you."

"And I can write to you?"

"Whenever you want, Suri." Remus reached out and touched Suri's inky black hair-so much like Sirius's. "What's our favorite story, Suri? The one you have my read over and over?"

"Earth and Stars Princess," Suri answered.

"That's right, the Earth and Stars Princess. I think you'll grow up to be just like her."

"Why?"

"Because your dad Sirius Black is like the stars: confident and bright. And your mum was like earth: wild like the beautiful flowers that grow in the summer, and steady for the ones she loved. You got the best of both of them in your blood. Be earth and stars, little lady Padfoot. You will grow up to be wildly beautiful. Grow up and be bright, confident, and steady for the ones you love." Remus hugged the girl once more.

"Love you, Moons," Suri murmured hugging him with all of her four year old strength.

"I love you, Suri-girl," Remus said before he detached himself and stood straight. He nodded at Amalia.

"Take care of yourself, Remus," Amalia said.

"You too, Amalia."

Remus watched as Amalia took Suri's hand as they left, Suri constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure Remus didn't move. He watched as Amalia summoned the Knight Bus, and they were gone.

Remus turned to Lily's James's, and Tessa's graves once more and he pressed his fist against his mouth, but nothing could stop the sob that broke free. Having Suri was almost like an anchor so he wasn't alone at the funerals. For those two days he had her, fear raked his body when he thought he'd have to raise a child on his own.

On his own, he re-read the letter from Amalia. It was a contract that broke the agreement that he would have to be her guardian in the event of Sirius Black's and Contessa Rosier's deaths. It was signed and sealed by Amalia and Sirius, and Remus knew it was done without Tessa's knowledge-probably before Sirius asked Tessa to stop seeing him.

Remus folded the parchment and put it in his pocket before he lingered over Tessa's grave.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep her," Remus said, reading Tessa's name over and over again. "But she will be okay. Your baby will be okay."

Remus lingered at the cemetary for a while longer before he finally left, putting his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders against the cold. Suri's words rang through his head: let's go where they are.

More than anything, after today, Remus wanted to be dead too.

Author's Note:

Thank you for joining me on this new journey known as Of Earth and Stars.

I'd love to hear your guesses on who you think she'll fall in love with. :)

Your reviews are love!

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