Chapter one: No

"No."

It was a sunny day, the bitter autumn breeze bringing goosebumps to Remus' skin as he walked up the trail and to his house from the Apparition Point, to find Albus Dumbledore waiting for him with an apologetic expression and a tale that took stole his breath. Remus had just come back from one of Dumbledore's missions to hear the worst news imaginable. Not Sirius, he would never. Especially not to James. He collapsed into the chair across from the Headmaster. "No, you have to be mistaken."

Dumbledore's eyes held no twinkle, only age and sorrow. "I'm afraid it's true. When Peter found out, he went after him."

"No," he dreaded what the man would say next and looked at him with tears. "Tell me he didn't."

He nodded. "He did. He was distraught and screaming for all the street to hear that Sirius had betrayed us all. He's gone. Sirius destroyed him and twelve Muggles. The Aurors found him on the scene- laughing."

At this, the werewolf broke down in tears. His family, the only family he had left, the only friends he'd ever had, gone all at once. When he had his mind about him again, feeling more than slightly embarrassed, he turned back to his mentor. "What of Harry? Or Ithaca? I did hear strange things. Is Voldemort really- "

"Gone for now," Dumbledore said. "But I have no doubt that he will be back. Harry is with Lily's sister."

"Petunia?"

"You know her?"

"Of her," Remus corrected. "She refused to come to the wedding. I've only seen her once or twice from a distance. She hated Lily- hated magic. Why would you send him there?"

"I know it isn't ideal," Dumbledore said slowly, processing the story that he now had four people confirming, "but he had to go somewhere. When Lily sacrificed herself for him, that is why Voldemort's corporeal body was destroyed and he weakened. That is how Harry survived. The safest place he can be right now is with blood relations."

Remus nodded absently, too many thoughts swirling madly around in his head. It vaguely made sense. "Ithaca? What's to happen to Ithaca?"

"At the moment, she is in an orphanage. As you know, you are the godfather."

He looked at him as though he'd gone mad. "I-I can't take care of her. I'm poor, I'm a werewolf, and I have absolutely no idea how to raise a child. No, she's better off with whoever adopts her here after."

"A Muggle?" Dumbledore asked, obviously disappointed in his previous student. "She's to be the daughter of Ellabeth Selwyn and Sirius Black. She'll be powerful very early. And with news of Sirius' betrayal, no wizarding family will want her or be good to her. She needs someone who will love her despite her father's misgivings." Here he paused. "Unless, of course, you don't think you could look past that?"

"Of course I could," Remus said, all but having made up his mind. "I love my goddaughter." He sighed heavily, feeling twice his age. "But the Ministry would never allow a werewolf to raise a child."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "She's the only child of a mass murderer, I don't think they'll care."

Remus apparated to Strawberry Field Orphanage with a pop! and sighed before trudging up past the gates to the gothic revival mansion where his goddaughter had resided for the past month. He hated himself for going on so long an assignment that he wasn't here when he was needed. He knocked on the front door and noticed children playing around the yards of all ages. The door opened to reveal a young woman with a kind face.

"May I help you, sir?" She asked.

He took a deep breath. He had to do this. For Ithaca. "Yes, I'm here about a girl that was brought here about a month ago. Her name is Ithaca Bl-black." He stuttered on the last name.

Her face became guarded. "What about her?"

Remus frowned. "I just got back," he told her. "My- job- sent me out of the country. I'm her godfather, Remus Lupin."

She brightened immediately. "Oh! Yes!" She stepped aside to let him in. "I apologize, but the man who brought her told us to be very, very leary of anyone asking about her. However, you were mentioned as the man who is to be trusted."

"The man who brought her?"

"Very strange, that one," she recalled aloud. "I can't remember his name, but we just sort of call him Mr. Nicholas as he was very reminiscent of Father Christmas."

Remus smiled half-heartedly. "Professor Dumbledore."

"See? You know who I mean. I'm Carina."

The walls in the hallways were lined with artwork of varying quality. They passed many rooms with open doors where he could see children playing with toys and such. It was a very nice facility, he thought. But not for Ithaca. When they stopped outside a closed door, Carina turned to him.

"This is Madame Belinda's office. She's the Director of Strawberry Fields." She knocked twice and at an answer, opened the door. "Madame Belinda?"
The crow-like woman behind the desk didn't look up from her paperwork. "Yes, Carina?"

"This is Mr. Lupin for Ithaca Black."

At this, the Director looked up and sat up straighter with interest, moving her papers, and clasping her hands on the desk in front of her. "Please, have a seat, Mr. Lupin. I presume Miss Carina has told you of the strange instructions that came with the child?"

"She mentioned that you were told to keep strangers aside from me away from her."

"And would you be able to explain to us why?" Her scrutiny made him want to fidget in his seat and he couldn't help but draw parallels with Dumbledore.

"Ithaca's parents had many enemies," he said awkwardly and simply.

Madame Belinda looked disappointed at this and stood up, walking over to a filing cabinet, one of many, and pulling a very thin file out. "Miss Black has been quiet her entire stay here."

"She's never been an overly fussy baby."

"No, you misunderstand me. She has not made a sound since she has been brought to us."

He pulled his eyebrows together. She was always quiet, never being exceedingly difficult, but she still cried at night like a normal child. She babbled almost nonstop with Harry. She squealed with laughter at Padfoot. Even at a year old, she had her mother's carefree and life loving laugh, with her father's light in her eyes. He'd read once that babies and children could sense when things were wrong, but he hoped that was just some lie told to sell books. He didn't want that for Ithaca.

"She had a bit of a cough when we got her, but it cleared up fairly quickly. She's been under the direct care of Miss Carina as she is currently the infant only here at the moment."

Remus looked back at the woman standing by the door. She blushed. "She's napping at the moment. She's such a sweet baby."

"I do need you to sign some papers."

"Of course," Remus said.

The Director addressed Carina. "Would you bring Miss Black?"

Ithaca recognized him immediately. "Moony!" She reached for him, almost falling out of Carina's arms. He pulled her into his own arms and she laid her head against him.

"Well, that's unmistakable," the Director said. Ithaca didn't say another word until they were all signed and stamped and he stood up. Then she lifted her head and looked at him with her strange violet eyes.

"Dada?" Remus would swear that she was looking at him like that on purpose, her eyes forbidding him to lie to her or ignore her question. He had known she would ask for Sirius. Her father had been her favorite person in the world other than Harry, and she'd been the light of Sirius' life from the moment he found out Ellabeth was pregnant. Or so, Remus had thought.

He pressed his forehead to hers. "He isn't here anymore, pup."

She seemed to half understand because she laid back against him and cried quietly.

"Were you very close with her parents?" Carina asked as she walked him out.

"I went to school with them. Her father and I were very close."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"So am I."

A/N: I know the first chapter is short and doesn't really have much in it. Think of it as something of a preface rather than a real chapter. Next one will have her growing up, then after that it's off to Hogwarts. I know I have other stories I'm working on, and I haven't stopped on any of them. I find it very difficult to only work on one story at a time. My mind is too changeable and I get in the mood for like seven different stories at any given time. I have three that I am working on that are not posted, as I'm trying to have more on them before I start posting them. One is going to be a really long one shot that I've been working on since at least September- a romance with Severus and Petunia when he first takes the Dark Mark. I have a soulmate story going, and the one I mentioned with Hermione losing her memorry.

Of the ones I have posted that I am actively working on all the time are Letters to No One (which is my favorite), Amaranth Enchantmen (which I already have several chapters written for), and this one (which I have huge plans for and a few chapters written out. This is from my other account (AllISeeAreStars) and if you've read it there, I apologize for I am changing things a little and adding more substance. Hope you like it.

On an off note, my username. I used BriarRoseRed on everything a few years ago, but find that I don't like it much anymore. Would it throw everyone off too much if I changed it?

Dasvidanya, Mia.