Sacris
By: Bungie
Summary: James Potter made a mistake which resulted in a consequence that Sirius Black chose to be responsible for. When that consequence meets the girl-who-lived, sparks will fly…in more ways than one. But can that flame continue even when the truth is revealed.
Rating: M with MA moments further down the line. If I choose to put explicit scenes in here I will either forewarn you or censor them and have them posted on AO3.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that is recognizable from Harry Potter Canon. In original characters, ooc moments, or other such nonsense I take full credit for. Not that I get paid for either way.
Warning: AU, OC, etc.
Pairings: OC FEM! Harry/ OC. Sirius/?, James Potter/ Lily Potter, Ronald Weasley/ Hermione Granger (fem! Harry/ Cedric moments, and Daphne Greengrass/ OC moments).
Prologue:
It was a nice night in Sirius Black's opinion. He stood standing on the balcony of his high rise, looking out over downtown London as the soft early summer air blew a breeze through his hair. It was warm, but not overly so and the scent of the muggle restaurants below wafted up and filled his mind with comfort. This was something he cherished, the freedom and bliss of having his own and never feeling as though he was unwanted or unfit. He had never had this growing up.
He sighed and took a deep sip of the muggle scotch he had gotten a taste for. It didn't have the magical fire that fire-whiskey had, but it held a malted sweetness with the drag of a bite at the back of his tongue that gripped his insides with a light pleasure. He smirked at the thought and turned his eyes back out, his position just able to catch a glimpse of the London Bridge glowing by the light of a cloud covered moon.
The last couple of months had been hectic, for lack of a better word. He braced himself with his elbows on the balcony rail, his long fingers swirling the tumbler of scotch gently as he reminisced. Voldemort- he tried to relax his jaw from the bitterness the name held in his thoughts-….Voldemort had been making strides with his campaign in the last year. The Ministry was corrupt and the corrupt officials bought off by wealthy purebloods who were conveniently in the Dark Lord's pocket. Or more appropriately, kissing at the hem of his robes.
The irony was a bitter one.
James and he, official Aurors now since they had graduated from training, were thrown headfirst into the fighting. Not that he was complaining about that, they were already deep in the trenches from the moment they joined the Order. Lily had joined too, along with Peter and Remus. Remus…something was up with him though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, though his suspicions said that it had something to do with the missions Dumbledore kept sending him on. Something to do with werewolves. As for Peter, well Pete was Pete and wasn't going to change. He couldn't imagine why the guy even joined the order. He honestly wasn't the smartest or the bravest or the most capable in anything really. But he had joined and Sirius guessed that must account for something.
There had been many battles. Many times he had been called on a scene to protect civilian magicals or muggles from slaughter. Many times they were too late. His last call having happened just the day before. James was there fighting beside Frank Longbottom, both of their wives home and heavy with pregnancy, their wands cutting through the air against the Dark Lord himself. Together they held him back, but just barely. Two auror level wands against one and it still wasn't enough. A part of Sirius, one he buried deep never to see his conscious mind feared the level the Dark Lord was at. He had never seen anything like it. He himself had been locked in a battle with two masked Deatheaters, though he had been on the receiving end of one of those wands to have no doubt that it was Snape. The other one? He believed it could have been Nott or Avery, though he wasn't sure.
Unfortunately they had lost Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Two strong men, honorable, and with his kind of humor. They had taken five down with them but it had been the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black who had downed them.
He wanted to kill her badly. He could still hear her high pitched laugh, twisted just as she is, ringing in his ears. Merlin, how he wanted to kill her, if only to clear some of the Black name. Not that he cared overly much about his family name, but considering he was one of two left who carried it, he'd rather it be remembered for him rather than his mad cousin.
They were given the order to fall back when he was hit with a bone breaker, something he was able to repel but was unable to dodge the shredding curse. He had turned at the last minute to take it on his left side so he'd still have his wand arm. It shredded his shoulder and left arm down to the bone. James said he had almost bled to death, but they were able to get a stasis on him in time. Madam Pomphrey, lovely woman that she is, did the rest.
Though his shoulder still smarted and the pain may be there for the rest of his life considering the dark magic residue still there. But right now, in this moment, there is no Voldemort. No fighting. No pain. Just here and now. For this one moment there was peace.
He took another swallow as he promptly choked from the sound of his door being banged on. That…was unusual. There was a muggle repelling ward around his door and those who were familiar with him had access to his floo. Kind of narrowed down his prospects. He quietly sat his glass down and grabbed his wand. He kept his grip loose and moved to a secure position, one that was behind his couch and near his back wall. He had sight advantages from here. With a flick he unlocked his door and let it swing open.
"S-Sirius!" He knew that voice anywhere.
"What the hell, James?!" He noted how his best friend didn't use nicknames. This must be serious. No pun intended. "Why did you come through the door and not the floo!? Wait-!" He held his wand firm in the direction of the door.
"What was the name of the girl I brought to the dorm in 6th year who walked in on you in the shower?" James gave a startled laugh, one that sounded as though it didn't want to come out but couldn't be stopped.
"Bethany Vance! I had hoped to forget that moment. She wouldn't leave me alone after you broke up with her."
Sirius chuckled as he closed the door behind James.
"Not my fault. How was I to know you'd be up that early and wanking on—what did you call it then? The "no hands needed leviosa" or had you graduated to "Mr. Cremepuff" since that was Lily's favorite dessert—so early in the morning?"
James sputtered.
"Now as brilliant as it is to watch you flounder around trying to find a comeback, I'm really interested in why you're here, why you came through the door, and what are you holding?"
Sirius' eyes had zeroed in on the bundle of what looked to be a pile of clothes in Prong's arms. The sniffling and hiccupping sounds of a baby getting ready to cry made his eyebrows shoot up and the way Prongs bounced the bundle in his arms to calm it only confirmed his own thoughts.
"Why do you have a baby? Holy Shit! Did Lily go into early labor? Is she alright? Is this the newest entry into the next generation of marauders? I mixed it?!"
"SHHHH! Calm down Padfoot! No, Lily is alright and at home. And no she didn't go into labor. This little guy…didn't come from her." James voice had gotten soft as his finger curled gently within a tiny fist that was moving outside of the blanked.
Sirius wouldn't lie. His brain had kind of…frozen for a moment.
"Huh?" James sighed.
"Sirius, do…do you remember that week before I married lily how I was super nervous?"
"Yeah. The guys and I took you out for a drink to relax…um…down at that bar in Twylit Alley."
"Remember how you guys woke up the next day and couldn't find me?" He laughed slightly. "You all were so drunk you thought you had pulled a prank and misplaced me, only for you to show up at my place with me on the couch drinking tea."
"HA! I remember that! Remus was pissed, but I got my revenger later."
"Yeah…the thing is Padfoot, that night I was just drunk enough to not care, but sober enough to remember what happened. I left with a woman that night and woke up in her bed. I-I felt so guilty about it later. Didn't know how I was going to face Lily. So…I guess I pretended like it never happened."
A happy giggle could be heard from the blankets as James chuckled at the tight grip on his finger and the soft croon from the baby. Sirius folded his arms.
"So, if I'm putting the puzzle together right, this child is yours by another woman." He blew out a breath. "Lily is not going to be happy about this."
"Lily isn't going to find out about this." Sirius looked at James for a moment, a knowing kind of horror building in his stomach that he was doing his best to keep at bay with denial.
"What do you mean by that, James?"
"I can't tell Lily! I just CAN'T! I love her too much. I can't- I won't risk my marriage, my family, on an accident. On something that wasn't supposed to happen!" His grip must have tighten too much because the baby was begin to wail in fear and pain. Sirius wrestled the bundle from James, his eyes never wavering from his…friend.
"An accident!"
"Don't give me that look, Sirius!"
"OH, Please tell me, how am I supposed to look at someone who calls their own child an accident?"
"FUCK PADFOOT! I don't need your judgement on top of this! I'm not saying that I don't want him, but it doesn't change that fact that it was an accident."
"Oh Merlin, James! You said it yourself, you were just drunk enough to not care, but not drunk enough to forget. You were not so far gone that you couldn't have said no. You just DIDN'T CARE! And now you're operating just as selfishly because you love this kid but you just don't love him enough to risk your relationship with your wife. Forget the fact that he didn't ask for this! The fact is that you are responsible. You are his father! You have to take responsibility!"
"Oh this is rich. Getting a lecture about responsibility from you."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you are rarely responsible outside of battle. Just the other day I had to deal with the angry tirade of Diana Bennet after you left her a note about having a good time after you slipped out of her bed that morning. Those were the same things you were saying to girls at Hogwarts in fourth year. You live in your apartment enjoying the freedom of not having to answer to anyone, yes, but on the flip side you are also enjoying not having to commit to anything."
Sirius tightened his jaw and walked towards his balcony, unconsciously bouncing the child in his arms. James may be right, but right now wasn't about him.
"Be that as it may, James, I'm not the one running away from a responsibility that is bigger than slipping out of some desperate woman's bed. This is about you sacrificing your child because you're scared. It's not Lily you're afraid of, because I know she'd love you enough to work past this, it's the fact that you see this kid as a blimp on your ideal future. You've had an idea of what you wanted for years. Now this has happened and he doesn't fit into the vision you have for your future."
Sirius had turned away now, the bitter feeling in his stomach had turned scalding and his eyes were itching. This hit way too close to home for him.
"Where's his mother?"
"She died in childbirth three days ago. Though it's a bit suspicious since no one has died from childbirth at Mungos in years. Mungos sent me a post and I was lucky enough to have intercepted it from Lily. She's at home, feet swollen."
"Seven months along now, right."
"Yeah. Went to the healer a couple days before the last battle and he said the baby will be here end of July."
"Hmmm. What was the name of the baby's mother?" Sirius quirked an eyebrow as the boy gripped his finger, smiling at the sleepy yawn he got. His heart all but melted and he was filled with a level of protectiveness he never felt before. His mind was racing, possible solutions coming and going even though he had already settled in his gut what he was going to do.
"Her name was Adelaide Cavelier. She was a French immigrant, pureblood. Don't know much more than that."
Sirius sighed, looking out at the clouds for a moment. The sweetness in the air was dissipating, the restaurants below closing because of the late hour. He could feel a headache pressing behind his eyes. This…was not how he saw his evening ending.
"When you came here, what was your plan James?" It was strange how he felt almost defeated in this conversation. He didn't understand why he felt this way, why he felt like he could cry but was just too tired to.
"I-I don't know. Maybe to ask you if you knew of any orphanages to send him to?" He whipped around so fast he was slightly dizzy.
"An orphanage? AN ORPHANAGE!? You would send your firstborn to an orphanage?" He knew his Uncle Charlus and Aunt Dorea raised James like a pureblood, though they were extremely lax on his education of old laws and finances. As the firstborn, the child was the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. Until another child is born and the first one either dies or is removed from the family by invoking family magic by the head of the house, then the child would always be the heir. Even his own mother tried to kick him out by invoking family magic, but because she wasn't the head of the house he was still the heir.
He wasn't in the mood to educate the man James was showing himself to be.
"I don't have much choice. Are you going to help me or not?"
"I am a marauder." James smiled. "Therefore I'll take him." His glasses wearing friend blinked for a moment before frowning.
"YOU?!"
"Yes me."
"But you don't know the first thing about being a father."
"That is still more than you considering the circumstances." James flinched.
"That's…underhanded, Sirius."
"If the shoe fits, princess, I'm going to put it on your foot."
"And how do you plan to raise a child in a war. If you haven't forgotten, you are an Auror. It is unsafe for him here." For the first time since he had begun looking out at the clouds, Sirius turned towards James. His eyes were glassy, but his stance was firm. Unwavering. James didn't think he had ever seen Sirius look so grown up. So much like the man he had always believed he'd become.
"What are you talking about, Potter?" James nearly fell backwards at that, the moniker nothing less than a slap in the face. "This very night I was recently informed that a woman I had a dalliance with had gotten pregnant and died in childbirth. Taking my son, I quit being an Auror and moved from the country to keep my family, my child safe. Perhaps we will return when the war is over or a decision is made, but til then I will raise him far away from the horrors this war holds."
"You-what-you're going to quit the war!? You can't! You'll be seen as a traitor!"
"What do you care, Potter? You made your decision, haven't you? Then I will make a decision you could have made, should have made, but were too coward to make! How others see me doesn't much matter. They aren't here, in this moment, now are they? No. The only ones here are me, you, and my son."
For a moment Sirius could see the bitter Jealousy flit across James's face at the pronoun he used for the child, but Sirius didn't care. James no longer had a say in the situation. He made his decision. And every decision has a consequence. In giving up your child, you no longer get to call them yours.
"Now do me a favor, Potter, and leave. It's been a long day. My son and I are very tired." Sirius turned back around and looked at the clouds, ignoring the soft shuffling sound of his best friend- the label made him want to choke on the hurt- as he moved to the floo. James-no. Potter- must have come through the door because of the baby. Newborns weren't supposed to be taken through the floo due to the influx of different magics.
He sighed before pulling the child close to his chest, the little being snuggling close to his warmth. He'd lost a best friend tonight and the pain felt as though someone had died. He'd made the decision to give up a career and to step back from a war he had invested a lot in. He'd made a decision to walk away from every friend he had, to not fight this war he believed so deeply in.
"But it's okay," he whispered to himself as sleepy eyes opened to show the blue of a newborn before the eyes shifted to focus on his blurry image, a gummy smile as the baby saw his face, before promptly falling back to sleep. He had no regrets. This feeling of protectiveness and joy was something he knew was worth it.
"Let's sleep. Tomorrow we'll go to Gringotts where I'll blood adopt you, then I'll move my accounts somewhere else before quitting the aurors. Won't get a transfer. Don't want anyone- not voldy, or my cousin, or even Potter-finding out where we are. Then we'll work on our new life together, how does that sound?" Silent, quick breaths were his only answer as he closed his balcony door and lay on the couch. He didn't know much about babies, but he had always been a quick learner.
()
The next morning found Sirius stumbling around his place, the wailing sound of a hungry baby having scared him half-to-death before he moved to find some milk, warm it lightly, and transfer a glass into a bottle with a rubber nipple. The kid latched on quickly, making him chuckle through his tiredness.
"I see you're going to be like your old man when you grow up, and between me and you that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to the ladies." It was lucky he still remembered how the nurse elf at his cousin's house, while growing up, would take care of Narcissa. He gently rubbed the baby's back when he was finished, a small burp rumbling in the small body under his hand. He didn't have any clean nappies so he spelled the mess away and sending a renewing spell on the one he had on. He'd have to pick some up when he went out.
The baby snuggled closer to his chest, ready to sleep more. He sighed, looking towards the balcony and noting how the sky was lighting up. It was extremely early, but perhaps not too early to go ahead and take care of what he needed to get done. The less people that were up, the better.
He dressed quickly, sending a freshening charm over his body before cradling the baby close to his chest and draping a long cloak over them both. Stepping out on his balcony, an area he set up so he could apparate out but no one could apparate in, he twisted on his feet and a moment later found himself at the foot of the steps of Gringotts. He moved quickly, reaching the teller at the end of the atrium.
"I'd like an audience with the Black Family Manager and a ritual for blood adoption." He stared unwavering at the goblin who merely blinked and sneered. He motioned for another goblin to come forth.
"Galgax will show you to the ritual room. The Manager, Thruin, will be waiting outside the ritual room when you are finished." Sirius nodded and followed the goblin down a series of stairs in a side hall and down a long hallway with a door at the end. Galgax opened it and Sirius stepped into a room with black marble floors and torches hanging from the walls. Two…he guess they were female…goblins stood in brown robes around a circle with engraved runes in the floor.
"Who is the one being blood adopted?" Sirius flinched, not expecting the more feminine creature to have a stronger gravel voice than a regular goblin. He lifted his robes and showed the sleeping baby wrapped in a blanket. She nodded before directing him to lay the child down in the middle of the circle. He did, making sure the blanket was bunched in such a way he wouldn't be uncomfortable.
"No. There must be no hindrances. Remove the blanket and any other material." Sirius frowned, but obeyed. He knew the floor was probably cold and definitely hard, but the child would just have to endure it. The quieter goblin pulled out a small brush and a bowl from her robes.
"Cut your wrist, right above the vein, and pour some of your blood in the bowl. We will tell you when it is enough." Using a slicing spell, he did as directed and filled the bowl a quarter of the way before closing the wound and stepping away.
He watched as the quiet goblin began using his blood to write ruins along the baby's skin and then poured the blood on the floor in the circle. As he watched, the blood moved until it formed a perfect oval around the child. As both females stood across from each other around the circle, they began chanting, the language was a mix of goblin tongue and something he couldn't identify.
The ruins on the baby glowed gold for a moment before sinking into his skin, the blood beneath him drawing up and disappearing, quite possibly into his writhing body. He was crying, wailing in pain and Sirius's heart ached to comfort him but it was important that this happened. Not to mention that it was incredibly dangerous for rituals to be interrupted. So he waited and hoped that the baby continued to persevere through the pain.
Finally, the ritual ended. He waited for the goblins to give him the okay before he picked up his son, in blood and soon in name. The baby's hair had shifted from Jame's wild patch of potter hair, to his dark waves. His eyes had shifted from newborn blue, to the deep purple that ran in his family. He didn't have his nose or James, so the elegant length must have come from his mother. Any other features would become more pronounced with time. He held the child against his shoulder, his face nuzzling the soft skin of the baby's cheek and neck while crooning soothing sounds to calm him.
"I can finally call you your new name now, son. Caelum Altair Black." He smiled, filled with a kind of joy he never thought he'd get to experience before kissing the top of his son's head and moving to the door. Outside stood the Black family manager. He released a breath. It was time to take care of other things.
()
"…are you sure this is what you want to do, Mr. Black? Once it's done it can't be undone."
"I am well aware." He paused for a moment as the weight of his decisions hit him and then breathed it all out in acceptance," But yes I am sure. I will take up the Black Lordship. My son, Caelum, will be my heir. Also, I am leaving the country. Please send half of my accounts to…I don't know…let's go with Bulgaria. I'll be traveling a lot, so I'll need a card that'll move instantaneously between the muggle and magical worlds. Finally, I'll need a summary of the black holdings, inventory, and investments. Please send the file to the Black family winter home in Valga, Estonia."
He watched the Goblin sneer as it jotted down notes and sent a sealed letter off through a shoot beside his desk.
"Now, in regards to the birth certificate of your son. What is his full name?"
"Caelum Altair Black."
"Date of birth?" Sirius quickly calculated.
"May 26, 1980."
"Mother?"
"Adelaide Cavalier. Deceased." The goblin paused for a moment before continuing his writing.
"Godfather?" He considered that for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"Remus Lupin."
"Godmother?" He considered naming Andromeda God mother, but an idea hit him and he couldn't help feeling as if he was leaving with a last minute hurrah.
"Lily Potter."
The goblin nodded and shuffled his documents together, before pulling out a box. Opening it he turned it towards Sirius, allowing him to pull out the object inside. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the ring and placed it on his finger. The rush of family magic opened his senses and soothed his mind. For a moment, it felt like greeting a close friend for the first time in ages, only for the feeling to slowly dissipate.
"That looks about it, Lord Black. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss before we call this meeting to a close?"
Rolling the ring around his finger, Sirius considered everything before smirking.
"One more thing." Seeking out the magic that he was now familiar with, he pulled it forth. "By the will of our family magic and the authority of the Lord of the Most Noble and Ancient house of Black, I declare Bellatix Black unfit to carry her name of birth, so stricken her from her title, her heritage, and all inheritance through the Black name. I declare Narcissa Black unfit to carry her name of birth, so stricken her from her title, her heritage, and all inheritance through the Black name. I declare Andromeda Black reinstated, having been stricken from her title, her heritage, and all inheritance through the Black name due to negligence of the previous Lordship of the Black Family." He could feel the family magic answer his call. The weight of two magical cores he didn't realize he was connected to detached, while two others attached themselves: Andromeda and, through her, her daughter Nymphadora.
He watched the goblin frown before grabbing another sheet of paper, claw like hands moving quickly across the page. Internally, however, Sirius was leaping with joy. Bella wouldn't be able to suck anymore of her allowance out to fuel the war and Narcissa wouldn't be able to help her husband aid the Dark Lord, either. He might not be fighting the war, but he felt like he had just helped in some way. And some way was better than no way.
()
He decided to send his resignation in through owl post. There was no telling what other obstacles would pop up if he went in person. It would be just his luck that Voldemort himself would attack the ministry the moment he stepped through the doors. So a letter of resignation it was.
On top of that, he had to figure out how to get to Estonia without using a floo. Apparating that far, though possible, was taxing magically and uncomfortable bordering on painful for the one side apparating. So muggle transport, at least for most of it, was what was decided.
After packing all of his essentials in his trunk and shrinking it to pocket size, he cradled Caelum and apparated to Brighton where he planned to apparate across the straight to Bristol and take a train through Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Once in Aglona, Latvia he'd be able to apparate to the gate of the winter home. He'd have to rearrange the wards when he got there, but once there he'd be able to have a breather and get Caelum comfortable. Maybe arrange one of the active elves there to help care for him.
The small popping sound of his apparition was followed by the blaze of the floo.
()
James Potter stepped out of the floo, his stomach feeling queasy but his mind resolved, only to stop when he saw how bare the room was. The couches were still there, but the painting of a grim that Lily had bought and had hung on the wall since graduation was gone. The vibrant red quilt that James's own mother had made for Sirius back in sixth year for Christmas and always hung off the back of the couch was gone. He walked over to one of the closets and noted its barren state, the bedroom was also empty of all except the mattress and the broken clock Sirius had bought on one of their escapades into the muggle world.
His best friend was gone.
His best friend and his son were gone.
Dumbledore had come by that morning and told them it was of utmost importance that they go into hiding. He mentioned something about a prophecy being given early that morning in relation to a child being born at the end of July. The Longbottoms had gone into hiding as well. Supposedly, it was something that would anger the Dark Lord if he found out and, unfortunately, Dumbledore suspected a deatheater had overheard and reported it to Voldemort.
What it meant, in a nutshell, was that his family was being hunted. His daughter was being hunted even before she was born. His family, everything he had dreamed, felt like water slipping through his fingers right now. Nothing was guaranteed.
Lily, the beautiful and smart woman she was, had begun delving into anything that could help. Pouring over obscure books he had pulled from his family library, something she was still doing even after he left her to come here.
Now here he was, standing in an empty apartment and wondering what the hell he had been thinking the night before. Well he knew what he had been thinking. He had panicked. Reading a short request from Mungos, only to appear and have a baby shoved in his arms was enough to throw anyone for a loop. His first thoughts were about Lily- what was Lily going to think? How was she going to feel? Of course he knew she'd be hurt. Hell, he'd be hurt if it was him in her position. But would she be able to forgive him. What would his friends think? His peers? The wild thoughts just kept coming and he didn't know what to do so he apparated to the door of the one person he believed could help. The one person he knew would have his back no matter what.
And Sirius…did have his back. It was painful to hear some of the things Sirius said, but he couldn't deny that his best friend had been right. He had been acting selfishly. He never, NEVER in a million years expected Sirius to take the child as his own. He guessed, if the roles were reverse, he would have done the same thing. Yet, it hurt in more ways than one and none of those ways were something James felt were something he deserved to feel.
He had laid awake all night, his arm around Lily and his hand on her belly, feeling his little girl kick at his palm and all he could feel was bitterness. Bitterness at his son for being born from another woman at a time when his marriage with Lily was still new and in a war no less. Bitterness at his son for making his best friend, his brother choose the child and turn his back on James. Oh he knew it wasn't the boy's fault, but his own. It didn't take away from his frustration though.
On the flip side…
The thought of Sirius raising His son rankled him. The thought that his baby boy would wake up from a nightmare and run to Sirius, would learn to ride a broom from Sirius, would get advice about how to talk to girls from Sirius…it agitated him in a different way. It hurt. He felt as though he had given up a precious relationship, an album of precious memories that would never be. And he had. He had given those things up and he couldn't blame Sirius. Sirius did the right thing when faced with a crazy situation. He did not have to sleep on it. He did not runaway.
So to find an empty apartment when he had come to tell Sirius he had made up his mind to take the child and to ask his best friend for forgiveness felt enough like a nail in a coffin that James cried. He sat on Sirius old couch with his hands in his hands and wept.
His movements pushed air beneath a small note on the side table. It floated to the ground where it wouldn't be read for a long time.
To my friends and those I know but don't particularly care about,
It seems that my mistakes have finally caught up with me, and fortunately it was in the form of a consequence I fell in love with on first sight. My son, Caelum, and I are leaving the country. I am a major target here, and as his only caretaker I won't risk him. So I am sincerely sorry my friends for walking away from this fight, but it is something I have to do. But do not fret my lovelies, though I am not on the battlefield with you physically, I will continue to work on the sidelines. I have already crippled two of Voldemort's main suppliers just by becoming Lord Black. I will continue to do what I can and hope that if and when we see each other again you'll be willing to forgive me. If not, that's okay. Because I have no regrets. I am doing the right thing for me. I am doing the right thing for my son.
I hope to see you all whole, healthy, happy, and alive,
The newly, though not entirely wanted,
Lord Sirius Orion Black
()
Sirius arrived at the gate two days later, the train having been a long, though relaxing, way to travel. The Irion gates reached to twice his height and held the Black family Symbol, the raven, in flight. This home was known as Ravenfell, the winter lodging for the branch family of the Blacks. Though there was no branch family anymore.
He pressed his ring into the groove of the raven's beak, its eyes glowing for a moment as it tasted his magic. He felt the wards recognize him and link to his core before the gate swung open. Caelum was wide awake in his arms, quiet and observing as he looked around, though his movements were limited since he was not yet old enough to move his head on his own. The path was a gray cobbled one with arching trees and lush grass not unlike moss on both sides. The area here was a bit warmer than back home, though the winters were still harsh.
Ravenfell had been his favorite home, second to the beach house in Italy and just homier than the Parisian villa, while growing up. Though he had only seen it before he entered into Hogwarts, it was still a beautiful memory for him. The black marble fountain in front of a white stone mansion, magical flowers that glow at night with bowtruckles and fairies hiding in the willow trees. Vines of Rosalind, a type of magical flower whose petals were used in protective potions crawled up towards the terraces. The inside had been just as inviting with dark wood floors that shined sharply, warm chandeliers in every room, and laughing paintings of previous blacks who secretly hated the way the family was heading and would tell him stories of when the Black family were known as gray and not dark.
When he finally stood before the home he smiled. It hadn't changed a bit. A small pop could be heard and before him stood two elves, male and female, both wearing the dark purple and silver uniforms given to elves in the branch side of the family. He never understood why Kreature was never given such a uniform, but he figured it was just another one of those things about his family he would never understand.
"Welcome home, Master Black. Can Mipsy be doing anything for you this evening?" He smiled at the female elf before shifting Caelum so he could be seen. His eyebrows rose when the elf looked to be on the verge of tears.
"Mipsy is so happy to see a new baby in the house of Black." He watched her as she wiped her eyes on the apron of her uniform.
"I'm happy that you're happy, Mipsy. I believe Caelum could use a warm bath and bottle before it's time for him to sleep. Can I trust you to take care of him for me?" She nodded her head wildly, her long ears flopping as she moved. She gently cradled Caelum in her arms, his purple eyes looking at her like she was the most fascinating thing, before they popped away.
"Master Black. My name is Manzo." Manzo had the most masculine voice he had ever heard from an elf. He earned his name well. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Hmmm…yes actually." He pulled out his trunk and passed it to the elf. "Please take my trunk to my room and please ask one of the kitchen elves for a small meal. I am rather hungry and haven't eaten much in a couple of days. After that I think I may take a bath and go to bed."
"Yes, sir. I will see to your trunk and that your meal is prepared by the time you get to the kitchen. A bath will be waiting for you when you are finished." Manzo quickly left. If anything, the elf was efficient.
Sirius paused and looked at the house, taking a deep breath. He was really here. He had really broken off ties from England in order to raise a child that should be his best friends, but was now his in every way. He didn't regret it, though it was overwhelming. He sighed and continued walking. There was much to be done. He may be off the battlefield but he wasn't out of the war. Not completely anyway.
"I guess this is it. Better make the most of." He whispered to himself, allowing the rich dark wood doors of Ravenfell to close behind him.
()
A few days later, the masses knew that Sirius Black had taken up his title as Lord Black and abandoned England to the Dark Lord, the knowledge of a son never revealed.
Nearly Two months after that, James and Lily Potter became the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl with ebony black hair and Emerald green eyes. Her name would soon be one of the most talked about: Acacia Calypso Potter.
Six months later, the Dark Lord and his militia suffered a major set-back when two of the wealthiest contributors to the cause (Nott and Malfoy) found that their biggest financially supportive businesses were bought out anonymously. Both pureblood households pulled their donations from the cause in order to stabilize their own household before it sunk to 'mudblood' levels.
More than a year later, on October 31, 1981, the Dark Lord Voldemort entered the Potter's home after they had been betrayed by one of their closest friends, Peter Petegrew. He would enter the home at a time when James Potter is away with the ministry, and confront Lily Potter as she stands protectively in front of her daughter. She will nearly lose her life, the Dark Lord having cut off her leg in order to get to her daughter. The magic she had delved in, the runes that practically crawled along her daughter's crib, would protect her, allowing the killing curse to bounce back at the Dark Lord and causing him to turn to dust on the spot. The screaming wail of a wraith and the carved rune Sowilo that will be mistaken as a lightning bolt would be all that is last known of the Dark Lord.
And all would be right in the world as Acacia and Caelum would grow.
All would be right for a time…
Because there is a prophecy that must be fulfilled.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord Approaches
Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies
And the Dark Lord will mark her as his equal,
She will have power the dark Lord knows not
Though an end will come if the unwanted shield birthed under Gemini's star is broken
For both she and shield share power and blood blessed by death
If the shield breaks, the end is near
And either she or the Dark Lord must die at the hand of the other because neither can live while the other survives.
The one with the power to vanquish the dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.
()
A/N: There will be somethings I'm changing in the canon such as the age of the characters when the triwizard tournament comes, which will be in the chapter. Be aware that this is only the prologue, the next chapter will launch from when Caelum and Acacia are 16. Let me know, in a constructively nice way please or I'll pretend that you and your review don't exist, what you think. I haven't gotten into the development of my main characters yet, but those will come in the next chapter. I wanted to set the stage for so please be patient. I've been playing around with this idea for a while, so hopefully it will shape up to being what I hope it to be.
I'm looking for a beta or a coauthor on this. I've got a big idea, so it would be nice if I could have a good brain to bounce ideas off of.
P.S: Super apologize if my pronouns jump. That's what happens when you write one way and then change midway through the story. I don't know if I was able to fix it all so if I didn't catch all of my mistakes point them out to me. If I have the time I'll go back and fix it.