A/N:This story continues The Gift. The first chapter explains how Sophie came to live with Remus all those years ago. For those who haven't read The Gift, this story may be hard to follow. Don't let that discourage you, though, I'll try to make it new reader friendly.

As always, reviews are welcome. Don't be shy.

Disclaimer:Anything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling. No harm or profit is intended by its use.

Chapter 1: Beholden Unto Thee

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.

Sophocles

November 1981…

Remus paced the length of the sitting room, strewn with broken remnants of the small cottage crunching underfoot. He was oblivious to the fresh cuts on the soles of his feet, unaware of the bloody trail he'd left around the small room. He was much too numb to feel any physical pain.

It had been a week since he'd experienced the loss of three of his closest friends and had realized the betrayal of the fourth. The pain and grief had him still firmly in its grip, emotions jerking him one way, tugging him another like a marionette tethered to a cruel puppeteer. He was alone. His parents were gone, James and Lily were dead, Peter had been blown literally to bits and Sirius – he couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around what Sirius had done, what he had turned out to be – a Death Eater.

A week ago he had been living in London under the same roof as his perfidious mate, completely oblivious to the truth. The thought that he had been so close yet hadn't suspected a thing was eating away at him. The awareness that James and Lily were gone and that little Harry was suddenly an orphan ripped his insides to shreds.

He still couldn't believe it. It simply couldn't be true. But it was. Sirius had been in league with Voldemort. He'd led them all to believe he was nothing like his family, all the while betraying the Order and hiding who he really was. At least that's what Remus' sense told him. His heart, however, was telling him something different.

He loved James like a brother.There's no way in the world he would sell him out. No way. Never.

The constant tug of war between his head and his heart was slowly driving him mad. They were at odds and he doubted a year, a dozen years, would change that. He just didn't know how to live with it. It was hard enough for Remus to be constantly pulled in two directions as a werewolf and a man, he wondered how he would survive his psyche being furthered fragmented by his own misgivings.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the cracked mirror by the front door and realized he was still wearing the same clothes he'd put on a week ago, dingy grey and slightly tattered, but it was all the clothes he had. All of his meager belongings were still in the flat he'd shared with Sirius. The only things he had in his parents' house were bits of childhood memorabilia. He was dimly aware of the need to push himself out of this space in his head where he'd been stuck for the last week (which felt, to him, infinitely longer) but the thought of stepping foot in that flat, seeing Sirius' things scattered about, Harry's stuffed rabbit still sitting on the kitchen table where Lily had forgotten it just before she and James and the baby went into hiding, was too much for him. He wanted to scream, tear out his hair in frustration, scratch at every scab on his body until they bled, just to feel something – anything – different, and he could leave this place, leave all the pain behind. He was tired and he wanted it to be over, the emotions that choked him, making it hard to breathe, to think, to feel, but the lycan part of him wouldn't allow it. The werewolf inside had the desire to live, even if the man that housed him had given up.

As he considered whether life was worth living anymore, a knock at the door caused him to jump. It wasn't the usual knock he'd been ignoring from concerned Order members dropping round to check on him. No, this knock was more urgent, demanding. He tried to ignore it but it persisted. Finally, frustrated, angry and wanting to be left alone, he wrenched the door open, ready to blast whoever was on the other side, and was shocked by the sight before him. Eris Sloane stood on his doorstep, her cloak wrapped around a cumbersome bundle in her arms.

"Hello, Remus," she said in a serious tone.

He blinked. This can't be, he told himself but she was still standing in front of him.

"May I come in?" she asked, shifting the weighty bundle over her shoulder.

He didn't know how to respond. A part of him wanted to tell her piss off, but another part of him was mildly curious about her sudden appearance. Distracted for a moment from his own grief, he stepped aside and let her in.

"I heard about Peter, Lily and James," she said softly as he shut the door, "I'm sorry."

He flinched at the mention of their names, sounding foreign coming out of her mouth. The resentment he'd been secretly harbouring for the girl who broke his heart came flooding back.

"What do you want?" he spat out, not bothering to restrain the emotion.

She turned to face him as she stood in the middle of the battered room. The sympathetic look on her face seemed to vanish, replaced by a cold glare. "I needed to see you," she said, the sympathy gone.

He noted how quickly she'd shed the caring façade. Just like old times, he thought bitterly. Still, his curiousity, though somewhat detached, had grown.

Why?" he demanded in a harsh, suspicious tone.

She looked at him, suddenly hesitant, then gestured towards the settee with her free hand. "May I?"

He looked at her, half – incredulous, half – exasperated. When he didn't answer, she stepped further into the room and gently laid the bundle in her arms upon the worn velvet cushions. She stood over it for a moment, her back to him. He felt his impatience grow.

Suddenly wishing her gone, he trampled over the splintered wood on the floor and grabbed her by the arm. "You need to go!" he exclaimed as he spun her around but any other words died in his throat as his realized they weren't alone. The parcel she'd placed on the settee wasn't a parcel at all, but a young child – a girl.

Remus felt a dull jolt of shock as he laid his eyes upon the sleeping child, who looked no more than five years old. Her hair was a tawny brown and her face reminded him of an antique doll, small and pale with perfect apple cheeks and a tiny button nose.

"Who is that?" he asked as his eyes roamed over her.

"Sophie," Eris answered, then waited for him to look her in the eyes, "she's your daughter."

Daughter? The word punctured the hazy bubble in his head, like a hard slap in the face.

Remus looked from Eris to the child, who looked very unlike her, with confusion. "What?" he asked incredulously. Surely, he thought, she's lost her mind.

"She's four," she stated, her voice barely above a whisper, "Born October 31st, 1977, exactly nine months after we slept together for the first time. She's yours."

"That's not possible," he hissed, "There's no way." He felt resentment growing at the timing of her cruel ruse. Surely it has to be a ruse, he thought.

Eris stepped towards him, her eyes boring into his in challenge. "It's not supposed to be," she said with a bitter edge to her voice, "but it is." Her face became distorted with disgust. "My parents forced me to have her," she went on in a harsh whisper, "a punishment for betraying… for betraying the family name." She stepped away from the little girl and began to pace the room. "They probably thought it would kill me, so they wouldn't have to do anything themselves, you know, I'd be punished for my own deeds."

Her words only partially registered in Remus' mind, which was flooding with more and more questions.

"How…?" He groped for words but nothing came. Eris, however, anticipated his next question.

"I don't know," she breathed, then closed her eyes and turned away.

They stood in deafening silence for some time, with only the sound of the little girl's breathing filling the room. Eris stood by the window, peering out to the dark night, while Remus stood rooted to the spot, his mind slowly coming round to the truth. His gaze drifted towards the little girl, still asleep on the sofa. She was thin and pale. He noticed with dread the red marks peeking out from the collar of her cloak.

"You see it, don't you?" Eris asked, her voice breaking through his silent, shocked reverie.

No, he thought, but he couldn't deny it. The little girl's colouring, features, were familiar.

"A werewolf has never been able to carry a child to term," he responded, more for himself than for her, "I don't even think a werewolf, a male, can..." He tore his eyes off the child and stared Eris once more as she scoffed loudly at his naiveté.

"Did you think you couldn't get me pregnant?" It was her turn to sound incredulous.

"I've never heard of it," he answered in a small voice, feeling quite stupid.

She didn't respond, only shook her head but the gesture filled him with shame. She sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through her dark, wavy hair, a contrast to the little girl's own golden honey mane. "She's just like you, Remus," she whispered, the tone accusatory, "I thought she might not be, even though I watched her claw at herself every full moon, scream and cry…"

She stepped closer to him, moving cautiously, as if afraid of him.

"But this last one… she transformed… on her birthday, she transformed… for the first time." A shadow cast across her face that had nothing to do with the lighting of the room. "It was awful, just…" she struggled for words, "I can't handle it," she confessed, "I can't do it."

He didn't know what to say.

"You keep her," she whispered, "I just can't anymore."

"No," he said, reacting before he'd even had a chance to think, "I can't." He could only think of his life in shambles and the hole where his heart should be.

"Youhave to." She stepped closer and grabbed the front of his shirt. She pulled him close and he could see the look of desperation in her eyes. "She's like this because of you," she breathed, "if you'd only told me the truth, about what you are…"

"She wouldn't be here," he finished, feeling the cold reality of those words hit him, his stomach heavy like a stone.

Eris started at the words and gave him a pleading look. "If you don't take her, I'll…" she gestured wildly, his shirt twisted in her fists, "I'll leave her in the forest, like an animal!"

He shoved her back, shocked and horrified. She let go, and stumbling backwards, Eris seemed to realize what she'd said. She looked overwhelmed by shame, much the same way Remus had been feeling a moment ago.

"Mummy?"

Remus and Eris both turned their gaze towards the little girl, rubbing sleep out of her eyes on the settee.

"Mummy, where are we?" Her hazel eyes went wide as she looked around the room.

Eris looked beside herself. It was clear she hadn't counted on the little girl waking up.

"Sophie," she breathed, the name catching in her throat, "this is… this is your new home."

The little girl's eyes widened in fear.

"This man," she went on, stepping closer to Remus, "this is Remus. He's your father."

The little girl looked confused. "You said… that I didn't have a daddy." Her voice was small and high and the sound of it wrenched at his emotions.

Eris sniffed and swiped at her face. "I lied." She stepped away from Remus and headed slowly towards the door. "He's your father," she repeated, her eyes looking towards the girl but not really seeing. She shifted her eyes to Remus and gave him a significant look. "I have to go."

As she turned, Remus, suddenly panicking, lunged for her, which caused the little girl to scream.

"Stop, please!" she cried, as Eris struggled to break free from his grip.

"Let me go!" Eris demanded, wild – eyed and desperate, ignoring the little girl's cries.

Remus, realizing quickly how it must look to the child, released her suddenly and she fell to the floor.

"Mummy!" The little girl scrambled off the settee and ran to her mother, who sat crumpled on the floor. She threw her tiny arms around Eris' neck and held on tightly. "Mummy, please!" she sobbed, "I promise I won't do it again, please don't leave me here!"

Remus watched horrified as the young girl struggled to hold on to her mother, while Eris tried desperately to release her grip and shove her away.

"I have to go," she repeated, angry and frantic. She got to her feet and tore to the front door as the little girl stood still, looking shocked, shaking and sobbing violently, only two words escaping her lips. "Mummy! No!"

Remus watched, unable to move as Eris pulled the door open, and stepped out into the darkness, and then turned on the doorstep and Disapparated without another word. She didn't say goodbye, didn't gesture to the girl in any way. She just left.

The realization of what had just happened seemed to hit him all at once with a force so heavy he swayed on the spot, threatening to tumble to the ground from the sudden weight of it. The little girl, meanwhile, stood where her mother left her, her tiny body shuddering with repressed sobs.

"Shhh," he whispered, moving towards her and falling to his knees beside her. "Shh." He struggled to settle his own emotions.

The little girl bit her lip and looked him in the eyes.

"It's okay," he continued, desperate to calm her, "It's okay." He peered back at the curious round, hazel eyes, swimming with emotions she didn't understand and he felt a powerful sensation rush through him as he realized the eyes looking back were his.

"Are, are you – " she stammered, eyes shimmering gold with trepidation and tears, "are you really my daddy?"

The question, whispered in the tiny voice, so innocent and young and small, took him by surprise. "Yes. I am." The reassurance in his own voice surprised him further.

"Is mummy coming back?" she asked, emboldened.

"I don't think so," he answered truthfully. He found he couldn't lie to her.

She let out a sob. "I didn't mean to do it," she whispered, bottom lip trembling.

"Do what?" He needed to understand.

"I didn't mean to scare her," she answered, sounding ashamed.

He recognized the emotion and it tore at his already damaged heart.

"It wasn't you," he told her, and he felt it was the truth, "she just had to go. But you're here with me now," he continued, feeling a strange sort of calm come over him as he spoke, "and it's going to be okay." Somehow, he felt that was the truth as well.

The little girl seemed soothed by his words as she gazed around the room in wonder.

"Do you live here?" she asked with skepticism.

Remus was aware of the terrible state of the sitting room and he felt suddenly ashamed for taking it out on his parents' home. He nodded.

"What happened?"

"An accident," he said, "I'll clean it up in the morning." The little girl swayed a little on the spot and he took her gently by the arm.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, wondering when she'd eaten last.

She shook her head.

"Are you thirsty?" he enquired further, concerned, but she shook her head once more.

"Sleepy?"

She nodded and yawned and he suppressed a smile.

"There's a bedroom over there," he gestured to the back of the house but she shook her head more determinedly.

"Where will you sleep?" he asked, wondering how she and Eris had lived.

The little girl pointed at the settee.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

He considered her for a moment, then stood up and moved to the settee. "Then we'll just have to make it better," he stated, pulling out his wand from his pocket.

The little girl looked at the wand in wonder. "You're magic," she whispered excitedly.

"Just like you," he said as he waved his wand and the debris by the settee was swept away. It gathered at the opposite corner of the room.

"No," she answered, "not like me." There was sadness in her voice.

"Exactly like you," he whispered, picking her up and gently placing her on the settee, now covered with a plush feather bed. He pushed a clump of hair from her face that was matted to her cheek with dried tears. "I'm a werewolf, too."

Her eyes widened and her tiny mouth formed an 'o' and he was instantly reminded of his mother. It surprised him but he shook it off. It was all too much for one day. He needed to sleep and so did the girl.

"Right now," he continued as he conjured and a blanket and a pillow, "is time for bed. Tomorrow you can ask me anything you want to know."

The little girl, Sophie, looked at him with eyes lit up. "I can?" she breathed.

He nodded, and pulled the cotton blanket over her. "Tomorrow."

She gave a tiny smile and the breath caught in his lungs at the sheer beauty of it.

"Good night," she whispered softly, then closed her eyes, murmured, "daddy" and was fast asleep.

Remus sat on the end of the settee, staring at the little girl, his daughter, as she slept. For the first time in a week, he wasn't thinking about the tragedy that had befallen his friends, he wasn't obsessing over Sirius Black. Instead, he poured over every conversation he could remember having with Eris – the sweet whispers of affection, the spiteful words of shame – and tried to fathom why she'd hidden the child for the last four years until, finally, exhausted, he drifted off to sleep, his daughter curled up by his side.

The focus of this story will shift a bit as Sophie matures and is thrust into a changing world. I plan to keep some major plot points the same but I warn you now, this story will be very AU…

BTW, the next chapter will pick up a year after the first part left off…

See ya soon;)