Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

How Sirius became a daddy

"Isn't she beautiful guys?" James asked his best mates.

Sirius stared at the bundle in Prongs' arms. Merlin, she was tiny. Were babies supposed to be that small? He hadn't known anything could be so small.

"She's absolutely gorgeous Prongs." The dog animagus told the new father sincerely. James beamed in pride.

"I agree with Sirius's statement. You've really outdone yourself this time, James. She even has her mother's eyes." Remus observed, pointing out the vivid emerald orbs that stared back at the four men surrounding her with curiosity.

James Potter's grin widened to the point that the other marauders feared it would split his face.

"I know. She inherited Lily-flower's eyes!" James was ecstatic.

Sirius grinned. "No doubt it'll attract a few blokes in the future too, if the way you constantly mooned over them while we were in school was anything to go by. Good thing with what the disadvantage the Potter hair is going to give her."

"There's nothing wrong with my hai—Hey! My daughter is most certainly not going to be mooned over. She'll stay pure until she's at least eighty. Or, you know, 300. I'm not picky."

Remus and Sirius flashed him twin blank looks.

"Um Prongs, I hate to break this to you mate, but we don't live to three-hundred." Sirius said carefully.

James returned their looks. "I know."

Remus shook his head while Sirius snorted.

"Merlin, don't tell me you've gone overprotective daddy on me Prongs." Sirius pleaded.

"And so what if I have?" James asked defensively. "Carina's much too innocent to ever be tainted—

"Tainted? Did you just say tainted?" Sirius interjected incredulously.

"—by the evilness that is boys." James ignored Padfoot's words.

"Bloody hell, it's already starting." Sirius muttered under his breath. He turned to his other best mate. "Quick, Moony! We need to get Prongs some firewhiskey before he forgets what being a Marauder is like too!"

Remus rolled his eyes and the conversation between the three friends continued. None of them seemed to remember the fourth member, a quiet boy with mousey blonde hair and watery blue eyes.

Peter watched the newborn infant with growing guilt.

OOOO

Sirius stared incomprehensibly at his best mate. Surely he had heard wrong?

James rolled his eyes at his friend's shocked stature and punched him lightly on the arm. "Come on Padfoot, I'm serious. Lily and I have been talking and we want you to be the Godfather."

Sirius swallowed. "Me? But why?"

James frowned in confusion. "Don't you want to be my kid's godfather?"

"Of course I do!" Sirius hurried to reassure. "But I mean, Moony's a much better choice than me. I don't know if you've noticed mate, but I'm not exactly role model material."

James grinned at him. "You don't have to be. You just have to spoil her rotten alongside me and babysit once in a while." He joked.

Sirius barked out a laugh. "No, siriusly though mate, why?"

James shook his head at the common pun Padfoot liked to use with his name. "You're my best mate, Sirius—no offense to Moony and Wormtail, of course—and I want you to be my daughter's godfather. Isn't that enough?"

Sirius felt touched. He conspicuously wiped his eyes with the back of his hand while James pretended something in another direction had caught his attention.

"Thanks Prongs. I wouldn't let you down." He promised, uncharacteristically serious.

James smiled. "I know you won't Padfoot."

They shared grins.

"So," Sirius began, grinning "How'd you convince Lily?"

James groaned and began a long winded explanation of all the torture he had faced at the hands of his lovely wife.

OOOO

The two adult aurors stared at the infant lying innocently in the ritual circle.

"Um, Prongs," Sirius nudged his friend.

"Yeah?" James asked, still not taking his eyes off of what was supposed to be his daughter.

"Why the bloody hell does Carina look more like my daughter than yours? I thought this was just the minor blood adoption ritual for godfathers!"

"I don't know Padfoot. Why indeed." The last part was directed to the goblin that had assisted and witnessed the ritual.

Brinkhook—the Potter account manager—coughed, looking down at the parchment results. "It would seem that Mr. Black's blood intermingled with one Dorea Potter nee Black's dormant blood inherent in the babe, and altered her genetic code. She will now be regarded as a dominant Black with the Potter side as her feminine gene."

Both wizards' jaws dropped.

"F-feminine?!" James screamed, "You-you mean…"

The goblin nodded. "Yes. You are now technically her mother according to magic and blood."

Sirius burst out laughing while James paled.

"M-Mother," the womanizer breathed, holding his ribs, "Oh Merlin, this is precious."

James scowled at his best mate. "Padfoot this isn't the time to play around!" he admonished before refocusing on Brinkhook. "If I'm considered her m-m-mum," he choked out "Then what about my wife? What about Lily Potter?"

"Mrs. Potter's blood now only plays a minority in your daughter's body. She takes up about ten percent as a whole. This, incidentally, marks one Carina Artemis Potter-Black as a pureblood."

James fainted. Sirius stopped laughing.

Blinking, he made his way over to his friend. "P-Prongs?" he poked James' limp body. No reaction. Not even a twitch.

The dog animagus, alone with his unconscious brother-in-all-but-blood and a silent goblin, and unsure of what to do next, began to cautiously move towards his new goddaughter-turned-daughter. The little girl gurgled at his appearance. Sirius smiled tentatively.

Well, he supposed he was bound to get a kid one day (though he was expecting it to come in the form of an angry witch from a one-night stand).

And besides, at least he wasn't the one who had to tell Lily. That would be Prongs' job. His best mate could fend for himself. Sirius wasn't the one who had sworn honesty vows during their wedding, after all.

0000

"Be safe Prongs. Lily." Sirius hugged the pair as the three of them said their goodbyes and went into hiding. The dog animagus managed to catch a glimpse of his goddaughter before his friends were portkeyed away.

He could only pray that they would all make it out unscathed.

OOOO

"You-Know-Who's been vanquished!"

"To Neville Longbottom! The Boy-Who-Lived!"

OOOO

"What is your name?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Did you sell out the Potters and the Longbottoms?"

"Yes." There was a roar of anger from the listening crowd. Remus and a couple of other Order members had to restrain Sirius.

"Are you a death eater?"

"Yes." Another cry of outrage. Alastor Moody body-binded Black.

"Were you forced to take the dark mark?"

"No." Witches and wizards attempted to jinx him, but he was shielded by the interrogator's protection spell. Sirius managed to get in a good hex before his wand was taken.

"Why did you join?"

"I-I was scared. The dark lord…you have no idea…he has weapons you couldn't imagine. I-I never meant for it to happen b-but... You-Know-Who was taking over everywhere! What was there to be gained from refusing him?"

Insults were slurred at the traitor. Sirius determinedly mouthed his opinion even with the silencing charm (silencio) over him.

"Enough!" The head interrogator ordered the crowd. He waited until the noise had quieted. "With the evidence presented today, it is decided that Peter Pettigrew will be sentenced to the kiss."

The people cheered while the rat animagus broke down into sobs, cut-off from the truth potion (veritaserum), he pleaded with the aurors haling him away.

Sirius and Remus and the Order members particularly, bore rather bloodthirsty and satisfied expressions.

OOOO

Sirius hummed a made-up lullaby to the one year old. He reached over to smooth the clinging hair from her forehead, and watched her peaceful sleeping face. She was still small. Not as small as she had been when he had first saw her, but still ridiculously tiny and vulnerable.

The dog animagus let out a tired breath and combed his fingers through his hair. Merlin, what was he doing? He couldn't take care of a kid. He couldn't even take care of himself!

Carina made a small noise just then, as though she had unconsciously sensed his doubts and worries (and for all Sirius knew, she probably had; Lily had said that babies were sensitive to those sort of things), and rolled over to face him, mumbling a quiet "Paddy" in her sleep before she returned to softly snoring.

Sirius felt his heart lock in his throat and tears sting his eyes, and he gathered his precious bundle into his arms, burying his face in soft black hair.

He would never be able to replace James and Lily, and he'd never be the world's best dad (he just didn't know how to; not like James), but he'd be damned if didn't at least try.

OOOO

AN: Warning! Some of the main characters won't be displayed in a good light (from Harry's POV), and while she'll strike against them, it wont be because they betrayed her or anything. It'll be because they either annoyed her or are in the way of her goals.

Any criticism or comments are very much appreciated.