Nine year-old Gideon Black was sitting on the porch of number 12 Grimauld Place watching the muggles come and go. He hated not being able to move freely, for even though there were wards repelling the muggles from entering the premises, there was always the fear that someone would be able to see through it and his father didn't want to have to deal with a matter of a muggleborn who knew nothing of magic seeing something so clearly out of the ordinary as a boy on a broomstick flying.

It was so boring, Gideon frowned, minding his sister as she strolled around the garden with their house elf Kreacher minding her. That was one thing nobody in the family liked, the rather creepy and demented house elf of the Black family. His father had often spoke of how Regulus was always the disturbed elf's favorite. That was coming from the elf who's dream was to eventually be beheaded and be put on the mantelpiece. "Lyra. Don't wander too far from the house." Gideon called, his little sister excitedly chasing the family owl Loki around.

So it was certainly a surprise to the elf, owl and two young magical children for a naked girl with dark red hair to appear collapsed inside their wards. Kreacher shrieked in horror and quickly took Lyra's hand and teleported within the wards as Gideon's mother rushed outside, wand drawn as the intruder charms began to wail their dirge. Serena Black took her son in hand as she pushed him inside the protection of the house while she approached the girl.

"By the gods." Serena whispered. "Kreacher!" she commanded, the elf appearing in a bow. "Call Sirius, tell him to go to Saint Mungo's as soon as he can." She scooped up the young girl in her arms and quickly apparated away to the magical hospital.

In a rush of sound, the apparition point of Saint Mungo's came into focus as she swept her robes behind her and rushed to the desk. "Serena Black, for Healer Tonks. Urgent." She spoke to the witch at reception, who did a double take at the girl cradled in the woman's arms.

"O-of course, my lady. This way please." The woman said, rushing off as Serena quickened her pace, placing the young girl in the care of her goodsister.

Andromeda Tonks looked in shock as the frail, thin form of the girl before her seemed struggling to breathe, her wrists bound and what looked to be a collar around her neck of dark leather. "What in Merlin's name happened to her?" she hissed, looking the child over.

"She appeared, apparated I think, accidental magic. I have no idea who she is or what happened to her." Serena answered truthfully. She was allowed to sit in to watch the procedure as she tapped a piece of parchment and began muttering diagnostic spells as colors and shapes and wisps of smoke ascended from the girl's battered body. Most were a dark red in color, some were yellow and others were in shades of blue, violet and grey.

"Oh, merciful Morgana. What happened to you, child?" Tonks asked, looking over the notes as she began the process of stabilizing the child. It was this point that Sirius made his appearance. Striding into the room, he took in the sight of his wife, who took to assisting Andromeda with the girl.

Sirius's eyes widened and he fell to his knees at the sight of the battered girl before him. "Sweet Merlin. Andrea, what happened to you?"

"What do you mean you gave Andrea to your sister?" Sirius exclaimed, the meeting with the Potters had gone far worse than he expected. She was no squib, Sirius himself saw her use magic as a baby to call a toy to her side. How could her parents, the loving and ever doting Lily and her honorable and noble husband James, his best friends, do this to their child?

Lily looked mildly ashamed at Sirius. "S-she was a squib. The accidental magic was Harry's doing all along." She said quietly. "That night with Voldemort, when James's mother sacrificed herself to save the children. Something happened and Andrea lost her magic."

"So why did you leave her to that bitch? Petunia didn't care about you after you went to Hogwarts. What makes you think she cares about what would happen to her niece that she barely knows and is suddenly told to keep watch on her. What did Dumbledore tell you?"

The Potters grew angry at this comment. "Don't you dare badmouth my sister!" Lily argued. "Andrea was a squib; it would have been better for her for her in the muggle world to grow up without knowledge of magic."

Nodding, Sirius turned quiet. "Did you ever visit her?" Sirius said quietly. "Her birthday was three days ago, I only realized it now. That's why I came to ask if you'd give this to her." He said, handing James a stuffed dog with the word Padfoot embroidered on one side, courtesy of his wife.

Their expressions unchanged, James and Lily nodded. "We visit her on her birthday, but we don't . . . talk to her. We can't." James said quietly. "She . . . she's a squib, Sirius. She'll never be able to do anything we can, why torture her with what we really are?"

Disbelieving, Sirius shook his head. "James. Lily. I thought you two of all people would care for a squib child."

"But Dumbledore said ~"

"Oh. So that's how it is." Sirius said quietly, reaching into his robes to pull out a newspaper. A muggle one, Lily observed as none of the pictures moved. "You'll be wanting to see this then."

On the third page, a column read; 'Fire in Neighborhood: Unknown Child Dead.' Sirius said.

Lily and James read over the article before nodding solemnly, Lily shedding a few tears. Not the reaction that Sirius was looking for. "Then she's not suffering anymore." James said.

"Not su . . . James, your daughter just died. Have you no shame? She wasn't sick, she wasn't weak. She was a witch. I've seen her use magic when she and Harry were little!" Sirius roared, rising to confront his friend as Lily looked at the article sadly.

"It's for the best, Sirius." Lily whispered.

That. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "You haven't visited me in eight years. Maybe you were suspicious after what happened with that bitch of a rat." The comment on the fate of one Petra Pettigrew received no comment after the revelation of the dead daughter of the Potters. "But your daughter, your own flesh and blood. You didn't even visit her, otherwise you'd know and you'd have taken her back."

"Sirius, it was for her own good!" Lily cried.

"She's right. Sirius, it's better this way." James grimaced.

For what felt like the millionth time, Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "Your godson will be nine this year. My goddaughter would have been seven. Now I'll never get to know her. I hope she's in a better place. For what it's worth anyway." Sirius scowled.

The deception complete, Sirius departed the Potter estate, stepping into the floo system, he remarked. "Goodbye. For now, perhaps it's best we don't see each other. I need some time to think."

"Of course. Be safe, Padfoot." James said.

Chuckling mirthlessly, Sirius sighed. "You too, Prongs. Black Manor." Sirius intoned, the green flash of flames enveloping him as he sped away to his own home.

Deposited out, he made eye contact with his wife and shook his head. "You were right. That old codger's definitely done something. Unfortunately, they seem intent on keeping their head in the dirt about this. They didn't want their own daughter." Sirius spat, trembling in rage.

Serena brought her arms across her husband's. "She's like family to you, isn't she?" Serena asked, a small smile gracing her lips. "I propose an act." Serena smirked coyly.

"What did you have in mind?" Sirius asked, reaching for a bottle of Firewhisky to chase away memories of that strange visit to the Potters.

"You've always wanted a third child." She smirked. "Of course, the register would be rather . . . mystified at the appearance of your second child after you've already had your real second. So how about a child born out of wedlock?"

Sirius froze. A child born out of wedlock to an Ancient house wasn't too uncommon. However, taking in his goddaughter was several ways mysterious to the moon. It would also be problematic if the Potters were to claim her later in life. "There are . . . options we can consider regarding her future. I feel partly responsible with the way her life turned out."

Serena sighed, kissing her husband's forehead and looking him in the eye. "Sirius Orion Black. You are an honorable man, the kind House Black needs to get out of the rut your mother and grandfather left the house in. We are a Dark family by nature, but that does not make us heartless or unnecessarily cruel."

He glanced to the family portrait and smirked. He had an idea, one that would shake the very foundations of House Black forever. Never let it be said that he didn't have an ounce of cleverness, he may have been a Gryffindor. "Claws aren't a lion's only weapon." He chuckled as he departed the room. First, he had to consult the family grimoires.

Salutations,

Here's the second chapter to The Lion's Rose. Thank you and a warm welcome to all the story's followers. I hope to hear from you all in the coming chapters. Until then, enjoy the chapter.

Mischief Managed,

Arilia