May 25, 1985

"Long time no see, Remus."

Remus fidgeted uncomfortably under Lily's caring gaze. Her heartwarming smile made him want to run back to the hovel he was currently living at. He tried to smile politely back at the woman, but it must have looked like a grimace to her.

He didn't have the heart to be kind, not after what she had done to his godson.

"Hello Lily. How have you been?"

Lily frowned at Remus' formal tone. She felt that he was distancing himself from her, and it hurt to know that she might lose another one of her closest friends.

Though, she might have lost Remus a long time ago.

"Please, Remus, come in and sit down. I'll make us some tea."

Remus wanted to deny her. In fact, Remus wanted to escape from her home and hide like he had done in the past five years. Entering Lily's abode would be similar to entering a chest filled with past memories that were best left in the past. Furthermore, entering her home would bring back a feeling of betrayal of family and a betrayal of love.

For wherever James and Lily went, Sirius Black was sure to follow.

"Please, Remus, for old time's sake."

Did his former friend know that her pleas would not affect him? Not after seeing a broken child's tears…

Remus sighed, "Alright."

It was all for his cub.

Lily smiled brightly, brushing a strand of her dark red hair away from her face. Her emerald eyes brushed quickly over his figure. He seemed different somehow, and she wanted to figure out what it was. He looked as tired as ever, but besides that, he seemed perfectly healthy. She saw how he brushed a part of his sandy-blond hair away from his amber colored eyes…

There was a light in his eyes. She hasn't seen that light in a long time. Was Remus happy wherever he was? Did he find someone new?

Poor Sirius…

"Head into the living room, and I'll get us some tea." Lily said quietly.

Remus shook his head, "You do not need to bother yourself, Lily. I've only come to check on some old friends."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Then enjoy some tea with your old friend and find out what she has been up to." She said snippily.

She turned toward the kitchen without waiting for a response from the werewolf, and Remus was glad that she had left the room. The air was more stiflingly with her in it.

"Who are you mister?"

Remus' gaze landed on the young boy standing before him. Five year old Hayden looked up at him with curiosity and innocence. The child was a healthy, a bit chubby, boy with auburn colored hair, warm hazel-green eyes, and a wide mischievous smile.

Was it wrong to want to curse the child that was luckier than his own godson?

"Hayden! Do not be disrespectful!"

The child looked down while his mother scolded him. She held a platter with a teapot and a few cups, and she set them down on a table before taking a deep breath.

Remus thought that she might punish the boy.

Lily hugged the child fiercely. Remus was wrong.

"Oh, Hayden, I didn't mean to yell. It is just—I want you to be polite to Remus. He is a good friend of your father and mine."

Hayden nodded happily before turning back to the werewolf, who sat there watching the scene with disdain in his amber eyes. The expression was wiped away before Lily glanced at him.

The child felt that this stranger did not like him very much.

"Hiya mister Remus, I'm Hayden Potter, the boy-who-lived!" Hayden proclaimed proudly.

Remus was a bit startled at the boy's forwardness, and he gathered quickly that Hayden was a definite son of James Potter. The child was proud, arrogant, and seemed like a trickster, especially with that playful glint in his eyes.

"You have grown quite a lot since the last time I saw you." Remus remarked.

Hayden's eyes widened, "You saw me when I was a baby mister!"

Lily chuckled lightly, "Sweetheart, Remus was there when you were born."

Hayden gasped at that astounding fact, "Then, mister, you know my uncle Padfoot!"

Remus cringed at the name, but the other two took no notice. Lily was too busy entranced by her son's booming laughter and she giggled at his antics.

"Mama, can I drink tea with you and mister Remus?"

Lily smiled at her son fondly as she handed Remus a cup of tea. He shook his head in disappointment when watching the mother and son interact.

This was the life his beloved cub was supposed to have.

"Why don't I give you warm milk and cookies, Hayden?" Lily asked her child. Hayden frowned that his demand was refused, but took the compensation regardless. Lily faced Remus. She was ready to speak to the friend who had vanished three years ago.

"Remus, may I ask you a question?"

The werewolf took a sip of his tea, savoring the taste, and concluded that he had much worse. Though, to be fair, Remus thought, that he was being a bit bias.

This was the woman who had left his godson with a pair of magic-hating muggles.

Remus inwardly shook himself out of these thoughts, and contemplated on what to tell Lily as to where he has been for the last few years. Telling the truth was simply out of the question.

If only there was a distraction for her to focus on the time being.

"Lily, I—

The sound of the floo interrupted Remus, which he could not be more grateful until he saw who exactly came out of the Potter's fireplace.

"DADDY!" The youngest Potter cried as he ran toward his father.

James Potter grabbed his son and tossed him into the air. "Hello son, how was your day."

"It was okay daddy. I played with all my toys and I color. I played with snitch and prongs. And mama brought mister over." Hayden replied brightly as he pointed toward Lily and Remus.

"Mister? Why Lily I never would have thought that you would have been the first to crack of this one person for life plan. I have betted all my money toward James to be the first…"

Remus groaned inwardly at that voice. The same playful, sexy voice that Remus had loved to hear, and he, after hearing it again, realized that he had missed.

Remus did not want to face Sirius today.

"Shut it Black before I ban you from ever seeing Hayden again!" Lily said harshly, not liking what Sirius had insinuated before.

James laughed awkwardly, still holding on to his son, "Now honey, Sirius was just making a joke."

He then turned toward where Hayden was pointing to and froze.

He never thought that he would see Moony again.

Sirius, not noticing his werewolf yet, grimaced at that thought of apologizing to his mate's wife, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Prongs."

Remus, during this friendly banter between the three of them, was slowly creeping out of the room without Lily's notice, and James was completely confused that he could not speak. The werewolf did not want to stay at the Potter's place any longer, and he did not need to. He came to check if the Potter family felt that they were missing something.

They did not.

Unfortunately, little Hayden did not adhere to Remus' plans.

"His name is mister Remus, Uncle Padfoot. Mama said that he knows me when I was a baby!" Hayden chirped with joy, relishing that all the attention was on him.

James finally snapped out of his daze, realizing that his friend was truly here, and he turned to his wife for answers. Lily looked sheepishly at her husband, not fond of getting caught while trying to hide something from him.

It was Sirius, though, who looked downright shocked.

"Remus…" Sirius whispered as his eyes finally locked onto the figure who was trying to make his escape.

Sirius wanted to run toward the werewolf and never let him go.

But his feet did not want to move.

Remus' eyes met Sirius' silver-gray eyes, eyes that looked remarkably like the dear child that Remus has come to adore, a child that was Sirius' illegitimate daughter, and a daughter that he had no idea existed.

"Sirius." Remus said, and he wanted to say more. He wanted to yell at him. He wanted to curse him for what he did to Ava and her children.

More importantly, Remus wanted to tell Sirius that he still loved him and missed him.

He couldn't, and that hurt more than Remus would ever admit. Remus could not come back to Sirius because that would mean leaving behind darling Cassiopeia and his cherished godson who was trapped in an abusive home. He had to choose between his love and his cub.

At this moment in life, Harry was the one who needed the werewolf more.

Remus glanced quickly at Lily, "Thank you for the tea, maybe we can finish our chat another time."

Taking advantage of everyone's silence, Remus quickly made his way out of the Potters' home, and he noted all the photos that adorned the hallway to his exit.

The photos that did not depict the existence of the other Potter child.

"Remus, please wait!"

Remus heard Sirius' cry, and he quickened his pace to the apparition point. A sense of déjà vu overcame Remus when he turned around to see Sirius before disappearing with a sounding crack.

The image of Sirius' heartbroken face would not leave the werewolf's mind.

June 10, 1985

"Mama will be angry that you're sneaking out again, Alyssa."

Cassiopeia scowled at her twin brother, technically her older brother as well, who was in her way from leaving.

At least he doesn't call her Cassiopeia all the time.

"I don't care what mother wants, Anthony, but I will leave this house without her or your permission."

Cepheus did not understand his sister. They were twins, close twins, so their bond, a bond created by magic itself, was a strong as I could be for how old they were.

A bond between twins was a thing that should not be messed with.

Still, with all that, Cepheus felt disconnected when his sister left their home. It was something private, and he was could never get an inkling of what it was.

It must be important to her for her not to want to share it with him.

They were twins, fraternal because they did not look so much alike. Where Cassiopeia had wavy dark-brown hair, he had straight black hair. Where his sister had silver-gray eyes and when you looked closely you could see the blue flecks in them, he had ice-blue eyes that matched his mother's.

People always commented that Cepheus looked a lot like his mother.

"I don't want mama to be angry at you, Alyssa. Please stay." Cepheus said pleadingly to his little sister.

Cassiopeia sighed loudly, not liking when her brother started begging. "I have to go, otherwise he'll be lonely."

The surge of jealousy rose in the twin brother. There was someone that was more important to Cassiopeia, and he did not even know who it was.

"Who is it? Tell me!" Cepheus yelled childishly.

Cassiopeia never liked lying to her brother. It wasn't as if she was ashamed to lie because that was not true, it was just that Cepheus, thanks to their bond, always knew when she was lying to him.

And that made her feel guilty, especially since Cepheus was her best friend…after Harry.

And she promised she wouldn't tell.

Cassiopeia shook her head, "Mother wouldn't let you go even if you knew, Anthony."

"Mama doesn't even let you go, and you don't listen all the time, sister! I want to meet him!" Cepheus whined.

She thought about it for a few seconds, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea…

"Cepheus Anthony Williams!"

The twins cringed at the harsh voice, and Cassiopeia bit her lip. Her chance at escaping was now ruined.

Why did her mother have come home early today?

Cepheus smiled charmingly at his mother, "Hello mama, you're home early."

Cassiopeia snorted before turning around to face her mother. She looked back wistfully. She wanted to go play with Harry.

"I need you to go inside Cepheus. I want to speak to your sister alone." Their mother said distressingly.

Cepheus looked at Cassiopeia apologetically. Their mother always favored him before his sister, and these were the times where she actually showed it. He ran toward their home and decided to wait in his room until his sister told him what happen.

She wasn't going anywhere today.

Ava Williams looked down at her daughter disappointingly. Her dark brown hair, similar to her daughter's was loose, falling to her shoulders. Her ice-blue eyes pierced her daughter's silver-gray orbs, and she could not help but feel contempt for that particular shade of color.

They were Sirius Black's eyes.

"Cassiopeia Alyssa Williams, how many times must I tell you not to venture off the property?"

Her daughter refused to say a word, angering Ava further.

"I swear Cassiopeia that I should throw you out on the streets for your blatant disrespect toward me, your own mother, for Merlin's sake!"

"I didn't know that mothers became bitterer as their children aged. You seem much more resentful the last time I saw you." A voice drawled behind the mother and daughter.

Cassiopeia's eyes lit up and she grinned. Her mother faltered at the voice that had stopped her rant. Ava turned around to face the stranger.

"Don't you recognize me Ava?" The stranger said mockingly with a smirk.

How could she not? There, standing in front of her, was Remus Lupin. One of the Gryffindor boys that the girls wanted and knew that they could not have. His sandy-blond hair fell to his gorgeous amber eyes which stared accusingly at her, and his warm smile, a trademark of his, was nowhere present on his usually kind face. This Remus Lupin was a different one from the one she went to school with. This new Lupin seemed much more harden.

It appeared that loosing the person you loved the most made you cold.

Ava looked down. It was her fault that the boy she cared for looked at her like she was nothing more than a piece of trash on the side of the road.

Ava, a while after she had her children, made a promise to herself that she would loathe Sirius Black for the rest of her life. The situation that had landed her pregnant was her fault as she was the one who had initiated that night with Black. She would always regret it.

But it was Sirius Black who had turned his back on her and his children. He, instead of accepting the mistake he made, decided to be a spoiled brat and put on the blame on her.

"You are just a fucking whore…You want to see me suffer."

As if. Ava Williams had felt extremely guilty and accepted the harsh comment that Black threw in her face. No, she didn't want to see him suffer back then.

Now she wanted Black to suffer.

Ava decided that she would not feel guilty any longer. And with that decision, she had favored her son, who had her eyes, over her daughter, who had her father's eyes.

Looking back at that promise, Ava realized that she never factored in her feelings toward Remus Lupin.

She never expected to see him again.

"Cassiopeia, sweet child, please enjoy your day with him. He misses you dearly."

It was with that statement, accompanied with that warm smile directed toward her daughter, that snapped Ava out of her whirling thoughts.

"What are you doing Lupin? I forbade Cassiopeia from leaving, and she is grounded for disobeying me." Ava stated, trying to focus on her daughter rather than the man whose life she had ruined.

Remus laughed, "I believe Cassiopeia would try to sneak out either way. She is much like her father."

Ava cringed at that. Cassiopeia's bright smile wavered for a bit, her good mood always faded when her father was mentioned, but she shook out of it.

It would do no good for Harry if she let the darkness suck her in too.

Cassiopeia laughed at her mother's apprehension toward the werewolf, "It seems that Uncle Moony has much to speak about with you, Mother, so I will be back later in the evening."

She wondered if her mother knew when she was lying.

Ava stared dumbstruck at her daughter's familiarity with Remus, and she puzzled over that fact while watching her daughter leave. How long was Remus Lupin watching her family?

Or how long was Remus watching Sirius's daughter?

She faced the werewolf, hesitating when she saw his judgmental glare. It was disconcerting to not know what his intentions were. What did he have to gain by coming here?

Was Remus back together with Black? If that was so, was he here to take her children away?

Even with all her faults as a mother, Ava Williams loved her children deeply, and she would not survive if they were taken away from her.

"Are you still with him? Tell me now if you are!" Ava spoke fast, needing her questions answered first.

"I need to know who you are talking about before I can answer that." Remus said blandly.

How dare he play dumb with her?

"Black," Ava murmured.

Remus glanced down before looking back at Ava, understanding what was going on in Ava's mind. "I'm not here to take away your children."

Ava glared suspiciously at the werewolf, "You didn't answer my first question."

"No, I am not with Sirius. I haven't been in the past five years." Remus said as he rolled his eyes.

Ava flinched at the insinuation, knowing full well that was another jab to her guilty soul. Didn't he know that she had everyday reminders of that day?

She took a deep breath, moving away from the subject of Black. "If not here for my children, then what the hell do you want?"

Remus chuckled, sending chills up Ava's spine, and not the good ones. "Ava, I have been miserable for five years."

Ava scowled, "No need for the guilt trip Lupin. I will always hate myself for what I did to you…"

"Always hating yourself…doesn't that damage your children in the long run?"

Ava spoke hatefully, "I do not need a lecture on child care. Just tell me what you want and then leave me the fuck alone."

Remus shook his head, "Fine. You own me."

Nothing needed to be said after that. Ava figured that he was here to collect some debt from her, debt from a sin she had committed years back, but she was afraid that he was going to ask for the impossible.

"Have you been keeping up with our world?" Remus asked suddenly.

"What does that—never mind. No I have not. I abandoned that world as soon as my children were born. I just make sure they know of their abilities." Ava said frustratingly

"Then you have no idea about the Potter twins."

Ava thought quickly over that, "Just that Lily had two twin boys…I remembered that because I wondered if fate was playing another one of her cruel jokes on me."

Ava smiled sadly, "I heard rumors that one of her boys defeated You-Know-Who."

Remus frowned, "Yes. Hayden Potter was named the boy-who-lived, and Harry Potter disappeared from the Wizarding World. He now resides at the Durselys' home at number four Privet Drive…not too far from here."

Ava narrowed her eyes, "Lily abandoned one of her children? That doesn't sound like her…"

"No, it doesn't, but that is what happened. Even I don't know all of the details; it is apparently kept between the Potters, Dumbledore, and maybe Sirius."

"Privet Drive? Remus Lupin, do not tell me that is where my daughter is heading to right at this moment."

The werewolf smirked, "Okay I won't tell you."

Ava started to fidget, "What do you want with me?"

"I need you to help me hide my cub." Remus said seriously.

July 31st, 1985

"You ghastly freak! Why should I still bother with you if my darling sister wanted nothing to do with you? She loved your brother more than she did you, and she expected to me to deal with her leftovers! Well no more! I won't deal with you, you worthless monster!"

Harry's emerald eyes widened at his aunt's outburst. She had been in a mood all day, but he did not expect to see her crack.

"Go! Go! GO AWAY NOW!" Petunia screamed, not wanting to look at her nephew any longer.

Harry ran from the kitchen to his cupboard, away from the yelling, and away from all the truths. He shut the door behind him, and he heard his aunt locking him in. He felt hot tears streaming down his face, and he realized that he was crying.

Nothing hurt more than the truth.

"Hush, Alex. She's lying. She is the ghastly one."

Harry shook away the soothing voice, wanting nothing more than to wallow in the darkness. He wanted to feel the pain enveloped him. He did not want to seek the light any longer because he was safer in the dark.

The light was absolutely worthless to him.

"Please Harry! Don't go too deep. Stay with me!"

And yet that pleading voice still managed to grab Harry away from the shadow's grasp.

Cassiopeia was still here.

"It's true. My mother did not want me."

No not his mother any longer. She was never his mother.

Cassiopeia shook her head, but Harry kept on going, "I'm worthless, aren't I? She's right. Lily Potter left me, yet she kept my brother. Why? Because I wasn't worth it."

He then looked at his friend. He was already broken. "Why won't you let me go?"

Harry's consciousness was fading slowly, and he knew that if his light wasn't here, he would have been gone already.

"Because it isn't true! There are still people who love you, you'll soon see Harry!" Cassiopeia explained loudly, not wanting her friend to disappear in the shadows.

She wanted Harry with her always, and she knew that if he delved deeper into the darkness that he would be lost to her forever. While the darkness has some hold of him, it would not take him fully from her without a fight!

"Who? Who cares for me, Cassiopeia? Unlike you, I have no one. At least you have a brother who loves you deeply." Harry said harshly. He did not like that his friend was trying to feed him false hope.

All to keep him from the one place he wanted to be.

Cassiopeia smiled, "You'll soon meet him."

Harry glared, "Then you know who he is."

She looked down in shame, "Harry it wasn't an accident that I met you. You know I don't live that close to here."

Harry pulled away from Cassiopeia's arms, only realizing then that her embrace was holding him together, and he looked at her accusingly. "So this is all a lie—

"No Harry! Please listen to me." Cassiopeia interrupted hastily.

Their voices were getting louder in the tiny cupboard under the stairs, and it was lucky that only Petunia Dursley was home.

Harry sat on the far end of the cupboard quietly.

"Harry, I was there that day because I was running away from home."

Harry nodded slowly, already knowing that part of her story.

"I met you and stayed here, but I met someone first." Cassiopeia paused giving space for Harry to ask questions.

"Who did you meet?" Harry asked blankly.

Cassiopeia smiled softly, "I met a man who told me to play with you, regardless of the bully of a cousin you had, and that if I did I would never regret it."

"You listened to an adult stranger." Harry stated, surprised at his friend's one time lapse in rebellion.

She blushed, "He doesn't count because he loves you and cares for me!"

Harry gaped. "What?"

"He loves you."

"Really…"

Cassiopeia giggled, "Yes silly. See now you know that there is a person who needs you."

Harry didn't say a word, and Cassiopeia knew that her friend had a hard time believing in a word she said.

He was only taking it seriously because Cassiopeia had never lied to him.

"Who are you?"

The children froze at Harry's aunt frighten voice. They did not notice that his aunt had unexpected company.

"Do you not recognize me either, Petunia?"

Cassiopeia jumped up happily at the voice, pressing her ear to the cupboard door. Harry had a feeling that this was the man that his friend admired.

A man she said that loved him.

"You're one of those freaks that my sister knew! Get out! I will not have two of you in my house!" Petunia yelled angrily.

Why were they hunting her now?

"What you want has no interest to me, Petunia. Now may you please inform me where the children are?" Remus said politely, gripping his wand tightly.

Petunia hated when wands were about to pointed at her.

Lily's sister's face paled, and she shook her head, "What children? I cannot hand you my darling Dudley or the freak, no matter how much I want to."

The wand was suddenly in Petunia's face.

"Listen carefully Petunia…I know exactly where the children are. I am giving you a chance to redeem some of your actions by handing your nephew to me, as an act that you know that he is better off with me." Remus snarled.

Cassiopeia giggled again, quietly this time, and Harry gave her a confused look. "What's so funny?"

"I never seen your aunt this scared, and she's scared of you all the time!"

"Petunia, you will lead me to the cupboard under the stairs." Remus whispered.

By this time, Dudley Dursley had come down the stairs because of the loud commotion was ruining his concentration while playing his Playstation.

He saw a stranger, who had frighten his mother to a point of tears, and that made him hold onto his mother for his life.

He did not want to die!

"There aren't any children here!" Petunia muttered, as she looked around the room warily. She felt that her sister was watching her every movement.

Lily Potter might come back to collect her leftovers.

Dudley, frighten for his life, wanted the man to leave soon. He pointed in the direction in the hallway, which held the cupboard beneath the stairs.

"He's in there. Potter is there with her!"

Petunia looked down in alarm at her son, "Dudley!"

The werewolf pushed past the woman and her son as he went to open the cupboard door. Two children came tumbling down, and they looked at each other abashedly. Harry got up first, brushing himself off, and he helped his beloved friend up as well. She grinned happily at Remus while Harry stood there shyly, unsure on what to do.

He felt that he had seen this man before.

Remus laughed at the children he cared so much about, "Hello sweet child." He spoke to Cassiopeia first, not wanting to startle his godson any further.

Cassiopeia laughed too, "Hello Uncle Moony!" She then turned to Harry, who was staring at the werewolf intently, and grabbed his hand.

"Uncle Moony, this is Harry Potter."

Cassiopeia smiled at Harry, "Alex, this is Remus Lupin, also known as Uncle Moony, and he is your godfather."