After Sirius was finished getting ready, he entered the kitchen, only to be bowled over by an over-excited birthday girl.
"Uncle Siri, you'll never guess what Daddy has planned for us today."
Chuckling over how excited Lullaby was, Sirius replied.
"Knowing Remus as well as I do, you're probably right. I'll never be able to guess. What's the plan, then?"
"First the London Zoo, followed by a picnic by the fountain in the park, then it's off to the Royal Botanic Gardens, as known as the Kew Gardens. After that, we'll be stopping at the bakery to pick up a birthday cake, of my choice, before coming back here. It's simple, but that's what I like about it. Mommy always made a big deal about my birthday."
"Really? Why? How?"
"I don't know. Every year, she rented the town ballroom, had the food catered, a D.J. for entertainment, hired a decorator and florist, and I had to put up with a photographer and videographer. She also invited every student in my class. When I was little, attending a muggle school, it was all thirty-two of them. Thirty-three, if you include me."
"What about after you started at Winterland?"
"Then it was all seventy-nine. Eighty of us, if I'm added in to the mix. The one thing I wanted was a simple, small family thing. Five or six people, ten at most. This should be my favorite birthday. It's actually the way I want it. Mommy never understood why I enjoyed being around animals and the scenery of nature so much. Last year, my best friends, Harmony and Melody, twins, got me a whole camping set: a tent, two sleeping bags, a portable fire-pit and two bundles of firewood, a collapsible camping kitchen set, complete with pots, pans, utensils, and other kitchenware, and a large cooler for the camping food. And two pack-away camping chairs with matching table. Maybe Daddy will let me camp-out tonight."
"I'm sure he will, if it'll make you happy, Angelfish. I rather like camping as well. It's a great way to connect with nature and not deal with life's greatest problems, even if it's just for one night."
"One night for what?"
"Daddy, can we camp-out tonight? I have everything. Remember when I told you about my two friends, Harmony and Melody? Well, last year, they gave me a whole complete camping set. Please? Mommy wouldn't let me last year. In fact, she never let me go camping, ever. She thought I'd get mauled by a bear or something like that. Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, ticks, the list went on as to why I couldn't camp-out. And I wanted to camp-out in the backyard, twenty feet from the house. Ridiculous, really. Please, Daddy?"
"Alright, but not alone. It really is dangerous right now. Death Eaters are still out there. I'll camp with you."
"What about you, Uncle Siri?"
"I got fur. Sure."
"Fur?"
"His animagus form is a big black dog. His fur should keep him warm."
"Well, we'll bring a blanket out to cover him, too. Thank you, Daddy. Thank you, Uncle Sirius."
Remus and Sirius were both smiling, excited to Lullaby so happy, especially since her mother's death was only three weeks ago. Remus had received many letters from Lullaby, complaining about the over-done parties Lizzie gave her every year.
That's the reason Remus had planned the day out the way he did. He knew that his daughter loved animals and nature. But he also knew that she craved a small, quiet affair. His plans included everything she wanted for a simple birthday.
'Too bad Lizzie is missing this birthday. She didn't listen whenever our child expressed her wishes. Oh, Lizzie, I miss you.'
When Lullaby pinched his nose, Remus came back to the present, shaking his head, unaware that he had zoned out.
"Welcome back, Moony."
"What do you mean, Padfoots?"
"Daddy, you zoned out on us. I was trying to get your attention for two minutes. I have an idea."
"And what, pray tell, is that?"
"So Uncle Siri doesn't have to be walking around like as dog all day, why don't you put a glamour charm on him to change his appearance? Plus, we don't have a collar or leash."
Sirius slapped his head. 'Why didn't I think of that?'
"A glamour. Of course. I completely forgot about that option. Thanks for reminding us, Lulls."
"That might help conversations better, not to mention that the zoo won't appreciate us bring a dog in with us."
After altering Sirius' appearance, they left the house to begin the day. Looking at her 'Uncle Siri', Lullaby noticed how much that glamour did and didn't change him.
Sure, his black hair was now the color of wet sand, straight instead of wavy, and rested at the top of his shoulders, when it had been down near his elbows, his skin was a whole three shades darker, miking him look tan, and his eyes were a light sky-blue instead of the normal deep blue-nearly black that they were only minutes ago.
His nose was stronger, but not much, and his chin and cheekbones were less pronounced. He had been brought up an extra four inches, making him stand at six-foot-five. His shoulders weren't as sharp as earlier, but if you knew what to look for, you knew it was Sirius Black.
After twenty minutes of walking, the trio arrived at the edge of town, just as the bus was arriving at the bus stop. After paying, Lullaby lead them to the upper level, explaining that the view was better, and that not very many people actually ride on the top level unless there's no room on the lower part.
"So, it's off to the zoo, huh? Are you excited, Angelfish?"
"Sure am, Uncle Siri. Every time I went to the zoo, it was for either a school report or a class field trip. Never just to enjoy it. Mommy worked most of the time, so we almost didn't see each other unless it was in the evening, or on the weekend. And the weekends were out since they were reserved for trips to the mall and the spa."
"Well, it's a good thing you're excited about it on your birthday. I forgot to mention but Arthur sent an owl late last night, around midnight. He won't be able to come over, but explained that Molly would like to meet Lullaby, and invited us over tonight for dinner. There's an upside and a downside to this new plan."
"And what's that, Moony?"
"Charlie, Bill, and Percy are home for the week. To attend the Quidditch World Cup. Lullaby will get to meet the people she'll be staying with during the full moon. That's the good part."
"So, what's the bad part, daddy?"
"Molly and Arthur have seven kids, six boys and one girl. And you told me in your letters that one reason you wanted a small party every year was because you have anxiety attacks in crowded places."
"We need to stop at home so I can take my medications, anyway. One of which is my Valium. Prescribed for my anxiety attacks."
"How many meds are you on, Angelfish?"
"Let's see. Um, only three different meds. Valium for anxiety, Trazodone for depression, and Valerian for insomnia. I have anxiety attacks in large crowds. I had mild depression for the past five years but I needed a prescription because my depression got worse the night Mommy died. And I've had trouble sleeping for the past three years, since I started school at Winterland."
Lullaby then turned her attention to the buildings and people the bus was passing. 'Sometimes I wonder why I have so many clinical mental problems. Sure, I was always anxious, and my depression started when Gram-Gram and Papa-bear died, and got worse when Mommy died, but my insomnia and sleep problems started my first week at Winterland, when I was eleven.'
Lullaby was brought out of her thoughts by Sirius gently shaking her shoulder and Remus talking to her.
"Baby, we're at the zoo. Come on, before the bus takes off with us still on."
"I'm coming, Daddy."
Getting off the bus, Lullaby realized that they couldn't call Sirius 'Sirius', otherwise he'd get busted. After she pointed this conundrum out, Sirius went a little pale. Leaning in, he whispered into her ear.
"Angelfish, I do believe you're right. So, what should my name be while I'm like this?"
"How about Sidney? But call you Sid for short?"
"Sounds great, but why 'Sidney'?"
"Sirius is the name of star and Sidney Omarr was an astrologer. And your last name could be Malkovich."
"What are you two whispering about?"
"Daddy, meet Uncle Sidney Malkovich. Since Sirius Black is a wanted man, he needs a new name to go with his appearance. And since Mommy was a muggle-born witch, having a brother who is a muggle shouldn't be a problem. And since the only people who would've known Mommy's family background are either dead or standing right here, no one would be any wiser to it."
Silence meet Lullaby as both Remus and Sirius looked at one another and thought it over. Suddenly, Sirius/Sidney smiled, and Remus voiced his opinion.
"You just thought that all out in less than the two minutes since we got off the bus? You're a genius, Lulls. Bloody brilliant, to be perfectly honest. What do you think, Sidney?"
"I can almost bet that she'll either be in Slytherin or Gryffindor. She's too smart, cunning, and brave for her own good."
Remus nodded his agreement, until Lullaby got impatient with their lack of moving.
"So, Daddy, Uncle Sid, are we going to stand here all day or are we going to the zoo?"
That got the guys' attention. The three of them walked five blocks before they got to the zoo.
Sirius watched Lullaby with complete fascination, seeing her eyes light up when she found the tigers, lions, and monkeys, and then shiver slightly when she located every snake in the reptile house.
When they had seen every animal at the zoo, Remus suggested going to the souvenir shop, where he got Lullaby two stuffed animals: a lion and a snake, and a tiger poster, as well as a light pink monkey t-shirt.
When they had just entered the park that they were going to have lunch at, it started raining, much to Remus' dismay. Sirius and Lullaby, however, started running, enjoying the feel of the rain on their skin. Occasionally turning back to face Remus, who took refuge under a large tree. 'I don't need the sun to make my day better. But by the look on Daddy's face, he does.' Smiling, Lullaby called for her Uncle 'Sid' and they ran back to where Remus had decided to stay dry, for the most part, anyway.
"Hey, Moony, I know you wanted the fountain, but there is a nice gazebo over there. Sure, it's on the other side of the park, but it's still nice."
"Yeah, Daddy. Otherwise, we can just head straight to the Royal Botanic Gardens or even home, if you want."
"Gazebo sounds terrific. Let's go."
During lunch at the gazebo, Remus couldn't help but watch as his daughter and his friend bonded. It was amazing how, in only a few hours, attached Lullaby had become to Sirius. Especially after their hesitance the night before.
Sirius was telling another one of his 'Marauder Stories', which managed to get Lullaby to laugh, behaving almost as if nothing was wrong and nothing bad had happened recently.
Being an only child had left Lullaby to entertain herself while she was alone, whether by reading, playing her instruments, doing craft projects, or working in her garden. From what Remus could understand from the letters, Lullaby played the piano, the flute, the clarinet, and the bass, acoustic, and electric guitars, as well as having an amazing singing voice.
Lizzie wrote him letters, telling him all about the things the Lullaby was involved in: Ballet at age two, Martial Arts at age four, Gymnastics at age six, Figure-Skating at age eight, Swim Team at age ten, and, upon entering Winterland, joined her House Cheer Squad and Dance Squad at age eleven, becoming captain of both at age twelve, as well as being put on her House Quidditch team as Seeker during her first year. Every competition she was in, she won, simply because of her determination to practice whenever and wherever possible.
He knew this only because she brought her boxes of her many gold trophies and medals, awards, and tiaras and keepsake programs from her ballet recitals, as well as the pictures that proved her victories. Never had she gotten anything less than first place and had never been anything other than the star of every ballet performance.
'I truly feel sorry for the person who challenges her to any competition.'
Remus received copies of Lullaby's report cards, showing that she received nothing but the highest grade of 'Outstanding' in every class since starting at Winterland. Even her muggle grade school report cards showed nothing but straight A's. It simply amazed Remus that his daughter could be so determined to excel in life and go farther than people expected her to.
'Hermione Granger is going to have a bit of competition from now on. And not only her, but Harry, as well. This should be interesting to watch.'
When the group was done eating, they packed everything up and headed over to the Royal Botanic Gardens, which was the one thing that Lullaby would never be able to turn down. Remus and Sirius had both figured out that gardens and libraries were just two of her favorite places to be.
"Hey, Remus, where are you going?"
"Huh?"
"Well, Lulls and I just stopped at the gates to the Gardens, and you kept walking."
"Oh, are you serious?"
"Always am, aren't I?"
"I meant, 'Are you kidding me?'"
"Nope, sorry."
Sighing, Remus retraced his steps until he was in line with his daughter and friend, waiting for the workers' lunch break to be over. It really wasn't the best thing to stand around in the rain. To Remus, anyway. Sirius was tilting his head back, trying to catch the raindrops in his mouth and Lullaby was humming to herself, practicing her steps for her next ballet performance, should she have one.
Finally, after having to wait nearly twenty minutes, the group of three was able to get into the large Garden. Lullaby, who had been happy about everything they did so far, was practically exploding with excitement the moment her eyes landed on the many buildings that each had the different types of plants that Remus had no doubt that his daughter knew almost everything about, if not all of the information.
'Poor Neville. His best subject is Herbology. He'll have competition there now. Wouldn't put it past my daughter to have read every book in the world at least once.'
Lullaby and Sirius had pulled ahead, with Lullaby identifying each plant before taking a picture with her digital camera, then pouring information out by the mile, and listing things about them, like the most common location to find them, the best type of environment for them to grow, and tiny details like that. Remus couldn't help but smile as he watched his little girl explain the importance of plant life, her eyes full of passion, and her face flushed with excitement.
'She's a professor in the making. I can see it now. No class will be boring with her enthusiasm.'
Sirius looked back and saw that Remus was watching them interact. He knew that his friend was proud of his daughter for her many achievements from the early stages of infancy.
"Uncle Sid, are you listening to me?"
Turning his attention back to Lullaby, Sirius noticed that she looked a little agitated that her lesson on the muggle plants was being ignored, making his thoughts identical to Remus' about her possibly becoming a professor.
"Sorry, Angelfish. Your dad is so far back there, I don't think he can hear you. Let's wait a couple of minutes, huh?"
Lullaby looked and saw that Sirius was right.
"Daddy, hurry up. We've only been here for thirty minutes and we've just begun. Now, get a move on."
Remus saluted his daughter before picking up his pace a bit, knowing that Lullaby was not patient when it came to her plants.
After nearly two more hours, the three of them left the Gardens, with pictures on camera, and a big smile on Lullaby's face. To her, it truly was a perfect birthday.
On their way back to the bus stop, they made a small detour and stopped at the bakery for Lullaby's cake. After looking over every cake, Lullaby made her decision: an eleven-by-thirteen inch pink champagne cake, with white frosting, pink and purple sugar roses around the edges, and 'HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY, LULLABY!' written in purple. Remus had decided to go with the number candles '1' and '4' instead of fourteen little stick candles.
The group got on the bus a short time later, finally heading home. Remus had the cake on his lap, while Lullaby was leaning her head on Sirius' shoulder, going through her pictures she took at the Gardens. Sirius had the zoo souvenir bag on his lap.
"Uncle Sirius, Daddy, thank you for a wonderful birthday. I really enjoyed it. Rain or shine, it was small, simple, and what I've wanted for years. Thank you, both of you."
"It was no problem, baby. You told me about it so many time in you letters, I'd be a fool not to give you the party you wanted."
"And we had fun, too, Angelfish. Seeing your happy smile and hearing your musical laughter was worth the rain. And your make-up didn't even get ruined."
"That's because it's all water-proof, Uncle Siri."
"That's smart. Otherwise, you'd look like a raccoon by now."
"Oh, you. Hush."
The bus stopped at the edge of town and the trio got off and headed back home, not only for Lullaby's medications, but also because they needed to get over to the Burrow so the Weasley's could meet Lullaby Dream Lupin.
Lullaby had already decided that, since Arthur said that Molly insisted on them staying over for dinner, she would bring the cake with them, as dessert. After all, her mother did raise her to be kind and courteous, no matter what.
They arrived at the house, Lullaby took her medications and fixed her hair quick, and then they did side-along apparition to the Burrow.
