The baby was a tiny copy of Lilly Evans. Remus was sure of it. Everything Dumbledore had told him rushed through his head.
Lilly had been pregnant, that was why Remus hadn't seen her. She'd been 'sick'.
How had they managed to have another baby so soon after Harry?
Wasn't little Harry only a year old now?
This baby must be very young. How do I feed it?
How do I buy diapers inconspicuously? This must be the secret Sirius was hiding.
Dumbledore expects me to care for her.
What about my transformations?
All these thoughts were swirling through his head, and he fell asleep on his raggedy sofa, stroking the little girls head.
She was completely at ease in his arms, resting her little head against his chest.
He awoke to a small cry of hunger.
"crap. i don't have any baby food!" He was talking to himself now. great. He was going to be a great guardian.
the baby was too young to focus on his face, or tell him anything, she was completely helpless.
"shh, shh." He whispered, rocking her against his shoulder.
He wandered into the kitchen, and found a little tin of baby formula with a note in Sirius' handwriting.
"Remus, this is the formula for the baby, mix two scoops with four ounces of water, there's a bottle in the sink, and diapers in the bathroom, and her little
baby nighties are in your sock drawer. take good care of her. Her name is afldskjfalsjkj."
That was puzzling. For some reason, Remus couldn't make out what her name said. No matter how he tilted the paper, or squinted his eyes. But the baby was
crying, so he put down the note, and mixed her up some formula. She eagerly sucked at the bottle, and Remus remembered all his baby care lessons that James had given him about Harry, before Voldemort came after them, and before they went into hiding. Back when the world seemed to be okay.
"Hmm, you're Lilly's little girl. and you're cute as a button, what should I call you?" The baby just gave him a blank look, having finished her bottle. Then she let out a small belch.
Remus laughed, and realized how little he'd smiled over the past few days.
He cast his mind back into his memory, trying to think of any time Lilly and James may have mentioned a daughter, or what they would name a baby girl. There had only ever been Harry. No one had expected them to have another child so soon. Remus' memory caught on a scene of Lilly when she was 14, they were at school, and Hagrid had shown them Fluffy. Lilly was singing to the monstrous dog, a song about melodies, and memories.
Take the sunlight with you
Leave the twilight behind
Look into my eyes and never wonder
Why you're a melody of mine.
He remembered her sitting by him, when he'd been to the hospital wing after a particularly disastrous transformation, involving a greasy snake, and he'd damaged himself quite efficiently. She was huming the same tune.
And the last memory, was of having tea at James' house, with Lilly and Harry, and Sirius, and Peter. The last time they'd been a whole family together. James looked rather exhausted. Harry was only a few weeks old. Sirius had been staying with Peter and his mum, and was in mid auror training. He had a black eye, but was his usual exuberant self. Peter looked a little under the weather, his hair had been falling out then, and they'd been wondering why, but decided it was just stress. Remus looked much the same. Same tired face, same scars, brown hair, and grey eyes.
Lilly was in the hallway with Harry, rocking him to sleep and singing.
Take the sunlight with you
Leave the twilight behind
Look into my eyes and never wonder
Why you're a melody of mine.
Remus looked down at the small child in his arms. She was resting her soft little cheek against his rough green sweater. "Melody." He breathed.
She looked up at him with her big hazel/blue eyes blindly. And she smiled a little toothless baby smile.
"So, Melody it is hey?" Remus asked gently.
In response little Melody closed her eyes, and snuggled her little peach fuzz head into Remus' shoulder.
He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair in desperation.
The days with little Melody seemed to fly by. Sirius had been a good godfather to the end, and left instructions and reminders about Melody. He'd tried to tell Remus her name, a million times, and all he could make out was a smudge of letters aldjaflsdjfls.
They fell into a routine, and Remus only had to venture out once or twice to buy diapers, and formula. He'd bundle her up and take her for a stroller walk every morning, and every afternoon, he'd fall asleep with little Melody curled up, head on his chest. But this peaceful existence couldn't continue for too long.
Remus could feel the wolf stirring the closer the full moon came. It became a constant worry, gnawing at his chest. Where would he put her? How would he raise her for the next 11 years before Hogwarts? She was a magical child and would definitely be going to Hogwarts. She'd already shown her magic. Her eyes changed from blue to green, and back again, her hair also fluctuated between black like her father and red like her mother, and once when Remus had fallen asleep with her on the couch, he'd woken up, and found her rolled up in the clean laundry. She just smiled at him. She had learned how to smile since she'd been staying with Uncle Remus, and she had taught him how to smile as well.
But he had no smile on his face 3 weeks after discovering her. He was marching on his way to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore, who hadn't bothered to clue him in, or call to see how things were going.
Now that the full moon was 2 days away, he was being called upon.
He walked into Dumbledore's office with a grim look on his face, trying to hide his annoyance with the old man.
He had little Melody hidden beneath his cloak.
Dumbledore looked him up and down, and nodded at the lump in his cloak.
"I see you've found out Sirius' secret?"
"Yes, what if I hadn't found out? She could've been left out there for these past 3 weeks."
"Ah, but you did find her, as I suspected you would. I checked on her the day after we last spoke, and found that you had discovered her. I trust Sirius left you enough clues to figure it out anyway. Have you figured out her name?"
Remus was looking at the old man incredulously, still processing all that he had said.
"Remus?"
"oh um, I couldn't read the name Sirius wrote, so I've named her Melody, I don't know if that's good enough or not, but that's what I've been calling her."
"Melody. Well that's a sturdy little name for our secret here. You needn't hide her so next time you come here. She only reveals herself to those whom she wishes. You are correct in assuming she is a very magical child. I believe Lilly wove enchantments of protection around her before she was even born, and it seems that she was very clever in protecting both of her children."
"Indeed, no one can see her?"
"not unless she reveals herself to them."
"So why did she reveal herself to me?"
"She was hungry?"
The two stared at the small baby who sat contentedly in Remus' lap, drooling on a little toy hippogriff.
"Remus, I was wondering what your plans were for the full moon."
"I have none sir." Remus said, staring at the peach fuzz that was leaning against him. "I was only close with Peter, James, and Sirius. And, they are all gone. I don't have many friends and none that I would entrust with this."
"I see. Remus we shall have to make some kind of arrangement. I will watch over the child this once, but I can't be held responsible for any danger she may come into contact with if she is to remain in my care in the future. I am, hardly the safest person for her to stay with."
"Yes, sir. I will find someone to watch her for next month. I'll just have to become a bit more sociable I suppose."
"Remus, perhaps you should go away for a bit. just disappear, lay low. Then in a few years, if you return with a child, no one will think it strange."
"You think I should hide away, like on a witness protection program?"
"hahaha!" Dumbledore laughed "Yes Remus I suppose that would be the idea. Do you have anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"
"Not really, just somewhere i could go where I would know someone who I'd trust with Melody for 2 or 3 days a month."
"I see, you never dreamed of traveling the world?" Dumbledore said staring off into the distance, his eyes glazed over with old dreams.
"No. I dreamed of being normal."
"Well, Remus, as that's never going to happen, perhaps you should go visit some interesting places. How about Brazil?"
Remus' thin brown eyebrow rose about an inch. "Brazil? I don't speak Brazil; I don't know anything about Brazil!"
"Well, pick a place dear boy, go west young man! See the world!" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling madly, and he was clearly dismissing Remus.
Remus got up and straightened his cloak.
"I will take the child for the next 4 days Remus, then you come back and get her, and leave on your trip."
"Very well Headmaster" Remus said, and though he was loathe to do it, he gently placed Melody into the old man's waiting arms.
"Aah, the little potter girl. What will you become my dear?" Dumbledore asked the sleeping baby.
Remus left Dumbledore's office full of warring thoughts about how safe it was to leave his charge with an old man who was clearly brilliantly mad.
He ran into someone he brilliantly despised not 2 steps from Dumbledore's office.
"Remus Lupin." The stale voice of Severus Snape jolted Remus back to reality.
His heart sank.
"Snape." He said curtly.
"What brings you here? Reminiscing old school days?"
"Snape, I don't want to discuss this with you. Good day."
Remus walked away swiftly, leaving the oily haired slytherin glaring at his retreating figure.
He marched briskly down the stairs, and took off at a run, as soon as he cleared the doors.
He was running out of time, the wolf in him would soon take over, and he was filled with the same inexplicable terror that he still experienced with every transformation.
Dumbledore smiled benevolently at the little baby propped up in a basket behind his desk. She was still asleep, but he was talking to her anyway.
"Melody, what an excellent name. I hope you're pleased with Remus as your guardian. I couldn't think of anyone more suitable."
"Talking to yourself eh?" Phineas Nigellus the old head master was talking to Dumbledore again.
"aah, Phineas. I don't know what to do next, or where this is leading."
"My grandson is in Azkaban? And they won't release him."
"Yes, yes Phineas and more's the pity. Someday we'll see true justice in that case."
"Hopefully before Sirius goes mad eh?"
"We can only hope."
Just then little Jane decided to wake up. She opened her eyes, and let out a little baby sight. "aahah."
"Oh! My little poppy seed, you're awake!" Dumbledore scooped her up, and sat her on his lap in his best grandfatherly fashion.
Jane looked around and saw she didn't recognize him. She looked around the room for Remus, or mommy and daddy, but couldn't find any of them.
"Nnnnaaaaaaa!" She let out a thin wail, and Dumbledore quickly cast a spell for silence.
"There, there, its okay, you're safe with me." Dumbledore said, rubbing her back with his old wrinkly hands.
Phineas Nigellus chuckled and said "I don't blame you little one, I wouldn't feel safe either."