Chapter Four:
The look on Remus' face made further comment superfluous but he said it anyway;
"Severus Snape caught Wormtail?"
He wanted to ask more, how,why? But the questions stuck in his suddenly dry throat.
For his part Sirius looked completely trapped and bewildered. What did he even say to that?
They were both saved by an insistent knocking at the bedroom door followed by it bursting open under the determined glare of a hyper three year old.
Remus smiled.
Sirius blanched.
"Dani"
They both breathed at the same time.
Undeterred by the strange man laying half dressed in her father's bed Dani scrambled up onto the rumpled duvet and launched herself at Remus.
"Papa!"
The little voice cried from where the girl had buried her face in Remus' shoulder,
"Cousin 'Dromeda wouldn't lemme see you so we made biscuits with choco chips. I thought you got hurted again!"
Suddenly pulling back from where she'd latched onto her Papa's neck Dani put her hands on her hips and fixed him with a practiced glare.
"Don't never do that again! What if you'd needed me and I couldn't opened the door?"
Despite the overall awkwardness of the situation Remus couldn't help but laugh at the scolding tone of his three year old daughter.
"Sincerest apologies cub."
He replied, amber eyes twinkling joyfully. Dani's frown wavered then turned to a smirk Sirius recognized immediately as his own, as she twined her arms back around Remus' neck, pecking him on the cheek for good measure.
"Its ok papa, I still love you forever ok."
Remus had to smile at that, stroking a gentle hand over her smooth black curls.
"Thank you cub. But listen Dani, look at me. Dani, do you know who this is love?"
Small amber eyes slid left to peer at Sirius before blinking lazily as they turned back to Remus.
"Yep. That's daddy. I'm hungry Papa, are we gunna eat yet?"
An awkward silence had slowly surrounded the Tonks's small table with four adults and two children crammed around it. Everyone seemed at a loss for what to say.
'Hey Sirius, how was Azkaban?' didn't quite cut it in Ted's mind anyway.
Andromeda was in a similar rut, not having seen her cousin Sirius since Dora's sixth birthday party.
Sensing the tension in the air Dani was uncharacteristically quiet at dinner while Remus and Sirius kept sneaking furtive glances at one another. The only one who seemed unaffected was Dora. Her earnest questions, spaced out between the dull clinks of cutlery and glasses on the pine table were the only thing breaking the heavy silence that shrouded the meal.
"Cousin Sirius, were you really an Auror?"
"Cousin Sirius, did you ever meet Mad Eye Moody? Is he really mad?"
"Cousin Sirius, I'm starting Hogwarts soon, what house do ya think I'll be in?"
"Cousin Sir-"
Finally Andromeda stepped in,
"Merlin's sake Nymphadora let your cousin Sirius eat his supper! He's had a long day love, you can pepper him with questions tomorrow after he's had a bit of a rest."
Dora scowled at being addressed by her full name but dutifully ate the rest of her dinner in silence. Sirius smiled thankfully and slowly brought another spoonful of potatoes to his mouth.
'Eating', Sirius thought, 'would take some getting used to'.
Four long years of near starvation tended to wear on one's appetite he supposed.
Another glance at Moony confirmed that the other man's plate lay as untouched as his own. A look in the other direction and Sirius saw that Dani also hadn't touched her food. She was slumped slightly in her booster seat, absently sucking her thumb while systematically squishing the peas on her plate with her spoon, one by one.
Sirius blinked. Was that normal? Well, as normal as any kid of his could be.
'Fucking hell Moony, I'm a bloody dad!'
Someone's fork crashed against their plate as Sirius realized too late he'd voiced that particular thought out loud. He was even more mortified to find himself blushing pink as Dora stared at him in shock and some well placed awe- no grownup had ever said that one in front of her before. Never.
Ted cleared his throat loudly and Remus hid a laugh behind his water glass. Andromeda recovered her breath from inhaling a bread crumb and Dani chuckled to herself in her chair.
"Daddy said a swear, Daddy said a swear!"
She sing-songed pleasantly,
"Papa's gunna put you in time out an wash you mouth out with soap for half a minute."
Grey eyes crinkling with mirth, Sirius threw his head back in a deep barking laugh.
He'd forgotten what it felt like to have a family, but he was willing to try this if they were. Whatever chances he was given to be a part of his daughter and Remus' lives he would gladly take. This was what they were fighting for; this is what James and Lily died for; the one thing that kept him mostly sane for four years of absolute living Hell: family.
END
TBC in 'Constellations'
AN: I've just started on the sequel but with the holidays on the way I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, but good things come to those who wait... LOL anywho plz r&r