Note: None of these characters belong to me, except for Crescent. I know
I'm making a major jump with this chapter, but I wanted to get to
Sirius/Remus action quicker than I was going to at the rate I was going.
Thanks for the correction on Professor McGonagall's name. This takes place
right after Sirius broke into Gryffindor Tower to get Scabbers/Wormtail. I
also gave Sirius an Invisibility Cloak, just for the record, and I'm not
certain if it was a full moon or not when Sirius broke in, so I said it
wasn't. And Remus has the Marauder's Map. (Did I spell that right? Can't
find my copy of the third book, so I did the best I could.)
Shadow of the Past
Part 4
Crescent wandered down into the Gryffindor Common Room. For some reason, she could not sleep tonight. She sank into a chair and sighed softly.
When she heard the sounds of yelling, Crescent jumped to her feet. It was coming from the boys' rooms. A figure burst into the Common Room and froze when he saw the tiny girl standing there.
Crescent turned ghostly white when she realized who it was. Sirius Black stood there and they gazed at each other.
Sirius was stunned because she looked almost exactly like him.
"You're Sirius Black!" Crescent said. She covered her mouth with her hands. "You are after Harry, after all!"
Sirius was surprised when she fainted suddenly. He caught the girl before she hit the ground. Then he heard Professor McGonagall's voice. He spread his Invisibility Cloak over the two of them, glad that Professor Dumbledore would never let the Dementors into the Hogwarts school itself.
The teacher ran past him and up into the boys' rooms.
Sirius sighed and picked the girl up. He carried her out of the Gryffindor Tower, and was surprised when she murmured something.
"Uncle Remus," Crescent said weakly.
Sirius took a good look at the girl again. There was only one Remus that he knew; Remus Lupin, his former lover. They'd been torn apart when Sirius had been thrown into Azkaban for a murder he never committed. She was Remus's niece? As far as he knew, Remus Lupin was an only child.
Sirius decided to take her to the Shrieking Shack. He knew that Remus probably had the Marauder's Map and could see him, anyway. He would come to Sirius, especially if Sirius had the child with him. So he took the unconscious child out of the school through the tunnel that led to Hogsmeade. From there, he met up with Crookshanks. Crookshanks led the way to the Shrieking Shack.
Sirius was glad it was not a full moon tonight. The girl moaned in his arms and opened her dark emerald eyes.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked quietly, knowing she was no match for her father's strength.
"Somewhere where Remus Lupin can find you," Sirius told her.
"What will you do to Uncle Remus?" she whispered. "Don't hurt him. He's the only father I've known."
"I don't wish to harm him, child. What is your name?" He set her on the ground and grabbed her right arm.
"Crescent. Crescent Lupin," she said. At least he wasn't hurting her like Severus Snape had. He took her to the Shrieking Shack, where Crookshanks pressed the secret knob. The Whomping Willow stood there motionless.
They walked inside.
Crescent couldn't help being a tiny bit afraid. He might be her father, but he wasn't aware of the fact. She sat down in a chair after he removed the Invisibility Cloak.
Back inside Hogwarts, Percy Weasley walked over to Professor Dumbledore, who was talking to Severus Snape and Remus Lupin.
"Headmaster," he whispered urgently.
"Yes, Percy?" The kindly headmaster of Hogwarts looked at the Head Boy.
"Every student is accounted for," Percy said.
"That's not true," Hermione said, holding tears back as she walked over.
The group turned to look at her.
"Crescent Lupin's not here," she told them. Harry and Ron were with her, nodding in agreement.
Ron looked horrified. "Her dorm-mates said that she couldn't sleep, so she went to the Gryffindor Common Room about five minutes before Sirius Black attacked."
"What if he found her in the Common Room and-" Hermione broke off, sobbing. Ron put his arms around her reassuringly.
Harry looked distressed as well. "What if he took her prisoner, because she saw him?"
"It also could be, Headmaster, that she aided him in escaping," Severus said neutrally.
"She knows better than that," Remus snapped angrily. "Crescent is not stupid. If she's missing, and so is Sirius, then she must be with him."
Hermione, Ron, and Harry exchanged confused glances. All of them were fond of the petite girl, and stood up for her against Snape and Malfoy, who kept jeering at her.
"With your permission, Headmaster, I shall go search for her," Remus said quietly.
Dumbledore nodded.
Remus left the room and headed for his office. A quick glance at the Marauder's Map told him that his suspicions were right. He placed the map and his wand in his pocket, and headed for the Shrieking Shack.
"You- you aren't going to hurt me, are you?" Crescent asked as she watched her father pace in front of her.
Sirius shook his head. "Not my style," he said bitterly.
Crescent drank in the sight of her father. She hadn't seen him physically in her entire life.
"Why do you stare at me so, Crescent Lupin?" Sirius took another look at her. He walked over to her and kneeled down to meet her eyes.
It was astonishing how much she truly looked like him. Small and with green eyes; but the rest were his features. She wore her dark hair clipped up on the sides as she gazed at him.
"Who is your mother, Crescent?" Sirius whispered.
"Moira Greene," Crescent told him. "But she died when I was born."
Sirius flinched. Moira had been his girlfriend for almost a year, before he'd broken up with her to be with Remus. It made him sad to think that the sweet girl he'd known and once loved had died.
"Sirius!" Remus yelled, as he burst into the room. "Don't hurt her!" He was shocked to see the two of them next to each other and looking up at him. God, they looked so much alike.
"Who is this girl, Remus?" Sirius asked as he stood and approached him.
Remus swallowed hard. "She's your daughter, Sirius," he said softly. "Yours and Moira's."
"What!" Sirius looked at the girl and back to Remus. "Why wasn't I told?"
"Everyone believed then that you were a murderer, Sirius, and they still believe so now. They were afraid you'd try to break out to take her. And you weren't supposed to get free from Azkaban. Let Crescent go," Remus said.
"She's my daughter! Where the hell has she been living?" Sirius snapped.
"With Uncle Remus," Crescent's quiet voice answered.
"Yes, Sirius," Remus said. "In spite of everything, part of me still loved you. And because of that, I could not let your only child live in an orphanage. I have raised her for these past eleven years. She knows who you are, Sirius."
To his shock, Sirius embraced him hard. Then he embraced Crescent hard, who hugged her father back.
"I knew I'd see you someday," she told him. "And I never believed you were guilty of the crimes for which you were imprisoned."
Sirius was full of awe. His closest friends and relatives hadn't believed he was innocent, but a child- his child, who'd never met him believed in him.
"Sirius, I think we should send Crescent back to school," Remus said gently. "I know you probably want to get to know her, but she's been missing for over an hour."
Sirius nodded and hugged his daughter once more.
"Bye, father," Crescent said. "Good luck, Uncle Remus." She winked at him, before Crookshanks led her out of the Shrieking Shack.
The two stood there looking at each other until the sound of the door closing upstairs convinced them that she was gone.
"I know that Crescent believed in me, Remus," Sirius said quietly. "Did you?"
"Part of me refused to believe it, Sirius," Remus told him. "But who betrayed Lily and James, then?"
"It wasn't me, Remus." Sirius looked Remus in the eyes. "I could never have betrayed them."
Remus nodded and smiled softly. "Crescent is just like you were when I first knew you."
"I hope not," Sirius said, thinking of the pranks he'd pulled in his first year at Hogwarts.
The two began chuckling softly.
"Has her life been hard, Remus?" Sirius asked.
Remus nodded. "But Crescent is stronger than she looks. I protected as I could, giving her my last name as well as yours. I hope it does not upset you, Sirius."
Sirius shook his head. "God, Remus," Sirius whispered. "I've missed so much- not just with Crescent, but also with you. Our love was the one thing that sustained me in Azkaban; that and the fact that I knew I was innocent."
Remus embraced him. "I understand, Sirius," he murmured. "For even now, I love you."
Their lips met, tentatively at first. Then the kiss grew deeper as the air sparkled around them.
After chasing each other's mouths for a few moments, they reluctantly drew apart.
"I need to return to the school as well, Sirius," Remus said, his voice full of longing.
"I know, Remus." Their lips met once more. "Be safe. I shall not harm Harry. There is a traitor in Hogwarts and he is the one whom I seek."
Remus nodded. "I won't tell anyone that you're here," he whispered softly. "But the full moon will occur soon, Sirius." Sirius nodded, and Remus slowly turned and left.
Sirius changed into his dog form, and curled up on the floor. That night, he dreamt of better, happier times with Remus.
Remus had the same dreams, except that they were with Sirius.
To be continued
Shadow of the Past
Part 4
Crescent wandered down into the Gryffindor Common Room. For some reason, she could not sleep tonight. She sank into a chair and sighed softly.
When she heard the sounds of yelling, Crescent jumped to her feet. It was coming from the boys' rooms. A figure burst into the Common Room and froze when he saw the tiny girl standing there.
Crescent turned ghostly white when she realized who it was. Sirius Black stood there and they gazed at each other.
Sirius was stunned because she looked almost exactly like him.
"You're Sirius Black!" Crescent said. She covered her mouth with her hands. "You are after Harry, after all!"
Sirius was surprised when she fainted suddenly. He caught the girl before she hit the ground. Then he heard Professor McGonagall's voice. He spread his Invisibility Cloak over the two of them, glad that Professor Dumbledore would never let the Dementors into the Hogwarts school itself.
The teacher ran past him and up into the boys' rooms.
Sirius sighed and picked the girl up. He carried her out of the Gryffindor Tower, and was surprised when she murmured something.
"Uncle Remus," Crescent said weakly.
Sirius took a good look at the girl again. There was only one Remus that he knew; Remus Lupin, his former lover. They'd been torn apart when Sirius had been thrown into Azkaban for a murder he never committed. She was Remus's niece? As far as he knew, Remus Lupin was an only child.
Sirius decided to take her to the Shrieking Shack. He knew that Remus probably had the Marauder's Map and could see him, anyway. He would come to Sirius, especially if Sirius had the child with him. So he took the unconscious child out of the school through the tunnel that led to Hogsmeade. From there, he met up with Crookshanks. Crookshanks led the way to the Shrieking Shack.
Sirius was glad it was not a full moon tonight. The girl moaned in his arms and opened her dark emerald eyes.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked quietly, knowing she was no match for her father's strength.
"Somewhere where Remus Lupin can find you," Sirius told her.
"What will you do to Uncle Remus?" she whispered. "Don't hurt him. He's the only father I've known."
"I don't wish to harm him, child. What is your name?" He set her on the ground and grabbed her right arm.
"Crescent. Crescent Lupin," she said. At least he wasn't hurting her like Severus Snape had. He took her to the Shrieking Shack, where Crookshanks pressed the secret knob. The Whomping Willow stood there motionless.
They walked inside.
Crescent couldn't help being a tiny bit afraid. He might be her father, but he wasn't aware of the fact. She sat down in a chair after he removed the Invisibility Cloak.
Back inside Hogwarts, Percy Weasley walked over to Professor Dumbledore, who was talking to Severus Snape and Remus Lupin.
"Headmaster," he whispered urgently.
"Yes, Percy?" The kindly headmaster of Hogwarts looked at the Head Boy.
"Every student is accounted for," Percy said.
"That's not true," Hermione said, holding tears back as she walked over.
The group turned to look at her.
"Crescent Lupin's not here," she told them. Harry and Ron were with her, nodding in agreement.
Ron looked horrified. "Her dorm-mates said that she couldn't sleep, so she went to the Gryffindor Common Room about five minutes before Sirius Black attacked."
"What if he found her in the Common Room and-" Hermione broke off, sobbing. Ron put his arms around her reassuringly.
Harry looked distressed as well. "What if he took her prisoner, because she saw him?"
"It also could be, Headmaster, that she aided him in escaping," Severus said neutrally.
"She knows better than that," Remus snapped angrily. "Crescent is not stupid. If she's missing, and so is Sirius, then she must be with him."
Hermione, Ron, and Harry exchanged confused glances. All of them were fond of the petite girl, and stood up for her against Snape and Malfoy, who kept jeering at her.
"With your permission, Headmaster, I shall go search for her," Remus said quietly.
Dumbledore nodded.
Remus left the room and headed for his office. A quick glance at the Marauder's Map told him that his suspicions were right. He placed the map and his wand in his pocket, and headed for the Shrieking Shack.
"You- you aren't going to hurt me, are you?" Crescent asked as she watched her father pace in front of her.
Sirius shook his head. "Not my style," he said bitterly.
Crescent drank in the sight of her father. She hadn't seen him physically in her entire life.
"Why do you stare at me so, Crescent Lupin?" Sirius took another look at her. He walked over to her and kneeled down to meet her eyes.
It was astonishing how much she truly looked like him. Small and with green eyes; but the rest were his features. She wore her dark hair clipped up on the sides as she gazed at him.
"Who is your mother, Crescent?" Sirius whispered.
"Moira Greene," Crescent told him. "But she died when I was born."
Sirius flinched. Moira had been his girlfriend for almost a year, before he'd broken up with her to be with Remus. It made him sad to think that the sweet girl he'd known and once loved had died.
"Sirius!" Remus yelled, as he burst into the room. "Don't hurt her!" He was shocked to see the two of them next to each other and looking up at him. God, they looked so much alike.
"Who is this girl, Remus?" Sirius asked as he stood and approached him.
Remus swallowed hard. "She's your daughter, Sirius," he said softly. "Yours and Moira's."
"What!" Sirius looked at the girl and back to Remus. "Why wasn't I told?"
"Everyone believed then that you were a murderer, Sirius, and they still believe so now. They were afraid you'd try to break out to take her. And you weren't supposed to get free from Azkaban. Let Crescent go," Remus said.
"She's my daughter! Where the hell has she been living?" Sirius snapped.
"With Uncle Remus," Crescent's quiet voice answered.
"Yes, Sirius," Remus said. "In spite of everything, part of me still loved you. And because of that, I could not let your only child live in an orphanage. I have raised her for these past eleven years. She knows who you are, Sirius."
To his shock, Sirius embraced him hard. Then he embraced Crescent hard, who hugged her father back.
"I knew I'd see you someday," she told him. "And I never believed you were guilty of the crimes for which you were imprisoned."
Sirius was full of awe. His closest friends and relatives hadn't believed he was innocent, but a child- his child, who'd never met him believed in him.
"Sirius, I think we should send Crescent back to school," Remus said gently. "I know you probably want to get to know her, but she's been missing for over an hour."
Sirius nodded and hugged his daughter once more.
"Bye, father," Crescent said. "Good luck, Uncle Remus." She winked at him, before Crookshanks led her out of the Shrieking Shack.
The two stood there looking at each other until the sound of the door closing upstairs convinced them that she was gone.
"I know that Crescent believed in me, Remus," Sirius said quietly. "Did you?"
"Part of me refused to believe it, Sirius," Remus told him. "But who betrayed Lily and James, then?"
"It wasn't me, Remus." Sirius looked Remus in the eyes. "I could never have betrayed them."
Remus nodded and smiled softly. "Crescent is just like you were when I first knew you."
"I hope not," Sirius said, thinking of the pranks he'd pulled in his first year at Hogwarts.
The two began chuckling softly.
"Has her life been hard, Remus?" Sirius asked.
Remus nodded. "But Crescent is stronger than she looks. I protected as I could, giving her my last name as well as yours. I hope it does not upset you, Sirius."
Sirius shook his head. "God, Remus," Sirius whispered. "I've missed so much- not just with Crescent, but also with you. Our love was the one thing that sustained me in Azkaban; that and the fact that I knew I was innocent."
Remus embraced him. "I understand, Sirius," he murmured. "For even now, I love you."
Their lips met, tentatively at first. Then the kiss grew deeper as the air sparkled around them.
After chasing each other's mouths for a few moments, they reluctantly drew apart.
"I need to return to the school as well, Sirius," Remus said, his voice full of longing.
"I know, Remus." Their lips met once more. "Be safe. I shall not harm Harry. There is a traitor in Hogwarts and he is the one whom I seek."
Remus nodded. "I won't tell anyone that you're here," he whispered softly. "But the full moon will occur soon, Sirius." Sirius nodded, and Remus slowly turned and left.
Sirius changed into his dog form, and curled up on the floor. That night, he dreamt of better, happier times with Remus.
Remus had the same dreams, except that they were with Sirius.
To be continued