Chapter 3


"Do you have everything you need?" Sirius said loudly, in order to be heard in the busy terminal. The airport hummed with activity. It was the most bizarre sight he'd ever seen, and a peculiar way to travel. Who would want to fly in a giant metal tin can? Muggles, apparently, and in great numbers.

"Yes," Gina replied, patting her carry-on bag.

"Are you sure you want to get on that thing?" he asked, pointing at the jumbo jet pulling into the gate.

She laughed. "I've never flown before. I figure it's a new experience to start my new life."

"Well, at least you can disapperate if something goes wrong," he consoled himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Optimist."

"You're welcome, Ms. Johnson," he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that. Care to explain why you applied to Fleur de Paris under an alias?"

"Isn't it obvious? The Potter name is recognized everywhere, and I wanted to get into the program on my own talent, not because of who my parents are. Thank you for not telling anyone. I knew you'd understand."

"Of course I understand. That's why I'm here, remember?"

"American Airlines flight 131 to New York, now boarding," came a voice over the loudspeaker.

"Well, that's me. Wish me luck."

"You won't need it, but good luck anyway."

She hugged him. "I'll miss you. Give Lily a hug for me, ok? Isabelle, too. I'd ask you to hug James and Remus, too, but well, I don't think that you'd do it."

"Uh, no. I'll miss you, too," he replied wistfully, wishing that he was getting on that plane with her.

She walked down the ramp and onto the plane, waving goodbye. Sirius stayed at the window until the plane was completely out of sight, and then turned to go home.

~~~~~


"Excuse me, ma'am, would you like something to drink?"

Regina turned her head away from the window, to look at the flight attendant. He was pushing some sort of cart full of various drink cans and snacks, but she didn't recognize any of them.

"Uh, sure. Some water, please," she replied. She had never been so excited in all her life to be going somewhere. New York City, the promised land, where all of her hopes and dreams were sure to be fulfilled. Wasn't that the point of America? she thought. The Statue of Liberty, and all of that?

She wasn't sure if it was what she was leaving behind or what she was going to that had her so excited. Sighing, she remembered the argument she had had with her mother when her parents found out she had an internship with Fleur de Paris. They seemed to think that her place was buying the gowns and wearing them to endless society functions, not designing them.

Luckily, both James and Sirius had defended her actions to her parents, mostly out of respect for her decisions, not because they agreed with her. It was no secret that James wished that she would stay in Dover with Lily, and get a job in London if she wanted to be an artist so badly. What a hypocrite, she huffed. If he can travel all over the world playing Quiddich, then what's wrong with my internship? She and James agreed on very little lately, and unfortunately, Lily and Sirius were stuck in the middle of both of them, trying to keep the peace. Truth be told, she was more than thrilled to put an ocean between herself and her brother.

She couldn't quite figure out what Sirius thought about her leaving England. In a way, his opinion mattered even more than James', but he was so quiet lately. And when he wasn't off brooding somewhere, he was usually with Isabelle. For some reason, that little girl wrapped her way around his heart like no one else ever had. And there was no lack of females trying to get his attention, she thought, smiling to herself. Some day, one of the legions of girls who fancied him would catch his eye, and he'd settle down in Dover, just like James.

Too bad Lily just had to fall in love with my brother, she lamented. Back in fifth year, she had tried to set her best friend up with Sirius, but she fell for James, instead. Things would be much more fun if she was with Sirius, she decided. Or Remus, for that matter. James brought out her inner prude. But, everyone just loved perfect, wonderful James more than her. She frowned.

"Attention, passengers. We're about to begin our approach for landing at John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport. Air Traffic Control indicates that we'll pull in the gate around eight o'clock p.m., right on time. It is currently sixty-seven degrees Fahrenheit, and partially cloudy in New York City. For those of you continuing on to Washington, D.C., the plane will leave forty-five minutes after landing. For those of you staying in New York City, the flight attendants will pass out customs forms shortly. Please have those and all other paperwork ready as you leave the plane for the customs gates. Thank you for flying American Airlines."

Customs gates? Paperwork? Regina was hopelessly confused as she took out a hodgepodge of papers from her carry-on bag. The flight attendant noticed her puzzled look as he passed by, and paused to ask her if she needed any help. Grateful, she allowed him to sift through the papers and fill out the necessary forms, explaining them as he went.

"Just hand these to the customs agent. When he asks you why you're coming to America, tell him that you're a student, so that you get a student visa, ok?"

She nodded, not really knowing what a visa was. But, whatever it was, she needed it to stay in New York, apparently. And, she would do whatever it took to stay, she thought resolutely as the flight attendant left to buckle in for the plane's descent into the airport.

The passengers swarmed towards the front of the plane, hurrying out into the terminal. Cautiously picking up her paperwork in one hand, and her bag in the other, she followed the horde towards the customs station and joined the massive queue. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, she finally reached an agent and plopped the papers on the counter. It had cost her a small fortune to manufacture an entire separate identity, and she crossed her fingers, hoping that all the money and work had not gone to waste.

"Yes, Ms. Johnson, why are you traveling to America?" the agent sneered.

"Uh, because I'm a student." Thank goodness for that flight attendant, she thought.

"How long do you plan to stay?"

Forever, she wanted to reply, but somehow she thought that answer would not please the agent. "One year, the length of my internship."

The agent sifted through her passport, visa application, and other forms. After a minute, she turned to the back of Gina's falsified passport, and stamped the visa onto the page. "Thank you, Ms. Johnson, and welcome to America."

"Thank you," she replied politely, hurrying into the main terminal, relieved. She had sold at least two dozen paintings to earn the money to pay Robert MacNamera for both his skills as a forger and his silence. But, obviously, he was the best. After finding her luggage, she walked down the concourse to the taxi stands, flagging down the nearest cab.

"Where to?" the driver growled.

She pulled out a small piece of paper. "The Washington Square Hotel."

"In the West Village?"

"Yes, I believe that's the one. It's on Waverly Place."

The driver pulled away from the curb, and began weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speed. Fascinated, Regina stared out the window at the city. After having at least three near accidents on the Long Island Expressway, the cab pulled up to the hotel.

"Thank you," she said as she stepped out of the cab, tipping the driver well. She hurried into the hotel, checked in for the night, and collapsed on the bed. Looking for an apartment would have to wait until tomorrow, she thought groggily, falling into a deep sleep.

She woke up at the crack of dawn, ready to find an apartment so that she wouldn't have to pay for another night at the hotel. Between her forged identity, the plane ticket, and the hotel room, she would barely have enough money to live off of until her first paycheck. So, she grabbed a bagel from a nearby coffee shop, and scanned the classifieds for apartment listings, circling the ones that showed potential.

There just had to be a suitable apartment in this neighborhood, she told herself. She had only been sightseeing for an hour, and had completely fallen in love with Greenwich Village, or the West Village as the locals called it. In the New York travel guides, the West Village was known as the refuge for artists, writers, and other creative thinkers. It was an eclectic, energetic place, which suited Regina perfectly. She gathered up her belongings, and headed towards the first apartment listing.

After three hours, her feet smarted and her head ached. She had seen thirty apartments, and had visited every street between Bank and Bleeker, with no luck. Either they were too expensive, too small, had bizarre roommates, or were in odd locations. If this last apartment didn't work out, she would have to go back to the hotel, and would be in serious financial trouble. Worried, she read the listing.


FIFTH AVENUE near Washington Square This apartment is in a small plain old, elevator building. There is a locked front door and a simple entry way in the building. This apartment is on the third floor facing the gardens in the rear. There is a large pleasantly furnished living room/dining room not luxurious, but nicely furnished. There is a wood burning fireplace in the living room. The bathroom is old but good. This 2-bedroom apartments is in the most central, convenient part of Greenwich Village. It is close to Washington Square Park, Union Square (14th Street) and New York University. All of the subway lines and bus lines are very close.


Sighing, she folded the newspaper together, and walked the five blocks to the building. She pushed open the front door, and let herself into the manager's office.

"Yes?" the manager said, not looking up from the pile of papers on his desk.

"I'm here about the apartment listed in the paper."

"You're too late. Just rented it this morning."

"Oh," she replied, dejected, turning to go back to the hotel.

"Hey, wait," the manager called. "I think the guy I rented this place to is looking for a roommate. Kinda had the same accent as you, too. Where are you from, anyway?"

"Chelsea." He gave her a puzzled look. "It's a neighborhood in London, England."

"Gotcha. Let me buzz the guy real quick." He picked up the telephone, and dialed a number. "Yeah, there's a lady here wondering if you need a roommate, a--" he turned to Regina. "What's your name?"

"Johnson. Regina Johnson."

"The name's Johnson. Anyway, you interested? Uh-huh...ok...be right up, then." He looked up. "Wanna see the apartment?"

"Sure," she replied, following him into the elevator. What could possibly be the harm in looking? The manager opened the door, and Regina couldn't believe her eyes. She let out a small, excited scream, and threw herself around a completely astonished Severus Snape.

"Uh, you two know each other?" the manager asked.

"Yes, we went to school together. I can't believe it's you," she said happily. She had been a little worried coming here on her own without Sirius, but things had definitely taken a turn for the better.

Severus was stunned. Of all the people to show up on his door, never, ever, in a million years would he expect to see Regina Potter. For the past year and a half, he had tried his hardest to get over her. But she was so friendly, so nice to him, and in the end, he decided to move a continent away to get out from under her spell. Obviously, that little plan failed, as she moved past him to get a look at the apartment. Suddenly, he realized how shabby the small flat was, especially compared to what she was used to. Not exactly the Potter mansion, he thought glumly, as she bit her lip, thinking.

"This place is absolutely--" Severus braced for the insults, "perfect. Just perfect. When can I move in?" she asked.

His head spun. "Well, um," he stuttered.

"Because if you don't mind, it would really help my financial situation if I could move in right away. That is, if that's ok with you."

"Sure, that's fine," he managed to choke out.

"Great," she continued. "I have enough money for the rent, I think, until my first paycheck."

"Paycheck? But you're a--"

"I'm starting a new life on my own," she said quietly so that the manager wouldn't hear her. "New city, new job, new name, and no trust fund. I'm independent now. And, I really need a place to stay. So, what do you say? I'm really not that bad to live with, I promise." She gave him a lopsided grin that made him melt.

"But what about James and Sirius?"

"What about them? So what if the three of you don't get along. Big deal. I like you, and that's all that matters, right?"

If this was a dream, Severus did not want to wake up. Ever. How did I ever get this lucky? he thought, following her back to the hotel to collect her belongings.

~~~~~


Sirius sat on a chair in front of the fire, staring into the flames. The house was quiet – too quiet – leaving him alone with his thoughts. He would have gladly welcomed company, but Remus was in France with some girl. Mindy, he thought. James left two weeks ago to train with the English national team for the Quiddich World Cup, and Lily was off writing him a letter. And Regina was in New York City.

That's the rub, isn't it? he thought. I'm here, and she's over there, having the time of her life, probably forgetting that I exist. Not that she really knows that I exist, anyway, on a plane other than the boy next door.

He scowled at the fire. After a minute, he realized that he wasn't alone. He looked to his right and saw Isabelle sitting on the floor with a book that probably weighed as much as she did.

"What's that?" he asked her.

"Well, I was going to ask you to read to me, but you look sad. So, never mind," Isabelle said quietly.

"Am I that obvious?" She nodded. "I'm not too sad to read, though. Come here." She crawled up in his lap, clutching the heavy book. His throat constricted as he saw the title of the huge volume. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Of all the books on planet earth, why did Isabelle have to be holding the one that reminds me of Regina? he agonized.

"Where'd you get this from?" he asked.

"My mum used to read it to me before she died," came the tiny reply.

"Oh." No way he could possibly refuse her, then, he decided. The poor girl was emotionally scarred enough.

"Did your mum ever read to you?"

"Well, no. She died when I was born."

"So, you don't have a mother, either." Her big green eyes stared into his curiously.

"No, I don't."

"Do you have a father?"

He smiled at her hesitant questions. Considering that her father died shortly after her mother, that would be a natural follow-up question. "Yes, my father's alive. I don't know him very well, though."

"Why not?"

"Because he's always away on business. People tell me it's because it broke his heart when my mum died, and he can't stand to be around me because I remind him of her. I think that's a load of crock. If I was in my father's place, things would be different."

"Different how?"

"I wouldn't ignore my child. I lost my mother, too. Wish my father would realize that. Anyway, what would like for me to read to you?"

"Shakespeare's sonnet number forty-two, please."

"Ok," he said, flipping through the pages. "That thou hast her, it is not all my grief; and yet it may be said that I loved her dearly--"

"That she hath thee, is of my wailing chief, a loss in love that touches me more nearly."

"How did you know that?"

"I have them all memorized," she said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "I just like to be read to."

Sirius shook his head in amusement, and finished the sonnet. After he was done, she had him keep reading until she finally put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. He waited a few minutes to make sure she was sound asleep, and carried her upstairs to bed.

~~~~~


"Alohomora," Severus said lazily, opening the door to the apartment.

"Oh good, you're here," came a voice from the living room. "Come here for a second."

He put down his stack of potions books and ingredients on the kitchen table, and walked into the living room, which was completely transformed from when he left it in the morning. Regina had repaired the ratty old sofa and chair, recovering them in a deep beige fabric. Cheerful, eclectic throw pillows dotted the furniture, complimenting the new lampshades and window sheers.

"So, what do you think? We're allowed to take fabric remnants home from work, so I collected the prettiest ones, and experimented all day."

"It's great." Great really didn't describe her amazing decorating taste, but it was the best adjective he could come up with.

"You really like it?" She gave him a thousand-watt smile. He nodded. "I call it shabby sheik. Well, my interpretation of shabby sheik, anyway. It's a start. I'll work on the rest of this place next week, if that's alright with you."

"Sure." For some reason, he couldn't manage to string together more than ten words in her presence. She must really think I'm daft, he thought crossly.

Regina slowly stood up, stretching like a cat, and plopped down on the sofa. "Oh, what a day," she lamented.

"You didn't really have to do all this. Not that I don't appreciate it or anything."

"What, are you kidding? You saved my skin for sure. One more night in that overpriced hotel, and I would've either had to go crying to Mummy and Daddy or get a loan from Sirius. And neither option was particularly appealing. The least I can do is decorate the place. I'm a designer, remember?"

"A clothing designer, not an interior decorator."

"Minor details. I'm multifarious, but I'm just one person. Can't use all my talents at one time." She winked at him.

The way she said that made Severus' ears turn pink. She really had a way with words, he decided. Well, two can play this game. "Multifarious, huh? Pray tell, what are these hidden talents?"

"If you're lucky, you just may find out."

With that, she flashed him a smile that could only be interpreted as flirtatious, and skipped out of the room to get ready for a night out on the town with the girls from work. A half hour later, she walked back into the living room, where Severus was reading a book on antidotes.

"What do you think?"

He looked up, and had to work very hard to maintain his composure. She was wearing a blue top that matched her eyes perfectly, and from what he could see, was backless except for three tiny laces tied in double knots to hold the top together. It complimented her completely skin-tight black pants and three-inch, strappy heels. She had styled her hair so that it fell halfway down her back with just the right amount of body, which had taken ten minutes to charm properly. As an added touch, she wove small rainbow colored butterfly clips to her raven-black hair to add some color.

"It's a change from Hogwarts' school uniforms, for sure. It'll do," Severus said calmly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, who returned to reading his book. Thanks to James and Sirius, she wasn't exactly asked out often, or had much experience around men. Not that any of the boys from school appealed to her, anyway, but there was just something about Severus that kept intriguing her.

"Well, I'm glad my outfit is adequate for a girls' night out," she joked, grabbing a gauzy cloak from the hall closet and heading out the door. She paused to smile at him before closing the door.

~~~~~


"Isabelle? Are you ready yet?" Lily shouted from the living room. A minute later, tiny feet thundered down the staircase, clutching a small suitcase.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my shoes," she carefully pronounced in English.

"That's ok. We just need to leave so that we don't miss our portkey." Lily smiled at Sirius. "I can never, ever thank you enough for helping me with her."

"No problem," he replied. "She's really coming along. I bet she'll be fluent in English by next summer."

"Which is when we'll get to Connemara if we don't hurry up."

They rushed out the front door, and into the Evans' old Rolls Royce. Gravel flew everywhere as Lily sped down the lane, and through Dover, grumbling about how the portkey's location wasn't accessible by Floo powder. The nearest portkey was in Brighton, and she was not going to miss it and wait another minute to see James. She parked the car in an old, abandoned lot, and rushed into the banquet hall in the back of a tiny restaurant. Five people were grouped around a dish towel in the center of the room.

"What's that?" Isabelle said, wide-eyed.

"It's a portkey. We grab a hold of it, and it takes us to another place. This one will take to Ireland where we'll see James play Quiddich, ok?" She looked up at Sirius skeptically. "Tell you what. How about you hold my hand, and if the portkey takes us somewhere weird, we'll be lost together?"

She hesitated, but eventually held his hand with a surprising grip for a girl her age. The other people could barely hide their astonishment at the way he treated Isabelle. Sirius Black's reputation preceded him, and he was well known as a temperamental loose cannon, not the kind of person anyone would pick at first blush to help raise a little girl. Or after giving the idea a second thought. The clock in the banquet hall chimed ten o'clock, and the group disappeared. Isabelle shut her eyes tightly and held onto Sirius for dear life. Living with Lily was paradise compared to Petunia, but was still scary sometimes, like now. Everyone plopped onto the ground with a loud thump.

"Ten o'clock from Brighton just arrived," an official-looking man said.

"Uh, Isabelle? We're here. You can open your eyes now," Lily said reassuringly. She opened her eyes to the first glimpses of this wizarding world she now belonged to.

She gasped in utter amazement at both her physical surroundings and at all of the people milling about, scurrying through the town square. The Ministry of Magic set up the portkeys to land all travelers in the middle of a town built especially for the Quiddich World Cup. Streets wound in every direction, full of shops, restaurants, hotels and even some private houses for important dignitaries.

"Where are we?" she whispered.

Sirius laughed. "We're on an island off the western coast of Ireland called Inish Shark. Why don't we go put our stuff away at the house, and we'll look around, ok?"

"Ok," came her tiny reply.

"Lil, do you have any idea where we're supposed to go?"

"James said to look for the largest, most ostentatious building in the whole town, and that's it. I think it's down this street," she said, pointing. They walked off the portkey landing area, and headed down Wilde Alley.

Supposedly, when Muggles lived on the island, the playwright Oscar Wilde's mother lived in the now abandoned village. So, when Ministry officials were plotting the town designs, they decided to name a street after her. It was a stoke of genius to utilize the deserted island for the World Cup, because visitors and spectators could travel without detection. After installing clever anti-Muggle security devices around the perimeter of Inish Shark, the Ministry felt confident that they were completely invisible to the Muggle settlements on the mainland.

Holding Lily's hand on one side and Sirius' on the other, Isabelle was in heaven. She watched in wonder as all sorts of people stopped them every few feet to talk to them, and treated them as if they were important. After at least fifteen polite conversations, they reached an enormous Gothic mansion at the end of the street. A large privacy fence surrounded the houses' grounds, and a uniformed guard stood at an ornate brass gate.

"Looks like the place." Sirius rolled his eyes, and walked up to the guard.

"Good morning, Mr. Black, Ms. Evans and Miss Evans," the guard said formally, nodding to each of them in turn.

"Good morning," they replied.

"We've been expecting you. Melanie will show you to your rooms." He opened the gate, and they walked through the grounds and into the house. An older lady opened the door, ushering them into the massive foyer.

"Well, hello, Miss Melanie," Sirius said in an obnoxious imitation of a Southern accent. She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, but her severe face softened into a slight smile.

"Hi, Melanie," Lily added quickly. "This is my little sister, Isabelle."

She bowed slightly, and let them upstairs, showing them their quarters. Lily was happy that her rooms adjoined Isabelle's. She wanted to make sure that she was close to her sister in case she got upset or scared. This was her first real trip away from home, and Lily wasn't sure how she would react to the large crowds. So far, she seemed to adjust well, and was happily playing with a box of toys that someone thoughtfully put in her room.

"Hey Lily, what are you doing this afternoon?"

"Showing Isabelle around, I guess. Why?"

Sirius gave her a slightly wicked grin. "Because I just so happen to know that the English national team isn't practicing this afternoon, and that a certain best friend of mine is miserable because he hasn't seen his girl in months. I'll watch her this afternoon so you can go see James."

Her face lit up. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Lily gave Isabelle a quick hug goodbye, warned her to mind Sirius, and rushed to her quarters to find something decent to wear. After going through five whole outfits, she quickly pinned her hair up, and hurried to the Quiddich practice area.

"Well, string bean, ready to see the town?"

Isabelle nodded, and he led her out of the house and onto the street. They walked up Wilde Alley, pausing to look at different street vendors' wares. Sirius was explaining how to play gobstones at the games booth when a tall, thin, beautiful brunette walked up to them.

"Hello, Sirius," she said in a silky voice.

"Hello, DeAnne," he replied without looking up.

"A group of us is heading to the pub on Brown Street. Interested?"

"Sorry, already have a date for the afternoon. Please excuse me." He grabbed Isabelle's hand and led her down the street, leaving DeAnne at the booth with a shocked look on her face.

"Who was that?"

"DeAnne Carter," he said through clenched teeth. "She's only good for certain things, conversation not being one of them. Not a person you need to be around."

"What things is she good for?"

"The sort of things that if any guy even thought about doing with you, I'd bash his face in."

"Oh." Isabelle didn't know what Sirius was talking about, but whatever it was, it must be very bad, she thought. They reached the town square, and stopped, wondering where to go next.

"How about we go that way?" he pointed.

It was not a coincidence that Shamrock Lane was in the opposite direction as Brown Street. Isabelle had no business being around DeAnne's trashy crowd. He felt strangely protective of her, probably because they had similar backgrounds. He didn't want her to grow up the same way that he did, with random girlfriends coming and going, parties, being abandoned for the majority of the time, and passed off to nannies and tutors. If it wasn't for the Potters, he wouldn't have any family life at all. No, he decided, Isabelle was going to have stability. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, gawking at a store window.

"Ooooh, what are they?" she said excitedly.

"Those are broomsticks. People fly on them, like James when he plays Quiddich." A group of guys across the street caught his eye, waiving to him. "You can go into the shop and look at them, as long as you stay right there and don't go anywhere else. I'm just going across the street and won't be long, ok?" He watched her bound into the store, full of energy, and walked up to his friends.

"It's been awhile since we've seen you around, Black," Dominic MacDouglas said.

"Been busy," he replied.

"I see. Where's Potter?"

"Where do you think?"

"Right where I'd be if I had a girl like Lily Evans. That her sister?" he asked, nodding his head towards the store.

"That's Isabelle," Remus affirmed.

"Yeah, I heard what you said to DeAnne," Xavier Collins interjected.

"News travels that fast?" Sirius was amazed.

"News like that does. Why you turned down something like her, I don't know," Xavier added.

"Oh, please," Sirius snorted. "I could have her any day. Why bother with her when there is so much variety here?"

"True," Peter Pettigrew simpered.

"Whatever. The last time that you even got close to snogging a girl was when we were testing out love potions fourth year," Remus teased.

While Peter sputtered, trying to form a comeback, Sirius got an eerie feeling that something wasn't quite right. He looked across the street into the broomstick store. Isabelle was gone.

"Remus, do you see Isabelle anywhere?" he asked as calmly as possible.

"No," he replied tensely.

"What's the big deal? She's eight, right? She can take care of herself for a few minutes," Dominic shrugged.

"The big deal," Sirius exploded, "is that she's never been away from home before and can't even speak English. I told her not to go anywhere. Alright, I need to go find her."

"I'll go with you," Remus said, worried.

They started walking in opposite directions down the street, looking for a little blonde girl in light green robes. Sirius looked in every shop, restaurant, hotel, street vendors' cart and alleyway on Shamrock Lane, but didn't see her. He rounded the corner, and breathed a sigh of relief. Isabelle was petting a large black and tan dog tethered to a tarot readers' booth. He rushed up to her.

"What are you doing here, young lady? Didn't I tell you to stay in the broomsticks store?" he said angrily. A pair of guilty green eyes looked up at him.

"I'm sorry. I saw the lady walking the doggie down the street, and I've never seen this big of a dog before. So, I followed the lady here and asked her if I could pet him," she said quietly. "His name is Thor."

In spite of himself, he had to fight from smiling. She looked so contrite, but he couldn't let her get away with disobeying him, even though part of him wanted to. He stood there, trying to think of an appropriate punishment.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" came a sneering voice behind Sirius. He turned around, hands clenched.

"Sod off, Malfoy, if you know what's good for you," he warned in a quiet tone.

"Who is this? Very pretty girl, but isn't she a little young for you?" Lucius taunted, patting Isabelle on the top of her head.

Before he could say another word, Sirius knocked him to the ground with a crushing blow to the face. Lucius stood, holding his jaw, and punched Sirius in the gut, beginning a full-fledged fight. By this time, a small group had gathered in the town square to watch them beat each other senseless. Remus heard the cheers, fought his way to the front of the crowd, and pulled Sirius off Lucius.

"Get a hold of yourself, mate," Remus said, holding him back. "Not only is that filth not worth the effort, but you have some explaining to do to a very scared little girl who just watched you pound the crap out of that git."

Sirius spat on Lucius, who was clutching his head on the ground. "Don't ever come near her again unless you want to talk like your house elf. And look like one, too." He grabbed Isabelle by the shoulder as gently as his temper would allow, and led her through the crowd in the direction of the Potters' house.

Remus quickly followed them through the town square, stopping Sirius before he reached Wilde Alley. "Hey, why don't I take her back to the house? You need to go cool off," he said.

"No, I'll take care of it. Isabelle needs to know that running off unsupervised is not allowed. Or disobedience, for that matter."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's no problem." He felt incredibly sorry for the little girl, who was watching the conversation with teary eyes.

"I said, I'll take care of it," Sirius repeated very slowly through clenched teeth.

"Fine. Guess I'll see you later, then." Remus wasn't about to become the target for his ire, so he shrugged his shoulders and headed back towards Shamrock Lane.

"Isabelle, you know that you weren't supposed to leave the store, right?" She nodded, two fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Sirius almost caved in at the miserable look on her face. Almost. "You need to learn to listen to us when we tell you to do something. We're not trying to be mean, we just don't want you to get hurt. And, there's a lot here that could hurt you. So, because you didn't do what you were supposed to, we're going back to the house. When we get there, you need to go to your room and stay there until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," she sniffled, biting her lip.

They were halfway down the alley when Sirius felt a slight tug on his robes. "What is it, Isabelle?"

"Um, are you sending me back to Petunia tonight or do I get to see James play Quiddich?"

He turned to her, absolutely astonished. "What? Do you think that you have to go live with Petunia again because you were bad?"

She bobbed her head up and down, tears flying everywhere. Sirius stopped her right in the middle of the alley, and knelt down to her level.

"Listen to me," he said, holding her by the shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. "Everybody does things that are bad. When you do something wrong, you're disciplined so that you don't do it again. That doesn't mean that we don't want you to live with us anymore. You are never, ever going to live with Petunia again. There is nothing that you could do to make Lily send you back to her."

"Really?"

"Promise."

Isabelle looked at Sirius with his bloodied nose, puffy lower lip, and bruised jaw. She burst into a huge grin and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa, there," he winced, realizing that Malfoy cracked at least two of his ribs. He didn't know why he didn't feel it before then. "Now that we have that settled, I think someone still needs to go to her room."

She frowned, but followed him down the alley and into the house.

Sirius opened the door and pointed up the staircase. "Go on, now." She turned, and quickly ran up the stairs.

"Now that's a sight I never thought I'd see. Sirius Black, an authority figure," a well-bred, genteel voice behind him laughed.

"The times, they are a-changing," he replied. "Nice to see you, too, Mummy P."

She rolled her eyes, which quickly widened when she saw his injuries. "Some things never change, I see. Who did you fight with this time?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Pity you couldn't have included his father in the fray."

"Old man Malfoy still giving the Ministry trouble?"

"Unfortunately." Victoria Potter sighed, rubbing her temples with her right hand. "He always has the Ministry chasing their tails over one thing or another. Come into the kitchen; I think I have something to fix those cracked ribs of yours." They walked through the palatial mansion to the enormous kitchen in the rear of the house.

"Did they give you enough house?" Sirius teased. "I think it's bigger than the hotel on Shamrock Lane."

"It is bigger than every hotel on Inish Shark. I suppose that Stephen being the Minister of Magic and James playing for England in the finals might have had something to do with it." She winked at him, pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator and mixing a blue, gelatinous potion. "Here. This should fix most of your injuries."

"Thank you," he said, plugging his nose and downing the disgusting concoction.

"Let me see here," Victoria started ticking off names on her fingers, "Stephen is due to arrive tomorrow morning, James is with Lily, Isabelle is upstairs sleeping, and you are here."

"What about Regina?"

"Unless some miracle happens, I do not See her leaving New York anytime soon."

"She's not coming to the match tomorrow?" Sirius could not hide his disappointment.

"I cannot say. I try not to interfere in her business, especially since she is in this rebellious phase. She will come around eventually. I am glad there are those who love her no matter what she does, though. Anyway, what are your plans tonight?"

"Well, Lily will probably be with James all night, so I might take Isabelle back out. She's really a good little girl, and I should've realized that leaving her alone in a new place was not a good idea."

"I'll watch her for you tonight. You need to go out with your friends and have some fun. Raising her is an awful lot of responsibility."

"No, that's ok. I don't mind," he insisted.

"I have Seen much about this child. She is crucial to the future of our family, and I would like to get to know her. Besides, looking after her excuses me from tonight's formal activities, which we both know are hardly exciting."

"Very true. Since you put it that way, how can I refuse?" They grinned at each other.

"Isabelle speaks Gaelic, correct?"

"Yes. Listen, uh, I don't know how to say this, considering that you're like my mum, but I plan to party tonight. And, I don't really want to come home in the middle of the night and run the risk of Isabelle seeing me in an, um, altered state of consciousness. I hate to ask you, but--"

"I'll tell her that you're spending the night with friends and will be back in the morning. Sirius, I am very proud of the way you treat Isabelle. You will be an excellent father one day." And I'm counting on it, Victoria thought before continuing. "However, I'm in no hurry to be a surrogate grandmother. So, whatever you do, please be extremely careful."

Sirius turned bright red. "Always am. Anyway, I'll see you in the morning."

"Have fun," she said, laughing at how quickly he left the room.

He returned a few minutes later, with a very sleepy Isabelle in his arms. Her heavy-eyed porcelain face lay completely still on his shoulder. Sirius shrugged sheepishly.

"I went upstairs to change and go out, but I felt bad leaving without telling her goodbye. Then I realized that she's never met you in person, and I didn't want her to be scared, so I decided to bring her down here. She's getting really heavy, though, so where do you want me to put her down?"

"The drawing room, of course," Victoria answered, smiling as she watched Sirius carry Isabelle down the hallway and into the drawing room. The room was a warm beige, decorated with deep chocolate leather furniture, accented by various houseplants and art. Isabelle's eyes flew open when he put her down gently on the sofa.

"Hey, I'm going to spend the night with some friends," he began. Her eyes clouded over immediately, and her lower lip began to tremble.

"Are you leaving because I was bad?"

"No, of course not. I'll tell you why I have to go out, if you can keep a secret." She nodded eagerly, and scooted closer to Sirius.

"Well, it's because Remus will get in trouble if I don't go. He might drink a little too much," he whispered so that Victoria couldn't hear him.

"Oh. You need to go help him, then," she replied seriously. It was all Sirius could do not to laugh.

"Lily should be back later tonight, ok? Until then, Mummy P wants to spend time with you."

She studied Victoria carefully. Although most people found the tall, stately woman intimidating, there was something comforting about her.

"It is very nice to finally meet you," Victoria smiled. "I've heard so much about you."

"You speak my language," Isabelle exclaimed, thrilled that she had another person to talk to.

"Well enough to get by, anyway." She turned to Sirius, who was hovering in the doorway. "Scoot, already! This is a girls' night only. No boys allowed." Isabelle giggled as he threw up his hands in mock defeat.

"Fine. I know where I'm not wanted. See you ladies tomorrow."

"Pardon me, but what is this sofa made out of?" Isabelle asked, poking at the cushion.

"A very fine type of leather," Victoria replied, sitting next to the little girl. "I have a room that looks just like this one at my home in Chelsea. No matter where I go, the only thing I ask for is that I have my drawing room. Would you like to know why?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Because it's like having a little piece of home with me all the time. My own grandmother had a room just like this when I was small. Now, what would you like for dinner? I can honestly offer you anything you want."

"Spaghetti and meatballs, please. Don't tell Lily, but her meatballs taste horrible."

"I won't say a word," Victoria said, hiding a smile behind her hand.

They went to the kitchen, where a small army of house-elves produced two steaming bowls of spaghetti in no time at all. Over dinner, this little girl who would become the family matriarch one day enchanted Victoria. After splitting a massive brownie sundae, she led Isabelle back to the drawing room. She looked at the child, trying to figure out how to begin this necessary discussion with her.

"Isabelle, have you ever heard of special gifts that some witches and wizards have?"

"Yes. Sirius told me that you are a Seer," she said promptly.

"Do you know what that means?" Victoria inquired.

"That you can See the future, right?"

"Right. But, there are other special gifts, too. You have a very rare gift called Discernment. That means that you can see the present for what it truly is. You can correctly analyze a situation in that moment, and determine a person's true character."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, your sister Lily is a Discerner, the first one in at least a hundred years. Since you share the same eye color, I'm guessing that your emerald eyes are a sign of a Discerner. Other than that, you have a piercing stare that makes the other person feel like you are staring at their soul. People feel that way because you can stare at a soul, mostly by reading their thoughts and feelings."

"Oh. Is that bad?"

"No, it is a very good gift to have. But, you must never tell anyone that you are a Discerner, because if you do, bad people will try to use your gift to manipulate others. And it is not a perfect gift, either. Sometimes your own feelings will get in the way of Discerning how another person feels towards you. I have Seen that this will be a problem for you."

"Can I See the future, too?"

"No, your thoughts and visions of the present cloud your ability to See the future. Once in a while, you can have a vision of the future, but so rarely that I wouldn't trust the vision at all." Victoria paused, satisfied that Isabelle understood the conversation. She picked up a large volume from the ottoman across from the sofa, and placed it in her lap.

"What is that?" Isabelle asked curiously.

"Alice in Wonderland. This was my favorite book when I was your age, and I was hoping that you would let me read it to you before you went to bed," Victoria said, knowing that she loved to be read to.

"Sure." She grinned broadly.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll be up there in a minute, ok?"

"Ok." Her tiny feet thundered up the staircase, eagerly anticipating being read to by the new, wonderful person in her life, Mummy P.

~~~~~

Thank you for such a sweet review, BexPotter! I really, really appreciate it and thank you for adding me to your favorites list! *grins*

Y'all know the drill...here's where I shamelessly beg for feedback, lol!