Author's Note: Wow, an update! It's been a while...am on a mission now, though...

Chapter 6: A Bundle of Joy in Despair

"Oh, Bill, this is going to be the best prank ever," Isabelle said excitedly, sitting down at the Gryffindor table. "Tabitha's going to learn not to mess with me, that's for sure."

"Well, you're the one who hooked up with her boyfriend."

"I didn't see him complaining."

"I'm sure he wasn't!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She scowled.

"It means – oh, never mind."

He took a bite out of his toast, keeping a careful eye on the Slytherin table. They spent the better part of the night spreading transparent glue on the benches, so when the students tried to stand up, they would either rip their robes, or be stuck for hours. Isabelle mixed the glue so that it would resist most counterpotions.

After Tabitha found out about Isabelle and Ian's fling over Easter holidays, the house war between Gryffindor and Slytherin reached an all-time high. The entire school watched the two most popular girls in the entire school battle each other, although most of them didn't know what the conflict was about.

"Good morning," Ali said cheerfully, plopping down at the table.

"Yes, it is," Isabelle replied, with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Why? What did you do?" Ali asked suspiciously.

"Just watch and see."

The first Slytherin students tried to stand up, but couldn't. Puzzled, they tried again. When the students finally figured out what had happened, they started yelling and swearing at the Gryffindor table, whose students were doubled over in laughter. Ian and a couple of his Ravenclaw friends walked over to the table, and helped free the students.

Laughing hysterically, Isabelle triumphantly walked out of the Great Hall and down into the dungeons for Potions class. Halfway through class, a note flew out of the fireplace, landing in Professor Brock's hand. He skimmed it, and looked up.

"Miss Evans, Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with you in his office right away," he said.

The class started murmuring as Isabelle slowly gathered up her books and walked upstairs. The only thing she could think of is how much trouble she was in for this morning's prank. How did I get caught, anyway? she wondered, walking into the professor's circular office.

"Good morning, Isabelle," he began in a serious tone of voice.

"Good morning," she replied nervously.

"I'm sorry to pull you out of class, but I received an urgent owl from your sister this morning. You're needed at home."

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?" she asked, frightened. All thoughts of the morning's activities immediately flew out of her head.

"No, the baby's fine. It's Regina. Apparently the delivery didn't go well, and she's quite ill. She asked for you, so you're to go home right away."

"Regina." She blinked. "What do you mean, the delivery? She's due in July, and it's only May."

Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic look. "I've had the Ministry make a special link from my fireplace to your home. Why don't you go home now? They'll have more answers than I do."

She nodded, and took the powder from his outstretched hand. "Thank you, Professor," she said before disappearing into the fireplace.

She landed in the living room, and stepped out, brushing herself off. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. A seemingly endless stream of doctors and nurses were bustling about, walking up and down the stairs. It looked like half of the staff of St. Mungo's was at the house – which was probably close to the truth.

Brushing past the crowd, she walked up the stairs, and quietly knocked on the partially opened bedroom door. Sirius called her inside, so she nervously opened the door. She nearly gasped when she saw Regina. She was so pale and frail looking.

"You're here," she said in a raspy whisper. "Sirius, will you please leave us alone for a little while?"

He began to protest, but stood up and walked to the door. "I'll tell Lily that you're here."

"Thank you," Isabelle replied.

He nodded quietly, and closed the door firmly behind him. Isabelle's heart caught in her throat. He looked so upset and scared. A tiny voice from across the room broke the silence. Her eyes lit up – she loved children.

"Is that the baby?" she asked, knowing full well that it was. Regina nodded.

"Will you bring her to me?"

"Her." Isabelle smiled as she picked up the tiny child and brought her to the bed. The baby's eyes fluttered open, and closed again. "She's beautiful. And so small."

"And surprisingly healthy for being so premature. All of her organs are developed enough so that she doesn't need all of those scary looking machines that the doctors brought with them. Believe me, there's nothing wrong with her lungs. She does have colic, though, but that's pretty common. Be sure to remind Sirius to give her medicine to her."

"What do you mean?" Regina was beginning to frighten her.

"I'm dying, Isabelle."

"No. No," she said, shutting her eyes tightly. "You can't be dying. Women have babies all of the time. You'll be fine. You have to be; Sirius can't live without you."

Regina put her hand over Isabelle's. "You love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I love all of you."

"Oh, Isabelle." She smiled sadly. "He doesn't know it yet, but I'm not going to be around much longer. So you don't have to lie to me. I've watched the two of you for years, and I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one's watching."

"But, I do anything, I'll even stop loving him. Just please don't die," she begged, tears falling down her face.

"Life just doesn't work that way. Besides, he's going to need you after I'm gone, even more than he needs you now. He's not as strong as he looks, but you know that. I need you to promise me that you'll take care of him."

"Regina, you're scaring me," she sobbed.

"Promise," she insisted.

"I promise."

"Good. Will you please go to my jewelry chest, and open the third drawer. Inside it is a gold ring on a chain. Can you bring it to me?" Isabelle nodded, and brought her the chain. "This is my wedding ring from my first marriage."

"First marriage?" Isabelle was shocked.

"Yes, my first, failed marriage," she whispered hoarsely. She went on to tell Isabelle about Severus, and New York. And, how she got sick.

"Sirius doesn't know that you're sick?" she asked.

"No. My heart's just worn out. Somehow I got a staph infection, and my body's not strong enough to fight it. I dread telling him about the disease."

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell him. Just relax," Isabelle comforted her.

Regina was fading in and out of consciousness, and her breathing became more labored with every word she spoke. Her eyes opened and tried to focus on Isabelle.

"Keep the ring," she breathed. "If you ever see Severus, please give it to him from me. Tell him I never stopped loving him."

"I will."

"But don't ever tell Sirius you have it, or go looking for Severus," she warned, closing her eyes again.

"Regina, don't leave us. This baby needs a mother. Trust me, growing up without a mother is no fun."

Her eyes fluttered again, and she smiled at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully. "She has a mother. Thank you for raising her like she was your own, and for telling her about me. Oh, I love her so much. I just wish I could be there to watch her grow up."

"But, you can be. Don't give up."

"No, I Saw it. I've Seen so much, Isabelle." She fell asleep for a few seconds, and woke back up again. "Remember when we were playing around with designs, and I designed that wedding dress for you?"

"Yeah."

"Be sure to wear it on your wedding day. Promise me."

"I promise," she said slowly. Regina was delusional, she thought. Maybe I should call a doctor in to give her some more medicine.

"Good." She smiled. "He'll love it."

"Who? Who'll love it?" Isabelle sighed. She had fallen asleep again.

Isabelle quietly stood, and walked into the hallway, still holding the baby. Sirius was leaning against the wall. He looked absolutely horrible, she thought.

"How is she?" he asked, fighting back his own tears.

"Sleeping. Why don't you go see her?"

"Ok. James is really torn up, and Lily's with him, so could you look after Grace for a little while?"

"I'd be glad to," she replied. "Well, Princess Grace, let's check out the nursery, shall we? Maybe we can hide from all the doctors and nurses who want to poke at you."

In spite of himself, Sirius laughed. Isabelle always had a way of making people feel better. "Only you would come up with that nickname, which I'm sure will stick."

Regina looked at the scene in the doorway. Although she knew the future was inevitable, seeing them together still hurt. And as much as she loved Sirius, Isabelle loved him more. That simple fact upset her, too. She watched Isabelle walk off with her daughter, knowing it was the last time she would see either of them again.

She fought to keep her eyes open as Sirius closed the door, and sat down beside her on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. With great effort, she smiled sadly.

"Better, since the medicine's working now."

"That's good, right? Does that mean that you're getting better?" His eyes begged for her to give him some sign of hope. She shook her head slightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm just so tired."

"No, please don't leave me. I know it's selfish, but I can't live without you."

"You can, and you will. You'll even love again. I've Seen it."

"That's impossible. You're the only woman I've ever loved, and ever will love," he said sincerely.

"Sirius, please don't patronize me by saying I'm the only woman you've ever loved. Isabelle's had your heart from the day you met her."

"You're talking nonsense, Regina. Isabelle is a child."

"Isabelle will not be a child forever. One day, she will cease to be a child in your eyes." She managed to put her hand on his face, and looked into his eyes. "I am your past, Sirius, and she is your future."

"No," he said lamely.

"Yes," she rasped. "Accept that, and move on, for both of your sakes. She won't wait around for you forever. She has hopes and dreams of her own. By the time you realize that I'm right, you may have lost her forever."

The conversation drained what little energy Regina had left, and she collapsed into a deep sleep. Before Sirius had a chance to try to talk to her again, Lily and James came into the room. They exchanged a look. No one wanted to say the obvious, that Regina was fading fast. And all they could do was watch her slip away.

-----

Isabelle was frustrated beyond reason. As soon as she brought the baby into the nursery, a horde of doctors and nurses descended on her like a plague. She couldn't believe this was a pediatric team, because they sure didn't know how to treat a baby. They poked and prodded at little Grace until she howled hysterically. And, their idea of calming her down was to drop her in a bassinette and shove an oxygen tube up her nose.

Needless to say, neither she nor Isabelle was in a good humor by the time the doctors left to take all of their samples and cultures back to the hospital to run tests. The doctors wanted to take the baby to the neonatal unit at the hospital as soon as she was born, but Sirius refused. Having her around made Regina feel better.

Although he hated doing it, he used his money and influence to bring the doctors and equipment to the house. Besides, Regina hated hospitals. She refused to be moved to St. Mungo's herself, and Sirius wasn't going to second-guess her judgment. Especially when he had the means to do what she wanted.

Not only that, but bringing the medical staff to the house ensured privacy for the whole family. Throughout her pregnancy, Regina was a media magnet, which drove Sirius absolutely crazy. For some reason, the press was obsessed with the birth of the first-born child of the richest and best known couple in the wizarding world.

If the outside world had any idea what was happening at the Evans estate, there would be a media circus on the front lawn. That is, if they could find the front lawn. A clever Invisibility Charm, similar to the ones used at Hogwarts, protected the entire estate. So, unless you knew exactly what you were looking for, you'd never even find the gate.

Guests to the estate either had to use the Floo network, or be led onto the estate by one of the house's inhabitants. Apperation on grounds was blocked after a reporter from the Daily Prophet snuck onto the back lawn and took pictures of Isabelle sunbathing last summer.

Professor Dumbledore himself came to the estate after that incident, and set up the security measures. Even use of the Floo network was restricted. Only Hogwarts itself was better protected, which was quite reassuring during times like these.

Isabelle crossed the room and peered into the bassinette, where Grace stared up at her with one of the foulest, angriest looks she had ever seen. She had no idea newborns could be so expressive. The baby's howls had subsided to a small, frightened whimper. She reached down and removed the oxygen tube, drawing the ire of one of the nurses.

"Excuse me, but the doctor's orders say that the tube stays in all night," the nurse snapped.

"Which will do more harm than good, and we both know that. If she doesn't have to use her lungs as much, they'll weaken," Isabelle pointed out.

The nurse huffed and turned back to her paperwork, jerking her head back up when Isabelle picked the baby up.

"That baby is exhausted and needs sleep," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, I know that," Isabelle replied as patiently as she could. "But, she's scared and uncomfortable, which means that she won't go to sleep and will get even crankier. Which I'm not really sure is possible at this point."

The nurse rolled her eyes, but held her tongue as Isabelle walked the baby to a large rocking chair. It didn't seem to really hurt anything; in fact, little Grace yawned and fell asleep for the first time all evening. Which sure made the nurse's job a lot easier.

Isabelle slept in spurts throughout the night. Around three o'clock in the morning, she tried to put Grace down to sleep, but she woke up immediately and screamed bloody murder. So, she took the baby back to the rocking chair.

"You're spoiled rotten already," she muttered tiredly.

She didn't realize that she had fallen asleep again until a thunderous bang shook the entire house. Isabelle sat up with a start, seeing Sirius storm across the grounds. She unconsciously clutched the tiny baby to her chest, knowing that her mother was dead.

-----

Sirius was a desperate man. Ten minutes ago, Regina was alive. But now, she was gone forever. He held her as she took her last breath, all the while begging her to fight, to live. If not for his sake, for their tiny daughter, who would never know how amazing her mother truly was.

Was. The finality of that simple word hit him like a ton of bricks as he looked up, realizing he had walked to her tree. He punched the tree with everything he had, making the leaves rustle softly. Why her and not him? When she was gasping for air, he would've done anything to trade places with her. But here he was, alone.

He needed to gather his thoughts together before facing everyone, James especially. He had never completely forgiven Sirius for marrying his sister, and was sure he blamed him for her death. Shoot, he blamed himself – why shouldn't everyone else? Consumed by guilt and grief, he couldn't even look at her tree anymore. It was one more reminder that she was gone.

There was no way he was going back to the house, so he half ran, half stumbled to the only place he knew he would be left in peace – Isabelle's fort. He collapsed at the entrance in body-shaking sobs.

The cool metal of his wedding band pressed against his forehead as he placed his head in his hands in agony. He stretched his hand out in front of him, looking at it, thinking about the marriage it represented. Their love, the dreams they shared; all of it died with Regina, he realized. Anguished beyond reason, he pulled the ring off his finger and tossed it over the white cliffs into the sea below.

Watching the ring disappear into the dawn sky, he truly doubted he had the strength to live without her. For twenty-five years, she had been his confidant, his reason to make anything of himself. Without her faith in him, he would have given up long ago.

Now, he had no reason to try, to go on. His tortured mind could not think of a single reason why he shouldn't just jump over those cliffs and join his wife in death. After all, their daughter would be well taken for, would never want for anything. Why not just end his suffering and pain now, instead of enduring the rest of his life without her?

He wiped the tears off his face with the back of his hand, suddenly determined to end it all. No one has ever really cared whether I lived or died except Regina anyway, he rationalized. That horrifying thought caused him to break down again. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly.

"She's gone, Isabelle," he sobbed without looking up. "She's gone, and I'm alone. I'm so alone."

The utter desperation in his voice broke her heart. Looking at the suffering, grieving man in front of her, Isabelle questioned her motives in chasing after him. Of course she worried about him, and wanted to make sure that he didn't do anything irrational. But, more than that, she wanted him to need her, to cry on her shoulder. Like she needed him.

"You're not alone, Sirius. There's a very grumpy little girl in the nursery that needs a father."

"I killed her mother." Isabelle laughed at the ridiculousness of his statement. "I'm glad you find that humorous, because I sure don't."

"You didn't kill her. A staph infection killed her because she had a weak heart." She gently told him about Regina's disease, watching his expression grow angrier by the second.

"Why didn't she tell me? I would've bought her a hundred hearts. Damn Snape," he swore, breaking into a long string of curses.

Isabelle wasn't sure what half of them meant, but she knew better than to ask. They were bad, anyway. She quickly realized why she wasn't supposed to mention Regina's old wedding ring to Sirius, or talk about Snape in general. They obviously didn't get along, to say the least.

"Sirius, you need to stop hiding and start being a father," Isabelle interrupted him, bringing him back to planet earth.

"I don't know how," he admitted softly, before he realized what he was saying.

She smiled internally. He needed her, and that statement just proved it. Her mind worked overtime, trying to find the perfect piece of advice to give him. Or at least something that didn't make her sound either like a child or an idiot.

"Well," Isabelle began slowly, "lucky for you, her royal highness is completely clueless that you're new to the dad thing. However, if she knew, she'd probably have something to say about it."

"Like what?" A smile flickered across his face.

"Well, you'd just be glad that you don't speak baby. Just go to the nursery and see her."

Sirius nodded, took a deep breath, and stood up to leave. Before walking away, he looked critically at Isabelle. Sure, she was a brilliant, funny girl, but he was convinced Regina was already delusional when she told him that he'd fall for Isabelle. Not only would I never, ever think of her that way, she's not exactly my type anyway, he decided.

At least, he thought she wasn't. Suddenly confused, he walked into the house and crept up the back staircase. Everything was eerily quiet. The doctors forced Lily to get some rest a couple of hours ago, and James was probably with her.

He couldn't bear to go into his own bedroom, or even look at it. Because he knew when he walked inside, Regina would be gone, taken away to the morgue awaiting funeral plans. Tears stung his eyes again, causing him to lean on the banister for support.

Swallowing his grief as best he could, he walked down the hallway and opened the nursery door. A small army of nurses was bustling around inside. Their activity instantly gave Sirius a headache. So did their curious stares as he crossed the room to look at his infant daughter, who was wide-awake.

And even grumpier than Isabelle described, he thought with a small smile. Not that he blamed her. If he was stuck in a bassinette with a dozen nurses running around and chattering, he wouldn't be too happy, either.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "I'd appreciate it if you would please give me some time alone with my daughter."

"That's against doctor's orders," one nurse replied, somewhat snidely.

"Leave," he commanded through clenched teeth.

After the nurses rushed out of the room, he awkwardly picked up the baby. Not knowing what else to do, he walked her over to the rocking chair and sat down.

"Well, it's just you and me, huh?" he asked.

Little Grace blinked in response, staring at him through large, smoky eyes framed by perfectly curling dark lashes.

"Want to know a secret?" he whispered. "I have no idea how to raise you. See, it wasn't exactly supposed to be this way. But, I can make you a promise. I'll never blame you for your mother's death, or ignore you. We both lost her."

As if understanding his words, she let out a soft, mournful wail.

"I miss her, too. I'm so sorry you'll never know her, Gracie." Her cries got louder. "Tell you what. We can cry together, ok?"

And pray that this is all a horrible nightmare that I'll wake up from soon, Sirius thought desperately.

-----

Concentrate, Isabelle told herself, perched precariously on the side of the enormous white cliff. When she was a little girl, she used to climb down the chalky cliffs all the time to walk and play on the beach below. It seemed like such an easy task to go fetch Sirius' wedding band from the shore before the tide swept it away.

But, either time had eroded her hand and footholds, or she was sorely out of practice. Or, perhaps both. A large gust of wind whipped around the cliff, causing her foot to slip. Her hands clutched to the cliff, but she gripped too hard. Her handhold crumbled off in her hands. Looking at the thirty-five feet or so to the bottom, she closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and jumped.

Luckily, the ground was soft sand. She landed with a sickening thud, and rolled down the shore towards the water, finally stopping when her leg hit a sharp rock. No one heard her scream of intense pain echo throughout the cliffs as she clutched her right calf. The rock pierced her pants leg, leaving a deep, jagged cut. The sight of the wound made her light-headed, so she sat for a minute to get her bearings.

She managed to get to her feet, and limped to the salty English Channel. Gritting her teeth, she splashed the wound to clean out the sand. It hurt so badly that she nearly passed out. Gasping, she hobbled the fifteen feet to the ring and collapsed beside it.

Why did I chase after this thing, anyway? she thought, looking at her throbbing leg. Because it has sentimental value, and that scrap of a baby might want it one day. Or Sirius, for that matter. She was certain that he wasn't anywhere near his right mind when he tossed it over the cliff.

She flipped the ring around in her palm, examining it closely. Feeling a little guilty, she peered on the inside to read the inscription. The writing was so tiny that she had to enlarge the ring to read it.

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. Elizabeth Barrett Browning," she read, shrinking the ring back to its original size.

She stared out over the water, clutching the ring. Suddenly, she laughed and pulled out two other rings from her pants pocket. Regina's two wedding rings. The doctor gave Isabelle her ring before taking Regina's body away because Sirius had already stormed off.

"Just call me Frodo," she mused.

Except, she reminded herself; Frodo got to walk around Middle Earth with a band of good-looking men, the lucky Hobbit. The best I get is Bill. She wrinkled her nose.

"Well, since I'm the ring bearer and everything, I may as well read what's on these rings, too," she rationalized.

Being a glutton for punishment, she reached for the stunningly beautiful ring Sirius gave Regina first. "Doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt that I love. William Shakespeare."

She bit her lip, trying not to burst into tears. Taking a calming breath, she looked inside Regina's other wedding band. Although it wasn't half as dazzling as the ring Sirius picked out, it had a delicate beauty all its own. Curious, she squinted, reading.

"Love is not love which alters when its alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests and is never shaken, it is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. William Shakespeare. What is it with Regina's husbands and Shakespeare?" she snickered.

Isabelle smiled sadly, remembering how her long discussions with Regina about Shakespeare and other literature. She was the only person who knew as much about Shakespeare as I do, she thought forlornly. Over the past year, Regina regularly sent books and plays to Hogwarts that she thought Isabelle would enjoy reading.

I'm going to miss that, she lamented, standing up to begin the long climb up the cliffs. Luckily, climbing back up to the grounds was far easier than getting down to the shore. Wincing, she walked back to the house and to her room to care for her wound and change clothes.

A disgruntled nurse standing in the hallway informed her that both Lily and James were asleep. Probably passed out from sheer exhaustion, Isabelle thought sympathetically. And that Sirius had kicked her and the other medical staff out of the nursery a couple of hours ago. The nurse asked Isabelle to check on the baby (because everyone knew about Sirius Black's temper, and also that he wouldn't yell at Isabelle).

She quietly cracked open the door, and smiled. The scene was absolutely priceless. Sirius lay sprawled on the rocking chair, sound asleep, with the baby on his chest. Grace was so tiny that his hand nearly covered her entire body. He slept so lightly that Isabelle was certain that the baby's slightest movement would wake him up.

"Is she still asleep?" Sirius whispered without moving a muscle.

"Yep."

"I tried putting her down an hour ago, but she pitched such a fit that I couldn't leave her there. Guess I fell asleep, too."

The baby's eyes flew open, and Sirius could've sworn that she frowned at him. After staring at him for a minute, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

"She definitely prefers to be held," Isabelle agreed. "Not that I can blame her. I'm sure this whole experience is as traumatizing for her as it is for the rest of us."

"How is James?"

She looked at Sirius, whose face had a mixed look of grief, concern, and guilt. "Sleeping right now. So is Lily."

He nodded. "Good. They both need the rest. I still can't believe this is real."

"Me either."

"Um, Isabelle, can you do me a favor? Will you close the door?" She nodded, and shut the door behind her. "I need some help."

"What kind of help?"

"I don't know what to do with her," he said, slightly embarrassed.

"I don't understand."

"I mean, I don't know how to raise a baby."

"Well, she's a preemie, so she'll probably have some developmental delays. Just listen to what the doctors tell you, and you'll be alright," she answered expertly.

"No, not that. I mean stuff like diapers and bottles. I'm clueless, Belle." He gave her a sheepish look. "I know you babysit at school, so I was hoping you could teach me what to do. I want her to have a different life than I did. Starting with a father who's around and doesn't pass her off on a nanny. But, I'm an only child, and I wasn't around babies growing up. I know that's no excuse, but she wasn't due for a couple of more months, and I thought that I had more time to figure these things out, and--"

"Ok, enough! I get the point. I'll help you, but only on one condition," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Anything," Sirius promised desperately. He had to be a good father, for Regina's sake. The sleeping little girl in his arms was her daughter, too. Which instantly made her Sirius' number one priority.

"When you take her to see Regina at the cemetery, will you bring her by Hogwarts?" she asked quietly.

"Sure," he said with a lump in his throat.

"Ok, like I said earlier, she's a preemie. Which means that she has a lot of catching up to do developmentally, both intellectually and size-wise. Don't be surprised if she develops on the same level and time frame as Lily's baby, even though she's older."

Sirius nodded, focusing on her words. How did she know so much about kids, anyway? he wondered.

"No one makes clothes as small as she is, so you're going to have to shrink them to size for a while. Diapers, too. I'll show you how to do that when she needs one, probably soon, I bet. Same for bottles. It's easy, once you get the hang of it."

He looked completely unconvinced, as Grace woke up and began crying, as if on cue. Isabelle took her from Sirius, and briefly showed him the fine art of diapers and bottles. He had a difficult time hearing her over the baby's screaming.

"Why is she still crying?" he asked, frustrated. "She's fed, changed, doesn't need a nap. What's wrong with her?"

Isabelle smiled. "She has colic, which means her stomach isn't as developed as it should be. She has a horrid case of indigestion that makes her cry. Besides, she's yours, so she's bound to have your temperament. The only way she can blow off steam is to cry."

She started pacing the floor with Grace, softly singing to her. Sirius watched, amazed, as the baby went from screaming her lungs out to sound asleep within five minutes. He shook his head, wondering if he'd ever learn enough to raise his daughter halfway decently.

Isabelle heard a soft knock at the door. After a minute, Lily poked her head in the room.

"Hey, is everything alright in here?" she asked while looking at Sirius, concerned.

If the doctors hadn't practically forced her to go to bed, she would've gladly stayed with the baby. Her best friend's baby. Teary-eyed, she walked inside the nursery, followed by a grief-stricken James.

"How's my niece?" he managed to choke out.

"Perfect," came the quiet, but proud reply. The two men eyed each other warily, neither quite knowing what to say.

"Uh, Sirius," James began, fumbling over his words, "I just wanted to tell you that I don't blame you for my sister dying."

"Thanks, man."

Lily eased herself into the rocking chair and rubbed her temples thoughtfully. "I simply don't understand what happened."

"Isabelle?"

She gulped, and looked across the room at Sirius. "Yes?"

"Will you tell them what you told me earlier?"

"Everything?"

"Yeah."

Isabelle took a deep breath, and started explaining to a stunned James and Lily about Regina's first marriage, and her illness. And, how she was sick when she came home, and hid it for years. When she finished the story, Lily's body shook with quiet sobs, and James' face held a look of utter anguish.

"Did you know?" he asked Sirius, who shook his head.

"Not about the disease. I knew she married that git, though."

"If this marriage really existed, there have to be records of it. And that arrest warrant the Ministry took out against her," James said, wrinkling his brow. "I've never heard the first word about any of this until now."

"You wouldn't have, because I destroyed the records," he replied calmly.

"Wow, you really did love my sister, didn't you?"

Sirius glared across the room at him. "Yes, I did."

"So did Snape, apparently," Lily said.

"If he loved her, then he wouldn't have let her get that sick," James exclaimed sharply. "When she was in that hospital dying all those years ago, why didn't he come to us for help? We're her family, and we would have done anything to keep her safe. Unlike that worthless git. I wish I had never saved his life."

"What?" Isabelle and Lily asked together.

"The story's not worth telling. Please excuse me; I need some fresh air."

James stormed out of the room, and slammed the kitchen door just as loudly, if not even louder, as Sirius did earlier that day. Isabelle looked at her sister wide-eyed. She had never, ever seen him lose his temper before. For some reason, seeing him angry frightened her far more than Sirius' rage ever could.