Disclaimer: See Chapter One!

Uploaded: 8th February 2005

"Black Light"

By Dante Lewis

Chapter Seventeen: Message from Moony.

Sirius looked around at his new surroundings. Hogwarts. He was at Hogwarts! Leave it to Moony to truly bring him a little piece of home!

Suddenly, movement at Sirius' right drew his attention to a tall, sandy haired man in tattered robes.

"Remus!" Sirius cried, ecstatically.

The man, however, did not turn, and Sirius felt himself pulled along with the figure as he made his way down the hallway. A memory, Sirius realised, Moony had sent him a memory!

Picking up his feet to match the pace of the memory-Moony, Sirius took a good look at his old friend. Remus' hair and style of clothes had not changed at all, Sirius realised, but the man's face looked older. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and the beginnings of lines were forming on his brow.

'How long have I been in here, Moony?' Sirius pondered. What year was it?

Sirius questions, however, were interrupted by the sudden flurry of small footsteps rushing towards them.

"Moony!" A child's voice squealed with joy. Sirius turned his head to see a dark blur round the corner and run towards Remus, who had crouched down and opened his arms in anticipation, a wide smile on his face smoothing away the years.

Sirius' heart froze in his chest, his breath catching. 'Was this…'

"Hey there cub, got a kiss for your favourite Godfather?" Remus scooped the child up in a embrace and raised her up in the air.

Sirius exhaled sharply and rushed forward to get a closer look at the child in Remus' arms.

"Remus, you're my only Godfather, silly!" The child admonished, rolling her eyes and wrapping her arms around Remus' neck lovingly.

Sirius' mouth flew open. 'My eyes', He realised.

Taking a closer look at the child, Sirius knew without a doubt that this was his daughter. She was Selina all over, but clearly had inherited his eyes and flyaway hair. Reaching out his hand to touch his child for the first time, Sirius was dismayed to see his hand go right through the image.

'That's right, it's only a memory.' He mentally kicked himself.

"So what does my little star child wish to do today with her only Godfather?" Memory-Remus asked, playfully correcting his previous mistake.

The little girl in his arms broke into a wide grin, as she fished out a black ball of fur from the pockets in her robe.

"Can you make up another story 'bout Moony and Padfoot?" She asked excitedly, waving the black object under Remus' nose. "Can you Remus, please?"

Sirius realised with a smile that his daughter was holding the replica of his animagus form that he had made for Selina upon news of her expecting. Tears – both of joy and grief – cascaded unnoticed down his cheeks. Joy because he was seeing his child for the first time and she was from all appearances, happy and healthy. And he – well at least his animagus form – wasn't a stranger to her. Grief, because he was missing out on her life and the child would never truly realise how much he loved her.

Memory-Remus took the Padfoot toy from his goddaughter and placed him on the floor in front of them. "I can do better than that, sweetheart." He said, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the toy. "Animate!"

Sirius' daughter squealed with delight as her toy dog came to life, jumping and yapping at their feet. Extricating herself from Remus' arms, she knelt on the floor and giggled as toy-Padfoot proceeded to climb on her and lick her face. Remus meanwhile, had pulled a scaled version of a familiar looking Stag out of his robe and silently animating it behind the child, unnoticed.

As the toy Stag playfully poked at his little girl and made for the toy dog, Sirius felt his heart burst with pride. 'This was his little girl!'

"Oh Remus, Remus, thank you, thank you!" The little girl cried, when she acknowledged the new toy Remus had bestowed upon her.

"That's quite alright, Estella." Remus said warmly, once again joining his charge on the floor. "Now, how would you like to hear a story about Padfoot and his new friend Prongs?" He asked, indicating to the toy stag.

Sirius smiled his first real smile in many years as he watched his daughter's eyes light up. He didn't even notice when the memory dissolved and he was back in his cell in Azkaban. The image of his daughter's happy face was burned forever into his mind.

Slowly coming back to his senses, Sirius sighed as his eyes cast over the innocently blank piece of parchment. Suddenly, words started to appear.

'Was it worth missing out on this?' was all the letter said in Remus Lupin's precise script. Sirius' heart sank… there was no doubt in his mind what the 'it' Remus was referring to was: his supposed betrayal of James and Lily.

Sirius sighed. His last friend in the whole world thought he was guilty. As the letter suddenly burst into magical fire and disintegrated in his hands, Sirius couldn't help but feel his resolve strengthened. Now, he was even more determined to get out of the infernal hell he was in. Now, he had something real to fight for. To live.

Her name was Estella.

End Chapter Seventeen: Message From Moony