It wasn't quite dawn...and Erin was up and watching out of the window in the Gryffindor common room. Everything seemed so different...and she wanted the others to wake up so they could go down to breakfast or get down to business. She sighed as she heard someone come out of the dormitories.
"Mornin', Luv" Sirius said as he walked over to where Erin was looking out the window. Lively eyes stared out from under his mop of long dark hair. "Did you sleep?" He asked.
Erin shrugged. "Not really, Dad." She admitted. "But that isn't so unusual. Sleep and I haven't been the best of friends in my life. Most times it seemed I spent more time cleaning..." She stopped. "Never mind. How did you sleep?"
The black haired boy shrugged a little. "After I got my mind to settle I slept just fine." He said. Most of the time he seemed to have too much energy to sleep.
Erin nodded. "Dad...when did you know you were in love with Mum?" She wanted so desperately to learn about her parents and who they were. She had known her father just so briefly and she didn't know anything about her mum.
He looked over at her. He was really going to have to get used to this whole "dad" thing. He smiled widely. "Ever since the first time I saw her...well I s'pose I didn't know then, but I do now." He said thoughtfully, looking out the window. "Ever since the first time I saw her I think I knew I wanted her."
Erin smiled. "Yeah, you told me that you loved us more than your own life." She mused. "When were you able to become an Animagus? About the same time I was?"
He smiled back at her. "I don't know." Sirius said. "When did you become one?"
Erin thought back. "Well, I probably could have the Christmas of my first year, but it wasn't until the end of that year that I was able to become the wolf...it has helped a lot I can tell you." She grinned.
He grinned too, knowing just what she meant. "Well, yeah I'd say around the same time as you."
The black haired girl smiled at her dad. "Truthfully, I am surprised you were able to sleep at all with Remus. He snores so loud that I have to stuff pillows over his face to get any sleep at night." She shook her head. "It's a lot easy with Harry, he barely makes any sound at all. But I guess you're probably used to it by now."
"Ah, Remus ain't so bad. Probably just got worse when he got old." Sirius said. "Harry's like James by the sounds...You gotta check the bloke just to make sure he's still breathin' he's so quiet." He shrugged.
"You better believe it." She grinned and laughed. Then she took his arm and checked under the sleeve of his t-shirt. "I knew it." She rolled her eyes. "When did you get that tattoo?" She said referring to his initials on his shoulder. Remus had told her about the tattoo when she had thought about getting one. He told her to ask her dad and he said no. Well, now she was when she got back. Man, that Howler was going to be 10 minutes long.
Sirius grinned proudly displaying the tattoo. "Over the summer. Pretty nice, eh?"
"Yeah, what did your parents think? Or did you do it purposefully to make them mad?" She asked.
His 1000-watt grin dimmed down to about 40 and then flickered out. He retracted his arm from her hold, not roughly, but he still pulled away, obviously a sore spot for him. "They wouldn't know nothin' 'bout it." He said, looking back outside. "I don't live there anymore."
Erin put her hand to his shoulder. "I understand and I'm sorry for bringing it up." She was sorry, but she was wrestling with herself for wanting to know about him and his life.
He shrugged suddenly like it didn't matter. "Not your fault. We just saw things differently, is all. They didn't like it so...they sort of threw me out."
She paused, she wanted to hug him, but she wasn't sure how he would take it. She turned away from him and looked back outside. The sun was rising. "Well, it looks like it would be a great day for a run. Do you want to go out tonight? I've been wanting to change for a while now..."
The smile returned like it had never left at all. "You and me both. Of course I bloody want to go! I run almost every single night possible."
"I know what you mean." She smiled. "There's nothing like changing and running under the full moon, I know Remus and I—" She swallowed. "Uh...talk about it a lot. It would be nice if Harry was an Animagus, but I didn't exactly tell him what I was doing when I became one. Actually at the moment skipping out right now and sneaking into the forest sounds good." She sighed. "Does James usually go?"
Sirius shook his head. "It's usually just me. Pettigrew's too scared to go out that far and James only does once in awhile. Be kinda nice having someone to run with. I dunno why Remus never wanted to become one. Well I do...He's Remus..." He laughed lightly.
Erin blushed. Oh, she hated keeping it back from him. "Yeah, and he usually has to go home because his mum is sick." I said. "Ok, I know Harry likes to sleep in, but does everyone else too?" She asked. "I don't understand about people sleeping in. Of course I also don't understand about girls eating very little at a meal, but that's probably because I have a high metabolism and need the nutrients. I know I get that from you. Remus says you never stop eating. Of course he also says that you and mum can't keep your hands off each other. And from what I saw yesterday that was very true." She grinned.
"I'm a fast kinda guy." Sirius said shamelessly, even winking to make the point. "What can I say?" He said chuckling. "What else did he say about me? Ya know I wouldn't have a reputation if it weren't for him. Has nothin' better to talk about besides his studies." He wasn't complaining. He knew Remus looked up to his best friend and Sirius admired the boy just as much in return.
"Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you, Dad. And believe me your reputation stays with you your entire life. You are always known as a 'bad boy'." Well technically she wasn't lying. Her father was thought to be pretty bad. Although knowing that should make him pretty happy. "Well, he won't tell me about that kiss between you and James...how 'bout it?" She looked at him curiously.
He kind of liked the sound of that. Always being the 'bad boy'. Sirius chuckled. "Drunken shenanigans. There is no story." He said laughing. "James is a far different person when he has some liquid courage in him."
"Sounds like it." Erin laughed. "Although aren't you a bit too young to drink?" Erin blushed though thinking about her own little time drinking. "Hmm…maybe we shouldn't discuss getting drunk..."
"Don't you know by now I'm a bad influence on everybody?" He laughed. "I smoke too, but I try not to when I'm here...doesn't go over so well."
"Not surprised." Erin said. "Well, you might as well know, I got drunk this past year at school. Harry and I were having some trouble. Man, Remus laid into me like I was you. Technically I am not sure he saw much of a difference at that moment. He kept asking me if I wanted to end up like you." Erin grinned. "I was thinking that it wasn't that bad a thing to be like you." She hit his shoulder.
"There are worse people to be like." Sirius said laughing. "So what's Remus like all grown up, eh? Is he stodgier than he is now?"
Erin thought a moment. "Remus is probably one of the best wizards I know, one of the greatest in the world. He's just so gentle and laid back and he exudes this aura of confidence. He's very sure of himself and he likes who he is. He may not be the richest guy in the world...he can't keep a job that long...but he's great. I just love him death. He's a great godfather—uh, whoops...ah well." She paused. "Yeah, he's one of the best people I know."
Sirius had a genuinely happy look on his young roguish face. "Good. That means all his hours reading and studying isn't going to be wasted." He said. "He deserves to be happy. Godfather part I could've told ya myself...Knowing I have a kid of my own. Who else would I make godfather?" He said smiling.
"Uh, James maybe? Because your Harry's godfather." Erin said. "But, yeah, Remus is the best, like a second father really. He really cares about me and wants me to be happy. He's really been a lifesaver in my life with...well, a lot of difficulties that have happened. I am really happy though, this means I get to know you guys...what you're like now. I couldn't imagine anything better." She leaned forward and hugged him and then quickly sat back. "Sorry."
"Ah, don't be sorry." He said waving her off about it.
Erin grinned and hugged him again, this time tighter. It seemed like an eternity since he had hugged her that night...even though it was in reality only about a month. It felt good to be close to him and she missed him. She knew that he wasn't technically the same person, but he was her dad and she loved him. She didn't know when she was going to really be with him again.
Sirius didn't know how to react as he was hugged a second time, at first his arms remained in the air a little, not sure if he should hug her back, but then after awhile he returned the hug. Smiling a little of his own.
They just stood like that until they heard others starting to come down. They parted though Erin would never forget it as long as she lived.
