Remus woke to the smell of pancakes. He was puzzled for a moment. Then it hit him.
Mim!
Flying from the bed he raced into the kitchen to see the little girl on his foot stool, carefully removing the ready pancake onto a plate.
"Mim!" he cried making her jump, the pancake fell on the floor.
"I'm sorry I will make another one. I'm sorry!" she squeaked grabbing the mixture. But Remus was already in the kitchen. He picked the four year old up and carried her away from the stove.
"Mimosa Potter, why were you using the oven? That is very dangerous." He said as he sat her down on the sofa. Kneeling in front of her he saw her confused expression. Rage burned through his body.
Petunia!
"I don't understand, I cook all the time. Don't you like pancakes?" she said.
"I like pancakes very much, Mim. But you are a little girl, and the oven is very dangerous. You could burn yourself –"
"I haven't burnt myself in months," she protested before looking down at her lap. "I just wanted to say thank you, and make a special breakfast." She mumbled. Remus sighed, titling her head back up.
"Now Mimosa Potter you listen to me. Just having you here, playing with your new things is more than enough thank you."
"But –"
"No buts, come on you sit here. Why don't you draw me a picture while I make breakfast? Does that sound like a good deal?"
She nodded unsure.
"The paper is in that draw and the pencils are in that one." He said pointing at his battered second hand desk in the corner. He got up and began to pour the batter the four year old in front of him made. Glancing up he saw she had taken out the paper and pencil and had begun to draw an oval. He looked at the mixture again shaking his head. How long had Petunia made her cook? Was she at least supervised? Perhaps it's not what you're thinking, a voice tried to pacify him. Maybe Mim liked watching her cook and Petunia tried to show how to make something, turn around to do something and find her over the stove.
Moony growled at the feeble excuse, he knew from the way they acted, the way she acted when he came to take her the day before that Petunia would not be the nurturing mother towards her. Flipping the pancake he looked back at the little girl who was now hunched over the drawing scribbling madly. He smiled looking forward to seeing it.
Mim was very confused. Why hadn't Uncle Remus wanted her to cook? She needed to earn her keep here more than ever! She had clothes that fit her. She could use paper and draw when she wanted, her own bed, her own room. She wondered how he wanted her to earn her stay here? Maybe he wants her to clean. Or – "
"Mim, how's that picture coming," she heard him asked, she looked at him. He looked really kind and happy when he looked at her. She noticed that he looked tired as well. Even a little sore, she wondered why?
"Good,"
"Is it a surprise, or am I allowed to know?"
Mim thought about this for a moment.
"It's a surprise." She said finally. Remus chuckled adding the last of the pancakes to the pile.
"What do you want on your pancakes, Mim."
She was getting pancakes too! Now she was really confused.
"I have strawberry jam, sugar, lemon juice, er, Nutella."
"I dunno, what are you having?"
"Lemon,"
"Ok, lemon please"
He handed her the plate wondering what was going to say to her about her father, she put the picture upside-down, his lips twitched. He watched the four year old as she cautiously ate the food he had given her, eating two of his own in the time it took for her to eat hers.
"Would you like another one?" Remus said, Mim nodded unsure, Remus handed them another each, putting the sugar and lemon juice on. Again he waited till she was finished, before opening his mouth again.
"Mim, we need to talk," Remus said patting the seat beside him. Curious, the little girl jumped up onto the sofa and sat beside him. "You need to know that you are very special; just like your Mummy was, and just like I am."
"What do you mean?" she said confused, Remus smiled at the way she frowned and pouted as she concentrated.
"I mean we are special because we can do things normal people can't, we can use, magic."
Mim gasped and crawled away from him.
"Uncle Vernon says that's bad." She whispered terrified.
"No it is not, it is very very good."
"But –"
"Mim I want you to try and forget everything you're Aunt and Uncle ever told you ok." He said. She looked up at him, he smiled gently.
"What about my Daddy?"
The question he was dreading, he decided to tell the truth as carefully as possible.
"Now he is what we call a Muggle, a non-magic person."
"Like Uncle Vernon,"
"But not mean like Uncle Vernon." He said. He hoped. "He lives in America so he is going to come and met you soon."
"Aunt Petunia said –"
"Your Mummy lived with your Uncle James, your Daddy didn't know your Mummy was having a baby."
"He does now?"
"If he gets my message." Remus smiled, and he passes the magic test. He would have to start making plans in case he is as bad as Petunia. Child support, which would help him raise her. She wouldn't have holidays, but she would be loved and grow up hearing about her mother and the man who was going to raise her as his own.
"Why don't we watch a video huh?" he said, getting up and gathering the videos that were recovered from Godric Hollow.
"I don't know any of those," she said nervously.
"I think this one will be perfect," he said, placing in The Lion King.
Across the pond…
"All right, let's get the newest DNA test done." Tony sighed.
"Congratulations, sir." JARVIS said. "It's a girl,"
"Not funny JARVIS," he grumbled.
"I am quite serious, sir. Mimosa Potter aged four, born on the 31st of July 1991 at 11:59 at night.
Tony's head snapped up to see JARVIS really wasn't kidding! There was no picture.
"Her mother's friend has taken her from her Aunt and Uncle who…"
"Where's her mother?"
"Dead, sir. He sent a picture of her; perhaps he doesn't know your reputation."
He remembered her; she hadn't known who he was. He had to rely on charm alone. She was dead. His little girl didn't have her mother.
"How?"
"It isn't on the note."
"Who? What? JARVIS? You said the Aunt and Uncle." He said looking up, he had a child. His child had been taken out of a family environment.
"The sister of the mother was very jealous…"
"And she took it out on her? All right, if anyone asks I got on my jet 5 minutes ago." He grabbed his wallet, phone and coat, rushing out of his lab up the stairs.
"Yes sir, have a safe trip and I look forward to meeting Miss Stark."
JARVIS opened the door for him.
"Me to JARVIS me too."
He rang Miss Potts to tell her to cancel any appointments.
"Hello?"
"Hey, so er turns out I have a kid."
"What!"
"Yeah, remember that redhead in England in that bar. The one who had no idea who I was? Her. I am on my way to England to meet my little girl. I'll send you a picture when I have one."
Hopping onto his private plane and sitting in his favourite seat, he took out his phone and dialled the number on the letter.
Remus smiled at the sleeping child on his lap, stroking her hair softly, gently he reached to looked at the picture she was drawing before the pancakes. It was a picture of the two of them yesterday, she was in her little red dress. He smiled at the picture making a mental note to put it on the fridge.
Ring! Ring!
Ring! Ring!
He fumbled to answer it before the noise could wake her.
"Hello?" he whispered.
"Hey this is Tony Stark. Listen, I got your –"
"Are you coming?" he said quietly.
"Don't you want to know the results?" he asked.
"We knew it was you," Remus said looking down at Mim.
"Why are you whispering?"
"She's asleep," he said.
"She's with you? What's she doing? What has been said to her? Her Aunt and Uncle what – ?"
"I will explain everything when I don't have a sleeping four year old on my lap." Remus said carefully moving her little body so she could be easier to carry when he got up. Remus could hear him chuckle.
"I want to meet you before you meet her." he said. "There is a lot I need to tell you that is not for her ears."
"Where?"
"When will you arrive in London?"
"Ten and a half hours, I have my own plane so I can met you… at 10am?"
"All right, meet me at my flat. You got a pen?"
"Sure,"
"24A Romulus Street, Dorking, Surrey"
"Thank you Remus," Tony said. "Will Mimosa be there?"
Remus sighed.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
He hangs up, rubbing his face and taking a deep breath. He looks back at Mim, smiling he gently scoops up the little girl and places her in her bed. Making sure all of her little body was under the covers he left the room.
Who could he trust to look after her for a few hours while he and Tony spoke…? He had it. He left the flat to knock on his upstairs neighbour. A plump old lady with kind brown eyes opened the door.
"Hello Remus how can I help you,"
"Kathleen, I was wondering if you could take my charge for a few hours tomorrow,"
"The little girl?"
"Yes, she was my friend's daughter. She died, but I have found her father, I want to make sure he is safe before he meets her."
The old lady smiled.
"Yes dear, John and I will take care of her, take all the time you need."
"I'll bring her over around half nine."
"Wonderful, I'll have treats ready. I have some ginger somewhere." She said closing the door in her own thoughts, smiling Remus made his way to his own floor settling the alarm for 8. Tomorrow was going to be the beginning of a new life for his little niece.
I hope you enjoyed it! xx
