Title: If Only For My Daughter
Author Name: Urania and Melpomene Black
Author E-mail: leggomy_
Category: General
Key Words: Mirabel, Germany, Krys, Remus, Sirius
Rating: R for some language and adult content and situations in later chapters
Spoilers: PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP
Summary: When worlds collide everything stops for a moment and everything in the world makes perfect sense. You know why people hurt, why they die, what loving someone really means. But before you can take it all in everything crashes and you may never understand anything ever again.
DISCLAIMER: We own Mirabel, Krys, Leah, Catrina, and Michi. All else belongs to J.K. Rowling. Bless her for allowing us to put her wonderful characters through such torture.
WARNING: Despite the fact that this story is completely AU it still has spoilers for all six books: SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, and HBP. The reason there are spoilers for HBP even though this story was written almost a year before the book was released is because some of our story ended up being in HBP like the soul thing (only we weren't clever enough to think of the soul bit we had our own theory, but quickly realized our stupidity in the light of JK's brilliance). While we appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM all flames will be fed to David Malfoy (that's the recycle bin on my computer). Enjoy…or well don't, but don't say we never warned you!
Chapter Three: Fresh Start
12 Grimmauld Place – London, England – Thursday July 31, 1997
On the morning of Harry's seventeenth birthday Remus and Sirius woke to the familiar scene of Mirabel curled up in the sitting chair that she had moved next to the bed.
"What is she going to do when you start teaching at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked.
"Probably hop in the bed. I wonder if something is scaring her." Remus mused while combing his wet hair.
"Maybe you should ask her." Sirius suggested rummaging through their closet for a pair of jeans.
"I don't want to embarrass her." He set the comb down and turned to the closet, "Will you please wear your black slacks today; it is Harry's birthday after all." Remus told him. Sirius rolled his eyes and put back the pair of jeans he had just selected, "Don't think I didn't see that." He teased.
"I don't mind her sleeping in our room, but if there is a problem I think we should try and figure-" Sirius stopped cold when he saw Mirabel sitting on the edge of the bed listening intently.
"I have nightmares," she confided, "all the time. When I sleep in here I don't." Remus turned around to look at Mirabel.
"What are they about?" he asked walking over to sit next to her. She shrugged.
"I don't know. I only remember them if they're important. I used to only have dreams when something was about to happen or as a warning, but now I have them all the time. I never remember them though. I just wake up terrified. I'm sorry." She said.
"Don't ever be sorry Mira. I'm glad you told me. You're welcome to sleep in here as long as you want." Remus told her pulling her close. She looked to Sirius to make sure he agreed.
"Although I suggest we move in a bed. It will be more comfortable." Mirabel beamed at her, well what exactly were they, her fathers?
"I have a question."
"Go for it." Sirius said sitting on Mirabel's other side.
"Well are you like my step-dad or something. Like a semi-father." He let out a barking laugh.
"Semi-father. I like that. So then semi-daughter what would you say to breakfast?" Mirabel smiled and laid down putting her hands on her stomach.
"Breakfast would be awesome."
"Well you'll have to get up to get it." Sirius told her poking her stomach.
"Aw come on." Mirabel pleaded. Sirius stood up, picked Mirabel up by her waist and slung her over his shoulder. "Ah dad help." She called out laughing, "Get me down." Remus raised his hands up acting powerless. "Come on you've got superhuman strength you can take him on."
"I'm afraid not Mira, I'm a bit out of shape." Remus confessed.
"That's no excuse." She cried as Sirius headed for the door.
"Shall we go get Harry?" Sirius asked walking down the hallway.
"Harry will save me." She said happily. Sirius knocked on his bedroom door before throwing it open. Harry stood in his bathroom brushing his teeth.
"Oh look you brought me a birthday present." He said looking at Mirabel.
"Harry help me please. He won't put me down and my father is too scared to take him on"
"Well if Remus can't help you I surely can't." he rinsed, spit, and put his toothbrush back in its holder.
"Oh come on your seventeen now just whip out your wand." There was silence in the room after Mirabel's comment. "Oh get your minds out of the gutter. Now I know where Krys gets it from. Come on stun him Harry." She begged.
"What if I miss?" he asked.
"If you miss I don't know exactly how I feel about you being the only hope for the wizarding world." Remus and Sirius laughed while Harry cracked a smile.
"She certainly is blunt isn't she." Remus said.
"I think we should throw her in the pool for that comment."
"You have a pool?" she asked brightly, "Wait what am I saying? If you throw me in the pool I'll get you back."
"Did she just threaten me?" Sirius asked.
"I think she did." Remus said feigning shock. Sirius headed back out into the hall.
"Well then she definitely gets thrown in the pool."
"No," Mirabel screamed as Sirius slowly made his way down the stairs, "put me down." Mirabel's shouts drew the others from their rooms.
"What's going on?" Fred whispered to Harry.
"Sirius is throwing her in the pool. She threatened him." Fred and George smiled wickedly.
"She's still in her nightclothes." Hermione pointed out.
"We know." The twins answered. Hermione glared and took her wand out of her waistband. She muttered a spell that made Mirabel look up.
"Thanks Hermione." She said loudly. Hermione just smiled and nodded. When they reached the basement Sirius walked past the kitchen door and went down to the last door in the hallway. The pool room was enchanted to look like a tropical rainforest. At one end was a lovely waterfall and trees provided shade from the sun in the enchanted ceiling. "I can't swim." Mirabel shouted suddenly. Sirius stopped in mid motion of throwing her in.
"You can't." he asked looking at her intently.
"Ha you fell for it." She kicked the back of his knee and muttered a spell under her breath and they both pitched forward into the pool. When they surfaced everyone was laughing uncontrollably. Mirabel looked to Hermione and they seemed to communicate silently before Hermione pushed Harry into the pool then Krys and Ginny both pushed in Remus. "I win!" Mirabel shouted triumphantly before Harry dunked her. Before long Ron had pushed in Hermione, Fred pushed in Ginny, George pushed in Fred and Ron, and Krys pushed in Draco then George. Meanwhile guests for Harry's party had begun to arrive and Molly had told them to go to the pool. Bill was the first guest to arrive and noticed that Krys was the only one not in the water.
"Bill you must avenge me." George shouted pointing to Krys. He obliged and Krys went in screaming. The party soon turned into a pool party with everyone changing into swimsuits and jumping back in. Krys introduced Mirabel to Bill and Charlie Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and many other aurors and friends. Hermione was floating lazily on her back near the waterfall when Harry swam up to her.
"You pushed me in." he accused while treading water. Hermione didn't even look at him.
"Us girls have to stick together you know." He nodded before splashing her. She sputtered and began treading water as well.
"Now we're even." He told her before she could say anything, "Come on I want to show you something." He grabbed her hand and then dove under the water. Hermione followed him as he swam under the waterfall and surfaced behind it. Hermione gasped as she looked around at the small cave.
"It's beautiful Harry." Harry helped her up onto the small plateau and she snuggled into his arms as they watched the others having fun through the waterfall.
"Hey," they both heard Fred shout over the other noise, "where is Hermione?"
"Off with Harry." Mirabel shouted.
"Not good." George said.
"Hey no fair, I'm not allowed to go off with Draco." Krys whined.
"Uhoh," Harry said playfully, "we've been found out." Hermione giggled as she slid back into the water.
"I heard giggling." Ginny said pointing toward the waterfall. Hermione surfaced on the other side of the waterfall directly in front of Sirius.
"It was all his fault." She said innocently as Harry surfaced behind her.
"No comment." Sirius said looking at the two of them sternly before a grin broke out on his face.
Mrs. Weasley, helped by Fleur and Tonks, brought breakfast in and set up a buffet for everyone. Dumbledore conjured up extra tables and chairs to accommodate the large group.
- 88888888 -
A little while later Mrs. Weasley began the gift giving by handing over her present to Harry. While Harry exclaimed over the multitude of presents Mirabel snuck away to get hers. On the way back down the stairs Dumbledore was waiting for her outside of the door to the kitchen.
"A word if I may, Miss Lupin." He said leading the way into the kitchen.
"Please call me Mirabel." She said as she took a seat across from the Headmaster.
"I was wondering perhaps what your plans were when the others are to return to Hogwarts." Mirabel was startled by this question as she had not given it much thought before.
"Well I suppose I might go back to India. Maybe on to China and Japan. I'm working on getting to Australia and then New Zealand." Dumbledore nodded with a knowing look in his bright blue eyes.
"I see. I suppose then an offer to live at Hogwarts would not interest you?" Again Mirabel was shocked.
"I can go to Hogwarts?" she asked. Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"Not as a student, no, but as a guest of the Headmaster. Although while you are there I am sure that many of the teachers would not object to you sitting in on a few classes." Mirabel gave it some thought before she answered him.
"I'm not so sure your majesty. You see unless I'm a student I don't really see what living at Hogwarts would offer me. At least traveling I learn things and I'm not wasting my life. Not that anyone is wasting their life at Hogwarts. I'm just different." Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
"The real reason I am asking you to come to Hogwarts is for the sake of getting to know your father. Does that not appeal to you?" he asked cautiously.
"Do you really think he would want me there?"
"If it helps any he was ready to resign if it meant spending more time with you." Mirabel thought for awhile and Dumbledore was content to sit there and let her think.
"If I don't like it I am free to leave aren't I?"
"Of course you are. Hogwarts is not a prison. Never think anyone is forcing you to do anything that you do not wish to do."
"Then I would be delighted to stay at Hogwarts." Mirabel told him happily.
"Very well then, I will arrange for a room for you next to your father's. I feel that you will be most happy with all the new discoveries you will make." His eyes twinkled mischievously and Mirabel grinned back.
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Mirabel's gift was the last one Harry received. He seemed genuinely surprised to find that she had been so thoughtful as to get him one.
"How'd you know I wanted a practice snitch?" Harry asked happily when he opened the neatly wrapped package to find a golden snitch flying around in its plastic container.
"That's not just a practice snitch Harry it's a World Cup regulated snitch." Ron said in awe.
"Really?" Mirabel asked, "I just told them I wanted the best snitch they had and it was for Harry Potter so if they screwed it up I was sending his godfather after them. I figured the whole murderer thing would work to my advantage. The guy was very helpful after that." Fred and George were the first to laugh and soon everyone joined in.
"When and where did you get it?" Remus asked amazed. He was quite sure his daughter had remained within his sight most of the time.
"I went back to Diagon Alley last night. I remembered the way there and the glow stick worked on the bricks. Nothing was open on the main street so I went down this back street, found an open shop, and demanded service since the shop said it was open. He helped me get to the Ministry where I met with the head of some department thing for Quidditch. He was rather rude, I might add. Then we went into this room where all this Quidditch stuff was kept in glass cages, he pulled out this snitch. He said that it was the snitch used in the match that some referee died in." Ron gaped at her.
"You can't mean Cyprian Youdle?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, that was the guy's name. Anyway he handed me the snitch and said if I ever needed another gift for someone to come straight to him. Then someone put me on a purple bus and I came back here, Hermione let me in, she helped me wrap it, and then we went to bed. And that everyone is the end of my very uneventful adventure. Going up the Eiffel Tower was more harrowing." She added as an afterthought.
"This back street you mentioned it wouldn't have been Knockturn Alley would it?" Sirius asked. Mirabel shrugged and Krys rolled her eyes.
"Mirabel," Krys began, "Knockturn Alley is a bit different than any place you've been to I'm sure."
"Well obviously you've never been to New York." She stated not seeing the problem Krys was trying to point out.
"Hermione you allowed her to go off by herself?" Harry asked astonished. Hermione bit her lip and looked at the ground.
"You went with her!" Harry and Ron said at the same time.
"Give it a rest you lot. Obviously they're fine." Mrs. Weasley broke in. Everyone stared at her flabbergasted, "Go on back to enjoying the party." She told them firmly as she began cleaning up the remnants of breakfast and unwrapping presents. Krys grinned and smacked Mirabel in the shoulder.
"Tig!" she shouted before jumping back into the water.
"What! No, that's not fair I wasn't even ready." Mirabel protested. She turned and hit Ron, "Tug!" she shouted and followed Krys into the water. Ron not quite sure of what to do smacked Harry upside the head.
"Tag!" he yelled and jumped into the water. By the time Harry put down his new snitch and was prepared to hit someone they were all in the pool. As the strange game continued Mirabel and Krys began shouting out the rules whenever someone made a mistake. This was quite funny actually considering that the game was completely made up and changed each time it was played.
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As the day wore on the group tired of swimming and decided to move to the Quidditch pitch since they were able to create two full teams of Quidditch players. Mirabel snuck off to change into her muggle clothing and arrived at the pitch in time to see the teams being chosen.
"Mirabel," Hermione asked calmly, "why do you have a shirt with a picture of Harry on it?" Mirabel grinned as Hermione stared at the black and purple long-sleeved t-shirt with Harry as a third year on it. Scrawled underneath the picture was 'Harry'.
"I got it in America at this wizarding shop call Hot Topic. Surely you didn't think someone wouldn't capitalize off his name? I've got a shirt with Ron on it as well, a shirt that says Muggle, one that says seeker. It's a wonderful place to shop. I'll show you the catalog later on. I had Michi send me all these shirts. I thought it would be funny to wear them, especially this one for his birthday." Mirabel and Hermione watched the Quidditch game intently; neither of them quite understanding what was going on.
"I guess I understand the concept I just don't know all the rules." Hermione admitted as Remus blew a whistle and called a foul on Sirius for something. Mirabel just shrugged.
"I've only ever seen one quidditch game and it was the World Quidditch Cup in Prague." After the Quidditch game was over everyone joined Hermione and Mirabel in the stands.
"Nice shirt." Draco commented. Mirabel beamed at him.
"Thanks." Before long everyone was sitting at the dinner table passing around food and bringing out the largest birthday cake Harry had ever seen.
"Well you are seventeen now dear." Mrs. Weasley said as way of explanation.
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August passed quickly for Mirabel as she grew to know her father. Dumbledore visited regularly and she grew very fond of the old wizard. Not once since meeting him had she referred to him as anything except for god, his majesty, or his highness. Dumbledore loved the nicknames much to Professor McGonagall's dismay ("What will the other students say?"). A twin bed had been moved into Remus and Sirius's room for Mirabel to sleep in instead of the armchair. The closer September first came the more anxious the teens became. Four days before they were to return to Hogwarts Ron and Harry left to take the apparition test. Two hours later they returned with grins on their faces.
"We passed!" the boys exclaimed happily. There was a celebration dinner that night and the two showed their enjoyment by apparating everywhere they were needed.
12 Grimmauld Place – London, England – Monday September 1, 1997
On the dawn of September first Krys was the first to wake. She grabbed her trunk and wand and headed for the kitchen leaving her trunk by the front door. Mrs. Weasley was already bustling about getting breakfast ready when Krys entered the kitchen.
"Good morning dear."
"Morning Mrs. Weasley." Krys said cheerfully. There was silence for a few moments before Krys broke it, "Can I ask you a question Mrs. Weasley?"
"Of course you can." Mrs. Weasley stopped her work to look at Krys.
"Well I was wondering if you had any regrets about being a housewife you know. Because I don't think I can do that. I really want to be a Healer and Madame Pomfrey says I'm very good. And besides I know I wouldn't be a good housewife I despise cleaning." Mrs. Weasley laughed and patted Krys's knee.
"I wanted to be an auror when I was your age. I was dead set on it, but during the course of my training I discovered I was pregnant with Bill. I figured after he was born I'd just pick back up where I left off, but I discovered how much I loved being a mother. I couldn't bear the thought of someone else seeing him take his first step or say his first word. I wanted to be there for all of it and so I never went back to training to be an auror and I don't regret it because I was there for every first and I saw every scrape and every laugh and every tear." Krys smiled, but then it faltered.
"Do you think I'll be as good a mother as you?" she asked hesitantly.
"Even better I imagine." Krys's smile returned and she leapt up to give Mrs. Weasley a hug.
"Thank you."
"Oh you are quite welcome dear." Before long the house was buzzing with activity as everyone prepared to leave. Two cars from the ministry were waiting for the group at ten o'clock sharp to take the group to Kings Cross Station. After making it on to Platform 9 and ¾ Mirabel spun around and around trying to look at everything.
"Come on, let's get you on the train before you make all of us dizzy." Remus said taking hold of Mirabel's elbow and steering her toward the train. The group followed Remus and Mirabel onto the train where Hermione and Draco went off to fulfill their Head Girl and Boy duties. Whispers followed them until the reached an empty compartment. Ginny went off to find Luna while Harry, Ron, Krys, Mirabel, and Remus settled into the compartment.
"Well Mirabel by the time we get off the train I'd say everyone in Hogwarts will know of your existence." Remus said as a few students looked in as they passed a few boys whistled and Remus glared and shouted something about losing house points that Mirabel did not understand. Hermione and Draco entered the compartment soon after the train had begun to make its way toward Hogwarts.
"No patrolling?" Harry asked as Hermione took a seat next to him.
"Nope we just get to tell everyone else to do it." She stated happily.
The time passed quickly and before she knew it Mirabel was sitting in between Dumbledore and her father watching the sorting and waiting for the feast to begin.
"As I always I will save the speech until after we have satisfied our hunger. Tuck in." Dumbledore stated happily and food appeared on the tables.
"Cool." Mirabel said before taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Remus smiled as he filled his plate, "Dad," she said a little while later, "they keep staring at me."
"It's because you are so captivating." Mirabel beamed.
"You think so?" she asked.
"Of course I do." Dumbledore stood and the students began to settle down.
"Welcome new students and welcome back everyone else. Mr. Filch wishes for me to remind you that spells are not permitted in the corridors and there is a list of banned items in each of you common rooms. I'd like to welcome back Professor Lupin as this is second year as the teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I believe the so called curse has been broken." Cheers went up from the students and Remus bowed his head in thanks, "I also wish to introduce you to a new friend of mine. Her grandmother, Teresa Maye, was a very dear friend of mine," murmurs arose from some of the pure-bloods when Teresa Maye's name was mentioned, "I'm am pleased to introduce Miss Mirabel Lupin," Krys led the cheers from Gryffindor table and soon the other tables joined in, "Now I know you wish to get a full nights sleep before classes begin tomorrow." Slowly the students began to make their way out of the Great Hall and toward their respective common rooms.
"Come on Mira, I'll show you your room." Mirabel followed Remus to his classroom. The student's desks sat facing the front of the room where Remus's desk was. Behind his desk was a stairwell leading up to an office. Under the stairwell was another door that Mirabel guessed led to her father's room. On the left side of the classroom up near the front was another door. Remus walked over to it and opened it. "This is your room. There's a door that leads out into the corridor as well that is covered by a tapestry. Currently the password is Germany. You can change it whenever you like to. I have a class tomorrow at nine so you might want to use that door if you decide to go off exploring the castle and grounds. If you need anything at all just let me or Dumbledore know." Mirabel peered into her room and smiled. A canopy bed was pushed against the right wall under a window that gave a spectacular view of the lake. There was a dresser and a desk in a small alcove passed the bed that house a bay window. On the left wall were a gold couch and two matching overstuffed chairs encompassing a small table. Her trunk had been placed at the foot of her bed and an owl from Michi sat on the table waiting patiently for Mirabel to take the letter tied to its leg.
"Where's the bathroom?" she asked walking over to the owl.
"Across the hall is the Prefects bathroom. The password is lemon drops. Dumbledore choose it as no one tends to use that bathroom because it is too far way from any common room and Sirius and I tend to be the only ones to use it." She nodded as she began to read the letter from Michi.
"Michi says hi and wants to know why you never write to her anymore. She says she misses Sirius's sarcasm dearly." Remus chuckled.
"I shall inform Sirius immediately that we need to owl her. Now you should get some rest no doubt you will have a busy day tomorrow."
"Good night dad." She called after him.
"Good night Mira." Mirabel decided that although she had never permitted anyone to call her Mira she enjoyed it when her father did. Shrugging a this new found information she gather her things to go take a nice long bubble bath before getting some much needed rest.
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As the Gryffindor seventh year boys readied for bed Harry and Ron were quizzed by Seamus, Dean, and Neville (especially Seamus) about Mirabel.
"Who is she?"
"Where did she come from?"
"Why is she here?"
"Is she really a Maye?"
"Hey if you breathe in between questions maybe Harry and I can answer some." Ron said sarcastically. Harry laughed and climbed into bed.
"Dumbledore told you who she is. She's Remus's daughter. She lived in Germany."
"Although lived isn't exactly the right word. You know all those knickknacks Krys got during the school year from all over the world?" When the boys nodded Ron continued, "Mirabel's the one who sent them to her. She loves to travel."
"As to why she is here, Dumbledore invited her plus her and Remus just met a month ago and instead of Remus quitting he agreed to stay on if Mirabel would join him. And yes she is a Maye, but why that's so significance I have yet to figure out." Harry admitted. Ron looked a bit astonished that Harry did not see the importance of this fact. Neville decided to fill him in seeing as he was a pure blood wizard.
"The Maye's are an even bigger enemy of the Malfoy's than the Weasley's. I mean with the Weasley's there was no real reason with the exception that there was a disagreement about muggle-born witches and wizards. It actually happened here at Hogwarts out by the lake. Francis Malfoy ended up drowning Michael Weasley in 1853. But the Maye and Malfoy feud goes all the way back to 1428 when it was discovered that Persephone Malfoy was found to be carrying Adam Maye's child. She had already been promised to another. Was it the Prince of Whales or Greece?"
"Whales," Ron answered, "Prince of Greece was the younger sister."
"Oh yes, yes. Anyway the wedding was called off and the Malfoy's were furious. When Persephone gave birth to a girl she gave her the last name of Maye instead of Malfoy. Persephone's father Jasper put a curse upon all Maye women and disowned both his daughter and granddaughter." Neville finished.
"What was the curse?" Dean asked. Neville allowed Ron to answer.
"It's a curse that only affects the Maye women, causing them to dream other family member's memories at crucial times in their lives, as well as the ability to sense a loved one's death. The curse also affects the women that are close to the Maye family. For example mum told me that Leah and Lily shared the curse with Mirabel's mum."
"Why didn't Malfoy say anything when Mirabel showed up? I mean if there's some great big feud going on between their families." Harry asked.
"He probably didn't know she was a Maye. I mean we all, the wizarding world that is, all thought that Catrina was the last of the Maye's." Ron explained.
"I think Hermione would be extremely impressed with you knowledge on this." Harry joked. Ron threw a pillow at him and Neville rolled his eyes.
"Hermione can probably ramble off the complete family tree of the Maye's from Persephone to Mirabel." Rom commented.
"Does she have a boyfriend?" Seamus suddenly blurted out. Harry and Ron both laughed.
"No." Harry answered.
"But not from lack of offers. Of course more than half of those offers come from men twice her age. Plus you know my mum she's practically adopted Mirabel so all of us Weasley's feel obligated to keep any potential boyfriends at bay." Seamus gulped.
"All of you?" he asked timidly. Ron nodded.
"And you know Seamus since she's Remus's daughter and he's one of my adopted parents that makes her my sister." Harry informed him lightly. Again Seamus gulped.
"Oh stop giving the boy a heart attack and let him dream. I'm pretty sure she didn't even notice you." Dean told him.
"Gee thanks. That sure lifted my self-esteem. With you lot for friends who needs enemies."
"Can we please try and get some sleep? We have potions first thing tomorrow. I don't know why we still take that class?" Neville mumbled.
"Because we want to be aurors." Harry stated.
"Suck it up and take it like a man Neville." Ron told him happily as he climbed under the covers.
"Good night." He said firmly in response, drawing the curtains closed.
"Good night Neville." The others called out.