So….

Hey there, is anyone still here?

If so..

Let's work on getting this done shall we?

Thank you for all the reviews

And for waiting so long.

I am not JKR.

Chapter 28

It's All In a Name

Sirius had just left Remus' old flat that they used when one of them was in town. He had been back in London for a week now, as things had been a bit more difficult than expected, the horcrux was not in plain sight, and the Black vaults were extensive, finding it in the multiple adjoining vaults was proving more difficult than originally intentioned. And with the charms on the Black vaults, no one that wasn't listed as the heir could enter them at all. Meaning Dumbledore was of no help to find it, so he was on his own trying to decipher the dark magic that was normal on items in some of his vaults and the dark magic that was on the Horcrux.

He knew it was probably stupid to be coming by this place. It was only going to remind him of old memories, but he just needed to see the apartment. Dumbledore had informed him and Remus that Mel had moved and gone into hiding herself, something Sirius was immensely thankful for. So he didn't see any risk in stopping by, nothing but his own heart would be wounded by going. Like going to James and Lily's house, it only hurt him when he went, sometimes your grief led you to do self deprecating things like that. Sirius walked up the steps he still knew so well and came to a stop on the landing. He placed his hand on the knob and turned it, it had long ago been charmed to admit only those that were listed on in runes on the doorframe. He opened the door and stepped inside, stopping in his tracks at the sight that met his eyes.

The apartment had been completely redecorated, though at the moment the first thing noticeable were the toys and dolls all over the floor and sitting in the middle was a dark headed, pigtailed preschooler. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and blinked twice, not looking near as surprised as Sirius did.

"Hi." She said instantly, her voice chipper.

Sirius looked around and looked at the outside of the door, checking to see that the numbers were right. "Uhm…hello…what are you doing here?" he asked warily, looking around for any sign of an adult.

"I is living here now. Mummy said so." Rian replied easily sitting her doll in her lap. "Did you come to show us to the zoo?"

Sirius frowned, surely there was some mistake, he hadn't rented out the apartment, and would have been notified if Mel had tried to. He shook his head in reply. "No…I'm here to…Is your mummy here? You're not here alone are you?" he asked her.

She shook her head, her curly pig tails and two bright blue bows flipping around as she did. "Nope. I get her." She said, hopping up and running down the hallway, her little blue ruffled skirt flipping as she did, the sound of her hard soled shoes fading as she got farther away.

Sirius kept the door ajar as he waited, preparing to fire about 100 questions at the woman who had moved her family into his apartment. Until he heard her voice. Her voice him to the floor where he stood as she walked down the hall.

"Honey I don't have time to meet more imaginary friends if you want to go see the animals." Melanie said patiently.

"But hims NOT ima…ima…imagintary. Hims a real live person." Rian implored.

"Imaginary." She corrected. "And where in the room should I look for this not imaginary man?" Melanie asked just as they stepped clear of the hall.

"Right there. Here's mummy." The little girl said with a wide smile, not phased by the sudden change of atmosphere or lack of air in the room, at least, it felt that way to both her mother and Sirius. "See…not imagintary." She declared, holding both hands out as if she was showing Sirius on display.

Sirius felt like all the breath had been knocked out of him as he looked at her, not completely registering who the child was, just that she was calling her mummy. "Mel?" he asked hoarsely.

Melanie's eyes widened when he said her name, she instinctively reached down and picked her daughter up. Her first thoughts were that this had to be a death eater, not even thinking about the impossibility of that with the wards that were on this apartment. "Who….I don't know who you are but you need to go." She stammered before pulling her wand on him.

Sirius looked at her for a solid minute before he could reply. "I…It's me…Mel…you would know if it wasn't me." He said slowly, understanding what she was thinking. "I know you kept the ring….Albus didn't return it, it's not black or red…it's me."

"Mummy?" Rian asked, her face confused and scared at the reaction as she put both of her hands on Mel's cheeks, trying to get her attention. "Mummy is he one of the bad mans?" she asked, gripping legs tightly around her.

Sirius frowned. "No….no I'm not bad." He said softly, seeing that Melanie seemed frozen on the spot. "I'm a friend of…er…your mummy…" he said, raising his eyebrow slightly at his ex fiancée, having not connected the dots yet.

"Go…you…I will hex you." Melanie stammered, the only reason she hadn't hexed him yet was that he simply looked so much like Sirius, she wanted to run to him, to hug him, to beg him not to leave again. But Sirius had left, there was no way this was him. He wasn't back, she refused to believe it.

Sirius held his hands up. "Mel…it's me…I can turn into a black dog, my best friend is a werewolf, my son is also my godson….I…I left you a ring when I left, it's not red or black….It's me." He said firmly.

The little girl looked at him curiously. "Mummy knows a werewolf. Hims name is..is…uhm….I don't member hims name…but hims went away a long time ago, wif daddy." She told him matter of factly.

Sirius' eyes locked on the little girl with her words, his own eyes widening as he actually took in a moment to look at her properly since realizing she was Mel's daughter. Her inky black hair, she boasted pale blue eyes and long eye lashes as well as perfect satiny looking curls.

Melanie groaned as she watched his eyes flash in understanding. If this wasn't Sirius he knew more about him than most people in history….and he now knew her secret. "Rian…" she said softly, sitting her down and pushing her behind her.

Sirius' heart had all but stopped in his chest as realization took hold. She couldn't be but three years old. Mel had kept the ring, she wouldn't have slept with someone that quickly after he left, he knew her better than that. Meaning she would have been pregnant when he left. His mouth was dry as he processed the name that she had just said so quietly. "Rian?" he asked in a choked voice.

Rian peeked around her mummy's legs and smiled at the new comer. "That's me. I is Rian. Rian Samantha Abbott. What's your name?" she asked, ignoring her mother's attempts to push her back as she ducked under her hands and walked back into the sitting room. "Can I see you turn into a doggy?"

Sirius looked at the little girl in awe and he knelt down instinctively to get a better look at her, his eyes taking in everything he could in that moment. Rian Samantha….Samantha after Sammi, obviously, and Rian….well, after him. He had always said if he had a son he would shorten his own middle name. Orion, and name him Ryan. It's why he chose the name Ryan James for his alias. She had named their child Rian, because he had wanted a child named Ryan. It took a moment for him to answer her question, not even noticing Melanie's stiff posture as she grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled her back.

He shifted on the spot, not being able to speak clearly enough to answer her other question. Without realizing it he had done perhaps the best thing he could do. No one could transform into his specific animagus, even if they were using polyjuice. It was what finally convinced Melanie, without his even meaning to. She both let out a relieved breath, in her heart of hearts she knew Sirius would never hurt her, or her…their daughter….though she also felt like she might pass out, she took the opportunity to drop onto the chair next to her, still keeping her sights on Rian.

Rian walked up to the large black dog, giggling. "Look it mummy! Look it! Hims a doggy." She declared excitedly.

She nodded wiping her hand over her now teared eyes. "Yeah…yeah…his name is padfoot." She said quietly.

At the use of the name Sirius looked up at her, in dog form. He quickly transformed back, still kneeling on his knees as he had been before he changed.

Rian looked at him in surprise when he changed back and curiously patted his cheek, just to make sure he was real.

Sirius stared into his daughter's eyes for the first time. Completely at a loss as to what to do or say in this moment. "I…yes, I'm Padfoot." He said, acknowledging the fact that Melanie had finally believed it was him.

Rian smiled at him and put both of her hands on his face, one on each cheek. "Hi Padfoot…that's a funny name for a not imagintary man."

Sirius laughed and placed his hands over hers. "Yes…I suppose it is." He agreed before looking up at Mel searchingly.

Melanie bit her lip and looked at her daughter before quickly wiping her eyes. "Ri...why don't we order pizza and stay here today…it's very rainy and most of the animals will be inside anyways." She said gently.

Rian pouted out her lip and looked at her mother dropping her hands from Sirius' face. "But I wanna see the aminals." She said, her eyes instantly tearing up.

Sirius sat back on his heels, silently watching the pair, still completely stunned.

Melanie's eyes were frozen on him, she managed to tear them away to focus on her daughter. "We can order your favorite, and watch the new movies we got yesterday. We'll even play dolls." She told her. "The animals are asleep. It's raining, you don't want to get all wet do you?" she asked.

Rian looked at Sirius. "Is you going to stay and watch movies with us…An eat pizza?" she asked him.

Sirius looked up at Mel…not knowing how to answer. "He….if he has the time…he's got a little boy he might have to get to…" she said slowly, wondering where Harry was if Sirius was here.

Sirius shook his head. "I have time." He said instantly. "Jam…Harry…he's with his uncle…he's safe…I have time. I like pizza." He said.

Rian smiled widely. "I LOVE pizza!" she said, her mind easily distracted from the animals. "I used to has a brother named Harry. But hims went away with mummy's friend and my daddy. I don't where him is." She told him seriously.

Sirius looked at Mel, a bit speechless at the pronouncement. "You still have a brother named Harry…remember?" Rian rolled her little blue eyes. "I has a brother named Harry. Cuz just cuz someone's not with you if you love them they don't ever go away." She sighed, though her face was skeptical.

Sirius smiled. "She's right. The people that love you never really leave you." He said softly.

"You don't love peoples that you don't know." Rian said with a little shrug before turning to her mum. "I want JUST cheese." She said.

Sirius looked at her completely taken back by the little girl's intuitiveness, he looked at Melanie with wide eyes. She looked at him with no apologies in her face, it wasn't her fault that Rian didn't know him. Nor was it her fault that Rian didn't know the little boy that should have been raised as her brother. "I'll order the pizza…" she said, standing up.

Rian nodded. "And we'll start the dollies." She said excitedly. She quickly took Sirius' hands and pulled him up, dragging him to a mountain of dolls on the other side of the room.

0o0o0o0o

It was hours later and Sirius was seated on the sofa. The television was on and playing a rather obnoxious child's song, he had oddly missed listening to songs like that, now that Harry was older. He and Mel had not talked about anything that was serious since him arriving, focusing all of the conversation on or around Rian. At the moment though, Rian could be found asleep, sitting on Sirius' lap, her back rested against his chest, and leaned a bit sideways, her head lulling over his arm, and three dolls in her lap.

"I never understood how little kids sleep in these positions." He said softly as he stared down at her.

Melanie looked up from where she had been staring at the ring that still to this day resided on her left hand. She smiled softly at her daughter, she had longed to see her with her father since the day she was born. She grabbed a throw pillow from the chair next to them and helped him readjust her so she was laying in his lap.

"She always just passes out…she plays until she can't take it anymore." She said fondly.

Sirius smiled and ran his hand over her silky smooth curls, she had demanded the pigtails be taken out when they didn't leave, and had disposed of the skirt shortly after. She had been running about in her little blue shirt and unicorn panties ever since, refusing all requests to put any other bottoms on.

"Harry used to do that all the time." He said softly.

Melanie nodded. "I know…I was there." She said very quietly. Sirius swallowed hard and looked at her. "Tell me about him." She said, her voice thick with desperation.

Sirius chewed his lip for a second. "He's still small for his age, just like James was till he was like 16…his hair is messy as ever and it doesn't matter how I cut it. He's smart, incredibly so, he's ahead in all of his classes. He plays football with a junior league. And he's really good at it. His flying is ridiculous…it's got to be inherited. He looks more and more like Jamie every day…except those eyes." he sighed.

"He still has Lily's eyes?" she asked, smiling slightly though there were evident tears on her face.

Sirius nodded. "Completely, it's a bit scary how perfectly they are hers. He's sweet, and is so hyper. He still asks about you." He said quietly.

Mel wiped her face for probably the hundredth time that day. "I…I miss him…every single day." She whispered. "I have Rian…but you can't replace one child with another…I know…I know he's not technically mine." She tried to explain.

Sirius shook his head. "He's not technically mine either Mel…remember what we taught him…some children grow in your heart, not your belly…you can love him and not have given birth to him…Lily would have wanted someone to love him like her own." He said quietly.

Mel sniffled and looked down at her daughter. "I can understand that…I would want that." She said softly.

Sirius followed her gaze to the little girl in his lap, he twirled a curl around his finger. "She's…she's beautiful." He said, not asking the question he had kept on his lips all day, though he already knew the answer.

Melanie smiled and summoned a soft pink blanket from down the hall, she laid it over her. "She is…she looks like you. She looks so much like you." She breathed.

Sirius glanced up at her and nodded. "James always said I would be a pretty little girl." He said with a small smirk.

She laughed quietly, "Well…if she's anything to go by, he was absolutely right."

Sirius stifled a laugh to keep from waking the three year old. "Thanks for that." He said, grinning.

"She's funny…I can't believe how easily she came to me." He said, a bit worriedly.

Mel nodded. "She likes people…it doesn't matter how much I warn her, or pull her back. She's so social…it keeps me on my toes. She reminds me of Sammi that way…Harry was always reserved at this age, but remember how much Sammi would talk?" she sighed.

Sirius nodded, a sad smile on his face. "I do…everyday…you named her after her?" he more stated than asked.

She sighed again. "I did…there was no one left to ask if it was okay…I thought she was a boy at first. She was going to be Ryan David…after you and my father…but she surprised me at the 8 month ultra sound. I liked Rian for a girl and…well…Samantha felt right. I would have asked Remus…but…"

Sirius nodded. "He wouldn't have objected at all. He would love it." He said certainly. "I like Rian for a girl, I never thought about it."

Melanie smiled. "I like it too…how is Remus? I'm assuming that's who Harry is with?"

"It is...he's been back with us since shortly after we left, a few months after, he found us. At the time I didn't think it would be great for hiding. But now…it was better for Harry. Losing Remus, Jess, Sammi, you…his magic, everything he ever knew….it was too much to take from him. Hiding hasn't been the easiest thing for him." Sirius admitted.

Melanie nodded sadly, she had known that then. "But, he's alive…and you're alive. And he's happy now?"

Sirius took a moment to truly think about his answer, "He is. We haven't unbound his magic, it's easier to hide in the muggle world, and he's safe from himself." He said, knowing she would understand. "We're using alternate names…We took our middle names as our first names and then I used James and Remus used Evan…for Lily…Remus is posing as my brother…we gave Harry both of his parents' names…it seems like he's named after me and his uncle. James Evan…he generally goes by Jamie…though at home we sometimes forget and use Harry…it waivers and he answers to both."

She thought about it and nodded. "So…John Evan and Orion James?" she asked.

"No…I shortened it to Ryan." He said with a small smile. Ryan James."

She laughed softly. "Well…I suppose I really did name her after you then, didn't I?"

Sirius looked down at his daughter in his lap. "Yes…yes you did."