Bahía Coralina is a fictional island. It means "Coral Bay," if you're curious.
Leo tried to put the pieces of his father together in his mind as he looked around at the old room. A faded red-and-gold banner hung proudly over a large bed… it was a banner that bore the emblem of Gryffindor, he realized. His eyes narrowed as he took in the unmoving posters of scantily-clad Muggle women on the walls, and he wondered which house he would have been sorted into, if he'd done what he was supposed to and attended Hogwarts.
The floorboards creaked in protest underneath his favorite, well-worn boots. Sirius had gone to great lengths to reassure the rest of his family where his loyalties lay, and Leo couldn't help but crack a grin at that. Had you asked him before he'd encountered Hermione, he'd have insisted he was Slytherin through and through. It was an interesting turn of events that now he wasn't so sure.
He fondly ran his fingertips along the dusty frames of the pictures on the walls, pausing at each to admire the young, handsome face of his father grinning back at him. After trying unsuccessfully to remove the photos, he took care to make sure each image was permanently burned into his memory. Leo preferred to recall the father he'd never met as the vivacious young man in these photos, instead of the gaunt, weary one in Hermione's memories.
He approached the heavy Gryffindor banner and fingered the tasseled corner of it absentmindedly. Suddenly he jerked backwards, sensing movement in his peripheral vision. Was that… did the lion on the banner just… no… did it just wink at him?
As if in response to his silent question, the lion raised its paw in a kind of salute, and the banner dissolved in a rapid shimmer of gold. Leo had to remember to breathe as he stared at what had just been revealed on the wall behind where the tapestry had hung moments before.
A tiny little handle.
Leo's pulse was rushing in his ears as he climbed onto the comforter of the bed and stepped toward the headboard. The knob on the wall above it didn't appear to belong to any kind of trapdoor, but after a brief hesitation, he wrapped his fingers around it anyway. He jerked again as warmth rushed through his fingertips and gold threads of magic created the outline of a small door around the knob, and he realized what the sensation was…
It was some kind of genetic magic. He had only ever read about it, but it was always characterized by a distinct tingle rapidly weaving down the spine of the person it was intended for. And at that moment, it dawned on him that somehow Sirius had hoped he would end up here. Sirius hadn't simply forgotten about him.
His father had faith in him. And there was a reason why Leo was the only person that was made able to find this door.
It soundlessly opened, and his heart nearly stopped.
On a lone shelf in the cabinet-like space sat a clear glass vial with wisps of silver dancing inside. Next to it lay a shallow, onyx-colored bowl that he instantly knew to be a Pensieve. And next to that, there lay a yellowed square of parchment that simply read:
Forgive me
After the initial shock wore off, Leo reached into the cabinet and plucked the vial from the shelf with trembling fingers. He made quick work of the cap and watched as the silvery wisps tumbled into the Pensieve, swirling together to form an image of his father's smiling face.
He drew the bowl out with both hands, knelt on the bedspread, and let himself succumb to the pull of the memories his father had left him.
White flurries engulfed nearly everything in sight. Leo held his head, disoriented, as he stumbled right through the form of a tall, curly-haired man who was taking off through the snow. There was barely time to do a double take and get his wits about him before the trees obscured Sirius' retreating form.
Leo trudged through snowdrifts in pursuit of his young father. It was odd, seeing the snow all around him without feeling the accompanying winter chill, but he wasn't about to complain. As they approached a storefront, another boy about Sirius's age emerged from the corner of Leo's eye and bounded towards Sirius, yelling. "Oi! There you are. Trying to ditch me, are you?"
Sirius turned as the boy… er, man, neared and clapped him on back of the head with a snowball. He jumped just out of reach as Sirius swiped back at him, saying, "Don't make me hex you, James! Or better yet, I'll just wait 'till we get back to the house; I know a handy spell that'll make your knickers bite off your-"
A snowball in his face promptly silenced him and he cursed colorfully, brushing the snow from his heavy cloak. The man that was James sniggered, stuffing his gloved hands in his coat pockets and whistling, walking toward a young woman who had appeared in the doorway of the shop they just approached.
"Sirius Black," she admonished, folding her arms underneath her bosom, "do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
Leo looked the young woman up and down. Her skin was pale, and her rosy cheeks offset her gray-green eyes, which were hidden under long lashes. A strong nose and playful mouth kept her from being too gorgeous, but she was a head-turner all the same, with a curtain of strawberry blonde hair that ended at the middle of her back. He could've sworn he'd seen her somewhere.
Sirius looked up at the girl who had spoken, face flushed. Leo couldn't tell if it was from the cold or because he was blushing; he had a sneaking feeling it was the latter. "Nonsense," he grinned flirtatiously, leaning against the other side of the doorway. "I'd never kiss that prejudiced old bat… and if I did, she'd probably shrivel up and die of shock. Actually, you've given me an idea! Maybe I should…"
The girl shook her head and pushed off the door frame, walking back into the shop. She wore only a set of clingy, powder-blue robes and a yellow apron, which the two men appreciated as they followed her swaying hips into the foyer. The door shut with a jingle of bells in front of Leo's face, but he passed right through it as if it were smoke.
They were in a bar, he realized, looking around. It was small and homey, with a hearth roaring on one wall and a scattering of tables and booths surrounding it. The bar itself was situated on the wall opposite the fireplace, with at least ten stools; a lone wizard perused the Prophet with a Butterbeer in hand in a booth near the entrance. Paintings of various fruit and seaside cliffs dotted the walls, while yellow-checked cloths adorned the tables. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, along with a hand-painted sign that read Murphy's Tavern.
"Busy day, eh, Alice?" James commented with a sweep of his hand as he and Sirius settled down at the bar.
"Don't get me started on that Rosmerta slag," she sighed grumpily, placing two mugs of Firewhiskey on the counter in front of the boys. "The Three Broomsticks has taken a good chunk of our patrons since she took over, and if you ask me, I'll bet it has nothing to do with the taste of her mead and everything to do with the size of her bosom. Now it's just me, mum, and our regulars, if that."
Leo took a closer look at Alice. How old was she? Running a bar with her mother, and she didn't look a day over eighteen... surely she would have been finishing school about now?
Sirius took a generous gulp from his mug and set it down with much ado. "Well, my dear Alice Murphy, you shan't have to worry about losing two of your most devoted customers. Will she, James?"
"Not in the slightest." They raised their mugs to that and drank again.
Alice batted her eyelashes, resting her elbows on the bar and leaning forward so that the cut of her robes gave them a peek down her cleavage. "Good to know, even if you do visit me less and less now that you lot are out of school." She winked at Sirius and straightened, grabbing a rag and wiping down what was an already immaculate tap. "You can also tell that to our landlord, that old Cooper Hastings, when he threatens to evict us next month because we can't break even on our expenses."
Sirius's expression changed instantly. "What? I thought you were good until the end of the term?"
Alice shrugged. "He raised our rates. There was nothing we could do… mum pleaded with him. I just feel horrid about the whole thing. Her life was this tavern, and she worked so hard for it. We have plenty saved, but not enough to keep a bar running, and at least she knows enough not to squander away our savings just to keep it alive."
Sirius looked far more distraught than James at this news. "Where will you go?"
"Abroad, perhaps. Mum's always wanted to go to the States. But we're going to stay at my Uncle Alvin's cottage in Mulberry, a few miles down the road, at least until she decides what she wants to do. Could be a year, could be more."
"Such a bummer, that is," James said solemnly, swiftly finishing off his Firewhiskey. "Apologies, Alice, but I really should go. I promised Lily I'd meet her in that blasted pink tea place to sample wedding cakes…"
Alice smiled, revealing straight, white teeth. "I never could stand Madam Puddifoot's. Give Lily my love, will you?"
"With pleasure." He went through his pockets, producing several galleons and pushing them towards the bartender. "It's not charity, Alice," he said, reading her expression. "It's just for luck." He winked and turned. The door shut on his retreating form with a jingle, and she turned back to Sirius as she pocketed the coins. Something in her face had changed; Sirius's, too.
"I wish there was something I could do," he said, turning his head as the wizard by the door folded up his newspaper, put some silver on the table, and shut the door behind him with another jingle.
"It's more or less done," she said, setting down her rag and coming out from behind the bar. "We're just waiting for the final word from Hastings. It's only a matter of time." She undid her apron and draped it over a stool with a sad smile. "Why trouble yourself about it?"
"Because I won't be able to see this gorgeous face anymore," he said, attempting a weak grin of his own and tweaking her nose. She batted his hand away playfully and moved to the front of the building to turn the sign on the door from "Open" to "Closed."
"I'll still be around," she said as she came back over to Sirius's perch on the bar stool. He was at least a head taller than her from there. "I'll be just down the road in Mulberry, that's not far."
"Until you go abroad," he said, looking lost for a moment. Then he forced another smile. "You could always just marry me and be done with it, you know. We could have a double wedding with James and Lily, what do you say?" He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in her scent. They held each other for a long moment, and he closed his eyes. "Please convince Abigail not to go to the States… I may have half a mind to consider kidnapping you."
Alice nestled into Sirius's chest. "You'll find yourself a proper witch," she said with a slight quiver in her voice. "Someone your mother will approve of… You don't want a Squib like me."
He pulled away from Alice and held her shoulders, looking sharply into her eyes. "Stop that nonsense. To hell with my mum… You're all I could ever want." And then he was kissing her, slowly and passionately as she stood on her tiptoes and melted into him. He swept her up in his arms and took the back set of stairs two at a time until they disappeared from sight.
Leo didn't have to follow to know what happened next. He simply stood in the foyer of the bar, in shock, with the distinct realization that he had probably just met his mother.
The floor fell away from his feet and the room spun around him in a whirl of color and light. When he landed, he was another bar, but this one was a stark contrast to Murphy's Tavern. A few coals smoldered in a fire pit, and some rickety chairs and tables dotted the room. A large window on the front wall was so encrusted with filth that you could barely see through it, and the floors were made of hard concrete. Sirius was the only patron about that Leo could see, staring into the dying flame of a candle stub, and looking quite anxious.
Thunder clapped outside and Leo realized that it had been raining quite ferociously. Suddenly, the front door burst open and a gust of wind blew out several candles. Sirius got to his feet so quickly that he knocked his chair over with a clatter; a petite, cloaked figure rushed towards him and he swept her into his arms. The hood fell back; it was a drenched and shivering Alice.
Her hair was cropped short now, ending at her shoulders, and a few soaked strands clung to her face as she sobbed into Sirius's coat. Sirius shut his eyes and held her close, stroking the back of her head with a gloved hand and kissing her hair. "Shhh…" he murmured. "I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here."
When her sobs subsided after a minute or so, Sirius led her over to fire pit and lifted her drenched cloak from her shoulders, draping it on a hook to dry. Alice was a far different image in this memory: the confident glow was gone from her demeanor, her lips and cheeks were no longer rosy, and her once-radiant blonde hair now hung limply about her face. Smudged eye makeup completed the picture of a thoroughly pitiful woman.
Sirius took off his gloves and enclosed Alice's hands with his, rubbing a thumb along the inside of her palm. "We can get through this, Ali…"
"I can't," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and only succeeding in smudging her makeup even more. "I can't do this, I can't… I can't raise a child!" Her voice cracked. "I'm only eighteen, I have plans, and… and hopes, and dreams. I was supposed go to the States with mum, I…"
"You're still going to do that?" Sirius's brows knitted together and he appeared to be struggling with what to say next.
"You don't know what it's like," she whispered after a long moment. "Everyone here knows what I am… they all pretend like they don't care, but I know they judge me. Mum told me about a small island in the Gulf, near the coast of Florida… a haven of sorts, where Squibs can mingle with the magical population without fear of judgment. It's called Bahía Coralina." Tears began to fall again. "I just don't know what to do… I don't think I could ever forgive myself if we got rid of it."
Leo felt as though a heavy weight had slid down his throat and into his stomach. It was eerie, hearing his mother talk about him as though he were just a 'thing' that could be gotten rid of. He saw Sirius's face harden at what Alice had just said. "No, I couldn't let that happen, either." His arms slid around the mother of his child, and he held her as she dissolved into tears once more.
The ground fell away again, the scene rushing around Leo as if he were on some sort of light-speed merry-go-round. It stopped, just long enough so he could catch a glimpse of his very rotund mother on her back, screaming in pain in a delivery room at St. Mungo's, before it began to spin again.
Leo's feet made contact with hardwood flooring as his surroundings halted abruptly. He was in a cozy sitting-room with a much-used leather sofa and armchair. The walls were painted a sunny yellow, and a large bookcase took up half of one wall. Two men sat on the couch; one of them was James, and one of them was someone Leo didn't recognize. He had dark brown hair and a pallid complexion, with several long scars across his nose and cheeks.
Sirius sat in the armchair, smiling up at a woman with red hair and kind green eyes who was standing next to him. She cooed at the one-month-old baby in her arms, bouncing him softly. The baby was almost entirely bald, save for a small patch of dark hair on the crown of its head, and it gurgled happily, staring wide-eyed up at the woman.
"He's so precious," she crooned, thoroughly enjoying herself. James was watching her with a mixed expression of love and admiration, and Leo gathered that this was probably the Lily girl he had been going to meet in the memory before. A ring on her left hand indicated that they had, in fact, gotten married.
"Little Leo," Lily said, tapping the baby's nose with her finger. "Sirius, I always did admire your sense of humor."
The man next to James chuckled. "Did he tell you what he's decided on for a middle name? Ophiuchus." When she gave him a quizzical look, he clarified, "It means 'serpent wrestler."
She laughed, walking around to the couch. "Leo, I think it's time you met your Uncle Remus." She handed him over to the scarred man, who couldn't keep the look of amazement off of his face.
"James, Lily… will you be his godparents? And you too, Remus? You're as close to family as he's got…" Sirius's eyes seemed vacant for a moment. "I don't know if… if his mother will ever be back around."
"We'd be honored, Padfoot," James said as he scooted over to allow room for his wife to sit. Remus still looked slightly bewildered with infant-Leo in his arms. "So… it's true, then?"
"Alice finally packed her bags," he confirmed. "She left for the States last week." He ran his hands through his curls and then rubbed his eyes. "It doesn't feel real yet."
Lily tried hard to keep a look of distaste from her face for Sirius's sake, but Leo caught a glimpse of it. No doubt she disapproved of his mother's decision to leave her newborn, and frankly, Leo didn't blame her.
"Have you decided what you want to do?" she asked kindly, her hands finding her husband's.
"I'm worried," Sirius admitted. "None of us know what will happen in the future… I'm not a Seer. I just want him to be happy and safe… that's all I want for my son," he croaked, his voice cracking.
"You have time," Remus reassured him, getting up and handing the gurgling baby back to Sirius. "You know the protection we can offer."
"He's right." James sat forward, elbows on his knees. "And when Lily and I have little ones ourselves," he grinned back at her, "they can play together, go to Hogwarts together… "
Leo couldn't take it anymore. He had seen more than enough; as he was yanked upwards and out of the Pensieve, he was shaking. He made contact with the comforter of the bed, falling forwards to his knees and shoving his face into his hands. It was wet. He hadn't even realized he had been crying.
It was all too much: seeing his mother for the first time, seeing how willingly she was able to just give him up, and then seeing the family he could have had. He knew what happened to James and Lily, and his shoulders shook with silent sobs for them, just as he cried for his father losing the love of his life, and cried for himself.