Chapter 2
LB
Remus was looking at Cordelia, her brown hair in a high lose bun, wearing a black muggle training suit. They were in an unknown cabin, which he figured was the safe house Sirius and Dumbledore had sent her to. It was small and entirely made out of wood, like a hunting cabin in the woods.
Cordelia was standing in the bathroom, shaking in front of the mirror while her stomach glows bright gold. It was the moment she found out she was pregnant, Remus thought to himself. Cordelia stumbled back and dropped down on the edge of the bathtub as she rubbed her stomach softly. The tears were falling freely down to her cheeks, was it with joy or fright, he didn't know. He wanted to go over to her, but the scene changed before he could reach the tub.
LB
After the silver clouds disappeared again, he was standing in the living room of the same cabin. Cordelia was now much further along, her belly way bigger, maybe even near the end of her pregnancy. She was sitting on the old weary couch as she talked softly against her stomach, drawing circles with her index finger on it.
"I'm still thinking for a name for you, little one." Cor smiled down at her stomach. "What about Halley?" She looked expectantly at her stomach, as if the baby were to answer. "No? I think you're right; your daddy wouldn't like to continue naming his kids or any other kids after constellations. Alright, let me think about it some more, yeah?" She leaned her head against the back of the couch. "I wish he was here; I wish hope he got the letter I send him." She chuckles. "But I know he would love you in a heartbeat, just like I do." She looked back down as the baby kicked her. "Hopefully you will get to meet him soon." Her voice grew distant as the silver clouds blocked Remus's sight again.
LB
The next scene was quite disturbing to watch, but Remus knew he had to. He saw and heard Cordelia scream as she went into labour, alone in a tub. His heart broke for the young woman, who had to go through this all alone. No parents, no family, no friends. He was glad the memory didn't have the smells like in real life, but when the water turned red, he had to cover his mouth and nose and stumbled back a bit. He heard the cry of the baby and looked back at the red filled tub. When the baby was drinking soundly, Cordelia let the tub run dry and cast some spells on herself. He looked away, when she stepped out and only looked back when she was dressed. He followed her out of the room to the small bedroom. He watched her dress baby Alec, who already had a head full of black wavy hair. He looked around the room and saw a large stack of letters on a desk near the window. A few minutes later, Cordelia took her place on said desk and started writing.
LB
The next few memories were all of Alec's firsts. Her first time crawling, which made him chuckle as she went straight to the fire. Cordelia cried out as she flung herself in front of the six-month old, but she managed to laugh about it afterwards. After that she put a fence in front of the roaring fire.
The first time she did magic was when she was stuck in her crib in the living room and presumably bored. She let all kind of things hover right above her, letting it fly in circles. But it wasn't all baby toys and teddy bears. But also, glasses, cutlery and a log. Remus chuckled at the thought of what a handful Alec must've been, just as a baby.
Her first steps were in the closed off garden. Cordelia was crying happy tears as she waddled in the yard. After a few minutes of walking, she disappeared into a molehill. Remus couldn't believe what he just saw, but Alec just floated back up on herself. The number of times Cordelia nearly died of a heart attack in those years, it couldn't be counted on only two hands.
Her first words. He saw how Cordelia had made the little stuffed dog, naming him padfoot. Her first word was mummy, her second Paddie (padfoot). Remus knew he had to keep these memories, so Alec could watch them later, so she could see her mum.
He had seen little Alec throwing a tantrum because she wouldn't eat her potatoes. Or when she was walking through the small living room in a dress and her mum's heels. The memories were endless, from birth to just before she turned four years old. Most of them were happy moments, but once in a while something sad came through. Like Cordelia talking to herself when Alec was asleep. The idea of being alone, deserted in a cabin in the woods for years, must've driven her mad if it wasn't for Alec. There was one where Remus couldn't hold back his tears anymore. It was when Cordelia was sitting in the bed, snuggled up to Alec and told her stories about Sirius, about him and all of her friends. You saw the sadness in her eyes as she told her the bedtime stories.
LB
In the next memory, Cordelia was sitting in front of the mirror while a three-year-old Alec was playing with wooden blocks on the floor.
"Remus." Cordelia spoke to herself in the mirror and Remus looked at her wide-eyed. "I know this is unusual, but I have no way of reaching you safely and I thought a letter wouldn't be enough. If you're watching this, Alec made it safely to your home. I made a slightly illegal portkey." She smiled. "The plastic cup won't come back to me. Once she arrived at your flat, which I really hope you're still using, the portkey turns back into a cup. I haven't heard from anyone from the order in years, the last I heard was a short letter from Alastor that just told me to stay where I am. I've been getting everything ready to leave this place, because I know we're not safe here anymore. I feel that they are about to find out our hiding spot. I don't know how, I just do. But if this reaches you, I'll... I'll probably be dead. I don't have any family left to take care of her, I – I only have you. I only trust you, to take care of my little girl. And I know about your furry little problem, but I trust you completely, I trust you to make the right decision that time of the month. I just read the paper today about Lily and James."
She took in a trembling breath. "About Sirius. I don't know how You-know-who managed to persuade him, but I haven't been in his life for four years now." Her eyes sad. "Maybe that's why he didn't reach out for me or tried to contact me again. Or maybe he just didn't feel the same way I felt for him. I had sent him a letter you know. So maybe you knew about her existence. I wrote to him after I found out I was pregnant, and then again when I gave birth to Alec. But I never heard anything from him." She wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.
"Please, Remus. I'm begging you, take care of her. Love her like she is your own, I've hidden a key in the cover of my trunk to a vault at Argent Caché, the world wizarding bank in Brussels. You find all the money you need right there, for school, for wolfsbane, for a house. So please don't let money be a problem, I have more than enough. In the trunk hidden underneath her clothes, you'll find pictures that I've taken over the years. It would mean a lot to me, if you would put them in an album. If you decide to take care of her, there are papers in the trunk that I gave you custody of Alec, so no one can take her away from you. You just have to sign it. It is drawn up so, that even if your lycanthropy comes up, they can't take her away. So, Remus please think about this. She is such a sweet and curious girl. She takes after her father a lot, even at her young age. So, I won't be surprised if she turns out a little reckless and a prankster. So, I'll be honest with you, she'll probably be a handful when she grows up, but she is just the sweetest." She breathed in deep, her eyes full of desperation." Take care, Moony."
LB
The memory faded and Remus was pushed out of the pensieve harshly. He fell back against the couch and breathed heavily. He needed to sort everything out, he needed to calm his emotions down. But he couldn't, at least not until he saw the last memory, the one of little Alexandra Fae Black. His hands were trembling when he reached for the second vial. Trembling for what he just witnessed and trembling for what he might see next. He poured out the vial and leaned back in.
He was standing in the hunting cabin again. Cordelia had just reduced the trunk into a smaller form and handed it over to Alec. She handed over the plastic yellow cup to her daughter, just as the house started to shake in its foundations. Remus heard loud and deep voices coming from behind the door. He turned around and saw Cordelia tap the cup with her wand and shoved a piece of paper in the hand that held the cup.
"Mummy."
"It will be fine, sweetie." She tried to reassure her and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "Remember what we talked about?" Alec nodded, as her eyes filled with tears. "Okay. We'll see each other again, I promise. I love you so, so much, Alec." Cordelia said crying, as she placed her daughter behind the counter, out of sight from the door.
"I love you too, mummy." The words were barely out of Alec's mouth when the door flew open, and six wizards walked straight through Remus. Remus knew he couldn't do anything, but he still tried to stop the death eaters from going after them. The teacup vibrated and just before Alec disappeared from the cabin, she saw a bright green light, hit her mum. The next moment, Alec and Remus were standing in front of his building.
Remus was pulled out of the pensieve once again. His heart stammering fast in his chest as tears rolled down his cheeks. She was really gone, murdered. And the last thing she did was safe her child and send her to him, the only one she trusted to take care of her daughter. How she had managed to put the memory ready, was beyond him. But Cordelia was in Ravenclaw for a reason, so she must've found a way to preserve the last memory Alec had of her mum.
It took a while for Remus to calm down. To stop shaking, to stop crying. With one last deep breath he stood up and put the vials on the top cupboard, safely out of reach. He searched the trunk for the photos, key and custody papers. He placed them in his little vault under the sink before heading to bed, letting it all sink in. He stopped by Alec's room and saw her sleeping soundly, the stuffed animal named Padfoot, still securely in her arms. With a sad smile, he walked to his room and left his door open, so she could find him with ease. He put on a charm, so his wand would start to vibrate if Alec woke up. But that wasn't necessary that night, as she slept in until after eight o'clock. While Remus was already making pancakes in the kitchen. He had made his decision that night, after he couldn't find any sleep.
He decided to take her in. He knew it wouldn't be easy and he needed to find a solution for his monthly problem, but the full moon passed just a few nights ago, so he had time. The first thing they would do is go to Brussels for the bank account and search for a place to live in. But that would be abroad, since he had just accepted a job in Belgium, on the border of France. So, the next morning, Remus would pack everything he had, which wasn't much, and they took a portkey to Belgium to start their new life together. A safe distance away from death eathers that were still roaming around, that had just killed her mother. Because if they found out she had a daughter, or that Sirius has one, they would certainly come after her. So, Remus didn't tell anyone he had a ward. It isn't like there were a lot of people to tell, but he knew that Dumbledore or McGonagall would be interested in the news. But he just fled to Belgium with the four-year-old and start building their lives together there.