Excitement coursed through the newly-wedded couple. Their family was expanding and he was so happy when his sister announced to him that she was pregnant. James was going to be an uncle, and Lily was going to be an aunt to the child of her best friend. Already James had announced into the dark night that he was going to be an uncle, only for the dark night not to speak back to him.

Even though the news of being pregnant didn't really excite Amanda Potter, she was afraid. Everyone knows of the pain that women have to go through to have a child. They were afraid of taking potions against the pain, even casting spells against the pain, as they had no knowledge of what it would do to the baby.

But when he came, she smiled brightly into the bundle in her arms and looked up at her husband with a smile. "Edmund." She whispered, "Protetor." Her husband had to wipe away a few tears subtly but Amanda couldn't help but reach out and wipe them away herself. "Always saying that you're a tough man." She whispered to him, "Let this not be that moment, be happy, cry if you need to, Sirius."

Sirius Black the third, the loving husband of Amanda Potter, and now father of Edmund Black. He shoved a camera into the hands of his best friend who stood beside his brother-in-law. "Take a picture." He ordered, "I need this framed, then you come here too, James. You're the uncle and godfather after all."

Peter snapped the picture, all three having a smile on their face. The door hinged open and a harsh light contrasted the warm inside of the room. A tense smile was displayed on the man's face, "Amanda?" He called out, emotion laced the man's voice, as it commonly was a very flat, monotone voice.

"Sev!" Enthusiasm laced the tired voice of Amanda, too tired to get up from the warm blankets around her and she wouldn't dare move the tired looking baby, whose eyes were drooping closed. "Come on in!" She said. Sirius and James shared a look of distaste, however, having had the countless arguments about the half-blood, Sirius knew that he couldn't change her mind.

All he did was lean over and press a soft kiss against her forehead, "Don't waste too much energy." He whispered to her, he then leaned down again, pressing a hesitant kiss to Edmund's forehead. The Marauders cleared the room and Severus Snape walked in, quietly and a bit scared. Most likely scared of waking the baby, even though Edmund was not asleep.

Severus sat down on the bed, by the side of her legs as he looked at his best-friend. "I don't see one of them," He said quietly. "Is this not worthy of his time?" There was more snark to his voice.

Amanda rolled her eyes at the jabs aimed at Lupin. She looked out the window, as the full moon shone between the cracks of the curtains. "He will be visiting when he won't be weak anymore." She gave him a chastise look, "Don't be mean to him."

Amanda and Severus have been friends since their first year, she might have not known him before Hogwarts like Lily had, but she had fit between the ginger girl and the raven-haired boy easily. Unlikely friends are what they were, but friends nonetheless. Amanda had taken it upon herself to always defend him and lecturing her brother and their friends on being nice, even though it had little effect. Countless times she had given the Slytherin advice about his crush on Lily, the muggle-born. But Severus had a moment where things could have gone different, all that Amanda could do was tell him to get over her. The feeling of him loving Lily forever and from afar was something that Amanda know would never disappear.

"Edmund Black." She introduced the man to her first child. Severus' arms reached out and managed to hold the baby well, but Amanda couldn't help herself. "Careful now." She directed.

Severus gave her a slightly amused smile, "I know how to hold a baby, Amanda." He said quietly, as if talking louder than his hushed voice would break the calmth on the child and unleash a storm. "I know you," His eyes stuck onto the baby in his arms, "That cannot be his only name, Greek?" He questioned.

The Greek language was something that the both of them had studied. It was their favourite subject to study, despite it not being taught at the magical school. The two of them used to study in the library, hidden in some corner. They each had their favourite language for studying the art of spell-making, Amanda had Greek and Severus had Latin, the language of the dead.

She had a smile on her face as she nodded, "Theseus." She answered and Severus smiled. It was one of the first plays they had seen, the Greek tragedy of the battle in the Labyrinth and the return of Theseus. If you would ask them if they had cried, they would deny any tear shedding, even though they returned home with puffy eyes and a runny nose. "Edmund Theseus Black." The names rolled off of her tongue smoothly.

"I was thinking that you would call him Perseus." Severus hummed as he looked back down at the baby in his arms again.

"I liked Theseus better," Amanda hummed, "Theseus was a leader and honourable, I wish for him to be like that as well." Snape nodded.

"Fitting name for a leader." Severus said and looked back up at his best friend, "He looks a lot like you."

Amanda rolled her eyes, "You always know what to say, Severus." She said with a smile, "I've been trying to convince Sirius of it as well, but he insists that he looks like Regulus." She complained, fondly as her tone could never be malicious when she talked about her husband. "I will admit, the grey eyes are all him, I adore it. But the rest is all me." She puffed up her chest in faux pride.

Severus chuckled, a chuckle only reserved for his closest of friends, Amanda and Lily. Previously, Lily. "Here is to hoping that he won't be as daft as your husband but rather as good and kind as you."

The woman leaned over and caressed her child's cheek, it was still a warm red. "Sirius had done a lot of wrongs in his life," She said quietly, "I do hope that you can put aside your differences for him," Their eyes settled onto the peeking grey ones, Edmund was waking up again. "He's going to be a good boy, Severus. Love him despite everything else." Her eyes glanced down at his covered forearm. "Be a good uncle to him, Severus?" She asked, her tone had gotten more serious since the beginning of their conversation.

"I will always have the best interest of Theseus in mind." Severus whispered to his best friend, silently promising that it would be exactly what he was going to do. His head snapped up to the sound of a creaking floor and grey eyes, filled with contempt, looked at him. "I should go." Severus said quietly as he looked back at Amanda. Gently, he laid the back-asleep baby into her arms. "Don't forget to rest, your work isn't running away from you, Amanda."

"I can make a spell for that, Severus." Amanda joked but everyone who knows her well enough, would know that she wasn't bluffing. She was known for being a work-aholic. The creation of spells can be dangerous and comes with quite a lot of risks. Severus wished that nothing would happen to her everytime she tells him about a new assignment.

Sirius came running back into the room after Snape walked out. "Nothing has happened to our Edmund, right?" He asked as he glared back at the door, "He didn't do anything to our Edmund?"

A sharp look was sent her husband's way as she shook her head at him. "Don't accuse Severus of that, Sirius. He will never do anything to our Edmund." After Severus handed over baby Edmund, the boy had woken up in the arms of his mother. The baby let out an excited squeal as he looked up at his father, his hands clamping and unclamping.

Quickly, both of their anger melted as they looked at the baby. Slowly, Sirius reached out to hold the baby in his arms. He had walked out of the room after pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep, love." He whispered to her, "Tomorrow will be a new day."

After three months, they wouldn't be the only ones with a baby. Lily had announced her pregnancy. It was their turn to be excited about becoming an aunt and uncle. With terror spreading around the country of muggles being targeted and killed, they had all decided it would be a good idea to stay hidden.

Sirius had been coping in a way, constantly worrying about his best friend and brother-in-law being a target and just missing him in general. Amanda thinks that they have never been apart from one another for so long. The moment she had reminded them of their mirrors the stress that Sirius used to feel quickly dissipated.

Amanda and Lily even used it to talk about Edmund and her nephew, Harry. Lily was scared, which was an appropriate response to being pregnant. The women would talk about things that they have heard through the grapevine. Amanda and James would always catch up through the mirror.

It was weird to see each other grow older through a mirror. In some way it really explained her familial bond with James, her twin. Growing up in the mirror.

July came around the corner as fast as the leaves outside of their house bloomed. Edmund was crawling around the whole house, making his father run all over as well, after his baby boy. It was such a lovely sight to see that it made Amanda's heart ache. At the end of the month, their nephew, Harry Potter was born and came into their lives. Suddenly, all that Amanda and Lily could talk about was how the boys would go to Hogwarts together.

James and Sirius, however, could only talk about how their boys would be their little Gryffindors, wreaking havoc around the draughty corridors, carrying on their legacy. Most of the time, Sirius would brag at how Edmund was already hovering around on his mini-broom, stating that he was going to be a far better quidditch beater than his father. Amanda would interrupt and say that they shouldn't care what position Edmund would play, even though she'd tell Lily how Edmund was going to be a chaser, one of the best, she could see it in the way Edmund flies.

No matter how much time passes, the two men would argue about whose kid would be the better quidditch player.

The acts of the Dark Lord Voldemort can't compare up to the action that he had done on the evening of Hallowe'en. Looking and screaming through a small mirror, Amanda shook as she saw her brother dear fight for his family on the staircase, holding back the terror that would rain on his wife and kid.

Sirius was holding little Edmund close to his chest as it heaved with held back sobs, he had to listen to his wife cry out for her brother, his best friend, cry out for him to stand up and fight, for him to live.

'Don't go.' Amanda had pleaded, begged for Sirius. The house was in ruins and the silent horror that crept onto both of them was different. The horror of his brother, best friend and nephew laying in those ruins, and the horror of her husband leaving, allowing himself to be bare in front of the whole world which was out to kill.

As if he had to see it for himself, how they were gone. He was the first to arrive on the ruins of the house that he had recognized and seen in the mirror, the lovely cosy warm house that was now, a cold ruin of what it used to be, a shell of the past.

Sirius had begged Hagrid for him to take little Harry with him, to raise him in his house alongside Edmund. "They'll be like brother's!" He had pleaded their case, "Please don't do this Hagrid! Amanda will be a wreck!".

Every fibre in Hagrid's body had to be held back to not give Sirius the baby that slept in his arms. But he couldn't go against the orders of Dumbledore, especially with an order this specific. Not to let Harry stay with his father's side of the family, or the godfather and mother. No, it was to give Harry over Lily Potter's sister, the muggle. None of them knew why, except for Dumbledore. At the news, Sirius and Amanda felt enraged.

The combination of grief and anger is a lethal one. One to be cautious of.

But the rage Sirius felt when Peter Pettigrew, the Potter's secret keeper blew up and killed muggles in a public street. "I am a father as well!" Sirius had shouted, his voice trembled as anger made its course through his blood. "How dare you betray James! He was our brother!"

"Dead people can't be my brother." The nasal voice bit back, soon to be followed by the sound of an explosion and then the debris that was blown up. Blood flowed into the sewer and Sirius had taken in a few breaths before he laughed at the absurdity of everything that had happened in the last few hours. The man that had held his child had betrayed all of them, his best friend, a father and best friend of his and his wife, godmother of his child had been murdered, in cold blood. Because of the betrayal of a man they had called their friend.

Tears streamed down from his eyes as he looked at the severed finger, "Oh god." He wiped away the tears on his cheek but they kept coming. "Oh god," He whispered out, more panicked, "Amanda, Edmund." He turned around and froze as his eyes met with a dozen auror's, "No!" he protested, "I didn't do it!" He said loudly, but Sirius knew that he wasn't heard, the screaming of people was louder than his voice, and he didn't know how loud he was talking with the constant pitch in his ears.

Hallowe'en marked the end of Voldemort. A night that no person could ever forget. Amanda couldn't be consoled by the imprisonment of her husband, certainly, she wasn't being consoled by her werewolf best friend, or her potions teacher best friend who had always thought the worst of her husband. Both of them believed what the Ministry had said. Despite all that, she nearly cried out for her godson as he was taken away from her grasp before she could do anything about it.

Being a single mother was a job that was quite a lot, and the stress of raising a child on her own and being a wife of an alleged murderer took its toll on her. Depression dragged her down and after Edmund's birthday party, her closest friends attended. Which she had done deliberately, after Edmund's fifth birthday party, they all left knowing about her sickness.

Severus had worked tirelessly to find any potion or treatment, he even went back to his muggle identity to see if any symptoms of modern medicine aligned with Amanda's, but with no cure in sight, the both of them knew.

Time passed and Amanda was deteriorating, chained to her bed because walking around is draining. A year had passed and Edmund was a dear, always taking care of his mother. The woman knew that he had to be taken care of, protected. She knew her time was coming and she wanted to embrace death as an old friend.

The Unbreakable Vow is what she came up with. Their bonding agent was her nurse who took care of Amanda while she was sick, in her bed. "Promise me to take care of Edmund." Her voice cracked as she asked that of her best friend. "To care and cherish him. Promise me, Severus."

Severus, never the one for emotions, cried. He had only cried a handful of times in his adult life, when he lost his first and only love and now, when he holds his best friend's frail hand in his, promising to care and look after her son when she's gone.

He couldn't fathom a world without her.

"I promise." He said shortly and looked at her, when the vow was completed he sat down on the bed and embraced the woman that cared for him the way he was, that defended him and that laughed with him.

The door creaked open and a small Edmund, a boy that came down to his hips, looked inside of the room. "Ma, Uncle Remus is here." He said and frowned at the atmosphere in the room. Severus wiped his tears and stood up at the end of the bed, looking down at his dying friend.

"Don't you fret, dear. Why won't you go play with the cat? I'm sure that he missed you." She said and smiled weakly. The boy nodded, apprehensively, but he went regardless, not wanting to burden his tired mother. After he had left, the werewolf entered after ruffling the boy's hair.

"Remus." She greeted him, her voice was strained. Even the smallest of things had a lot of stress on her.

"Amanda." He greeted her as well and walked over to her side and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He could smell sickness and death on her, looking over at the crest-fallen face of Snape he knew that she was making her peace. "Soon?" He asked, a lump in his throat despite knowing, losing a friend is never easy but he had lost so many already.

With silent looks, Amanda ordered Severus closer to her. "We all have history." She croaked out, "But I need you to take care of my baby boy." her voice grew softer, a touch louder than a whisper that barely passed her lips. "I know that you'll raise him into a fine young man." Tears streamed down her hollow pale cheeks.

The two men will admit to anyone close enough to them that their hearts broke that very moment, longing to keep their friend by their side, to never lose her. A dying mother, who was pleading to her remaining, living friends to take care of her son, to raise him into a fine man.

Another Unbreakable Vow was made, it was Remus' turn. Snape didn't know what to feel, to work alongside a werewolf in raising a child. But he couldn't defy Amanda, he might have gone against her love advice in the past, but now he will never go against her again. The door opened and Edmund walked in, silent determination. He walked in with the goal to stay, he climbed onto the bed and sat next to his mother, "Hello, Uncle Remus, Uncle Severus." He said with a small smile that resembled his mother's.

"Hey kid." Remus whispered and leant down to shake the boy's hand, Edmund had once complained that no-one treated him like an older child, so Remus shook his hand to make him happy. A smile was painted across the kid's face and Remus swallowed, the lump in his throat was acting up and hurting him. He looked over at his friend and saw the same smile on her face. "Fancy a sleepover?" He asked the boy.

"Sleepover?" Edmund repeated, looking up with a raised eyebrow. He acted as if he didn't hear it correctly. Remus knows that he did.

"A sleepover." Remus confirmed.

Edmund had a bright smile on his face, something Remus wished to see on Amanda's face. "Yes!" The boy exclaimed, "Can we watch my favourite movie, mum? Or we can watch yours." He rambled, excited as he looked over at his mother.

"Your mother is a bit tired at the moment." Remus said with a fake crooked smile on his face as he reached over to pick up the small boy from the bed. The boy rested against his hips as Remus' smile became more genuine at the prospect of spending some more time with the little rascal. "How about we watch your favourite movie in the living room, so your mother can sleep?"

The boy smiled and nodded, Remus leant down a bit and Edmund automatically reached over to his mother. Amanda smiled and soundlessly leant forward a slight bit and pressed a kiss against Edmund's forehead. The two of them walked out of the room, talking about what they were going to eat as a snack. Amanda and Severus were left alone in the room.

"I need to get my affairs in order, and I need to leave behind messages." Severus sat back down on the bed, having stood up when Remus entered the room. "Please, do them for me." She pleaded, "I can't trust anyone else with them."

Severus felt his heart ache as he looked at her, "Of course," He said softly and accepted the pen and paper from the nurse. "Tell me what I need to do for you." In the other room, Edmund rummaged through the tapes to find a movie to watch with his uncle Remus.

In that very same room, he had watched from the living room door as his mother's hand limped in bed, not waking up. With wide tearing eyes he watched his mother stay asleep. Edmund knew she wasn't waking up.

His uncle Remus had taken him in after that, having inherited the money to take care and raise Edmund alongside of the help of Snape. Throughout the years that he was growing up. Remus was more of a constant figure in Edmund's life. The Black stayed with Remus who homeschooled and cared for him. Once a month, he would have to stay with his other uncle Severus after the man handed Remus a potion. Then Remus would disappear for a whole week before returning to Edmund, well-rested.

For that whole week he stayed at Hogwarts castle if it fell during the school year. Ever since his mother had died in her own bed, Snape had told him that it was some kind of preparation for when he finally goes to the school. It wasn't a wonder when the Hogwarts staff quickly fell in love with the little kid, he was a helpful boy, always smiling despite the loss he had suffered.

The staff, under which Hagrid fell, took a special liking towards the child. Sometimes taking him out to care for the creatures that lived on the school grounds. But the staff member that liked him the most was Dumbledore, the old headmaster always left his door open for the kid, telling the boy stories from a book or from his past. Edmund latched onto every word that the warlock said. He even got compliments from only a few of the staff, saying that he looks a lot like his parents, but they especially complimented his smile.

"You look so much like your mother, always kind and loving."

The students mostly knew him as the random kid who appeared once a month and was always on Hagrid's or Dumbledore's side. But what they didn't know was that Edmund spent most of their breaks in his Uncle's office. Very few believed in Sirius Black's innocence, but eventually McGonagall trusted and understood what Snape was saying, that Sirius would never put his family in danger from Voldemort.

When Remus had to leave for some kind of business trip during weekends or holidays. Edmund would be with Snape at his house. When a blonde woman found out that Snape had a 'nephew' at his house the same age as her son. She had immediately come over with Draco Malfoy holding onto her hand, stating that homeschooled children have a hard time adjusting to a change such as going to a school with many students like Hogwarts.

Snape can't deny the most powerful family of purebloods that were in the ranks of his master. Everytime Snape saw Edmund and Draco play together under the watchful eye of Narcissa Malfoy, he felt his forearm burn in guilt. She had promised Amanda that he would keep Edmund out of his other life, out of his choice that brought death upon his most loved one. He wondered if this could end up with Edmund being on the Lord's radar.

Edmund and Draco went along with one another just fine, Draco was apprehensive at first, having to share his toys with some other kid was something he had never done before. Crabbe and Goyle always had their own toys and quickly dropped them when their father's scolded them for taking Draco's toys. But it was different with Edmund, Draco was terribly nice to him and Narcissa had never seen the boy make such a genuine connection with anyone of his age before. It made her wonder how much of an effect that Edmund could have on Malfoy.

Years passed and Edmund grew older. Every birthday and without failure, his uncle Severus would deliver him a handwritten note, written by his mother along with a neatly wrapped present. Every single year, he got a new letter and a new present. Alongside those presents came a memory from his mother, hidden in a small durable vial.

Every birthday, Edmund sat down with his uncles and watched the memories that Uncle Severus had handed to him. Memories of her wedding and how happy everyone looked. Memories of Sirius and a little boy, looking like he could barely walk but levitate around on a mini-broom.

At the end of every memory, Severus would give him another vial with silver in it that they would watch. Every year it was the same worn-down face and heavy eyebags, her clothes stayed the same. Revealing that she had made the tapes on the same day. Edmund would smile at the memory when he saw his smile on his mother's face. "You've turned eleven already?" She said and smiled at Severus, from who the memory came from. "I can't imagine how grown you are already. I'm hoping that Remus is taking great care of you, and is finally getting along with Severus." The three snorted, she would say that every year. The two men looked at each other and then away, they were on friendly terms in front of Edmund. "I hope you're ready for next year, you'll be going to Hogwarts then. Take care of your cousin, Harry."

The projection cringed but it was noticeable to the untrained eye. "Don't be afraid to tell any of your uncles if you have a crush!" Amanda perked up a bit, "I know when Sevvy had a cr-"

"Amanda." 'Sevvy' complained.

"I've given all the advice that I had to Severus, once in a lifetime." The woman snorted, and Severus, out of his point of view, merely shook his head, "Take care, little protector."

Every year, the tapes and presents made him sad. As a younger kid, he loved them. But as he grew older, he realised that the woman had known of her inevitable death and prepared presents for her son.

Edmund had to grow up with the feeling that his mother was always looking over him, smiling as he accomplished the little things and laughing at his jokes, teasing whenever he blushed. The reality was that she isn't around anymore, she is dead and he is all alone with his uncles. The morning after his birthday was a sad one when reality crashed in, it was a present that only lasted for the remainder of his birthday.

He was happy that he had his uncles, at least. He can't imagine being without them as they have taught him many things. Uncle Severus made sure that he was well versed in the art of potions, which came naturally to him. Remus taught Edmund Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. The moment that Edmund will get his wand, will be the moment that his uncles would see him shine.

Casting spells in the magical household was no problem, since they had gotten his wand in the summer before he was going to Hogwarts. Between his occasional letters between the headmaster of Hogwarts, the old man would praise him for his natural skill and would send him many books to learn from.

Edmund was sure that most of his gift existed out of books, but he didn't mind. He never minded it.

None of the two uncles took Edmund out for flying, but the Malfoy's did. Or well, mostly Draco and his private instructor did. Edmund learned how to fly and play quidditch alongside Draco. He loved the feeling of being on a broomstick, he especially liked the feeling of being able to cover nearly every position.

He mostly stuck to being a beater or a chaser as he didn't really enjoy the seeker or keeper position. He liked where the action was, and he'll follow it with no problem at all.

His friendship with Draco evolved nicely, but the boy never spent a night at the Malfoy manor, at the wish of Lupin which Snape respected. Edmund had listened in on one of the arguments.

"What do you think they'd teach him there?" Lupin had asked. "He won't be like that! Amanda wasn't like that nor was Sirius!"

"Well, we also thought that Sirius wasn't a murderer!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Lupin exclaimed, "Amanda told us, Sirius was wrongfully accused! He never was the secret-keeper! Peter was-" Edmund would then return to his room and read a book.

It was always the same argument. First it would start about him but eventually it would turn into a debate about his father, and the death of his uncle and aunt and then it would turn more sombre when it would be about his mother. His Uncle Remus and Severus had wiped away a few tears before Edmund would go away for them to continue arguing in a more subdued, quiet way.

Edmund looked over at his books and cauldrons. He had a small smile on his face as he thought about how his mother described Hogwarts and he remembers the days he had spent at the castle, spending time with the headmaster or helping around in the classroom.

He wasn't known by the students as Black but rather Lupin.

His uncles had decided that it was a clear and safe approach. The last name Black can get you places but it can also get you bullied, hated and struggles would appear. The Black's name was tarnished and burned.

To be the son of a serial killer, supposedly not guilty, could be a struggle for Edmund at school. That is why he will be known as Edmund Theseus Lupin.

They had considered using Potter as his last name but many except all the close friends knew that Amanda and Sirius had a relationship and were even married. They considered the last name of Snape, but that was quickly shot down as well.

A new name was safer for him than his old one.

Albus Dumbledore and his right hand Minerva McGonagall knew and recognized the struggles. All of the staff knew him by his first name anyways, having it changed to Lupin in the school papers wouldn't make a difference.

He was known by everyone as Edmund Theseus Lupin. He took in a breath and looked at the baby picture that was framed, he was together with his parents, uncle and aunt. His breath hitched as his eyes rested on his father.

Whenever he smiled, he saw his mother. But everything else was his father. His father, who was considered a serial killer and in Azkaban, for life. Edmund looked out of the window and over the fields as the sun set.

The summer would pass and his twelfth birthday was approaching. He was counting down the days until he could start at the magical school that his mother had loved going to.