Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
- "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost
For seven years, Sirius devoted his life to his daughter.
The empty space in his heart and the fissure that had nearly split his heart in two the night his wife had died was slowly mending. The wound remained concealed as it gradually healed. Hidden beneath bright giggles, curious eyes and more curious questions.
His heart found healing even in the long nights he had spent awake in fright while his daughter cried and suffered her first fever. And then it was soothed into a nearly invisible scar in those warm nights where he told her the most beautiful stories about warrior witches and wonderful magic.
Sirius's soul bloomed in those summer days where they raced each other in the garden, his daughter's magic wild and powerful. Frightening Sirius half to death when it helped her reach to the treetops and bringing wild unstrained laughter from him when the four-year-old drenched James by summoning half the lake in a fit of anger.
With his family sharing every beautifully made memory of their bright-eyed daughter, Sirius found his heart whole again and he gradually managed to collect the remnants of the life he had built with his late wife and to establish a new yet equally bright present upon its foundation.
His little girl grew and Sirius's world bloomed along with her. She was his family, the miracle that brought back joy and an unsurpassed light to his life, as well as to the lives of her other parents and her once-broken uncle.
Naturally, Sirius should have expected the bitter end to come. He should have known his happiness wouldn't have lasted. Nothing good ever lasted for Sirius Black.
"Daddy, daddy! Cannon Ball!"
Sirius scrambled out of the kitchen, cursing the day Lily thought to teach their kid anything about muggles. He ran towards the spiralling staircase and brandished his wand, hoping to catch the little imp who had quite literally launched herself from the railing as if thrown from a cannon.
However, instead of plummeting into a fate of broken bones and heart wrenching wailing, his girl was grinning as she floated down, spinning lazily to the ground with the aid of her powerful magic.
Feeling his heart return to its rightful place, Sirius mustered up his most serious expression and proceeded to lecture his rather now bored looking daughter.
"But it's fun!" Mira argued from where she now sat, fixed to her chair in the dining room by Sirius's sticking charm. "And I'll never fall, you know that. Uncle Jay always lets me do what I want and trusts my magic. You don't want Uncle Jay to become my favourite, do you? Or- or Uncle Reg. You'd be sad if I liked them more, won't you daddy? They never ground me like you!"
Sirius snorted at the exaggerated pout but quickly schooled his expression when a hopeful look crossed his daughter's face. "I see someone is learning from their Slytherin uncle the art of devious cunning and from their Gryffindor uncle stupid recklessness. If those are your favourites, Mira, then I'll have to live with the fact that my little girl has dreadful taste in role models."
His daughter's face screwed in concentration and Sirius knew she was thinking hard of a new tactic to soften him with. He laughed internally even as he maintained his stern expression, she hadn't reached seven yet and had nearly everyone falling for her tricks, he feared to think what she'll do as a teenager.
"But you'll be sad if I like them more than you, won't you daddy? I get sad when I think you love baby Charlie more than me. So you'd be sad if I loved anyone more than you, right?" Mira sniffled, looking truly pitiful. "I feel like I like them more right now, I feel really sad because Daddy doesn't really like me anymore and he wants me to remain stuck in this chair while he goes to work and forgets all about me!"
Green eyes watered as they looked up at him and Sirius almost caved, unable to bear the thought of making his daughter sad. Until he remembered Lily's sage advice to not fall for the 'Bambi eyes' as she took to calling them.
"You almost got me, you sneaky little pixie!"
"Eh, it almost worked too!" Mira giggled as she dropped the act.
"That it did my little apprentice," Regulus guffawed as he entered the dining room. "I'm so proud, little Mira will make a fine Slytherin."
"Or a very reckless Gryffindor, I swear you and James are corrupting my little girl!"
"Uncle Reg, daddy stuck me to the chair! Help please, please, please, please!"
The 'Bambi eyes' worked on Regulus better than magic, in mere seconds Mira was unstuck and fluttering around the room while Sirius tried to jam some breakfast down her throat.
"I would feel sorry for Walburga, but that hag never actually did anything remotely close to parenting," Sirius groaned as Mira ran out of the room squealing excitedly about her Halloween custom. "I guess I'm grateful to Kreacher, that elf was a saint in disguise."
"A very foul mouthed, hateful and murderous saint." Regulus snorted as Morg, their new elf, poured them tea. "May his soul rest in peace. And grant Morg a long life where he can remain our new murderous but less foul-mouthed elf."
"Thank you, master Regulus. Morg lives to serve the Black magic." Morg bared his rather dangerously sharp teeth. "And naturally, Morg wishes for his soul to remain until he manage to eliminate all those who dare to try and harm the Blacks that truly matter."
Sirius and Regulus shared a look and Sirius stifled a snort, sometimes he felt as if he was living the madhouse. "Of course, Morg. And hopefully as one of those Blacks' that matter, I must say that truly value your service."
"Of course you do Lord Black, just as Morg appreciates your service to the Black magic. Do try to not fail your duties, Lord Black, or you will be swiftly removed from those that matter. The consequences are dire for those who are."
"…...noted." Sirius eyed the sharp knife in the house-elf's hand and wisely didn't comment any further.
Regulus mumbled a flimsy excuse and fled, his laughter echoing in the entrance hall.
By the time Sirius was ready for work, he felt like going back to bed instead.
He had run half the Manor chasing his little girl who seemed of the opinion that her father needed to do his weekly workout in one hour. She was hyper on Halloween excitement which not even Sirius' unfortunate absence for the night could dampen.
Sirius descended the stairs in a daze, sure that he still had glitter stuck to his hair and his fingers were cramping from all the hairstyles Mira had demanded he twist her hair into.
"Why are you so…. shiny?"
"Don't even." Sirius growled as Regulus laughed but his brother had the decency to try and remove the glitter stuck to his Knights' uniform.
"There, there. I'm sure Mira appreciates your effort. Anyway, do be careful today, brother. The Selwyns are dangerous, Sirius. And no matter that they think him gone, they still worship the Dark Lord and won't take kindly to discovering your presence."
"We'll be fine, don't worry. But you two be careful, alright. Send a Patronus if you need anything," Anxiety rose in Sirius's chest as it always did whenever he had to leave Mira. "James and I will be hidden so don't worry about anyone seeing your Patronus and Lily's at the hospital with Andy. So if anything happens, Patronus everyone and you have emergency portkeys. Send Morg if you can't, the wards are–"
"Yes, yes," Regulus patted his shoulder. "I get it, Sirius. Don't worry, nothing will happen. Now, go to work before Mad-Eye shows up at our doorstep and gives Mira the fright."
"I like mister Mad-Eye, he's really nice." Mira piped up as she skipped down the stairs in all her customed glory. "He always brings me Firegums, they go off like fireworks whenever I chew and give me rainbow tongue for at least an hour!"
Sirius had long ceased questioning how his life had come to the point where his daughter was friends with Mad-Eye and a Death Eater's kid and her favourite activities included launching herself off like a cannonball, riding invisible Thestrals, and playing hide and seek with Dumbledore.
"You look really pretty, Mira!"
"You mean scary. I'm Morgana, Uncle Reg, I have to look scary!"
"I never knew Morgana was so…. glittery."
"Uncle Reg! This isn't glitter. This is the effect of very very dark magic, it makes you go all wonky and shows on your skin for everyone to see."
"Well of course, how silly of me. Morgana the wonky and darkly glittering witch, I'm sure I read she was called that… somewhere. And anyway, you can look both pretty and very very scary."
Mira grinned in satisfaction. "Cory will have to look pretty and mean, too. She's Circe, you know?"
"And how exactly did she manage to convince Narcissa of that?" Sirius couldn't imagine his stuck-up cousin allowing her daughter to prance around playing at being Circe. Then again, he would never have imagined Narcissa—who still wasn't speaking to him—accepting her daughter's friendship with his own half-blood daughter. Sirius knew he would never truly understand his cousin.
"Well…. Mister Malfoy just can't say no to Cory. And so she just cried a bit and threatened to choose Herpo the fowl if they didn't agree to Circe. So Mister Malfoy convinced her mom and now she's Circe!"
Sirius wrinkled his nose at the mention of Lucius but didn't comment. Mira never had to interact with the man and Cordelia was a good kid and Mira's only friend. Sirius didn't have the heart to tell her to stay away from the kid on the account of her father being a former Death Eater.
"Anyway, when Uncle Reg takes us trick and treating—"
"I am?"
"Yes, who else, Uncle Reg? So you'll have to dress up too, I was thinking you can be Mordred—"
"Naturally."
"Uncle Reg!"
"Of course, sweetheart. I'll be the evilest Mordred to have ever existed when I take you and Cordelia trick and treating."
"Thank you!"
Sirius laughed and mimed how Mira had Regulus wrapped around her little finger. His brother rolled his eyes but didn't argue considering he couldn't deny that Sirius was right.
"Right, daddy, I almost forgot. I made this for you." Mira handed him a wooden box also covered in glitter. "I know you have an important mission today. I wasn't eavesdropping, it's just Uncle Jay was talking real loud. Anyway, Aunt Lily helped me make it. It'll protect you while you're kicking dark wizards' arse!"
Used to his daughter knowing more than she ought to about his work, Sirius just huffed and opened the box. He found a small star charm attached to a thin platinum necklace. The star had a deep blue in its heart and seemed as if it was holding the night sky in all its starry glory.
"I might have used some of the old jewellery from the attic, but like really, it was just gathering dust up there. And I really wanted to make something to keep you safe, daddy. So its fine, right? It's really pretty too. So it'll protect you and make you look pretty too."
"Yes, Starlight, it's very pretty." Sirius agreed in a gruff voice, ignoring how eyes burned. He was still unused to how overwhelmingly grateful and happy his little girl made him. "Thanks kid, I'm sure it'll protect me from everything bad."
Mira beamed and quickly urged him to put it on, Sirius obliged.
"You know, daddy, I was just joking earlier. You're still my favourite. You'll always be my favourite."
"And here I thought Uncle Reg the soon-to-be Mordred was your favourite!"
"You're my favourite too, Uncle Reg." Mira patted Regulus' arm consolingly. "But daddy is my favourite of favourites."
"Despite the grey hairs I'm sure to be getting, you're my favourite too, Starlight. I love you."
"I love you more and more and more." Mira gave Sirius her customary squeezing hug that never failed to choke the breath out of him. "Catch all the dark wizards and be careful daddy!"
"We'll do. And you be careful and try not to make too much trouble for Regulus, the poor guy isn't as handsome as your dad so he can't handle grey hair as well as I do."
Regulus squawked as Mira giggled, a promise of mischief in her green eyes.
With a final wave, Sirius forced himself to leave. He walked backwards, watching as his little girl jumped and waved and smiled until she lost sight of him.
Sirius disapparated not knowing it would be the last time he would see his daughter for a long time. Not knowing of the evil that lurked beyond the Black Manor's wards, waiting to steal his precious star away.
The Evening Prophet
Saturday, October 31st, 1992
Failed Coup leaves many Lords and Heirs of council families permanently incapacitated or dead!
The Evening Prophet
Saturday, October 31st, 1992
BLACK MADNESS STRIKES AGAIN!
Avalon citizens horrified as Sirius Black murders own daughter and grievously injures Potter Heir and his own younger brother!
The Daily Prophet
Sunday, November 1st, 1992
Arcturus Black abdicates his seat at Merlin's Council! With the Heir accused of murder, what is Lord Black's ploy?
The Evening Prophet
Sunday, November 1st, 1992
Avalon citizens shocked as Merlin's Hand choses notorious criminal Sirius Black as the newest Merlin's Council representative!
The Daily Prophet
Sunday, February 1st, 1993
SIRIUS BLACK DECLARED INNOCENT OF ALL CHARGES!
Who is to blame for an innocent man's wrongful incarceration in the dreaded prison Azkaban?
The Daily Prophet
Sunday, February 2nd, 1993
Sirius Black's trial uncovers the shocking truth behind the downfall of He Who Must Not Be Named!
Sirius Black, James Potter and Lily Potter: Saviors of Avalon!
Albus Dumbledore humbly denies role in Failed Lord's defeat!