C. M. Black: Heart of a Lion

Prologue

After being quickly ushered into the living room, Sirius turned to greet his friends. James had his back to him, busy bolting the front door shut with one hand and waving his wand over it with the other. Lily, however, came sweeping out of the kitchen, eyes trained on the bundle of blue Sirius held in his arms. She looked up at him before smiling.

'So,' she began, but never finished, instead looking at him expectantly.

Sirius sighed heavily, as if moving the child was a great task before putting her down on the wooden floor. The child looked up at him and moved backwards to stand by his side, a little farther from Lily.

Having knelt down to the child's height, Lily spoke. 'I'm Lily. Who might you be?' The child hesitated for a moment before answering.

'Cass-Cass,'

'That's adorable,' Lily beamed as she stood up. 'Harry calls himself "Ha'ee" at the moment.'

Despite having been best friends with Sirius for nearly ten years, James, nor his wife Lily, had seen the girl before. Cassiopeia – Cassy, as Sirius insisted upon calling her – had a keen resemblance to her farther, only her eyes were a bright blue, instead of his pale grey.

Cassy peered around with a curios gaze, pausing at each photograph that stopped to wave at her. Hesitantly, she raised a small hand and scrunched her fingers in a slow and awkward wave at the photograph of an elderly woman. The woman beamed at her as a man with glasses joined her in her frame, also smiling.

James and Sirius moved to take a seat on the sofa, while Lily disappeared back through the same door she had appeared. Sirius allowed himself to sink into the dark fabric, resting his head back and closing his eyes. He had not seen the Potters in several months, they had exchanged many letters in the meantime, but he had missed being able to converse freely. He let out another sigh before turning his grey eyes to James, who was looking straight back at him.

'You look terrible, mate.'

'Cheers,' Sirius snorted, moving into a sitting position.

'Seriously, you look ill. How are you holding up?'

Sirius frowned slightly, feeling the conversation should be occurring the other way around, but shrugged none the less.

'I've been better. I'm just... a little stressed, I suppose.' He ran a hand though his long, black hair. 'It takes some... adjustment.'

James said nothing for a moment before clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.

'You'll get there. She seems like a good kid.'

They both turned to look at Cassy. She remained exactly where Sirius had left her, but her head was turned towards the kitchen door as if watching something. At eighteen-months-old, she was rather small, but James would wager she could easily push down his son, Harry. She had shoulder-length, thick black hair, pale skin and oversized eyes. In her arms, Cassy held a stuffed bear, worn and limp having had been squeezed too many times to retain much stuffing in its stomach.

'She never really puts it down,' Sirius said suddenly, thinking of the bear. 'I think she got it from Tess, or it belonged to Janie, something like that. She takes it everywhere and if I touch it she stares at me until I put it down again,' James grinned while Sirius whined. 'I'm constantly watched.'

'Harry likes to appear suddenly. You turn around and he's there. I thought kids were supposed to be noisy!'

'Cassy-' Cassy's head suddenly twisted towards them at the sound of her name, 'is usually quiet, luckily. But she sequelsif I turn into Padfoot, so, so loud.'

'Paddy?' Cassy suddenly piped up, wide eyed.

'No, not now,'

'Why?' She frowned.

James snorted and Sirius lightly punched his arm.

'Wait until Harry can answer back. I'm sure it will be hilarious.'

'Nah, Harry's too happy for that. He's taken to clapping whenever we do magic now.'

Sirius smiled at the thought, having missed his godson immensely. He was about to reply when Cassy barrelled into his legs, one hand moving from her bear to grasp at the fabric of his trousers. He looked up to see Harry, who had entered at some speed, standing where Cassy had been. Lily was close behind and clicked her tongue playfully at her son.

'Talk of the devil,' James laughed.

'That's just Harry,' Sirius said, placing a hand on her head. Cassy did not appear to be reassured and kept a firm hold on him. Harry, however, had moved on from his initial interest in Cassy and instead cheerfully babbled to Sirius and waved from where he stood.

'That's Cassy, Ca-see,' Lily pointed, kneeling next to Harry and speaking slowly. 'Ca-see.'

'Ca'!'

'Isn't that what he uses for cat?' Sirius asked quietly and James nodded.

'And car,' he added before nodding to Cassy. 'Is she shy?'

'Not usually. Although, I haven't had her around many people lately... Maybe he scared her because he charged at her. Too forward, like all Potter men,' He shook his head, sighing deeply and mumbling about 'no tact'.

'Oy!' James protested. 'I do not scare women off! How could I?' He gestured to himself with wiggling eyebrows. Lily scoffed quietly and rolled her eyes, giving Sirius a look he returned with equal enthusiasm, much to James' protest. 'Don't come into my house and gang up on me!'

'Anyway, how are things, Sirius?' Lily asked, ignoring James completely.

'All right. It's a bit odd, you know. Some mornings I wake up and don't realise she's even there. It still seems... surreal,' he hesitated and looked down at Cassy. 'Still, at least I got her.'

'It'll get easier, you just have to get used to it.'

'It's been two months and it hasn't got any easier.' James and Lily watched him carefully as he retracted his hand from Cassy's head.

With dark rings around his eyes and shoulders sagging, Sirius had aged ten years in the span of four months. The trial had taken a toll on him, potentially even more so than the news of Janie's pregnancy had, James realised. He wished more than ever that he could have been there. He wished he could have supported his friend freely, but the circumstances had pushed them apart and Sirius had had little time to recall the entire story to James.

'It looks like you're doing a great job, Pads,' James smiled encouragingly, but it was missed as Sirius was looking down at his lap. 'I know you don't think you're capable of being a dad-'

'Because I'm not,' Sirius interjected.

'But you are. Cassy obviously trusts you, she looks healthy and alert. There's nothing to worry about.'

Sirius shook his head lightly. He opened his mouth several times before closing it and leaning forward to place his head in his hands. 'I'd never even really considered having children,' he mumbled into them, 'yet here I am. When Janie said she was... I just... freaked. She tried to get us back together, telling me how wonderful this was. She even have her a ridiculous star name thinking it would bring us closer, continue the tradition or something... Now I wonder if I had stayed... if I had... then maybe things wouldn't be like this.

'Anyway, this isn't about me. You two are the ones who are really in trouble, you shouldn't have to worry about my stupid mistake-'

'Sirius Black,' Lily said sternly, 'this is not your fault. She lied and she hurt you. She was afraid and... And traumatised by what she had seen... things would have lead to the same conclusion regardless of whether you stayed or not.'

'You don't know that! She only cracked because I left, she was scared and-'

'And became obsessed with your daughter. She wouldn't let anyone see her, not even her grandparents! She needs help, Sirius, and that's what she's going to get. She would have had you both caged. Cassy's better off with you than anyone else.' James said, leaning closer to his best friend. There were another few moments of silence before Sirius sighed.

'Phil and Tess would have been better choices.'

'They might have been,' Sirius felt a pang in his chest, 'but they're Muggles. There is no way the Ministry would ever let them have custody of her. There was a big enough fuss when they heard you were dating one. Can you imagine the outrage that would come from letting the heir of the Black family's daughter live with Muggles? Especially when you're still alive. Hell, they might have even tried to give her to your mother as a last resort.

Sirius looked up and scowled at James. His mother had never been the most affectionate of people, barely caring for her own sons let alone someone else's child. He could not imagine giving Cassy to her. He had received a Howler from her the moment the Daily Profit had reported the rumour that he may be dating a Muggle woman. The letter tore itself open, Walgurga's shrill voice screamed at him, threatening to blast some sense into him, cursing the 'filthy-blood traitors' and their 'bad habits' having lead her son further astray. He had not heard from her since then.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. 'They're not even supposed to have visiting rights really. If I choose, I can leave her with them for up to twelve hours, but that's all. She's not supposed to spend more than four hours than Janie a month. None until she shows "significant improvement".'

' I know this isn't ideal, Sirius, but she's here now. You're all that she has. Plus, you're great with Harry, I've seen it. Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about.'

Sirius blinked at Lily before grinning, 'You've gone soft, Evans.'

'Oh, shut-up, Black!' she playfully bit back.

There was a cry and the three turned, startled. Harry had moved from Lily's side and now stood beside Cassy, who also had moved to be closer to the fish tank in the corner. Cassy was holding something, her right hand in the air as Harry tried to reach for it.

'No, Harry!' she cried as he reached for it again. Cassy's superior height won and Harry let out a loud whine in protest.

'What has she got?' Sirius queried, not seeing the object clearly as it was waved around.

'Cakka!' Cassy chirped helpfully, holding it still for him to see.

'A cracker? Where in Merlin's beard did you get a cracker?' Upon closer inspection he spotted the crumbs that adorned her blue dress and quickly concluded it had been wedged between herself and the bear since they left the house.

'Do you want a cracker, Harry?' Lily asked. Harry nodded and Cassy watched for moment before returning to Sirius' side, placing the bear in his lap and digging a hand in his pocket. Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced when she suddenly withdrew with another cracker.

'Why do I have crackers in my pocket?' He mumbled, fishing his own hand in before pulling out another as well as several chocolates.

'She's well prepared,' James sniggered as the food was stuffed back into the pocket.

Returning to the fish tank, Cassy held the bear in her left hand, a cracker in her right and her own cracker carefully secured between her teeth. She handed the second cracker to Harry, who still had his attention on Cassy's own, before returning to press her face against the fish tank.

'More interested in the fish than the people. More interested in sweets than fish...' Sirius commented, significantly more relaxed than he had been. A small smile graced his face as he watched the child tapped on the glass whenever the fish slowed to a halt.

'She understands a lot,' Lily commented, smiling softly. 'She'll probably grow up to be quite intelligent.' Sirius let out a gentle huff and his smile grew to a small grin.

'She takes after me, of course.' Lily scoffed and James raised his eyebrows sceptically before Sirius lent over to smack him again. 'Don't pull that face!'

'Sure, sure. Think whatever you want, Pads. On another note, will you be free for Harry's birthday at the end of the month?'

Sirius' expression dimmed. 'I know when it is, thank you. I-It's kind of why I'm here though. About Harry... and you two...'

Pursing her lips, Lily looked to James. Sirius stuttering was never good. The man was brave and cocky and the idea of him being unnerved by something set both the Potters on edge. 'Go on,' she urged.

'You're moving to a new house in August, right?' he said slowly and they both nodded. 'I... I don't think I should be the Secret-Keeper.'

'What? What do you mean?' James squawked. He gapped freely at the dark-haired man, stumbling over half formed sentences before twisting to his wife for help. She too looked surprised, but was considerably more composed.

'Why? Has something happened?'

'Two months ago, there was that attack... there were nine Death Eaters, despite there only being five of us...Bellatrix was there and she saw me, but... she didn't try and kill me. She only sent an Incarcerous at me.'

Lily gasped as Sirius looked back up to meet her gaze before side glancing at James. Silence followed, only interrupted lightly by the clicking of wooden blocks as Cassy and Harry assembled them into a large cube. James' fists tightened and Lily moved closer to him, squeezing his knee.

'You think they know it's you?' She asked quietly.

'I'm certain. I'm the obvious choice, aren't I?' Sirius said. There was another moment of silence before Sirius sighed heavily. 'You need another Secret-Keeper, one who is unsuspecting. You can use Peter. That way, if I do get captured I won't be able to be forced into revealing your hiding place because I really wouldn't know it.'

'Sirius!' James exclaimed loudly, shocking the children into knocking over their cube. 'Don't even- you can't-!'

'It's true, James. At least this way I'll be some sort of defence. If I go missing-'

'Which you won't!'

'If I go missing, you'll know Voldemort's trying to make a move. You can really ramp up the defences and-'

'I don't want to hear it!' James roared, shooting up out of his seat. 'Nothing like that is going to happen. You can't just expect me to... to accept...'

Lily and Sirius stood too, but James did not want to hear it. He turned away, one hand over his mouth and the other on his hip, he moved towards the doorway and into the kitchen. Conflicted, Lily looked pleadingly at Sirius before following James leaving Sirius alone.

'Shit,' he mumbled. This was not how he hoped it would go.

'Daddy?' came a hesitant voice. Sirius turned to the left. Both Cassy and Harry had frozen where they sat at James' shout. Cassy sat with wide eyes and her eyebrows lowered in mild fear, whereas Harry's face was screwed up as if he was about to cry.

'Come here,' He said as he moved towards them, arms wide to embrace them both.

Sirius hoped with all his heart the Potters listened to him. He did not know if he could live with himself if something happened to any of the three. He pulled Cassy and Harry closer to him as their tiny hands gripped the material of his dress shirt tightly. He could not lose them. Any of them.

Right, so here we go. I've always liked the idea of Sirius having a daughter, but I've never found one that explored the characteristics that I'm going to try and do here.

I'm going to try and make this different, so I started off with something I believed would be true – Sirius being mortified at having a child. I just can't imagine young Sirius settling down, too young and a little disinterested (according to Rowling) in relationships on the whole. However, I've seen many were people have portrayed him as being over the moon, which is fair enough. I just don't see it.

I'm going to try and avoid making this note too long, but I am a nervous writer, so I may explain things here a little more than I need to at points. If there are any queries, feel free to message me, just bare in mind I won't give away all my plot devises at once. If I'm going to do this, I want to do it like a proper story so I may tell you you'll have to wait and see.

This stands for Cassy's family, you really will have to wait (probably for quite a while, haha).

Thanks!