Afraid || Sirius Black [1]

64

A week had passed and Sirius was happy, happy like he was at Hogwarts with his friends and Madison. He sent a letter to her, Remus and the others to let them know that he was at James' and why he couldn't answer his previous ones that he kept in his trunk. He, and the other boys, excluding Frank were meeting up today and staying for a week and Remus', and of course, that meant he would be able to see Maddie, hopefully. "Are you ready boys?" Called Euphemia, from the living room. They were to travel by floo powder to the Lupin residence in Devon.

The pair grabbed their bags and raced down the stairs halfway down, Sirius leapt onto James' back and was carried to the living room. "Okay, now you two, behave, remember your please and thank yous and do not terrorise Hope and Lyall." She warned kissing them both on the heads before ushering them both into the fireplace.

* * *

"Moony!" The boys exclaimed climbing out of the fireplace and bringing the pair into a hug.

The door to the living room opened and Hope and Lyall walked in, a little blonde girl in the man's arm with a toy dragon in her hands. "What is a Moony?" She asked Lyall waving the dragon around in the air. "Isn't that where you show your bum?"

Hope laughed after hugging the boys in welcome, "Yes it is, sweetheart but I think it is just a nickname for Remus." She said and lifted the girl from her husbands' arms.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows and reached her arms out to Remus who took her off of his mother, "Do you show your bum a lot then, Remmy?" She asked looking unimpressed as she folded her arms together.

"No little one, I don't, it's a nickname because of my wolfiness, you know because of the moon?" Remus chuckled, kissing her forehead and tickling her face with her toy. "Now this is James and Sirius, the boys that I told you about. Peter isn't here yet." He turned her to face the two boys as his parents left to go to the kitchen. "This is Harley, my little cousin I told you about."

The boys smiled kindly at her and James cooed, "Aren't you just a cute, little princess?"

She gave the boy a dirty look before saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "I am not a princess, you're a princess, I am a knight." She wriggled around in Remus' arms before he put her down and she ran out of the room towards the kitchen. "And the dragon breathed out lots of fire, rawhhhh!!!!" She cried at her uncle who caught her.

Sirius grinned, "I love her already. How old is she again?"

"Four."

"So cute." James sighed, "Sassy as well, I'll tell you, she will go far in life."

* * *

The boys sat in the blow-up pool, Peter included two days later just soaking in the sunlight as Harley played with some toys on the grass in her little swimming suit, but not going into the pool. "So that's Leo's house?" Asked Peter pointing to the house on the left. Remus nodded, "Is she home?"

"I don't think so, I think I heard Darcy tell my mum that she was at Lily's for the day yesterday and stayed overnight but should be back tonight. We can knock on her tomorrow if you want."

The boys didn't even have to say anything the grin on Sirius' face said it all, it was wide and much like Cheshire cats. His damp hair sticking to his cheeks that he had to brush out of the way. James glanced over at Harley who was building a pile of plucked grass that she had her fingers 'walking/climbing up' and being attacked by a dragon. "Harley, do you want to come in here? The water isn't cold!" He called out to the girl. She shook her head and continued playing until both Peter and Sirius too asked her to join them. Harley shook her head again and Remus climbed from the pool walking over to her and crouching down.

"Why don't you want to come in?" He asked.

Harley started to pluck more grass as she muttered, "I can't swim." Remus grinned and picked her up causing the young girl to kick and scream to let her down. Remus kept hold of her and carefully climbed back into the pool and sat down with her standing on his legs, holding onto her waist so she didn't go under.

"Okay, baby knight," Sirius started using the nickname he made up for her, "try to lay down and kick your legs like this," He demonstrated to her the kicks and Remus held her as she tried it, "And move your arms like this." He pushed them away from his body in a breaststroke and she attempted that too. Unfortunately, the small girl kept slipping beneath the surface and choking on the water but eventually she got the hang of it, much to the boys' help.

After an hour the boys went to the other side of the pool and left Harley at one side so that she could swim towards them. She was doing so well until halfway she slipped beneath the surface. Peter grabbed hold of her but he wasn't the strongest so struggled to keep hold of her as she screamed and kicked as she panicked. James swam over and helped the smaller boy, calming Harley down before helping Harley to swim the rest of the way. They cheered once she made it and Remus pulled her onto his lap cuddling her as she splashed Sirius with water.

Little did they know that from her bedroom window, Madison saw the group and smiled to herself. "They would make great fathers one day...

But I swear if their spawn are carbon copies of them I will tear my own eyelashes out!"