Chapter 2
His eyes widened the more he read glancing at her really processing that she’s more than just this kid he can help, she’s someone who he needs to take responsibility for… she’s his last chance at… well proving to his brother that he actually cares… that he will help in any way he can… even if Reg will never see it. He takes a moment to collect himself and tuck all the information about Voldemort and Horcruxes into the back of his mind attempting to collect himself.
“Alright Stella let’s get you to your dad’s, he’s a close friend of mine. We were roommates back in school… though your papa probably told you that…” Sirius told her with a smile folding the letter and placing it in his pocket.
“He is?”
“Yeah, your papa told you about Hogwarts, right?”
“Yep, papa said he was a Slytherin, and dad was a Gryffindor, and he says I’m too much like dad for my own good, says I’ll be a lion like him.”
“Really? I was a lion too and soon you’ll get to meet Remus; he was another Gryffindor with your dad and me” Sirius explains with a soft smile as he picked her up letting out a grunt as he did so, “alright I need you to hold on tight we’re gonna apparate”
Stella then grabbed on to him tightly, placing the satchel between her and his body and tucking her head against his neck. She curled into him, making it unmistakably clear that she has, in fact, apparated before. With a soft smile Sirius wrapped his arm around her and apparated away with a crack.
They arrived in front of Potter Manor, where James now lived to be close to his aging parents. Through the windows, Sirius could see lights still on, likely James and Harry playing a game.
“Alright Stel, down you go” Sirius chuckled as he let her down, watching her readjust her glasses, pushing them up with one finger and flick the little curl that escaped her braid. “Off we go” he mumbled, leading her to the door.
They walked towards the door Stella hopped from stone to stone on the footpath, arms stretched out to the side and tongue slightly sticking out as she concentrated on not touching the grass. Sirius chuckled, thinking about how James probably did the same thing at her age.
Opening up the door with a creak Sirius calls out “James? Effie? Monty?” in attempt to get someone’s attention.
“We’re in the kitchen, love!” Effie calls back.
“Hope you’ve got extra; we’ve got a guest!” Sirius calls back.
“a guest? Who is it?” James called back, his voice carrying a note of curiosity.
“Someone we probably should have met years ago” Sirius called back with a smirk in his voice as he stepped in the room.
“Oh?” Effie questioned as Sirius walked in Stella trailing behind him eyes darting around taking in everything. From James and Harry playing with cars in the sitting room to Effie cooking something delicious and without a doubt flavorful and spicy, with Monty sitting in his chair with a good book in his hand, his glasses balanced precariously on his nose and a glass of Firewiskey on the table beside him.
“And who’s this?” Effie asked with a kind smile, as she dried her hands and walked over to them. Stella reached for her braid folding and twisting it nervously taking a step back as if afraid but couldn’t help but step forward towards the kind and loving presence that is Effie Potter.
“This is Stella she’s… well she’s Reg’s kid” Sirius told them sounding almost surprised to be saying it. The silence was deafening everyone was now looking at Stella, she shrank back as if wanting to head back into the darkness that was the hallway.
“…She’s Reg’s?” James asked his words tight his voice almost cracking as if the fact pained him, really looked at her as if taking in every part of her trying to place what was Reg and what was her other parent.
“Yeah, she’s his,” Sirius admitted softly, “he left a letter with her, said his ex is the other parent” he said only slightly louder giving James a pointed look.
James normally bronze like skin tone took almost an ashy color before he choaked out “how old is she?”
“Hey Stel, you want to answer that?” Sirius asked his voice softened placing a hand on her shoulder as if to bring her back to reality.
“I’m seven.” She said with a quiet voice after a beat, her eyes traveling around the room taking in everything zeroing in on James when he sucked in a breath.
“Oh, James, I hope you know that Regulus did say what his ex’s name was,” Sirius told him with narrowed eyes James now paling further, “but I won’t do anything… yet.”
“Alright enough of that,” Effie says glancing between James and Sirius “Sirius explain.”
“The letter from Reg said that James dumped Regulus after he was forced to take the Mark only Reg found out he was pregnant not long after.” Sirius explained eyes narrowed zeroed in on James.
“She’s James’ daughter…” Monty whispers in disbelief. There was silence as everyone processed what had happened until it was broken by a small voice.
“Dad?” Harry says tugging on James’ sleeve “dad what’s going on?”
“Well Haz… it looks like you have an older sister” James murmurs to his son in shock.
“I do?” Harry says eyes wide looking at Stella. Eyes traveling over her taking in the traits they share from their dark hair to glasses that never stayed up, to dark skin tone. He then pushed himself up and wandered over to her looking at her with his bright green eyes flashing a Potter smile and said, “want to play with me?”
“Oh… uh… sure” she stammered eyes blinking in shock as he yanked her towards his cars, he had this racetrack all put together with 4 or 5 cars on it and some dinosaurs scattered around, Harry pulled Stella over having her sit next to him.
“You can use this car it’s so fast” he grins giving her a purple car, “this one’s mine it’s the fastest” he shows her a red sports car with racing stripes.
“Oh alright” she mumbles before he starts yammering on about what’s going on and what the dinosaurs are doing.
James and Sirius watched the two with two very different expressions. James’ of disbelief but also trying to figure out more about her, see if he could pick up some of her habits. While Sirius’ one that was more a soft smile unable to believe that she really exists.