For a secret Grimauld place was often very busy. Caelen watched a stream of interesting characters wander in and out during the next week. The first day Moody showed up she'd screamed hysterically. Remus and Sirius had sprinted into the hall, where she stood terrified, wands ready.
"Caelen it's ok," Remus had soothed kneeling next to his terrified child, "it's ok cub this is the real Moody. It's ok I promise, he's part of the order."
She still didn't like the man he was scary looking and, despite the knowledge that it hadn't really been him, the Moody imposter had terrified her the night he'd killed Gena. At first she'd loved it when Professor Snape visited but that had changed quickly. She didn't like how uncle Sirius treated him and Severus continued to avoid her.
It was Tuesday when a pink haired woman tumbled through the door falling flat as she went and causing Sirius' mother's portrait to start shouting. Caelen peeked through the kitchen door staring curiously at the commotion. "Whatcher little one, who're you then?" The woman greeted her, sitting up on the floor with a grin.
Caelen slunk back into the kitchen quickly, running to her father, who was making a snack. "Daddy there's a girl with pink hair in the hall." She murmured watching nervously as Sirius led the woman into the kitchen.
"Look Remus my little cousin Nymphadora's here!" Sirius announced cheerfully.
The woman glared, hair color changing to red, "don't call me Nymphadora," she hissed between gritted teeth.
Sirius ignored her, laughing as he went, and reached to take his goddaughter, "hey kiddo whatcha doin?" He questioned poking the girl's belly playfully.
Remus smiled at the pair, over the last week they had become nearly inseparable. "We're gonna have a meeting here in a bit cub, you'll have to wait upstairs alright?"
Caelen was getting used to this, order members appeared then they sent her upstairs while they talked. Today must have been a big meeting since Dumbledore and many others had already arrived and were mingling in the dining room.
Remus watched his daughter as she headed for the stairs, pouting slightly buy obeying nonetheless. The meeting was called to order Remus sitting between Sirius and the pink haired woman, Tonks.
Moody updated on his recent mission, Tonks updated on what she'd been doing, Dumbledore updated them on Hagrid's whereabouts and the hope that he'd be successful convincing the Giants to either join them or at the least stay out of the fight. He sighed at the end of his update, eyes meeting Remus' almost hesitantly. "I have a task of upmost importance for you Remus."
"For me?" Remus paused thoughts running through his head quickly, the majority of them involving Caelen and what a mission would mean for her.
"There's a group of werewolves living around London, we need you to join them sort of an envoy for the order. Much like what Hagrid's doing with the Giants. Convince them to join or at least not to make things harder."
Remus stared at him for a time thinking over his next statement, "Dumbledore, werewolves have not been treated very well as a whole by their fellow witches and wizards. There's been many times I myself would have starved if not for help from you and others. I just don't think this mission will be all that fruitful."
Dumbledore nodded, he'd expected this really, "I am well aware Remus. However, it's still imperative we at least try to reach out to them."
"What of Caelen?" Lupin nearly snarled, "I'll not take her around them."
"I'm sure Sirius would not be adverse to watching his godchild."
Sirius nodded clapping his friend's shoulder reassuringly, "I'll look out for her Remus, no worries. Give me something to do after all."
With that settled the meeting began wrapping up, people separating into small groups to chat before heading out. Remus stood talking to Tonks, who was to meet with him periodically for updates during his mission, when a scream sent the members into a flurry of action. Feet pounded up the stairs, Sirius in the lead since he had been near the door.
<---->
Caelen wandered through the halls, boredom making her curious, before coming to a dark sitting room. She walked over to a large bookshelf titles like 'Hexes, Jinxes, and Curses', 'Advanced Dark Potions', and 'Bewitching your Enemies', littered the shelves.
Caelen reached out towards a black book with red runes along the spine her fingers skimmed the book cautiously before a commotion behind her caught her attention. A small cupboard next to an old wingback chair was shaking dramatically. For a moment Caelen forgot herself and headed for the cupboard, as she reached for the handle though, she stopped herself. "Probably a boggart, I'll have to tell daddy or uncle Sirius."
The girl turned back towards the books she'd only gone a couple steps when a crack sounded behind her, Kreature. The angry little house elf glared at her maliciously, "was miss wanting something from the cupboard?" He growled out reaching for the handle.
"No, no don't!" Caelen yelped desperately but it was too late. With one swift movement the small elf threw the door opening vanishing with another loud crack as he did.
Caelen cowered back knowing what was coming but helpless to stop it. She expected Gena to appear, to scream at her, maybe hit her. She hadn't expected what came. Two boggarts emerged together, advancing towards the little girl. The one nearest her fell to the floor as her father, he screamed in pain before stilling, dead. The one behind him began to cycle, uncle Sirius, the twins, professor Snape, Molly Weasley, on and on it went each dying dramatically before her. She crawled towards the fallen form of her father, "daddy? Daddy no wake up!" Caelen let out a heartbroken scream, the kind you just can't hold in when it seems like everything that matters, everything that makes you feel safe and loved and cared for has been ripped from your grasp.
Moments later heavy footfalls rushed into the room. Caelen felt arms wrap around her pulling her away from the fallen form of her father. "No, no daddy!" She struggled against the warm embrace desperately trying to reach her father, completely forgetting they'd been boggarts.
"Caelen it's not real I'm here cub it's ok!" Remus' voice whispered in her ear desperately trying to calm his hysterical child.
Sirius meanwhile had quickly dispatched the boggarts and was kneeling behind them. He reached his hand out hesitantly to pat the girl's back, "Caelen? Hey it's alright little one it's ok. None of us are gone we're all here. We couldn't possibly all leave you like that."
A small arm snaked away from her hold on her father to tug Sirius into the hug. The friends sandwiched the small child between them, her sobs shaking the group.
They sat that way for a while until sobs calmed to sniffles. Remus sat back slightly holding his daughter out in front of him, "why did you open the cupboard little one? I know you know about boggarts."
She shook her head tucking herself closer into her father's arms. "I didn't open it, I was looking at the books and I heard it shaking. I headed for it but then realized it must be a boggart and was walking away when Kreature appeared."
Sirius stood swiftly to his feet, chest heaving in fury, "that nasty little elf! Kreature!!" He bellowed, "I swear I'm ready to add his head to the others in the hall! Kreature!!!"
"Don't hurt him," Caelen whispered, "I'm ok, it's ok, don't hurt him."
"No Caelen it's not ok, you could have been hurt. That was dangerous and stupid and he's not going to attack my guests!"
Remus stood cradling the small girl against him, "why don't we leave it for now hmmm Sirius? We have things to discuss now." He looked pointedly at his daughter.
"Fine," the other man grumbled leading the others from the room.
Severus stood back, the last to exit the room, he stared at the place the boggarts had been. Losing him was one of Caelen's worst fears? To say it shocked him was putting it lightly he was utterly dumbfounded. He'd have expected Remus obviously, she adored the twins so that was also obvious, Sirius was her godfather he'd spent the last month doting on her, but him? He'd been pushing her away, avoiding her, for months! And yet here it was, the ultimate proof so to speak, her greatest fears involved him, losing him.
He wondered down the hall towards the quiet voices emanating from a sitting room. "Dumbledore wants me to go talk to some other werewolves about fighting Voldemort."
"I'll go get my stuff," Caelen began instantly moving to get down from her father's lap.
"No, you're going to be staying here with Sirius." Remus replied firmly.
Caelen balked her expression mutinous, "but I wanna go with you, I'm one too maybe I could help!"
"I'm sorry cub," Lupin responded shaking his head, "you're not going. I'm not putting you in danger. You'll stay here with Sirius, I'll be back soon enough."
The child pouted glaring around the room as if everyone there were responsible for her father's upcoming trip. "What if you get hurt? You might need me! And there's a full moon coming, I haven't changed on my own in a long time, I don't like it."
"You'll be alright cub, I promise. Sirius will look out for you. You're not alone."
Caelen fussed over him running her finger down one of his scars and tugging on his shaggy brown hair, "What about you?"
"I'll be ok, I'll be back as soon as I can I promise, I love you cub."
"I love you too daddy," the girl whispered, her voice cracked and she buried her teary eyes in her father's shoulder.
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Remus left early the next morning. Caelen tried valiantly to be brave, to hold in her tears, but was without success. She sobbed into her godfather's chest as her dad disappeared through the door.
Remus' heart ached, he hated leaving his little girl. What if she had nightmares. 'If' he mocked himself, yes because it's a question. Remus couldn't recall a night in the last several months where she hadn't had a nightmare. He hoped desperately that his old friend had it in him to comfort a frightened little girl during the night.
Caelen meanwhile sat hiccuping in her godfather's arms. Sirius was distraught, she was sobbing, sobbing to the point of hiccups and gasps for air, and he was helpless to stop it. He felt a failure, alone with her mere moments and already he didn't know what to do.
"Caelen, hey pup come on it's ok he'll be back," he tried without success to calm her. "Want a sweet? I have a chocolate frog..."
Caelen quieted but otherwise didn't respond.
"The Weasleys are coming Monday, and Hermione." He tried again.
The girl pulled away sadly, "ok, that will be nice. I'm tired uncle Sirius I'm going back to bed." She whispered before heading back up the stairs.
Sirius spent the rest of the day attempting to coax his goddaughter from her father's bed. She nibbled on the food he brought her before burying her face in Remus' pillow.
Days passed, Caelen crawled from the bed periodically but otherwise remained silent. It was Friday evening now, the full moon would be rising soon. Caelen sat at her window staring off into the growing darkness. She wandered where her father was, if he was safe, how he'd handle a full moon without her. She worried, knowing it hurt him.
"Hey pup," Sirius greeted her quietly from the doorway, "you all set?"
Caelen nodded still staring out into the night, "do you think he'll be ok uncle Sirius?"
The man walked quietly across the room pulling his goddaughter into his lap, "he'll be fine pup, he's been dealing with the full moon for a long time."
"I know," she sighed leaning back into his arms, "but it hurts him, I hate that it hurts him!"
"I know Caelen, me too."
He was unprepared for her sudden, and quick transformation. One second he held a little girl the next a wolf cub sat in his arms. Bright amber eyes looked up at him waiting, she scooted backwards as if expecting a reaction from him and preparing for the worst.
Sirius reacted on instinct switching to his animagus form and nuzzling the wolf cub.
Caelen was nervous, she'd only changed in front of others a few times. With her mother, which had consistently been a disaster, with her father, which was always calm and comfortable, and one time when they'd been out chasing each other the night Remus had discovered Sirius was innocent. She knew Sirius knew she was a werewolf but a lingering fear had remained, what if he gets mad, what if he doesn't like me?
She watched the enormous black dog nudge her playfully. His tongue lolled out and he barked urging her up. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she missed being able to communicate with her father, couldn't do that with Sirius, but at least there was still someone around who loved her. Someone furry and canine, at least she wasn't alone cowering in a basement.
The wolf pup launched forward suddenly catching padfoot by surprise. She slammed into his side tiny snorts, he assumed were puppy giggles, leaving her as the pair tumbled around on the floor. She yipped happily tugging the dogs ears, much like she had her father's.
Padfoot let out a bark, this was fun, more fun than some of Remus' transformations had been. It wasn't long before the wolf cub had tired. Her amber-brown eyes found his black doggy eyes and stared into them sadly. She wanted something, something he was unable to give, he knew that like he knew his name. 'I'm sorry pup,' he thought sadly to himself.
Caelen snuggled into the space under his head with a tiny whimper. Playing with uncle Sirius as padfoot was fun but she missed her daddy, she didn't like not being able to communicate. She sighed, a sad puff of air leaving her snout as she drifted off to sleep. Hopefully whatever Dumbledore had her daddy doing would be over quickly.
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Hey guys chapters done. Sorry it took a while I was going to get it up sooner but I hurt my ankle. It's either a bad sprain or a stress fracture they're weren't sure. So my mom took me and my kiddos home with her until my husband could get back from work, he's gone a week at a time, and she doesn't have Internet so yeah fun 😣 anywho I'm laying on my couch now can I just say crutches and sore ankles suck!!! Also while I was gone my gecko got lose so my pet is missing! Sad anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter as always I adore comments! So please comment and I'll see you again hopefully very soon. Later