Godric's Hollow – Mid-Semptember 1981, Past Midnight
The engine growled like a storm-beast as Sirius Black's enchanted motorbike descended toward the edge of the village, headlights low. In the sidecar, a small boy sat bundled tightly in a dark cloak, barely more than a year old, but wide-eyed and still, watching the night sky patiently.
Sirius didn't know much about children, but he felt weird that Aster didn't cry during the trip.
Sirius landed lightly on the road and pulled off his goggles, chest heaving. The child looked up at him, not with fear or warmth, but something unreadable. Distant.
"We're here," Sirius murmured, lifting the boy out of the sidecar. "You don't understand any of this, but… this is the best I can do. For you. For Regulus."
He walked the rest of the way, boots crunching along the gravel path to the Potters' Residence, the moonlight pale over his body. One arm wrapped tightly around Aster.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
Moments passed before the door cracked open. James Potter, sleepy-eyed, raised his wand automatically.
"Sirius? What?" Said James, confused by the sudden visit.
"Let me in, Prongs. It's… It's important." Said Sirius with a serious expression.
James didn't let Sirius get inside. he pointed his wand and asked, "If you're really Sirius Black, what did you scream the first time you saw a Puffskein?"
Sirius smiled and quickly said, "It's licking my nose, kill it, kill it!' — and you lot still bring it up."
James's smile grew wide, and he lowered his wand and said, "Only every birthday."
Sirius, grinning, looked at the bundle in his arms, and returned his gaze to James said "Your turn. What nickname did I forbid you to use in front of the ladies?"
James couldn't hold his laugh, with tears of joy in his eyes, he said, "Snuggly Padfoot, they thought something sexual was happening between us."
Sirius laughed embarrassingly, "Some still does..." he said, thinking how ridiculous that was.
"Come in, I will get some tea for us." James could see that something was covered on his arm, but didn't ask yet. Sirius was looking restless.
The hearth crackled low in the sitting room as James poured tea, still looking sleepy, wand always within reach.
Sirius sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, Aster on his lap, a small, red-haired boy in a deep green swaddle, watching the fire with unreadable stillness.
Lily was with them in the room; she had awakened when Sirius came, but was in Harry's room in case something happened.
Lily had Harry in her arms, softly rocking him. But her eyes kept drifting back to the child, his eyes looking around, but it wasn't out of excitement, more like... Investigating?
"So… who's the mother?" James asked, quietly but bluntly.
Sirius didn't answer at first. He looked into the fire.
"Someone the family wouldn't approve of," he muttered finally.
James gave a long, low whistle. Then he looked at the boy again.
"You're sure he's… yours?"
Sirius scoffed. "Prongs, you know I don't have anyone."
"Just asking. You show up in the middle of the night with a red-haired baby, no mother, no details… I thought we shared a common taste..."
Lily rolled her eyes, but her face softened as she looked down at Aster, just as the boy turned to her.
She smiled, trying to appear friendly.
And then, to Sirius's surprise, he smiled.
Not the innocent, babbling smile of a toddler, but something slow, subtle, like he'd read her expression and mirrored it. A quiet tilt of the lips. A gaze that held her and then passed, as if acknowledging her.
Lily's breath caught.
"Did you see that?" she whispered. "It was… like he knows me."
Sirius finally looked up, tired but sincere.
"He doesn't cry. Barely makes a sound. But, corresponding to your feelings, a very quiet child." He paused. "He smiled at you, probably because you remind him of his mother, that's more reaction than I got from him through the way."
He couldn't give the child straight away, he had to deal with something. The child didn't cry, to his relief.
The Death Eaters were looking for the Potters earnestly.
He could probably have ordered Kreacher to give the child to them, but he wanted to come personally.
He still disliked his house elf.
Lily stepped closer, slowly offering her arms. Aster allowed her to take him without resistance. He nestled into her as if it were familiar, small hands curling into her robe.
Harry cooed softly in her other arm. For a moment, the two boys looked at one another.
Then Aster looked into her eyes, and for a moment, she saw his eyes turn glowing purple.
Then Aster fell asleep, Lily could see a color returning to the boy's body.
Sirius didn't see any change, but looking at them, he said: "He's not mine, he's Regulus's child, he died and left me to clean up after him."
James, with a smile, said, "You cleaning others' mess?"
Sirius laughed, "Yes... about that... Can you hide him with Harry?" saying with his head down, they already had to protect Harry and now another child?
Sirius knew he couldn't have the child, not when he planned to be a decoy for their safety; his decision to ask that was made more clear when He saw the child in Lily's arms.
"And..." He explained that Peter would be better at being the Secret-Keeper; he told James that he, Sirius, was an obvious choice.
Sirius trusted his friends more than anything.
He wouldn't know what would happen just a month later.
He also told them to hide his surname; most of all, Black died at the hands of the Death Eaters.
Lily could understand, but still felt weird, the child was too quiet, and Harry was more of an energetic boy.
The boy looked just like her, except for the eyes. Wouldn't it bring more questions later on?
She wanted to protect the boy, of course.
"How about Evans?" Lily said.
Then Lily noticed a locket on Aster's neck, she tried to touch it but Aster hand stopped her.
He smiled at her, and then she could see sharp teeth on his mouth.
She got scared but still held them both in her arms.
"James! Look!" She said, placing Harry on his lap and showing Aster's teeth.
James looked at the boy's teeth, he feared Aster would bite Lily's fingers off, but he didn't. he smiled not to James but to Lily.
Harry, on his lap, looked at Aster's sharp teeth. He felt instinctive fear and cowered into his father's embrace.
Sirius looked at Harry's reaction, "Ahahaha, your child much brave, Prongs."
He then said, "Yes... I also noticed his teeth, I don't know people who have teeth like that." he then looked at James and said, "I think my brother might have dated something non-human."
Lily looked at him and said, "Like a veela?" She could feel mesmerized; she heard of a similar thing involving a veela.
"Maybe..." Said Sirius, he got up and was saying his goodbye to the Potter,s hoping for their safety.
James then said, "Will you pass the night here?"
Sirius was walking to the door and said, "No, it's better if I do my work as the decoy."
Peter would come later, they would make Peter the Secret-Keeper.