▬▬▬▬▬ CHAPTER ONE ▬▬▬▬▬

Approximately 13 years ago...

December 14

SIRIUS BLACK WAS THE FIRST to find out about his brother's death when his least favorite house elf knocked onto the door of his apartment. Luckily it was an apartment full of wizards and witches just like him, so he wasn't too concerned about the elf's presence. But he was curious and worried... especially about the baby he was carrying.

"Kreacher... what is that?" He asked, eyes glued onto the slumbering baby. It was swaddled in a cute unicorn patterned blanket and judging by the crocheted floral hat on it's head, it was a girl.

Instead of answering, Kreacher held the baby tightly and let out a loud weep. It was a miracle the baby girl had yet to wake up from all the noise he was creating. He blubbered something, but Sirius couldn't understand a lick of it.

He sighed in annoyance. He didn't have the patience to deal with this right now, especially after he spent the last few hours trying to understand how Muggle Christmas decorations worked. The lights were killer, why did they get tangled up so much? How did Muggles deal with that? Surely they created some sort of gadget to alleviate that issue. Muggle were amazing at inventing after all.

"Kreacher," he said with annoyance. "Just get in here before my neighbors start complaining."

Kreacher, still sobbing, stepped inside the house. Whatever had happened must have been a real tragedy because he hadn't stopped once to insult anything about the interior of his house. He wondered what was wrong. Did his crazy bitch of a mother finally die? Oh Merlin, he hoped so.

"Kreacher, stop sobbing and get to it already. And why do you have a baby with you?" He asked suspiciously. He really hoped he hadn't stolen that baby. He also wondered if she was deaf, because how else could she not wake up from all this loud crying?

"Ma—master Regulus is de-de-dead!" Kreacher finally exclaimed through his tears.

Sirius felt all the air leave his lungs. The world started to tip over and it was as if time had stopped, but that couldn't be it because Kreacher was still sobbing and rambling and the clock was still ticking. Time had not stopped, but it had for his brother.

"—Master Regulus!" Kreacher wept. "Oh, my poor Master Regulus!"

"Kreacher! Kreacher!" Sirius barked viciously. "What sort of trick is this?! You sadistic little elf, I ought to kill you!" He blindly reached out for him, his tears obscuring his vision. He was so distraught and scared that he barely remembered the baby the elf was holding.

"Stay back! Away!" Kreacher hissed, turning away protectively. "You shall not harm Kreacher or Master Regulus' daughter!"

Sirius froze, nearly bumping his hip against the table. "What?" He whispered.

Kreacher looked down at the sleeping baby, his lips wobbling. "Master Regulus' living legacy... his only heiress..." He whimpered. "The poor young Lady Esmerelda..."

"That's—" Sirius' eyes darted down to the baby. "No, that can't be—you're lying! You're lying! Regulus is only eighteen and—and he's not dead! Kreacher, I'll kill you!"

"Kreacher does not lie!" He cried out hoarsely. "Kreacher tells the truth! Master Regulus is dead and his poor daughter is left o-orphaned!"

Sirius gripped the edges of the table. He wanted to pick it up and throw it at the lying elf. He wanted to scream and cry until his throat ran dry. He wanted to go back to that hellhole he used to call a home and demand answers. Regulus must be alive, this was all probably his idea, his own sick joke. It wouldn't be a surprise, he had grown to a be a sadistic little devil after all. This was just a joke, a joke, a joke, A JOKE—

He was brought back to reality by another loud sob from Kreacher. "One of Master Regulus' la-last orders wa-was to bring the young Lady to y-you...!" He sniffled loudly. "Kreacher hated it, but Master Regulus insisted that you w-would raise her right. Kreacher thinks the Master must have been delusional—yes he must have been! Master Regulus would never—"

"—What did you say?" Sirius whispered. "Regulus, he—he ordered you t-to bring her to me...?" He stared down at the baby expressionlessly. That couldn't be right. Regulus hated him. He made it obvious two years ago when he shot the Killing Curse at him, nearly hitting him with it too. That was the last time they ever spoke to each other.

Kreacher gave him a scathing look, as if he also couldn't believe it. "Yes," he hissed venomously. "Master Regulus entrusted the blood traitor son with his most beloved daughter. Kreacher does not like it, but Kreacher does not have a choice."

Sirius shook his head furiously, but the baby was practically shoved into his arms. "I-I-I can't raise a baby." He was barely an adult himself, only twenty years old. How had Regulus even managed to become a father at eighteen anyways? And who was the mother? He couldn't remember hearing about him being married, and news like that would've been known throughout Britain.

No way... His eyes widened in realization. Could it be that his brother actually fathered a child out of wedlock? A bastard baby?

"Kreacher, who is the baby's mother?" He asked immediately.

The old elf stiffened. "Everything will be in Master Regulus' letter." He answered forcefully.

He frowned. "Kreacher, tell me—"

"—Kreacher will say no more," he interrupted. "Kreacher must return home. All of the young Lady's things shall be delivered to you." He snapped his fingers and a whole bunch of baby necessities appeared in the corner of his living room. Sirius' eyes widened in realization.

"Hold on, Kreacher, I'm not—"

"—You shall take care of the young Lady Esmerelda." Kreacher scowled, before vanishing.

"Kreacher!" Sirius shouted, but it was already too late. He was alone now, with the daughter of his deceased brother in his arms. "No, no, no..." He muttered almost hysterically, pacing back and forth on the floor. His arms were trembling as he held her and he had to suppress the urge to run a hand through his hair.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't raise a baby—his dead brother's baby! He could barely breath as he collapsed onto the couch, his arms still shaking. The baby slept on, oblivious to the near panic attack he was having.

His brother was dead and now he had to take care of his daughter—a daughter he didn't even know he had. He nearly threw up. His brother was dead. How did he—how—why?

He froze as the baby in his arms turned her head. He stared down at her in alarm, but her eyes stayed shut and all he heard were her soft little snores.

He tried to steady his breathing as to not wake her. Instead, he focused on the new additions to his home. Kreacher had somehow managed to transfer a whole baby crib and dresser along with other things. Carefully, he rose to his feet and walked over to them.

Regulus had surely spoiled his daughter, he noted. The crib was made of white wood and was full of golden embellishments. Little pink bows decorated the bars and the bedding was softer than his own bed. He curiously rummaged through the dresser. There, he found baby clothes made out of the most finest material. Only the best for the Black heiress, he thought bitterly. Illegitimate child or not.

There were also stacks of story books for her along with expensive looking toys. As he looked closer, he was stunned to see that some of the books and toys were for Muggle babies.

"What...?" He breathed out. He saw various titles like A Parent's Guide to Raising Children With Dyslexia, Supporting Children With ADHD, and Your Baby's First Year for Dummies—oh that one was definitely a Muggle book!

What the fuck? He was stupefied. This couldn't be possible. Regulus hated Muggles and looked down on them. He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake!

So why... why would he buy Muggle objects?

An envelope was placed in the center of the crib. Carefully, he set the baby inside and picked it up. He took the letter out. It was addressed to him and the familiar penmanship made his heart throb with pain.

Dear Sirius,

Please try not to throw this letter away. I understand that you probably don't want anything to do with me at the moment since the last time we met I attempted to kill you, but in my defense that's basically a way of greeting in the family. I'm writing this letter to you because I have committed an act against the Dark Lord. I can't tell you what I've done and I request that you mention this to no one. If you've received this letter than that means I have already committed the act or I have been caught. Either way, I am long dead.

I know neither of us were particularly fond of the other and whatever relationship we had was destroyed the day I tried to use the Killing Curse on you, but you are the only person I could trust with my most precious treasure: my daughter. Despite how annoying and daft you are, you are brave, compassionate, and open-minded, something I hope you could teach my daughter to be. I don't want her to be raised under someone who is prejudiced and cruel, I want her to have a good life and that is something I know you could give her.

Her name is Esmerelda Adhafera Black and she was born just a few months ago on September 8. She's a very sweet baby and very easy to raise as well. She rarely ever cries, though she could get a little whiny whenever you set her down. Just make sure to hold her a lot, and she likes it whenever she's read to. Play peekaboo with her, she adores the game and it's the best way to teach her object permanence (according to the Muggle book I read). She also likes to stare at herself in the mirror, but I chalk it up to curiosity rather than vanity.

Nobody knows of her existence other than Kreacher and I ask that you keep the identity of her father a secret. People would treat her negatively if they were to ever find out that she is the daughter of a Death Eater, and I can't bare the thought of any mistreatment towards her. As for who the mother is, I ask that you keep that a secret as well.

Her mother is Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and many other things. It sounds far-fetched, but the gods are very much real and alive today. I have no proof to give you, so I plea that you believe me because what I have to say next is important. When Esmerelda gets older, preferably sometime before she enrolls in Hogwarts, I need you to take her to Camp Half Blood in Long Island, New York. Yes, it's all the way in America. It's a training facility for demigods just like her, and you absolutely have to take her there or else she could die. Demigods' scent attract monsters and Esmerelda's scent is stronger than most. She's already beginning to attract those vicious beasts and she's only just a baby. Camp Half Blood is the only place that can train her to survive. It's impertinent that you take her there once she's old enough. I've added a card in the envelope that gives you the address and phone number of the facility, make sure to call them (yes the Muggle way) and inform them of Esmerelda. They will help you from there.

I hope you believe me, because my daughter truly will be in danger if you don't.

Sincerely,

Regulus Black

Sirius read it over and over again, his jaw dropping further every second that passed.

"What the fuck?" He couldn't help but blurt out. Was his brother confunded when he wrote this letter? No wait, had he been confunded for the past few months? Because only that would explain why his strict, no-nonsense brother would have a child out of wedlock, go against Voldemort, drop dead, and then leave his supposedly demigod daughter with his blood-traitor brother—who he tried to fucking kill—with a bunch of Muggle objects!

"He's bloody lost his mind..." He marveled. Had Regulus finally succumbed to the infamous Black Family Madness?

"Mmmmuu..." A little voice mumbled.

Sirius froze. He warily stared down at the little baby that was currently stirring awake. Her eyes fluttered open and he was surprised to meet emerald eyes. She must have inherited it from her mother, the 'goddess'.

The baby—Esmerelda—scanned the area as if to look for something. Most likely her father. When she couldn't find him, she finally settled on looking at Sirius. Then, to his utmost horror, she started to cry.

"WAAAAAAAH!" She wailed and it was ten times louder than when Kreacher cried. "WAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAH! WAH!"

Sirius flinched from the noise. "Shh, shh, shh!" Hastily, he bent down to pick her up. He held her awkwardly, not used to carrying such a small baby. He tried to rock her, but his movements were abrupt and stiff.

"WAAAAAAH!" She continued to wail, her small fists flailing in the air.

"Please stop crying..." He pleaded. What was he supposed to do? What did his brother do to placate her? He could barely imagine him doing anything though. He supposed he made Kreacher deal with her crying instead.

"UWWAAAAH!" Large tears were rolling down her now scarlet face. Sirius was full on panicking now. Should he use the Silencing Spell on her...? No, that was out of the question. He couldn't use a spell on a baby, for Merlin's sake! His mother probably would, but she was a psychopath so he wasn't about to go around copying her.

"Shh, shh, shhh! Don't cry! I-I'm your uncle, Sirius!" He stammered.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!" That only made her cry her harder. Suddenly the most terrifying thing happened: for a brief second her eyes flashed with a green glow, and then in the next second there was a loud CRACK! in the air.

Sirius jumped, nearly dropping the baby in his fright. He spun around and...

"W-what...?" He whispered shakily.

On the wall, right underneath the clock, was a four foot long crack that definitely wasn't caused by him.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

It had been a month since he came under the care of his niece and Sirius Black was ready to check himself into an insane asylum.

Esmerelda was an adorable baby with the most squishiest of cheeks... but he was also 100% certain that she was the Antichrist. Sure he may be influenced by all those Muggle horror movies he had watched and living off of twenty minutes of sleep probably wasn't helping, but he was absolutely serious about his assumption.

His niece, who was only about five months old, could do things that no child—witch or Muggle—could do. She had the usual bouts of accidental magic that was common amongst young witches/wizards, but her form of it was a lot different. It was more... destructive, especially when she got upset (which was basically all the time).

Things would float, but they would be glowing with this green light similarly to her eyes and the goddamn Killing Curse. Cracks would appear, and sometimes they would be narrowly close to where he stood as if she was warning him. The lights would explode, things would spontaneously catch fire, sometimes the apartment would even shake, etc etc. It was terrifying and abnormal.

What sort of she-demon did Regulus sleep with?! He internally screamed. And how the hell did he even take care of her?!

The letter Regulus wrote was laughable. 'She's a very sweet baby and very easy to raise as well' my ASS! Was he talking about a different baby?!

He couldn't do this. What was Regulus thinking? Having him raise his daughter when he knew he would be too busy grieving for him. Or did he truly think he wouldn't care about his well-being...?

Before he could ponder on it some more, a knock came onto the door.

Esmerelda looked up from toy hammer she was currently bashing against the floor. He wondered what sort of innocent soul she was imagining was underneath the hammer.

"C-coming," he croaked, his voice noticeable weary. Heaving a sigh, he walked up and checked through the peephole. He cursed when he spotted James, Remus, and Peter. Gulping, he opened the door, but only left a small space for a part of his face to be seen.

"Hey guys," he said, hoping he didn't sound too nervous. It didn't matter anyways, because they immediately looked like a mix of shock and concern when they saw him.

"Padfoot," Peter started. "You look awful."

"Haven't been getting much beauty sleep," he forced a grin.

"What's up with you, mate? You haven't been replying to our letters or anything." James frowned.

"I—"

—Ping! Ping! "Gaga guuuu!"

Sirius froze. His friends froze. But Esmerelda didn't. Instead, she lobbed the toy hammer right at her uncle's ankle, creating a little ping sound when it hit.

Carefully, Remus reached out and slowly opened the door wider. Sirius merely allowed him to do so. That was when James, Remus, and Peter locked eyes with the green-eyed baby who was currently trying to stuff her whole fist in her mouth.

Remus was the first to recover from his shock. "Sirius," he said in a forcefully calm voice. "Why do you have a baby with you?"

Sirius' heart drummed rapidly. He remembered his brother's last words to him. He didn't want anyone to know who her father was, knowing that she'd be subjected to cruelty from being the daughter of a Death Eater. Sirius didn't want that for her either—no matter how much she scared him—but what was he supposed to say?

"She..." He trailed off. After coming to a decision, he gulped and said, "She's mine."

Their eyes widened. They were speechless.

With yet another sigh, Sirius stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. They did so, and he collapsed onto the couch with his face in his hands. "Her mother... came over a month ago. Said she couldn't raise her, so she dumped her with me and... well, here we are."

"Er, who's the mother?" Peter asked curiously.

He shrugged. "She was just a one-night stand."

The chestnut haired boy nodded in understanding.

"What's her name?" Remus asked, head tilted at the baby who stared back at him. Remus managed a small smile and a wave.

"Esmerelda." He answered.

"Awwww," James cooed, crouching before her. "Hi there, little Essie! I'm your uncle James!"

"Uuuuguuuuwa," she gurgled.

"She's so cute, Pads, tell me you're keeping her!" James gushed.

Remus rolled his eyes. "She's not a dog, James." He side-eyed Sirius. "But you are keeping her right? I mean... it's the right thing to do."

Sirius bit the inside of his lip. Yes, he knew it was the right thing to do, but he had no idea how to raise a baby, let alone a baby with highly advanced magical powers. How could he take care of another human being when he could barely take care of himself?

Peter noticed the growing doubt on his friend's face first. "Sirius...?"

"I don't know what to do..." He admitted. "I don't know how to raise her and—and I don't know, but there's something... off about her."

"Off? Is she ill?" James asked in concern.

He shook his head. "No, it's not like that. It's something—something terrifying. She can... do these things that she shouldn't be able to do."

"Accidental magic is very normal for babies her age, Sirius." Remus informed him gently.

"No! I mean, I know that, but—but when she does it—it-it's bad. Really bad. And dangerous. She—" He was starting to ramble now, but he didn't care at this point. He pointed at the large crack on the wall. "Look at that, you see that? She caused it on the first day! She—she was just crying and then there was this loud noise and—"

"—Sirius..." James grabbed his shoulder gently, but firmly. He looked wide-eyed and more concerned then ever. "Sirius, calm down, she couldn't have done any of that. She's just a baby."

"I'm telling you the truth," he said seriously.

Peter and Remus looked doubtful. The latter looked ready to check him into St. Mungos.

"Sirius..." Peter said carefully. "She's just a baby. I mean, look." They all looked down to see Esmerelda on her back, slobbering all over her foot. She paused to stare innocently at them before resuming her previous task not even a second later.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "God, I swear I'm telling the truth. There's something wrong with her—I-I'm even willing to do an Unbreakable Vow on this!"

The three of them gave each other a look and Sirius knew he was losing them.

He rose to his feet desperately. "For Merlin's sake, I'm not going crazy—" His foot stepped onto something plush and he froze. Slowly, he looked down and his face turned white when he realized he had stepped onto the arm of Esmerelda's favorite stuffed bunny.

Fuck, he thought. He snapped his head towards her to see her staring at her beloved bunny with watery eyes and trembling lips, her chest moving up and down rapidly as her face grew flushed. And then, she opened her mouth and wailed.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"No, no, no, I'm sorry!" He squeaked, picking the toy up and dusting off it's arm. "See, she's fine, see?!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Her eyes glowed green and that was when he knew he had seriously fucked up. The living room windows shattered, causing everyone to flinch. The lamp started to shake violently before falling off the table and he could see something green flying out of the kitchen.

SCHICK!

Peter jumped away. "Bloody hell!"

James' eyes popped out when he saw what had embedded itself just inches away from Sirius' foot. "Is that a knife?! How did—how did—?!"

"She's fine now, Essie, see look?!" Sirius begged hysterically, picking the baby off from the floor and shaking the toy in front of her face.

"The baby did that?!" Remus shrieked.

"Stop yelling, you're scaring her even more!" Sirius barked and the three of them forced themselves to stay calm, watching with wide eyes as he tried to placate her. Slowly, her cries turned to sniffles as she hugged her stuffed toy tightly. Everything had stopped.

"...Holy shit..." James breathed out.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

"Did you seriously just accuse a five month old baby of being the Antichrist?" Lily Potter deadpanned at the two men staring back at her.

"Yes." Sirius answered.

"She's a baby."

"She tried to kill us," James emphasized.

"She's a baby." Lily snapped back as she held the gurgling little girl who was currently trying to chew on her red hair. "Why did you bring her here anyways? Because if you want me to babysit—"

"—It's not that," Sirius cut in, shaking his head. "It's just... well, remember that Muggle horror movie about the demon child that was taken to a church and the father guy sprinkled her with that special water?"

Lily gaped at him. "Wha—are you—are you thinking about giving her an exorcism?"

He snapped his fingers. "Yes, that's what it's called!"

"Sirius!"

"Lily, please believe me when I say that child is the daughter of Satan." James said seriously.

She looked back down at said child, who had sneezed when her red hair tickled her nose. Lily looked back up to give them both flat looks. "Oh yeah, she's a real devil this one."

Sirius sighed. "Can you just please tell me how to contact one of the father people?"

"They're called exorcists and no. That's completely unnecessary. You two are blowing this out of proportion. She's a baby."

"Who's the spawn of Satan!" James exclaimed. "Lily, please, we're not joking about this at all. When we came to visit Sirius this morning, the baby started crying and things started breaking—"

"—Accidental magic. Common in all magical babies."

"Yes but those magical babies don't throw knives at people with their minds!" He hissed. "And their eyes don't glow that creepy color too! Do you know what color they are, Lily? Green, like the Killing Curse green."

"Uh huh." Again, she was unconvinced. "I really fear for the future of our kids, James, if you're going to overreact like this..."

He looked affronted. "What?! I would never exorcise our kid, because they're not going to be evil little demons!"

"Lily, please help us." Sirius pleaded.

"I can't help you with that, Sirius." She replied sternly. "If you need someone to watch over her or some advice, then maybe I can help you out, but exorcism? No way."

He sighed in defeat while James patted him on the back. "I'm sorry, Pads. But, uh, this is kinda what you get for sleeping with a she-demon."

Sirius groaned and buried his face in his palms. The next time he saw Regulus in the afterlife, he was going to throttle him.

"You want to stay over for a bit?" James offered.

"No, I can't. I have to get more baby food for her." He sighed. The baby food was awful. He couldn't understand why she would like that mushy stuff, but according to that Muggle baby-care book for dummies, babies didn't have teeth yet so they had to eat the nasty mushy stuff. I guess it makes sense, but it's still disgusting!

Because he was richer in the Muggle world than the wizarding world, he headed over to a Muggle store rather than a magical one. He also didn't want anybody else finding out about Esmerelda yet. It was still too soon.

Plus, Muggle stores just fascinated him. They were so much technology like the moving doors, the freezers, the cash registers and the whole TV section (which was his favorite part of the stores).

The baby food section was absolutely foreign to him. Aisles towered over him, each shelf showcasing different types and flavors of food. Did he want a pouch of mashed up food or a small container? A jar? And what was the difference between organic and non-organic? Shouldn't all foods be organic? Did it mean some of the food was fake?

I am so confused...

"Do you need some help, sssir?" A cheery voice brought him out of his thoughts. Standing in front of his cart was an employee, a young teenage girl wearing the usual employee vest. For some odd reason her name tag read RICHARD and her smile was disturbingly large...

"Um, yes, I'm new to all... this," he motioned blandly at the aisle. "And I don't really know what to get for her."

"What a cute baby you have," she complimented, completely ignoring his plea for help. Esmerelda ignored her, more focused on banging her fist against the cart's handle. "May I hold her?"

Sirius blinked. "Excuse me...?"

"If you hand the baby over, you'll get 70% off on your next purchassse!" She said brightly. "And you get to walk out of this store with all your limbsss intact? Isn't that sssuch a wonderful deal?"

"Why... are you talking... like that...?" He asked hesitantly.

"Oh, just give me the demigod!" She hissed, her skin flashing green with scales.

Sirius had already unbuckled Esmerelda from her seat and high-tailed it out of there, wand in hand. He dared to look back and nearly choked on his spit. 'Richard' had completely shed from her human skin now. She was green and scaly, and her legs had turned into a snake's tail and she was slithering right after him. Even worse, nobody seemed to notice her.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He whispered, dashing between carts and annoyed customers. He made it out of the store, held Esmerelda tightly, and apparated out of there. When he landed back inside his house, his legs finally gave out and he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

Maybe Regulus was telling the truth after all...

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

October 31

About a year had passed since the incident and Sirius never spoke a word of it. Now he whole-heartedly believed Regulus' words about his niece being a demigod, but it was still... shocking, to say the least.

Greek gods were real and his brother had fucked one, which resulted in the birth of his niece that he initially thought was the Antichrist (though he was satisfied that he was at least somewhat close).

He had softened up on the little baby. Sure she still scared the shit out of him sometimes, but she had finally grew accustom to his presence in her life. She grew up beautifully. She learned to crawl at an early age, she no longer had as many dangerous temper tantrums as before, and her first word was even something she had heard from him (it was 'Anni-chai', a babyish form of Antichrist, which was a nickname that he had affectionately given her), meaning she saw him as a positive influence in her life.

She got along with Harry too, in a way. But Sirius was always too scared to let them have their playdates in fear of her losing control of her powers again or worse, attracting a monster.

Halloween was going great... until he found out about the decimation of the McKinnons, and the attack on the Bones and Prewetts. The Death Eaters were making their move on Halloween night and he knew that the Potters would be next. Of course, the Fidelius Charm would protect them, but just in case...

He dumped floo powder in the fireplace and shoved his head into the green flames.

"Peter! Peter?" He looked around the living room. Peter wasn't there... "PETER!"

No reply.

His heart was beating rapidly now. He pulled away and hurried over to grab Esmerelda from her crib where she was sleeping. She protested against this, but he ignored her as he stepped into the fireplace.

"The Lupin House!" He exclaimed, and they were transported away.

"Remus! Remus!" He called out. There was a pounding of footsteps as Remus dashed down the stairs looking disheveled.

"Padfoot, what are—"

"—The Death Eaters are attacking. I checked in on Peter, but he wasn't there. Something's wrong. I need you to watch over Essie." Sirius said in under one breath, hastily handing the baby over.

Remus paled considerably as he tried to back away. "N-no, I can't Sirius, the last time—"

"—I can't waste anymore time, Remus! I need to go!" He practically shoved her into his arms and ducked back into the fireplace.

"No, no, no..." He muttered to himself, pacing around the living room floor. He waited anxiously for Sirius to return and take her back, but hours had passed and he had yet to arrive. What was going on?

Remus shook as the baby slept against his chest. He looked down at her, growing more and more afraid, but not of the baby. But for her. There was a reason he was adamant on keeping the baby away... Several months ago, he had nearly—

The door to his house opened and he nearly jumped up. He didn't have his wand on him, it was still upstairs...

A woman entered his home, looking breathtakingly beautiful. She was deathly pale, with black hair that seemed to float mysteriously in the air, and a pair of illuminating green eyes. Realization struck Remus almost immediately. She had the exact same features as Esmerelda.

Before he could say anything, his mind blanked out. The woman stood before him and held her arms out. Automatically, he transferred Esmerelda over to her. He did nothing but stare... unable to move, unable to think, as Esmerelda and the unknown woman left the house, the door magically closing behind them.

A few hours later he would find himself in his bed, last night's memories a hazy blur, and a newspaper on his table saying that two of his best friends were dead and the other was in Azkaban for murdering them.

And then he realized an even worse thing:

Esmerelda was gone. 

— author's note —

Essie's middle name, Adhafera (pronounced add-da-fur-ra) AKA Zeta Leonis, is a star in the Leo constellation, the same constellation as the Regulus star. The Adhafera forms the second star in the blade of a sickle, which is ironically Kronos' most powerful weapon.

Baby!Essie with Daddy!Regulus: a pure angel, the sweetest baby ever, super easy to raise

Baby!Essie with literally anyone else: thE spAWN OF SATAN, ANTICHRIST WHO WILL ONE DAY BRING THE WORLD TO RUIN

Sirius to Baby!Esmerelda: (a summary of the whole chapter basically)

Anyways, here are the Marauders + Lily!

JAMES POTTER
played by AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON

LILY POTTER
played by KAREN GILLAN

PETER PETTIGREW
played by JAMIE BELL