I, Muriel

by Verbum

Author's Note: I am making absolutely, positively NO money off of this. The characters all belong to JK Rowling. This is a companion story to the Angel in the Snow series (I made no money off that, either), Phoenix Rising (or the Silver Wheel), and Jabberwocky (or those). It's chronicling the life of Muriel Black (an original character), Sirius' (adopted) daughter.

A few notes: Remus and Sirius live together in this story, which takes place about 8 years before Phoenix Rising, and many years before Jabberwocky. They're bachelors; you can forgive them for their lifestyle. I hope you all enjoy. By the way, the title was derived from an excellent series of BBC movies entitled I, Claudius, by Robert Graves. If you're into Roman history, I highly suggest you check it out, even though it's LONG.

Note 2: any text in italics is a person thinking. It just makes writing this much easier on me. Now back to our regularly

scheduled fiction.

The snowdrifts were piling higher and higher within Diagon Alley as Remus Lupin found his way into the old Leaky Cauldron. Tom, its owner, nodded at him and went back to cleaning glasses. He huddled into his slightly tattered black cloak, and took comfort in the warmth of the roaring fire inside the bar. Business was slow; it was almost Christmas, and, to add to that, it was the night before the full moon, which always left the bar suspiciously devoid of customers.

"I'll have a butterbeer," Remus said to Tom, checking his watch and settling down at the bar. Tom nodded.

"First customer in a few hours," he said to him, handing him the foaming mug. Remus sneezed. He was always more susceptible to colds and the flu right before his transformations, especially during winter. One, then, would ask would ask just WHY Mr. Lupin was walking around in the dead of winter, especially into bars. Well, it was 6:30. Sirius Black was supposed to meet him in about 5 minutes, to help Remus complete his Christmas shopping. There are just some things Sirius is better at buying than other normal people, he thought. That would explain his Zonko's Gold Card. He peacefully sipped his butterbeer.

It's just like him to go and be late, he thought after an hour, But if--

"Sirius Black?" Remus whirled around on his barstool, nearly colliding with the owner of the voice, a rather tired looking woman in her early thirties wearing an equally shabby set of faded blue robes and a battered navy cloak. She quickly backed away to avoid being hit by the rogue barstool.

"Er... who's asking?" Remus decided to play it on the safe side, as you never know who's out there and what they want anymore. Especially so, now that Sirius was cleared and Pettigrew was on the loose; there were Dark Wizards everywhere that were after him. The woman cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you'd know me."

"Well... my memory isn't what it used to be..." Not that he wanted to sound rude, but strange women probably didn't walk into bars looking for his best friend too often. At least, not to his knowledge. Than again, Sirius WAS Sirius.

"Sarah Bensen? I-I was another student at Hogwarts, but a year behind... we-we used to work together." Remus' brow furrowed. He certainly didn't remember a Sarah Bensen... but, then again, he usually couldn't keep track of Sirius' paramours. He'd had so many, after all.

"What house?"

"G-Gryffindor." Funny, he didn't remember a Sarah Bensen in Gryffindor House at all. He was a prefect, he should have known everyone in there. Maybe somewhere else. After all, she did say that she worked with him. London was too big a town to keep track of, anyway. Either way, he'd be polite.

"Oh! Hello! No, heavens no, I'm Remus. Remus Lupin." Sarah's face brightened.

"Remus! Could you possibly get a hold of Sirius? I, er, have something that belongs to him." She bit her lip. Remus thought a moment. What can she possible have that belongs to Sirius?

"Sure, but I'm in no hurry. Maybe I can give it to him?" Sarah now looked mildly uncomfortable.

"I'd... really prefer it if Sirius were to come."

"Nonsense. I'll pick it up for him." Sarah sighed.

"If you must. Meet me in room 17 in 15 minutes." Remus nodded to her, and she ran off towards the upstairs rooms. He sipped the last dregs of his butterbeer, put down a few knuts on the bar table, and headed upstairs.

There was no one outside of room 17. He had even showed up a bit early and waited, but no one ever walked past the room, much less than opened the door. The only indication that someone had been here was a tiny bundle lying on the floor in front of the door, wrapped in what looked like a navy cloak. Remus squatted to get a closer look at whatever it was; it almost seemed to be moving. Slowly, wand in hand, he inched closer to it and lightly touched it with the tip of his wand. It let out a small whimper and he drew his hand back in surprise. After regaining his composure, he pulled the navy cloak off of the object. A pair of crossed blue eyes peered out at him.

A baby? That woman had a baby that belonged to Sirius?

Picking up the child, he turned the handle of the door, which opened easily and revealed an empty room. He shook his head.

"Oh, Sirius," he said to himself, "what have you gotten yourself in to this time?".

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The Muggle policeman stepped out from his patrol car and walked over to where Sirius had parked his motorcycle on the side of the road. And I thought I would be less conspicuous as a Muggle.

"In a hurry?" he asked. Sirius looked mildly uncomfortable as he shifted around on the seat.

"Well, officer, I'm, er, late meeting somebody." The cop raised his eyebrows.

"So... you feel that gives you the right to go double the speed limit?"

"No?"

"License and registration, please." Sirius sighed and reached for his wallet as the cop looked patiently on.

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Remus felt a bit out of place with a baby under his cloak, but there was nothing else he COULD do. The poor thing had been left outside by his mother. Why had she left her son out there? Or was it a he? Come to think of it, he didn't know that either.

I suppose I'll have to check sooner or later, he thought to himself as he walked into the nearest convenience store, garnering a few odd looks from the late night customers that were buying stale chocolate doughnuts and office supplies.

Spotting the Baby Care/Toiletries/Feminine Products section, he hightailed it over to the giant stack of diapers. Full protection, made for boys/girls, with new cute panda bear designs... the selection overwhelmed him. The baby under his cloak whimpered, and deluge of tears threatened to follow. He grabbed the full protection diapers, some formula, and a bottle from the shelves and ran over to the line, getting even weirder looks from not only the patrons, but the cashier, to boot. He said a silent prayer as he pushed a ten dollar bill across the counter and walked out with the bag of baby supplies. He turned the nearest corner, which led to am empty street and apparated away, into the house he shared with Sirius.

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"Alohomora!" Sirius shouted at the door, after suddenly realizing that he was keyless. Damn cop. I must've dropped the keys on the road after being pulled over. The door swung open and Sirius stomped in, tracking snow onto the clean hardwood floors and down the hall, into the kitchen. Remus wasn't there. The poor guy must still be waiting for me in Diagon Alley, and I've forgotten. Damn. He stood up and walked towards the front door, but was stopped by the sound of plastic bags hitting the floor.

"Remus?" A muffled "oomph" answered him, and Remus stepped out into the front hall.

"Yes, it's me." He was holding something under his cloak, something that almost seemed to be...moving.

"What's that?" Remus' mouth twitched a little as he drew the blue wrapped bundle from his cloak. The face of a baby stared up at him. He handed the bundle to Sirius, who stared at it in disbelief.

"Sirius, I had no idea." His shoulders were shaking. A Baby?!

"I swear, it isn't mine!" The baby blinked at him with wide blue eyes and yawned.

"Well, the woman who had it before said it was. Do you know a Sarah Bensen?"

"No..."

"She said she went to Hogwarts with us. About our age? Yea high? Used to work with us back in the day?" Remus gestured with his hands.

"I swear by all the Great Wizards that I don't!"

"Hmmm... curiouser and curiouser... By the way, baby supplies don't come cheap. You owe me $10." Sirius slumped away into the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs, handing the kid back to Remus and burying his face in his hands. Remus followed suit, carrying the bags with him and setting them down on the kitchen counter. Sirius looked up.

"What are you doing?"

"Attempting to feed the kid. Can you hold him?"

"Him?" Remus sighed as he tried to pry open the bottle of formula with one hand.

"Him, her...can you hold the baby?" Sirius stood up and walked over to where Remus was standing. The baby cooed and fell asleep in Sirius' arms. Remus turned around and smiled.

"I think it likes you."

"Well, what are we going to do with it?" He filled the bottle and put it into the hot water, looking at the directions. Sirius walked around the kitchen, holding the baby to his chest.

"The mother's long gone. Tom says that there never was a person who checked into his rooms as a Saran Bensen. The kid was left outside the front door of the room, to boot. When does term end for Christmas?"

"Next week, Harry says."

"Owl him, and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley, even. We need all the help we can get." Sirius took the baby with him and began to search around for some spare parchment and a quill.

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Molly Weasley laughed when she received Sirius' owl, causing the household to come running to see what was the matter. Tearfully, she showed Arthur, who chuckled at the situation. George, Fred, and Percy stared on in confusion, managing a 3 way glance.

"How does Sirius always manage to find himself in these spots?" Arthur asked, rereading the letter.

"What spots?" George asked, attempting to peer over his father's shoulder. Percy sniffed, and went back to figuring Ministry expenses in his head. Arthur and Molly ignored them.

"I have no idea, dear, but I'm curious to see where THIS one will end. Come on, he needs our help."

"Who needs your help?" Fred piped up.

"Just a minute...let me get the Floo powder..."

"But--" George was cut off by his parents entering the bright green flames that the Floo powder produced and disappearing. He turned to Fred.

"Do you have any idea what that was all about?"

"Just eat your breakfast, honey," George said, in a perfect imitation of Mrs. Weasley..

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The Weasleys fell through Sirius' fireplace and nearly burst out laughing again at what sight awaited them. Sirius had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room with a towel thrown over his shoulder, softly snoring. Remus greeted them and motioned over at the sleeping Sirius.

"He just fell asleep. Had a hellish day." Molly looked around the house and saw it in it's typical bachelor glory. She wrinkled her nose a little..

"Where's the baby?"

"She's sleeping in a makeshift crib upstairs." Remus looked proud of himself.

"Uh-huh... She? How did you find out?" Arthur asked.

"Arthur!" Molly exclaimed.

"Er...the same way most people find out. You don't suppose we're going to walk around, feed her, and live with the kid and not know that kind of thing, do you?" Remus grinned, and Sirius murmured something in his sleep. Arthur nodded.

"I suppose not. Have you named her?"

"Er... nope. Couldn't decide on one." There was an awkward pause, and Molly's brows furrowed.

"Are you going to keep her?" Remus shrugged.

"She likes Sirius, and I think he's grown a little fond of her, too. But we don't know yet. She's only been here a day. Personally," he said, lowering his voice, and checking to make sure Sirius wasn't awake, "I don't think it's a wise idea. A child needs a mother, and I don't think Sirius will be able to provide one." Arthur started to speak, but closed his mouth, looking for the right words.

"Well," he started, "I know where you're coming from, but if you're worried about the lack of maternal figures, you shouldn't be. Molly, Hermione, and Ginny will be there."

"It's not just that, though. Sirius has always been a bit... immature, so to say." Remus' voice was getting softer. Arthur stood silent, carefully choosing his words again.

"Fatherhood changes a man," he said. "It sobers him up, and makes him more aware that he isn't the only thing that he has to look after, now that he has responsibility." Molly looked at him

"That was almost poetic, Arthur." He took off his glasses and grinned at his wife.

"I have my moments, dear." The baby began to cry from upstairs, waking up Sirius. Blearily, he walked up the stairs.

"She's hungry, Sirius!" Molly called out to him. He shuffled back downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed bottle of formula, then headed back up, not even noticing Arthur, Molly, and Remus at the foot of the staircase. Molly shook her head and glanced at Arthur.

"Well, you're keeping her for now, right?" Arthur asked, after the sounds of the wailing baby had died down. Remus nodded.

"Do you need anything? We probably still have some of Ginny's old things at home."

"Well, we need some clothing, one of those neckshieldy things..."

"A bib?" Molly clucked her tongue.

"Yes, that..." Remus began ticking things off. Arthur turned faintly green.

"We'll see what we can do," Molly said, after he had finished. Remus smiled gratefully.

"Thank you so much. It means a lot to Sirius."

"Well, we've been meaning to get rid of that stuff for a long time, anyway," Molly said, before she walked back into the fire.

Sirius had disappeared somewhere, after feeding the baby. Remus found him asleep in her room, with the towel still draped over his shoulder. The little girl was wide awake, though (Remus had emptied out a drawer and lined it with blankets for her 'crib'). He picked her up and took her downstairs, then settled down on the couch and flipped on the TV.

Part 2

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all stood over the baby's crib while she kicked her legs out. Hermione thought it all to be absolutely adorable.

"Look!" she squealed, as she stopped kicking and began to stare at her with wide blue eyes. She reached into the crib (the Weasleys had brought ALL of their old baby supplies, finally relieved to use the space for something else) to stroke her dark brown hair.

"I don't see what's so special," Ron said, watching Hermione make a fuss over her. "I've been around kids all my life. They're all the same." Harry and Hermione glared at him.

"She's MY God-sister," Harry said. "I think that counts for something." Hermione looked at Sirius, who was standing nearby.

"Have you named her yet?" Sirius shook his head.

"That's one of the reasons we called you all over here today. We can't exactly go around calling her 'She' or 'The Baby'."

Harry picked the baby up and began to walk around the room.

"So what about Lily?" Hermione asked. Harry frowned.

"No, it's a nice name, but it doesn't quite fit her. I think... Emily?" The baby gurgled. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Livia?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron. He shook his head.

"Sounds too much like Liver."

"Amanda?"

"Panda."

"Heather?"

"Gods, think of the nickname, Hermione. Heather the Feather?" Harry stared intently at the baby.

"Rachel?" he asked softly.

"Baitchel."

"Quiet, you," Hermione said, elbowing Ron.

"Owww!"

"I've got it!"

"It's Panda, isn't it?" The baby cooed and reached for Ron, who made a face.

"Muriel!" Harry looked thrilled. Hermione grinned, and Sirius slapped him on the back.

"I like it. Let's see how she thinks, though.. Muriel. Muriel Black." The baby hiccuped and tried to reach for Ron again. Sirius laughed.

"Giver her to Ron," he said. Harry handed Muriel over to the very reluctant Ron, who gingerly held her. Muriel balled up a fist and hit him upside the head.

"Oww! Geez, kids are all the same," he said, watching the room laugh at the scene. Beaten, he finally joined in.

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Muriel was asleep in her real crib that night, as Sirius stayed up to look into some last minute preparations for Harry coming to live there after graduation. His mind kept wandering to Muriel, though, gurgling peacefully in the other room. Carefully, he put the papers he had been shuffling through down, crept down the hallway to where she was, and into her room.

"Hey, kiddo," he said softly. Muriel opened her eyes. She wasn't asleep after all. Sirius picked her up and began to pace the room. Muriel cooed and laid her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"So... what'cha thinking?"

"Ba," Muriel responded. Sirius laughed.

"Yeah, I think so too. Ba."

"Ba."

"Is that so? Hmmm... I'll have to ask Remus about that." Muriel sneezed.

"I'll take that as a yes." He shifted her up a little more, and he could now smell the soap and baby powder from earlier that night.

I could get used to this, he thought to himself. Just me and Muriel, father and daught--well, maybe. He frowned.

"Do you like it here, Muriel?" he asked suddenly. She looked up at him with her wide blue eyes.

"Ba." She grinned, a tooth showing.

"So you're saying that you wouldn't mind being Muriel Black?"

"Ba."

"Hmmm... well, there are other places out there, away from a couple of stinky old bachelors." She continued to stare at him, unblinking.

"And," he continued, "a place where you can have a mother and a father. But I'd miss you," he said, dropping his voice down to a whisper.

"Du," Muriel said in response. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"That's a new one. What do you say?" She yawned and reached for her crib.

"Oh, so I'm boring now. I see how it is," he said, lowering her back in and tucking the blankets around her. He ruffled her hair and turned out the lights to the room.

"Night, Muri," he said, as he walked out of the room.

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"Hi, honey, I'm home!" Remus called out, as he walked into the house. Sirius looked up at him from the kitchen table, where a massive stack of papers was spread out. He went to the fridge and rummaged around until he found some cold macaroni and sausage.

"Where's Muriel?"

"Upstairs, sleeping. She's had a long day," Sirius responded, checking off some boxes with his quill.

"What's that?"

"Papers from the ministry. I'm adopting Muriel."

"Oh. That's... wait a second. When did you decide this?"

"Last night, while talking to her." Remus gave him a strange look.

"She can't talk, Sirius." Sirius looked up from the papers.

"I beg to differ. She has a very advanced vocabulary for 7 months." Remus gave him an even stranger look.

"And when did you find that out?"

"Took her to the pediatrician earlier today. Quite healthy, too, might I add. She learned a new word today, too, if I didn't mention it. Do."

"You're crackers."

"No, I'm in love."

"With a 7 month old?" Sirius put the quill down.

"A very beautiful, smart, and adorable 7 month old. You'll find out when you have kids, Remus." Remus snorted bitterly.

"Not bloody likely to happen. What about her mother? Sarah Bensen, or something?"

"That crazy old coot who pawned her kid off on me? A thousand blessings to her." Remus shook his head.

"What would James and Lily say?" Sirius grinned.

"'Poor boy, what has he gotten himself into now?'"

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fin

Of course, Muriel is officially adopted, which is why she also appears in Phoenix Rising, and the Em and Jamie series, as

well as in The Silver Wheel. I just thought that this would be a cute way to tell her story :)