“Never” Sirius replied adamantly, “I could never hate you Cat. You mean more to me than I can ever possibly explain. It almost killed me when you left like that. I never even had the chance to say goodbye…..or to apologize.”

Cat reached out and touched Sirius’s cheek “I’ve missed you so much” she whispered “It’s been so long since we’ve ….” she turned her head away, unable to finish her sentence.

Sirius’s heart broke when he saw the look in Cat’s eyes, if it weren’t for the baby he was holding, he would have taken Cat in his arms right then and there, comforting her as best he could. She never did anything to deserve being hurt , it was all his fault, and he knew he could never really make it up to her. But he would spend the rest of his life trying, if she would allow him to. He knew he needed to say something to her, but he was at a loss at the moment. Looking down at Edana, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Where is Edana’s mother? Its not like you to use bottles, I remember having that discussion too.”

Cat wiped her eyes as she turned to look at Sirius and Edana again. “Her mother isn’t of my clan. When she found out the father wasn’t human….” Cat shook her head “She didn’t want the baby, she abandoned her when she was a few hours old.” Cat began stroking the baby’s head again. “Paddy wanted to keep her, but he’s too young to raise a child on his own, he needs a wife. Someone who’s willing to accept Edana as her own and love her as a child needs to be loved.”

“I can’t imagine someone not loving a child” Sirius replied as he cooed at Edana, then, adding softly. “I’m surprised you didn’t volunteer. I know how much you love children. ….Do you have any others? Besides Harry…”

“No” Cat barely whispered as her eyes winced with pain. “Only Harry.”

Before Sirius could ask her anything further, Edana began to cry loudly, a sharp edge to her voice. “Cat?! Did I do something wrong?” Sirius asked as he immediately pulled the bottle away and began gently bouncing the baby in an attempt to soothe her.

Cat took the bottle from Sirius and held it up, then smiled knowingly “Shame on you Sirius, you weren’t paying attention. That little greedy gut just gulped down half a bottle, I think a burping may be in order.” she teased as she held out her arms for the baby.

“No, its fine, I can do it.” Sirius insisted as he carefully maneuvered the baby over his shoulder and began tapping her back lightly. He felt his heart soar as he saw the approving look on Cat’s face, he once again found himself imagining Edana was their child as a huge heart-felt smile shone on his face.

“So, why didn’t you take Edana?” Sirius asked, “Its obvious you love her very much.”

“I couldn’t take her with me to Hogwarts, I have far too many duties to tend to there, and we both know its not the safest place for a child.” she explained as she placed a cloth over Sirius’s shoulder, knowing full well what would happen when the air bubble finally worked its way out of the baby. “Besides, judging by your actions so far, I think she would have found her way to your arms very quickly.” she teased.

“I’m willing to share.” Sirius said “Children should have a mother and father after all. And just think, Harry and Edana, one of each, so far so good.” he winked as Cat rolled her eyes. “Now Kitty, don’t go rolling your eyes at me.” he teased “I know you far too well to fall for …….” Sirius paused mid sentence as a loud burp erupted from Edana. He and Cat simply stared at each other for a few seconds before they both started to laugh hysterically.

“She gets that from you Sirius Black” Cat teased as she quickly wiped the baby’s mouth with the cloth, “You better give her the rest of the bottle before she starts crying again. She has your temper as well.”

“MY temper…well, I seem to recall a certain redhead who had quite the temper” he teased back.

“Shame on you Sirius, talking about Lily that way.” Cat shot back as she sat next to Sirius, leaning against him as she made sure the baby was clean.

Sirius grinned happily as he felt Cat pressing against him as she fussed over the baby, it was just like old times, the two of them together, talking and laughing. ……..

“So Harry, did LJ show you were you’ll be sleeping?” Aunt Orpha asked as she led Harry to the kitchen table and began piling a plate of food for him. “And why are you so skinny? Isn’t my daughter feeding you?”

“Mum is your daughter? But I thought her mum,…. I mean.” Harry froze, not knowing what to say. He felt an immediate sense of relief when Orpha smiled kindly at him and touched his cheek with her warm hand.

“I am a very, very old woman Harry, they are all my sons and daughters” Orpha explained as she made a sweeping motion with her hand. “I have walked this world and a few other for many centuries, Catriana is as much my child as she was ever Deidre’s or Tristessa’s. As you live with us, you will begin to understand that one child can have many parents. You belong to the clan every bit as much as you belong to Kitty.” She paused when she noticed Harry had suddenly stopped eating.

“But she’s still my mum, right?” Harry asked “No one will try to take me away from her, will they?”

“No Harry,” Orpha said gently, hoping to relieve the fear that had suddenly sprung up in the child “She is your mother, and no one would argue that, but you may be asked to leave her from time to time so that you can experience other lives, other cultures, and to help foster a sense of clan. Much as she and Sirius are doing with Edana at the moment.” she added quietly, waiting to see Harry’s response.

“Sirius and mum?! Where? Are they talking, are they finally back together?” Harry asked, his words tumbling over each other in his haste to find out if Sirius would be a part of his new family.

Orpha sat down next to Harry and gave him a sly smile. “I hope you don’t mind dearie, but I ask Siobhan to, well, to set a trap for the two of them. And a little baby named Edana is the bait, it seems your father is very fond of babies, as is my daughter. Remember when I told her that one of the boys was looking after the baby and asked her to check on them?” she asked, winking knowingly.

“You mean the boy taking care of the baby was Sirius?” Harry asked, smiling from ear to ear. “Wow, you’re really good at this, have you and Remus been talking and planning too?”

“Too?” Orpha replied as Siobhan walked over to them, intrigued by the turn of the conversation. “Keep eating dear, you’re a growing boy.” she added, encouraging him to relax and continue the conversation.

“Yes, we’ve been trying to get mum and Sirius back together for a few weeks now. I know Sirius loves her, he wants to marry her and be a real family. But he’s afraid to ask her, he did something bad to her a long time ago, and he’s thinks she won’t forgive him.”

“And what do you think Harry?” Orpha asked “Do you think my Kitty can forgive him and love him again?”

“I think she already has, I know she loves him. I’ve caught her looking at him when she doesn’t know anyone else is around. And when she asked me who I would pick for a father, I’ve told her Sirius. But then she went off and spent the night with Snape” Harry said glumly “Poor Sirius was half out of his mind, that was until Cash told him as far as he was concerned Snape would never be accepted by the clan and that he would see to it that mum and Sirius married himself.”

“Cash said that?!” Siobhan gasped “Our Cash, Caisearbhan MacLeod?” her eyes were wide with shock, she had heard of the letters he had sent to Aunt Orpha, but she never really believed them.

“Sure” Harry grinned “He and Sirius are really close, and he’s always teasing mum about how she keeps ‘forgetting’ she’s already married to Sirius.”

Siobhan and Orpha looked at each other, a twinkle in their eyes and a smile on their lips. “So it is true” Siobhan said as she shook her head “Cash is usually the one chasing them away. I can’t believe he actually approves of one.”…….

Sirius chuckled lightly as the baby stretched out and yawned widely. “She gets that from you sleepy-head” he teased Cat, who narrowed her eyes at him, but smiled all the same. He sighed happily as he held Edana in his arms and felt Cat’s warm, soft body against his. This moment alone was worth all the suffering he had endured, he could almost forget the past seventeen years, pretend Azkaban had never even existed. He felt Cat’s head lean against his arm as she once more stroked the baby’s hair, cooing gently as Edana drifted off to sleep.

He still found it so hard to believe what Cat had told him of Edana’s birth, it was simply incomprehensible that anyone, let alone her own mother could do such a thing. Edana had been born two months prematurely, and promptly abandoned by the woman who had given birth to her. Sirius couldn’t even bring himself to call her Edana’s mother, what mother could do such a thing. He gazed lovingly down at the precious child in his arms who was now sleeping contentedly, her tummy full, safe and protected in his arms. “Cat?” Sirius asked softly, not wanting to wake the baby. “If you don’t return to Hogwarts, if you have to stay here to keep Harry safe. Will you take Edana? I can’t bear to think of her being left alone and abandoned again.”

“Oh Sirius, what makes you think we would abandon our own flesh and blood?” Cat asked gently “Siobhan is her aunt and she has taken her in. And they all know where to find me if I’m needed.”

“I know, but she needs more than that, she’s like Harry.” he tried to explain “She needs to know that she’s loved, to be constantly reminded that she’s not alone. Or isn’t that why you keep touching her like that.” he added, finally commenting on the way Cat had been constantly touching Edana.

“You know me far too well Sirius Black” Cat grinned as she removed her hand from Edana. “And yes, she needs to know how much we love her. All she knew in her mother’s womb was fear and loathing. She needs to understand that is not the way of the world, at least not our world. We love our children, sometimes to excess, but I’ve never heard of a child dying from too much love.”

Sirius kissed Cat on her forehead once more “I agree mo gra. I just hope I’m able to stay here and help you raise her. Harry’s been telling me how much he wants to be a big brother.” he hesitated for a moment when he saw the look on Cat’s face, but realizing he had nothing to lose, quickly added “And I would love to be a father, to Harry and to any children you may have.” …….

“Aunt Orpha?” Harry asked as he finished eating “What exactly is a nook?”

“A nook? Well it’s a type of Earth spirit, they inhabit trees and the occasional rock, but mostly trees. They look like cross between an elf, like me, and a dwarf, like your great-uncle Rabinz”

“How can they look like both?” Harry asked curiously “Elves are tall and thin and dwarves are short and hairy.”

“Exactly” Orpha replied winking playfully “They are thin, short and usually very, very hairy. But don’t worry Harry, you’ll see them soon enough I’m sure. They like to know who’s sleeping in the roots of their trees.”

“In the roots?” Harry gasped “You mean LJ wasn’t joking about sleeping in the trees?”

“Joking? Now why would you think he was joking.” Siobhan asked, “Oh no … wait… I forgot, Remus is your teacher….of course you would expect jokes.”

Just then the kitchen door opened and several young men walked in. One immediately ran to Siobhan and hugged her tightly. “Paddy! I was beginning to wonder if you were coming home” Siobhan said as she embraced her baby brother tightly. “Where did you go off to? You had me worried near to death.” She scolded as the other men with Paddy laughed good naturedly at her response. “I’m fine sis, the Roma needed some help and their leader had enough sense to call for us.” Paddy explained, “Now, where is my little girl? I can’t wait to see her, it feels like its been forever since I’ve held her.”

“Oh sweet heaven above” Frank groaned “Please Siobhan, give him back the baby, he hasn’t stopped talking about her since we left.” he teased, knowing full well how much Paddy adored his daughter. “You would think he left her alone in the barn or something. Has he always been such a worrier?”

Siobhan laughed softly, “Only since he’s become a father. Before that… well I remember him letting Sara do all sorts of things, things I’m sure he’ll NEVER permit Edana to do.” she said as she looked at Paddy who blushed deeply.

“Live and learn sis, you said so yourself.” Paddy replied as his eyes focused in on Harry. “Who do we have here?”

Orpha smiled as she put her hand on Harry’s “This is Kitty’s son Harry.”

“So this is my nephew is it?” Frank said as he hung up his coat and walked to the table, noticing the empty plate he added “Well I see he has the infamous MacLeod appetite” Kneeling down to take a closer look, Frank gasped slightly “And my sister’s eyes as well. Hello Harry, I‘m your Uncle Frank.”

“Uncle?? Really?” Harry said excitedly “Mum’s told me so much about all her brothers. I was wondering if I’d get to meet you.” he added as he threw his arms around Frank and hugged him tightly.

Frank laughed happily as he hugged Harry back “A good grip too, we’ll make quite a warrior out of you my boy.” Frank added as he tussled Harry’s hair. “So, were is that sister of mine? Off getting into trouble already?”

“Actually, no” Siobhan replied as she took Paddy by the hand, refusing to let him leave the kitchen. “She is with Edana,…..and with the man Cash has been writing to us about.”

“Her husband?” Paddy said, still rather shocked by the whole idea “With Edana… Where are they?” he asked. Not waiting for an answer, Paddy broke loose from Siobhan’s grip and tore off down the long hallway, poking his head in each room as he looked for his daughter and cousin…..