Dear Snuffles,
did the dog escape again? Someone said they thought they'd seen him around London? I certainly hope you keep a close eye on him it's not safe for him to be running around on his own you know he or his little friend she's only a puppy and all...hope you're well, the first week back here's been terrible, I'm really glad it's the weekend
         We've got a new defense against the dark arts teacher, professor Umbridge. She's nearly as nice as your mum. I'm writing because that thing I wrote you about last summer happened again last night when I was doing a detention with Umbridge.
      We're all missing our biggest friend, we hope he'll be back soon.
Please write back quickly.
Best,
              Harry

Sirius couldn't quite keep the smile from his face as he tapped the rolled up missive on his thigh thoughtfully. Imagine his godson lecturing him to stay safe. Writing back might be a problem though especially with that horrid Umbridge woman around. A white hot fury filled him at the thought of the woman who had made his best friend and goddaughter's lives harder with her prejudice.

"Uncle Sirius? You ok? You're crushing Harry's letter..." Caelen whispered from her place on the sofa across from him.

Sirius glanced up having nearly forgotten he wasn't alone in his musings. "Oh yes sorry pup, just thinking."

The girl climbed into his lap snuggling into his arms as she often did these days. "Bout what?"

Sirius couldn't help but smile, as she'd become more comfortable around others Caelen's desire to be held and cuddled had become very apparent until it was commonplace to find her cuddled up to many of the order members, Mundungus and Moody excluded.

"Harry, apparently we weren't as sneaky as we thought we were when we snuck out the other day. Let's hope your dad doesn't find out we were spotted hmm?"

The pair glanced up towards the second floor both thinking of the exhausted man asleep upstairs. Remus had tumbled through the doors that morning fresh from a full moon spent amongst the other werewolves, needless to say he'd been battered and exhausted. Sirius had hurriedly patched him up as best he knew how and tucked him into his own bed before slipping quietly into Remus' usual room to curl up near Caelen. "Was he alright?" The girl asked worriedly for the dozenth time in the last twenty minutes.

"Just tired pup, I patched him up alright I promise. Who you think took care of him when we were kids?" He asked almost indignity.

"I dunno probably uncle James," the girl teased quickly, "daddy says you're unreliable and pigheaded."

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed in mock hurt, "I resent that! I'll admit to the pigheadedness but I'm very reliable."

Caelen eyed her godfather skeptically, her large brown eyes sparkly with humor. "So how you gonna respond to Harry?" She questioned changing the subject just in time to avoid being tickled.

The black haired man sighed glancing once more at the, now battered, parchment. "I dunno."

"Why not use the fire?" The girl suggested, nodding towards the dying embers, "You've done that before yeah?"

"How do you know I've done that before?" Sirius questioned curiously.

"Harry told me last year, I was worried about you he said you were ok, that he'd talked to you in the fireplace. He says it's weird seeing a head in the flames." Caelen admitted reaching towards Sirius' forgotten butterbear lying on the table beside them.

The man chuckled thoughtfully, "yeah I suppose it is a bit strange at that. You might have an idea there though puppy. Course I've no way to let him know to expect me..."

"I could do it!" Caelen responded, excitedly bouncing on her godfather's lap. "I could pop in the fire this evening, check off and on if it's safe!"

"Oh no, nope, not gonna happen your dad would have my head!" Sirius replied shaking his head vigorously.

"Oh come on uncle Sirius! I've been in the common room gobs of times! It wouldn't be strange for me to miss Harry or the Weasleys or Hermione, if I get caught no one would ever know you were involved and I just play dumb!"

"No," the man whined in reply, "I'll do the checking."

"But if you get caught it would be just awful! Please uncle Sirius!" Caelen begged jutting her bottom lip out in an adorable pout. Sirius suddenly wished he hadn't taught her that. "Just think how sad daddy would be if you were put back in azkaban!" The pair shivered at the name.

"oh now that was a cheap shot!" Sirius declared poking the girl's belly. "But, you may be right. Ok you can be my lookout."

Caelen leapt into the air with a cheer, "yes!"

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Later that evening Caelen began periodically sticking her head through the fire for short glimpses of he Gryffindor common room. Sirius was beginning to worry they'd miss the trip altogether when she finally popped back out with a wide grin. "Ok they're alone best hurry I think Harry saw me."

Without wasting a moment Sirius exchanged places with his goddaughter to flu his godson.

Caelen curled into the wingback chair Sirius had vacated and squirmed around, curious as to what was happening on the other end. Occasionally she'd catch a snippet of Sirius' side of the conversation. She couldn't quite keep the look of surprised exasperation off  her face upon hearing him offer to meet the teens in hogsmead. How exactly he thought he'd pull that off was beyond her, they'd only that morning read about their last escape in London.

She cringed in sympathy for her godbrother at Sirius' parting words, "not as much like James as I thought."

Sirius sat back next to his hearth with a scowl before glancing up to be met with a fiercer one mirrored on Caelen's face. "What's your problem?" He growled still frustrated from his conversation with Harry.

"That wasn't nice uncle Sirius," the girl scolded, "he's only worried about you."

"Yeah well seeing me, getting me out of this hell hole for an afternoon, would have been enough incentive for James. Damn the danger!" The man snapped in return.

It was a testament to how much the love and care she'd been showered with of late had changed her that she didn't flinch away at his harsh tone. Caelen's jaw jutted out defiantly, "not if you were all he had! I don't need to have known uncle James in person to know that! He wouldn't endanger you for a cheap thrill if he had no one left! I would think you of all people should understand how that feels and why Harry of all people would want you to stay safe!"

"Caelen I-"

"-no, don't bother! You're not clueless uncle Sirius and you're not stupid but you are, sometimes, too careless; at least with yourself. You'd never endanger those you care about, me, Harry, and daddy, yet you can't understand why we wouldn't want you in danger. What you don't understand is that we, any of us, would go to hell and back for you. Think about that next time you're hard on Harry for wanting you safe." With her rant completed the young girl stormed away to bed slamming the door as she went.

Sirius sat in stunned silence, "she's all you, you know?" He mumbled to the silent shadow at the back of the room.

"I'm noticing that yes, although some of that language must've come from her uncle." The other man chuckled at his friend.

"Bollocks, we both know you could talk just as colorfully as any of us," Sirius argued with a laugh.

"Yes well some of us don't speak so crassly in front of children."

Sirius batted his hand in the air as if to brush aside the light scolding tone, snorting as he did so. "You let her spend time with the Weasley twins I very much doubt I'm the first place she's heard language from."

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Caelen sat reading the daily prophet as she waited on Sirius to finish making there eggs. The child mumbled incoherently glowering at the offending prophet. "Immediate success my arse," she grumbled unnoticed by her, flower covered, godfather." She skimmed further down rolling her eyes at the thought of Lucius Malfoy having anyone's best interest at heart. "That man would sacrifice his own son if it meant saving his sorry arse!"

Sirius took slight notice of that comment raising one eyebrow in a pointed look before returning to his sizzling food.

As she came to a reference to her father Caelen's temper flared white hot. "Bloody bollocks!"

"-Caelen!" Sirius attempted to reprimand, going unnoticed.

"-That's what that is! My father was the best DADA teacher that school's had in years!-"

"-Caelen,"

"-And Hagrid is the sweetest, kindest,"

"-Caelen..."

"-perhaps a bit oblivious at times but-"

-"Caelen!" He raised his voice finally capturing the angry girl's attention.

-"yes uncle Sirius?"

It took everything in him not to chuckle at his goddaughter's actions. "Caelen if your father catches you talking that way he'll blame me watch your language."

The girl smirked, "but I did learn it from you..." She accused laughing slightly.

"That's beside the point, you're too young to be speaking like that."

"But it's true!" She defended becoming angry once more at the thought of the lies she'd read.

"I agree," Sirius readily concurred, "you'll just have to say it in a more appropriate manner."

Caelen huffed in annoyance, "you do it." She mumbled again.

"Sirius does what?" A groggy voice questioned from the doorway.

Caelen grinned brightly scrambling from her seat in a rush to reach her father, "daddy you're awake!"

Remus grunted slightly as his daughter collided with him, her head slamming into his stomach. "Course I am, just needed a bit of rest. What's Sirius done now?"

Sirius smirked as Caelen nibbled her bottom lip guiltily, "I told Caelen to watch her language."

"It's not my fault the prophet employs the daft!" The girl responded hotly.

Remus shook his head uncertain what to address first. Caelen didn't really need to read the paper as far as he was concerned, and she certainly didn't need to be learning language from Sirius. He silently removed the paper eyeing his obviously guilty child. "How bout those of us younger than Hogwarts age don't bother with such nonsense hmm? And try not to pick up too many of uncle Sirius' habits."

"Hey!" Sirius called in mock offense, "everyone's always picking on me I'm a fantastic roll model!"

The two friends smiled happily towards one another. Caelen grinned between them before growing serious, "you're going out again aren't you?" She questioned effectively dousing the lighthearted mood that had previously pervaded.

Remus sighed avoiding nearly identical glares being sent his way. "I have to cub."

"Why," the child shouted, "what more can you do that you haven't already done!?"

Remus shuffled towards a nearby chair attempting to hide his aches and exhaustion from the overly watchful eyes. He smiled gratefully as Sirius placed a plate of breakfast before him along with a cup of tea. "I'm sorry Caelen, I know it's hard but I have to go." He said before nearly inhaling his breakfast, unable to hide his hunger from his friend and daughter.

"You're starving." Caelen stated more than asked, crossing her arms in a helpless manner.

"I'm fine Caelen." The man sighed.

"No, you're starving and you're hurt and you're not sneaky!" She snapped in frustration. "You think you're so smooth sneaking in here sleeping for days and then shuffling around the room like I'm not going to notice you wincing every other step, or your shallow breathing, or how you've lost weight.-"

"-Caelen," Remus attempted to interrupt.

"No daddy! I'm not so little anymore, I can see things, I notice things. You're not ok and you can't fool me and I wish you'd just stop it!" She stormed from the room slamming the door behind her as she went.

Sirius couldn't help but grin when they heard her screeching 'shut up' at his mother's portrait.

"I think she's picking up on your temper," Remus grumbled sipping his tea quietly.

Sirius snorted staring at the door in an almost proud manner. "She's growing up, she's right you know."

"Sirius please don't start," Remus begged the exhaustion evident in his face and tone.

"I won't say any more," the man replied raising his hands in surrender, "she did a brilliant job on her own. She is right though."

Remus grumbled into his breakfast refusing to be swayed. He wasn't going to let what happened last time happen again, he wasn't going to lose his friends and family; not this time. He'd make certain of that.

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Guys guys guys I'm back!!!! Lol I've missed you guys and my story and everything! I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for the long wait. Hope you like it I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all for all the love and well wishes you guys are the best ever. Alright that's all I've got to say send me comments love the comments laters 😊