'and it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind; never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in'
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Sirius had spent the past twenty-four hours trying to come up with a plan to see his daughter on her sixteenth birthday.
He briefly decided to venture into the castle, in his dog form, but just as he stepped it, the sound of his old friend speaking to a student made him return to the forest.
It was a total accident that he stumbled across the scene of his daughter and her friend in the forest. They had just been staring at each other before they realized his presence.
Sirius hoped he interrupted a snogging session.
He let out a bark as Lyra approached him and gave him a big scratch behind his ears.
The red-haired boy stood up and pulled Lyra back, but she stayed put. "What are you doing!? This dog could have rabies or fleas! You don't know where he's been!"
Sirius barked in offence, but he was quickly silenced when his daughter threatened to stop patting him.
"This is Padfoot, George," Lyra explained. "This is the dog I met during summer at Aunt Druella's place. He helped me a lot."
The boy, George, seemed to sigh in relief as he joined Lyra in scratching Sirius behind the ears. Boy, this was the life.
However, it didn't take much for Sirius to become rather emotional. He was upset that he had to hide in his animagus form just to see his daughter, he was upset that her mother wasn't here to wish her a happy birthday, and most of all, he was torn to pieces as he could feel her sadness.
James had been the first to note that when in animagus form, emotions were much easier to feel and recognize. Sirius did his research, surprisingly, and found that dogs had a way of knowing when someone was feeling down. It helped a lot through their teenage years, and eventually as adults.
Sirius could still recall the nights where he was curled up beside Remus on the nights nearing the full moon. It always pained Sirius to see Remus fighting to keep a smile on his face while suffering through the aches and sickness he went through. While Remus was never one to accept much help, Sirius' comfort was always one thing he gratefully accepted. Along with a block of chocolate.
But now it was not Remus who needed comforting, it was his own daughter.
Lyra may have been a total surprise and the result of two heartbroken teenagers searching for comfort, he and Marlene loved her so much. While they may not have been together romantically, they still lived and parented together, wanting to create a happy upbringing for Lyra.
Not that it lasted very long, anyway.
Sirius shifted and rested his head on Lyra's lap. He felt her relax as they remained there, silently playing with his fur.
