The Marauder's heiress returns

Moony

Waking up to a bright light shining down on her face through the moth-eaten curtains, she knew she would not be able to go back to sleep and decided to start her day early. After a quick shower, getting dressed and shrinking her belongings down to place in her pockets, Adelaide wandered down to the bar of the Leaky Cauldron where only a few people were present. She ordered a light fruit bowl for breakfast with a cup of tea before making her way to a side alley, she looked around briefly for any onlookers before closing her eyes, imagining the familiar cottage that she visited a few times in her previous life. It was then that she felt herself aparate away.

Adelaide appeared a short distance away from the small cottage which was surrounded by overgrown plants and grass, making it look somewhat abandoned, though she knew that wasn't the case. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she slowly began her journey to the cottage. When arriving, she raised her hand to knock but before her knuckles could make contact with the wooden door, it swung open revealing a tall, scar-faced man with sandy-coloured hair with streaks of white. Her heart clenched painfully at the exhausted look on the man's face, purple under his eyes and brand new wounds peeking out from his woolly jumper.

"Hello?" He greeted her, his eyes searching her face with a look of confusion.

"Oh, Uncle Moony, you look exhausted" She sighed sadly, making the man's eyes widen before he tried to subtly take a sniff of her scent.

"Adelaide?" He whispered in astonishment, his brown eyes filling with tears.

"Hello, Uncle" She greeted him, her voice cracking as she tried to hold tears of her own back. Suddenly, she was pulled against his hard chest, his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck as he inhaled her scent. She knew this was his way of calming his wolf, especially when the evening before was the full moon and Moony would still be on edge for another day or two.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" He nodded absently as he pulled away, though he kept his arm around her shoulders as he guided her into his home.

Despite how shabby the outside of the cottage looked, the Inside was much more homely. The moment you entered the cottage, you were in the living room which had a three-seated couch along with an identical-style armchair. There was no television for entertainment but instead, he had three large bookshelves filled with novels. On the coffee table sat a glass bowl filled with different mini chocolates and beside it was a newly made hot chocolate.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked nervously, glancing around his home with a look of shame. Adelaide withheld her sigh and grabbed hold of her uncle's hand, guiding him towards the armchair and lightly pushing him onto it.

"Relax Uncle Moony, we both know the full moon makes you exhausted. I'll go make myself a hot chocolate" Adelaide saw his eyes widen in fear and confusion but after sending him a warm smile and placing a kiss on the top of his head, she made her way into the kitchen and wandlessly made herself a mug of hot chocolate.

When she returned, she smiled from behind him when she saw him relaxing back in the armchair, his hot chocolate in hand as he stared out into nothing. She hated disturbing his peace but knew the man would have questions and so, she cleared her throat as she made her way to the couch, gaining his attention.

"How did you know?" He asked, his tone soft and filled with exhaustion.

"I remember everything, Uncle Moony" She wasn't necessarily lying, she just wasn't sure whether she wanted to tell him the truth about her time travelling journey or not.

"E-Everything?" She knew what he meant, he wanted to know if she remembered the night of Halloween.

"Yes, Uncle, I remember everything" She responded softly with a sad smile, making him sigh as he placed his hot chocolate on the table before running his hands over his face.

"How did you find me?" Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, silently wondering if going there was a mistake as she hoped she wasn't bothering him. He must have seen the expression because he immediately took her hands in his, gaining her attention.

"I'm happy you found me, Cub. I'm just surprised, only a select few know where I live" Adelaide squeezes his hand, a large smile forming on her face which Remus notices, making him eye her wearily with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't like that look, your father had the same one when he was hiding something" He joked, earning a giggle from the ten-year-old girl who shrugged before grabbing hold of her hot chocolate, and taking a sip. Adelaide caught his quiet mumble saying 'Just like them.' with a fond but saddened tone.

"Now, I think it's time to discuss why my papa is currently in Azkaban when he is innocent" She spoke out bluntly, causing Remus to choke on some of his hot chocolate that he had taken a sip out of.

Talking about the war had always been a touchy subject for him, especially when the deaths of his two best friends and the betrayal of another were mentioned. The order knew there was a traitor amongst them but neither of them could pinpoint who it was, causing everyone to start suspecting each other. Yes, people had thought Remus was the traitor for the simple fact that he is a werewolf, knowing that Voldemort had gained an alliance with many lone wolves and the pack that was under the leadership of Fenrir Greyback. Sirius was another that people were suspicious about due to who his family were and after the night of Halloween, it was heartbreaking to find out just how right everyone was about him. So, he couldn't understand what his cub meant by an innocent man being in Azkaban or how she even knew about him in the first place.

"Adelaide, I'm sorry but he did betray your parents-"

"Uncle Remy, Papa could never betray us... It's quite literally, impossible" This caught Remus off guard and he found himself sitting upright, his exhaustion leaving him almost immediately.

"Explain," He said sternly, not missing the eye roll he received from the ten-year-old and would have commented on such if he wasn't eager for answers.

"Sirius Black had blood adopted me, Uncle Moony. Meaning, he is my magical godparent and 1/3 of my blood parent. The consequences of his betrayal would be his life, and as far as I'm aware... He's very much alive" Remus slumped back in his seat, his skin paler than it was and his brown eyes filled with pain and shock.

"Here, there's proof" Adelaide handed him her inheritance test and she watched as many emotions flashed through his eyes, though she knew the information became clear to him the moment tears started pouring down his face.

"What have I done? How could I ever think that he would betray them" He sobbed, the inheritance test long forgotten as Adelaide jumped onto his lap, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"It's okay, Uncle Moony. I will get Papa out" She reassured soothingly, rubbing his back and hiding her smile as a purr-like sound rumbled through his chest.

"How?"

"We'll make a copy of my inheritance test and send it to Amelia Bones" She shrugged, earning an impressed look from her uncle who had pulled away, wiping the tears from his face.

"Do you have an owl?" He questioned, making her pause her movement to pick up her hot chocolate before looking over at him with a sheepish smile.

"Uh, no, no I don't" He let out a deep chuckle before shooing her off his lap as he stood, a small groan leaving his lips as he did so.

"Come, Cub" He guided her outside where his back garden was connected to the woods, perfect for when the full moons came about. With a loud whistle, a black owl was seen flying down towards them, landing on Remus' shoulder as it nipped his ear with affection.

"Cub, meet Harrison" Adelaide raised a questionable eyebrow, amused that the owl had such a human-like name.

"Yes yes, I know but if you were to be a boy, your parents were going to call you Harrison" He shrugged before taking the parchment from her hand and with a wave of his hand, a second identical parchment appeared.

"You might want to write a little note for her, otherwise she may be confused" Adelaide nodded her head and ran back into the cottage, writing a small but well-informed note before returning to her Uncle, attaching the note with the copied inheritance.

"Take this to Amelia Bones, please" She spoke softly to the owl, who 'hooed' as Adelaide attached it to his leg. Immediately, Harrison took off into the sky and the pair watched with a smile at his beauty.

"Now, let's discuss your title of 'mistress of death"