Disclaimer: I neither own the intellectual property of the Harry Potter universe, nor do profit from this work produced here.

SUMMARY: "…Yes, this was all he needed: himself, his wife, and his newborn child- and a career to start, and a future to plan, and a life to begin. Begun a bit late, perhaps, but a life both full and new." The Lupins' lives following the war: careers, prejudices, full moons, and a child all serve to complicate a marriage, but then, they were complicated people. (A bit AU, obviously) R&R!

Explanation of the T rating: cursing, some violence, mental and emotional distress, very brief allusions to married adult activity. Nothing sexually or violently explicit/graphic will be described. Any warnings will be posted in bold at the head of each chapter.


"We need a defense instructor, Remus. You loved teaching, and you're quite skilled at it. Why not give it another try?"

Lupin sighed; this was not the conversation he'd wanted to have when he'd invited Minerva McGonagall over for afternoon tea. Though only a week had passed since the battle, the new headmistress was not one to let things wait a moment longer than they had to. "Professor, we've been through this before. Teaching at Hogwarts is not a viable option for me; it never was. Last time was a mistake- one I don't intend to repeat."

"Do you want me to beg? I don't particularly like begging, you know." Minerva took a prim sip of her chamomile. "I'd rather you just agree now and save us both time."

"I don't want you to beg. I want you to enjoy your tea and tell me about the reconstruction."

"Reconstruction of a building is nothing; the heart of a school lies in the education being taught. What good is a castle without staff?"

He was beginning to get a headache. "Surely there are others willing to take the job."

"Hm. Not many, actually; most believe that the position is still cursed, even with Tom dead." (She, as well as many other former members of the Order, had taken to calling the dark lord by his birth name. When questioned as to why, Minerva always simply replied, "He was a man, and nothing more. As for myself, I think it's only right that someone mourn him properly, no matter how horrid a person he was.") "And even with all that aside, Remus," she continued, "you're the most qualified applicant for the job, having taught at Hogwarts before, not to mention the best Defense teacher we've had in at least seven years."

"Ah, so I've beaten out a ministry crone, a fool, a death eater, a double agent, and a nervous wreck with Tom Riddle himself attached to the back of his head. Yes, I've certainly met some very high standards," Lupin replied ironically.

"Come now, Severus wasn't horrible."

"Professor. The school has just suffered a gruesome battle; you're already going to have a hard enough time recruiting students without the stigma of having a werewolf on staff. I appreciate the offer, really, I do. And it was very kind of you to think of me- especially with Dora and the little one. But I won't take a job as important as this out of pity."

"Blast that Gryffindor pride of yours," McGonagall huffed. "Whoever said the offer was out of pity?"

He chuckled a little at that. "Again, you're very kind. But I'll manage, Professor, I always do."

"On your own, perhaps, but now you have a family to support."

"I've got enough saved to provide for us until Dora gets off maternity; we'll survive."

"Survive? Is that really all you want for your family?"

"Of course not, but Dora will be back at work in a few months-"

"Working part-time so she can take care of Edward while you look for odd jobs!" The headmistress was incensed. "Remus, this isn't just a year-long contract; you could have a career, a way to provide for your family! Isn't that what you told me you wanted during your OWL interviews?"

"That was years ago, Professor; I know better now-"

"Rubbish. I've seen you work; you're a brilliant man and a superb teacher, and I'm simply not going take no for an answer."

The force of her tone startled him so much that he fell quiet. McGonagall took another sip of her tea and said bluntly, "We need you, Remus. The school needs a Defense teacher who knows what he's doing, especially in the current climate." She was serious. He could see it in her eyes.

He struggled for a moment. "The students would be in danger."

"Professor Slughorn is perfectly capable of concocting a working Wolfsbane potion."

"That didn't exactly work out last time."

"The circumstances of last time were abnormal and unpredictable. I highly doubt anything of the sort is capable of happening again."

For a long moment he was silent. Then he met her eyes.

"No rational parent," he said quietly, "would send their child to a school where Defense Against the Dark Arts was being taught by a dark creature."

"You are not a dark creature," Minerva replied firmly. "You are a man with a disease. And any parent who refused to send their child to Hogwarts for such a ridiculous reason will have deprived their son or daughter of a wonderful Defense education.

"Remember that when your incoming class sizes start shrinking."

"Does that mean you'll take the job?"

He sighed. "Professor-"

"Remus. At least consider it."

He hesitated, and then said (with not a little irritation), "I'll talk to Dora about it. But I'm not making any promises!"

"Very good," she said pleasantly, setting her empty teacup down on the saucer and standing from her chair. "I expected your acceptance letter by no later than 15th July. Have a good day, Remus." She turned and opened the front door.

"Wait- Professor-!"

Crack!

He sighed again. That woman and her stubborn habits. Remus stood up and went to close the door. As he did so, he allowed himself a brief moment of consideration. Teaching again… the only job I ever really wanted to do…

He shook his head. It was dangerous. He was dangerous. For all of McGonagall's promises, he wondered if he had any real right, to be so near to so many people. What if the Wolfsbane suddenly stopped working? What if he took it too late, or too early? Granted, these fears had never been realized before, but they still worried him, niggling doubts in the back of his mind that he forced himself to ignore on a daily basis.

The fireplace behind him suddenly burst into emerald flame, distracting him from his thoughts, and a moment later, a woman in Ministry uniform with shockingly pink hair stepped across the hearth. Remus couldn't help but grin. "You're home early," he said, walking over.

"Home late, actually," Nymphadora sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't make it back last night; duty called."

"Well, at least you're back now; you've got all weekend to sleep."

"Unless Kingsley calls me back in," she grimaced. "But I prefer not to think about that possibility. How's Teddy?"

"Fine; he's sleeping now. McGonagall was happy to see him."

"That's right; I forgot she was coming. How was tea?"

"Mostly pleasant. You just missed her."

"Bugger." She frowned suddenly. "Wait. 'Mostly?'"

He hesitated. Blast that natural honesty. It had nearly gotten him killed a number of times before, but even that seemed less worthy to be dreaded than Nymphadora's expectant look. Remus sighed. "She had a… proposition… for me."

"Don't tell me she asked you to marry her."

He choked. Dora grinned. "No, she did not. She offered me a position."

"A position?" Her eyebrows rose. "You mean at the school?" He nodded. "Remus, that's wonderful! When do you start?"

"Well, I- I haven't exactly accepted, yet."

"What? Why not?"

"I wanted to talk it over with you first-"

"-And you're scared," she finished, voice falling flat. "Remus, we've talked about this…"

"I know," he sighed guiltily, sitting down at the table again. "I know, Dora, I just- it worries me, don't you see? The thought of being near so many people, for so long… it's dangerous, far too dangerous. I just… I don't feel right about taking it."

"Remus Lupin, you listen to me," Dora said firmly, sitting down opposite him. "You are not wicked. You are not evil. And you're only dangerous once a month if you forget to take your potion, which you never do! You've gone through ten transformations with me nearby, and I've never been hurt; soon it'll happen while Teddy's here, too!" He flinched at that reminder; the full moon- Teddy's first since his birth- was only two days away, and they had yet to know whether the month-old infant, now free from his mother's womb, had inherited his father's lycanthropy. "You have to stop worrying that things will go wrong," his wife finished.

"And what would Mad Eye have said to that? Where's your constant vigilance, Dora?" He managed a small smile as he said it, but it was clear he was still worried.

Nymphadora chuckled. "Right, right. And that's why we're going to be vigilant. Every month, every year, for the rest of your life, we'll be careful! And so long as we're careful, nothing is going to happen. Okay?"

He hesitated, but couldn't help but grin, just slightly. "Alright. Okay, Dora, you win. I'll write McGonagall this afternoon."

"Good. Now-" she stood up, "I know you won't be feeling well tomorrow, so tonight I'm making beef stew, with fresh meat- just the way you like it."

"Mmm. Sounds fantastic."

"'Course it does, I'm cooking it. C'mere and help me."

He laughed and stood, walking over to his wife. She lit the stove with her wand, and then turned. She noticed the look in her husband's eyes and tilted her head curiously, smiling. "What?"

"You're beautiful," Remus said softly.

She laughed. "Remus, I just got off work; I definitely don't-"

He cut her off by kissing her gently, chastely, on the lips. When he pulled back, she gave him a happy, lazy grin. "That was nice," she murmured, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him back-

A wail suddenly broke from the other room, startling them both. Remus sighed. "Teddy's awake."

"Sounds like. I'll go get him; you start dinner."

"Alright." He started to rummage through the pots and pans for Dora's big stew-pot as his wife hurried off in the direction of their wailing child. At last he found it, filled it with water, and set it to start boiling on the stove-top.

He turned to see his wife standing in the entryway of the kitchen, with his infant son bundled up in her arms. The boy was entangling his tiny fingers in her bubblegum hair, making his mother laugh. "No, no, you don't want that," Dora teased, pulling the strands of pink out of his chubby fists. Teddy scrunched up his nose, his hair turning blue in displeasure.

Remus chuckled lightly under his breath, and realized that he was content. The heartwarming household scene had served to dissuade any fears he had about taking the position Minerva had offered. Surely, anyone who could have had a hand in producing such perfection as his son, who could have wed such beauty as his wife, could not be any dark creature. It's a disease, he thought firmly to himself, a disease and nothing more. And I'm just about done letting it hinder my life.

Dora had noticed him staring at her, and winked. He laughed outright, and found, looking at her and his infant son, that for the first time in a very long while, he was truly and genuinely happy.

Yes, this was all he needed: himself, his wife, and his newborn child- and a career to start, and a future to plan, and a life to begin. Begun a bit late, perhaps, but a life both full and new.


A/N: So there's the first chapter! In case it wasn't clear in the summary, this will be a multi-chapter story about the life of the Lupins following the War- an AU where they survive, obviously, because IMHO, their "happily ever after" was cut too short far too quickly. See you all soon! Pax et bonum! -FFcrazy15