Stella got up from the comfy armchair in which she was sitting to answer the door. It was later the same day Dumbledore had visited. Surely, it wasn't him again. So then, who was it? She cracked the door open and peeked out through the tiny gap.
"Hello," said a cheerful, relatively young man. He wore some shabby-looking clothes and had flecks of grey throughout his hair, but he was only in his early thirties. She recognized the voice immediately as the one from the Hospital Wing belonging to a man named Remus. "I'm Professor Remus Lupin, but I suppose you can just call me Remus since I am not your professor."
She opened the door all the way and repositioned herself so that she was standing directly in front of him.
"It's nice to meet you, Remus. I'm Stellaria, but please call me Stella," she requested. "Would you like to come in?"
"Sure," he said with a smile. Stella stepped aside to allow him entrance.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked politely.
"No, no," he hastily declined. "Actually, Professor Dumbledore said you wished to see me, so here I am," he said, stealing a quick wink at her. She blushed and smiled.
"I just wanted to thank you in person for saving my life," she said shyly.
"It was my pleasure. I'm glad you weren't seriously injured."
"Me, too," she laughed.
Then silence ensued.
"So, how did you find me?" she finally asked.
"Oh, well, I found you lying on the forest floor. I tried waking you, but you're a pretty heavy sleeper," he joked. They laughed and she resumed the conversation.
"Was I alone?"
"Yes," he answered seeming confused. "I didn't leave anyone else back there, did I?"
"No," she chuckled. "It's just… I thought… Nevermind."
"No, please, what were you about to say?" he asked interestedly.
"It's nothing, really, It's stupid."
"I highly doubt that. Come on, love, let's hear it," he coaxed.
"Fine, but don't laugh," she warned. "I thought there was a werewolf with me, but I guess I just imagined it."
He didn't laugh. In fact, far from that.
"Oh, well," he cleared his throat, "I mean I suppose it's certainly possible. You know, there are plenty of creatures out there in the Forest," he muttered.
"Yeah, I don't know maybe it was just a big dog or a regular wolf," she suggested.
"Perhaps, perhaps. So," he said changing the subject. "I was hoping you would be willing to accompany me to the Great Hall for Dinner."
"That would be fantastic," she replied.
"Shall I come here to escort you at around 6?"
"Sounds good to me," she said happily.
"Alright, I shall see you then, Stella," he said with a smile and he left without another word.
When Theseus apparated the little girl to his small house at Spinner's End, she was already half asleep. So he quickly transfigured the nightstand in his bedroom into a child-sized bed and gently laid her down for the night. She nuzzled her head into the pillow as he tucked her into the warmness of the soft blanket.
"Goodnight, little one," he whispered, removing a few loose strands of hair from her face and placing them behind her ear. He smoothed her hair one last time before kissing her lightly on the forehead and retreating from his bedroom.
He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of butterbeer. He wanted to down some fire whiskey but he knew that it would not be a prudent choice considering the circumstances. He felt badly for the girl. Her mother had just died, her home was destroyed, and she had nowhere to go. Her father was not in the picture, but it was for the best. What would happen to her now? She must be placed into a foster home, but the question was whether she should stay in this world or be sent into the muggle world. She would be at greater risk should she stay in the wizarding world, but she would definitely be missing out if she was sent out of it. Theseus decided he had had enough of thinking about it for the night and went to his room. He quickly checked on the still sleeping Serenity and then slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower.
When he had showered, changed, and brushed his teeth, he climbed into bed. He had been laying there for no more than five minutes when he heard whimpering coming from the bed next to his. He leaned over to see a still sleeping Rene but she was apparently having a nightmare or something. She cried out and tossed and turned in the bed. Theseus got up and went around to her side. He reached out to touch her forehead and found it to be sweaty and warm.
"Rene? Serenity?" he called. "Wake up, love," he said as he gently shook her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered and she looked around, momentarily confused, before she began to cry.
"I want my mum!" she sobbed. Theseus carefully picked her up and cradled her.
"I know you do," he soothed. "I know." She cried uncontrollably, her breaths coming in sporadic gasps and the occasional hiccup. All Theseus could do was rock her back and forth in his arms and whisper words of comfort in her ear. Eventually, she calmed down and transitioned into a dazed state. She twirled her fingers in her hair as her eyelids began to droop. Theseus went to put her back in the bed but she became unstill when he did so. He sighed and looked at her.
"It couldn't hurt for one night," he relented. He tucked her into the covers of the bed alongside him and she curled up into his chest. Within a few moments he heard her steady breathing and, comforted by the notion that she had fallen asleep, drifted off, too.
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