Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.

Chapter 8 – Neoma Accalia Lupin

It had now been a few years since Remus had his last encounter with Rebekah. He awaited her weekly letters like they were his life lines. Unable to find work because of his condition they were just that to him. Her letters and proclamations of love that they contained were what kept him going. He had no real friends like he had in the past but still tried to take things one day at a time. As he waited for her letter to arrive he began packing his things into a large trunk. He had received a visit from Albus Dumbledore at the beginning of the summer. Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, where Remus had attended school. Dumbledore asked Remus to take over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher which Remus reluctantly accepted only after he was reassured by Dumbledore that every precaution would be taken to keep his Lycanthropy a secret from the students and their parents.

As Remus placed the last of what he was bringing with him inside the trunk he snapped the latches closed and carried it out of his bedroom and into the foyer noticing a large brown barn owl perched atop his coat rack. He removed the letter that was attached to its leg and it flew off almost knocking the coat rack over in the process. Remus opened the letter with great haste.

My Darling Remus,

I was happy to read that you had accepted Dumbledore's offer to have you teach at Hogwarts. I just wish you had told me before you had. I have been debating telling you this but I felt if I told you now it would be easier for you when you arrive at Hogwarts. This will be Neoma's second year at the school. I know you hadn't thought about this when you took the position. How could you have? I am sure she is in your thoughts all the time but why would you assume she would be there when you would. I know this may change things but like I said before, I wish you had told me earlier. I am sorry to have to spring this one on you. I will be redirecting my weekly letters to Hogwarts. I hope to hear from you again soon. I love you with all my heart.

All My Love,

Rebekah

Remus let out a sigh. He did not know what to think. If it had not been so close to the beginning of the school year he would have gone straight to Dumbledore and told him under no circumstances was he going to be able to teach that year or any year for that matter, but he felt now he had an obligation to fulfill. He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a fairly old looking piece of parchment that he carried with him at all times. It had been the letter that he had received about two months after he had last seen Rebekah. Unfolding it he reread it for what had to be the one millionth time.

Dear Remus,

I apologize for the sparse arrivals of my letters. I have not had a chance to write very often because of being extremely busy. Exactly one week ago I gave birth to your daughter. I would have written you sooner but could not find one person in that bloody hospital to sneak me a damned quill or bit of parchment. She was born at 5:34 the morning of June 1st if you want to be exact. She is so beautiful, and I wish that if you could see her so you would know for your self. Jonathan insists on telling everyone, even the doctors, that she was born a month premature. I don't think he will ever trust a doctor again. I wish you could have been there for her birth, but even if you had the pleasure of calling this your daughter you would never have been able to be there for her birth. It was a full moon that night and I know I don't need to remind you of that ordeal. I think I was in as much pain if not more pain than you that night. I really do wish you could see her. I know you would love her more than anyone can love another human being and it pains me to have to see our daughter in the arms of Jonathan. I am so sorry that everything happened this way, and please forgive me for it. I love you and our child more than life itself.

With Love,

Rebekah

P.S. After much of a struggle with Jonathan I got him to agree with my name choice. Her name is Neoma Accalia. I am sure you are smart enough to figure out why I named her that, Jonathan hasn't a clue. Oh, and if I could have put what I knew was right for the last name on the birth certificate I would have put Lupin, Neoma Accalia Lupin


Remus bit his bottom lip after reading the old letter and folded it up. He unlocked the latches on his trunk and hid the letter amongst his clothing. He then closed and locked the trunk once more before putting on his old cloak and apparating to platform 9 ¾.

Remus found himself on the Hogwarts express in the same compartment as the famous son of one of his best friends. He marveled at how much Harry looked like James, but restrained himself from telling Harry that he had known his father. Harry had just been out cold because of the arrival of Dementors on the train, and this was no time to tell someone that you were best friends with their dead father. He bided his time and decided to only tell Harry if it was absolutely necessary.

Remus took to teaching very well and loved it. He was so pleased to see the Gryffindor second years loved his first assignment with them, as had all the other classes. He tried not to pay to much notice to one of the young students in the class. A small fair-haired girl with beautiful sparkling blue eyes and a heart warming smile. He noticed her right away as she talked to a small group of girls in the back of the classroom. That smile and those eyes were absolutely unmistakable. He smiled softly as he thought how much she looked like her mother. Almost everything about her reminded him of Rebekah, except for her nose and her hair those were his he could tell instantly that she was indeed his.

Drawing himself away from the utter joy he felt upon finally seeing his daughter continued the lesson with success. He only had a minor slip when he heard someone calling his name. He then realized he had been staring at Neoma and had stopped reading aloud from the book.

Classes went on usually with him keeping his attention on the lesson at hand but once and a while he caught himself drifting off for a moment at the sight of the girl whose life he wished so dearly he could be a part of. When this happened he usually would snap back to reality after hearing one of the students asking him if anything was wrong. He would just attribute it to being lost in thought and go on with the lesson as planed.

After the first time he had to miss class due to his transformations, which he had been taking the Wolfsbane Potion to help with, he was horrified to find that Professor Severus Snape had assigned an extensive essay on how to recognize and kill werewolves to his third years. Severus Snape was the one making him his Wolfsbane Potion and like the rest of the faculty knew of his affliction. He had hated Remus since they were at Hogwarts as boys because of a prank that Sirius tried to play on him. Remus was although pleased to find that only one of the students had done the essay and his secret remained just that a secret.

After class with the second years that day he was surprised and almost mortified when one of the students had stayed after. He wouldn't normally have cared if it wasn't the one person he feared talking to most of all. "Uh, Professor Lupin, can I ask you a question?" she asked in a soft and sweet voice.

"Well you just did but go ahead." he said with a bright smile as he looked into the very memorable face.

"Well, I was just wondering why you never call on me in class? I know I don't always have my hand up, but in all the months you've been teaching here you never have even acknowledged that I'm in the class, at least not by calling on me. I mean I've noticed you looking at me and so I know you know I exist, but... I guess what I'm really asking is do you hate me?" As she spoke it hit Remus that in his attempt to not bring any special attention to this girl that he had almost completely ignored her except when he forgot himself and his eyes drifted to her.

"I am sorry if you feel I have disliked you Neoma but that is quite the contrary. I was friends with your mother, and I have tried not to show you any unfair attention because of that fact. I fear I may have overdone it a bit. I am sorry." It was partly true and it was the best lie he could come up with at that very moment.

"You know my mother?" Neoma's eyes went wide with wonder as she looked upon the man she did not know shared her blood.

"Yes, Neoma, I was and in some way still am very good friends with you mother. Did you know that I was at your parents wedding? So know you know why I haven't paid to much mind to you. I felt it could have been unfair to some of the other students. I am sorry if I did over do it. You look remarkably like your mother." He had not known why he deprived him of this for so long. It felt so easy to talk to his own daughter. It felt satisfying to finally do it.

"Yeah, everyone tells me that. 'You have your mother's eyes.' My mum says I have my father's nose, but I don't really see it." Remus shifted nervously at her last comment. Hoping that his nervous nature would not be detected he quickly tried to change the subject.

"Do you know what you name means?"

"Yeah, my mum told me that my first name means new moon. I personally don't know why she named me it, but she said it was something very close to her heart. She never did tell me why the new moon was so close to her heart, but that's just my mum." She laughed as she spoke. Her laugh reminded him so much of her mother. It was absolutely uncanny. "I really like my middle name though because there is a whole story that goes along with it."

"Oh, and what is your middle name?" he feigned an inquisitive look as he asked already knowing the answer to his question.

"Accalia. It's from the story-"

"Yes I know that story very well." He watched Neoma's face break into that smile she shared with her mother. "Now, Neoma Accalia, I feel you should rush off to your next class before you are late."

Neoma's eyes grew wide and she let out a small gasp. "Oh, no. I have Snape next. Sorry Professor Lupin I have to hurry. See you next lesson." She waved to him as she rushed out of the room.

Remus let out a little laugh as he began packing up the things he had used in the lesson. He realized he could talk to his daughter and she wasn't going to see through him and know that he was her father. He knew it was safe to treat her like any other student for she had lived with the man she had known as her father for 13 years and there was no way she could just look at Remus and see that he was the real man to have fathered her.

A/N: In case there are still some of you wondering about the middle name, Accalia is a derivative of Acca Larentia the wife of Faustulus. The two were foster parents to Romulus and Remus who (just incase you are really behind in everything) were twin brothers who after being sent down the River Tiber by their mommy's uncle Amulius were raised by a she-wolf until Faustulus found them and along with his wife took them in. Romulus went on to being the founder of Rome after offing his brah Remus just because he mocked the height of the walls that Romulus had built around the city by jumping over them. Romulus was a mean one. But anyway that is the story that Accalia comes from and where Remus comes from for that matter.

I do put a lot of thought into the names I have chosen for this story except for Jonathan. And in case you were wondering why I chose the name Rebekah it is because in Hebrew Rebekah means "Bound" as in tied or tied up. Rebekah in this story is bound by her marriage to Jonathan and can not leave with Remus who she loves.