The next night, Elizabeth sat alone in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea, waving her wand at the random objects, packing them into a battered suitcase standing in the corner of the room. She took another sip of her drink just as there was a sharp rap on the front door. Startled, Elizabeth slammed her cup back on the table, worried about her visitor's identity. She tightened her grip on her wand as she crept out into the hallway, peaking out of the kitchen door, hoping to catch a glimpse of who it was. Through the door window, she could see a hooded man with brown greying hair, and felt sure it was Remus, but she had to make sure.

"Who is it?" she called out, pointing her wand at the door, suddenly concerned for her daughter, who was asleep upstairs.

"It is I, Remus John Lupin," a familiar voice called out. "I am a werewolf, I was best friends with James and Sirius at school, which you also attended, Elizabeth. Your Patronus is a tiger and your daughter, Esme, is six years old."

"Anybody could find that out," Elizabeth said, moving closer to the door. "Tell me something only you could know."

"Two months ago, Esme celebrated her sixth birthday," the visitor said quietly. "I bought some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and brought it over. Esme had strawberry and liquorice flavour, which is her favourite."

Satisfied that it really was Remus, Elizabeth unbolted the door and let her friend in, who shook off his cloak immediately to show that he had several bloody wounds on his face.

"Remus, what happened?" Elizabeth exclaimed quietly, ushering him into the kitchen.

"A few wizards didn't take to my other form," Remus grimaced as Elizabeth quickly searched through her potion vials for something that would heal her friend. "I don't know what spell they used but it certainly did the trick."

"Well, hang on," Elizabeth said quietly and continued to search, as Remus took the opportunity to look around the kitchen. Most of the counters were covered in spell books and empty vials, but on the table, Remus could see a collection of potions being brewed, colourful spills inhabiting the majority of the surface.

"What have you been brewing?" Remus asked as Elizabeth turned back to him, a small vial in her hand. She glanced at the table as she undid the stopper. She didn't answer immediately, and instead squeezed a few drops of her potion onto Remus' wounds. He hissed as the pain eased and Elizabeth watched the cuts shrink into themselves, leaving only faint scars. She smiled weakly and put the potion vial back in its rightful place.

"I'm going away, Remus," she finally said, in a very small voice. "I'm leaving this house and going into hiding for a while."

"What?"

Remus swung her around, his eyes full of concern.

"Elizabeth, you can't leave now!" he urged, but Elizabeth shook her head.

"Dumbledore says that I'm in danger," she said, closing her eyes. "He says that Bellatrix and Rodolphus are after me. He doesn't know why, but…"

She turned away, hoping Remus wouldn't detect her rather pathetic lie.

"I've got to continue getting packed. Severus will be here soon."

"Severus?" Remus repeated, as Elizabeth went into the living room. "You've let him back into your life?"

"He's my brother," Elizabeth said quietly, tidying away several rogue books that were strewn across the sofa. "And, he's changed."

Remus scoffed, but resisted from saying anything once he saw the stern expression on Elizabeth's pale face, her white hands clutched into fists. They stayed in silence, Remus occasionally looking over at Elizabeth, who despite having worry etched all over her face, still looked incredibly beautiful.

"You know I care about you, don't you?" Remus said quietly, and Elizabeth, who had been peeking out of the curtain, froze. She tightened her grip on the material, worried about answering. Eventually, she turned around to face her friend, who was standing directly behind her, his scarred face incredibly close to hers.

"Of course I know," she said softly, taking his hands and squeezing them. "I know you do. You have been there for me when no-one else was. But, Remus, I am doing this for my daughter. I have to put her first. Before everything that I want."

Elizabeth stopped, and gently kissed Remus on the cheek, just as the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?"

"Your brother, Severus," came a familiar voice, and Remus scowled at the visitor's name. "You and I used to play in the park at Spinner's End, and you once tripped and fell into a pond, when you were eight."

Elizabeth opened the door to her brother, who was illuminated by the porch light. He raised his eyebrow at Remus but said nothing as Elizabeth locked the door behind him.

"Esme and I are ready to go," Elizabeth said quietly and Severus nodded, his eyes glancing up at the ceiling. "I just need to go and wake her."

"You need to be quick, Lexi," her brother said as she rushed upstairs. She quietly picked up her daughter's bag from the landing and pushed open Esme's bedroom, to find that her daughter was already awake.

"Mummy?" Esme asked, sat up in bed. "Who's downstairs?"

"Mummy's brother and Remus, sweetheart," Elizabeth said softly as she wrapped a cloak around Esme. "Come on, we have to go somewhere safe."

Esme didn't argue but watched with amusement as her mother flicked her wand and a small suitcase appeared, which began packing itself with Esme's clothes.

Elizabeth carried Esme downstairs to where Remus and Severus were standing in silence, awaiting her return. Esme clung to her mother at the sight of the two men and buried her face in Elizabeth's hair, but Elizabeth simply looked at Severus, who nodded.

"Can Esme do Side by Side Apparating?" he asked and his sister shook her head, clutching her daughter tightly. "We'll have to take brooms instead."

"Where are we going?" she asked, glancing at Remus, who didn't seem happy with Elizabeth trusting Severus. However, Severus didn't answer Elizabeth's question and simply raised his eyebrow.

"I can't tell you that until Lupin leaves," he sneered and anger built up inside of Elizabeth. Even when she and her daughter were facing possible death, Severus still managed to take cheap shots at Remus.

She sighed and turned to Remus, who hesitated, obviously not wanting to leave.

"Like I said, Esme and I are going away, and I'm not sure when I'll see you again, Remus," Elizabeth said, biting back tears. "I promise that I'll contact you as soon as we're no longer in danger."

Remus didn't say anything, his brown eyes shining with bitter tears. He awkwardly pulled her in a hug, as she was still holding Esme in her arms, and kissed her cheek.

"Please stay safe," he whispered as he pulled away, and with a curt nod at Severus, he left the farmhouse. Elizabeth watched him leave, sniffing hard and wiping her face dry as best as she could.

"Where are we going, then?" she asked quietly, turning back to her brother.

"Spinner's End," Severus replied and Elizabeth's eyes grew wide.

"Mum and Dad's place?" she asked and her brother nodded.

Two weeks later, Elizabeth was beginning to have doubts about going into hiding with her daughter. They weren't allowed any visitors except Severus, who popped by once a week to make sure she was still alive, so she suddenly felt so alone. At school, she had been popular and had surrounded herself with friends. But now, her isolation only highlighted how much she missed Sirius, Remus, Lily and James. They had never failed to make her laugh and every second in their company flew by. Elizabeth loved every minute she spent in Esme's presence, but at the age of six, she couldn't have an adult conversation with her mother. Instead, Elizabeth focused all of her energy on teaching Esme different areas of magic, specifically defensive spells. She would demonstrate the Disarming and Stunning spells, knowing that Esme would remember them, and would laugh as the little girl cheered and clapped her eager hands.

Elizabeth had also performed a very tricky piece of magic since moving into her new hiding place. After being attacked by the crowd of wizards and witches at their home, Elizabeth had asked Remus how Sirius had managed to turn himself into an Animagus, stating that she wished to become one as a way of protecting Esme if they were ever attacked again. However, Elizabeth had no interest in becoming an Animagus. She actually wanted to transform Esme, so if they were ever found, she would be able to escape, as she wasn't old enough to Apparate or fly on a broomstick. Remus, although suspicious and rather reluctant, had told her the long and complicated process of becoming an Animagus, and after four years of studying and careful planning, Elizabeth had successfully managed to complete the spell onto her daughter. However, there was one small thing that confused her about her daughter's Animagus form. Elizabeth had been told that when a witch or wizard transforms into an Animagus, they don't get to choose their form, but it usually reflects their personality. She suspected that Sirius could transform into a dog because they are loyal, good friends and brave, so she thought that Esme might transform into an animal that was cheeky, clever and loving. However, Esme seemed to be once again proving her individuality and uniqueness, as she didn't have a fixed form.

On the night that Elizabeth had finally performed the spell, Esme had slowly transformed into a baby tiger, roaring quietly around the living room, her glowing fur soft and small. Elizabeth had gasped quietly, as a tiger was the form of her own Patronus, so her daughter seemed to have been channelling her throughout the transformation. They had been playing together for about five minutes when there was a loud bang from outside. Distracted by the noise, Elizabeth had rushed to her feet and peeped through the curtains, sighing softly when she realised it was only a car backfiring. Turning around to comfort her daughter, Elizabeth hadn't been greeted by a scared baby tiger. Instead, cowering on the floor, its whiskers shaking slightly, was a small black mouse, its beady eyes looking up at her. A few hours, and several different animal transformations later, Elizabeth had realised that as an Animagus reflects a person's traits and personality, her daughter must be thoroughly confused in herself. She had no idea whether Esme's form would become fixed as she grew up, but for now, her different transformations might come in handy.

Despite this amazing piece of magic that had brought mother and child together, Elizabeth still had to think of the dangers chasing after them, and as her instincts as a mother increased, along with her love for her daughter, Elizabeth grew to hate locking Esme in her room every night, and hated having to perform protective charms around the dingy house that she despised. Her parents were away; Severus had warned them that if they stayed in the house, they might be attacked. Tobias had been incredibly reluctant to leave his sanctuary but Eileen had threatened to curse him. Since their departure, Elizabeth and Esme had been living there, in the darkness, amongst the horrible memories. It was in this house, that Elizabeth made the hardest decision of her life, and without telling her brother, she contacted Dumbledore and asked him to come to the house. After putting Esme once more to bed, she waited in the cold kitchen for her visitor.

About an hour after Elizabeth had safely seen her daughter to bed, there was a sharp knock on the front door. Elizabeth didn't say anything, but slowly raised her wand, her eyes firmly on the door.

"Elizabeth, your daughter is growing to hate mushroom and bean soup," Dumbledore's soft voice hummed through the wooden door. Elizabeth smirked slightly. A couple of visits ago, back when they were still living at the farmhouse, Dumbledore had arrived just in time to see Esme spitting out some of the soup Puzzle brought over. A pang of sadness hit as Elizabeth remembered the funny old house-elf. When they moved, Puzzle hadn't been allowed to come with them and had returned to Hogwarts, but Elizabeth couldn't help but miss her.

"Come in, Albus," Elizabeth said, unsealing the door and allowing the wizard to pass. She anxiously waited for him to remove his cloak and rest it on her sofa, her eyes darting to the front door every couple of seconds.

"I trust that this is an emergency, Elizabeth," Dumbledore said quietly, turning to face her, his eyes grave in the low candle light. "Otherwise, you have put yourself in danger for no reason."

"Albus, I am in danger whether or not I contact the outside world," Elizabeth replied bitterly. "But, in any case, this isn't an exact emergency. It's more… of a request."

Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon glasses, confusion flashing momentarily in his eyes. Elizabeth urgently pressed on, worried that she might not have a lot of time.

"If Bellatrix and Rodolphus have marked me for death, then I'm going to die. There's no delaying it. They're not going to stop until they either find the pendant or kill me, and as we can't allow them to find the stone, it is going to have to be the latter."

"Elizabeth, you are safe here," Dumbledore said softly as Elizabeth paced the room, trying to organise her thoughts. She needed to explain herself properly, otherwise he might not do as she ask.

"Yes, but that's another thing, Albus," she said hurriedly. "I can't raise Esme like this. At this rate, she won't be able to go to Hogwarts in fear of being attacked on the way there! I can't bring her up in fear; it's not fair on her. I need her to have as normal a life as possible and this isn't it."

"Surely bringing her up in isolation is better than putting you both in danger?" Dumbledore asked but Elizabeth wasn't sure. Still pacing, she tried to think of her next point.

"If I don't do this then Esme will never be able to leave this house for the rest of her life," she said, frustrated. "I have lost my friends, my husband and my home. I can't lose her too, but in order to keep her safe, I will most likely barricade her in her room. And, if she is anything like Sirius, which she most definitely is, she will try to rebel and sneak out and most likely end up dead, and I will not let that happen…" She stopped and took a deep breath, trying not to ramble anymore. "Which brings me to my request."

Dumbledore, who had patiently allowed her to vent her thoughts out angrily, nodded his head politely, clearly ready to listen.

"When I die – Albus, there is no preventing it – when I die, I need you to make sure Esme is looked after. I don't want her to live with my parents; I will not allow my father to project his poison onto her. Apart from them, Severus is Esme's only surviving relative that might be willing to take her in – Sirius' family won't want anything to do with her since she isn't pure-blood – but I know that he is busy at Hogwarts and won't be able to bring her up. So, there is only one person left that I trust." Finally stopping still and looking the old man in the face, she said, "I want you to take her to Remus."

Dumbledore didn't seem surprised at her request.

"Despite his transformations every month?" he asked calmly and Elizabeth nodded sternly.

"He cares about her," she said simply, resuming her pacing. "He will make sure that she is looked after, even if it means finding her a temporary home once a month. Only, don't tell him that I have asked you to place Esme in his care, otherwise he might think it's too much pressure. Just tell him, that you think I would have wanted him to take her in. If Esme lives with him, she will no longer have to live in complete isolation. She might not be able to interact with many other people, but she will be able to leave the house."

"She will still be met with prejudice when people discover who she is," Dumbledore said quietly but Elizabeth waved him down.

"I've already thought of that," she said impatiently. "When she goes to live with Remus, you need to start a rumour that she has moved to France to attend Beauxbatons Academy. I have an uncle from my mother's side who lives there, and if you tell people that she has started living there, Esme will be free to live her life. Severus knows of a potion that should change Esme's hair colour – she looks too much like me and people would probably guess who she is. She will also have to change her name, but I haven't had time to decide everything for her yet. I'm still working things out…"

She sighed and looked at Dumbledore, who again had patiently waited for her stop talking. He looked grave and pity was sparkling in his eyes as he listened to Elizabeth's request.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" he asked and Elizabeth nodded slightly.

"My mother knows what to do if it happens," she said quietly. "She promised to put some money aside for Esme, and to keep my father away from her. I don't have much, but if my mother sells my old house, she should be able to receive enough money to keep Esme comfortable, and Remus will be able to access it once he becomes her guardian."

Dumbledore looked at her hard, his blue eyes staring directly into hers, as though trying to figure her out. Elizabeth nervously looked away. There was a small reason as to why she didn't want Dumbledore to suspect she was hiding something. The truth was, Elizabeth knew that neither Bellatrix nor Rodolphus would find her and Esme without a little help. Although it tore her apart to even consider it, Elizabeth was planning to reveal her whereabouts secretly to the Death Eaters, in the hope that they would kill her quickly and leave Esme alone. Knowing she was going to die was truly terrifying, but since becoming a mother, and losing everything else, Esme had become her entire focus and obsession. If keeping her daughter safe meant ending her own life, then that was what she was going to do. However, to some people, this might seem like the cowardly way out, almost like she couldn't stand living in isolation anymore and simply allowed herself to die. Elizabeth didn't care about other people, but after her death, she wouldn't be able to shield her daughter from the rumours and snide comments that wizards and witches would whisper about her and Sirius. She didn't want Esme growing up thinking her father was a murderer and her mother was a coward. That was why Elizabeth wasn't telling Dumbledore her other plan. All she needed him to do was to ensure Esme's safety, and entrust her to Remus' care.

"I also have this for you," she said quickly, moving over to the coffee table, which was holding a small brown wooden box. She jerked her wand at it and the lid popped open, revealing the golden pendant that had been given to her nine years ago. She gently lifted it out and handed it to Dumbledore, who didn't seem at all surprised at being given the magical necklace. If he was confused, he hid it well.

"You need to give this to Esme once she turns seventeen," Elizabeth told him, closing the wooden box and putting it into a drawer of a cupboard standing in the corner of the room. "Explain to her what's inside so she can pass it on to her children…"

Dumbledore nodded, pocketing the pendant silently. He seemed very forlorn, and clearly the task Elizabeth had set him wasn't an enjoyable one.

"You seem very resigned to the possibility of dying, Elizabeth," he said solemnly. Elizabeth nodded, but didn't reply as tears started fighting their way to the front of her eyes. Now that she had asked Dumbledore to look after Esme, everything seemed suddenly very real.