Reminder: Harry Potter and all related bits and bobs belong to J.K. Rowling.

...Chapter Fourteen: Memories or Monsters?

Ana stumbled out of bed. The house, though old and lived in, was new to her and she could not sleep. With her blanket looped about her thin shoulders, she went in search of an adult. Leandra would have tried to help her get back to sleep, but Ana wanted someone who lived in the house to banish the monsters that were lurking under her bed.

Tiptoeing down the hall in her stained nightgown, she clung to her blanket as if it were a lifeline. She did not want to admit that she was afraid. But even if she was a werewolf, the monsters under the bed still frightened her more than many of her pack mates did.

With one tiny fist buried in pink cloth, she raised the other to tap on the door before her. Surely Mr. John would be able to scare off the monsters, he had already scared off Mr. Arctos.

Remus woke to a hesitant knock on his door. He swiped at his eyes as he rose, noticing that Hermione was still deeply asleep on the other bed. With precise movements, he padded over to the door, his feet barely making a sound on the threadbare rug.

Wide, childish eyes looked up at him as he opened the door. Ana's tiny face was set with determination, even then it still looked sweet.

"There are monsters." Remus felt a sudden lurch in his stomach. What if the girl meant him? He could deal with adults calling him a monster, but he had never been able to face down a child with the same accusation.

"There are monsters under the bed. Miss Diane forgot to tell them to go away." The girl insisted. Whatever she had termed as monsters could not have been anything more than what muggle children saw under their beds, he thought. But helping her would not be a problem. After all, defence against Dark creatures was his speciality.

"Well, we'll just have to see what can be done about that." He walked out into the hall and took hold of Ana's proffered hand.

She led him down the hall, a faint skip in her step and a smile on her face.

"They said I couldn't boss them, I'm too small. But you can make them run away."

He wondered how much of her "monster" infestation was just childish fancy and how much had gained life through memories of things she had faced.

Remus entered the girls' bedroom, which was considerably larger than it had been when he had helped Hermione move her luggage to it just a few days before. He suddenly understood his former student's complete exhaustion; first the transformation, then some rather complex bits of household magic. It was a wonder she had been able to wake up at all when he entered the room.

Leandra was still asleep, curled up on her side and holding an extra pillow as if it were a teddy bear. She did not stir as Remus and a very excitable Ana entered the room.

At Ana's request, Remus got down on his hands and knees, commanding imagined Dark creatures to vacate the spaces under both of the beds. He then was ordered to make certain that there was nothing in the wardrobe that stood on the wall next to Leandra's bed.

The older girl stayed asleep through most of the exchange, waking up only once to ask why he was in the room.

"Ana wanted me to get rid of the monsters." He said soothingly. The girl nodded listlessly. But when she fell back asleep, Leandra clutched the pillow a little more gently.

When Remus was done inspecting the room, Ana approached him.

"The monsters went away for now. But they said they'll be back when you go." Her high, sweet voice was worried and her trembling hands were wrapped up in her pink blanket.

"Well then," commented Remus as he knelt down beside her. "I'll just have to find you a protector." His thoughts went to a dusty school trunk in the attic. "Ana, the monsters won't come back tonight. I scared them off. But if you need me, I'm right down the hall. So is Diane, if you would rather she help you next time." Ana flung her arms around his waist.

"Thank you, Mr. John." She hurried back into her room.

Remus shrugged off the guilty feeling that came with deceiving the girl. Telling her the monsters were gone was one thing, but listening to her call him by a false name was another. How would he ever explain it to her if the truth were to come out? He had not even been able to face the students at Hogwarts when they learned he was a werewolf. But then again, if the pack found out he was not who he claimed, explaining himself to a five year old would be the least of his worries.

Morning came, with Remus still worse for the wear. What little sleep he had gotten had been interrupted by the normal nightmares that he had after a transformation. Images lingered behind his eyelids of students and friends lying in bloody heaps on the floor. He could taste the blood in his mouth and feel it dripping down his chin.

Hermione woke up in a much better mood. Her dreams had been peaceful, her shower warm, and for once, her hair seemed to be willing to bow to her demands. She forced it back into a clip, hoping that the hairstyle would make her appear older. If everyone thought she was Remus's mate, she had better look like it. He had always been a neat, if shabby, man and her appearance needed to reflect that.

Dressed in a blouse and slacks, she made her way downstairs.

Ana and Alec sat at the kitchen table, both with toast on their plates. Leandra leaned against a wall, as if hoping that it would keep her upright as she took large gulps from the oversized mug in her hands. Kimi was nowhere to be found. Hermione could only hope that she was not snooping around the cottage.

"Good morning, Mrs Canis." Ana chirped sweetly. Hermione blinked. Mrs Canis? Though she did ask the question she still got a reply. "Alec says I can't call you Miss Diane. He says that you aren't a miss."

Hermione wondered about explaining to the children that she could live with Remus without necessarily being married to him. She decided against it. Time would teach them that fact.

She still looked down at her ring finger. What would it be like to have something there? Would it catch on the pages of books when she turned their pages? Hermione usually liked questions, but these were useless. It was much more important for her to continue her mission; help Remus influence the werewolf population against Lord Voldemort.

Dust stuck to his hands and landed in his hair. His clothes were a lost cause. Too many years of casual neglect have made this attic into a veritable winter wonderland. He mused crossly as he trudged his way through the swirling motes.

His old school trunk sat in the corner, surrounded by outdated school books. Two battered broomsticks rested on the lid. Remus pushed the broomsticks aside and opened the trunk.

Dust flew everywhere, adding fuel to his already annoyed state of mind.

But as soon as he examined the contents of the trunk, his annoyance vanished. Everything reminded him of the Marauders, from his old school tie to the Chocolate Frog card peaking out from under a discarded shoe. Battered quills brought to mind hours of listening to Sirius and James talk while he tutored Peter. A singed card from their replica of Hogwarts made entirely with Exploding Snap cards, everything had a meaning to him.

It was an item in the very bottom of the trunk that held most of his attention, however. A ragged, well-loved stuffed animal hunched against an ancient bottle of Ogden's. The black dog had been his only friend before school, but it was the later memories that brought Remus up short.

Sirius's animagus form had so closely resembled the scruffy toy that they had taken to calling him "Mr Snuffles" in its honour. He became Padfoot despite all their jokes that Snuffles fit him much better.

Remus tucked the stuffed animal under his arm. Mr Snuffles would protect Ana from the monsters, just as much as he had protected a little half-blood boy so many years before. And Remus devoutly prayed that if he could, no matter where he was, that Sirius would watch over her as well.

...Author's Notes:

I know that some of you have been waiting for this for a very long time, for that I beg your forgiveness. I get aggravated when stories that I am reading become seemingly abandoned, so I can imagine that you feel the same.

As to this chapter, I wanted to give a bit of feel for how life is in the Lupin house. I left off a bit suddenly with Hermione in this chapter, mostly because I intend to use the next chapter to characterize Alec, Leandra and Kimi a bit better, since I seem to be abandoning those three. I figure that breakfast is as good a place as any to begin. If you are wondering about the last line, I wrote it in there because I think that Remus would believe that Sirius and James are both watching out for him.

I am at your mercy. You can Review, Comment, and/or Question me to your heart's content. And yes, you can even Flame me.