So, a *slightly* more upbeat AU.

Slightly.

...

I have certain goals I want for each chapter.

And that means LONGER chapters yo(sometimes anyway)

So I was stuck for the rest of September, so part of this will jump. Apologies.

Spending the day alone with Teddy had been good for her. She had woken up with a dull ache in her shoulder, despite the potions and spells that she had tried. Remus had still seemed tense when he left for work, and her mother had insisted on going to the supermarket for Tonks because she apparently had to go anyway- even though Tonks really didn't believe that excuse, she was sure it was just her mother's way of meddling with their family- but she wasn't going to tell her to stop. After all, Andromeda was her mother and still trying to heal from the loss of Ted, she couldn't tell her mother that she didn't necessarily need her anymore- her mother was keeping herself busy and that was what was important.

It felt natural to be home with Teddy, to be simply a mother and not an Auror, and she did wonder if it'd be easier for their family if she retired from being an Auror- but she wanted to be an Auror, that also felt natural for her.

By the time Remus got home that evening, she was sitting on the couch with Teddy on her knees, shifting her hair different colours for Teddy to copy. Andromeda had been there for only a few hours in the afternoon, dropping off the supermarket purchases and lecturing her daughter(again) about being an Auror.

She looked up as he stepped out of the fireplace, and frowned. He seemed worse than he had that morning, but offered her a weak smile, and she knew this time that she wasn't the cause for his tension.

"What's wrong?" She asked, letting her hair fade back to brown, and Teddy's followed a second later.

"I got a letter while I was grading papers between classes." Remus said.

"And?" She asked, picking Teddy up and standing. She stepped over to Remus, as Remus' gaze shifted to the floor. "Remus, what are you keeping from me?"

He exhaled slowly, looking up at her. "Greyback's pack is reforming."

"But Greyback's dead-"

"Yes."

"Can they reform his pack without him?" She asked.

Remus nodded. "He was the alpha, there would have been a beta in his ranks. And it looks like the beta is the one who is rebuilding the pack."

"Maybe they won't-"

"It's already happened, Dora." Remus said. "His beta is now the alpha."

"Do you know who his beta was?"

Remus shook his head. "When I lived among them, I witnessed the beta being killed. I don't know who replaced him. I didn't pay enough attention to the ranks."

"Is all of this- is this what the letter said?"

He shook his head. "It's part of what it said, but it's not all."

"What did the rest of it say?"

"I made a few contacts during my time among them, and I suppose that's a good thing-"

"Remus, what did it say?"

"They're not giving up. The attack before, it was a few of them trying to infect one of you two, but now there's apparently twenty of them in the pack again- and they won't give up. One of you will be infected next full moon, that's the date they're aiming for." Remus said. "And I won't be here to protect you-"

"Remus, do you have the letter?"

He nodded, reaching into his robe pocket and pulling out the folded piece of parchment.

"Then we give it to the Ministry, Dawlish will probably be willing to help us." She said. "We can handle this, Remus."

"I-" He began. "If either of you is ever infected, I couldn't live with myself. It'd be my fault, Dora."

She walked forward, wrapping her free arm around his neck, pressing a kiss to his lips. "It would never be your fault, Remus." She said as she leaned back and Teddy grabbed his father's robes in chubby fists. "Now, take your son, I believe he's missed his father."

Remus smiled as he took Teddy in his arms, Teddy's hair changing to match the slight amount of grey in Remus' hair. "I'll find a way to protect you both." Remus said. "I promise. Greyback ruined my life because my father insulted him, I won't let history repeat itself."

She was silent for a minute, and then took a deep breath. "What would happen if I were infected instead of Teddy?"

His face hardened as he looked at her. "Dora, that would be-"

"Think about it, Remus, just for a moment." She said. "If they infect me, Teddy might be safe- and they can't force me to work with them."

"Dora, we would never be able to have more children, the risk would be even higher of a born werewolf. And I couldn't- to see you go through what I did, I couldn't let that happen."

"Remus, if it came down to me or Teddy-"

"It won't, we'll make it doesn't." He said firmly.

November's full moon approached. She had only missed three days of training, and Roofie had filled in during two of those days. Once she returned, he remained with them because there was still discoloration and pain on her shoulder that made casting spells difficult- as Dawlish had predicted. The day before full moon, she realised that it was a good thing that Roofie remained helping her during training- and hoped Dawlish would let Roofie stay in training with them for a little longer.

It was shortly before seven thirty, but she didn't want to leave Remus alone just yet, because he seemed to having a rough morning so far.

"Remus?" She asked quietly as she stood by the bedroom door.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his head on his hands.

"Remus?" She repeated, sitting next to him. "Whatever you're feeling, we can talk about it-"

"How can you love me?" Remus asked, straightening up and refusing to meet her eyes. "Dora, I've never understood-"

"Well, you're a good man, Remus-"

"I'm a monster, and the fact that you'd be so willing- so trusting- to love someone like me-"

"You're not a monster." She said firmly. "I've told you a million times, Remus. You're a good man-"

"A man who could just as easily be a killer-"

"I don't believe that." She said, taking one of his hands gently, and it felt warmer than usual- but that was very normal for the day of the moon. "You're too kind, too gentle-"

"I wouldn't have a choice, Dora. I don't choose what I do-"

"But you do." She said firmly. "You choose to never let the wolf take over, that's what's important-"

"But this is all my fault." He said. "If we had never gotten married-''

"Don't." She said quickly. "Don't say that, Remus, please. You make it sound as if you regret it-"

"Don't you?"

She stood slowly, walking to stand in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "I regret nothing, Remus." She said gently. "But if you say you regret it, that you regret marrying me, I'll let you walk away- if you choose to."

His light green eyes stared into her dark eyes, and he remained silent.

"Remus, do you regret marrying me?" She asked gently.

He reached for her, pulling her close to him, pressing his forehead against her chest. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning her chin on his hair. "I'll take that as a no." She said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "We'll be fine, Remus." She promised, and then smiled slowly. "All four of us will be fine."

"Four?" His voice asked, sounding a little hoarse. He leaned back to look up at her. "But Dora-"

She nodded slowly, her smile widening.

"How far-"

"Six weeks." She said. "So it may have been good that we had that conversation the day we did, because apparently it was happening whether we discussed it or not."

He smiled, standing to wrap his arms tightly around her. "Thank you, Dora." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Well, I should be thanking you-"

"I mean for putting up with me." He said with a hoarse laugh.

"Well, Remus, I am a woman, and women know about mood swings too." She said gently. "Now, if you'd let me go, I do need to get to work."