"You're such a perfect little Pup."

Fenrir's face loomed closer and closer, his sharp teeth bared in a twisted smile. Emma didn't like it, she knew that she didn't like it, but she was completely and utterly helpless to the werewolf's advances. She could feel his hands on her, roving, touching, groping everywhere he could. His stubble was rough on her face, and it made her skin itch. Why could she do nothing about it?

She didn't want this; she didn't want him touching her. This couldn't be real. It wasn't allowed to be real – Remus would never let this happen to her.

Emma woke up with a quiet cry. When was the last time she had a dream that vivid? It felt too real as if she had lived that moment before. The fact she couldn't fight back had been concerning. Why couldn't she fight back? Why didn't she fight back?

She pressed her hand over her heart, willing herself to calm down. Emma sat up, looking around just to make sure she was where she was supposed to be. The bluebell flames flickered calmly in their jar, the sky outside her window was dark, Boris was chucked halfway across the room. Emma's legs were tangled in her blanket, and her pillows were strewn about. At least she had tried to fight in the present if not in her mind.

Emma took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to steady her rapidly beating heart. She was safe, she was in her room, Remus was just across the way like at home. Greyback was nowhere near her. Still, a part of her felt incredibly terrified.

She felt incredibly stupid, but she really just wanted to be with Remus in his room. There was no possible way for Greyback to get to her at Hogwarts, but she didn't want to be alone. She knew she was safe, but she needed the comfort of having Remus right there just in case.

Slipping out of her bed, Emma padded out into the hallway and stood outside Remus's door. She hesitated as she stared at the wooden door, feeling as though she should turn back around and head to her room.

She was fourteen, she shouldn't be going to him like a small child asking to sleep in their parent's bed after a bad dream. The problem was that it was exactly what she wanted to do. After moving back into her room at Remus's insistence, she realized how much she relied on him. It wasn't something she wanted to admit, after having to take care of herself for so long, but she needed him. He helped keep her grounded when she couldn't do it herself. Decision made, she raised her hand to knock, but the door opened by itself. He knew she was there.

Sighing, she opened the door and peered around the corner with a sheepish grin. It appeared that Remus had just been settling in as he was still sitting up in bed, one of the books he borrowed from the library on his lap. Emma still found it incredibly strange to see him in a short-sleeved shirt, but she was glad that he didn't have to hide around her anymore.

"Bad dream?" he asked, closing the book. "Do I have to ask?"

"Don't really think you have to ask," she said quietly. "I'm sure you already know. Same as usual."

Remus nodded, setting the book aside on the side table. "Come here," he said, lifting his blanket and patting the empty spot to his right. "Did you want to talk about it?

Emma closed the door behind her and climbed into his bed. She settled into the empty space next to her father and sighed, curling up on her side, facing him. Relief flooded through her – this was safe.

"Not really," she whispered, embarrassed. "Sorry, I know I'm too old for this. Just didn't want to be alone."

"Hush," Remus said, sliding himself down and turning on his side to face Emma. He pushed her hair back behind her ear. "I did this with my mum all the time, even when I left school. Your grandmother used to kick your grandfather out of bed, too." Remus smiled fondly at the thought of Lyall's grumblings because he wanted to talk to Hope alone. His mother always had a knack for knowing exactly the right things to say. He just wished he could do the same for Emma; he was rotten at it. "You'll never get to be too old for this. I don't mind."

"I do," Emma said with a sniffle. She wiped at the corner of her eye, hoping that she could keep her tears at bay. "I rely on you too much. I never used to be like this."

"On the contrary, Little One – you insist on taking on too much by yourself. I fear that you're going to push yourself too hard again. I'm here to help."

Emma hummed quietly, not knowing how to really respond to that. She settled herself further into her pillow, wishing she could just go back to sleep quickly. The separation, though Emma had wanted it, had been torture. As angry as she was, she had missed Remus and having moments like this. She could never understand how he could be so kind to her – especially after having to see Elara.

She had been incredibly embarrassed to find out she had basically no real secrets from the man. The fact he knew that she had stolen his razors but said nothing made her sick. How did he trust her? Her thoughts drifted back to her finding out just how much he really knew, and she felt her ears heat up.

However, she realized that it didn't really matter how much he knew. It wasn't like how their lives had been separated by a "before and after" anymore. This was an all the time thing. It was just a fact of how their lives were. The time to be embarrassed had passed by years ago.

"Dad?" Emma looked over at Remus, not at all surprised to see him watching her. It used to bother her, but she had gotten used to it. This was just how Remus was – always watching, studying, learning.

"Yes, love?"

"Can I ask you…" Emma trailed off, feeling rude asking if she could ask Remus questions about being a werewolf. There was only so much she could get from books, and she wanted to understand him better.

"You want to know what it's like being a werewolf?"

Emma frowned. "How did you know?"

"Everyone more or less gets the exact same look," Remus said with a wry smile. "Not that many people knew, but when they found out, they had that look."

"I'm sorry," Emma grimaced. "I just…"

"You're curious. It's fine. I'd be a little more worried if you never asked me," Remus propped himself up on his elbow. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know," Emma muttered. She rolled onto her back and pulled Remus's arm towards her so she could look at his bite mark. Had she known that he was a werewolf when she was smaller? Her mind couldn't connect a moment that stuck out where it might have been obvious. The only definitive feelings she could really remember were the senses of good and evil.

When she looked at Remus, she knew he was good. When she thought of Greyback, she knew that he wasn't good at all. Perhaps a deeper part of her had somehow made the connection, despite her younger self not knowing what either man was.

It made sense in a way, she thought. Even if she wasn't aware that either man was a werewolf, she could readily see herself associating Remus with someone safe. That was something she had recognized the moment she saw him again before she knew who he was. In the brief moment that he was just a stranger across the way in The Leaky Cauldron, she knew. Of course, she had felt terrible staring at him – he had been staring first, she argued with herself – but the moment she looked away, she had wanted to look at him again. But he was gone, and the moment was lost for the time being. At least until she was given a proper introduction to Remus a few days later.

Emma hadn't thought about that day in such a long time. Receiving her Hogwarts letter had changed her life, sure, but that was her first adventure back into the life she should have always known. There had been so much potential, and perhaps Emma had been truly happy in the beginning. She knew that she was going to have a home, a family. Emma could have never imagined herself falling so far from grace and being the way that she was. Then again, maybe she could. It wasn't as though life at the children's home had been kind to her.

"Does it hurt?" she asked after a while, meeting Remus's gaze. "Your transformations?"

"Very much so," Remus answered quietly. "The Wolfsbane helps take the edge off the worst of it, but it can't stop all of it. With the Wolfsbane, I suppose it's more uncomfortable than painful, but I also know what to expect."

"What about the rest of the month? Are you in pain all the time?"

"Usually only a few days after the full. After all, my entire body destroys itself to inhabit that of an animal. It's exhausting trying to heal from it. Three weeks out of the month aren't bad, though. However, it can be a little frustrating when a certain someone worries me." Remus gave Emma a pointed look, and she blushed, letting go of his arm. She turned back on her side, and she turned her face into the pillow to hide. Remus snorted and leaned down to kiss Emma's cheek. "It's the week before the moon that's always been the worst."

"It's miserable," Emma answered. "And the Wolfsbane helps you, too?"

"It does."

"I know Elara explained the Wolfsbane Potion to me, but how does it work for you? Is it the same for everyone?"

"I don't know the ins and outs of the potion, as potions were never my strong suit. I can't say if it's exactly the same for other werewolves, but it helps me keep my mind when I transform. Instead of becoming an aggressive monster, I can still keep my mind and be a tame wolf." Seeing the question in Emma's eyes, Remus held up a hand to keep her quiet and continued, "Even though I've been taking it since the end of July, I still didn't want to transform around you because I wasn't sure how I would react. It had been years since I had been able to take it, and I wasn't going to put you at risk if something went wrong. Besides that, there are the pain-relieving properties, but being able to still keep my mind is the most important thing to me. It always has been."

"That's where you were going before term, then? To wherever you go to transform?"

"Yes," Remus said with slight hesitation. "There's a hidden basement out in the woods I had built. I go out there to make sure that there's no possibility that anyone could find me while I'm transformed."

"What about the times you said you were going away? Did you even really go to Paris?"

"I have a few different places that I can go to if I'm not home. Although, that was why I preferred you to be somewhere else during the full. It was an added layer of protection that meant I wouldn't have to worry about attacking you," Remus explained. "I really did go to Paris. How else would I have gotten you your treats? Elara's family lives out in France, and they allowed me use of their home for the full."

Emma frowned, thinking about the past few years with Remus not having the Wolfsbane Potion. She tried to think of all the times he looked exhausted, frequently sleeping during the day and falling asleep as soon as he got home from work. Emma felt terrible thinking about it. Just the lethargy alone was awful, and then the moment the other symptoms kicked in? It was like the worst possible flu one could experience, and Remus had gone through it for so long?

"I'm sorry," Emma said quietly.

"Sweetheart, I have dealt with it for nearly thirty years. I'm used to it by now."

"But it shouldn't be so difficult. It's not fair. Why weren't you taking the potion before?"

Remus gave Emma a small smile before laying back down. He reached out to stroke Emma's hair, and she gave him an expectant look. "It's a very expensive potion," Remus said. "It does wonders for me, but I could never afford it on my own."

"How expensive?"

"How are you with the exchange rates between the Muggle world and our world? I know I haven't taken the time to sit and explain it to you yet," Remus said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Suppose that might be a good idea to do before letting you go off to Hogsmeade. Probably shouldn't let you go off without knowing how much things actually are; I've never given you completely free reign in Diagon Alley."

"I'm all right with it, but I would still understand Pounds far easier."

"Well, it's around 8 Galleons per dose, which is around 40 Pounds, depending on the exchange rate. At one dose per day…"

"It's around 280 Pounds? Each month?" Emma asked, absolutely appalled. "Why is it so bloody expensive? It shouldn't be! There can't be a single bloody ingredient that exists that can make the potion that expensive. You can't tell me that it has to be made individually every single day when my doses are…" Emma's eyes widened. "If it's so expensive, how was I getting it in the summer?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Elara was…er…stealing it for you, actually. Professor Snape makes the modified version of it for you based on Elara's specifications. He doesn't know who it's going to, though. I'm sure he has his suspicions, but…"

"Elara was what? Snape makes my potion?" Emma rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She pressed her palms to her temples as if the idea pained her. "Is she absolutely insane? What if she -"

"I have had that conversation with her several times already."

"And you let her?"

"She didn't really give me a choice. Once she modified the potion for you, it was no longer of any use to someone else. I'm not proud of it, but if there was any possibility of it helping you…I can never afford it on my own for you."

"You're both absolutely mental," Emma groaned. "It's not…Dad – why?"

"Remember how I told you that I would do absolutely anything for you?"

Emma looked at Remus in alarm. "I thought you were just saying that to make me feel better!"

"Yes, well, I truly meant it."

"You're insane," Emma said, turning back onto her side. "Then why didn't you get it from her before for you?"

"Because I refused it. Elara tried to convince me to take it from her. I did a very long time ago, but I felt incredibly guilty, and that was why I stopped talking to her."

"And yet you don't feel guilty taking it for me?"

"It's different with you."

"How is it different? I fail to see how it's any different. Dad, if it could have helped you this entire time –"

"I am used to this. This life is all I've ever really known."

"Doesn't make it any better." Emma frowned. There was no way the potion should be that expensive. Was it some sick bias against werewolves that made the price so high? Was it because people just didn't want to make it? She couldn't understand what the issue was in the least.

If it was something that could help so many people, why wasn't the Ministry trying to help? Perhaps she could figure out how to make it so that Remus didn't have to suffer. The only problem with that is it meant asking Snape to teach her. Emma didn't think Remus or Snape would appreciate her asking. If the potion was so important to Remus, she would have to suck it up and do it. He didn't deserve to struggle through the moons.

Exhaustion was starting to take over again, and Emma failed miserably at stifling her yawn. "I should probably go back to my room."

"Don't be silly," Remus said. "You're already here, it's not like it makes a difference. This bed is massive."

"It is rather large, isn't it?" Emma said, closing her eyes and snuggling back into the pillow. In truth, she wasn't sure she could muster up the energy to go back across the hall. "You're sure it's fine?"

Remus chuckled softly. "I'm rather used to sharing a bed with others," Remus said, thinking back to his school days. "It was a very rare night indeed if one of my friends and I weren't sharing a bed. We used to stay up all night fairly often and would be too exhausted to move. At least you smell nice – teenage boys do not. Besides, it's far more comfortable than when you decide to use me as a makeshift pillow on the couch."

Emma giggled at the very thought and allowed herself to get comfortable. It wasn't her fault that he was practically a furnace, and it made her sleepy. Her eyes suddenly shot open as another thought crossed her mind, and she gave Remus a sheepish smile.

"I know that look very well as well," Remus said, shaking his head. "Everyone smells different. It can be terribly overwhelming sometimes, but it's manageable. I imagine you want to know what you smell like?"

"I feel silly wanting to know, but yes," Emma muttered.

"Well, that was partially why I started to call you Sunshine when you were small. You've always smelled like sunshine, to me."

"That's a thing? Smelling like sunshine?"

Remus nodded. "You're like clovers and daisies with just a hint of cinnamon. It reminds me of a late spring or early summer's morning, everything fresh and new after a long night."

"That's rather poetic," Emma said, trying to imagine exactly what Remus described. Did she really smell like that?

"Well, it's the only thing I've ever been able to like about my condition, but only with you. It's always been one of my favorite things about you. When you were small, Merlin…New baby smell is wonderful to everyone, but no one else really understood why I never wanted to let go of you. Well, perhaps - perhaps Sirius, but no one else knew."

"Now it's just getting weird," Emma snorted, closing her eyes again. "I'm going to bed. 'Night."

"Nos da cariad."

Emma found that the bracelet around her wrist gave her some newfound freedom. It might have been because they were on a mid-term break, but she didn't mind. Remus allowed her to wander without being chaperoned, and Emma enjoyed it. Even though she had been ditching everyone, it was much nicer to know that she wouldn't get in trouble for it. He recognized that perhaps it was too restrictive and would amend her current plan to give her some more freedom. As long as he had a way of knowing where she was, he could relax the restrictions and allow her to travel on her own.

The air outside was crisp, and she relished being able to walk the grounds by herself, and she enjoyed relaxing out by the lake. She brought her blanket from the dorm outside and spread it out on the grass and just read to her heart's content. Sometimes Persephone would join her with Neville, and they would have a little picnic. When the twins were daring, they would come to find her as well, and they would all joke around. Perhaps she should have let people in much sooner.

However, as their break started to come to a close, something strange happened. A black dog appeared.

Emma had been in the middle of reading The Great Gatsby, stretched out on her stomach under the lukewarm sun when she spotted him. Persephone had just left to head back into the castle, not quite enjoying the cooler temperatures like Emma did. The dog sat near the lake, hidden just behind a thatch of reeds, watching her curiously. She stared back at the dog, equally curious, tilting her head. Could that be?

"Snuffles?" she asked in disbelief.

The dog perked up, jumping up onto all fours. He took a tentative step into the open, his tail wagging.

"Snuffles, is that really you?" Emma asked, closing the book and sitting up. She gave the dog a smile as he got a little closer. When she noticed the dog's eyes, she laughed. "It is you! Come here!"

Without being asked twice, Snuffles bounded over to her with an excited bark. Apparently unaware of his own strength, he leaped onto Emma, knocking her backward onto the ground. Emma laughed as Snuffles licked her face, and she tried to push the massive dog off of her.

"Snuffles, stop it!" Emma said through breathless laughter. "I'm happy to see you, too! What are you doing here?"

Snuffles backed off and plopped down on the blanket next to her, rolling over onto his back with his tongue lolling out. He wiggled on his back, nipping at his back feet and making Emma laugh. Snuffles had done this exact routine a few times at the cottage, seemingly just to make her laugh, and she loved it. The black dog had endeared itself to her, and Emma desperately wished she could keep him as a pet. As much as she loved Aurora, she wanted something fluffy for a pet.

She wondered if Remus would finally be okay with them getting a dog now that she knew the truth. Surely, it could help him. She had read something about werewolves getting along fine with dogs. Perhaps this dog could be that dog.

"Did you somehow follow me all the way here for belly rubs?" Emma laughed, obliging his request. "I'm just glad that you're here. I have so much to tell you."

Emma laid down next to Snuffles, absentmindedly running her hands through the dog's fur as she gave the dog every possible update that she had. She didn't give him all of the updates, of course. She didn't understand her strange blood status, and she didn't think Snuffles would either.

He always seemed to actually be listening to her, and Emma appreciated it. Chances are the dog had absolutely no idea what she was saying, but it was nice to have someone she could talk to so openly. Snuffles seemed fascinated when she talked about finally having the werewolf conversation with Remus. He growled when she brought up Greyback, and she whole-heartedly agreed with him. She winced as he poked the new pink lines on her wrist with his nose, and he just stared at her looking almost concerned.

"Oh," she said, looking down at her wrist. "Uhm, yeah…that just happened." He seemed to give her a look as if he was asking her why, but she didn't get a chance to answer.

"Well, well, look at this – Lupin is finally with her own kind. Always thought she'd be a great dog considering she looks like one."

Emma gave Snuffles a look, and she turned to look at Jocelyn, who was walking with her sister and one of the nameless Slytherins she was friends with. Chloe seemed to shrink in on herself as if she didn't want to be a part of whatever was going to happen.

"Surprised it took you this long to say something to me. I think it might be a record," said Emma. "What? Decided to try and take another crack at me because you couldn't kill me the first time?"

"Me?" Jocelyn scoffed. "Last I checked, you were the one that botched up the potion and bled out on Snape's floor. I had nothing to do with that."

"You're well aware that it was your shit that led me to do it in the first place, right? Or did your lovely head of house conveniently leave that part out?"

Emma stood up, crossing her arms over her chest to keep herself from doing anything rash. As enjoyable as it was finally punching Jocelyn in the face last year, she didn't want to have a repeat of the moment.

"Again, I had nothing to do with that," Jocelyn insisted. "That was all you, Lupin. Don't think that I've forgotten your pathetic attempt at punching me."

"Pathetic attempt?" Emma asked, crossing to where Jocelyn stood. She hated that she had to stare up at Jocelyn now instead of being at the same height. "Last I checked, I heard you cried for hours after I did."

"Oh, is that what you heard? You heard very wrong," Jocelyn spat. She leaned back to look at Emma, giving her a once over with a smirk.

"Now, what, Jocelyn? What more can you honestly say that you haven't said to me before?"

"Nothing at all, Lupin."

"It's clearly not 'nothing' Jocelyn. Just spit it out."

"Well, I was just laughing at the fact that you needed daddy here to take care of you," she said, looking highly amused. "Just finding it amusing that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with you for years, and now all of a sudden, he's acting like he gives a shit about you."

Snuffles was suddenly up on his feet and at Emma's side, growling at Jocelyn. Emma put a hand on the dog's back and crouched down.

"This is nothing," Emma whispered to the dog, who stopped growling long enough to lick her cheek. He turned and kept his eyes locked on Jocelyn but stopped growling. Emma suddenly had a brilliant idea, and she leaned her face towards Snuffles as if he was whispering a secret to her, and she nodded.

"Ah, yes, you're right, Snuffles. I agree. Jocelyn is a complete piece of shit."

"You cunt," Jocelyn said, reaching down to pull Emma up by the front of her shirt, but Snuffles put a quick stop to that. He snapped at Jocelyn, and the girl stumbled backward with a scream. "God, you and the fucking dog belong together. Just like you and your drug-addict father. Fuck this."

Emma snickered as Jocelyn stormed off with her friend. Chloe hung back for a moment and gave Emma a quick "cool dog" before rushing off to follow her sister.

"Thanks, Snuffles," Emma said, kissing the dog's nose. "But I didn't really need your help. She's shit, but I'm used to it. I think Dad would have had a field day if he finally had an excuse to get her in trouble. I'm just glad that she won't say anything about a dog to him. I think she's actually afraid of Dad, which is absolutely hysterical.

"Apparently, she's been carefully walking the line in his class, and he hasn't been able to find a reason to give her detention. Oh, well…" She sighed, standing up and making her way back over to the blanket and settling back down.

Snuffles plopped down next to her, pressing his body against hers. Emma frowned as she went back to petting him. "You're so skinny," she said with a frown. "You know…I think Dad's letting me off the hook for a bit, so I don't have to walk with someone all the time. I can come and bring food out to you."

The dog immediately perked up, his tail wagging excitedly.

"That's what I thought," Emma said with a smile. "I'll try and come back out tonight and bring you something to eat. I don't have anything on me right now, but I'll give it a try. I can't guarantee that I can come out all the time, but I wouldn't mind having company when I can come out here. This is the only place I come out to so you can always find me here. Does that sound good to you?"

Snuffles barked in response, and Emma's smile grew. "Then we have a deal."

Friday had come far too quickly for Emma's liking, and she wasn't at all looking forward to sitting in a session with Remus after missing the last two. Their dialogue had become increasingly open over the week, but she was afraid this week would be extremely emotional. She took her customary place on the couch and waited and waited and waited. Where was Remus?

"I want to do something different today," Remus said when he finally arrived. He didn't even bother to sit down in his armchair.

Emma eyed Remus suspiciously. "Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like whatever it is you're insisting on doing?"

Remus only smiled. "Grab your wand, let's go downstairs," he answered, heading back out of the room.

"Oh, excellent, I'm going to hate this," Emma grumbled, pushing herself off the couch and grabbing her wand from her room. She stepped out of the office and walked down the stairs to the classroom and froze. The desks were moved, and there was a lone trunk in the middle of the room. As she stared at it, it rattled violently, and her eyes shot over to Remus standing just off to the side of the room. "Please don't tell me that's a Boggart."

Remus once again smiled in response. "That is precisely what it is. 10 points to Hufflepuff. Merlin knows you have to make up your lost points somehow…"

"Dad, no," Emma said, scratching her head as she returned to staring at the trunk.

"Emma, yes," Remus said, walking over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her to stand in front of the trunk. "It's just a Boggart, and you're going to need to be able to handle it. They're going to be a part of your final exam, after all."

"What?" Emma asked in shock. "You're going to make us take on a Boggart for our final?"

"That's the current plan," Remus shrugged. "I would feel much better knowing that you can handle one. It can't hurt you."

"Says you," Emma grumbled.

"Emma Lupin, are you telling me that you are content with having a silly Boggart keeping you from reaching your full potential?"

"No…"

"Then give it a try. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"But Dad -"

"Wand at the ready, Emma," Remus said, standing just behind Emma and pointing his wand at the trunk. "Come on. Think of something funny – you already know what it'll turn into."

"Dad, I can't," Emma whined. "Please don't make me do this."

"Wand at the ready," Remus repeated. "I won't release it until I know that you're ready."

"Dad, please," Emma pleaded, stepping back nervously. She whimpered as she stared at the trunk, and it gave another rattle.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere, I promise you," Remus said, kissing the back of her head. "I know that you can do this. Come on, wand out."

Gulping, Emma pulled her wand out of her pocket, trying to force herself to remember the black dog. The dog was funny. Remus was there. She had to do this because clearly, he wasn't going to let her out of it.

"At the ready, love," Remus encouraged. "Are you thinking of what you want it to turn into?"

Emma looked over her shoulder at Remus and nodded, really not wanting to do this. She turned back to the rattling trunk and bit back her whimper. Slowly, she raised her wand, trying to keep the spell on the tip of her tongue.

"Very good," Remus said. "I'm going to unlock the trunk now."

The trunk unlocked with a flip of the claps, making Emma wince at the oddly loud noise in the quiet classroom. Dear Merlin, was her breathing always this obnoxiously loud? The lid of the trunk lifted, and those amber eyes peered out at her, and Emma fought to keep her eyes open. She tried to step back as Boggart Fenrir climbed out of the trunk on all fours, but Remus placed a hand on her back to keep her where she was.

"It's just a Boggart, Emma – he's not here," he said quietly.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Not real, not real…but it felt so incredibly real when she opened her eyes again. She could see his lips begin to curl back to speak before he did, and she tried to brace herself, but she couldn't.

"You know what happens to little girls like you."

It made Emma's resolve waver again, and she took in a sharp breath. It was disorienting expecting Fenrir's raspy voice only to hear Jude speak instead. Somehow it made a sick concoction that just enveloped her into a thick, icy cold. Fenrir she could almost handle, but the combination with Jude was what bothered her. Her arm began to drop, and her eyes squeezed shut, already giving up, but Remus gripped her arm to keep her steady.

"He's not real. Think of something funny," Remus encouraged, letting go of her arm when he was sure that she wouldn't immediately back down.

The dog. Emma needed the dog. There was something about the dog that would make this better. She was thrown off when she opened her eyes again – Fenrir wasn't standing in front of her any longer. It was Jude. Was it Jude she was actually afraid of? It almost made her angry that her Boggart had shifted. This wasn't right. She started to picture the dog more clearly in her mind.

"R-riddikulus," Emma said, far too quietly for her liking. Well, that wasn't going to help her, was it? Her fear shifted to anger as she stared at Jude, exactly how he looked in the memory where he brought her to Greyback. She needed the dog before she completely lost it.

"Riddikulus!"

Jude morphed into the black dog that immediately began to gambol around the room, barking in pure delight. Emma didn't want to laugh, but she found herself laughing anyway out of sheer relief.

Within moments, the dog was gone, and the Boggart was shoved back into the trunk. When Remus turned around, he gave Emma a curious look, but she couldn't figure out why. He looked curious, but he looked equal parts annoyed and scared. Had she done something wrong?

"It's not Greyback you're afraid of," Remus said after a moment. "It's Jude."

Emma stared back at Remus and looked past him at the trunk. "I'm scared of the both of them," she said quietly. "I didn't think it would shift like that, and it…it made me angry, actually."

"I could tell," Remus said thoughtfully. He rubbed his chin in thought as he studied Emma. "Boggarts can shift sometimes. I'll admit I wasn't expecting that. It almost makes me wonder if it would have changed again if you waited."

"It wouldn't have turned into you if that's what you're thinking," Emma said, placing her wand back in her pocket. "I'm not afraid of you."

Remus sighed, and his expression softened. "You did well," he said. "I told you that you could do it."

"Didn't mean I liked it…"

"No one enjoys a Boggart," Remus laughed. "Has anyone ever told you the story about how your grandparents met?"

"No," Emma said quietly.

"Really?" Remus said in surprise. "Let's head back upstairs and have some tea. It all started with a Boggart…"