The week before the Easter holiday went far quicker than Emma expected. Each professor decided to assign so much homework that Emma didn't even get a chance to think. Unable to make herself worried about what was coming up, the week flew by. It felt like she had only just seen Remus, but an entire week had passed, and Emma was exhausted. Immediately after their final classes, Emma and Persephone got changed and made their way to Dumbledore's office. The girls chatted nervously while in the Headmaster's office, waiting for the okay to finally leave the castle.

"He said we were meeting at St. Mungo's first?" Emma asked Dumbledore for possibly the fifth time that night.

"Yes, that is correct," Dumbledore said, not taking his eyes off the clock. "I assure you that the plans have not changed in the past five minutes since you last asked." His eyes were twinkling as he met Emma's gaze. "There is no need to worry. Your appointment is in fifteen minutes, and Remus will be waiting for you."

"Why aren't we leaving yet?" Persephone asked in surprise. "Shouldn't we already be there, then?"

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said. "Ordinarily, yes, but we have to wait for the correct channel to be opened. We didn't want to cause any unnecessary issues in Emma's case."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, her brow furrowing as she looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled at the girls before returning his attention to the clock. "While, as Headmaster, I am able to have an open Floo network, we don't typically allow students to use it. We normally have other means of transporting students, but due to the timing of the matter, we put in a special request."

"Professor," Emma said slowly, thinking about her words. "Does that mean it's illegal to use otherwise?" She remembered taking the Floo from Dumbledore's office back in December. Was that not allowed?

"Illegal? Not quite. Frowned upon? Tremendously so," Dumbledore said, another smile pulling at his lips. As the clock's minute hand turned another minute, the fireplace lit up in green flames.

"Ah, that would mean the connection has been made. There's no need for Floo powder, just step in and speak your destination," Dumbledore said, stepping away from the fireplace and motioning for the girls to step forward. "Miss Moon, I suggest that you head through first."

Persephone nodded and stepped into the flames, grimacing slightly at the mix of icy cold and heat that touched her body. She gave Emma a quick look and gave Dumbledore a small wave as she held her arms close to her body.

"See you on the other side, Emma. St. Mungo's," Persephone said, disappearing behind the flames.

Emma frowned as she watched Persephone disappear, suddenly becoming nervous. She didn't want to go to St. Mungo's, but this was required. It was essential to getting everything situated, but it didn't make her any less uncomfortable. This was scary, and it was new. As much as she wanted to be adopted, she wasn't aware of how much it would involve.

"All will be well," Dumbledore said softly, his twinkling eyes staring into hers.

"I know," Emma said with a shaky smile. She took a deep breath and stepped into the icy-hot flames, and her heart began to race. Her eyes met Dumbledore's again, and for a split second, she felt calm. This was the right decision, and it was time.

"St. Mungo's," she spoke confidently into the flames, bracing herself for the uncomfortable sensation that would twist her stomach in moments. Emma tried hard to focus on the fireplaces that she passed by, but as she would find an object to focus on, she would have already gone by. Unexpectedly, she felt her feet hit solid ground. She bent her knees and held her arms out to steady herself.

"Bloody hell, I've done it without falling," she said to no one in particular.

Persephone had been standing close by the fireplace and snorted. "I know we're well past Christmas, but I'll consider this a Christmas miracle," Persephone said, holding her hand out to help Emma out and began to dust her off. She jerked her head towards the reception desk, where Remus stood speaking to the Healer on the opposite side.

Remus looked away from the witch to turn his attention to the fireplaces and smiled seeing Emma and Persephone waiting. He made a small gesture to the Healer and walked over to the girls quickly, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder and giving Persephone a polite grin.

"We're a little late," Remus said quickly, steering Emma in the opposite direction of where they stood. "They were a little slow on opening the connection, so we need to move quickly. Luckily, we don't have far to go."

The three of them walked briskly down a hallway, made several turns, and found a Healer standing outside one of the many exam-room doors.

"The Lupin case?" the Healer witch asked brusquely as they approached.

"Yes," Remus answered politely, purposely ignoring the witch's short tone.

The witch looked between Persephone and Emma before fixing her gaze on Emma. She peered down at the open file in her hand, scanned both girls once more, and then settled back on Emma again.

"You're to head in first and change. There are clothes on the bed for you – change into everything that is there. When you are done, you can allow these two in," the witch said, opening the door with a wave of her wand.

Emma hesitated for a moment, and then she slowly walked around the witch. She looked back at Remus and Persephone with an anxious look. Remus gave her a pointed look, while Persephone only shrugged in response. Neither of them was being very helpful in making her feel better.

With a sigh, Emma stepped into the room, and the door closed by itself behind her. Emma took a quick look around before noticing, with a groan, that she was expected to change into a hospital gown. She lifted the checker print gown up with a scowl and paled seeing the plain white shorts that came with it. This was getting worse and worse. She was going to look absolutely ridiculous – she didn't want Persephone or Remus or anyone to see her wearing the gown.

Trying to push the negative thoughts out of her mind, Emma changed quickly. She folded her clothes, placed them down on the bed, and looked down at herself, annoyed. With a grumble, Emma climbed onto the bed, making sure that the back of the gown was closed. She groaned as she realized she should have told Persephone and Remus that they could come in, but she was not moving from her spot.

"Er, you can come in now," Emma said, feeling odd about speaking into the empty room. Hopefully, they could hear her. The entire place was eerily quiet, and she couldn't hear much from outside.

After a few moments, the door opened, and Persephone poked her head around the side. "Well, aren't you looking fashionable," Persephone said with a smirk as she walked into the room.

"Oh, shut up," Emma said, placing her face in her hands. "I'm ready for this to be over. Did you know that the entire back is open? I have shorts, but I don't want anyone to see my bum!"

Remus failed to hold back his snort and paid for it dearly with the look Emma shot him as he stepped into the room. "From what I understand, this should be a fairly quick process," he said, rubbing the smile off of his face. He gestured to the straight-backed chair across from the bed. "Please, sit Persephone."

Not wanting to embarrass Emma any further, he turned his attention to the posters on the wall, but of course, Remus couldn't help himself. He looked over his shoulder at Emma with a cheeky grin. "You know I've already seen your bum, right? Who do you think used to change your nappies?"

Persephone sat down in the chair and immediately began to giggle at Emma's horrified and red-faced expression. Her giggles turned into outright laughter as she took in Emma's entire outfit.

"Shut it, Persephone," Emma hissed, glaring at her friend.

"I'm sorry," Persephone said, covering her mouth to try and stifle her laughs. "1. That look on your face was absolutely brilliant, and 2. I don't think that particular print is a good look for you."

Remus had to quickly turn away, or else he would start to laugh as well. He tried not to tease Emma too much, but nerves were high, and finding humor in the situation helped. He cleared his throat and turned to look at the poster nearest to him with a slight frown. The room immediately grew quiet as they all seemed to remember where they were. Hospitals were somber places – it wasn't appropriate to laugh.

Emma sat awkwardly on the bed, playing with her fingers and passing quiet looks to Persephone as they waited. Remus stood and read through the posters on the wall, seemingly now fixed to a poster about werewolves. Occasionally, the girls would shoot Remus a confused look as he would read something that would make him groan. Apparently, he didn't like whatever was on the poster, but the writing was too small for Emma to read.

The room was so silent that the girls let out a yelp as a knock broke through the quietness. A young Healer witch with silvery hair and olive skin stepped into the room, staring intently at the files in her hand. She closed the door behind her, still not looking up.

"Hello, Emelyn, my name is Healer Douglas, one of the Healers here, and RemusLupinwhatareyoudoinghere?" The witch stood frozen near the door, staring at Remus in surprise.

Remus was looking at the witch, just as surprised. He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Elara, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Well, I absolutely wasn't expecting to see you," she said, looking back down at the file in her hand and reading it more carefully. Her eyes met Remus's and then looked over at Emma, a small smile on her face. "I wasn't originally assigned to this case, but I was told it was expedited at the Ministry, and there was no one else available…"

"You two know each other?" Emma asked carefully, pulling both Elara and Remus out of their stunned stupor.

"Elara helped me out of a situation years ago," Remus answered carefully, keeping his eyes fixed on Elara's.

"Yes," Elara said slowly, her words just as careful as Remus's. "I had something that Remus wasn't able to get ahold of at the time that was rather important." She raised an eyebrow questioningly at Remus. Whatever question she was asking him, Remus quickly shook his head, and Elara nodded in response.

"What did you have?" Emma asked Elara curiously.

"I think that Healer Douglas's time is best spent getting you taken care of," Remus said quickly. "Which means that she needs to run through your check-up, Little One." He gave Emma a tight smile before directing his attention back to Elara. "Before you begin, do you mind if we had a quick word outside for a moment?"

"Of course," Elara said slowly with a tight-lipped smile. She opened the door, motioned for Remus to walk through, and took a quick glance at Emma and Persephone. Realizing that she must look confused, she schooled her expression into a more reassuring look. She stared at Emma for a moment longer and closed the door behind her.

The moment the door closed, Persephone jumped from her chair and pressed her ear to the door.

"What are you doing?" Emma hissed at Persephone.

"Trying to listen, what does it look like I'm doing?" Persephone muttered, screwing up her face in concentration. "Get over here and help me listen. I think they cast a silencing charm because I can't hear a bloody thing."

Emma groaned, but lowered herself from the bed and joined Persephone at the door. She shot her friend a look before pressing her ear up against the door as well.

"They definitely cast a charm," Emma said with a frown.

"I wonder why," Persephone said. "They seemed to avoid saying much. They were talking with their eyes and everything."

"That was odd, wasn't it?"

"I would say so. She seems young, doesn't she? And she's a Healer here? I wonder how old she is."

"She does seem young. Maybe I'll ask her how old she is," Emma answered, pulling herself away from the door. "It's hopeless, Persephone. We're not going to be able to hear anything, especially if Remus cast the spell."

"I suppose not," Persephone said, walking back to her chair slowly and glaring at the door. "I wish I knew what the spell was to remove the charm."

"Aren't silencing charms unique in that only the original caster can remove it?" Emma asked as she made her way back to the bed. She lifted herself awkwardly onto the bed and crossed her legs. "At least that's how I imagined it working. It wouldn't be too helpful if just anyone could break the charm."

"If your convictions are strong enough, I believe someone else can lift it," Persephone said thoughtfully. "How long do you think they'll be out there?"

"Not long, apparently," Emma said as the handle began to turn, and Elara entered the room without Remus.

"Miss Moon, if it's all right, I'm required to do this check-up one-on-one with Emma," Elara said to Persephone kindly. "Remus is right down the hall in the waiting room."

Persephone shot Emma a look and let out another amused snort as she took in Emma's gown again. "Good luck, Little Lupin," Persephone said, waggling her eyebrows as she slipped past Elara and into the hallway.

Elara watched the door close and waited until it was fully sealed before turning back to Emma. She placed her files down on the counter near the door, pulled up the rolling stool, and sat down. Elara stared at Emma for another moment, as if she couldn't believe that she was there. It made Emma feel rather funny.

"This must be an exciting time for you," Elara finally said, a smile crossing her face as she rolled the chair closer to Emma.

"It makes me a little nervous, actually," Emma admitted, returning Elara's smile.

"That's understandable. Remus brought me up-to-date on the situation, so I know that your parents are permanent residents of the Janus Thickey Ward," Elara said sympathetically. "I'm very sorry to hear that. That's difficult for anyone to deal with, and you've had a lot going on."

"It's very difficult. I only found out that they were here just before Christmas. Bit of an unusual Christmas gift, I suppose." Emma scrunched her nose up slightly, wondering why she felt so compelled to speak to Elara so easily. She nearly clamped her hand over her mouth in surprise but resisted the urge. That would be too weird. Normally Emma wouldn't open up so quickly, but she supposed it had to do with the setting they were in.

"Just a little bit odd, yes," Elara agreed. "But a wonderful gift all the same, no?"

"I mean, of course, it was – is," Emma said, her cheeks heating up. "It's just been a very unexpected year for me. Last year I was in primary, and now…well, now I'm here."

Elara's laugh was soft and sweet, and she nodded in understanding. "I read your file," Elara said, standing up from her seat. "You've certainly gone through a lot. I heard that you didn't have a good time with your last Healer, so I'll try to make this as quick as possible for you." Elara began to explain to Emma the testing she would have to do. Emma turned paler and paler, and her eyes grew wider and wider the more Elara went on. This time, Elara's smile was good-natured.

"I promise that none of it will hurt. It's just to make sure that you've been taken care of, and that you don't exhibit any further signs of abuse. They just want confirmation that nothing new has happened while in Remus's care – your files already indicate what happened before. I'll also be doing the interview, of sorts, with you, so keep that in mind."

"Remus would never hurt me," Emma said quickly.

"I know he wouldn't," Elara answered, her reply earnest. "That's not the sort of man that Remus is. It's just for your medical records and so that the Ministry can have a copy to make their final decision."

Emma nodded slowly, not having anything else to say, and allowed Elara to start running through her examinations. She wanted nothing more than to be done at St. Mungo's and home with both Persephone and Remus. Most of all, she wanted to know what Elara and Remus had talked about in the hallway and why the silencing charm was necessary.

Luckily, Elara worked quickly and silently, except to ask Emma questions. It seemed that Elara understood how much Emma wanted to be done, and she made sure to be swift. Emma greatly appreciated it. If all Healers were like Elara, maybe Emma wouldn't mind them so much.

After what felt like ages, Elara turned to the counter and picked up a potion bottle.

"This part is going to take a little longer," Elara said, giving Emma an apologetic look. "This potion is designed to remove any possible glamours that may have been applied and bring up any signs of physical trauma within the past year."

Emma looked at Elara in a panic, but before she had a chance to speak, Elara held up a hand. "Remember – we have documentation of your condition before you left the children's home. We're making sure that nothing major has come up since then. I can assure you that I'll be able to tell the difference between regular bumps and bruises," she said, glad to see that Emma looked much more relieved. Emma stared at the potion bottle for a moment before taking it with shaking hands. "Just a fair warning, it tastes terrible," Elara added.

"I don't think I've had a potion that tastes particularly wonderful," Emma said, sniffing at the bottle suspiciously. "Is this the last thing that we need to do?"

"Just have to do a Muggle-style check-up after this, and then you're done."

"You did so much already, and there's still more?" Emma looked absolutely appalled at the idea.

"There are certain things that can't be checked with magic," Elara laughed. "Drink up, kid. Quicker you drink it, the quicker we'll be done."

With a nod, Emma brought the potion bottle to her lips and gulped it down. She pulled a face, shuddered, and handed the empty bottle back to Elara.

"You weren't kidding," Emma muttered.

Elara laughed as she placed the bottle on the counter and began to write something down in Emma's file. "Trust me, there are much worse tasting potions."

"There's worse?"

"Very much so, unfortunately," Elara said, sitting back down in the rolling chair and watching Emma closely. "So, let's talk for a bit while we're waiting. Remus says that you're a Hufflepuff."

"I am," Emma said, covering her mouth in embarrassment as the potion threatened to come back up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, it gets everyone who has to take it," Elara responded, not sounding at all bothered. "I was a Hufflepuff while I was at Hogwarts, too. Nearly went to Beauxbatons in France, but my family stuck around. And your friend is in Slytherin?"

Emma didn't realize that there were other magic schools, but she realized it was silly to think that Hogwarts was the only school around. "Uhm, she is," Emma said after a moment. "Sometimes, I feel as though she was sorted into the wrong house, though."

"I can understand that. As Hufflepuffs, we tend to see the best in everyone. You two seem to get along very well."

"She's my best friend," Emma answered brightly. "Well, besides Remus and my Grandpa, I suppose," she added with a slight blush. "Persephone was an absolute terror when we first met, but now that I've gotten to know her better, she's wonderful. Still a pain, but she's fun."

"I think most best friends are like that," Elara said thoughtfully. She leaned forward in her chair, her smile disappearing. "Emma, do you mind if we talk about something off the record?"

Emma shifted nervously on the bed, staring into Elara's dark brown eyes. "Uhm, yeah, sure," she said quietly.

"Perfect," Elara said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Remus told me that you've been having nightmares for a while. He mentioned that they seem to be about werewolves?"

"Oh," Emma said, her eyes widening. "I'm fairly positive that they're about werewolves." Emma held Elara's gaze for a moment before looking away and finding the poster that Remus had been looking at. "It's always the same dream, but I don't know why."

"Do you mind telling me about it?"

Emma looked back at Elara in surprise, but then explained to her everything in her dream, just like she'd told Remus. Elara nodded slowly and looked even more thoughtful by the time Emma was finished.

"I can see that being rather scary," she said slowly. "Are you afraid of werewolves?"

"I don't know," Emma whispered with a sigh. "I suppose I am."

Elara's eyebrows raised, finding Emma's answer curious. "You don't know if you're afraid of werewolves?"

"Well, I haven't met one, have I?" Emma looked down at her hands with a nervous giggle. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she fidgeted with her gown. "I just wake up from the dream, and I'm terrified. That's why I think I am."

The room was quiet for a moment as Elara studied Emma with a hum. When Emma glanced up at Elara, it appeared she was deep in thought.

"What if I told you that you know a werewolf?" Elara asked Emma softly, watching her closely.

"I know a werewolf?" Emma gasped. Her brow furrowed as she tried to think about who she knew that might be a werewolf. She gasped again, her eyes widening. "Is Persephone a werewolf, and I didn't know? I suppose that would explain why she gets grumpy sometimes…that seems like a werewolf thing." To Emma's surprise, Elara began laughing loudly, the noise echoing in the small room.

"Oh, oh no," Elara said. "Oh, Merlin, I can see why Remus loves you so much. No, I didn't mean Persephone at all." Elara calmed herself down and sighed, an amused smile on her face. "I meant me."

"You-you're a werewolf?" Emma asked in surprise. "You can't be! Werewolves are…they're meant to be scary!"

"I am," Elara said, her amused smile still on her face. "I was bit when a werewolf tried to recruit me for his werewolf army."

"But you seem so nice!" Emma immediately clasped her hands over her mouth. "That came out so rude, I'm so sorry."

"It's a surprise for most people. Well, except for Remus," she said, tilting her head in thought. "He knew right away, and he was very kind to me – most people aren't when they find out. He's a very kind man."

Emma let out a relieved sigh and nodded fervently in agreement. "He's very kind," Emma said, looking towards the door. She wondered what Remus and Persephone were doing out in the waiting room. Perhaps they were talking about some sort of book that they both knew, and it made Emma smile. She turned her gaze back to Elara, still surprised. "You're really a werewolf?"

"I am indeed a werewolf," Elara confirmed. "I don't know if it'll help with your nightmares at all, but I wanted to tell you. There's a…stigma attached to being a werewolf, stereotypes that most people believe, but not all werewolves are bad people. We're just like everyone else, you have good werewolves and bad werewolves; it's just how life is. Normally, I wouldn't have ever told you, but I trust Remus, and Remus trusts you. It seemed very important to him that you knew, and I understand what it's like to be afraid of werewolves." Elara's smile faded slightly.

"Most of us just want to live normal lives," Elara said. "In fact, I want to make things easier for the werewolf population in any way possible. It's why I started working here at St. Mungo's, although…I'm really not supposed to be here. This isn't even my normal department, but I was placed on your case last minute."

Elara gestured for Emma to get off the bed so that she could start finishing up with the magic portion of their exam.

"I'm glad that I was put on your case, though. I haven't seen Remus in years, and it's nice to see him smiling when he talks about you. I don't think I've ever seen him smile so much in my life. We actually met around the time you disappeared, and I remember how hard he took it. He's beyond overjoyed that you're back in his life, and I'm thrilled to see that he's found a reason to keep moving forward."

"Was he…was he depressed?" Emma asked, glancing over her shoulder at Elara, who was inspecting her back. She couldn't help but feel guilty over the idea that Remus could have been depressed because of her. It wasn't as though it was her fault, but she still felt terrible.

"He was. Terribly so," Elara said quietly. "But don't tell him that I said that. I don't think he'd be too happy with me if he knew I told you." Elara made her way back over to the counter to write something down. "And you have just now completed the longest part of the entire exam. Just need to follow up with a Muggle exam, and then you are free to go."

Emma looked down at her arms and legs and paled when she noticed the remnants of what looked like old bruises. She had no idea that she had so many at one point and hadn't even seen them the entire time they were talking.

"Don't worry. They'll be completely faded by the time you get changed again. No one will even know what was there," Elara reassured. "You can hop back on the bed now."

Emma climbed up on the bed with a frown and stared at Elara for a moment. "Can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," Elara said, sitting back down on her chair.

"How old are you?" Emma asked quickly, feeling rather foolish that she asked. Elara, thankfully, only looked amused.

"I'm twenty-seven," she answered. "How old did you think I was?"

"Much, much younger," Emma said, her eyes wide. "I thought you were barely even twenty!"

"Well, I will take that as an absolutely wonderful compliment," Elara grinned. "I'll admit that sometimes I get a little worried with the whole transforming thing, but as long as I still look young, I will take it."

Emma finally allowed herself a small smile. "We're done after this last exam?"

"We will be completely done," Elara said with a wink. "I don't anticipate that there will be any issues at all for Sunday, which means an early congratulations is in order. I am beyond thrilled for both you and Remus. I wish many long and happy years for both of you, and I hope that you're excited to have such a wonderful father in your life. It's undeniable how much he cares for you."

This time, Emma beamed. The idea of Remus being her father still seemed strange, but it made her delighted all the same. "Thank you," she said, ready to get the rest of the exam done so she could go home with her soon to be father and best friend.