tw: same as previous chapter
Halloween and Remus clearly weren't going to get along no matter what. His transformation from wolf to man had been in the early morning hours, and he passed out immediately after. He swore his head had only just touched his pillow when he had to get back up again. One half-dose of Wideye potion and a very hot shower later, Remus set about his day. It was a miracle that breakfast duty went by much quicker than he expected, and he made a hasty retreat back upstairs. As long as he took it easy for the rest of the day, it would be fine. He could take a well-needed nap.
It had been mildly distressing for him to see how Emma looked when she made her way up from the dorms. Everything about her screamed exhausted. Her eyes were half-closed, her movements slow, and he half expected her to fall asleep the moment she sat down at his desk. The knowledge that the Wolfsbane Potion didn't help her this time around was concerning, but he knew she would recover quickly. She always would.
Remus, in an attempt to brighten Emma's dampened spirits, decided to remove her monitoring bracelet for the day. She had been diligent in doing the things that she needed, and he felt he could trust her. Emma deserved to have a stress-free day of fun the first time she visited Hogsmeade. Remus didn't yet know it was potentially the worst mistake he ever could have made.
When Emma left, he managed to get in two more hours of well-needed sleep. He took delivery of a Grindylow from Hagrid, had tea with Harry, and then settled in to work on grading papers.
He felt the crackle of magic in the air before he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly heading in the direction of the classroom. Remus was already bothered to see Emma back so early, but her emotional state was even worse.
Every emotion on her face was conflicting in a way that Remus had never seen on her before. It had been jarring to have seen her leave so happy and excited only to have her return looking like the world was about to end. He had been taken aback by the oddly familiar scent on her, but he didn't have the chance to dwell on it. There was no possibility of Sirius being near her again was there?
"Did someone use the Cruciatus curse on me when I was a baby?"
Those words were incredibly unexpected, and it left Remus with only one choice – he had to tell her everything. It wasn't the right time, but the proper time would never be able to come now. Emma knew there was something wrong, and the incredibly determined and fearful look on her face told him he couldn't hide it any longer. He just wasn't sure how she would handle knowing everything.
To his surprise, she seemed to take most of it in stride. She was so incredibly strong. Her name she was so sure of, and for the first time in a month, she seemed so sure of who she was. It was refreshing to see her almost light up at the idea that she had an entirely different identity, delighted even. She had given him such an exasperated look as she passed back the birth certificates.
If Emma wanted to be known as Emma Hope Lupin, he would make that happen for her. He felt it suited her much better, but he didn't understand the mystery of her name in the first place. They only had theories, but Remus wasn't sure he believed any of them, though he wanted to. He just couldn't help but feel guilt over the last conversation they had over her name back in April. He should've paid more attention to her then.
The rest of the conversation went downhill from there. Emma took the Auror report surprisingly well, but the next report wasn't handled well at all. He had all but figured that Emma's assault had been from Greyback, but to hear her say it had been chilling. Remus hated that all he could do was hold her as she cried. It seemed to be the only thing he could do for her lately, and he felt useless. He wanted to be able to do more.
When Emma said, in such an incredibly small voice, that she needed to be alone, he couldn't deny her. He almost didn't leave, the nagging feeling he had settled uneasily in his stomach. All of this felt exactly like before, but once more, he pushed the thought aside. She wouldn't dare think of trying to end things again.
He had been surprised to not find Emma in her room when he returned from Hogsmeade. The only evidence that she had stayed at all was her discarded sketchbook sitting on his office desk and the broken pencil on the floor. Remus had to have just missed her as fresh steam was still coming from her shower. He had hoped to talk to her before the feast, but he would have to wait until after. His concern for her was growing by the minute.
Remus was pulled entirely out of his thoughts as Filius prodded his elbow to grab his attention. The feast hadn't been going on for long, but admittedly his mind wasn't there. He had just been going through the motions to try and get through the night. It was the first time he hadn't thought of how much his life had changed on Halloween. He looked at Filius, who gestured to turn his attention forward. Persephone stood in front of him, bouncing anxiously on the balls of her feet, and looking incredibly unlike herself.
"Persephone," he said in surprise, sitting up straighter. "What can I do for you?"
"Er," Persephone glanced over her shoulder towards the Hufflepuff table. "Professor Lupin, is Emma all right? She's still not here."
Remus stared at Persephone for a moment before peering over at the Hufflepuff table, sure that he would find Emma. Emma had to be there, he heard Hannah mention seeing her just before entering the Great Hall. Persephone had to just be missing her since the Gryffindor table sat between them. He scanned each individual seat, trying to push aside his panic when he didn't see Emma anywhere. This was a problem.
"I completely forgot," Remus said, giving Persephone a tight-lipped smile. "She asked if she could just go back to her room to rest. Hogsmeade completely knocked her out. Everything is all right, although I should probably go check on her."
Persephone stared at Remus as if she didn't quite believe him. She nodded and gave him a shaky smile before returning back to her seat.
"Hogsmeade tends to knock students out the first time they visit," Filius said with a resolute nod. "It's all the fresh air! I like to joke and say that it's different in the village."
Remus chuckled politely. "Yes, she's been wanting to get off the grounds for a while," he said quietly. "I need to make sure that she's not trying to set an elaborate prank for me to walk into. She's been spending a lot of time with the Weasley twins."
"Oh, yes, that might be a smart idea," Filius said with a laugh. "They can manage to influence anyone to their ways. And even if she decided to go on a walk, you'll find her right away with the bracelet!"
"Right, of course," Remus grimaced, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipped with absolute dread. The fact that he had no real way of tracking her meant the possibilities were endless. Emma was incredibly reckless when she was emotional, and with her struggling as it is, there was potentially a dire situation at hand. He sincerely hoped that she just wanted to be alone for a while, but where would she go to escape?
Emma would have never returned back to her room, especially if she was seen. She wouldn't have gone down to the dorms; there would have been too many people filtering in and out. His daughter wasn't the type of girl to run to a bathroom stall and cry, and after her first Halloween with the troll, he doubted she would consider it.
The library was closed as Madam Pince was sitting at the other end of the table, and Emma wasn't powerful enough to unlock the doors. Madam Pomfrey had decided to join in the festivities as she had no students to care for, so Emma wouldn't be there either. His thoughts idly drifted to the Potion's classroom, but Severus had warded those himself. Emma wasn't allowed in the room unless Severus was present, and Emma could never break those charms. That sent Remus's mind spiraling in a different set of thoughts, and he nearly shot up from his seat.
One of the things that had always scared him about Emma was how calculating and resourceful she was when she wanted to be. She could be manipulative, quickly twisting situations to benefit her needs, but she often chose not to. Her stubbornness and defiant determination made her an absolute terror because once her mind was set on something, she wouldn't back down. Emma could be ruthless and cynical to the point that she could easily lead herself back into danger.
Remus peered around the room and forced himself to breathe despite his tightening throat. This was the perfect situation for her – everyone was distracted.
Emma would have easily taken advantage of the commotion of the feast and his momentary lapse in judgment. He wanted desperately to blame those traits on the company she kept, but the more time he spent with her, the more he realized she was like that on her own. It was no longer a surprise to him why she was considered for Slytherin.
However, it was Emma's other qualities that had kept her from the house of the snake. Emma was incredibly sensitive and empathetic. She was loyal, fair, kind, and possessed compassion that unfortunately didn't extend to herself. He wished that he could convince her to start treating herself better.
Remus had felt incredibly guilty outright asking if Emma had another plan to end her life, but now he was glad he did. It had been difficult to get the details out of her, but it was helpful to know where she would go. He didn't want to think about it, but with the full moon just passing and the information she was given, her threshold would have been crossed. The entire night was perfect for her to act on her plan without worry and fed into her opportunistic nature. Everyone would be too distracted, exactly how she'd want it. He just had to hope that he wasn't too late.
"I'm going to head out," Remus said, giving Filius a tight smile. "I believe that she might have gone on a walk instead, and I should go join her. If anyone asks, please inform them I have retired for the night. If I run into any issues, I'll send word."
Filius eyed Remus curiously but nodded. "Of course," he said after a beat. "We'll continue our conversation tomorrow at lunch?"
"Of course," Remus agreed, standing up slowly. He slipped out of the Great Hall at the back of the room, utilizing one of the passages reserved for staff. He couldn't stand the idea of walking the length of the Great Hall in front of everyone, though it would have been much quicker. When he made it out of the hall and to the entrance hall, Remus made sure the doors of the Great Hall were closed and took off at a sprint. He ignored the sharp ache of his pleading muscles as he ran through the castle towards the courtyard attached to the clocktower. He always did hate Halloween…
The massive doors to the courtyard were cracked open, just wide enough for a rather small person to slip through. He was relieved that she hadn't changed her plan, but what would meet him when he got outside? He wrenched the doors open and out into the moonlit courtyard. Remus spared a glance at the traitorous ball of light and growled in frustration. It would have only fueled Emma's thoughts, even in its waning state. Emma still didn't understand that just yet, but perhaps that didn't matter.
In an entirely different circumstance, Remus would have let out a sigh of relief seeing Emma on the bridge. However, Remus knew that haunted look on her face. He had seen it before he had sent her back to Hogwarts after her mother's passing.
Remus had to assess the situation and fast. She clearly didn't plan to make things easy if she were to get caught. It appeared she had planned to go to the feast, but changed her mind last minute. Emma's robe lay discarded where he stood, her wand sitting almost carefully on top of the crumpled garment. Rather than wearing a skirt, she had opted for trousers for practicality. It was almost as though she had prepared herself for a possible encounter. Her trousers were tucked into the boots that Lyall purchased for her before term, ready for a hasty retreat. It appeared her plan was more thought out than he'd hoped.
The quiet resolve on Emma's face worried him, but there was a flicker of doubt that had settled itself in her expression. If he hadn't seen this exact trance-like state in her before, he wouldn't have known what to look for. Her decision hadn't yet been made. Still, her eyes were focused on the ravine down below. Though her crying was silent, her tears shone in the silvery moonlight. She was hurting, and all Remus wanted to do was take that pain away from her, but he needed to get her somewhere safe first. This couldn't be how things ended.
Emma's hand gripped tightly to the slim wooden frame that made up the architecture of the open-air window. One foot was planted firmly on the skinny ledge, but her other leg dangled safely within the confines of the bridge. It wasn't a perfect situation, but it was slightly more reassuring. If he could get her entirely within the confines of the bridge, he was confident he could clear the distance and grab her. Not all hope was lost.
"Emma," he called out, just loud enough to pull her out of her thoughts. The last thing he needed was to startle her and have her let go before he had the chance to talk her down. There was no outward recognition that she heard him other than her involuntary shiver. The average person would have missed it, but he didn't. He always knew – Moony always knew.
Remus took a cautious step forward, and Emma's illusion immediately broke. Though she didn't move and didn't turn her head, she cast him a wary side-long glance, her lips parting to let out a slow breath. Her concentration was broken quickly, and that worked in his favor. She wasn't anticipating his presence. "Emma," he repeated, watching her tense up, her fingers gripping tighter to the wood. Emma's attention returned to the ravine, wanting to block him out, but it was too late.
"I know that you hear me," Remus said, taking another few steps forward. He wondered if she would let him get close enough that he could pull her back if she didn't do it herself. "I can see that you hear me."
Emma's face twisted slightly with aggravation as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He had already messed up her plan by being there, but she was determined to try and shut him out. Her brows pinched as she shuffled herself slightly further along the ledge.
"What are you doing out here?" Remus asked, taking another step, which caused Emma to finally look at him in a panic. He had gotten too close to her, though there was still at least 15 feet between them. He put his hands up in surrender. "I won't come closer."
Emma studied him carefully, swallowing hard. Her eyes flicked to the spot she knew he kept his wand in his jacket, an eyebrow raising. Remus sighed, reaching into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulling out his wand. He made sure to show it to her before placing it down on the ground. The action seemed to appease her as she visibly relaxed, but she was still poised for confrontation.
"There," Remus said softly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "I'm no longer armed. I would like to talk to you. Will you please come down from there?"
A contemptuous snort left Emma's nose. "You might not have your wand, but I'm not stupid," she said, her voice full of disdain. She pushed herself to the other side of the window, her back was pressing against the frame. There was a moment of hesitation where she stepped off only to step onto the ledge of the next window. "We both know that you not having your wand means nothing."
"You're right," Remus admitted, "but I wouldn't dare insult your intelligence by trying to use wandless magic."
Rage flickered across Emma's face, her eyes narrowing. "You know that's not what I mean, Moony."
Remus sucked in a sharp breath at the scathing use of Moony's name. Though he didn't blame her, it upset him that she was so quick to want to hurt him by using the one thing that he hated most. The way it was spat out with venom brought unexpected tears to his eyes. She really wanted nothing to do with him…but that wasn't his focus right now.
"You should have just let me die the first time, Remus," she said, her voice breaking as she looked out at the ravine.
His name sounded incredibly foreign coming from Emma's mouth. It had been so long since she had said it with that tone of voice – cold and impersonal. She was trying to distance herself in any way that she could with her words, but the rest of her painted a different picture that left him confused. Emma looked defeated; her shoulders slumped as she leaned against the window frame. Her defiant expression had dropped, and she just looked hopeless and sad, all of her weight being held up by the thin railing.
Remus took another step forward and immediately stopped as her head whipped around to look at him. Something had cracked in her expression to give way to fear that she quickly masked. That was the information Remus needed – Emma was scared, and she desperately needed reassurance. She didn't want to end her life, she wanted to know that she was still wanted despite everything.
"Why would I have let you die?" he croaked out, trying to force his voice to remain steady.
That wasn't the answer she was expecting. She stared at Remus for a moment, her lips parting as she tried to process his words, and then her eyes were looking everywhere besides him. "Y-you said that you would have let me die if things were different," she said almost breathlessly, pulling up the conversation they had earlier that month. "Things are different now, so you should just let me go…"
Remus never regretted saying those words more than he did then. He wasn't sure why he had said them in the first place because he never meant them. He rubbed his forehead, trying to figure out how he could get out of it. He realized if she still believed that, she never read the letter he sent with Zeeley earlier that month. She had gone an entire month believing the words he had said, not understanding what he was trying to tell her. That made the situation more complicated, but he had to stay in the moment and try to fix it somehow.
"I know that's what I said," he had to admit, slowly inching himself closer. "I never wanted you to die, Emma. I'm so sorry that I ever made you believe that."
"B-but you said you would have," she said, blinking quickly as she met his gaze. "Y-you said that y-you would have preferred I die than be like you."
Fuck, he was so incredibly stupid. Why couldn't he have just told Emma everything he meant in person instead of relying on a letter that she never touched? If he could only say the words and tell her, she would understand. He said it because he was afraid she would never wake up. He couldn't stand the idea of her transforming at all, but transforming while never waking up? That was an absolute nightmare.
"I never meant it," Remus said, shaking his head. "I regret saying that because it wasn't true. And you're not like me - you're you, Emma."
"You d-don't say things you don't mean," Emma said, her gaze calculating as she tried to determine if he was lying. "You think about what you want to say too much to not mean what you say."
"I do, most of the time," Remus said quickly. "But I'm not perfect, I'm far from perfect. I never wanted you to die, I just didn't want you to suffer. Those are two absolute truths that I can give you."
"And yet you've lied about so much," Emma said, her voice breaking as her tears started to fall again. "How am I supposed to trust you? Do you even actually love me at all?"
"Emma, please," Remus pleaded, rubbing his hands over his face. This was his fault. He let out a shout as Emma turned herself, almost as if she was about to jump. "Please – don't. Don't jump. God, yes, Emma, I love you so much."
Emma turned again to look at him. "Are you sure? Because you lied to me for so long, I don't know what to believe anymore," she said, taking in a deep breath. "You didn't tell me that you were a werewolf for years. You acted as though it was coincidence that Greyback showed up my first year, and I believed you. You didn't tell me that the reason I lived was because of you. You never told me that I was taking the Wolfsbane Potion, a potion that, by all rights, should have killed me from the aconite alone. You have known this entire time what happened to me and never said a word. You never thought to tell me any of it?"
She scoffed, leaning slightly into the bridge's confines. "If you would have just told me any of it…about you, I could have helped this entire time. You didn't have to make stupid excuses as to why you had to leave." Emma wiped away her tears with a huff. "Do you honestly think I've ever cared that you're a werewolf? Because I never have! I don't understand why you thought that I would ever care."
"Emma, I swear to you that I didn't know any of what happened to you until a few months ago," Remus said, his voice thick. "I never would have…If I had any idea of any of it, I would have never let you out of my sight. I never would have thought someone would use the Cruciatus on you. You were so small.
"Yes, I was aware that you had a slight tremor, but there were so many reasons why you could have had it. You were incredibly nervous around me in the beginning, and you never discussed your time at the children's home. It wasn't until Elara brought me your old records that I understood. If anyone else knew, they never told me. My heart breaks every time I think about it, and I'm angry with myself for never realizing. I should have known before, and I am so incredibly sorry."
Remus dared to take another step forward, but that was apparently too much for Emma's comfort. She stepped down off the ledge and took a few steps back, but this time she didn't climb back on the ledge. Her hand skimmed the railing as if she wanted the option, but she remained within the confines of the bridge.
Emma peered over her shoulder, freezing slightly before whipping back around to stare at Remus and keep him in place. Though the situation wasn't opportune, at least Emma was precisely where he needed her to be. As long as Remus could keep her talking, that was good.
"I didn't want to tell you the truth because I never wanted you to think that I was like Greyback," Remus said earnestly. "I know what he can do to a person, and I didn't want you to be scared that I would hurt you. It was selfish of me to not tell you, and I realize that now. Cariad, I never would have kept anything from you had I realized it would have hurt you anyway."
He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I don't want you to feel as though you have to help me. I leave so that you don't have to worry about me and so I don't have to worry about attacking you on accident. You say that you don't care what I am, but I'm still incredibly dangerous."
"But I don't care," Emma said quietly. "You shouldn't have ever had to go through it or alone or have been uncomfortable because of me." A noise that was half sob, half bitter laugh escaped Emma's lips. "But it doesn't matter. I can't keep going knowing…knowing that he's had me. How am I supposed to live with knowing what Greyback's done to me? No one would ever want me after knowing that…I'm disgusting. I'm not…it wasn't my choice. I didn't get to have a choice…"
"I didn't get to choose either," Remus said softly, taking a few steps forward. He just wanted desperately to pull her in his arms so that he could try to communicate what he was trying to say. Remus didn't like being vulnerable, preferred to tuck everything away, so he didn't have to think about things, but Emma needed it. He took in a shaky breath and took another step closer. She had allowed him to get at least another five feet closer to her in her confusion. "He never gave me a choice either…and I'm not talking about the fact he was the one to turn me."
Emma stared at Remus blankly, her tears slowing as she tried to make sense of what he was trying to convey to her. She blinked slowly, her hand slowly dropping from the railing as she stared. It seemed to hit her all at once, her eyes widening with a soft gasp as she shook her head.
"No, you can't," she managed to splutter out. "You're lying…"
"I'm not, Emma," Remus said, his stomach twisting painfully. "I told you – if anyone understands you, it's me. I have never once lied to you about that. I have never said it as a way to try and make you feel better. I say it because I truly and honestly understand. None of it was your fault, please, I need you to believe that. You are perfect just as you are, and I love you. I will always love you. I will always be on your side, sweetheart."
Emma could only shake her head, still not quite able to believe him. "I don't want to live like this," Emma whispered, her voice raspy with the effort of talking through her tears. Her eyes began to dart everywhere, unable to focus on one thing.
"You won't always feel like this," Remus whispered back. "I know that it's hard, but you're not alone. I know that you are scared, but you are so incredibly strong. I have so much faith in you."
"Please," Emma cried, her hand finding her necklace and clutching onto the pendant. Remus could see that she wanted to believe, she wanted that hope, but she couldn't find it herself. "I can't…I can't do this. I'm not strong enough. I'm not strong like you are."
"Baby, please, you are far stronger than I am," Remus said, praying to every deity he could think of. He needed this to be the one thing that would convince her he wasn't lying.
Emma's eyes shot back up to meet his, her gaze glassy and unsure. She straightened up for a brief moment before her shoulders slumping in confusion. Her thumb rubbed against the sun that sat between her fingers, and that glimmer of hope he longed for was in her eyes. It was faint, but it was there.
"What did you say?" she asked breathlessly. "You've never…you've never called me that before."
Remus let out the breath he had been holding and dared to get closer to her. She watched him warily, but she made no indication she would run.
"I have," Remus said shakily. "I-all the time when you were small. And I have more recently, but evidently, you don't remember."
"I-I would remember if you did – if you said that," Emma said, almost accusingly. "When? You're lying to me again."
"Sweetheart - baby girl - I am not lying to you," Remus said, closing the distance between them slowly. "The last time was at your grandfather's, during the worst of when you were sick before the full. You were…it was terrible. I was desperate to ease your suffering, and I was terrified you were going to turn that night. I didn't know what to do for you because nothing was helping. I wasn't at all sure that the Wolfsbane would have even helped you so close to the full, but I tried. All I could really do was just hold you…"
Remus trailed off, took an unsteady breath, and continued, "I held you in my arms, and I called you baby because it was what soothed you when you were smaller. At the time, it felt like a slip of the tongue, but it wasn't. I have spent far too much time worrying about what other people would think about how things would look, without considering what you wanted. I never stopped to think that you would be okay with it, and I am so sorry. I don't know that I'll ever be able to explain to you how sorry I am."
He grew quiet, wanting to give Emma a moment to let his words sink in. He needed a moment to breathe before divulging more of his innermost secrets and thoughts. Remus had spent so much time keeping his thoughts hidden away, had worried about them for so long that saying them aloud was terrifying. But Remus knew that he needed to break through to Emma somehow to make her understand. She was his whole world, but she didn't believe him.
"I don't understand, and I don't know that I ever will, but there's a part of me that feels like this was meant to be," Remus said, his voice trembling. "Not this exact moment – I don't think anyone could have expected this – but I mean with us. Emma, the day you were born changed me completely. Moony immediately connected with you on a level that I've never understood; I connected with you.
"I don't know why, but I feel like you were always meant to be my daughter in the end. I think that you were always meant to be my baby girl, my sunshine, from the very beginning. I can't explain to you why, because I don't know, but that is the absolute truth. The idea of having a child at all…you know that scares me, but you are such a radiant part of my life that you've made it easy. I promise, with everything that I have, that I will do whatever it takes to care of you – because you are my daughter. I will never break that promise again, and I will do whatever it takes to show you that."
Emma's breath seized in her chest, and she broke down with a heartbreaking sob. She began to crumple to the ground, but Remus surged forward to catch her in his arms and held her tightly. He carefully sank to the ground, pulling her close, grateful that she was going to stay alive for another day.
"I'm sorry," Emma sobbed, her hands fisting into the front of his shirt. "I'm so sorry…"
Remus held her close, running a hand through her hair and finally letting his tears fall. "Shh," he soothed, "I've got you, baby girl. I promise that I will always be here for you, no matter what." Unable to speak, Emma just nodded, burying her face in his chest as she cried.
They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, just holding each other. Remus had never been more relieved, and to some degree, he hoped that Emma was as well. He had never planned to tell her so much, but she needed him.
Remus chanced a glance up at the sky, but the moon had barely moved. A moment that felt like hours had only taken at most a half-hour. The feast would still be in full swing. He would have to get her back inside before it was over.
Emma was slowly coming down from her heightened emotions, her sobs becoming soft sniffles and hiccoughs. She leaned heavily against him, not fighting him as he gently wiped her face with a handkerchief.
"I'm cold," Emma murmured, her voice tired and hoarse.
Without a second thought, Remus pulled off his robe and wrapped Emma in it. Fueled by pure adrenaline, Remus scooped her up in his arms and stood slowly. Every bone and every muscle in his body ached, but he knew that Emma was too exhausted to try. It wouldn't be the last time he would have to take care of her like this, but he had a job to do. He wouldn't let Emma fall again.
She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, her crying starting anew as she held onto the front of his shirt. Not wanting to stay out on the bridge any longer, Remus began his journey back to the castle. He only stopped to bend down and pick up his wand. With some careful shuffling, he wordlessly summoned Emma's robe and wand as they passed.
Instead of entering through the main doors, Remus walked through the courtyard and took one of the side doors. The last thing he needed was someone to come across them. He didn't need someone to get the wrong idea and have her put into St. Mungo's, the last place he ever wanted her to go. If she had to go, then he knew without a doubt he would never see her again.
He could bring her back to their quarters, convince her to eat, and then tuck her into bed. He could figure things out in the morning when they were both well-rested. They both needed sleep.
If Remus had been paying more attention, he would have noticed a black dog slipping in through the doors he had failed to close. Emma, who had turned her head up slightly, had been watching over Remus's shoulder the whole time had noticed. When the skinny body of Padfoot disappeared into the castle with a swish of his tail, she buried her face back into Remus's neck without saying a word.
Remus had no idea what had just transpired or the additional damage that was about to be caused. He had no idea that Emma's breakdown created the perfect diversion to distract him. He had no idea that he had just been an accomplice to helping Sirius Black get into the castle.