A/N: For my Patronus curious reviewer, only time will tell~
To Lu: AH! I hope that this is a happy surprise when you finally reach this chapter! I wish there was a much easier way to respond to reviews on this platform, but thank you so much! There is PLENTY more to this story - we've got at least another four books to get through. I hope that you stick around for the rest of the series because we've got a lot to cover!
I'll drop the secret that there is more to the Moonlit series being written. In fact, I've already started writing it (because I couldn't wait), but it'll be some time before pieces are posted. Just a little something to look forward to in the future. :D
"Well," Remus said slowly, looking at the paper in his hand, "at the very least, you'll know how to subdue me as a wolf if it came down to it – which it won't."
Emma was lying on the couch with her head on Remus's lap, wand in hand trying to figure out if she could cast a non-verbal Lumos. After an exhausting hour and a half of working on the Patronus Charm the previous night, they decided to make their Sunday relaxed. Remus didn't mind because Emma wanted to genuinely spend time with him. Any day they weren't having problems was a good one, and he missed their simpler moments.
She screwed up her face with one final attempt before meeting Remus's gaze with narrowed eyes. "I wouldn't have to," Emma said with an indignant huff. "You wouldn't hurt me, anyway."
Remus set his list down and smoothed back Emma's hair, turning his head to look at her better. "You don't know that cariad," he said softly.
"I do," she insisted. "It's obvious, isn't it? I mean, you never said it, but I imagine that with my, er…situation, that I have to smell somewhat like you."
"And what makes you think that?" Remus asked, his eyebrows lifting slightly.
A sheepish grin crossed Emma's face. "I might have gone through one of the books you told me not to go through."
Remus groaned, running a hand over his face. He knew exactly what book she was talking about. It was a book on dark creatures that was extraordinarily detailed and far more than she needed to see. It had resided in his father's home for years, initially meant to serve as a warning of the horrors of werewolves until Remus became one.
He hated the book when he was growing up, not wanting to continually be reminded of his father's thoughts on werewolves. If it weren't for Emma, there was a strong possibility they never would have reconciled at all. Hope had been the glue to keep their family together for the longest time, but then Emma came along and changed everything.
Remus initially took the book to annoy Lyall, but quickly realized it was a valuable resource on other creatures, so he kept it. He had to admit that while it wasn't completely accurate, it offered a better depiction of what it was like to be a werewolf.
"Emma, I told you time and time again not to look through that book. I knew I should have hidden it away from you."
"Well, I've never been much of a good listener," Emma said with a shrug. She held her hand up for the list that Remus made and pulled it towards her face the moment he placed it in her hand. "So, am I right? I've got some secret werewolf scent that you can pick up on?"
When Remus didn't immediately answer, Emma looked up at him curiously. She studied his face for a few moments before humming quietly, pleased that she was correct. "Knew it," she said, returning to looking through the list, her brow furrowing. "All of these are spells meant to attack. Why are none of them for actual defense?"
"Because you're better off attacking a werewolf than defending yourself against one," Remus explained, heaving a heavy sigh as Emma pressed the list back into his hands, a displeased look on her face. "And yes, your scent has…it's changed, but I don't know if that would be enough. It's not strong, and you don't transform. You might smell different, but you're still human."
"Doesn't mean that you would attack me, though," Emma said, sitting up and twisting herself to look at him. "Hey, maybe we should –"
"Absolutely not."
"You didn't even let me finish what I was about to say!"
Remus gently took Emma's face in his hands. "Because I know you were going to say that you want to test that theory, my sweet girl," he said, leaning forward to kiss her nose. "And I will absolutely not allow you to be anywhere near me while transformed."
Emma rubbed her nose, trying to wipe his kiss away with a frown. "But you take the Wolfsbane Potion!"
"And all it takes is one accidental slip involving my teeth, Wolfsbane or not."
"I'm already half-way there as it is," Emma muttered.
"You can't even say that it's half-way," Remus sighed. "You shouldn't even be able to say that at all, but here we are. I will not be the reason you become a werewolf."
A slight crease appeared between Emma's brows. "But what if you had to bite me so that Fenrir couldn't?"
"There is absolutely no reason why you would be in a situation where he could get close enough to you to do so," Remus said. "I think you now understand the importance of not going out during the full moon –" Remus fixed Emma with a hard stare "– and the wards back home are as safe as I can possibly make them. As long as you're here, you're safe. As long as you listen to what I have to say at home, you are safe. Nothing is going to happen to you with me around."
Emma studied Remus for a moment and nodded. "All right," she said quietly.
Remus smiled, kissing the spot between Emma's brows and chuckling at her aggravated noise at the gesture. "By the time we leave here for the summer, I will have taught you so much that you will never have to be afraid of anything ever again. If I can't be there to protect you, then I'm not going to let you be unprepared. Now, go to bed. We're starting your new class schedule tomorrow."
Emma groaned, pulling away and standing up with a frown. She had already forgotten that Remus adjusted her schedule to lighten her course load for "at least a few weeks."
"You need to find balance, and right now, you don't have it," Remus had told her the previous week, a conversation that led to a heated argument.
She didn't want to think about that conversation again; Emma understood what Remus was trying to do, but she didn't like it. "What am I permitted to go to tomorrow? I already forgot," she said quietly.
"Everything except for Potions and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Well, I suppose that's all right," Emma sighed. "Wasn't feeling up to dealing with Snape or the Flobberworms anyway."
"I thought not," Remus said. "Go to bed, sweetheart. We'll be working in class tomorrow morning, and I want you well-rested."
"You are such a mum," Emma muttered, starting to walk away. She paused before leaving the room entirely and turned back around. "Dad?"
"What is it? Did you want a Sleeping Draught tonight? I'm not sure I want to give y–"
"No," Emma said quickly, cutting him off. "It's not that. It's something else."
Remus straightened up slightly, cocking his head to the side. "What is it?"
"I need you to promise me something," Emma said quietly. "But I know you're not going to like what I ask you."
"What do you need me to promise you?"
There was a long moment of hesitation where Emma stared at Remus, looking incredibly unsure of what she wanted to say. He immediately understood why when she opened her mouth; he wasn't expecting the words that she said at all.
"If there ever comes a time where I find myself in a situation where Fenrir could turn me, please don't let him. I need it to be you."
Remus was utterly floored, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He opened his mouth to speak and promptly closed it, trying to process what Emma was asking of him. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and then shook his head.
"Sweetheart, there is no possible way that you could find yourself in that position," he said quietly.
"But if I did a-and it came down to it being you and him. Please, tell me that you would be the one to do it."
"Sweetheart, I…I've already…" Remus wasn't sure what to say. Emma was asking him to do the absolute unthinkable – the very thing he swore to never do to someone, especially her. It was bad enough that she had cursed blood in any capacity because of him. For her to ask him to be the one to turn her for a hypothetical scenario that could never happen? He could never imagine doing something so horrid. He had already done more than enough. "I couldn't. Emma, I-I could never do that to you – to anyone. But you'll never have to worry about it because you would never be in that situation."
Emma stared at Remus for a few moments longer, her face falling slightly. "Forget I ever said anything," she said quietly. "G'night, Dad."
Trying to be happy was not an easy task for Emma in the least, but she had things that she needed to do. If she needed to live by Remus's much more restrictive rules, she would do what she needed. If it meant choosing to be happy, well, she had done much more difficult things in her life. She was tired of crying, anyway.
Monday was at least easy to get through. Having Remus's class Monday mornings generally set her weeks up decently. He made an effort to make the classes fun on Mondays, and he had decided to make it one of their better classes. Though they had worked on the Knockback Jinx in their first year, Remus insisted that they perfect the spell.
"You'll need to know it for your exam," he said to the class before putting everyone into pairs. Emma had a sneaking suspicion that the lesson was partially for her benefit, but she didn't mind. Any excuse to be able to knock Persephone over (for educational purposes, of course) was enjoyable.
After class, she decided to go back to her room for a short kip. She had Transfiguration third period, and then she would be spending her lunch and fourth period with Madam Pomfrey. A nap would be helpful to get through McGonagall's lesson for the day. She finished her day with Divination and Ancient Runes, and the moment she set foot back in her room after dinner, she had to plan for the next day. Emma was determined to try and convince Snape to teach her how to make the Wolfsbane Potion, but she needed to mentally prepare herself.
Tuesday felt like the longest day possible. Her double Transfiguration class, though with the Slytherins, felt as though it lasted forever. Herbology afterward moved a little quicker, but then she had to get through lunch. Lunch had never been more excruciating, and her nerves were clearly showing.
"Are you all right?" Remus asked, getting up from the head table to check on her.
"'M fine," Emma muttered, trying to school her expression into something more neutral. "Just a little tired."
Remus hummed quietly, studying her. "You look tense," he said. "Is it because you have Potions next? We can still get you a tutor instead if that would help."
"No," Emma said quickly. "No, really. I'm just tired."
It was evident that Remus didn't believe her as he tilted his head slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Dad," Emma said quietly, dragging out her words. "I swear I'm just tired."
"All right," Remus said with a sigh, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "If you decide that you don't want to go, just come see me. Otherwise, I'll see you at dinner."
Emma shook her head as Remus started to leave and was about to turn back around, but she stopped herself. "Hey, Dad?" Remus paused and turned back to look at Emma curiously, but didn't say a word and just shoved his hands in his pockets. "Just wanted to say I love you," Emma said quietly.
Remus's expression softened, and he shook his head. "I love you, too," he said with a smile before turning back around to leave.
"Wow," Persephone said slowly. "Whatever it is you're planning, you are really laying it on thick, mate."
Emma turned back to sit correctly at the table. She hadn't noticed Persephone leaving the Slytherin table to sit across from her. "Am I not allowed to say that I love my dad?"
Persephone leaned forward on the table. "Considering you two have been at each other's throats for the past month and a half?" Persephone laughed in disbelief. "It might work for him, but you're certainly not fooling me. So, what is it you're doing that you're trying to throw him off the trail?"
"I'm not doing anything," Emma huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She stared at Persephone, who only stared back with a smirk on her face. "Fine!" Emma said, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "I'm going to ask Snape if he'll let me start making potions again, and I never told Dad. I didn't want him to know." It wasn't entirely a lie, but she couldn't explain that she had a singular purpose for talking to Snape.
Leanne and Justin were immediately pulled from their conversation and turned to look at Emma in shock.
"You are absolutely not," Leanne said, her mouth falling open.
"I am," Emma said. "I make potions for Madam Pomfrey all the time. So, why can't I brew in class?"
"Woowww," Persephone said. "No wonder you're trying to get on Professor Lupin's good side. You know he's going to have an absolute fit for not running it by him first, right?"
"Hence trying to get on his good side," Emma said, finding the clock in the Great Hall. "Well, wish me luck."
If Emma thought the rest of her day was dragging, getting through potions was even worse. She watched impatiently as Mandy and Anthony worked on their Wiggenweld Potion, something they had made in class several times. Emma had made it repeatedly with Pomfrey, and she could make the potion in her sleep. In fact, Emma nearly fell asleep watching, and when the bell rang, she jumped.
Emma packed her things slowly, hoping to wait out the rest of the class. It took longer than she would have wanted as Justin was hanging around, but the room eventually cleared out. Emma straightened up slowly, peering around to make sure no one else was present and sighed. It was now or never.
She walked up slowly to Snape's desk and stood waiting. It was going to be a waiting game, and she knew it, but she didn't care if she was late for Charms. Professor Flitwick wouldn't be too mad if she showed up just past the bell.
"To what do I owe this displeasure, Lupin?" Snape said, not bothering to look up from whatever he was writing.
"I wanted to ask you something, Professor."
"If you are here to ask me to allow you to brew in my class, the answer is no."
"That's not what I wanted to ask you, sir." Snape looked up at Emma. When he didn't say a word, Emma realized he was waiting for her to continue speaking. "Not exactly, at least. I was wanted to ask if you would be willing to teach me how to make the Wolfsbane Potion."
An eyebrow immediately arched on Snape's face. "And why would I teach you how to make the Wolfsbane Potion? There's absolutely no need for you to learn such a potion."
"I'm not stupid, professor," Emma said, trying to force herself to keep her voice steady. "I don't think just anyone would make the potion for him. I would like to learn how to brew the potion; it would be one less thing that takes up your time. Besides, there's only so much I can learn with Madam Pomfrey."
A sneer curled the man's lips, but Emma wasn't about to back down. "How…thoughtful of you," he drawled. "And tell me, Lupin - are you the one I have to make the diluted brew for?"
"That would be correct, sir," Emma said. There wasn't any point in trying to hide that fact from Snape when he obviously knew. It didn't make her feel comfortable in the least, but she had no other option.
"A werewolf and a half-wolf…Hogwarts is truly going to the dogs," Snape sneered. Emma's skin prickled, but she refused to look away from the potion's master. She needed to learn to make the potion for Remus, and she needed to learn it correctly. Emma could never forgive herself if she tried to learn on her own and hurt him.
Snape considered Emma for a few minutes, not saying a word. He leaned forward on his desk. "I do not have any desire to teach you considering your history; however…if I don't have to continue to make the potion, then it will free up my time," Snape sneered. "I will teach you under several conditions. Do you understand?"
Emma nodded, trying to smother down her excitement. "Yes, sir," she answered.
"Very well," Snape drawled. "You will not tell your father that you are learning to make the potion. I do not need him swooping in here like a rabid dog. You will only be permitted to brew during class periods under my direct supervision the week of the full moon. You will be required to attend all classes that week and spend a portion of your lunch to brew the potion. While it does not have to be taken at the same time each day, it does have to be made fresh each day and taken within the hour."
Snape paused for a moment, letting his second condition sink in, but Emma nodded in understanding. It was a potion with a time limit; she had never realized. Emma wanted to ask why she didn't need to take her doses right away, but she would have to ask Elara instead. She figured it had something to do with the aconite, but she wanted to be sure.
"You will research the recipe for the potion on your own," he continued. "It is not a potion that you can fix along the way, and the ingredients are difficult to come by. The book can be found in the Restricted Section. It is your responsibility to get access on your own – I will not give you permission. If I so much as hear you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will cease all lessons. Do you understand?"
Well, at least half of Snape's list was easy, Emma thought to herself. She didn't want Remus to know what she was doing, so she didn't have issues with that. Emma wasn't about to tell anyone else, either. However, getting into the Restricted Section and attending class preceding the full moon was going to be a challenge. Remus would ask too many questions about why she needed a permission form, and the other professors would as well. That really left her with only one option – she had to forge Remus's signature. She wondered if the twins knew anyone good at forging signatures that could help. Although, she was sure she could do it herself if she had to. It helped that his handwriting was rather loopy.
"Yes, sir," Emma answered. "I understand."
Snape nodded slowly. "We will discuss further near the end of the month." Snape returned to whatever he was writing, and Emma took that as her dismissal. At least that was one hurdle down. Now she just needed to get outside for an hour to talk to Sirius. They hadn't spoken since Halloween, and she had questions.
Emma was only a few minutes late getting to Charms, and she flashed Flitwick an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, Professor," Emma said, sitting down in the empty seat next to Ron and pulling out her things. "Got caught up with Professor Snape."
"Quite all right, Miss Lupin!" Flitwick said. "I didn't start class just yet."
It appeared that Emma's lie about being tired was meant to come true as she was exhausted when she made it downstairs to dinner. However, her day still wasn't over, and it depended entirely on whether she could convince Remus to let her outside for a bit. Luckily, she came prepared.
She sat down at the table, trying to eat quickly but not too quickly. Emma didn't need to raise Remus's suspicions. Her eyes shot up towards the windows, and she frowned. It was already starting to get dark.
Taking a deep breath, Emma stood up, bid her friend's goodnight, and made her way to the head table. She was relieved that Remus had taken a seat at the end of the table for dinner. It would mean fewer people were paying attention. Emma just wasn't anticipating the immediately skeptical look on his face as she approached.
"You're coming here to ask me something," Remus stated. "That's a little worrisome."
"That shouldn't be worrisome," Emma said. "I'm your daughter. That's rather rude."
"That's exactly why I'm worried," Remus said dryly.
Emma pursed her lips. "Fair point," she grumbled. "No, I wanted to come and ask if you'd be all right with me going out by the lake for an hour or so. I'll come back in before it gets dark."
Remus set down his knife and fork to study Emma. "And why might you want to go out by the lake?"
Emma came prepared, and she reached into her bag to pull out her sketchbook. "It's been a while," she said quietly. She flipped through the pages. "Not sure what I'll draw, but I'm sure something will catch my eye."
"Why am I having a hard time believing you?" Remus asked. "This sounds a little too well-rehearsed."
"That's rude," Emma said. "Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" Remus raised his eyebrows, and Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I just really want to go outside to be alone for a bit. I don't know if I'll draw or not. It rained all week and this weekend, and it's going to start getting too cold for me to go outside. I just want to take advantage of the last bits of not-winter weather. The snow here isn't exactly the same as being at home."
"Well, that's at least believable," Remus said, giving Emma another once over before peering down at his watch. "All right. Come back in by seven. That'll give you a little over an hour."
"Perfect," Emma said, bending down to kiss Remus's cheek and scrunching up her nose. She rubbed her hand over his cheek and frowned. "Your face is scratchy. I think you need to shave." Before Remus could say a word, Emma quickly dashed away.
Her first stop was back downstairs to the kitchens to grab extra food from the elves. She gratefully shoved several very stuffed sandwiches into her bag and made her way out onto the grounds. Emma quickly made her way down to the lake and let out a relieved sigh when she saw Padfoot lurking over by the Forbidden Forest.
Making sure that no one else was around, Emma walked towards the edge of the forest to meet him. Padfoot sniffed her bag with a single wag and turned around so that she could follow him. The moment he felt they were deep enough into the forest, he transformed.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking?"
Emma crossed her arms and glared at Sirius. "Oh, there's the scary man from the posters. And here I thought you were just a sweet dog," Emma grumbled. She scrunched up her nose at the thought. "A dog that I bathed and let sleep in my bed…and lick my face. Oh, that's gross."
"Forget about that right now! I don't even bloody know where to start with you!" Sirius said sharply. "How dare you put Remus through that again!"
"Sirius, I already went through this with Dad. I feel like complete shit about it, I don't need to hear it from you, too!"
"You do need to hear it from me!" Sirius growled. "You said that you were just going to open the damned doors. You trying to off yourself again was not part of that plan. How dare you put Remus through that. How dare you put me through that!"
"Oh, like he was such a saint," Emma scoffed. "God, Sirius, it's not like you're my dad."
Sirius looked highly taken aback and hurt. He huffed out a breath and held onto Emma's shoulders, bending down to look her in the eye. "I…I might not be your father, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't care if something happened to you. In case you're forgetting, I've loved you for a very long time as well."
There was something about Sirius's expression that struck a chord with Emma, but she didn't understand why. She shook her head, trying to blink back the tears that had suddenly welled up in her eyes. Sirius was being incredibly unreasonable.
"Sirius, please," Emma pleaded. "I can't have two people being disappointed in me. Besides, if I get too upset, the stupid band…"
With wide eyes, Sirius looked down at the band on Emma's wrist. "Probably wouldn't be a good idea to get you upset."
"I told him I was just coming out for some alone time, so I don't need him to come running out because I get upset." Emma reached into her bag to pull out the sandwiches she had and handed them to Sirius. He sat down on the ground and immediately tore into one. She watched him for a few moments and sighed. "What happened, anyway? You completely destroyed the Fat Lady's portrait."
"She wouldn't let me in without the password," Sirius said with a growl between bites of sandwich. "I thought if I destroyed the portrait, it would let me into the common room."
"Well, that was stupid," Emma said, raising an eyebrow. "We might not have a portrait to get into Hufflepuff, but even I know that the castle won't let you in if you're not doing things correctly."
"I have to get the bloody rat. I need to get Peter before he hurts Harry."
"He's lived with Harry for two years in the dorm. Do you really think he would do something to him now?"
"Now would be a perfect time," Sirius muttered. "I would just be the one to get the blame." Sirius's eyes suddenly widened, and he reached up and grabbed onto Emma's wrist. "Harry! How's Harry?"
"Harry's fine," Emma said. "He's a little shaken up, but he's fine. Dad plans on teaching him the Patronus charm next term, just in case."
"Why doesn't he teach him now? What is he waiting for?"
Emma sighed and pulled her wrist free. "I've taken up far more time than he expected, so he's got a lot of work to catch up on. I haven't really made his teaching career easy."
"I can see why," Sirius said sharply.
"Sirius, you are not my father," Emma said icily. "I really absolutely do not need to hear it from you." Emma fixed Sirius with a stare. "What's our next plan?"
Sirius looked at Emma in confusion. "Did you just say, 'our next plan?'"
"Yes?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Don't we still have to get Peter? I told you I would help. Although, you really should be telling me more about the whole Secret-Keeper thing. I knew that I had one, but I didn't realize that it was you."
"Before we get into that, how are you? We couldn't talk after the Quidditch match, and I was worried that you had such a strong reaction."
Emma sat down on the ground next to Sirius and ran her finger through the dirt. "I'm fine, I suppose. Just trying to work through everything," she said quietly. "I think I figured out the moment that keeps coming up in my mind is, uhm, I think it's with Fenrir when..." Sirius's head snapped up with his brows turning up. Emma cleared her throat and continued on, "I've mostly decided that I should at the very least stick around for Dad. I'm going to try and learn the Wolfsbane Potion for him. I've been an absolute shit daughter, so it's the least I could do for him."
"You're not a shit daughter, Emma," Sirius said softly. "The fact you would even consider doing that for him tells me that you're not. What happened to you never should have occurred. I think your mum was worried something like that would happen, and I think that's why she asked me to serve as Secret-Keeper for you."
"Dad said that my file from the children's home said I was found in the floor or whatever? Is that right?"
Sirius nodded. "I wish I could tell you more than that. It's a little more than just 'being in the floor.' I was never sure if it was because she was afraid of the war or something else, she never said," Sirius said with a bitter laugh. "I should have realized that it was because of Jude…"
"Were there any other Secret-Keepers?"
Sirius shook his head. "No, just myself and your mother. She didn't want a lot of people knowing. I'm just glad that the right person heard me when they hauled me off to Azkaban."
"Were you and my mum close? Dad said he wasn't entirely sure but said you two were at least friendly."
"I was close with your entire family. You would have adored your grandmother," Sirius said sadly. "She passed a few weeks before you were born, and she was so excited to meet you."
Emma frowned slightly. "My grandmother's name was Hope, wasn't it?" Emma asked, looking over at Sirius curiously.
"It was."
"Was I named after her?"
Sirius froze, his eyes wide as he stared back at Emma. "What did you just ask?"
"I-forget it," Emma said quietly. "It's stupid." She turned her face away, focusing on the patterns she was drawing in the dirt.
"No," Sirius said softly, reaching out to take Emma's hand in his. "How do you know about that?"
Emma looked back at Sirius in confusion. "Well, did I ever explain to you that Elara found my old records from St. Mungo's, and that's how I found out about everything? I don't remember what we've talked about at this point. We keep talking in circles, and I feel like there hasn't been enough time to really talk to you…" Emma trailed off with a sigh.
Sirius gave her a sad smile. "There's so much I want to talk to you about," he said quietly. "Now, what about these records?"
"Right," Emma said quietly. "Well, my records had two birth certificates. The original one where I was named Emma Hope Lupin, but then another one later with Emelyn Theodosia Nickels. Sent me on a bit of an identity crisis for a moment, but…Emma Hope Lupin immediately made sense to me. When I first met Grandpa again, he called me Emma Hope, but only when Dad wasn't around…which tells me that he knew my real name the entire time. Dad didn't know that name, though. It seems as though you've known my real name this entire time, which I find odd."
"I have," Sirius said quietly, his eyes focused on their joined hands as he ran his thumb over Emma's knuckles. "We were worried that…that Remus was the spy because of his time with the werewolves. We just assumed that by telling him a different name just similar enough that it would throw people off and keep them away from you. I don't understand why the birth certificate was amended, though. It was always decided that you would be Emma Hope."
"Do you know why a father wasn't listed on the first birth certificate?" Emma asked almost excitedly. Sirius knew more than Remus did and had to have answers. It was impossible to miss the way that Sirius turned pale and pulled his hand from hers.
"I do," he said, his voice tight.
Emma was about to ask Sirius about it, but the clock tower's bell was ringing. "Oh, shit," Emma hissed, shooting up from the ground and grabbing her bag. "Dad said for me to be back by seven. Merlin, he's going to bloody kill me." She turned to Sirius with an apologetic grimace. "I have no idea how we're going to make things work because Dad's really paying attention to me now, but I'll try and get out more. I can't guarantee anything. Just…try to stay safe, Sirius. We clearly have a lot to talk about, a-and I feel like I need to get to know you. I'll see what I can do from the inside."