Emma hated being in the hospital wing on a typical day; she hated it more when it involved her getting tests done. The worst part of it all was having to be up earlier than usual to do it all before first period. Her life had long since moved past daydreams and fairy tales and into a strange reality that she was still trying to comprehend.

Even though Remus was undergoing the same tests she was "for the sake of research," Emma found her patience only extended so far. She felt like a science experiment, and the only thing that kept her almost okay with it is that she trusted Elara. If Elara wasn't taking additional time out of her life to research, then things would be far more uncertain. It was something that Elara didn't need to do, but she chose to do so that they all felt better. Emma just had to try and trust the process as much as she could.

Remus watched as Elara worked through the numbers she was working through, stroking Emma's hair as she laid her head on his lap. Emma was curled up on the hospital bed, her eyes closed, just wanting to rest. Elara needed to take another blood sample, and Emma was not a fan of needles, and it stressed her out. Remus pulling her from her morning classes was the only thing getting her through, but he was doing that regardless. At the very least, it meant that she could quickly try and work on the next condition of learning the Wolfsbane Potion. It didn't take much to convince him to let her stay in the library until lunch.

Emma didn't need to have the heightened senses of a werewolf to pick up on the sudden shift in energy. It was like a thick fog had just entered their curtained off area of the hospital wing, sweeping out the gentle warmth there usually was. Emma opened her eyes to find Elara looking at her with an expression both guilty and worried.

"How are you feeling?" Elara asked after a while.

"Fine," Emma said slowly, sitting up and looking between Elara and Remus. "What's going on?" She watched as Remus leaned forward and held his head in his hands, his expression grave. They had to have been having a silent conversation over her head as she had her eyes closed. That wasn't good.

Elara looked at the parchment held in her hands. "I can't be certain," she said slowly, "but there could be a possibility of you eventually transforming even without a bite."

"What? But how?" Emma asked quickly. "Is that even possible?"

"That's the problem, I don't know," Elara answered with a frown. "Your case is unique, and I can't find one that's similar enough to compare to."

"The biggest issue is that you had a dose of the potion during the full moon," Remus added quietly. He lifted his head just enough to look at Emma. "We don't know if that will have led to a slower infection since there wasn't a bite to facilitate it. You're infected, there's absolutely no doubt about that, but the disease is still mutating."

"But wouldn't all of that be negated because the potion was started before the full moon rose?" Emma asked, looking between Elara and Remus with the hopes their logic was flawed.

Elara sighed and set aside the parchment. "It would have made it more potent," she said quietly. "Lycanthropy almost feeds on itself to grow; otherwise, it wouldn't be such a potent disease. Once it's introduced into your blood, there's no turning back. There's no cure. It's impossible to eradicate because of the biological changes it causes. For you, that would have changed regardless, but because you specifically share Remus's blood, things are much different."

"Which was why things were done the way they were in the beginning. It was so that I never had to touch the potion," Emma said quietly, finally understanding Remus's hesitations. "So, why do you think that there's a possibility that it could still happen?"

"Well, I can reassure you and say that I won't need another blood sample from you for a few months," Elara said, trying to ease the tension. "The thing is, is that with you, your numbers keep going changing, but they're steady. That's a big reason why I keep asking if things feel different to you. We've established that your emotions go a little haywire, but I'm trying to determine what else might occur. Unfortunately, it means that we're approaching a point where it's 50-50 that you do or don't transform."

Emma groaned, rubbing her temples as she tried to process what Elara was saying. "Will you at least have an indication of when it would happen if it did?"

"I'm certainly going to try. If things stay steady, there are at least a few months before we have to worry. I can't make any guarantees, though. Right now, if I'm correct, I think April or May."

"Well, guess that's good news for you then, Dad," Emma said, trying to lighten the mood. "You wouldn't have to bite me like I asked if that's the case."

Remus shot Emma an aggravated look. "Emma, she just told you that you could be a full werewolf because of me, and that's what you say? I don't understand how you can be so cavalier about it."

"I told you, I didn't want it to be Fenrir," Emma snapped.

"Hold on, do you mind backing up a moment?" Elara interjected. "We didn't get to discuss much before I got here, Remus, so for once, I'm completely in the dark."

"Emma asked me earlier this week to be the one to bite her in a hypothetical situation that will never occur, and I told her absolutely not," Remus sighed.

"Which is stupid because would you really want Fenrir to bite me?" Emma said sharply.

"You would never be in that situation!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes, I do!"

"Dad, we already established that the memory I had matched up to what you showed me in the Pensieve. You can't tell me that Fenrir's end goal isn't going to be to turn me. If Jude gave me to him –"

"My memory was faulty! Jude did terrible, terrible things to you but even that's –"

"But is it, Dad? You don't forget a thing, and you know it. If I was in a position where Fenrir could –"

"Erm, if I may?" Elara said, holding her hands up as Emma and Remus both turned to glare at her. "I would certainly hope that you're never in a position that it could be a possibility, Emma. Remus, please don't hate me, but I agree with Emma."

"What?" Remus growled. "How could you agree with Emma? She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Elara grimaced, looking between Emma, who looked grateful, and Remus, who looked ready to rip her head off of her shoulders. "Remus, here's the thing – if she's a full werewolf without the bite, then she's better off. At least she didn't have to suffer through the bite. If she's not a full werewolf at the end of this, then that's even better. If, and it's a big if, there was a possibility of a situation where it would come down to you or Fenrir biting Emma, it would be better if it were you."

"You've got to be bloody kidding me, Elara. There is absolutely no way in Hell that I would do that to her."

"Remus, if Emma's in the position where Fenrir could turn her, there's absolutely no guarantees she would even survive. If you were there and could be the one to stop him from being the one to turn her, I would do it. I might not have been one of Fenrir's, but Remus…you know what he's like."

"I've ruined her life enough. The fact that neither of you understand me –"

"You act like you're the only one who's terrified about all of this, Dad!" Emma said, her voice coming out much sharper than she meant to. Remus looked at Emma with wide eyes, and Emma stared back, deflating. "I'm scared, too, you know. Fenrir's taken so much from me already. I can't let him have that, too."

Remus sighed, taking Emma's hand. "All of this is my fault."

Emma pulled her hand from Remus's so that she could hug his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. "It was actually mine," she said sadly. "If I didn't…"

"And it was my suggestion," Elara said with a shrug. "If we're going to play the blame game, we're all at fault, but we need to move forward. Just…one day at a time at this point."

"You hear that, Dad?" Emma said with a snort. "Elara said, 'One day at a time.' Isn't that what you've been telling me?"

"Those were meant to be words of encouragement, not a lifestyle," Remus muttered.

"Well, we've never done things the normal way, have we?"

Remus frowned at Emma and looked at his watch. "I suppose we should leave if everything's all done. I'm afraid that I have a class to teach in ten minutes."

Emma let go of Remus's arm and looked over at Elara. "Is it all right if I talk to Elara for a moment?" Emma asked Remus quietly.

Remus stood up and studied Emma for a moment. "All right, but be quick because she has to head back to St. Mungo's." He turned to Elara and gave her a small wave before stepping through the curtains.

"There's a silencing charm up, right?" Emma asked Elara quietly.

Elara pulled out her wand and cast the charm again with a grin. "Just in case. What's up, kid?"

"A lot," Emma said. "Obviously. I'm sure Dad's at least updated on you on what happened on Halloween."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes and no? I feel incredibly guilty over it. I know that I shouldn't have…I was scared, you know? I feel like it's been one thing after another, and I'm not sure I've ever really managed to recover from even finding out that I can do magic." Emma looked down at her hands in her lap. "I'm not really sure how I feel about anything. I just feel…numb at this point."

"Well, that's to be expected," Elara said gently. "You went through an incredible shock, and I can't imagine how confusing it was to find everything out. You know, I gave your father the name of someone who I think could really help you."

"I know, he's told me several times. But that's the thing, though. It wasn't exactly confusing to find out. I mean, I knew most of it already – obviously – it just felt as though things suddenly made sense. I've had nightmares about Fenrir for years without knowing who he actually was. At least now I understand why, but that's not what I'm confused about."

"What's been bothering you, then?"

"The birth certificates. When I saw them, it was like everything made sense in the world, but I don't understand why there wasn't a father listed. What does that even mean? I tried talking to –" Emma stopped herself before she said Sirius's name. She met Elara's questioning gaze and cleared her throat before continuing, "I was talking to Persephone about it. Neither of us understand."

Elara looked skeptical. "Are you sure that's who you were talking to?"

"Persephone's my best friend. Of course, I talked to her about it."

"And yet you're calling her Persephone, not Effie."

"I switch back and forth," Emma frowned.

Elara hummed quietly, pursing her lips. "It's because you're trying to hide something from me," Elara said, studying Emma closely. "Emma, I'm going to tell you this because I see you as family - I'm worried about you. Your father has expressed concerns that you could possibly be associating with Sirius Black. I doubt that I need to explain to you how or why he has those suspicions."

Emma desperately wanted to deny that she was seeing Sirius, but she was sure that Elara would see right through her. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting nervously. Emma didn't like that Remus had known about Sirius the entire time, but he never said a word to her. She wanted to ask him why, but that would mean admitting to him she'd met with Sirius a few times.

"Your silence leads me to believe that he's been correct," Elara sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Emma, you are an incredibly smart girl, but this…this is worrisome. It's Sirius Black, Emma. He's dangerous."

"More dangerous than Fenrir?" Emma asked, lifting her eyes to meet Elara's.

Elara took a deep breath and started to put together her things to leave. "There are multiple reasons why a father might not have been listed. It could be a paperwork issue; it could be that there was a question about your paternity at the time…" Elara looked up at Emma. "Or someone else's name was meant to be on there, for multiple separate reasons, but the time wasn't right."

"Whose name, though?"

"I've already said too much, Emma," Elara said, standing up from her chair. "I don't want to tell you something that we don't have answers for or might not ever get answers for. Your father, Professor Dumbledore, and I have been trying to gather as much information as we can."

"But you know whose name is meant to be on there."

"We only have theories. There's nothing concrete."

"But you know of a possible name."

Elara looked down at her watch. "I can't say anything more, Emma. I won't say anything to your father about you and…and Sirius. I'll file it under Healer-Patient confidentiality, but I am worried about you. You don't know what he's capable of, and I don't want to see you getting hurt. I've seen you hurt enough times already, kid. I'd be heartbroken if something happened to you again. Come on, I'm sure your father is having a fit with us taking too long."

"Elara, wait," Emma said quickly, sliding off the bed. "I need to ask you one more thing before you leave."

Elara turned back to Emma, her hand on the curtain, ready to open it. "What is it, kid?"

"If I were to try and research the recipe for the Wolfsbane Potion, what book would I need to look for?"

"For…educational purposes, I assume?" Elara asked, the corners of her lips twitching.

"Something like that," Emma said with a non-committal shrug.

"Find the research paper from Damocles Belby. He's the one who created the potion. It'll offer you far more information than a book. If you need a book, I believe Moste Potente Potions might have the recipe," Elara said, giving Emma a wink. She shook her head and dropped her hand from the curtain, turning to look at Emma with a grin. "There should be more people like you, kid. I know you don't see it yet, but I can see that you're going to try and help a lot of people when you graduate from Hogwarts. Just be careful when working with the aconite. You have to get it into a powder form, and it burns like an absolute bitch if you get it up your nose. A small amount is fine, but if you're worried that you'll accidentally ingest more, keep your nose covered."

Emma snorted and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Elara."

The walk to the library was incredibly quick, and it involved Remus complaining about being late for his own class.

"You're the professor," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "It's not a big deal if you're late."

"It is extremely unprofessional for me to be late," Remus complained, turning on his heel to look at Emma as they reached the library doors. "You are to stay here."

"I know," Emma said, rubbing her smile off her face.

"You are to work on your homework and study for the classes you weren't in today."

"I'm aware."

"You will not cause Madam Pince any issues."

"Do I ever?"

"Not that I know of, but with you, I'm learning there's always a possibility."

Emma heaved a long and dramatic sigh. "I promise that I won't antagonize Madam Pince. I'll be perfectly quiet, study like the perfect student, and she won't hear a peep from me."

"Good," Remus said, leaning down to kiss the top of Emma's head. "I'll come to get you for lunch."

"All right," Emma said, waiting impatiently for Remus to leave. "I'll be good. Now go, or else you'll be even later for your own class."

Remus eyed Emma suspiciously, shoving his hands in his pockets and hummed. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Have a good day of teaching, Professor Lupin." Emma giggled at the exasperated look on Remus's face as she crossed the threshold of the library. She made a show of sitting down at one of the nearby tables and taking out her things. Remus watched her suspiciously for a moment but finally turned to leave.

Emma let out the breath she had been holding. It felt like it was near impossible to keep secrets from Remus. She still wasn't too sure how she felt about Elara knowing about Sirius, but at least it meant someone knew if something were to happen to her.

When she was sure that Remus had completely cleared the area, Emma dug back into her bag. She had spent several hours the night prior practicing forging Remus's signature, and she was positive that she had it nearly perfect. At the very least, it looked like a hastily scrawled signature and shouldn't arouse too much suspicion. Emma pulled out her forged permission slip for the Restricted Section and took a deep breath. It was now or never, and she anticipated she wouldn't have a lot of time to research at all if Madam Pince suspected it was fake.

Squaring her shoulders, Emma walked over to Madam Pince and held the permission slip out to the witch with a smile. Pince looked up at Emma for a moment and stared at the permission slip far longer than Emma wanted. Emma was nearly positive that she was going to start sweating; she was so nervous.

"Miss Lupin, are you quite positive that it was your father who signed this and not you?" Madam Pince asked, her eyebrows lifting as she looked up to appraise Emma.

"Yes, of course," Emma smiled. "He knows I wanted to do some further research into, er…well, you understand, I'm sure. I just want to make sure that I understand him better."

"And you didn't do enough of that in your first year?"

"No, Madam Pince. I didn't know then, and the more detailed books are in the Restricted Section."

With a scowl, Madam Pince pointed her wand over at the roped-off section. The long, bewitched rope unlatched itself so that Emma could pass through, and Emma gave the witch a grin.

"Thank you," Emma said earnestly, practically skipping over to her things and bringing them into the Restricted Section.

Emma knew she wouldn't have much time at all to find what she needed. Madam Pince clearly knew the form was fake, but she was leaving Remus to be the one to dole out punishment. Emma knew that she only had until the end of Remus's first class before he would come back. She had no doubt that Madam Pince was contacting Remus at that exact moment. She had to work fast.

She scoured the shelves quickly, unsure of whether she should be looking at the potion's books or research papers. Emma decided to look for both. At least she could cross-reference things if she had both to look at.

Her search through the potions books was easy. Moste Potente Potions was much easier to find since she had a title to look for. She flipped to the index and sighed in relief, seeing that the Wolfsbane Potion was listed. However, that sigh of relief gave way to a gasp. The Wolfsbane Potion single-handedly had the most ingredients she had ever seen for a potion.

"Merlin's saggy tits," she muttered as she scanned the list. It wasn't so much that the ingredients were expensive; it was the sheer number of things needed. Most of it was standard, such as honey water, Flobberworm mucus, Dittany, and lavender, but then it got interesting. Other ingredients were Lacewing flies, powdered horn of bicorn, Jobberknoll feathers, and of course, wolfsbane, the ingredient the potion was named after. The most fascinating component of all was actual werewolf hair, something Emma found surprising and yet not at all. It seemed as though the list went on and on, combining different potions to create the Wolfsbane Potion.

The instructions were equally as complicated. It had to sit out at night at points, certain ingredients had to be collected the previous full moon or within a certain amount of time after. It was no wonder the potion was so expensive – one small slip would mean a whole entire weeks' worth of potion would be ruined.

Feeling almost dizzy, Emma wrote down the ingredient list and the instructions into her notebook. She would never want to forget any of the steps or ingredients needed, and she would have to do further research. There was no possible way that so many things were required for the potion; the issue was figuring out which ones didn't need to be included. The Wolfsbane Potion was essentially several potions in one, so something could be adjusted somewhere. Eventually, Emma would commit the potion to memory, but for now, she had more research to do.

Her next stop was to find the research paper written by Damocles. She hoped that it would offer more information than the book. Perhaps it would explain why the number of ingredients was needed and what testing he'd already done. Emma was searching for anything that would really help. Unfortunately, she quickly realized, the research didn't offer as much information as she'd hoped.

It was certainly informative, explaining the effects of the potion in more detail, but much like most werewolf research, he stayed away. He wasn't willing to step in to investigate a werewolf up close to research its effects and relied on the testimony of the trials. Emma felt incredibly ill finding out how many werewolves died during testing. Wolfsbane was lethal in large doses, and the Wolfsbane Potion required a lot of it.

Emma set the paper aside, trying to process that people had died just to test the potion. She wasn't even entirely sure of why it made her so upset, but it bothered her. Such a life-changing potion had ended the lives of people who needed it. While many of the trial participants were Azkaban prisoners, a lot of them were not. Emma wiped at her eyes, trying to ignore the swirling thoughts in her mind. She didn't want to know.

The thoughts of werewolves being in Azkaban sent a chill down Emma's spine, and she went on the search for another book. She wandered out of the Restricted Section for a moment to find the text on the wizarding community laws. Emma wasn't entirely sure she should look, but she wanted to know what laws they had regarding werewolves.

Much like most of Emma's research thus far that day, it wasn't good.

Emma never understood what Remus meant when he said it would be a problem if people were to find out what they'd done for her. She had thought that he meant something along the lines of the spread of lycanthropy, of using an unorthodox method of having her recover. It was much, much worse.

Werewolves were considered creatures and only creatures and were treated as such. They were looked down on, seen only as dangerous beasts for something that affected them for one single night. Werewolves had little to no rights because of their status. They could hold employment, but only if the owner permitted it. Based on what she was reading, they clearly weren't meant to be able to adopt. Not being placed on the registry was one of the more significant issues, but at least that just involved a fine. Petty theft was a crime that could be punishable by death. Instances of disorderly conduct as simple as a single screaming match could be punishable by death if perceived as a threat. It seemed as though most potential crimes could lead to execution if someone saw fit. It was horrifying.

Every single thing that Remus had done to take care of her was such an incredibly dangerous thing for him to do. Elara, according to magical law, was incredibly guilty of illegal things, despite it helping others. Emma knew that the things she did were questionable, but she didn't expect execution as a possible outcome. Emma wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She was too stunned, too terrified of the possibilities. No one could ever know the truth over what either of them had done, and Emma was determined to take their secrets to the grave.

Immediately, Emma went to find the books that held actual court cases and their rulings. She wanted to know more, and she returned to the Restricted Section with several large books to go through. Madam Pince was shooting her disapproving looks each time Emma walked by, but she didn't care. She flipped through the back index to find each case involving werewolves and wasn't surprised when she found many of them involved Fenrir.

It seemed that even though Fenrir was a part of many of the cases, if there were others with him, Fenrir would not be touched. The other werewolves would be sentenced, and Fenrir would be let free. Most of the court proceedings led to some form of a bloodbath if Fenrir was involved, while other cases were much tamer. He liked to leave destruction in his path, it seemed. Emma wondered if the lack of recent cases meant that they had completely given up. What was it about Fenrir that made him so difficult to keep a hold of? What would she have to deal with when it came to Fenrir?

She was so focused on her thoughts that she jumped at the noise of someone clearing their throat. Emma's eyes shot up to find Remus staring at her in mild frustration. His arms were crossed, his foot tapped slowly, and his jaw was set.

"Well, well, I never expected this to be one of your biggest misdeeds," Remus said, holding up the forged permission slip. "Explain yourself."

Emma looked down at the book in front of her, clenching her jaw to keep her lip from trembling. She'd stopped at a case where the werewolf wasn't let go. Seeing Remus just made everything hit her that much harder. She rubbed the back of her neck with a sniffle, trying to ignore the stinging of her eyes. How could either Remus or Elara risk so much for her? Unable to speak, Emma just pushed the book in Remus's direction.

Remus was taken aback, fully prepared for Emma to argue with him like she did on most things lately. He stared at her for a moment before shoving the permission slip into his pocket. Curious, Remus stepped up to stand just beside Emma to peer at the book she'd been looking at. He sighed as he read through the page she had stopped at.

"You know, I can't begin to tell you how many times you've made it incredibly difficult to be cross with you," Remus said, crouching down next to Emma. "I told you – it's not your job to worry about me. I'm the one who's meant to do all the worrying."

"But if the wrong person were to find out…"

"Don't think about the possibilities right now. There are much bigger things to worry about, such as finding out what your Patronus is going to be when you finally make one."

Emma could only frown at Remus in response. He was trying to lighten the mood, to give her something to look forward to, but it didn't work.

"Come on," Remus said softly, straightening up. He pulled his wand and gave it a wave so that the books she had put themselves away. "Let's head back so you can rest – we can talk during lunch. I think you've already had an exhausting day, and you still have your classes this afternoon to get through."

With a slight nod, Emma packed up her things and tucked herself under Remus's arm. She didn't want to leave his side.

The moment they crossed the threshold of Remus's office, Emma broke down into tears. She tried to hold them back, but she was scared of all the possibilities and realities she had learned of that day. The idea of being a werewolf she had come to terms with weeks ago, but there was so much more to it that she had never known.

It took an incredible amount of convincing on her part to try and tell Remus that she was fine, and he should go back to the classroom to teach. Remus insisted that he had to do something to try and make her feel better. She relented and allowed him to tuck her in for her nap, a gesture that set her off into a fit of tearful giggles. Emma was starting to think that the act of Remus tucking her in was more for his benefit than for hers. She was nearly positive that as long as she lived with him, he would always tuck her in. Emma didn't think she would mind that too much. Much like how most of her thoughts went, she didn't have much time to dwell on it.

Emma cried herself to sleep to visions of the unimaginable. She wasn't entirely sure what woke her up, but she was groggy, and after her twisted dreams, it was hard for her to process her surroundings. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up to see Remus sitting on the edge of her mattress. He must have just sat down, and that was what pulled her from her sleep. Emma wasn't quite sure if he had come back during the break between classes or if she'd managed to sleep until lunch.

"Hi, baby girl," Remus said softly, turning himself to look at Emma better. As if reading her mind, he gestured to the small bowl of berries on her nightstand. "It's lunchtime, but I didn't think you'd be up for eating much."

"Why didn't you tell me about how bad the laws were?" Emma asked. "I thought you weren't keeping anything else from me."

"In my defense, I wasn't keeping it from you this time," Remus sighed. "The knowledge is out there; I just wasn't sure how long it would take for you to find out by yourself."

"You could have told me, though."

"But this is one of those things that would have been far worse coming from me. I've noticed that you process things better if you read it first and then we talk about it."

Emma couldn't argue that point at all because she had started to realize the same. Reading things gave her more time to work through her thoughts first. It made conversations slightly less emotional when she could approach things with a better understanding. She sighed as she sat up, picking up the bowl of fruit and plucking a blueberry up and popping it in her mouth.

"It's not right," Emma said quietly. "It's only one night. Things shouldn't be so extreme."

"When you have werewolves like Greyback around, it doesn't exactly help our cause."

Emma's eyes shot up to give Remus a severe look. "Werewolves like Greyback are the exception, not the rule."

Remus reached out to cup Emma's cheek. "Unfortunately, the world doesn't see it that way."

"Well, the world is stupid," Emma grumbled, leaning back out of his touch and finding a raspberry. She held it out, offering it to Remus, and he took it with a sigh – he could never resist raspberries. "I want to change things," she said. "That's what I want to do when I graduate."

"Emma, that's incredibly dangerous. People will –"

"I don't care what other people have to say."

"Sweetheart, it'll be incredibly difficult –"

"I don't care," Emma said firmly. "Those laws are nearly a hundred years old and haven't changed. If the Wolfsbane Potion is available, there's absolutely no reason why the Ministry shouldn't be helping. There's no reason for people to be afraid when something is available that can help. Even if I have to be like Elara and do things the way that she does, I want to do it. It's not right, and it's not fair."

"You know, you never cease to amaze me."

Emma peered up at Remus curiously. "Maybe with my terrible decisions," she said quietly.

"No, it's not that. Although, you have made some award-winning decision making," Remus said, a corner of his lips lifting into a lopsided smile. "It's the fact that despite everything that's ever happened to you, you still find it somewhere in your heart to want to help others. You know, I remember very clearly the first time you wrote home when you first got here. You were excited to be here but terrified to tell me that the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin. I never said to you that it made a lot of sense for you. I've brought it up for before, briefly, but I've never told you that I always thought that's where you would wind up. Did I want you to be in Slytherin? Not particularly. I felt you didn't need the stigma of being a Slytherin.

"I'll admit that even now, I sometimes feel that it would have been a much better house for you. You get along with your other housemates, of course, but your interactions are more subdued. You don't need the near-nightly study sessions and don't feel the need to constantly be surrounded by others. The Slytherins challenge you, force you to dig deep into yourself to pull out the qualities that drive you to succeed in the things you do. You're very determined, and you have next to no issue using that very determination to get what you want. It's both terrifying and fascinating to see. But it's your heart that has always and consistently shined. At the very core of who you are, your heart is what drives you, but your determination to do more pushes you through what you went through."

"Yes, well, it's led to some incredibly stupid decisions, too."

"They're not stupid decisions, Emma. You've just been a little lost because you feel every little thing that comes your way. It's understandable. You've had to go through horrors that no one should have to go through. You're incredibly sensitive, sweetheart, and there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't make you weak like you say, it makes you stronger," Remus said, earning an eye roll from Emma that made him smile. "You really think it's something that you'd want to do? You're only fourteen, you don't need to dedicate yourself to a cause that people won't understand."

"I know it's what I want to do. I don't think it, I know it," Emma said earnestly. "I don't know what I would do without you. You can't tell me that I'm the only child in existence with a werewolf father who would be upset if they weren't around."

Emma frowned as Remus's face fell, and she put her bowl of fruit aside, leaned forward, and tucked her arms under Remus's to hug him tightly. "Believe me when I say that you are far from being perfect, but - I honestly can't believe I'm actually admitting this to you - but you're my best friend. No one is ever going to understand me like you do. You're absolutely bloody annoying, but you're my father. I think I can give you a pass on being annoying. One night doesn't change who you are, and I want the entire wizarding community to realize that." Emma leaned back from Remus with a small grin. "I don't think you need to worry about me. I've got too much work to do."