a missing scene from Daughter of the Moon.

December 1993

Remus peered across the table at Emma, his heart breaking at the hurt expression on her face. Christmas was not going the way she expected, and her disappointment and hurt from dinner was radiating from Emma's very being. Rather than going home, Remus decided they should head back to the castle instead. It was a little extra effort, but they were only going to leave early in the morning anyway. They sat quietly in the Three Broomsticks waiting for Dumbledore to have the Dementors moved temporarily. Emma was already shaky, and the Dementors wouldn't help.

The holiday so far had been an endless series of revelations for the both of them. He was glad that Emma was open with him and much more responsive, but he worried. Then again, Remus supposed that worrying was a natural state of fatherhood.

He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that Emma was actually his. Remus still struggled to switch his mindset – the little girl he had known as his niece for nearly her entire life was his daughter? He was furious with Sirius, beyond livid with everyone who knew the truth and kept it from him. It changed so much. It was such a painful reminder that so much was held from him, and he had no idea how to make up for lost time.

Remus was beyond thrilled that Emma was his daughter, of course – he would never deny that. He still felt miserable that she suffered every month even though the potion from her adoption saved her life, but he loved that she looked like him. He loved that Emma was finally starting to feel comfortable in her own skin, and when she smiled, she was radiant. She had such a confidence he had never seen in her before. Knowing she was meant to look like Sirius as well made it easier for her to accept the parts of her that were still different. As long as she was happy, he was happy, but she was struggling at the moment, and it hurt him to see her so upset.

With a sigh, Remus got up and pulled his chair next to Emma's. She looked at him inquisitively, her brow furrowing slightly, and a slight smile crossed her face as he raised his arm. Emma slid her chair closer and leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I was thinking that when the 'Spooky Curtains' are moved, we could take our time heading back," Remus said softly, unable to help the smile that crossed his face when Emma grinned. "It's a bit chilly out, but it's not too windy. Thought we could look at the lights."

"I appreciate that you use my name for the Dementors," Emma grinned. "It's a perfect name for them. Floating spooky, vicious curtains." She sighed, closing her eyes and turning herself to nestle into his side. "You're like a furnace. I'm not too worried about being cold."

Remus hummed thoughtfully. "No, I suppose you wouldn't be too worried about that," he said. "Especially because I'll ask Rosmerta to whip you up a nice late-night Christmas hot chocolate."

"With peppermint?"

"Of course."

"And with marshmallows?"

"If you'd like."

"Maybe a bit of those fancy dark chocolate swirls that don't melt until the very end?"

"You have quite a few requests tonight, fy nghariad bach."

Emma looked up at Remus with a sheepish grin. "It's Christmas," she said, plastering on the most innocent expression that she could.

"So it is," Remus smiled, brushing his knuckles against Emma's cheek. They both turned their heads as a Phoenix feather materialized out of thin air in front of them. "Ah, that means our carriage is ready, and that means you have one hot chocolate heading your way. Any other requests before we head back? I know you didn't eat too much at dinner."

"Just a hot chocolate would be nice, thank you," Emma said. She grinned as Remus plucked the feather from the air and handed it to her. Emma studied it for a moment before shyly tucking it into her pocket. Remus knew that she would want to desperately start a Phoenix feather collection if her smile was of any indication.

"All right, then a hot chocolate for you, a very strong tea for me, and two bacon butties for a midnight snack," Remus said, standing up and giving Emma a wink before she could comment. He knew that she would say they could just have the house-elves make them, but her surprised smile was worth it.

Some days, Remus was grateful for magic, but other times he found it a nuisance. It was such a novel concept when he was a child, but the older he became, the less he found himself relying on it. However, he appreciated the benefit of a strong warming charm for their sandwiches to ward off the chilly night. He also enjoyed the additional charms added to the paper cups holding their drinks. They could leave their cups out all night in the snow if they wanted, and they would never get cold.

Emma happily kept her arm looped around his as they made their way to the gate, sipping her hot chocolate slowly. Each light framed window they passed brought an even bigger smile to Emma's face, and she oohed and aahed over the lighted trees. When she found a particular display she enjoyed, she would squeeze his arm, bouncing on her toes, her breath coming out in short puffs of air.

It wasn't much different than when Emma was small, and Remus was instantly brought back to Emma being pint-sized and carried in his arms. She was fascinated by the lights, mesmerized by the colors, and he was happy that time hadn't taken away such a simple joy from her.

"Do you know how much fun you were at Christmas as a baby?" Remus suddenly asked. "Not that you're not fun now, of course," he added at Emma's pout.

"No," she said, looking confused at first before a small smile crossed her face. "I was?"

"Oh, God yes," Remus said fondly. "You were such a happy little thing. Laughing at everything, wanting to play with everyone. But do you want to know what you loved most of all?"

"What?"

Remus made a vague gesture towards all the lighted displays. "All of this," he said. "The lights, the snow, the decorated trees. I think the entirety of the Christmas season was your favorite the very moment you could understand it."

"I think Christmas has always been my favorite time of year," Emma said quietly. "Even with…well, no point in thinking about it now." She looked up at Remus with a smile. "I think a part of me always remembered liking Christmas."

With a sigh, Emma lifted Remus's arm so she could tuck herself into his side and pull it around her shoulders. "Everything about Christmas reminds me of you, and I think it always did, so I never stopped loving the holiday. You're my favorite person," Emma said. "It's hard not to love the holiday when I get to celebrate it with the best father in the world."

Remus could easily argue that he wasn't the best father in the world by a longshot, but he chose to keep quiet. He had learned to pick and choose his battles, and it wasn't one worth having right then. Instead, he decided to follow Emma's lead and take in the lights as they made their way to their carriage. Perhaps Emma had a point – it was hard not to love the holiday when one got to celebrate it with their favorite person. Emma most definitely was his.