"I am the only person in the world with a medical support boyfriend," Emma huffed, pacing the length of the hospital wing. "And I would have been livid if there were people in here."

Greyson watched as Emma walked back and forth, unable to keep herself still for longer than a few minutes. "I feel like it should be me pacing and not you," he said guiltily. "I know I said it last month, but it's not fair."

"It's my reality," Emma said, trying to stretch and immediately regretting it as a muscle spasmed at the same time. "Maybe someday it'll be easier…When I'm a full werewolf, perhaps."

Greyson sighed, tilting his head as he watched Emma continue to walk back and forth from the chair he was sitting in. He watched for a few minutes longer before getting up to put himself in Emma's path.

"Come here," Greyson said gently, holding his arms open for Emma to walk into. "You need to relax."

"I can't relax," Emma said, settling herself In Greyson's arms with a long, overdramatic sigh. "I've got you for one night and one night only. Plus, we're here and not in our own room. This is terrible! Relaxing is impossible."

"You have me for the rest of our lives," Greyson chuckled. Emma groaned, not wanting to listen to Greyson's optimism when she wanted to dig through her skin to scratch at her burning bones. "And there are only nine weeks until the holidays."

"And two more full moons."

"And two more Hogsmeade trips – at minimum."

"Hogsmeade trips that are probably going to be terribly complicated if they can happen at all."

"And you forget that your father plans to pull you out of the castle one of these weekends to spend time with you, and he graciously invited me to dinner."

"It's not just you," Emma pointed out. "It's your entire family he invited. I'm bloody nervous."

"He just wants to get to know everyone. I don't blame him for worrying. And I promise you that you don't need to worry – they are going to love you."

"Greyson?"

"Yes?"

"Please shut up."

Greyson's laugh was soft as he held Emma close. She was exhausted, and she burrowed her face in his chest just to try and still the movement. He helped to soothe the worst of her pain, but she forgot how much Fenrir's ring actually helped. Still, she had dealt with worse.

It felt like she had gone through the strangest few days she had in a while, and Emma couldn't stop thinking about it. The weekend's Hogsmeade trip wound up being one of the best days she had since before Greyson left. Or at least it was after sitting through what was nearly a very awkward conversation. It felt silly to be chaperoned by her father and Elara, but luckily, they kept their distance to let her spend time with Greyson…mostly alone.

Rather than bothering to pretend they weren't listening, Remus and Elara joined them at their table. Emma was more than happy to take the seat next to Greyson, but she realized just how strange it suddenly was to be sitting across from her father. Elara looked more than delighted, but Remus's expression was nearly unreadable. Greyson just seemed flustered to suddenly have another werewolf sitting across from him but quickly pulled up his charm to introduce himself to Elara.

"They look adorable together, don't they, Remus?" Elara asked Remus, her smile beaming and making Emma blush fiercely. Remus rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand over his forehead, shaking his head. Elara only shrugged, giving Emma and Greyson a very approving smile.

"Ignore him," Elara said to Greyson, waving Remus off. "Grumpy, overprotective father, you know. I already like you. He does too; he'll just take longer to admit it."

Remus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to gather his thoughts. Emma was just relieved it wasn't her, not entirely, who pulled that reaction from her father. She cast Greyson a sidelong glance and bit her lip to keep herself from smiling too much.

"You're both aware of how difficult this is going to be, yes?" he asked, looking between the two of them. "This isn't going to be a typical relationship for either of you in the least, especially not after the information Emma has revealed. I still have my concerns, and I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of you two as a couple, but Greyson, as I told you, it's Emma's decision, not mine. I am not going to stand in the way of what makes her happy, but that means we all need to have a very important discussion."

Remus's gaze turned immediately to Emma, and her stomach dropped in absolute horror when she noticed the look in his eyes. He looked somewhat disappointed, a little embarrassed, and just a touch amused. It didn't take long for her to realize where the conversation was about to go, and she couldn't believe Remus would dare have it in public. Her father had absolutely no shame.

"Elle!" Emma practically shrieked, feeling completely betrayed by what was about to happen. "You promised you wouldn't tell him!"

"Don't blame me!" Elara said quickly. "Your father figured it out! There was no point in me trying to lie about it when he asked me. You know he's quick to figure these things out!"

"May I ask what's happening?" Greyson asked, taking in Emma's incredibly red face, Elara's apologetic expression, and Remus's blank face.

"No! Daddy, don't you dare," Emma said sharply, pointing a finger at Remus and glaring at him.

"Emma?" Greyson asked, looking slightly nervous.

"It's really not that bad," Elara said with a shrug, not bothering to elaborate. She grabbed her glass to take a drink of her beer, looking more and more amused.

"What's not that bad?"

"Greyson, I'm so sorry," Emma said, covering her face with her hands at Remus's far too amused look on his face. Remus clasped his hands in front of him on the table and leaned towards Greyson.

"I'm not going to pretend that I don't know what you two were up to while you were meant to be working on your Mastery requirements, Greyson," Remus said lightly and far too brightly for Emma's liking. His tone was soft, but her father was obviously not thrilled. "So, I thought, since you've apparently decided my daughter will be your wife, we should probably make a few things clear."

"Oh," Greyson said slowly. Emma peered through her fingers at Greyson and gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry," Emma repeated. "I thought that when George didn't have to go through this, it would be fine."

"Ah, but I didn't think that I had to worry about George," Remus said to Emma. "And as you two have already started to become familiar with each other intimately, I think it would be foolish to put the conversation off. You're both very young, and I know just how easy it is to get caught up in the heat of the moment."

"Someone please just kill me now," Emma muttered, slipping down in her chair to try and hide.

"Bit too soon to make those jokes, kid," Elara said, clearing her throat to hide her laugh.

"I, er, think your father might have a good point," Greyson said to Emma's annoyance. Emma couldn't believe that she would have to shoot Greyson a look to show just how betrayed she felt by him as well. "I have a feeling that sitting through a very awkward conversation might be the easy part of our entire relationship. I'd rather address his concerns now rather than later."

"Greyson Randolph Fenmore, you bloody traitor," Emma said. "You have not had the unfortunate experience of sitting through this conversation with my father several times."

"How bad can it be?"

Remus didn't bother hiding his smirk, and Greyson paled considerably. Emma just went back to hiding her very red face. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"I'm not going to torture you two, as enjoyable as it would be for me," Remus said after a long pause, much to Emma's surprise. She peered at Remus through her fingers, worried he might suddenly change his mind. "I obviously cannot change what has already happened, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm unaware and pretend that it doesn't bother me. However, I would also be a hypocrite if I were to say that I wasn't doing much worse at Emma's age. I think you both are old enough to understand the risks involved in the activities you've engaged in. That being said, my comment earlier still stands, Greyson. If I ever hear that you've taken advantage of my daughter, you will have far worse things than your father to worry about. I do not want to hear from Emma that I'll be a grandparent anytime in the near future. Do I make myself plain?"

"Yes sir, and as I said earlier, I would never consider doing such a thing. If she's not comfortable, then she's not comfortable, end of story," Greyson said earnestly. A blush crossed his face, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "And, er, it's absolutely far too early to even consider the idea of children, and we've most definitely had that discussion already. I swear to you that I would never do anything to hurt her. I'm not my father, and I have no desire to do anything that would ever put her in any danger."

"Well, my daughter is very much both of her fathers," Remus said pointedly. "Which means that she is a little troublemaker in everything she does. She is going to push you to your limits. If you are the man you insist you are, you will do everything in your power to keep her safe in every way you can. I don't believe I need to elaborate on what I mean by that."

"No, sir," Greyson said. "I hope that I can prove to you that my feelings are genuine."

Remus nodded slowly, giving Greyson a once over before turning his attention back to Emma, who had finally stopped hiding. She was still worried, but he wasn't overbearing like she thought he would be. He didn't seem resigned like she thought he would be, but he seemed to have come to some semblance of acceptance. Emma knew that everything he was doing was entirely for her, and despite being horribly embarrassed, she felt a flood of appreciation for her father.

"And you, Emma Hope, already know my expectations," Remus said, fixing Emma with a hard stare. His tone was much softer with her than with Greyson. "I like to believe that I've taught you well, do not give me any reason to believe otherwise. Please – don't keep things from me, especially not now. You're growing up, but you're still young, and I want you to remember that you come first. Not me or Papa or Elle or Greyson or any of your friends – but you. My job is to help you when you need it and when you ask for my guidance. I don't want you to ever feel afraid to come to me for anything, and I certainly don't want you to go back to hiding things from me. I don't care how uncomfortable you feel something might be or how embarrassing it is; if you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me. You know that I will love you no matter what. You know that, yes?"

Emma managed a weak nod in response.

"Good," Remus said softly. "I don't want you to ever forget that. You are the most important thing to me, Emma, and if anything were to happen to you…" Remus trailed off and took a deep, steadying breath. "You are my entire world, Emma. We clearly have a lot to figure out, but we've done it time and time again – this is nothing new. That being said, this is going to have to be a joint effort if there's going to be any hope in making this work."

For the most part, the guidelines and Remus's requests were simple. Almost everything Remus had said, Emma and Greyson had already managed to put together on their own.

He expected them to take the time to truly get to know each other, which they had decided long before that day in letters. Emma and Greyson knew they had moved fast, but time didn't feel on their side. They had mentioned several times in their letters that they wanted to take the time to learn more about each other. Any dates in the village would be chaperoned just to make sure they didn't run into any surprises, which Emma already figured as well. Both Emma and Greyson were fully aware of having to pretend they were just friends for the time being before Remus mentioned it. They were already well-versed in the art of sneaky moments of holding hands and secret kisses with no one around.

But what Emma wasn't expecting was Remus's genuine attempts to make things work for them. It would involve some special permissions, but Remus was willing to speak to Dumbledore to make it work. Elara was the one who suggested that Greyson be with her for full moon nights and potentially the weekend if it didn't fall in the middle of the week. Remus brought up pulling Emma out of the castle during her longer mid-term breaks. As a bonus, he would try to make it a point to pull Emma away for at least one weekend so they could all have dinner together. It was all going to be a process, but Remus promised that he would try to help make things work. He wanted Emma to have a relatively normal dating experience while they worked out more of the details. None of it was ideal, but they were all worried about what would happen if they weren't careful.

With them all unsure of Fenrir's position was on Greyson, they weren't leaving things up to chance. Emma could tell that her father wasn't saying something underneath everything he was telling them, but she didn't ask. She knew he would tell her at some point, but it made her a little worried.

Still, Emma felt like it had wound up being a fun day. She always got a thrill from her sneaky kisses with Greyson, stealing them wherever they could. The softest brushes of his fingers against hers never failed to make her smile, and she loved when he would wrap his pinky around hers for just a moment. In Honeydukes, her face would heat up, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach each time he had to press himself close to her in the crowded building. He absolutely knew what he was doing when his hand would wrap around her waist or press against the small of her back so that he could get around her. Greyson would glance over at her with a cheeky grin and a wink, and Emma couldn't stop herself from smiling back.

Remus and Elara joined them in Honeydukes, much to Emma's dismay, as Elara wanted to pick up some candy. They had mostly kept to standing outside the shops, Elara holding Emma's bouquet for her and acting as silent sentries. However, it wasn't terrible that they both went into the shop. Greyson had stepped away to talk to someone he knew for a moment, leaving Emma to turn the tables and listen in on her father's conversation.

"They're sweet with each other, and if it's true…I like the idea of knowing that she'll have a life-long friend in him. They play together, and it's nice to see that in Emma," Emma heard Elara tell her father. "Who do you think is going to say they love the other first?"

"Greyson, without a doubt," Remus replied after a moment. "Emma clearly loves him, but she won't say it until after he does. She wants to be sure that he loves her back, even though it's obvious he already does. Turns out we've got a little romantic on our hands."

Emma couldn't stop herself from smiling and practically skipped away to look through the shelves of brightly wrapped candies.

However, things took a bit of a strange turn in Honeydukes, and Emma was still trying to figure out how to feel about it. She didn't like that everything kept coming back to the same unanswered question.

At some point, Persephone had walked into the shop and had spotted Greyson while he talked to his friend. It took next to no time for Remus to grab Emma and pull her off to the side.

"What is it?" Emma asked, looking at her father curiously and then over at Elara, who watched Greyson with Persephone.

"I'm not sure just yet," Remus said quietly. "I need some time to figure things out, but I think we need to go back to assuming that she's not safe. She's been friends with him this entire time and started talking to him more last year."

"Really?" Emma asked with a frown. "And Greyson?"

"Seems genuinely unaware that there is a problem," Remus said. "But for now, continue as planned. Persephone can't know more than what she already does until we're absolutely certain of other things. You having a friendship with Greyson we can find excuses for, but implying there's anything more too soon is dangerous. Though Fenrir's advice was most likely directed towards something different entirely, I suggest following it. Be careful with her and what information you trust her with. There are too many people influencing her, and none of them we can trust."

They could be safe and hidden in the castle walls, and Emma once again regretted not letting Greyson be her tutor. If she let him stay, it would have been much easier to make things work, but Remus made sure to remind her of the ethics behind it. He also made sure to mention he was disappointed that they both could have jeopardized Greyson's program if they got caught. Still, he begrudgingly spoke to Dumbledore to try and make arrangements for the full moon. Even if it meant being stuck in the hospital wing for the night, Emma was grateful that Dumbledore agreed. It was easy to hide them that way – have Greyson Floo directly into the very illegally opened Hospital Wing Floo and then have him Floo back out later.

"Why don't you rest?" Greyson asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I can't," Emma whispered sleepily. "It hurts too much."

"Your head?"

"My head, my muscles, my bones. I keep waiting for everything to just snap in half anyway, but it never does."

"Come on, at least lay down with me," Greyson said. "You've been pacing for what feels like hours. I can see how tired you are, and you need to rest."

Emma sighed, allowing Greyson to pull her back towards their beds. Even though he knew what he was getting into with her, Emma still felt embarrassed by letting him help her so much. It made her very aware of how her father must have felt with Sirius helping him growing up. But Greyson took it all in stride, letting her do what she could on her own.

Greyson settled in the bed next to her, leaning against the metal headboard, and pulled her close. Emma laid her head down on his chest, sighing at the smallest bits of relief she felt.

"Better?" Greyson asked.

"A little, yeah," Emma said quietly, letting her eyes slip closed. "Thank you." Soleil was calm, and other than the odd fire under her skin, Emma felt peaceful. Just as she was growing comfortable, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Emma groaned at the sound and cracked an eye open to look at a mildly disapproving Madam Pomfrey.

"Is this appropriate, Miss Lupin?" Pomfrey asked. "I wasn't under the impression that you two needed to be in the same bed."

"Poppy, please," Emma whined, throwing an arm around Greyson's middle and burying her face in his chest. "Dad should have told you that this was fine. It's the whole werewolf thing, Poppy. If he's in the other bed, it's pointless."

"He told me to keep an eye on you and to make sure nothing would be happening tonight," Pomfrey said, crossing her arms.

"Poppy, I assure you – I just want to sleep. I wouldn't dare think of defiling the hospital with such an egregious act," Emma muttered. She didn't dare mention just what exactly it was she was doing with Greyson the previous month in the exact same bed.

"Hmm," Pomfrey hummed, her lips pursing. "I'll be double-checking with your father tomorrow, Miss Lupin. If I find out that you've lied to me, then expect points taken from Hufflepuff. With that out of the way, I've been told to inform you both that the Headmaster has requested a meeting with you two in the morning. And Emma – your father requested that you take the day off from classes, which means Mr. Fenmore, you do not have to leave until tomorrow night."

"Professor Dumbledore asked to see us both?" Greyson questioned. "Do you know what for?"

"I'm not too sure, Mr. Fenmore, and if I did, I would not tell you," Pomfrey said with a huff as she looked at the two of them. "I'll be heading to bed. Miss Lupin, if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"I've got this, Poppy! Pain potions in the cabinet to the left, sleep to the right," Emma said, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Greyson.

"Sleep potions you are not allowed to touch," Pomfrey said pointedly.

"Daddy said I could take one if I needed it!" Emma pointed out. "I just need to have someone older than me let me have it, which means technically Greyson could give it to me. Daddy and I agreed that as I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions, but I still need a third party to deem it necessary."

Pomfrey just let out an exasperated sigh and bid them both good night, waving her wand to turn off the rest of the lights. She cast them one final look before drawing the curtains around the bed, shaking her head.

"Did you call her Poppy?" Greyson asked when he deemed that Pomfrey was far enough away.

"Sometimes I call her Aunt Poppy when I feel like being funny," Emma said with a sleepy smile. "I've spent a lot of time with her, perhaps more than my father since I've done a fair amount of shadowing. We're pretty close, I think."

"I still think it's impressive how much you've actually done while here," Greyson said, stroking Emma's hair and massaging her scalp. "Fifteen and already shadowing for Healing? On top of working with Professor Sprout every other weekend while you're working on your studies?"

"It's something to do, and it mostly keeps me out of trouble," Emma sighed. "That is until a certain someone came into my life, of course. Are you going to stay all day tomorrow?"

"Of course, even if it means we're stuck here all day," Greyson said. "I'm going to assume that was your father's way of giving us some more time together?"

"He's good like that," Emma said. "Besides, I genuinely don't think I can handle sitting in a classroom all day. I'm absolutely knackered. I haven't had a full moon this terrible in a few months."

"Are you able to sleep at all?"

"Not just yet," Emma sighed. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 11," Greyson said.

"Ugh," Emma groaned. "Still have another 6 hours or so until moon fall. I'm not sleeping until at least one."

"What should we talk about tonight, then?" Greyson asked.

"We can talk about how it's an absolutely ridiculous Slytherin trait that you all like the color green," Emma murmured.

"Well, you're a Hufflepuff who loves the color yellow," Greyson chuckled. "Interesting choice of topic."

"But that's not a Hufflepuff thing. That's a me thing."

"It could be a Hufflepuff thing."

"You're terrible," Emma said, poking Greyson's side.

"We could have some fun with our conversation tonight," Greyson said after a while. "Ask some interesting questions."

"Like what?"

"Like, what's your biggest fear?"

Emma opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at Greyson. She wasn't entirely expecting the line of questioning Greyson decided on. Emma knew that it was part of getting to know each other better, but she was surprised to have such a thought-provoking question.

"Losing everyone I love and it being my fault," Emma admitted. "Now more than ever and knowing what will be expected of me. What about you?"

"Having the world find out who I am," Greyson said quietly. "But I'm also afraid of losing everything as well. You've become very important to me very fast."

"You've become important to me, too," Emma said with a small smile.

"Now it's your turn to ask me a question," Greyson said pointedly.

Emma sighed, thinking about what to ask for a moment. "Do you like your name?" Emma eventually asked.

"Yes and no," Greyson responded after a long pause. "Yes, because I love how you say it, no because I know who I share it with."

"I like your name," Emma said quietly.

"What about you? Do you like yours?"

"I do when I'm who I should be. I love being Emma Hope Lupin. Emma Black or Emelyn Nickels aren't really me. I know Emma Black is, but…I've always been a Lupin. And I don't like that everything has to be so complicated, and I don't like that I never know what's going on."

"Because you don't have to be at most of the court appointments with your father?"

"Yes," Emma whispered. She sat up straight and stretched, rubbing her hands over her face. "I don't like knowing that there's a potential that Jude could be winning. I know Fenrir said he was working on that, but…He made it sound like Jude is going to be persistent."

"I just don't understand how you got tangled in this mess."

"I don't know either," Emma said, pulling her knees up to her chest. "And there are still so many uncertainties to the situation that I don't even know where to begin." Emma turned her head to look at Greyson. "You know, I could always call you Grey," she said quietly. "Then it's a little more yours."

"Well, it would certainly be better than you calling me son," Greyson said, lips twitching up into a smile. He laughed when Emma smacked him in his chest, a disbelieving smile on her face. She still couldn't believe he could make jokes about being her boyfriend and her future stepson and find it funny. Greyson's humor could be just as dark as hers. "Really, though? You think it would be different enough?"

"Well, we don't know unless we try it, right? It's still you, but it's our version of you – my version," Emma said, a sleepy smile breaking on her face. "My Grey."

"Grey," he said quietly, testing out the shortened version of his name. "Your Grey." Emma nodded, smiling a little more when Greyson leaned forward to kiss her. "I think I like it."

"Good," Emma said. "Your turn to ask something."

Greyson seemed to take his time in thinking of a question to ask, his fingers tracing aimless patterns on her arm.

"I have a feeling I already know the answer to this question," Greyson said softly, meeting Emma's eyes, "but if you could bring one person back from the dead for a day, who would it be and why?"

"My mother," Emma said, surprised at how quickly tears sprung up in her eyes. She leaned into Greyson's touch when he brushed away a tear that fell. "Just so I could thank her for everything she tried to do for me and for having me. I tried to tell her in the hospital, and I'm sure she knows, but I'd love to just talk to her – really talk to her. You?"

"My mother as well," Greyson replied. "Just so I could try to understand everything…and to thank her for keeping me so that I could meet you."

It was hard for Emma to hold back her sad smile because she often felt the same way. She hated that they shared a similar experience but felt it gave them a deeper appreciation for who they did have. Silence fell between them in a brief moment of understanding, and Greyson sighed, rubbing Emma's back gently when a yawn escaped her lips.

"Do you want to try sleeping?" he asked. Emma nodded, reaching back to turn off the lamp on her nightstand. They settled in next to each other, Emma curling back into Greyson's side and smiling when he tucked her in closer.

Emma liked being close to Greyson – loved it, really. She loved being able to curl up next to him, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, and feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath her cheek. Greyson felt safe to her, like another extension of home, and she was amazed at how quickly he found a place in her life. She found it odd, but she didn't dare question it when she felt incredibly lucky to have him.

Except her thoughts often spiraled out with her confusion. She didn't understand what exactly led her and Greyson to find each other, and she certainly didn't know why they didn't meet sooner. Then again, it felt as though it would have been more dangerous if she had known Greyson at eleven. At least everyone made her feel like she had made the right decision in saying she would join Fenrir. It wasn't what she wanted to do in the least, but Remus and Elara agreed that it was best. Technically neither of them had ever left Fenrir's pack, so it meant that they had solidarity with each other. After all, the problem was never her joining Fenrir's pack; it was whatever she would agree to after.

Emma tilted her face up to look at Greyson. If it weren't for him still rubbing her arm, she would think that he fell asleep. She wanted to reach up to touch his face, but he held her hand against his chest, and her other hand was trapped against his side. She wanted to trace his features to remind herself who she was next to and memorize his face as much as possible. With his eyes closed, it was bizarre how much he looked like his father, especially in the soft, silvery light of the moon. He was still very much Greyson, but the traces of Fenrir in his face was still startling.

She found it funny that it was difficult for her to look at him before, but now she loved looking at him. Emma loved how his eyes would soften when he looked at her, and she loved the warmth that she would find in them. She hated comparing him to his father at all – he was Greyson, after all, but sometimes it was difficult.

A blush crossed her face when he cracked open his eyes to peer at her in concern. He let go of her hand to stroke her cheek, searching her face.

"Do you need a potion for the pain?" he asked her quietly. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"No," Emma said quietly. "I had another question for you."

"What is it?"

"Do you believe in soulmates, Grey?" Emma asked.

Greyson hummed softly, turning his face to look up at the ceiling, his lips pursing slightly as he lost himself in thought. The hand rubbing her arm came up to stroke her hair, and Emma closed her eyes, enjoying his fingers running through the strands.

"I do now," Greyson replied after a moment. "Like you said over the weekend, it's hard to argue things when blood magic was involved. I love the idea that I found the love of my life so young, and I love the idea of being able to grow older with you."

"Do you really think it could be us, though?" Emma questioned. "I want to believe that it's us, but I'm just worried that I'm wrong. I don't want to imagine it being anything else because the other possibility –"

"Then it's us," Greyson said, kissing the top of Emma's head. "Don't think about any other possibility. It'll be you and me until the end. I feel sure of it. But try and rest; we've got all day together tomorrow."

Pomfrey unceremoniously woke them up early the next morning by staring at them hard from the end of the bed. They didn't do anything other than sleep, but Pomfrey made Emma feel like they had done far more than that. For a moment, she wondered if they had done something more, but she was very much tucked into Greyson's side still. They looked at each other with similar looks of alarm and immediately giggled when she walked away.

"What do you think Dumbledore wants to talk to us about?" Emma asked, looking at Greyson curiously as they ate breakfast. Even though they were in the hospital still, it felt very domestic.

"No idea," Greyson said with a frown. "The bigger question is what do we do after?"

"Well, it'll need to be something that avoids Filch," Emma said pointedly, looking out the window. "Maybe we should go read for a bit by the lake. It looks like it might be nice out."

"Which means we'll have to stop by the library first to find books to read," Greyson smiled.

Emma was about to comment that she had plenty of books that they could read, but then she realized why Greyson would want to go to the library. She could admit that she was partial to their kisses in between the bookshelves, and she readily agreed.

They left for Dumbledore's office in between classes just so they could walk hand in hand together. It felt freeing to be able to walk the hallways and feel like they were an actual couple. It made her feel like they could one day have a normal relationship without worry. The small moment of normalcy was enough to bring Emma joy. She was tired, but she was happy, and it finally felt like her happiness wouldn't be as fleeting as it was in the past. She had no idea when or how it would happen, but she was hopeful everything would work out.

As they approached Dumbledore's office, Emma and Greyson were surprised to see that the gargoyle that guarded the entrance was moved. They looked at each other, unsure why the statue wasn't in its usual place, but they both walked up the stairs. They cast each other one more curious glance, and Greyson knocked on the door which clicked open nearly right away.

"Shall we?" Greyson asked, frowning slightly at the partially open door.

"Might as well," Emma said with a sigh. "Just wish I knew why we were here."

Emma thought that Greyson would have let go of her hand when they entered Dumbledore's office, but he held on tighter. Dumbledore was already aware that they were a couple, as Remus told him, but it still felt odd to be around someone else just holding hands. Emma had been able to excuse their overall sense of togetherness to Poppy as "a werewolf thing," but she couldn't in Dumbledore's office.

As they stepped closer to Dumbledore's desk, walking past the tables of magical objects, Emma's gaze fell on the man sitting in one of the chairs across from Dumbledore. He was an older, slim man, his hair white with age. His hair looked soft to touch, with waves very similar to her own, and hazel eyes that practically lit up when he saw them.

"Ah, Emma, Greyson," Dumbledore said. "How nice of you to join us. There's someone I would like you to meet. This is –"

"Mr. Scamander!" Greyson said, clearing his throat to try and mask his excitement. "I apologize."

"Yes, this is Newt Scamander," Dumbledore chuckled. "Newt is a very old friend of mine."

This was Newt Scamander? Emma's brow furrowed slightly as she took a closer look at the man, not sure that she believed it. He was somewhat stooped, even while sitting, almost like he was unsure of himself. Renowned Magizoologist Newt Scamander seemed far quieter than she ever expected. There wasn't a single person in the wizarding community who didn't know who Newt Scamander was, his reputation spanning several continents. Everyone owned a copy of his book as it was a required book entering first year at Hogwarts. This quiet and awkward man was the one that was responsible for so many of the issues she now had in her life. He was calm and unassuming, and it didn't seem right. Emma looked from Newt to Dumbledore, her head cocking to the side slightly.

"I was just telling Newt about you, Emma," Dumbledore said. "Newt and your grandfather were very close friends at one point."

"Is that so?" Emma asked tightly. She had no idea that her grandfather had been friends with Newt Scamander at all. It was the sort of thing that she thought would have come up in conversation but never did.

"Yes, Lyall and I were very good friends," Newt said, his gaze dropping slightly before lifting again to look at Emma and Greyson in fascination. "Unfortunately, we've lost contact over the years. He's a brilliant man, and I'm grateful that I was able to work with him on several occasions. He had made a wonderful career for himself."

"He is certainly brilliant," Emma said slowly, casting Greyson a confused look. "I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, should we come back later? Madame Pomfrey said that you asked to speak to us."

"And she is very correct," Dumbledore said. "While I wasn't expecting Newt to visit today, I do believe that his visit was of excellent timing. You see, Newt believes that he can help make sure that the Ministry understands you belong with your father."

"Oh?" Emma said in surprise. "How so?"

"Well, you see, that's where I need your help as well," Newt said, once again looking between Emma and Greyson. "You see, the thing is you are unique. Half-werewolves are rare outside of a natural pack in Great Britain. There is even less information on your kind than with full werewolves. We thought that if I could spend some time with you, I could submit a case to the Ministry on your behalf. It's from Dumbledore's understanding that one of the issues the Ministry has is they feel that you're dangerous, but we know that's not the truth."

Emma felt Greyson's hand tighten its hold on hers almost painfully. Newt kept most of his focus on her, but the more she watched Newt, the more it seemed he knew who Greyson was. Emma had no doubt that Newt had come across Fenrir in his past, especially if he was friends with her grandfather. The silence in the room was painful as Newt waited for Emma to say something.

"Mr. Scamander, I apologize – I am very aware of the strides you have made for magical creatures in our community, but I don't know how much help you can provide," Emma said, trying to keep the bitter edge out of her voice. She knew she shouldn't be rude considering who Newt was, but it didn't change what his work had done. "If it weren't for your implementation of the Werewolf Registry, then things wouldn't be an issue. It has caused nothing but issues for my family. In fact, the implantation of the registry has led to the absolutely abysmal treatment of werewolves, and it's not fair."

"It was never meant to be the way that it is," Newt said softly after a moment. "The registry was always meant to be a way to ensure that werewolves received the proper care they deserve. I had hoped that by having a proper register, it would help keep infection rates down and make things easier."

"By taking otherwise ordinary people and making them sign paperwork that effectively separates them from their peers? All because they're physically a creature one night a month? By giving the Ministry more incentive to villainize someone for what they didn't choose to be? If you were friends with my grandfather, I'm sure you can understand that my father didn't ask to be attacked. Nor did I."

"I know," Newt said. "The early days of your father's attack were…were terrible. We tried everything we could –"

"So you turned him into a science experiment?" Emma asked. "You all made him suffer through experimental treatments just to see what would work only to realize there's truly no cure."

"There were rumors of an early version of the Wolfsbane Potion working before Belby ever completed the final result," Newt replied. "We thought there was a potential that it would work."

"And it didn't," Emma said sharply. "It only hurt him in the end."

"I know," Newt said. "And that was why I suggested that Lyall never allow him to be added to the registry. I tried to have the Werewolf Registry removed, but unfortunately, there was too much opposition. It's one of my biggest regrets, and I hope there is a day that it either no longer exists or it becomes what it should have always been."

That was entirely new information for Emma to hear. She knew that her grandfather had insisted that Remus never be added to the registry but didn't know there was another reason. She leaned a little against Greyson, and he let go of her hand to put his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. The expression on Newt's face made him seem genuinely remorseful, but Emma wasn't sure what to do.

All Emma knew was that the registry had caused problems – big problems. Not just for herself but for other werewolves. It was one of the things she either wanted to dismantle or fix if she could. She had always seen Newt as the enemy for creating such a thing, not understanding how a man known for his compassion could create something so disturbing. Though she didn't know Newt in the least, he seemed sympathetic.

"Do you really think it would help?" Emma asked, looking between Dumbledore and Newt.

"We think there's a strong possibility," Dumbledore said. "The Ministry wouldn't be able to argue with Newt's expertise. Your father has requested we keep your paternity out of things, so this could be the next best thing."

"I was thinking I could observe you at the next full moon just to see how you interact with everyone," Newt said. "Nothing invasive in the least. You wouldn't even know that I'm there except to ask you questions."

Emma hated the idea of the entire thing, and she could feel herself start to become overwhelmed. She was in a room with Newt Scamander, who talked to Dumbledore, where they both decided her becoming a research project could be a good thing. Objectively, Emma could see how it would help, but the idea of it seemed ridiculous. It was ludicrous, preposterous, laughable – what benefit would it really serve for her to be observed like an animal in a zoo?

Her half-werewolf boyfriend, who still hadn't come to terms with what he was, was being polite but was tense next to her. Emma couldn't help but wonder just how exactly she found herself in the situation she was in.

"I apologize, Mr. Scamander, but I'm not really sure," Emma said quietly. "I don't…I've had a very trying weekend and an even longer night. I don't know that I can make a decision right now, and I think I need to think about it."

"I believe you have your answer, for now, Newt," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands. "I fear that we might have spoken to Miss Lupin a little too early. The full moon was just last night, and I'm sure she's exhausted."

"Yes, of course," Newt said, looking between Emma and Greyson for a moment in mild disappointment and turning back to Dumbledore. "I'm afraid that I have to leave. Tina is expecting me back sometime before lunch today."

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Until next time, Newt. Give Tina my best."

Newt stood, pulling his coat that was sitting on the back of his chair back on. He made his way to leave and stopped next to Emma and Greyson, his gaze not lifting from the door in front of him. He looked at Emma and Greyson and then reached into the pocket of his coat, holding out a small card for her to take.

"If you decide that it's something you would be interested in, feel free to send me an owl," Newt said, his eyes doing another quick scan of Emma and Greyson. "It was nice meeting you."

Before Emma could open her mouth, Newt was out the door. She looked at Greyson in surprise, and he seemed awe-struck. He was just as lost as she was over what had just happened.

"Wonderful," Dumbledore said. "Now, I have to apologize. I know I asked to speak to you both, but I fear there is a much more pressing matter that I must speak to Emma about. Greyson, I assume that you will be spending the day at the castle?"

"That was the plan, sir," Greyson said.

"Perfect," Dumbledore said. "If you don't mind, I need to speak to Emma in private for a few minutes. We can put off our conversation until later tonight."

"Er, of course," Greyson said, giving Emma a small squeeze. "I'll be just outside," he told her. Suddenly, Emma was very alone with Dumbledore feeling very concerned over what he could want to talk about.

"Come sit, Emma," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the seats in front of his desk. "I'm sure you feel practically dead on your feet. I remember how tired Remus used to get, and even though you don't transform, it's not any easier on your body."

Emma nodded, slowly making her way over to Dumbledore's desk and sitting down in the seat that Newt hadn't previously occupied. She finally looked at the card in her hand to see that it held an address and tucked it away in her pocket. Emma was beginning to feel as though she should start to give up on finding things weird. Something stranger always seemed to crop up.

"How are you feeling, Emma?" Dumbledore asked, his fingers steepled in front of him on his desk. His eyes were glittering, and Emma had to push aside that weird feeling she always got when he looked at her.

"Not sure, quite honestly," Emma admitted, focusing on one of the strange silver objects on his desk. "Tired, obviously. Overwhelmed with everything. Thank you for allowing Greyson to spend the night with me. It…it helps since I obviously can't have Dad around."

"Of course," Dumbledore said with a nod. "It was a relatively easy request to accommodate, and I'm sure as time goes on, we will readjust as needed. It's a learning process for all of us, though I admit I find your relationship to Mr. Fenmore curious."

"You find it curious, sir?"

"Not in a bad way, not in the least," Dumbledore clarified. "I'll admit that when Greyson first arrived to work on his program with Severus, the staff was fascinated to see how you two would interact. We were all unaware that you two had met just before the start of term, but it was clear you two found issue in each other."

"Well, our first impressions of each other weren't the best. I think we both struggled to separate each other from our fathers."

"And then you found comfort in one another."

"We did," Emma said, feeling the back of her neck heat up. "I'm certainly not complaining, though. It's been nice to have someone other than my family…or Fenrir, for that matter…that I can be open with entirely."

"I think Greyson feels the same way. We were careful to conceal his identity in his time here," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't say he was too shy in his time here, but he certainly held himself back where he could. He became close to most of the staff, and though he had plenty of friends, he couldn't entirely be himself. Greyson has always had a bright future, and I believe the two of you together will ensure that. I think I can speak for everyone in saying that he was a very treasured student – you both are – and we will do everything possible to help."

"I appreciate it," Emma said quietly. "But I imagine you didn't ask to speak to me to discuss my relationship with Greyson?"

"Ah, no," Dumbledore chuckled, shaking his head. "Not just yet. We can save that conversation for tonight. Your father mentioned that there was something important that you meant to tell me about a while ago," Dumbledore said. When Emma didn't answer and looked at him in confusion, he added, "A rumor you heard about Voldemort."

Emma had almost entirely forgotten about that. She was supposed to talk to Dumbledore ages ago, but it had entirely slipped her mind. It wasn't something that she was actively thinking about, too concerned with everything else.

"Oh," Emma said slowly. "I, erm…I apologize. I completely forgot about it."

"Considering how much you've had to worry about, I understand," Dumbledore said gently. "Do you mind starting at the beginning and telling me what you heard?"

Emma nodded and took a deep breath as she tried to collect her thoughts. She should have gone to Dumbledore when Remus told her to because she wasn't sure she would remember everything correctly. Still, she went through everything that had transpired at the Moons as best as she could remember.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore said slowly. "Thank you for informing me of what you learned. Is there anything else that you could possibly think of that could have led to that night?"

"Not really, sir," Emma said. "Erm, the only time I might have learned something would have been at the Quidditch World Cup, but I was with…with the werewolves. I spent my day in the company of the other alphas."

"And they didn't bring anything up of note?"

"No, sir. Mostly they introduced me to the other werewolves, insisted on bringing me to more of the culture, and brought me in like I was one of their own already," Emma said. "I was meant to be spending time with the Malfoys and the Moons, but I went off on my own."

"I see," Dumbledore replied. "I'm afraid that the information you've given me lines up with information I have come across myself."

Hearing Dumbledore admit something of the sort was startling to Emma, and she sat up a little straighter. Fenrir had never lied to her, but she had a few things that she hoped he lied about, especially with the idea of Voldemort returning.

"So, do you believe that Voldemort will come back?" Emma asked, wondering if Dumbledore would tell her more.

"Voldemort coming back would imply that he left in the first place."

"You don't believe that he's dead?"

"No, I do not."

Emma was utterly dumbstruck. Was Dumbledore serious?

"Does that mean you believe that another war will be coming?" Emma managed to ask.

"I believe that there is a strong possibility that things will be changing for all of us in the future," Dumbledore said slowly. "Emma, I must ask a very large favor of you. And I must ask that this be kept between us for now."

"What is it, sir?" Emma asked. She wasn't sure if she was fully prepared to add something else to everything she had to worry about, but Dumbledore was doing her massive favors. Surely whatever Dumbledore would ask of her would be simple.

"Well, your relationship with Fenrir is very unique. Perhaps more unique than the relationship Fenrir had with your father," Dumbledore said. "I am aware that you have been afforded a unique position with Fenrir and his pack. As Fenrir controls the vast majority of the werewolves, there is a strong possibility that he hears things that others won't. It sounds as though he already plans to align himself with Voldemort once more. Would you agree?"

"I mean, that's a complicated answer," Emma said. "He says that he's a free agent, but he has made it clear that if Voldemort offers him what he's looking for, then he'll work with him again."

"That's what I was afraid of," Dumbledore sighed. "I am sure that you will understand the need for discretion in what I ask of you when I tell you, and I apologize for needing to ask you at all. I do not believe that Remus would be happy to hear that I have asked this of you. However, I would not come to you if I felt that you were in any absolute danger."

"You're asking me to keep whatever you need me to do from my father?" Emma asked with a frown.

"I'm asking you to keep this from everyone," Dumbledore said firmly. "What I ask of you cannot leave these four walls. Do you understand?"

Emma worried her lip between her teeth, not believing that whatever Dumbledore was about to ask her wouldn't be dangerous. Then again, it wasn't as though her very relationship with Greyson wouldn't be dangerous in itself. If Remus wouldn't be happy about what Dumbledore asked, it made her both intrigued and nervous. She thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"Okay," Emma finally said.

"Wonderful. After this, you may enjoy the rest of your day with Greyson and relax," Dumbledore said, a slight smile on his face. "Now, according to your father, it sounds as though Fenrir expects you to meet with him in Hogsmeade once a month?"

"That's how I've understood the current arrangement," Emma said. "He said that it won't be every month, but he plans to make it frequent enough. I know next month he plans to move along to a negotiation of sorts with me. He's aware that I have my issues with joining the pack at all, and er…everything else he expects of me."

"And he informed you of the future you will supposedly have when you met with him this past weekend?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your father told me what you said, but do you mind taking me through it so that I may hear it firsthand?"

Emma took another deep breath and went through the explanation of how the final bits of her meeting with Fenrir went. Dumbledore seemed to look more and more interested as she continued with her story. She hoped that she wouldn't have to go through it again.

"Interesting. Very interesting," Dumbledore said. Emma waited for Dumbledore to elaborate on what exactly he found interesting, but his explanation never came. "From what you told me, it sounds as though that Fenrir will be keeping you close in his sights. I apologize once more for asking this of you.

"Fenrir appears to trust you in a way that he doesn't trust others to share the information he has with you. He has it in his head that you will be of utmost importance to him, and he will not keep you in the dark. It has become obvious over the years that Fenrir is blinded by his desire for power, and he is determined to not let harm come to you. This makes things difficult, of course, but I believe that as long as you declare your allegiance to the pack, he will genuinely keep you safe. The fact he is willing to see you as his equal is an excellent sign. What I will ask of you today is very simple, and we will ensure that you are protected as much as we possibly can. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Emma said slowly, holding her breath to know what Dumbledore would ask.

"Perfect," Dumbledore said. "I ask this of you, then – if Fenrir ever tells you anything of note, any potential information on Voldemort or possible mentions of questionable activity, you inform me as soon as possible. No matter how inconsequential you believe the information would be, I would appreciate knowing it. Do you think you would be able to do that for me?"

"I…yes," Emma said. That was all Dumbledore wanted her to do? She could very easily do that, and Fenrir had told her that he wasn't going to keep things from her on more than one occasion. It was one of the things Fenrir had made very clear about their arrangement before it was ever fully solidified. Emma could say that she trusted that Dumbledore meant it when he said that they would make sure was protected; certainly more so than she trusted Fenrir.

"Thank you, Emma," Dumbledore smiled. "I truly hope that you understand how much I appreciate your assistance. I believe that you may be on your way until tonight – return here after dinner, perhaps? I think that would be perfect."

Emma stood to leave, but as she made it to the door, a thought flit through her mind. She turned back to look at Dumbledore. Something about what Dumbledore asked of her sounded far too familiar, and her stomach sank at the possibility.

"Sir, isn't this exactly what you had my father do during the war?" Emma asked quietly, worried to hear what Dumbledore would say next. "Act as a spy?"

Dumbledore was quiet for a long moment as he studied Emma. His eyes were practically boring into hers, and he was still. Emma hoped for some sort of expression on Dumbledore's face but found none. He continued to stare at her, and Emma's stomach knotted when she realized it was exactly what he was asking of her.

"No one will know, sir," Emma finally said, swallowing around the lump in her throat. "I don't think anyone would be thrilled to know what I'm doing."

"Thank you," Dumbledore said with a small nod. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

Emma was about to leave, but Dumbledore spoke up once more. "Emma, one more thing before you leave," he said.

"What is it, sir?" Emma asked.

"I think it will be best for you to make sure that you and Soleil start to work together. I know it won't be easy, but she will help make sure your thoughts are locked where they belong. If you find that you have issues with that side of yourself, there is someone who could possibly help."

Emma nodded, not entirely understanding what Dumbledore meant. She knew that she had to learn to stop fighting Soleil a little, but what exactly did he mean by keeping her thoughts locked where they belonged? Emma slowly made her way out of Dumbledore's office and down the stairs to where Greyson was waiting. She carefully tucked Dumbledore's request into the back of her mind as she tucked herself into Greyson's side. She had more important things to worry about for the moment, and she was determined to enjoy her day.

She just wished she knew exactly what she got herself into once more.

a/n: Moving forward, I'm just going to say - no beta, we die like men. If you find anything weird like strange half-written sentences, I swear I will fix them ASAP. I try to do at least three read-throughs of everything, but sometimes it slips through the crack (and I'm sorry). I'm hitting a point where I want to keep the story under lock and key, unless of course you're on Discord and ask me questions (then I will happily answer hehehehe).

Anyway - who expected this chapter? Or correction, who expected this so soon? Gotta keep things interesting! Also, did anyone have Newt Scamander on their Moonlit series character bingo card? Poor Emma wrote herself for that small interaction as she has some very conflicting thoughts on Newt. We can now officially move along and back into book canon. One chapter on the Triwizard tournament beginnings COMING UP NEXT. I've been missing my favorite Hufflepuffs so I'm excited to bring them back hahaha.

To all of my late night readers - thank you so much for reading, I love you, please get some sleep and good night! For all of my every other time readers, thank you so much as always, I love you as well. :)

Lucasjan - It's been so long since I've done a chapter as Emma and then one almost entirely as Remus and it was so needed. The last one was written entirely in Emma's POV and just made no sense, so I'm glad you enjoyed the final product! There's plenty more overprotective Remus coming up in the future and poor Greyson trying to figure things out. I think their relationship might eventually be as fun to write as Emma and Fenrir. It'll be interesting, for sure! She's definitely a daddy's girl, but she'll definitely figure it out. :) Also, way to make me cry. You are so incredibly special to me, and I'm so glad that I get to call you a friend!

Shard - I scream cried from laughter from your review (as always). We needed sweet fluff after the Fenrir fuckery! And we've got MORE FUCKING FLUFF. Now no one can say that I don't write fluff - it just took us some time to get to it.

Maricate - Oh my lord, meet the parent meetings are terrible. I definitely had to pull from my experiences to piece it together. You are very fortunate in not having to experience it. It's so awkward, and this chapter definitely added to it ahahhaa.