The moment it turned eleven-thirty, Emma made her up to the entrance hall with Greyson in tow. Emma felt odd, like she was sneaking around, but her leaving the castle, even so late, was allowed. She had permission to be leaving the castle but being out with the rest of the castle asleep was unusual.

"I'll meet you at the gates, all right?" Greyson said quietly, not daring to speak any louder out of fear of disturbing the peace. He bent down to give Emma a chaste kiss on the lips. "Just be safe, all right? Knowing Hagrid, it could be absolutely anything."

"I know," Emma said, giving Greyson's hand a squeeze. "I'll be fine. I can handle myself if something comes up. It's Hagrid. How bad can it really be? I'll be there as soon as I possibly can."

Greyson gave Emma another quick kiss and took her bag with him as he slipped out the front doors. Emma would've liked to have watched him leave, but she had a nice walk to the village with him to look forward to. At least they could be entirely themselves on the walk over. That would be nice.

Emma didn't have to wait long for Harry at all. She had taken up a spot near the wall facing the stairs and expected to watch him come down the stairs. A frown crossed her face as she peered down at her watch and didn't see him. She was about to pull the map out of her pocket to find out where he was, but then she felt a hard tap on her shoulder. Emma clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her yelp of surprise, and she shot Harry a look when his head appeared.

"You could've told me you were using the bloody cloak," Emma hissed as Harry tossed it over her head.

"Thought it was a bit obvious with going to Hagrid's so late," Harry hissed back. He grabbed hard onto Emma's arm and pulled her along with him.

"With you, nothing is obvious!" Emma said as they cracked open the front doors and made their way out to the lawn. The grounds were dark save for the slivers of moonlight that crept through the thick clouds covering the sky. The two walked in silence, more concerned with getting to Hagrid's than anything.

"Why are you angry about me talking to Sirius?" Harry suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked warily.

"Every time I bring up Sirius, you get mad at me."

"Because he doesn't talk to me! He has no issues writing to you, but I haven't heard from him in weeks. He's talked to Dad, he's talked to you, but I haven't heard a damn thing."

"So? He probably can't find the time to write to everyone."

"But here's the thing, Harry," Emma huffed. "Sirius is my father. He's your godfather – completely different."

"He's all I have!" Harry said sharply.

"And he's not all I have?"

"You at least have Professor Lupin!"

"I'm not even allowed to live with him right now, Harry. I've had no time to live with him."

"You don't have to live with my aunt and uncle."

"I was raised by a homicidal werewolf in a children's home," Emma ground out. "At least you had an actual home to live in!"

"I was locked in a cupboard under the stairs almost my entire life!"

"You're not the only one who was held as a prisoner, Harry," Emma hissed. "Not for nothing, but I would have fucking loved to have had a cupboard."

"And be locked in it in the dark?"

"Tell me, Harry – did your cupboard have a vent?"

"Yes."

"Good for you! At least you had some sort of light. I had nothing. I was tortured with the Cruciatus and thrown into a pitch-black room where they left me for who knows how long. I didn't have my own room until I was nearly twelve, and I didn't get one ounce of privacy until then. You at least had a place to hide."

"I was locked in my cupboard for days at a time."

"Harry, I was tortured. It got to the point where one single phrase could be said, and I knew exactly what was coming. I still can't hear the phrase without freezing up."

"So?"

"So? Really Harry? You're going to bloody go there with me?"

"You had someone take care of you! I had to take care of myself!" Harry nearly shouted.

"Yes, because the most savage werewolf of all time is precisely who I wanted to be raised by when my actual father was less than ten miles away," Emma growled. Want to know a fun fact? Every time he was with me, he had to decide whether he would kill me or not. You might have had a shit time growing up, but at least your life wasn't threatened every day of your existence."

"And Voldemort wasn't a threat?"

"Voldemort has been gone, Harry," Emma growled. "My life was in danger before I was even born. If it weren't…if Sirius didn't want me, I might not even exist. And honestly, it's quite shit that he'll talk to you, but he won't even talk to his own daughter. So, tell me, Harry – who really had it worse?"

Harry clamped his mouth shut, and they remained silent the entire way to Hagrid's. Emma was already in a borderline lousy mood, but now she was in an even bigger one. She continued to shoot Harry looks as they walked and glowered at him when he knocked on Hagrid's front door the moment they arrived.

"You both there?" Hagrid whispered as he opened the door and took a look around.

"Yeah," Harry said, grabbing Emma's arm to pull her inside of the cabin behind him. He slipped the cloak off of their heads. "What's up?"

"Got summat ter show yeh," Hagrid said excitedly.

Emma took a look around Hagrid's cabin. She had never set foot in his home before, and she had no idea what she was expecting. Everything was oversized to fit Hagrid's size, each item seemingly collected over the years and mismatched. Emma liked it – it reminded her of home and the odd collection of things Remus had. She took a look at Hagrid and tilted her head slightly.

Hagrid seemed excited, and Emma could only hazard a guess as to why. He was dressed up, or as dressed up as she had ever seen him, with a strange-looking flower tucked in the buttonhole of his shirt. He had tried to comb his hair and had abandoned the use of whatever he put in his hair to try and tame it. As annoyed as Emma was with Harry, she couldn't help but pass him a curious look.

"What're you showing us?" Harry asked warily.

"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that cloak," Hagrid said in response. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it…"

"Listen, Hagrid, I can't stay long. I've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock –"

Whatever Harry was saying fell entirely on deaf ears as Hagrid wasn't listening. He was opening the door and striding out into the night.

"This is going to go well," Emma muttered as Harry pulled the cloak back over their heads and quickly following. She frowned when she realized that they were heading in the directions of the Beauxbatons carriage, and she gave Harry a funny look. "Why do you think we're going there?"

"No idea," Harry murmured. "Hey, Hagrid, what –?"

"Shh!" Hagrid said as he knocked on the carriage door three times.

After a long moment, Madame Maxime opened the door. She looked more dressed up than usual, and Emma couldn't stop herself from looking between Maxime and Hagrid in curiosity. They weren't…were they?

"Ah, 'Agrid, it is time?" Madame Maxime asked.

"Bong-sewer," Hagrid said, positively beaming as he held his hand out to help her down the stairs. Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, and they immediately set off around the edge of the paddock that held the Beauxbatons horses.

"Harry, I think they're on a date," Emma hissed as they ran to keep up with the two. She could see that Harry looked confused, and Emma rolled her eyes. Harry was so incredibly oblivious that Emma wondered how he got through his days sometimes.

"A date?" Harry questioned. "Really?"

"Yes, you idiot," Emma said, jerking her head towards how Madame Maxime was hooked on Hagrid's arm. "Look at how close they are. I just don't understand why Hagrid's insisting we go on his date with him."

"Where is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?" Madame Maxime asked Hagrid, her voice rising playfully. Emma shuddered when she saw Hagrid look at Maxime like a love-sick puppy, and Maxime bat her eyes at him.

"Yeh'll enjoy this," Hagrid said, "worth seein', trust me. On'y don't go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know."

"Of course not."

Hagrid and Madame Maxime continued to talk as they walked, and Harry and Emma were practically panting from their jog to keep up. Harry kept checking his watch, and Emma couldn't stop herself from looking at hers. A bubble of delight erupted in Emma's belly when she realized that it was getting later and later, and they had no idea where they were going. She knew she was selfish, but the idea that Harry would possibly miss Sirius made her happy. They had walked so far along the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were entirely out of sight.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Harry's face, and she thought he was about to say something, but then a loud noise was heard up ahead. Men were shouting, and then an earsplitting roar erupted over the din.

"What was that?" Emma whispered, looking at Harry with wide eyes. He shook his head in response, and they quickly followed. Hagrid continued to lead Madame Maxime around more trees, and they came to a halt. At first, Emma thought she was looking at massive fires on the ground, the men running around them, and her mouth fell open.

Four massive, angry-looking dragons reared onto their hind legs in their enclosure made of thick planks of wood. Emma couldn't help but question why they would use wood when the dragons were snorting angrily, fire shooting from their massive, fanged mouths in bursts.

A silvery-blue dragon was snapping at the wizards on the ground; a smooth green dragon was stamping its scaley and clawed feet on the ground; the red dragon with golden spikes around its face was blowing fire clouds into the air, and then a massive black dragon that was more combative than the rest. The black dragon's eyes were bulging and making an almost yowling, screeching scream with whatever emotion it was feeling.

Emma was transfixed, beyond mesmerized by the massive creatures, and she wasn't sure whether she should watch the wizards or the dragons.

"Is that Charlie?" Emma whispered to Harry as she spotted someone with brilliant red hair yelling at Hagrid to stay back. Harry was too focused on the dragons in front of them to hear her, and Emma turned her head to watch as the wizards in the enclosure pulled out their wands. She had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp as each wizard sent a stunning spell at the dragons.

The dragon nearest them, the Horntail, Emma was pretty sure, teetered dangerously on its back legs. Smoke was still coming out of its nose, but the flames had stopped, and its mouth was open in a silent scream. Very slowly, the dragon fell along with the others, hitting the ground with a wicked thud that shook the trees around them.

Hagrid asked if Madame Maxime wanted to get closer, and they all stepped up to the fence. Emma rolled her eyes when Harry stupidly whispered that the wizard she was asking about was indeed Charlie Weasley as she suspected. She listened closely to what Charlie said, watching as his face lit up as he talked about the dragons. Madame Maxime slowly started to walk to the edge of the enclosure to take a better look at the dragons, and Charlie turned to Hagrid, shaking his head.

"Real romantic date, Hagrid," Charlie said.

"Four…" Hagrid said slowly, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do – fight 'em?"

"Just get past them, I think," Charlie started to say.

Emma's eyes grew wide as she looked over at Harry again as Charlie explained that they were nesting mothers. She couldn't imagine why they wanted nesting dragons, and worry pitted itself in Emma's stomach.

The champions had to get past the dragons? They were massive, and the Hungarian Horntail and its spiked tail were going to be a problem. She felt sorry for whoever had to take on the Horntail, and she hoped that it wouldn't be Cedric. Emma had to tell him, and she looked down at her watch in alarm. She and Harry had to leave, and Emma wasn't sure that she had time to tell Cedric what was happening. Harry seemed to think the same thing as he peered down at his watch and pulled Emma backward from the fence.

Emma was peering back down at her watch when she was suddenly knocked back onto the ground by Harry. She was about to say something, but she realized that Harry had run into Karkaroff in their haste.

"Ouch!" Karkaroff shouted. "Who's there?" Karkaroff was looking around everywhere for what he ran into. "Who's there?" he asked again, his gaze suspicious as he looked around. It felt like ages before Karkaroff hummed to himself and went back on his way, keeping to the cover of the trees. When they felt that Karkaroff was far enough, they slowly stood up from the ground.

"He's going to do the same thing to tell Viktor," Emma muttered as they continued to the castle. She looked down at her watch again and frowned – she didn't have enough time to tell Cedric and get to the village. When they were nearly at the castle, Emma grabbed hard onto Harry's arm to stop him from continuing.

"Harry, you have to tell Cedric what's happening," Emma said hurriedly.

"What? Why can't you tell him?" Harry snapped. "He's your friend!"

"I'm not in the castle tomorrow, and I won't be back until after breakfast on Monday. You have to tell Cedric!"

Harry hesitated for a long moment and huffed out a breath. "Fine," he said. "We have to go back in."

"I'm heading into the village," Emma said, looking in the direction of the gates. She looked up at the castle looming in front of them and took a quick look around before slipping out from underneath the cloak. It was odd to know that Harry was right in front of her, but she was looking at thin air. "Please – tell Cedric. I've got to go before it gets too late." She made to leave and froze for a moment, figuratively and literally swallowing her pride for a moment. "Have a good talk with my Papa," she added quietly. Emma stood where she was for a long moment before finally taking off at a ran. Remus would kill her if they were late to the village and he clearly anticipated being at the house before they were.

Emma was filled with an odd sense of exhilaration running across the long lawn towards the gates. Her thoughts returned to the infamous night at the Shrieking Shack and everything that followed afterward. Even though the moon was just starting to wane, still hidden behind the clouds, she still felt the pull of its magic. Just like when she ran through the forest with Moony close on her heels, she felt free. She skidded to a halt on the slick grass in surprise at herself when she realized that she wanted to howl just to howl.

She wanted to howl. Emma wanted to howl and dance and run free on her two feet in the same way that Soleil wanted to do the same way on four paws. It was such an odd desire to have, and she cast a traitorous look at the moon. But the aggravation that flooded her veins was swept away almost immediately with a dawning realization.

You want this, Soleil said to her. It is okay to enjoy it. It is who you are because you are a wolf.

The thought sat heavily in her mind, and Emma bent over, placing her hands on her knees to steady herself as she tried to breathe. She panted hard from the sheer exertion of running in the cold weather, the dryness of the air making her lungs tight. Emma's body was both hot and cold simultaneously, and her mind was going a million miles an hour. Was it really what she wanted? Was it really who she was?

Being told that she was a werewolf by Newt felt so final. Fenrir had been trying to tell her the exact same thing for weeks, but it didn't seem right. She couldn't accept the idea of it coming from Fenrir, didn't want to believe that he had confirmed it first. If it had come from her father or Elara first, it would have been easier to accept. But hadn't she already accepted it?

It was true that Emma was struggling with the idea of being a werewolf, but hadn't she already said to herself it would be okay? When she finally accepted that even being half was all right, she decided it would all be fine. It wasn't like anything had really changed; it was just a classification of what she was. She still didn't transform and wouldn't until she was bitten on the full moon and would live with lycanthropy for the rest of her life. It wasn't like she was alone – she had people who loved her despite the difficult days.

At the end of the day, whether she was considered a werewolf or not, it didn't change who she was as a person. She was always going to be Emma Lupin in the same way her father would still be Remus Lupin. Being a werewolf didn't define either of them – it wasn't the only thing they were.

Emma huffed out a laugh as a thought crossed her mind. While she and Remus might be considered werewolves, Emma realized that she shared something far better with her father. As much as she wanted to pretend it wasn't true, she couldn't deny that she was her father's daughter.

"I'm not a wolf," Emma said as she straightened up. "I'm a Marauder."

Emma cast the moon another look, feeling a little less betrayed. It would take time for her to really settle into the idea of actually being a werewolf, but the world could never take away the things that made her who she was. She was a Marauder through and through – vibrant and fun-loving and mischievous. She was sympathetic and giving, and absolutely nothing could change that about herself.

A smile crossed her face; of disbelief, of acceptance, of the realization that nothing really changed. Things were complicated and terribly so, but there were plans. She wasn't going through life alone anymore.

Still running off the adrenaline rush of being so close to real-life dragons and the exhilarating feeling of freedom, Emma continued on her way. She still had a distance to go until she reached the gates, and she moved as fast as her feet could propel her with a laugh. Her body still ached from the full moon, her muscles burning and still tight, but she felt free. Emma was allowed to be happy and excited, and she understood exactly why Greyson always tried to be optimistic. At one time, she was too, and perhaps it was time to find that person all over again.

Emma was exhausted by the time she made it to the gates and slammed into Greyson as she skidded to a halt. She burst into hysterical laughter as she suddenly found herself on the ground next to Greyson. Greyson had tried and failed miserably in bracing himself, and as he fell, he took her with him. He stared at her incredulously, an amused smile crossing his face as he sat up and helped Emma sit up as well.

"This seems familiar?" Greyson said, chuckling as Emma leaned against him and laughed even harder. "What took so long?"

"Dragons," Emma said, standing up on her knees and pulling Greyson's face to hers and kissing him soundly on the lips. "There are bloody dragons out by the forest," Emma said breathlessly. "Four massive fire-breathing dragons that up until a few years ago I never would have believed to be real in this world…and they're here, and I saw them, and…" Emma trailed off, giving Greyson another quick kiss. "I really should've gone back to the castle and told Cedric."

"Dragons?" Greyson questioned.

"Dragons," Emma said with a nod. "One for each champion. A, uhm, oh, I can't remember what they were, but Grey, they were huge. On Tuesday, during the first task, they have to do something with the dragons. And not just any dragons, oh no, they have to be nesting mother dragons, and I have no idea what they have to do."

"Dragons?"

"Dragons."

"Dragons!"

"Yes, dragons! Four of them!"

"Shit," Greyson said breathlessly, and Emma nodded in agreement. He let out a deep breath, and he studied Emma for a long moment, his head tilting to the side. A soft smile crossed his face as he tucked Emma's hair behind her ear. "You're beautiful, you know."

Emma could feel her face heat up immediately, and she leaned forward to hide her face against Greyson's shoulder. "Am not," Emma muttered with a shy giggle.

"You are," Greyson said, smiling as Emma lifted her face to meet his gaze. "I don't know what changed in the past two hours, but I love seeing you like this."

"Like what?"

"Happy," Greyson said simply. "Everything about you just…you light up. Your eyes shine, and your smile is just a little brighter. I love you like this."

"We should…we should probably go," Emma whispered shyly. "It's getting late, and I'm tired. And I'm sure Dad's having a heart attack if he's already at the house."

"Hmm, you're probably right," Greyson said, giving Emma a quick kiss before standing up and pulling Emma up with him. "Come on, tell me all about these dragons while we walk."

Emma more than delighted in the pure simplicity of walking hand in hand with Greyson without worry. Other than her excited chattering, the walk to Hogsmeade was quiet. The air was still, the air crisp and cool, but Greyson's hand was warm in hers. She was slowly growing more and more exhausted, but Emma was happy.

"It smells like snow," Emma said quietly, taking a look up at the sky as they stepped into the village. "Did I ever tell you that I love the snow?"

"I think you have once or twice," Greyson said, taking a quick look up at the sky himself. "Is there a particular reason why?"

Emma thought about it for a moment and hummed thoughtfully to herself. "I think it's because it reminds me of simpler times," she said. "Back before all of this – before magic and werewolves and dragons were real. It was simpler."

"I remember simpler days," Greyson said wistfully.

"Do you miss it? The simpler days?"

"Sometimes," Greyson admitted. "It's scary to know that all of this exists, and there are people who have no idea."

"And so many of us don't learn of it until we get our letters," Emma sighed. "It's still weird to me that I knew all of this was a thing, and then for years, I didn't."

"Meanwhile, you were surrounded by magic."

"And werewolves. But I suppose it's not all bad knowing everything now."

"What do you mean?"

"We found each other, didn't we?" Emma smiled up at Greyson. She looked back up at the sky with a sigh. "I really hope we get snow soon…"

A single light was on in the house they were staying in. Emma tried to peer through the living room's bay window and frowned when she didn't see any shadows. Had everyone gone to bed already? She gave the door a quick rap with her knuckles, and the door was flung open to reveal a frazzled Elara.

"Are you aware of what time it is?" Elara asked, pulling Emma and Greyson out of the cold and into the warmth of the house. "It's nearly two!"

"I know," Emma said, holding her hands up in surrender. "Things went a little longer than expected."

"Bloody hell," Elara breathed out. "I almost had to go out and find you both by myself!"

"Dad's not here yet?" Emma asked in surprise.

"No, not yet," Elara said. She took a good look at Emma and frowned. "You look beyond exhausted, kid. You do too, Greyson."

"I saw dragons," Emma said with a smile. "Real dragons, Elle!"

"Dragons?" Elara asked.

"Yes – fire breathing, massive dragons," Emma said with a yawn. "They were beautiful and so scary!"

"Right, well, you can tell me all about it tomorrow," Elara said with the hint of a smile. She shoved Emma and Greyson in the direction of the stairs. "Greyson, you're in the last room down the hall. Emma, you're technically supposed to be with me, but if you were to just so happen to accidentally fall asleep in the same bed as Greyson while talking…"

"You're the best, Elle," Emma said brightly. "I'll make a valiant effort to make it into our room."

Needless to say, Emma didn't make it into the other bedroom with Elara. She didn't even change out of her clothes and wasn't entirely sure if she fell asleep curled up next to Greyson or not. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the bed leaning against the wall talking to Greyson. She snorted when she sat up and noticed that Greyson only got as far as pulling his pajamas out of his bag.

Emma took a look out the window nearby, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The entire night seemed like it wasn't even real. It didn't seem like it was possible to have seen real dragons, but she must have. She could still feel the heat of their flaming breaths on her face, but then that could also be from waking up next to Greyson.

She grinned as she carefully got out of bed and made her way to her bag sitting on the floor near the door. A nice hot shower seemed like a wonderful idea, and she pulled out the most comfortable outfit she could find. She didn't need to get fully dressed until dinner, and a pair of joggers and a jumper seemed like the perfect outfit until then.

Emma startled when she turned around to find Greyson watching her with a single eye cracked open and a sleepy smile on his face.

"So much for making it into the other room," Greyson said with a yawn.

"To be honest, I don't even recall falling asleep," Emma replied with a quiet laugh. "I'll assume someone took pity on me as Dad just about loses it if I wear my shoes in bed."

"It is a bit of a bad habit of yours."

"Hey!"

"I think it's sweet," Greyson said, sitting up and stretching. "I also just had a very disconcerting thought."

"And what can make you feel so unsettled at –" Emma peered down at her watch and groaned "– eight in the morning?"

"I am literally in a house full of werewolves. Not only that, I was welcomed into a house of werewolves. I feel like this is like with vampires, but the opposite way around."

Emma stared at Greyson for a long moment before starting to giggle at the idea. It didn't even occur to her how bizarre that would be when it was such a normal thing for her.

"I can make it even worse," Emma said between giggles. She made her way back over to the bed and planted her hands on the mattress, bending low towards Greyson. "You're a Slytherin in a house with two Hufflepuffs and a Gryffindor. You are positively outnumbered for the moment." Emma snickered in amusement at the look of sheer horror on Greyson's face at the realization. "And I am taking a nice long shower in preparation for relaxing all day until dinner."

Emma was lured out of the shower only by the smell of breakfast being made. She practically ran down the stairs still running off the high from the previous night. Emma was burning to talk about the dragons, fully prepared to write Cedric a brief letter to tell him what she knew just in case Harry didn't. However, her mind went blank when she stepped into the kitchen and spotted Sirius sitting at the kitchen table with Remus and Elara. Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she looked at Remus pleadingly for some sort of explanation.

"Pumpkin!" Sirius said brightly, utterly oblivious to Emma's stunned expression. He was on his feet and over to her in seconds flat before Remus could say anything, pulling her tightly into his arms. Emma very slowly put her arms around Sirius, afraid to let herself be happy that he was there. She could feel her very carefully placed wall threatening to break just from a hug, and Sirius's soft uttering of "I'm sorry" ultimately did her in.

"I am so incredibly sorry," Sirius whispered, pressing kisses to her hair. "I never meant to make you feel like I didn't care about you. The entire time I was away, all I could think of was the moment I could come back home just so I could give my beautiful daughter a hug and remind her of how much I love her." Sirius leaned back to look at Emma, who peered up at him with very watery eyes. "I'm not leaving again. I think we all need to be together right now, and I'm never letting you feel like this again. I made a huge mistake leaving you the first time…I'm never doing that again."

Emma frowned up at Sirius for a moment, not sure that she could believe him. She wiped at her eyes and sniffled pathetically at him in response. Sirius sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead and pulling her head to his chest.

"Like I told you over the summer, I don't know what I'm doing," Sirius said softly. "But I'm trying to learn. I'm going to make mistakes – and probably a lot of them – but I'm going to do my very best to show you how much I love you. All I ask is that you tell me when I've done something wrong. I can't always…I'm still learning to be the very best I can be for you after getting out of Azkaban. I don't know that I'll ever be at the same level as Daddy, but I'm going to try my hardest. Will you help me with that?"

Emma nodded, tightening her hold on Sirius. She had spent so much time being angry with him that she forgot that he was still recovering from Azkaban. It made her feel stupid to forget such a crucial piece of information, and she felt terrible. The entire situation was challenging on all of them in different ways, but Sirius hadn't had the time to take care of himself. Emma was still frustrated that Sirius wrote to Harry instead of her, but he was there. He was tangible and not off in some unnamed place in the world, and he was with her. That meant more to her than anything.

"Ah, and there's the Slytherin," Sirius suddenly said. "Wondered when I would finally get to meet you."

Emma pulled back just enough from Sirius to turn herself to look at Greyson, who looked just as surprised as she was. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, looking unsure of the entire situation. Emma smiled as Sirius pulled her tighter against him, and she heard Remus's exasperated sigh from the kitchen table and Elara's soft laugh.

"Good morning, Greyson," Remus said. "I apologize on Sirius's behalf. He has a bit of a prejudice against Slytherins – he means nothing by it."

"You would too if you had to deal with my family," Sirius grumbled. He shifted his hold on Emma to hold his hand out for Greyson to shake. "Guess there's no point in introducing myself."

"I…I'm sorry," Greyson said, clearing his throat. "It's a bit startling to actually see you in person and knowing the truth. I probably look just as stupid as I did meeting Emma for the first time."

"Yes, well, I'm sure Emma made it very clear what actually happened," Sirius sighed, giving Emma a squeeze. "Our girl is really good like that, right Moons?"

"The best," Remus agreed. "We're very lucky."

"We all are," Elara said. "Also, a real valiant effort at making it into the other room, kid," Elara added, making Emma blush and hide her face in Sirius's side.

It was impossible for Emma to not be happy with everyone under one roof for the first time ever. She had wished for it the last time she stayed in Hogsmeade, and the reality was so much better than she imagined. Sirius was wary of Greyson, but Emma was sure that it had something to do with him being a Slytherin. He was polite with Greyson but mostly kept quiet, sticking close to Remus or even Elara throughout the day.

Time seemed to move far faster with Greyson in the house. Emma always felt it moved quickly with just Remus, but it didn't seem to stop with everyone present. For the first time in a long time, Emma laughed freely and allowed herself to have fun. She felt safe and overwhelmingly loved by everyone.

Remus was quick to pick up her change in mood, his expression curious. Emma knew that she would have to explain at some point, but that conversation could wait.

When Remus came up to her later in the day when she was looking at the books in the living room, he hugged her from behind, she leaned happily back into his embrace. She tipped her head up to look at him and smiled at the fond kiss he pressed to her forehead. He didn't have to say a word for her to understand his silent joy in seeing her happy. She figured it was as good a time as ever to bring up her conversation with Greyson, especially when Greyson was distracted in a conversation with Sirius and Elara.

"Daddy?"

"What is it, baby girl?"

"Greyson and I were talking last night," Emma said quietly. She sighed, nervous over what she was about to say next. "We don't want to have to hide our relationship. It doesn't make sense."

"It didn't take long to reach that point, did it?" Remus sighed.

"If Fenrir already knows, what's the point in hiding it?"

"It keeps you safe. It keeps you both safe."

"But does it?" Emma asked, looking back up at Remus. "I don't want to have to hide being with Greyson. If we don't hide our relationship, then Fenrir can't tell me that I was keeping it from him. He can only blame himself if he doesn't bring it up to me."

Remus sighed once more, dropping his chin on top of Emma's head. "It's dangerous, sweetheart," he said softly.

"But it wouldn't be my fault," Emma pointed out. "I won't lie to him if he asks me outright, but we know he'll wait for me to say something. If he doesn't ask, then I'm not going to tell."

"Can we talk about this later?" Remus asked. "I understand what you're trying to say –"

"But you're worried," Emma finished for him. "I know. So am I. We can talk about it later, but I wanted to mention it now…just so you know."

"Thank you for telling me," Remus said with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Emma's nerves kicked in an hour before dinner. She paced nervously as Greyson packed his things to bring back with him before getting ready himself. He peered up from his bag as he watched Emma walk back and forth in the small room.

"Grey, what if they don't like me?" Emma asked, biting her nails anxiously. "This was a terrible idea. A family dinner with everyone? I didn't even know Papa was going to actually be here!"

"Emma," Greyson said, grabbing onto Emma's arms to stop her where she was. "I promise that they are all going to love you. You have nothing to worry about. However, I should probably warn them about Sirius. I think they'll be a bit startled to find a convicted but highly innocent felon is in the room."

"But Grey, this is your family," Emma said breathlessly. "This is… How are they supposed to love me considering –"

"They already know," Greyson said lightly. "I already told them that much. They don't fault you for any of it." Emma opened her mouth to say something else, but Greyson pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. "Honestly, they love you already. I wouldn't lie about that, especially because they weren't fond of my last girlfriend. To be fair, I wasn't either."

"They don't even know me," Emma murmured, kissing the pad of Greyson's fingertip. "I don't see how they can love me already."

"Just trust me, all right?" Greyson chuckled. "Besides, I think if your family can accept me considering my father…I think you've got a bit easier than I do."

"My family doesn't have a choice because I…" Emma frowned and mentally chastised herself. She had lost count of how many times she nearly said that she loved Greyson, but it wasn't the right time to say it. "They just don't have a choice."

"Then neither does mine," Greyson said with a smile.

"I should probably get ready," Emma huffed, looking down at herself and wiggling her bare toes. "I don't think joggers will be appropriate tonight."

"You are beautiful in anything you wear. Don't worry about dressing up – just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable."

If only Greyson knew how impossible that would be for Emma to do. She would suffer in silence just to make an excellent first impression.

Emma was grateful to have Elara in the house and even more grateful to have Elara's help getting ready. It wasn't as though Emma didn't know how to style herself, but she was more nervous than she had ever been. Her stomach was twisting painfully with anxiety, and trying to get herself ready wasn't easy. If it weren't for Elara stepping in to take the reigns, Emma didn't think she could have handled it.

"I've got something for you," Elara said quietly as she brushed Emma's hair for her. "Just a few more things for you to not show your dad. We don't need him to know that I'm buying you things just so you can feel your absolute best. Nothing is sexier than a nice matching set."

"Elle, you shouldn't be spending your money on me," Emma huffed. "I've got more than enough right now."

"I want to spend my money on you," Elara replied. "Besides…" Elara trailed off quickly, clearing her throat and forcing a smile on her face when Emma looked back at her. Emma knew where Elara's thoughts went, but Elara was putting on a strong front. "Let me do these things for you. Please."

"All right," Emma said quietly, watching as Elara made her way over to her bag and pulled out three boxes. Elara cracked open the first box and pulled out a strappy number similar to the one she gave Emma on her birthday but in a deep maroon color.

"This one's for tonight," Elara said with a wink. "Just to give you that little boost of confidence I'm sure you don't actually need." She reached for the second box and pulled out something that was most definitely just strings held together in an emerald green that made Emma laugh. "This one is just because, but this last one –" Elara opened the third box to pull out a lingerie set in a dark navy blue that seemed to match Emma's dress robes "– well, it's a bit stupid to explain this one because I think you understand what it's for."

"It matches my dress," Emma said breathlessly, pulling the lace fabric out of Elara's hands and brushing her fingers over the sparkles. "And it's so soft!"

"Well, of course it's soft," Elara laughed. "If you're going to look sexy, you at least want to be comfortable doing it. Besides…think of how Greyson's eyes are going to practically fall out of his head seeing you in any of these."

Emma fell into giggles as she put the second and third outfits into a single box and grabbed the first one. It would be the perfect confidence to wear under her dress, and she couldn't wait. Maybe it would be a good night, after all.

a/n: OOPS. Dinner scene was supposed to be here, but this chapter got waaaayyyyy too long with the dinner. SO. Two chapters today? Maybe. Will I do it? No idea. Heheheheheheheheh.

To all of my late night readers - please go to sleep, I love you and good night! To all of my other time readers, I love you and have a wonderful day! To my Discord voice chat - I SEE (HEAR!) YOU. xD

Lucasjan - Thank you! :D Newt was fun to add in just for the added insight! He totally thinks Fenrir is in amazing creature which is too funny to me. xD

Lu - Yay! I'm so glad everything is well! :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Maricate - Bahahahaha. I swear I'm writing the one shots...at some point. xD

Shard - FLUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!