This is the last chapter before a jump forward in time to PoA. Enjoy!
And please take time to read my note at the end.
Thanks! :)


"State your name for the record." The tall, overdressed wizard said, emotionless, quill in hand. He looked Remus over expectantly.

"Remus John Lupin." Remus said quietly. He felt himself shiver under the stares of all the other witches and wizards in the large, dimly lit room.

"And you understand why we called you here, today?" The speaker ask. "Before this special gathering of a small council. At Mrs Walburga Black's request.

"Not really, no." Remus replied with a small shake of his head. He fought the urge to make any sort of comment, knowing the audience here would be less than welcoming to any sarcasm from someone like himself.

"You stand accused, Mr. Lupin." The speaker said, pacing. "By both the Esteemed Mrs. Walburga Black, and her now incarcerated son, Sirius Orion Black."

"Accused?" Remus said, almost amused. He could not imagine what was about to happen. But nothing could possibly surprise him from Sirius anymore.

"Mrs. Black states you slept with his wife. That you have, in fact, been in the background of his entire marriage, and that the child that the young Mrs. Black carries is not his own, but, in fact, yours." The wizard continued. "His mother agrees, and Claire Black does not deny." At this statement, Remus' eyes snapped up so quickly that two of those watching jumped. The young werewolf's irises darkened.

"Oh?" He said, a voice so calm it made the air in the room seem thick. He knew, of course, he had not been with Claire since long before her marriage. But hearing that Claire made no argument made him wonder.

"Mr. Black, though, has some valid points." The speaker continued to pace, but Remus could smell his fear. He almost wanted to smile. "And Walburga ask that we keep this a private matter, for the embarrassment it will cause her house. So we, the Ministry, have agreed that all things here are kept a private matter."

"Did they?" Remus said, still maintaining composure.

"He, Sirius, as the Head of the Black family, feels like he should be able to cut ties and responsibility to what is not really his to take care of. His mother wholeheartedly agrees." He informed Remus.

"I am afraid, sir, I fail to understand why I need to be part of it." He replied honestly.

"Because, Mr. Lupin. We need you to confirm these statements in order for the Ministry to find grounds to grant such a divorce. As I am sure that you are aware, magically bound marriages are rarely dissolved. Even for prison sentences." And this statement made it dawn on him- Claire found her way out by stating this was all true. She didn't argue, and she didn't have to be a Black anymore. Walburga would have no claim to the baby.

"Then I suppose, for the record, yes. I was, and am, in love with Claire Potter, or Black, whatever you wish to regard her as. I have been, irrevocably, for many years. Her relationship with Sirius made no difference in this. Its all true." He worded his response carefully, aware of perjury charges.

"Very well." The speaker replied. "You may go."

Remus gave a small, curt nod and stood, walking out. When the large oak door swung shut behind him, he leaned heavily on it, mind reeling. She would have nowhere to go, most likely no money, if Walburga had her way. He had to think, and find Claire, fast.


"I know it isn't much- I start working Tuesday, and I will get more furniture as soon as I can. The couch sleeps well enough, or I think there is enough material to it that it could be transfigured into a twin sized bed." Remus said, hands in his pockets. He felt like his heart might shatter looking at Claire, who looked only at the floor. She was pale, and had large dark circles under her eyes. She had not said much, at all, in the week since he'd helped her get away.

"It's fine, thank you." She said in a small, mousy voice. The apartment, while she did not disagree about it not being much, was not all bad either. Located in Honfleur, in northwestern France. The woman who was helping them, Margot, was a childhood friend of Remus' grandmother's. She'd had no children of her own, but had been his father's Godmother, and was very glad to allow them to take shelter in one of the apartment flats in the building she owned above her bakery.

"There are a couple bedrooms, Margot said. We will work on getting them set up as soon as I can." He moved her bag of clothes over, noticing she did not move at all. He sat the bag on the small dining room table, the only other piece of furnishing in the entire place. "Claire?"

"Why are you doing this?" She ask, finally looking up. Her eyes swam with unshed tears.

"What?" He questioned, his voice with harsh defense.

"Why now? I BEGGED you to run away with me. You remember, before I was stripped of my money and forced to marry someone else. When we wouldn't have had to stay in a thread bare apartment and live off kindness. You left me, humiliated and alone. Suddenly, now that my situation is so much worse, and I have a baby that is involved, you're back?" She spat.

"I was wondering where this Claire had been. Honestly I was a bit afraid Walburga broke your spirit." He seemed almost amused, and it set Claire off worse.

"Excuse me?" She crossed her arms across herself tighter. "This is not about me."

"It is a little bit. You came with me." Remus reminded her.

"Do I look like I have a lot of options? I have her to take care of, too. I have to take the help where I can." She looked more angry than he'd ever seen her, but he couldn't take his eyes off her protruding abdomen. "I really do not have any other options. She took everything from me."

"Hello?" She said, calling his eyes back to hers. "She's not really yours, you know. Walburga said it, Sirius agreed, and I was told Sirius would be freed of the burden of having me as a wife if I agreed, so I did. But she's a Black. Remember?"

"No, I know." He said quietly. "Just didn't know you were having a girl."

"Would you care if I lay down?" She said suddenly, uncomfortably shifting.

"Of course." He said gently, gesturing. "I have some blankets in the back." He went to find the boxes where he'd already put what few belongings he had, and when he came back she was already curled tightly up on the couch, her back to the room. He silently unfolded the quilt and draped it over her before moving to the other side of the room and propping against the wall, covering himself up with another quilt and closing his eyes as well. It was late, after all, and they'd both been through a lot.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and watched the slight rise and fall of her even, slumbering breaths and sighed. He had a lot to fix, and he hoped one day he might be able to. But for now, knowing she had somewhere safe to stay was enough for him.


It seemed weird to even imagine the events that brought him to this place, but once again, the child in his arms took his breath away. She'd been born a week or so ahead of schedule, taking himself and Claire quite by surprise, but in doing so missed the full moon, a happy coincidence. That was nine short weeks ago, and Remus was still not over how amazing the newborn was to him.

She had dark wispy curls on the very top of her head, and large, shining hazel eyes. Very much her mother's child, which they were both thankful for. It made it so much easier when the hospital officials came to fill in her birth certificate, adding Remus in the place reserved for father's information. He signed it without a second thought, making little Chantelle Candrila a Lupin with the flick of a quill. There was no going back, not that he ever would.

Chantelle, or Ellie, as they called her, was named very carefully. Remus and Claire had agreed to make her name suit their new home, so she was given French names. Chantelle, to sing, because she did not cry, but cooed in such a sweet and musical way. And Candrila, one from the ashes, a fitting name for their new lives. Of course, her presence did not make life too much easier for her parents, who were still not exactly the couple they'd once been.

This made Remus heart ache, as he swayed around their small living room, humming gently to the tiny bundle in his arms, who had been fussing. Maybe it was because his hearing was better, or that where he slept on the couch was closer to the nursery they'd set up than the small bedroom was, Remus usually heard her awaken first, and loved to soothe her back to sleep when he could.

And yet, he wanted them to be a real, proper family. This was better than he could've dreamed before, having little Ellie. But he missed Claire. More than she knew.

He'd never told her, of course, because he never sealed his magic with a mark, but he was completely bound to her. He reached that point that the wolf intertwined with his soul could not let her go. She was his, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And he had not told her. Remus did remember mentioning to her, once, long ago that there was a point he could not come back from, but he'd never divulged that he'd already fallen far past it. So he took what he could, sharing this space, sharing their meals, sharing a child.

"You are the best gift anyone could ever hope for, you know, bien-aimé." He spoke softly to the tiny girl, who yawned in reply. "You're so perfect, and beautiful. Just like your mother."

He swayed around the room again, as she struggled against the blankets, still fussing slightly.

"You might as well give up, you know. I don't have anything else to do than dance you around this room until you shut your perfect little eyes." As he continued to sway, he was too caught up in watching the baby's tiny eyelids droop to notice that Claire had came into the room, standing at the door, watching them. As Chantelle finally lost her long battle with sleep, Remus turned around, making to return her to her bed, and he found her staring.

"Hey." She whispered, holding her arms out. "I'll lay her down." She said in a small whisper, and Remus gently transferred her to her mother's arms. Claire took the baby into the smaller bedroom and lay her down, but she did not return to her own room. She returned to the living room, where Remus was fixing the bedding he kept on the couch. Claire came up behind him and caught his wrist in her hand, gently guiding him to turn around.

"Did she settle down okay?" He ask, concerned. Claire nodded.

"She's fine." She replied. She seemed a little nervous. Remus moved his wrist so that he had her hand.

"Are you okay?" He ask, genuinely concerned. She shifted and shrugged. He stared at her for a moment, but was taken by surprise when she suddenly moved forward and stood on her toe-tips, catching him in an unexpected but not unwelcomed kiss.

"I miss you." She said when she pulled away.

"I miss you, too." Remus replied, confused.

"I don't want to do this anymore." She said, tears sliding down her cheeks. Remus gently wiped her face clean.

"Do what?" He tilted his head, waiting.

"Be angry. Not be together. Watch you sleep on what I know is not a very comfortable sofa." She croaked, a full sob breaking her words.

"Oh, Claire." He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you so much. It's okay." He said, stroking her hair as she cried.

"I love you too." She choked out. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me too." He said, holding her tighter for a moment, then she pulled back to look up at him.

"I don't know if- I mean," She sputtered. "I don't think I am ready to-" She looked down at the floor, obviously embarrassed. He did not ask her to clarify, he knew full well she was trying to express a fear with too much intimacy too soon. "But would you come sleep in here with me?"

"If you are comfortable with me, then yes. I'd love to sleep holding you again." He smiled. He kept his arms around her as they walked back down the hall into the back bedroom. She settled herself as close as she could cling into his side, and they lay in silence for a long time, until he felt her breathing even out and he knew she'd fallen asleep. He continued to play in her long, dark curls as he himself drifted off to sleep, comforted by her warmth at his side.


Alright- So I really like this story myself, and I have it all planned to the finish- But I kinda feel like nobody is reading anymore. Sorta bums me out. If you're still out there and enjoying this- Thank you! I'd love to hear from you- Message or review, either one.

Thanks!