Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
AN1: This chapter uses information that I got from Pottermore, so SPOILERS if that's required.
AN2: Thank you so much for the response to this story. I wasn't planning on updating this soon but I'm working on chapter 7 at the moment so I thought I'd update again. ALSO QUESTION would people find it easy if I put Hermione And/Or Remus's age next to the dates or can you work it out on your own?
March 10th 1982
It has been four months since Remus went through his first full moon alone and because Moony was without his mate, because Moony doesn't deny his pain, Remus found himself getting extremely hurt by his wolf self. With every full moon since Remus has been hurt, but as he is remembering what it is like to go through a full moon alone so he is getting better at dealing with the aftermath.
In the last four months Remus and Hermione have moved into their new house and Remus has started his job at The Grangers bookshop. Working at The Grangers shop gives Remus enough money to allow him and Hermione to have what they need, but despite this Remus worries that as his daughter grows it won't be enough to look after her. As he received a letter from Gringotts, a couple of months earlier, Remus know that he can access Sirius's vault and use his family fortune as he is not only the magically, and in the wizarding world, legal spouse to a Black, but the father of one too, but to Remus that feels wrong considering what Sirius has done so he has come to the decision that he will only touch it, he'll only use that money, if he needs to for Hermione's sake.
It is the day after the full moon and Remus is still recovering as he sits by his fire late at night waiting for a visitor. When he brought the new house the thing that Remus debated the longest was whether to connect the fire to the floo network. After a lot of debating and a conversation with Dumbledore Remus has connected his fireplace to the floo, but there are restrictions on it so that only certain fires can travel to his fireplace while they can go to any others
As his fire jumps to live and his visitor steps out of the flames Remus stands up to great her.
"Minerva, it's good to see you." Remus says to his old professor, and friend.
"It's good to see you, Remus." Minerva admits, telling the truth, "How hurt are you?" she asks as she can tell that he is and considering what the day before was she isn't at all surprised.
"It's nothing I can't handle." Remus says, wanting to downplay his injuries, "I made tea if you'd like some." He offers.
"I'd like that." Minerva responds and the two of them sit down across from the fire, "This is your new house, are you settled in yet?" Minerva ask curious.
"Mostly, there are some things that I still need to unpack." Remus reveals, knowing that that might be an understatement as he found himself being unable to throw away anything that belongs to Sirius and because of that there are several boxes that he will probably never unpack though he did find himself putting some of Sirius's things in places they would be if he was there with them.
"Well, that's not surprising." Minerva comments, "I was rather surprised to receive your owl." She comments as she takes a sip of the tea.
"I know it came out of the blue, but there is something I was hoping to discuss with you." Remus admits.
"If this is about the fight you had with Albus last week I have to tell you that I've been trying to get him to see that Harry living with Lily's sister isn't a good idea but he won't budge, as you learnt. He believes that it is the best option." Minerva explains to Remus, it being clear that she doesn't agree with Dumbledore on this, as she happened to overhear Remus's, very loud, argument with the headmaster a week earlier about Harry Potter's living situation.
"Thank you for trying, living with Petunia and her husband it's not what Lily or James would have wanted." Remus says, knowing that, "I intent to try to get Albus to allow me to take custody again, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Remus says as he knows that next time he talks to Albus about Harry he is going to have to go about it in a different way.
"I see." Minerva says, honestly hoping he succeeds, as she gives him a look which says, 'please continue'.
"I wanted to talk to you about Hermione." Remus reveals.
"How is your daughter doing after everything that has happened?" Minerva asks out of curiosity.
"She's still confused, keeps asking for him… them." Remus says, there being no question as to who he is talking about.
"I'm sorry, Remus." Minerva says, it being clear that she means that.
"So am I." Remus says and they both take a drink of their tea, "In the past four months I have had several bad transformations and while Emma and Dan have both made it clear that they would be willing to look after Hermione under any circumstances and they do look after her in the fall moon, I've come to realise that I need other contingencies in place, just in case." Remus tells Minerva, knowing that he doesn't have to explains to Minerva who Dan and Emma are as she has met them before, several times.
"That would be very smart of you." Minerva tells her old student.
"Yes, which is why I asked you here." Remus asks as he debated for a long time who to ask and he realised that considering that most of the people he was once close to her, most of the people he trusts, are either dead or in the case of Alice and Frank Longbottom in no state to help him, he doesn't have many options, unless he wants to risk the possibility of one of the living Blacks, or relations, being able to take Hermione, "I know it is a lot of me to ask, and I would understand if you said no, but I was wondering if for any reason Emma and Dan couldn't look after Hermione during a fall moon you'd look after her and if something were to happen to me you'd teach her about our world, tell her everything she'll need to know, look after her." Remus asks, honestly he knows how big this is for him to ask but honestly he doesn't see any other option.
"Of course I will." Minerva says without hesitation, "I'd be happy to."
"Thank you." Remus says, looking grateful, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me." Minerva assures Remus and the two of them drift into silence as they drink their tea.
For the next few minutes Remus and Minerva sit in comfortable silence as they drink they tea.
"Well, I better be going." Minerva says once she finishes her tea, "I've got students essay's waiting on me." She admits.
"How are things at Hogwarts going?" Remus asks, being truly curious.
"Good, there is less tension now, more fun." Minerva reveals.
"Good, that's good." Remus comments, "It's the way things should be."
"Yes, it is." Minerva confirms, as even though she doesn't necessarily approve of the kind of fun the students are having it's better than what was happening, as they both stand up, "Don't be a stranger Remus. If you need anything, even if it is just company, just write or fire call and I'll be here." She tells Remus, showing him true, almost maternal, affection, something which she doesn't do all that often but is doing so as she has always had a soft spot for the Marauders, Remus especially.
"Thank you Minerva." Remus says, the kindness meaning a lot to him.
In response Minerva just gives Remus a nod before she steps into the fireplace, "Oh and Remus, Happy Birthday." Minerva says before flooing away.
"Happy Birthday." Remus says to himself in confusion and then it draws on him, today is his twenty second, though he looks a lot older because of his condition, birthday and he didn't even realise, "Huh." He says as he watches the flames die down. Once the flames have gone down a lot Remus puts the remaining embers out before preforming his usual night ritual of making sure the house is secure before heads upstairs.
Before heading to bed himself Remus sneaks into his daughter's room and checks on his daughter who has now moved out of her crib and into a toddler bed. After spending a couple of minutes staring at his little girl Remus heads to bed himself, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.
A couple of hours later, having being woken by an unknown sound, something that happens a lot with his werewolf hearing, Remus is just about to get up to go check on Hermione when he hears quiet footsteps and right away he knows who they belong to.
"Hermione." Remus says as he turns on his bedside light.
"Papa." Hermione says, from where she is standing in the doorway.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Remus asks as he gets up and hurries over this daughter.
"Bad dream." Hermione answers as Remus kneels down in front of her, "Can I stay?" Hermione asks her father.
"Of course you can." Remus says as he picks up his daughter, "Do you want to talk about your dream?" he asks curious.
"No." Hermione answers, shaking her head.
"Okay, you don't have to, but sometimes it can help." Remus says as he and Hermione lay in the bed.
"Don't want to." Hermione tells her father.
"Okay." Remus says, deciding not to push her. Once they are both laying in the bed Remus makes sure they are both covered by the blanket before he turns of the light, "Close your eyes and go to sleep Hermione, you're safe, it's okay." Remus assures her.
"Papa." Hermione says, "Daddy home soon?" Hermione asks her father, looking up at Remus and even in in the dark he can see her wide eyes where the grey flicks, that she inherited from Sirius, are even more noticeable than normal.
"No Sweetie, Daddy's not going to be home soon." Remus tells his daughter, it hurting him to admit that.
"Why not?" Hermione asks, not understanding why.
"Because…." Remus starts to say before trailing off, not sure how to answer that, "Because he can't come home." Remus answers, it being the simplest answer he can think of, "But I know that he loves you." Remus says as even with everything that has happened, all the doubts he has, everything he is wondering, he knows that that is true. He knows that even with everything that Sirius apparently did he believes, completely, that Sirius loves their daughter, "Get some sleep Hermione, it's late." Remus says as honestly he finds it hard to talk about Sirius, even with Hermione, though there is a part of him that knows that his avoidance won't work forever, he knows that one day he will have to tell her everything and he doesn't know how he is going to do that.
"Okay." Hermione says before closing her eyes.
As Hermione closers her eyes Remus runs his hand through his daughter's hair and finds himself wondering whether Sirius even thought about them before he joined Voldemort, did he even care what would happen to them? As he wonders Remus finds the part of himself that doesn't believe, that refuses to believe that Sirius would join Voldemort, the part of him that thinks Sirius would never betray James and Lily or kill Peter become louder. It screams at him saying that Sirius would never do that, and honestly Remus would like to believe that, he would love to fully accept that, but he doesn't know if he can or if he should and he knows that if he tries, if he accepts that and everything that that would mean then he probably wouldn't be able to function, especially considering he's only barely able to at the moment, and he won't do that to Hermione. So, instead of letting himself think about that Remus pushes those thoughts down and just watches the rise and full of his daughter's chests and listens to her as she sleeps, not expecting to get much sleep himself.
August 21st 1981
It has been five months since Remus's twenty second birthday, since Remus talked to Minerva and in that time Minerva has become a frequent visitor to Remus and Hermione's house, offering not just any help she can but support and company. Ever since his first big fight with Dumbledore about Harry's living situation Remus has tried, several times, to get Albus to let him take custody of the young boy, but every time Albus has refused, and every time Remus promises himself, and James and Lily that he will keep trying. Honestly, if Remus didn't clearly care about Harry so much Albus would have stopped allowing the conversations about Harry after the first time but as he knows that Remus needs to try, and so even though he has no intention of changing things, he lets the conversations about Harry continue.
It is a warm summer's Saturday and Remus has taken Hermione to a local traveling carnival. Even though it wasn't in the strict budget that Remus forces himself to follow, and even with there being some danger in doing so, Remus has taken to the carnival as she overheard a family in the bookshop talking about it and he found himself being unable to deny the excitement and pleading look on her face when she asked if they could go.
"What do you want to do next Mione?" Remus asks his daughter as they get off the carousel.
"Um." Hermione says, looking like she is pondering the question, "DOGGIE." Hermione yells pointing to something and because Remus is holding her other hand he starts to get pulled along too.
"Slow down Hermione." Remus tells his daughter.
"Look Papa, Doggie." Hermione says, pointing to the prizes that can be one at one of the games, sounding excited, honestly, considering how much she would love it when Sirius would turn into Padfoot Remus isn't surprised that Hermione is so excited.
"Yes, it's a Dog." Remus tells his daughter.
"Buy one?" Hermione ask her father, looking up at him with a pleading look that reminds Remus so much of the one Sirius used to give.
"I can't just buy one Hermione; they are prizes for winning a game." Remus explains to his daughter.
"Oh, win one?" Hermione asks her father.
"I'll try." Remus says as he picks Hermione up and carries her over to the game both.
As he approaches the game Remus realises that it is the kind of ball tossing game that James could have won with ease, as he did once when he, Lily, Remus and Sirius went to a muggle fair on a double date once.
"One round please." Remus requests, handing over the money for the game as he moves Hermione so that he is holding her with his less dominate arm.
"Sure." The operator says as he hands three balls over to Remus, "Get a ball in and get to choose a prize, get all three in and get to choose one of the big prizes." The operator tells Remus.
"Okay." Remus says as he picks up the first ball and throws it, narrowly missing the target. Then he throws the second and misses the target again, and the same thing occurs with the third.
"No luck, nice try though." The operator tells Remus.
"Again?" Hermione asks her Papa, once more giving Remus a pleading look. Working it out in his head Remus knows that he really doesn't have the money for another round, but seeing the pleading on his daughter's face Remus knows that he'll make having slightly less money work somehow.
"Again." Remus says as he pulls more money out of pocket to pay the operator.
Just like his previous attempt Remus fails the first and the second time but on his third attempt Remus manages to get the ball into the target.
"YAY." Hermione says happily, clapping her hands.
"Well done Mate, pick your prize." The operator tells Remus.
"What do you say Hermione, what prize do you want?" Remus asks his daughter, though he is pretty sure that he already knows the answer.
"DOGGIE." Hermione tells her father and the operator picks one of the dogs and hands it to Hermione, as he does Remus realises something he didn't notice before, that the dog toy that Hermione so desperately wanted looks a lot like Padfoot.
"What do you say, Hermione?" Remus asks as Hermione cuddles her new toy.
"Thank you." Hermione says as she looks up at the game operator.
"You're welcome, Little Lady." The operator tells Hermione.
"Thank you." Remus says gratefully before he and Hermione walk away from the game.
"Doggie is soft." Hermione tells her father as they walk away, grinning from ear to ear, as she holds the dog tightly.
"I see that." Remus says, smiling back at his daughter as he likes it when she is this happy, "I think you need to give doggie a name, what do you say?" Remus asks his daughter.
"Paddy." Hermione says to her father and honestly hearing that simple word almost causes Remus's heart to stop.
"Paddy?" Remus asks, only managing to stutter the word out.
"Doggie is Paddy." Hermione says, with a look on her face that tells Remus she won't hear anything different
"Okay, Doggie is Paddy." Remus says, it being hard for him to say the words, but he does for his daughters' sake as he realises that she must remember Sirius turning into Padfoot or Paddy as she would call him once she could speak.
"Doggie is Paddy." Hermione once more says as she squeezes her new toy tightly.
A couple of hours later Remus and Hermione are back home and Hermione is still holding onto the toy dog that she hasn't let go of since it was first put in her arms.
"You know if you keep holding Doggie….." Remus starts to say.
"Paddy." Hermione corrects in a stern tone of voice.
"Paddy." Remus says, forcing himself to say what he has been trying to avoid saying for the last couple of hours, "Like that you're going to get food over him." Remus tells his daughter who is eating dinner while he watches, helps and encourages her.
"No, I'm not." Hermione tells her father, sounding very determine.
"You sure about that?" Remus asks Hermione as she picks up another spoonful of food and almost spills it over her new toy.
"Yes." Hermione says.
"Okay." Remus tells his daughter, being pretty sure that at some point his daughter's new toy is going to get food all over it. As he watches his daughter eat Remus hears the fire spring to life, so he reaches for his wand a she turns and sees Minerva step out, "Minerva." He greats before turning back, letting go of the grip he has on his wand as he does.
"Remus, I'm not interrupting am I?" Minerva asks as she walks over to where Remus and Hermione are.
"No." Remus answers.
"Minnie." Hermione says happily a she notices the visitor. Honestly Remus is rather amused by the name his daughter has for Minerva as he remembers many, many times where James and Sirius would call her that and she wouldn't let them get away with it and yet Minerva is fine with Hermione calling her that.
"Hello Hermione." Minerva says as she sits down at the table to, "Are you having a good day?" Minerva asks curious.
"Yes!" Hermione says happily, "Papa and I played." Hermione reveals, "Papa won Paddy!" Hermione says, sounding excited.
"Won Paddy?" Minerva says, sounding confused, looking to Remus for an explanation.
"Doggie is Paddy." Hermione reveals as she sticks out the toy for Minerva to see.
"Oh I see."
"We went to a carnival today. Hermione was pretty insisted about me winning that dog for her." Remus explains.
"And I see you did." Minerva say to Remus.
"It took me a couple of tries." Remus explains.
"Done." Hermione tells her father.
"You finished eating?" Remus asks his daughter who nods.
"Play?" Hermione asks.
"Of course." Remus says, standing up.
"Why don't I take Hermione into the other room so that you can clean up." Minerva offers as she knows that Remus would like to get things cleaned up as quickly as possible, something which doesn't often happen when he has a toddler to look after.
"That would be good, thank you." Remus says gratefully and as while Minerva picks up Hermione and heads into the other room Remus cleans up the mess his daughter made as well as the dishes.
Half an hour later Remus and Minerva are sitting on the floor watching Hermione, who still hasn't let of her new toy, playing with blocks.
"I believe Hermione has a new favourite toy." Minerva comments.
"I believe so too." Remus says, suspecting that even if she doesn't completely understand why the toy dog reminds Hermione of Sirius and that gives her comfort, "How have you been, Minerva?" he asks curious.
"Good." Minerva answers and after a pause she decides to tell Remus something that she has only told Albus so far, "Elphinstone asked again." Minerva says, knowing that Remus will know what she is talking about because a couple of months earlier, over several glasses of fire whiskey, the two of them had a conversation about very personal things.
"Did you finally say yes?" Remus asks curious.
"I did." Minerva confirms.
"I'm glad. Congratulations Minerva." Remus says with a real smile.
"Thank you, Remus." Minerva says with a slight smile, "We're going to have a small ceremony with just family, and Albus, I'd like it if you were there, and Hermione." Minerva informs him.
"We'll be there." Remus assures Minerva.
"Good." Minerva responds and the two of them drift into silence as they watch Hermione.
December 19th 1982
It has been four months since Remus won Hermione the toy dog that she called Paddy and ever since then Remus is pretty sure that the only times the dog is out of his daughter's hands is when it absolutely has to. In the four months that have passed Hermione's third birthday, her first birthday since Sirius was sent to Azkaban and since Lily and James died has also passed and honestly Remus is pretty sure that if it wasn't for Minerva, Emma, Dan, and even Albus being there with him to help celebrate it he wouldn't have made it through as it was an even harder day than he thought it would be.
It is a Sunday afternoon and Hermione and Remus are walking through Hogsmeade their way to the cottage that Minerva shares with her husband where are going to have afternoon dinner and their own little early Christmas celebration.
"So pretty." Hermione says as she walks beside her Papa, holding his hand with one of hers and clutching her toy with the other.
"Yeah, it is." Remus confirms, trying not to think about all the times he spent in Hogsmead with James, Sirius and Peter.
"Remus, Remus Lupin." A loud voice says and holding his daughter's hand tighter Remus turns around and honestly when he sees who spoke he finds himself smiling.
"Hello Hagrid." Remus says to his friend who he hasn't seen since the last Order meeting before everything happened.
"It's good to see you, really good." Hagrid says, pulling Remus in for a bone crushing hug.
"You too." Remus responds, telling the truth as Hagrid is someone that he has missed seeing but he just hasn't had the time, and honestly hasn't been sure that Hagrid would want to see him as Hagrid knows about his and Sirius's relationship.
"Papa." Hermione says, sounding afraid, something which doesn't surprise Remus as even though Hermione has met Hagrid before he very much doubts she remembers.
"Oh, it's okay Mione." Remus says as Hagrid lets him go, and he bends down to pick up Hermione, "This is Hagrid, he's a friend of Papa's. He won't hurt you." Remus reveals, as Hermione hides herself in her father's chest, "He's one of the nicest people I've ever met."
"Hello." Hagrid says to Hermione, trying to make himself as un-frighting as possible.
"Hi." Hermione says, not moving her face away from her father's chest.
"It's okay, Hermione, say hello properly." Remus tells his daughter as she has always been shy and it doesn't surprise him that she is even more shy than normal right now.
Still being worried Hermione turns away from Remus and looks towards Hagrid's smiling face, "Hello." Hermione one more says, still sounding afraid.
"Hello, Hermione." Hagrid says, smiling at the toddler, "It's really nice to see you again." Hagrid says as he remembers meeting Hermione for the first time when she was much smaller, and he remembers feeling honoured that he was one of the small number of people, even among the Order that Sirius and Remus told about their child. In response Hermione just gives a nod but doesn't say anything else.
"Hermione's a little shy." Remus explains to Hagrid.
"That's okay, I'm sure she'll be more outgoing one day, just like….." Hagrid starts to say but then trails off as he realises what he is about to say, "How are you, Remus?" Hagrid asks and it is clear from his tone of voice what he is really asking.
"I am okay." Remus says, having no idea whether that is even a lie anymore as that is his automatic response to that question, "But we are late for afternoon tea with Minerva, so we better…." Remus starts to say.
"Oh yes, you should go." Hagrid says, "Maybe we could have a drink sometime." Hagrid offers.
"If I can make it work, sure." Remus responds, not being sure whether he'll be able to, "Merry Christmas Hagrid."
"Merry Christmas to you too Remus, and you Hermione." Hagrid says with an overboard grin.
"See you Hagrid." Remus tells him, "Wave goodbye to Hagrid, Hermione." Remus tells his daughter who does wave back at him, before they go in one direction while Hagrid goes in another.
"He's big." Hermione informs her Papa as they walk away, a look of amazement on her face.
"Yeah, he is." Remus confirms with an amused look on his face as he and Hermione continue to walk through the streets of Hogsmeade Remus doing his best not to dwell on the memories that appear in his mind as he walks through the place that he spent so much time in with the people, other than his daughter, that he loves the most.
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