A/N: Hi there! If you're reading this, thank you! I'm excited to see where I might go with this story and would love to hear what you all think once you read this first chapter! Enjoy!


I had been best friends with the four boys that were known as the Marauders since our very first year at Hogwarts. I was also best friends with Lily Evans, which caused some interesting friction with James Potter until they finally started dating near the end of our time there. But that was all four or five, maybe even six years ago (I've lost track). Now it was October 30, 1981, and none of us had any idea the horrors we would have to endure a mere twenty-four hours from now. But for the time being everyone but Peter was spending the evening at the Potter's house. No one was sure how James convinced Lily to date him, let alone marry him, yet here we all were. I had married Remus about a year after James and Lily were married and no one knew how I'd convinced him to get married either, including myself. I was in the floor playing with little Harry while everyone else was talking when I suddenly heard my name.

"Avery!" Lily said and I looked up at everyone.

"What?" I said, not having a clue what the current conversation was about.

"We were just asking Remus when the two of you were going to have your own little one," Lily said and I tried to play it cool like I hadn't planned to tell everyone I was pregnant.

"Oh. Um, we aren't really sure yet," I said, turning back to Harry.

"What she actually means is that we aren't," Remus said, giving me a pointed look and I just sighed.

"Remus, please. I don't know why you are so against having a child," I said.

"You know exactly why," Remus said, his voice slowly rising in volume. If he wanted to argue about this, he'd get an argument.

"Guys, please," Sirius said before I could get another word out.

"You know, Moony, it wouldn't hurt to at least try," James said, hoping to reason with him.

"It could actually hurt to try," Remus said and stormed outside.

"Just leave him alone for a while," I said as James began to get up and follow Remus.

"I'm sorry, Avery, I guess we shouldn't have brought it up," Lily said, sitting beside me on the floor.

"It's always such a sore subject for him. I guess now it's useless to tell you all, but I am pregnant," I said quietly.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Lily squealed, hugging me tightly and I laughed, still very happy about having a baby with Remus, even if he wasn't.

"I haven't told Remus yet, I'm sure you can figure out why," I said with a sigh, standing up.

"I'm sure he'll come around, don't worry," James said and I smiled at him, appreciating his comforting words. Remus came back inside then, but I avoided him, which I could tell bothered him.

"I'm sorry, Avery," Remus said from behind me and I noticed we were alone in the kitchen. I didn't answer him, so he continued. "Avery, please. It's not that I don't want to have children, I would love nothing more. I'm just so scared I might pass along my condition."

"But why live in fear, Remus? It does no good to live in fear like that. You know I want to have children with you," I finally said, turning around to face him.

"I'm sorry, really I am. Come on, I hear Harry calling for you," Remus said with a smile, giving me a small kiss. I gave him a small smile and went back into the living room, Harry launching himself at me when I put my arms out to pick him up. I loved Harry like he was my own, and I wasn't ready for what would happen the following evening.

Halloween 1981. I would remember that day for the rest of my life. I was at home with Remus, the two of us having already celebrated with James, Lily, Harry (though he fell asleep after we had been there for about an hour), and Sirius. I wasn't sure why Peter wasn't there, but was sure there was a good reason for his absence.

"I'm going to bed," I said, standing up from the chair I had been sitting in in front of our fireplace.

"I'll be up soon," Remus said and I kissed him soundly before making my way upstairs to our bedroom. It didn't take me long to fall asleep, but the next thing I remember was Remus shaking me awake, fear in his eyes. I looked over to the clock and it was 2 in the morning.

"Remus? What's wrong?" I said, sitting up.

"James. Lily. Voldemort," was all he got out at first and I could feel the blood drain from my face.

"Is Harry alright?" I said, getting up and following him downstairs.

"Yes. Dumbledore has him. But, Avery, it was Sirius. It was Sirius that gave them away," Remus said, sitting on the couch with his face in his hands.

"What? No, no that's not possible," I said in disbelief, taking a step back in shock.

"I'm afraid it is," he said, letting out a sob and I rushed to his side. We had both lost our best friends, but I knew this would be harder on him than it would on me because of his lycanthropy.

"Have you heard from Peter?" I asked, just holding him.

"Sirius killed him, he killed him, Avery, one of his best friends," Remus said and I couldn't believe what I was hearing and just held Remus harder. Suddenly there was a loud knock on our door, and I looked to Remus, fear evident in both of our eyes.

"I need to get out of here. They cannot harm you if I'm not here," he said, jumping up and using his wand to gather all of his belongings.

"No, Remus, I need you here," I said to him, grabbing his arm before he could apparate.

"I love you, Avery," he said, kissing me, then knelt down and I wasn't sure what he was doing since I hadn't told him yet that I was pregnant. "And I love you, too, you sweet sweet child," he whispered and my eyes grew bigger.

"How do you know?" I asked him in disbelief.

"I've known for a while. You know I'm more sensitive to things, even this," he said, another knock sounding on the door.

"I love you Remus, come back to me," I said and kissed him before he apparated out of the house, all of his things going with him. There was another loud knock on the door and I went to open it, seeing an old school enemy at the door.

"Narcissa. What do you want?" I said, only opening the door halfway.

"Where's the wolf?" Narcissa said, practically snarling at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said calmly.

"Your dear husband, you silly child. Where is he?" she said again, trying to get into my house.

"He's not here," I said, refusing to let her in, but without using force to keep her out (which I didn't want if she was a death eater) she made her way in, others following behind her. They went into every room of the house, looking for Remus and trashing each room they went in. When they didn't find what they wanted they finally left, but I couldn't sleep the rest of the night. My best friends were dead, I didn't know who Harry would stay with, I didn't know where my husband was or when I would see him again, and I was pregnant with a baby with the possibility of having the same lycanthropy as their father. I didn't know what the future would hold anymore, but I knew I would have to figure something out. I didn't know it at the time, but it would be another 12 years before I saw Remus again, and I certainly didn't think it would be at Hogwarts of all places.


A/N: Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it and let me know what you think! I'll try to update as regularly as I can :)