The next morning I let Remus sleep in as much as he needed while I got Lily her breakfast and packed her a small bag to take to my parents.

"So why am I going to stay with gramma and grand-dad?" she asked me as I brought her things downstairs.

"Me and your father have some things we need to do away from the house and there won't be anyone here to watch you. I know you love going over there anyway," I said to her, wondering why she was questioning this. She had always loved staying at my parents house with them growing up.

"I just wanted to be able to spend some more time with dad," she said, moving her food around on her plate with her fork.

"Trust me, you'll have plenty of time later for that. Besides, he'll be at Hogwarts too," I said and she nodded her head, going back to eating. Once she was finished she went with my parents to the fireplace to floo to their house and once they were gone I went back up to my bedroom to see if Remus was awake yet.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" I asked him as I sat on the bed next to him. He propped himself up on his elbow, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Not the best, honestly. I'm just ready for the full moon to be over with," he said, sitting up fully and I could hear his back cracking as he stretched. There was no doubt for either of us that we were definitely not the young couple we used to be.

"I'm sorry. I know you probably feel that way about it every month," I said, knowing how he hated the way the moon cycle made him feel every month.

"Are Lily and your parents still here?" he asked and suddenly I felt bad for not letting him at least say goodbye to them.

"No, they've left already. Mum and dad were eager to go. I'm sorry I didn't come get you to say goodbye to them," I said, watching him as he stood to go into the bathroom.

"It's all right. I don't necessarily want Lily seeing me in this state around the full moon if I can help it. I manage at Hogwarts, but I have time to get myself together before I have to see students there. It's a bit different here," he said, walking into the bathroom.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything," I called to him, leaving the bedroom and heading into the living room, the day's copy of the Daily Prophet waiting to be read. Over the next two days me and Remus just lounged around the house, not having any particular desire to get out of the house and do anything. The morning of the 28th, Remus was awake before I was, having been incredibly restless the night before.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him, getting myself some coffee once I made my way down to the kitchen.

"Define okay," he said and I took a good look at him. He had bags under his eyes that hadn't been there the day before and it seemed like the fine lines on his face were much more pronounced than usual and his hair was in more disarray than usual. He looked beyond exhausted. I had always hated the day of the full moon, not always knowing what to do to help him.

"So where will you go tonight for the transformation? The basement or the attic?" I asked him carefully, leading him into the living room to sit on the couch.

"Basement. I don't want to wake you up moving around in the middle of night. With the Wolfsbane I'm usually able to get a little bit of rest since I'm in my right mind for it, but I don't want to take the chance of waking you up," he said, sitting down next to me.

"Wait, so you essentially still have your human mind with the potion? Just in the body of a wolf?" I asked him, not knowing much about the Wolfsbane potion.

"Essentially, yes. But don't go getting any ideas," he said.

"But if that's the case, then why go down to the basement? Why not at least stay in the main part of the house?" I asked him, but he gave me a disdainful look.

"You want to take the chance of seeing me in wolf form? There's no way I would be okay with that," he said incredulously.

"I have always been curious what it looks like," I mumbled, knowing he wouldn't like that response and also know he would definitely hear no matter how quietly I said it.

"Avery, please. I can assure you there is nothing you want to see there. It's rather ugly, actually," he said, placing his hand on my leg while I pretended to read the Daily Prophet rather than admit to what I said.

"There is not a single ugly part about you, Remus. And I'm sure your wolf is no different while you have the potion," I said, folding the paper back up and setting it in my lap and he just scoffed at me, choosing not to respond anymore. I just rolled my eyes at him and continued reading the Daily Prophet. Much like the previous days, we did nothing but lounge around, just enjoying each other's company until it was time for the full moon to come out.

"Remus, I'm going to bed," I said with a yawn, noticing it was getting closer to when the moon would be out. Just as I had suspected, he had a bit more energy just before the moon rose and was reluctant to see me go to bed.

"I love you, Avery. Don't worry about me tonight, okay?" he said, giving me a solid kiss before I headed up the stairs.

"I'll try not to," I said, walking up the stairs to the bedroom. It didn't take me long to get to sleep, though I was worried about Remus, just as I always was on the full moon. Sometime in the night I jerked awake, hearing some noises coming from downstairs. I looked at the clock and it was close to one in the morning. I got up quietly, hoping no one had broken in. I kept my wand held tightly as I silently descended the stairs, unsure what I was about to find down there. I peeked around the corner and froze at the sight in front of me. Standing in the middle of the living room with his back to me, I knew it was Remus. His wolf form was long and lanky and far too skinny, just like he was, but much bigger and much more imposing. I stood frozen for a few seconds before I really knew what to do. Suddenly his head snapped around to look at me and I gasped, rushing back up the stairs and into the bedroom where I closed and locked the door, sliding down it to sit on the floor as I heard him walking up the stairs. In seconds I could hear him outside the door, sniffing and whimpering, but I wasn't sure I could handle seeing his wolf form again. He had been right, that wasn't something I wanted to see. At least not after being jerked awake in the middle of the night. I heard him huff and start to slowly go back towards the stairs before I decided something I knew would be the stupidest thing I'd ever thought of and he would be so angry at me for it later. I opened the bedroom door slowly, knowing full well he was still in the hallway, but making myself not feel any fear. It was still Remus, after all, he had taken the Wolfsbane potion just as he was supposed to. He turned back to look at me again and I could feel my eyes growing wider as he slowly approached me at the now halfway open bedroom door. I tried my best to control my breathing, but I knew he could tell I was nervous? Terrified? I didn't know exactly what word to use. He nudged me slightly, the bedroom door opening all the way and I took a couple of steps back, completely not used to Remus in his wolf form. He continued to nudge me towards the bed, as though he was urging me to go back to sleep.

"Okay, okay," I muttered, throwing my hands up in defeat and getting back into bed. I watched as he laid down on the floor next to the bed, letting out another huff as though he was getting tired of my attitude. "Hey, Mr. Attitude, cool it," I muttered and he just huffed at me again, even louder that time. It took me quite a while to go back to sleep, I could hear Remus snoring lightly before I was even close to being back to sleep. I did finally fall back asleep though, and when I woke up next the sun was streaming through the window and Remus was holding me to him tightly, in human form now, but also completely naked, which I really wasn't expecting. I tried to move without waking him up, but didn't get so lucky. He opened his eyes groggily, smiling at me.

"Morning," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"Um, morning," I said uncertainly, still trying to pry myself away from him, but he kept a tight hold on me.

"You're not going anywhere," he mumbled, pulling me even closer to him and I could feel the heat coming off of his skin. "I'm sorry if I scared you last night," he said and when I looked at him he had his eyes open looking at me again.

"I shouldn't be so curious, I guess. But really it wasn't so bad," I said and was telling the truth. After the initial shock and getting used to the way he looked, it was oddly a lot like having a guard dog laying next to the bed.

"Will you stop trying to get away from me?" he said and I could tell I was frustrating him.

"Remus. You're naked," I said as though it were obvious.

"And?" he asked, giving me a pointed look.

"Is this not weird for you?" I asked him, finally getting free enough to at least lean myself up on my elbow.

"Obviously not or I wouldn't be doing it," he said with a sigh, rolling over to his back.

"Well that makes one of us," I said with a little more attitude than I'd really intended.

"How long are we going to beat around the bush about the fact that we are indeed married and have been for what, fifteen years now?" he asked me, sitting up slightly and leaning on his elbow as well and it was then that I realized we had missed our anniversary.

"Well, when you put it like that," I mumbled, refusing to look at him. He hooked a finger under my chin and raised my head up so I would look at him. "What?" I asked him, still frustrated.

"I just want to look at my beautiful wife. Even if she is cross with me right now," he said in a much softer tone and I knew I was blushing.

"I'm sorry, Remus," I said in almost a whisper, softening my gaze at him.

"Don't be. I know everything with the two of us this year has been a lot on you. I just wish you would open yourself up to me," he said, tucking a piece of hair behind my left ear.

"I just don't want you to leave again. I know why you did it, obviously, but that doesn't make it any easier," I said, tracing lines on his chest, putting all of the new scars I could see to memory just as I had the old ones years ago.

"I wish I could promise I won't do that to you again, but there's no telling what might happen. Oh, and I am angry that you came downstairs last night when I warned you not to. I just don't have the energy to show it," he said, laying back down and my face flushed.

"Well I had to make sure there wasn't am intruder or anything. Though it was nice to wake up next to you," I said and he grunted his approval, his eyes already closed again. "I'm going downstairs, I'm starving," I said, giving him a quick kiss and throwing my robe on before heading downstairs, desperately needing coffee since I usually didn't wake up in the middle of the night like I had. It wasn't until lunch time when Remus finally came downstairs, only wearing a t-shirt and some boxers.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," I said teasingly, grinning at him when he came to the kitchen.

"Oh, you think you're funny now?" he said, swiping the sandwich I'd just made out from under me.

"Hey that was mine," I said with a fake pout and he shrugged.

"Mine now," he said through a mouthful of food and I just smiled at him, shaking my head as I got another one together. I studied him as he ate, noticing that he still looked absolutely exhausted despite the good mood he was in. I knew he had a harder time after the full moon as he got older, but the Wolfsbane did seem to help a bit.

"What?" he said through another mouthful when he noticed me watching him.

"I'm just taking you in. It has been twelve years, you know," I said, moving to stand in front of him and he instinctively put one arm around me as I leaned against him slightly.

"What, all that time ogling me at Hogwarts wasn't enough?" he asked with a smirk and I rolled my eyes at him.

"I do not ogle you. I can't help that you're the best looking professor there," I said with a shrug.

"Oh don't let Severus hear that, he would get quite upset," he said and I busted out laughing.

"Now you think you're funny, huh?" I said, making my way out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"I just thought you might get a good laugh out of that," he said with a shrug, following me. That afternoon I was laying on the couch with my head in his lap when there was a knock on the door.

"Who in the world could that be?" I said, getting up and motioning for Remus to stay where he was, leery about the mysterious visitor. I looked through the curtain quickly to see who was standing out there, seeing a big black dog that I would know anywhere standing outside. "Remus, get upstairs, now," I said quietly as I came back into the living room, knowing he could sense my fear.

"Who is it?" he asked me, clearly worried.

"Sirius," I said fearfully, hurrying up the stairs ahead of him and he followed on my heels.

"Why in the world would he even try to come here?" Remus said, pacing the length of our bedroom. I just sat on the bed, wondering the same thing.

"I don't know. He knows he's wanted and that we could very easily turn him in," I said, watching Remus peek out the window that looked over the yard.

"Oh now he's decided to lay in the yard. So what, he thinks he can just lay out there until we eventually have to leave the house? Typical," Remus said, a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Remus, this is going to sound crazy, but maybe we should see what he wants," I said, walking over to him and putting my arms around him.

"That sounds completely mental, Avery," he said, looking at me as though I were crazy.

"Well, I've thought a lot about what happened all those years ago and remembered something. We didn't see Peter for two weeks before James and Lily died, which was highly unusual for him. I know how crazy this sounds, I promise I do, but what if it was Peter and he just set up Sirius to take the blame?" I said and Remus seemed to be thinking hard.

"You always were a bit suspicious of Peter," he said and sighed. "I suppose we could hear what Sirius has to say," he said after a few moments.

"Let me go out there by myself first. You know Sirius would never hurt me," I said, heading back to the stairs.

"Now you are insane," Remus said, following me.

"Just stay here for now. I'll be okay," I said and he reluctantly went back to look out the window. I know what I was about to do was crazy and every alarm in my head was going off, but I still had a gut feeling that Sirius wouldn't do anything to hurt me. When I opened the front door he lifted his head up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he padded over to me and I let him inside. Once I had the door securely closed and locked he transformed from a dog to a gaunt man, looking nothing like the young man I knew twelve years ago.

"Avery," he said, tears welling in his eyes. I wasn't sure exactly how to respond though, still being afraid of what he might be capable of.


Another! And with a twist! Hope you enjoyed it and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!