The morning after the Quidditch World Cup, I was woken up by a light pecking on the window. I walked over to open the window still half asleep, Remus not stirring at all as I got up. I didn't pay attention to the owl and it flew away once it had delivered the letter to me. I sat on the edge of the bed, opening the letter as I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Once I started reading I immediately recognized Molly Weasley's handwriting and started to worry that something had happened to Lily. As I read that worry turned into panic. We hadn't gotten the day's copy of the Daily Prophet yet, so I hadn't read about anything that happened at the World Cup, but Molly's letter told me that Voldemort's Death Eaters had been there and attacked after the match was finished. In the letter she insisted that Lily was fine and everyone was back and the Burrow and sleeping, but she would understand if I wanted to come get Lily and bring her back home. I jumped up and started to shake Remus awake. He protested at first, but I did eventually get him to wake up and I was sure he only woke up because he could tell I was panicking.

"Remus, you have to wake up. Something's happened," I said, shaking him violently.

"What? What are you going on about, Avery?" he asked me sleepily and I shoved Molly's letter into his hands as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"We have to go get her," I said before he could even finish reading the letter.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Avery. Molly has made it clear that they all are safe now, the full moon is two days away and you want to go get Lily?" he asked me and I could tell he hadn't fully processed what exactly happened.

"Yes, I do. She has your last name now, Remus. There were Death Eaters there, at the World Cup for Merlin's sake! Of course we have to go get her," I said, having started pacing at the end of the bed.

"Okay, we'll go get her. But what about the full moon?" he asked, seeming more awake now.

"We'll figure that part out when it gets here. I just- I need her back here where I know she will stay safe," I said, nearly in tears.

"Hey, come here," he said, standing up and enveloping me in a hug. "Lily is just fine. I'm sure she'll be a bit shaken up, but she's strong just like her mother, yeah? We will go get her, but it's still quite early, I'm sure she needs some rest. I'll write back to Molly and tell her we'll be there to pick up Lily just before lunch, is that okay?" Remus said, having always been the more calm and level-headed one of the two of us.

"Okay, yeah, that sounds good. You're right, she needs to rest too after all of that," I said, pulling away from him and sitting on the edge of the bed, my hands immediately going to my face. I watched him as he wrote the letter to Molly and sent it to her with our own owl and I was very impatient to go get Lily. About half an hour later the Daily Prophet finally arrived and on the front in big bold letters it read SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a picture of the Dark Mark in the sky above a sea of tents. I read the article quickly, noticing the condescending tone it took towards the Ministry and as I suspected, it was written by Rita Skeeter. I hated all of her articles, never knowing exactly how much truth there really was to them. I kept staring at the headline and picture, only looking away from it when Remus took the paper from me and handed me a cup of coffee.

"You'll worry yourself sick if you keep staring at that all morning. Here," he said and sat next to me with his own mug.

"I know, I know," I said, taking a sip of my coffee. I spent most of the morning trying to keep myself busy so I wasn't thinking about everything that had happened, but was very happy when I heard our grandfather clock strike eleven, signalling that it was time to go to the Burrow and get Lily.

"Come on, Remus, it's time to go," I said, almost whining at him for not going as fast as I wanted him to.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he said rather testily, taking my hand as I apparated both of us to the bottom of the hill the Weasley's live on. I walked up to the house quickly, Remus following me a bit slower, and knocked on the door. By the time it was opened Remus was next to me again, though I noticed he was looking a bit more tired than usual.

"Oh, Avery, Remus, come in, come in. Lily is out back in the garden helping set up some tables for lunch," Molly said, ushering us inside before hugging me and Remus both tightly.

"Thank you so much, Molly. Both for letting her stay over and for Arthur helping keep her safe last night," I said as Molly led us through the house and out the back door to the garden.

"Oh, it's nothing, dear, you know we don't mind at all. You'll stay for lunch, won't you?" she asked.

"No, we wouldn't want to impose," I said and Molly just clicked her tongue.

"Nonsense. It's no imposition at all, I insist," she said and I knew I wasn't going to win that one.

"Mum, dad!" Lily said and ran to me and Remus, throwing herself into my arms.

"Oh, Lily, I'm so glad you're okay," I said, hugging her tightly. She hugged Remus after I let her go and I couldn't help but smile at the two of them. We walked to the tables that were being set up and I was very surprised to see the two oldest Weasley boys were home. I had taught them right at the beginning of my career at Hogwarts.

"Charlie, Bill, is that really you?" I said as we walked up to the group of Weasley's.

"Professor Stroupe, I didn't know you were Lily's mum," Bill said, giving me a quick hug, Charlie doing the same.

"That I am. Though I don't go by that name anymore. It's all a long story that I'm sure no one wants to hear, so just know it's Lupin now, not Stroupe," I said, smiling at Remus and he gave me a small smile back.

"Speaking of which, I was wanting to ask you two about that," Molly said, fixing some of the place settings to her satisfaction. "But not right now. Right now I'm going to go get the food," she said once she was satisfied.

"I'll come help you," I said, following her back inside and bringing out the droves of food she had cooked. The conversation at lunch was about anything but what had happened at the Quidditch World Cup and eventually Molly had the chance to ask the questions she had once everyone had finished eating and we were all just enjoying hanging out in the garden.

"Tell me, how did, well, this," Molly started, gesturing towards me and Remus. "How did this happen?" she finished her question and I wasn't sure where to start answering that.

"That is a bit of a long story. We were in school together, in fact Lily Potter was my best friend and I'm pretty sure she's the one that convinced Remus to ask me to marry him in the first place. We ended up getting married six months after leaving Hogwarts. Of course, after James and Lily had been killed Remus had to go into hiding and Lily was born that next May. I've used Stroupe instead of Lupin all these years to help keep my Lily safe. I was completely gobsmacked when Remus showed up last year to teach at Hogwarts," I said, looking over at him.

"I'm pretty sure she wanted to pretend I didn't exist for the first two months of first term," Remus said, earning a laugh from a few in the crowd of Weasley's.

"I can't say you're wrong in all honesty," I said with a shrug. "But we've worked everything out and decided it was about time I returned to my married name and finally gave Lily the last name she deserves. It seems she's lost a few friends because of everything that happened in June, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron have been good friends to her so far," I said, smiling at the trio.

"I hexed Romilda Vane on the train ride home," Lily piped up and I put my hand on my face, Molly looking completely shocked.

"Wait, when did that happen? Is that why you sat with us?" Harry asked her.

"Well, yeah. She called dad a filthy half-breed, what was I supposed to do?" Lily said with a shrug and I could see Harry give her a good natured smirk. We stayed at the Weasley's for a couple more hours until I noticed Remus was about to fall asleep.

"We should be going, Remus needs to rest with the full moon being so close," I said, standing up.

"Of course. You're sure about Lily going home, then? It's really not a problem if she stays through the full moon," Molly said to me quietly as we walked to the door.

"Yes, after everything at the World Cup I don't want to take any chances. Thank you again, Molly, for letting her stay," I said, hugging the woman. We walked back to the bottom of the hill the Burrow was on and I apparated us back home, Lily taking her things back up to her room immediately and Remus sat on the couch, closing his eyes.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" I asked, sitting next to him and putting my hand on his knee.

"Hm? Oh, yes, just peachy," he said sarcastically and I frowned at his tone.

"Well excuse me for being concerned," I bit back at him, taking my hand from his leg and he just looked at me sideways.

"I don't want Lily to be here during the full moon. Why don't you write to your parents and ask them to keep her again?" he asked me.

"What is the big issue with her being here? You have the Wolfsbane potion and you'll be able to stay in our room again. What's the big deal?" I asked him.

"Well, I'd rather not scar my only child for life if she happens to see me. If you don't write to your parents then I will," he said pointedly.

"Go ahead and do that, then," I said and got up to walk into the kitchen, but not before I saw Remus roll his eyes at me. "I saw that," I called back to him, knowing I probably hit a nerve with him. I knew it wasn't the greatest idea to get so frustrated at him with the full moon so close, but I couldn't help myself it seemed. I got myself a glass of water and gulped it down before going back to the living room, where Remus was sending off our owl I assumed to my parents.

"I refuse to have any kind of chance that something might happen while Lily is here during a full moon. If something were to happen or go wrong, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," he said with a sigh.

"Nothing will happen, Remus. What do I have to do to get that through that thick skull of yours?" I said, standing in front of the couch with my hands on my hips.

"Just send Lily to your parents and I'll be happy," he said with a sigh, running a hand over his face.

"Fine. Then I'm going with her," I said and he looked up at me in shock.

"You what?" he said quietly, leaning forward slightly.

"You heard me," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Avery, you're being ridiculous," Remus sighed and I just narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine, do what you want," he finally said. I watched him go upstairs and heard our bedroom door close before I plopped back down on the couch. I didn't know what had gotten into me lately, but I found myself being more at odds with Remus than usual. He had still barely spoken to me the whole next day and I knew Lily could tell something was going on.

"Mum, what's going on?" she asked me as we ate lunch together, Remus having stayed in our bedroom most of the day so far.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, though I had a feeling I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I heard you and dad arguing the other day. Are you really going to come with me to gramma and grand-dad's?" she asked me.

"Honestly? I don't know. If it were up to me you wouldn't even be going, but your father insists," I said with a sigh, sitting back in my chair. "But trust me, you don't have to worry about anything with me and your father. You'll understand better when you're older, but the days around the full moon are difficult for him, and we aren't getting any younger," I explained to her.

"I know he doesn't feel well. I want to be here for him, too, mum," she said sadly.

"I know, sweetheart. He's just very, well, particular, is the best I can come up with. He's been demonized for his condition almost his whole life," I said and there was suddenly an owl at the window. It was the brilliant snowy owl I'd come to find out was named Hedwig that belonged to Harry Potter. "Another letter from Harry?" I said to Lily as she opened the window for Hedwig, who nipped at Lily affectionately.

"Yeah. We're pretty good friends," Lily said with a shrug, opening the letter.

"Uh huh," I said suspiciously. "What's he got to say?" I asked her when she didn't say anything for a while.

"He's invited me to go to Diagon Alley with him and the Weasley's, do some last minutes shopping for school," she said.

"That's awfully nice of him. When are they going?" I asked her.

"Tomorrow," she said, folding the letter up and putting it in her pocket. I just sighed, wondering if it would be safe enough to let her go. "So can I go, mum? Ron's mum said I could stay over again if I want to, and the next night, too," Lily said when I didn't answer her right away.

"Well, let me talk to your father about it, yeah? After everything that happened at the World Cup, I'm not so sure," I said.

"Harry said that Ron's dad told them they've put extra security all around places like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Please mum? They may be the only friends I have left after last year," Lily said and I silently cursed myself for how well she knew my weaknesses with her.

"All right, I supposed you can go. I hate to bother Molly and Arthur twice in a week, but I'll go write to Molly and set up a time for you to go over there later this evening. I suppose you're going to write back to Harry?" I asked her, watching her stroke the while owl that I was sure was waiting on a reply to take back with her.

"Yeah. Thank you so much, mum!" Lily exclaimed, jumping up to go to her room and write her letter. I sighed and got up to clean everything up from lunch, writing the letter to Molly at the kitchen table and sending our owl. I had a feeling that Molly may have been behind this trip invitation, knowing I preferred to keep Lily out of the house on the full moon. I trudged up the stairs to tell Remus, knowing he would be nearly ecstatic to know Lily would be gone for the full moon.

"Remus?" I said quietly, opening the door of our bedroom and he was in the bed, eyes closed, but he cracked one open to look at me as I walked in the door.

"Lily is going back to the Weasley's. Harry's invited her to go with them all to Diagon Alley tomorrow," I said with a sigh, leaning on a post on the bed.

"That's great," he said, sounding happier than I'd heard him in a couple of days.

"I figured you would be happy with that. I'm going to make sure she's getting packed up," I said, walking across the hallway to Lily's room.

"Hey Lilybug, you getting everything packed up and ready to go?" I asked her, leaning on the door frame.

"Yeah, I didn't really unpack much from the World Cup trip so I'm ready to go," she said, setting her backpack down on the bed.

"Alright. Be ready to go in a couple of hours," I told her and walked back downstairs. Just before dinner time, Lily used the floo network to go back to the Burrow. In Harry's letter he'd said Molly had insisted Lily be there for dinner to supposedly give me and Remus time together so he could rest well before the full moon. I had a suspicion that Harry may have just wanted to see Lily again sooner, but of course I wasn't totally sure. That full moon passed just as many had before it and again I was anxious for Lily to come back home.


I'd love to hear your thoughts! The next chapter will start out a bit differently and will be in Lily's point of view! I figured I would try something different with this story and see how it goes. Thank you so much for the favorites and follows and a big thank you to Greengrass Rebel for the review!