As Fae Would Have It

by AlwaysRunning9

The Marauders deserve to live through the 80s at least, Voldemort deserves to be attacked by bees in a desert of legos, Snape and Peter actually aren't so bad (ish), and werewolves actually are magnificent. With a little help from The Fae, Remus becomes the badass he always should have been.

15. All Summer Long

After Fae talked to Severus and to Remus, she talked to Madam Pomfrey. Or rather, she was commanded to apologize for fleeing the infirmary and further injuring herself. Then she had to talk to Pomona Sprout, head of Hufflepuff. And Dumbledore. And Professor Artemisia and Moody. And Regulus and Romilly, who weren't stupid enough to not notice something happened. They were suspicious about her story about a Gryffin attacking her when she strayed too close to a nest, but let it go easy enough, more concerned with making sure she healed alright.

She didn't talk to Sirius. Nobody did. Although, it was not for lack of trying on Fae's part. He just simply wasn't anywhere to be found. Not in classes, not at mealtimes, not in the Gryffindor dorms, not on the quidditch pitch, nowhere. It was as if he disappeared. However, McGonagall's assurance that he was serving detention for his actions let her know that he was at least somewhere at Hogwarts, but he was doing his damndest to stay hidden. She couldn't even smell him out. Remus and James had absolutely no desire to even breathe the same air as him, so they refused to let her borrow the Marauder's Map to find him.

Of course, the Hogwarts Express was much smaller. She asked Lily to distract James for a moment and made sure Remus was deeply invested in his book before sneaking off. Peter just gave her a knowing smile and a wave, before gesturing to the end of the train. Sirius was sitting on the very last platform, back against the wall beside the door out onto the little balcony. His long legs were stretched out and his feet were hanging off the edge. He looked awful. Pale, sickly, gaunt, and with deep bags under his empty eyes. He didn't look at her when she stepped onto the platform and sat beside him. Damn him, her feet didn't even come close to the edge of the train.

It was ten minutes before either of them said anything. Sirius, drama queen as always, spoke first. "Should I just jump then?" he asked, staring unblinkingly at the tracks being left behind the speeding train.

Fae shrugged, and then bumped his shoulder with her's. "Well, I'd really prefer if you didn't," she said. "But if you must, do a backflip."

Sirius snorted at that and put tremendous effort into not smiling - a failure since his lips twitched upwards just the slightest bit anyways. Fae chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. About three days after the incident and three days after not being able to find Sirius, it occurred to her that he was punishing himself. At first, it only pissed her off more because she deserved to hear him grovel and beg forgiveness and accept her punishment. He could've gotten three people killed that night. He could've completely destroyed Remus.

But then she realized, nobody was more mad at Sirius than Sirius was. Sirius was a people person, a charmer and a prankster and an attention seeker. He was isolating himself, letting himself stew in the guilt and letting his own self-hate rot his important connections away, because he felt he didn't deserve them. Nasty stuff, that. Fae had done that whole song and dance. She'd lost a lot of people in her last life that way.

Then they spoke at the same time.

"Okay, I forgive you," Fae said a half second before Sirius said, "I'm sorry, Fae."

She laughed silently while Sirius processed that information, bodily flinched, and then looked at her in shock, blackened eyes wide. "What, just like that?"

Fae laced their fingers together and played with his big hand. His nail polish was chipping off, she'd have to redo them when they got home. "Just like that. You're my brother and I love you. Those things don't conveniently change or fade just because I was mad at you, no matter how rightfully so. Sure, I could stay mad, but all that would do is make us more miserable than necessary and waste a perfectly good summer of proper troublemaking, yeah?"

Sirius openly gawked at her and then completely went limp, as relaxing into her side as the weight left his shoulders. He sighed deeply, breathed in harshly, exhaled slow, "I am really sorry Fae."

She snorted. "You should be, you fucked up good and hard. Like really fucked up."

"I know. I don't know what I was thinking," he said, miserably.

"Does it even matter what you were thinking?" Not that Fae wasn't curious, but she figured Sirius was just being Sirius - an attention and thrill seeker.

Sirius shook his head and wrapped his arm around Fae, keeping their hands interlocked. "No, it doesn't. It was inexcusable."

"But not unforgivable," she said, nodding.

"So you say." He rolled his eyes and smiled a little, but the worry and thoughtfulness was still there.

She gave him a half-smile back. "I admit, James is pretty pissed and Remus may not speak to you until term resumes," she said, flinching a little as she said it. They had every right to be mad, but she really hoped they'd move on soon. It wasn't quite right without all of them together. "But everything will be okay - they love you too and they can't be mad forever."

"How do you just know everything?" he asked, exasperated and fond.

Fae laughed. "I don't, I lie and act like I do. It's awesome when I'm right, but I take it humbly and learn from my mistakes when I'm wrong," she admitted.

He was quiet for a moment. "That's brilliant."

"Mhm."

"Also, not really reassuring," he said, prompting her to laugh again. He tickled her side, she jostled him back, they almost fell off the railing, and then settled down to play some I-Spy as they watched the land go by off the back of the Hogwarts Express. It was actually a really great view and the wind felt wonderful as the summer heat set in.

Sirius stood off to the side and kind of hiding behind Fae as she said goodbye to Remus and Peter. She'd said goodbye to Regulus on the train, they knew he couldn't risk his family seeing her with him. Romilly had stayed at Hogwarts for her internship of sorts, absolutely thrilled.

Saying goodbye to Remus was hard. It had been nearly two weeks since their fight and they'd been nearly inseparable in the time since. She hated the idea of running in the mornings without him or not having their library den to hide in while quietly reading and getting lost in their own worlds or those walks around the lake, talking about everything. Or the moons. She absolutely dreaded the full moons without him. Not for herself, she had her woods and her wards and James and Sirius. Remus had a hidden bunker under the garage. She nearly didn't let him go. Remus was laughing, choked emotion in his chuckles as he reached up and plied apart her hands to bodily hand her to James.

"I'll see you soon," he promised, completely ignoring Sirius.

"Yeah. Soon." Fae said unhappily.

Leaving Remus was bad enough. Dealing with the awkwardness of James ignoring Sirius and Sirius burying himself in guilt and self-hate as he tried to figure out what to say to not only James, but Euphemia and Fleamont was absolutely horrendous. James took the front seat of the Thunderbird and didn't speak. Neither did Sirius. Fae leaned against her panicking older brother and kept up a light conversation with Fleamont about his latest inventions and how she did on her finals and such. Fae was cheerful to report, at least, that she scored in the top 10% of her class for all of her subjects. Regulus held the number one position, she told Sirius. He looked pleased with that.

At home, Fleamont pulled a fast one and requested that Sirius stay in the car while James and Fae head in. So Sirius and Fae piled out, Sirius got shakily into the front seat, and Fae went around to the driver's side to give her dad a kiss on the cheek and ask that he go easy on Sirius. Fleamont gave her a soft smile and nodded.

James glared at Fae as they pulled back out of the driveway and she sighed before latching onto his wrist and pulling him into the house. Euphemia was there with hugs and kisses, checking to make sure Fae was okay because she'd been so worried. Fae promised her that she was okay, she had a new tough-looking scar on her bicep and chest, but it was all aces. Everybody was okay and Sirius was very sorry and Severus wasn't going to tell anybody.

James spoke up at that. "It doesn't matter how sorry he is. He nearly got you all killed."

And so Fae sighed, shared a look with Euphemia, and they all settled down in the living room so Fae could convince James to at least hear Sirius out because for Sirius, his friendships and relationships were all that mattered to him. Money, fame, adventure, power, none of it mattered as much as they did. And family forgives each other. James was quiet and Fae left to unpack.

Thankfully, Euphemia was in agreement that Sirius should be forgiven - with some light atonement which was curious. Euphemia also wanted to cheer them up and was the absolute best. James wasn't having it, but Fae was nearly blissful to bake together and dance around the kitchen to the wireless, just the two of them, like when she just came to them. It felt really good - she'd missed Euphemia's frankness and her calmness and her fiestyness.

When Sirius and Fleamont came back an hour or two later, Sirius looked much better. Fae gave them both kisses on the cheek and sheepish smiles when she and Euphemia explained that there was meant to be black forest cake for them, but well, they'd eaten it all. Sirius skipped right past that and walked up to Euphemia, grabbing both of her hands and looking her in the eyes. Sirius was taller than her now, Fae realized. And his eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed, he'd definitely been crying again.

"I'm so sorry for the trouble and harm that I've caused. I know nothing can make up for what I did, but I will try anyway. I will take responsibility for my actions and be more mindful of the things I do from now on. And I will take any punishment you think is fitting," he said, as if he'd rehearsed it in the car. Judging by Fleamont's fond look and ruffling of Sirius' hair as Euphemia laughed and enveloped the boy in a hug, he probably had.

"I accept your apology. And I believe you, Sirius. I know you're sorry and while I can't say I forgive you for endangering my child, I think we'll get on okay. Doesn't do well to focus too much on the past, you know," she said. And then with a kiss on his cheek, "Welcome home, love."

Sirius looked like he might cry.

"Now… as for your punishment," Euphemia said with a grin as she let him go.

Fae laughed wickedly at the expressions which flitted across Sirius' face. His punishment was babysitting. Nannying, actually, for a three-year-old boy named Clyde and a five-year-old girl named Theresa. Their father had been killed last year, an auror in the line of duty although Fae suspected there was more to the story. The mother, Ms. Cole, was left with the two kids and a full-time job to make ends meet. She didn't have the means to watch the kids over the summer and so Euphemia had volunteered Sirius to watch them on weekday mornings, save for Tuesdays when they went to their grandparents. Sirius looked surprised, horrified, and then determined. Fae thought it was a great idea, a fantastic way to burn down Sirius' reckless energy - because he was just a big kid himself - while also teaching him how to be responsible. Most days he would spend at the Coles' house, but Euphemia said they were welcome to come over to the Potters' here and there as well.

After Sirius accepted his punishment and was told the terms, James made his presence known.

"So that's it then? He nearly gets Fae and Remus killed and you're giving him two little kids to look after?"

"Prongs.." Sirius mumbled.

James leveled him with an intense look and then cocked his head, gesturing for Sirius to follow him. As they left the room, Fae thought about following and listening in, but her parents held her back.

"Let them sort it out, darling," Fleamont said.

"Bet you dishes tonight that they sort it out in half an hour," Euphemia said.

"Please, those two are like twins. They'll throw some punches and hug it out in twenty."

Fae grinned and joined in. "Twenty-five minutes, a broken household item or two, and they'll both be crying and laughing by the end."

Fae won. Sirius regained his beautiful smile and then fell asleep sandwiched between Fae and James on the couch, completely emotionally exhausted. James fell asleep quickly after. Fae soaked up the warm summer air and watched the telly, relaxed and at ease, although missing Remus, Peter, Regulus, and Romilly already.

James, Sirius, and Fae had three days to spend together before Sirius' summer gig started. James spent most of the first day being completely annoying and begging his siblings to help him write and rewrite and rewrite his first letter to Lily. Fae stole his finished copy, ran into the woods, and then played keepaway with Sirius on his broomstick. They ended up in the creek and James nearly killed them for getting his perfect letter wet. Fae wrote an even better letter and he was sufficiently mollified in time for a couple rounds of tag.

Sirius and Fae spent the next two days on the couch and strolling around town whenever they got into the mood for something specific like Lucrecia's Pot Brownies or a new cassette because of a song they'd heard on the wireless or one of those really greasy burgers from the diner they went to when Sirius moved in. James would be forcefully dragged with them, because otherwise he'd been stuck in front of the mail slot or by the window, waiting for Lily's reply. Fae didn't want to admit, she would've been waiting right with him for Remus' reply if she didn't remind herself how absolutely pathetic and extra that was.

Both Lily and Remus replied and the letters arrived the next night, making for a relaxed evening in the living room for two of the three Potter kids. The third, the eldest, was practically pacing and following Euphemia around relentlessly, asking for advice.

"What do I do if one of them starts crying? Are they potty-trained? Do you know how to vanish diapers? Do they wear diapers? Do they take naps? What do they even eat? I've only been around one kid before, my first cousin Nymphie and she was just a baby and they only let me hold her for a second and I nearly dropped her," Sirius babbled.

It was hilarious. Euphemia was very patient with Sirius and answered every question and then some, talking all evening and into the night. She also pointed out that he was only ten minutes down the road and he could always call if he had a question. Also, in the event of an emergency, she gave him permission to apparate. Of course, that was only in the event of emergencies, and he'd be in big trouble if he tried teaching Fae or James before any of the three of them were old enough for their licenses. Buzzkill. Fae had been eager to learn, thinking she could go visit Romilly and Remus throughout the summer once she got it down. But nope, Euphemia would not compromise on that and Sirius, feeling still on thin-ice, abided by her rules for once.

A new routine settled in then. The morning broke with Fae and James going for morning runs through the woods. When they got back, they'd have a quick breakfast and then wave Sirius off as he left to nanny, although sometimes they'd walk with him. Occasionally they'd hang around too - Clyde was a sweet, shy, curious toddler and Theresa was precocious, sassy, and headstrong. Absolutely adorable little tykes that kept Sirius on his toes. They also threw absolutely hellish fits. It was all Sirius could talk about these days, how insanely busy and difficult it was looking after the two of them, but it was clearly very fun and rewarding for him, he couldn't stop smiling.

While Sirius nannied during the day, Fae and James were left to their own devices. No studying, finally. Fae hadn't had a break from studying in what felt like ages and after a few days, it just felt too strange. So she ended up at the library, working on personal projects and research. Still looking into werewolves and officially compiling her findings, but also beginning to plan out how to take down the Dark Lord. Nothing too crazy yet, just keeping up with the current events and getting a feel for what her resources were. And then there was reading just for reading. She'd started doing some of that over Hogwarts, mostly Remus reading aloud to her, but she did miss it sorely. It wasn't fanfiction, but the feeling of disappearing into another world felt amazing still.

James complained of being bored constantly. Some days, he'd stay with Sirius and the kids, some days he'd swim or practice quidditch. He was constantly writing and reading Lily's letters, which increased in alarming frequency. Thank Merlin for Peter - he came over most days to keep James busy. Then, in the afternoon, they'd all meet up and go cause trouble or play games. The days passed this way, peaceful and wonderful, and a little dull, but not in too bad of a way. She knew Remus would love this kind of easygoing warmth and steadiness and contentedness. They wrote every day, Fae happy to pay for expedited mail services and seriously considering getting an owl.

He seemed to be doing well. It was business as usual for him, visiting his favorite bookshop often and days spent reading in the garden. Fae was thrilled to hear he had kept up running though, every morning, afternoon, and night. He ran a lot. He swam too, there was a small lake about two miles from his house, although uncomfortably crowded with people sometimes.

Twice, Fae took the Knight Bus and went to meet Regulus in London. It was a short, fun ride and it was good to see Regulus. He couldn't risk going to her house and she sure as hell couldn't go to his - so they blended into bustling London and hung out. He seemed bored and listless at home, but things had been quiet so far which was good. Fae was delighted to see his reactions to the movie theaters, and even more delighted to find out that he took horror movies about as well as Sirius did - adorably poorly.

About two weeks after coming home, on the Tuesday before the full moon on July 11, Fleamont gave her the surprise of her life.

Fae hadn't even properly woken up when Fleamont knocked on her door and came in. "Well, are you ready to go?" he asked.

She sat up and yawned. "Ready to go where?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Now Fae was curious. It was early as hell, 5am at most. She was always down for a road trip though - those were some of the best things about summer.

"No, surely I told you," he teased.

"What? Tell me what?" she asked excitedly.

And so Fleamont told her. "Well, after how much you wrote us about Remus' transformations, Euphemia and I agreed that having you two continue to spend transformations together would be safest and most beneficial for both of you. After all, there's more space in the woods here, less people, and Remus seemed to be getting close to consciousness. Wouldn't want to ruin his progress, right?"

"You mean-" she gasped.

"We talked with his parents and came to an agreement. We're going to get Remus and he'll be staying with us for full moons over the summer. Five days before the moon, the day of, and the day after," Fleamont said, smiling.

Fae literally screamed in joy. She leapt out of bed and tackled Fleamont, kissed him all over his face, and then she was jumping up and down. "You're the best! I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you so much! Oh my Merlin, holy fuck!" she shouted, and then raced down the hall, banging on Sirius' and James' doors before sprinting for the garage. "Guys, let's go, let's go, let's go! Come oooonnnn let's go!"

To their credit, they were only mad for about two seconds. Fae was so happy and it rubbed off on them quick, especially when they realized they were being woken up for a surprise two and a half hour road trip to go pick up Remus so he could stay with them for a week. They were all piled in the car and racing down the highway with the rising sun less than ten minutes later, Fae still bouncing and laughing and completely vibrating with energy.

This was the best feeling ever - the thrill, the excitement, the wind rushing, the radio blasting music and everybody singing along, getting to see her best friend soon, the heat of the summer, the spontaneity and freedom. She hadn't felt like this since the last time she was 15.

Things calmed down a bit after about an hour. Sirius began to get antsy, remembering that Remus still wasn't talking to him. James was comforting and was also strangely trying to put his hair in order and suggest Sirius and Fae do the same. Nothing could get Fae down though, so she just promised him it would be fine and howled to the music, mind racing with all the things she couldn't wait to do with Remus, all the places she couldn't wait to show him.

The Lupin family lived in a small town. Fae grinned as they passed the lake she knew Remus had been writing about. Their house was small and cozy, a little cottage down a gravel road into a sparse neighborhood. It was blue, on the corner of the block, white fences, perfectly trimmed and blooming garden, pretty decorations in the flower plots. It looked like something out of a fairytale, but Fae barely saw that. The car wasn't even fully in the driveway before Fae was flinging open the door, launching herself out, and sprinting up the gravel to jump into Remus' arms. Mirroring a year ago, he'd been sitting on the porch steps, waiting and knee bouncing and already reaching back for her once they were in visual distance.

"Remus! I missed you!" Fae laughed, climbing the tawny-haired boy like a tree, arms squeezed around his neck, legs locked around his ribs, faces nuzzling together. His arms were wrapped around her back just as fiercely, his laugh was just as loud and clear, and he spun them in circles, holding her weight like it was nothing. When he set her down, they were talking a mile a minute, trading hi's and how are you's and how have you been's and you look tan's and this is going to be so awesome's, grinning all teeth and eyes shining the whole time. It was disrupted by a polite, demure, noticeably audible 'ahem'.

Remus spun around with red cheeks. A tall, beautiful woman with fair and flawless skin, straight, well-kept shoulder-length light-brown hair, and a pretty, lacy blue dress was eying them with a tight smile. At her right shoulder was a tall, lanky man with well-groomed darker brown hair swept back over his forehead, a slight beard, intense blue-grey eyes that were just like Remus', and a calm, politely vigilant demeanor that reminded her of Moody.

Remus had his father's build and tranquility, and his mother's beauty. He and his mother also had the same face when they were looking at something they didn't like, because Fae had seen it on Remus' face whenever there were brussel sprouts at dinner at Hogwarts. And she was seeing it now as Remus' mother looked her up and down.

Ah, so this is why James was trying to fix up their appearances in the car. Fae had been so excited she hadn't even bothered getting dressed. Her hair was a mess, only made more wild by driving with all the windows down. She was in a t-shirt, probably Sirius' because he had the best band t-shirts and she loved Journey. It was baggy on her frame, sleeves hanging just above her elbows and the hem coming down to brush against the rather short hem of her sleeping shorts. Fuck, at least she was wearing shorts. Sometimes she didn't. And she definitely wasn't wearing shoes right now. But to Fae, none of that mattered. Remus mattered and it was summer and summer was all about chilling out, enjoying being how you are, when you are, where you are. Loving and living the moment. It wasn't a great first impression, but she was a 15-year-old girl in summer meeting up with her best friend.

"Oh! Fae, these are my parents, Hope and Lyall Lupin," Remus said.

"Good morning! It's great to meet you!" Fae said, grinning. She reached out to shake hands and Lyall met her half way with a small smile.

"Good to meet you. We've heard a lot about you," he said, voice deep and steady.

"Yes, it seems you're all that Remus talks about these days," Hope said, pointedly not shaking Fae's hand and giving the girl a polite, frosty, lipstick rimmed smile.

"Well, naturally," Fae joked, elbowing Remus' side with a teasing grin. "I'm pretty awesome."

Nobody laughed, although Remus gave her a strained smile and blushed a little. Awh how cute, he'd been talking about her. At that point, the rest of her family caught up, Fleamont coming forward to greet the Lupins and slapping Lyall on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Lyall! Hope! Good to see you again."

"Merlin, Fae, excited much?" James joked, giving Remus a hug. Remus hugged back and they exchanged hellos. Then Remus froze and frowned as he looked at Sirius who was hanging back awkwardly off the porch.

Fae leaned into Remus' side and nudged his shoulder with her forehead. "He is sorry, Remus. Go talk to him?"

He gave her a rather searching look and Fae affectionately headbutted his chin, nuzzling a bit and giving him a bright, encouraging smile. He eventually nodded and smiled back. "Alright. For you," he said.

"That's my darling," Fae grinned, giving his hand a squeeze and then lightly pushing him to go reconcile.

Hope's voice rang out on the patio. "How about we have some tea?"

"Oh, I-" Fae started to say, cut off when James elbowed her sharply. "I'd love tea. Tea sounds great, thank you," she said, fixing her statement last second. She hadn't been thinking, so used to politely declining tea in lieu of coffee. She shot James an appreciative glance and they all settled down onto the various chairs and benches on the porch while Lyall summoned the tea. Hope served it and Fae took measured sips with a very forced, pleasant expression and hum.

Lyall started off the conversation. "So, I've heard you've made quite a few discoveries about lycanthropy."

"That's right! Fae has basically rewritten history," James said, beaming with his boyish charm.

Fae laughed and pushed him, flattered. "Please, it's not as great as all that."

"Is too, you should be very proud of your accomplishments," Fleamont said, ruffling her hair like she loved and getting his wedding ring caught a little bit. Fae preened.

"Yes, I've heard you've studied Fenrir Greyback extensively for your….. Research?" Hope said, pronouncing the werewolf's name like it was a deeply offensive curse.

Fae nodded. "Yeah, it was thanks to the numerous and extensive incident reports that I was able to figure out it was possible to gain consciousness during transformation," she explained, excited to tell the Lupins about her findings on lycanthropy and how it could help their son, how it might one day help all werewolves, although she hadn't thought quite that far ahead yet.

Hope huffed amusedly. "How gruesome. Did he bite you too?"

And Fae's smile became sharp. So that's how it was going to be then? "No, some little one bit me. Poor thing probably had no clue what was happening." It was disappointing that Hope seemed more interested in judging Fae rather than learning properly about lycanthropy and Remus' progress.

"I see."

"Fae is awake for nearly two hours now and she's really strong!" James said, trying to diffuse the tension.

Hope arched an eyebrow and gave her another lookover. "Strong? Do be careful, men don't like girls with too many muscles."

Oh. Oh how Fae hated statements like that. She was immediately on edge, back straight, teeth sharp. "Yeah well, no man, or woman, intimidated by my strength would ever capture my interest anyways. And besides, I look super cute in dresses." Not that being 'pretty' was necessary for her to exist as a rightful, useful, and worthwhile person in this world. She hated comments like that and had to remind herself that maybe this is just how the 70s were.

"When you deign to wear them, I'm sure."

"Oh, haha, well I was surprised this morning. Dad decided to keep it a secret and then I was just so excited to see Remus that I couldn't wait another second."

"You seem very interested in my son," Hope stated.

"He's an excellent person and I'm happy he's part of my life. Also, he's a werewolf, like me. We understand each other," Fae boasted, flaunting her clearly strong relationship with Remus. Hope better understand that Fae was never going away, she was always going to be part of Remus' life now.

"Are you going to teach him to be 'awake' too?"

"I'm going to try."

"How so?"

So Fae explained, picking her statements wisely and concisely. Hope always had another question, usually a backhanded comment that showed just how much she leant on the stereotypes of werewolves currently making up the political and societal climate. Fae always had an answer and a consideration for how werewolf abilities could be used in a positive capacity. Thankfully, at least Lyall was listening intently.

"Pack dynamics? Really?" Lyall asked.

James took the chance to jump in again. "Yeah! You know, like alphas and betas and all that? It's a thing, and being around pack can help keep them calm or enhance their protective instincts or all sorts of things. I've seen it!"

And Fae had to send him a look to remind him not to tell the ministry worker that he'd illegally become an unregistered animagus, even if it had been for his son.

Hope smiled tightly. "I suppose my son is the 'alpha'?" she said, the word clearly unfamiliar on her tongue.

Fae challenged her gaze, chin raised high. "No. I am."

"You?" Hope said, surprise visible on her face.

"That's right. I'm the strongest. I'm the fastest. And I lead this pack."

Hope challenged her back. "You think you protect my son?"

"Hey! What are you guys talking about?" Remus asked, coming onto the porch, Sirius smiling and skipping right behind him. Fae was relieved to see they'd made up.

"Werewolf dynamics. I was giving your parents a quick rudimentary education," she said, scooching over so Remus could squeeze himself in and share her chair. He did, instinctually, so comfortable and casual with Fae. Hope did not look happy about their closeness and Fae awarded herself 50 points to Hufflepuff.

"You were?" he asked warily.

"She was. Your little friend has some very… interesting ideas."

Before they could verbally spar some more, Fleamont stood up. "Well! We better hit the road if we want to be back by lunch. You ready to go Remus?"

Suspicious of Fae and Hope, he gave them a curious glance and then shook it off with a beautiful grin and a nod. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Hope rose to encircle him in her arms and smooth his hair and kiss his cheek. Smother him. "Remus, you be careful. And if you want to come home, just let Mrs. Potter know, okay?"

"Yes mum. I'll be fine," he said exasperatedly.

"Don't worry, I'll look after him," Fae said, teeth shining. "It was great to meet you."

"Likewise," Hope said behind clenched teeth.

Nudging Remus' arm, Fae laughed wickedly and raced off to the car. "Come on, Remus!"

"Shotgun," Sirius and James called out simultaneously.

Behind her, she heard Lyall comfort his wife. "He's in good hands, dear."

"Dad can I dr-" Fae tried asking.

"No."

"Pleeeeeeaaaaassseeeee?"

Fleamont still would not let her drive, but that was fine. The ride home was a mess of howling and laughing and grinning and making animal and werewolf puns. Fleamont reminded them that they'd have to tell Euphemia soon, about becoming animagus. James and Sirius had told Fleamont first, knowing he'd be easier to calm down and win over. They had six days before the full moon. A whole six days at home with her library and her cafe and her woods and her Remus. Where would she even begin?

Of course, they started with the woods. Well, technically they started with hugs from Euphemia and picking out Remus' room and eating a hefty lunch. But then the four of them, plus Peter who had come over with uncanny timing, were getting lost in the woods. They laughed at Sirius who was struggling to keep up with them. Even Peter could outrun him, it was hilarious. But Fae was ready to go and she could feel the energy in Remus' veins too, the way their proximity and the summer just kept responding and creating this feedback loop of infinite joy and life. So James, Sirius, and Peter changed into their animagus forms with Peter riding on James' antlers. Fae and Remus floored it and Fae reveled in his speed, his trust in her to lead the way, his instinct in finding his own ways. Glorious and exhilarating. An adventure right out of his favorite books.

They ran and played tag and climbed trees and explored every bit of one of her favorite places in the world, all the way up until the dinner bell was ringing. Then they raced back. Fae won, but only narrowly. Remus was right on her tail, gunning for first. Fae grinned at him, tackled him and wrestled, pushed him aside and they all ran inside, ravenous. After, they messed around in the yard until dark had long fallen. Euphemia found out about the whole animagus thing and was quite proud, to their astonishment. Sirius and James were so grounded, allowances cut off, but she was proud.

Even though Remus had his own room for his stay and Peter was welcome to choose a room to spend the night in, the five of them spent the evening stargazing and setting stuff up to camp in the backyard before collapsing onto the enlarged couch bed in the living room to watch Jaws and eat more snacks. Of course, they planned a coordinated attack to scare the hell out of Sirius when he was distracted by a jump scene. And then Sirius would not shut up, too scared to sleep so he kept asking random questions until Fae smothered him with a pillow and accidentally started a pillow fight that resulted in a broken lamp and two shattered vases. They fixed it frantically, shushed giggling the whole time, and then Fae collapsed on Sirius, pinning him down bodily and cuddling up so he'd feel safe enough to sleep.

In the morning, Fae and Remus were up at 5, well before the other three, and out the back door. Into the woods. They returned for breakfast with Sirius who was, for once, bummed to go nanny the kids. He suggested that they join him, but Fae declined. She only had five days left with Remus and so much to show him. James, knowing his sister and her tenacity, opted out to go hang out at Peter's house for the day. Peter's neighborhood had a pool with a newly opened water slide and they all decided to go together on another day.

Now though, Fae and Remus dropped Sirius off at the Coles' and she dragged him excitedly to the grand town library. She showed him the secret entrance and introduced him to Mr. Hammy and showed him her favorite table and a little window seat that she thought he might like and the best aisles for pacing and the locker that Mr. Hammy had set up special for her to store non-circulating books that she looked at frequently and the stacks with Remus' favorite books and the stacks that had all her best werewolf research books and basic wolf research books.

"This is so much bigger than the library and the bookshop in my town. Combined," Remus breathed, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

They spent hours in there, Fae having to cast two enlarging charms on her table to fit all the books that Remus wanted to see. She'd also brought all her notebooks on werewolves and her processes and trials with lycanthropy so far.

"I think I… I want to give the sensory training a go. Now that we're not at Hogwarts. I think now's a good time, don't you? If you want to?" Remus asked tentatively.

Fae absolutely beamed. She helped Remus gather up the books he wanted, thanking Merlin that Fleamont had been working on a bottomless bookbag with extensive lightening charms lately, and then took him to Lucrecia's. He fell in love with the little cafe as fast as Fae had and it made her all warm and squirmy inside to see how comfortably and easily he settled across from her in her favorite window booth. It looked like he'd been there all along and it struck Fae, how much this all felt like when she'd started her life here. But now Remus was by her side, timelessly.

Like James and Sirius before him, he accepted the rite of passage, or the entrance fee, for Lucrecia's Cafe in the form of an iced mocha latte. He made a face and whined the whole time, but drank it all down obediently.

"Not bad," he said. And then excitedly ordered some mango iced tea. Fae rolled her eyes and then blindfolded him.

"Test number one! Take a deep whiff and tell me what pastry is in front of you. You don't have to guess the exact pastry, but tell me what flavors you smell?"

"Fae!" he said, laughing. It was a pineapple upside down cake and he guessed correctly, thus winning himself a bite. He also identified apple pie and vanilla spice cake, but tripped up at some white chocolate and hazelnut truffles. It was an excellent start and as they enjoyed their treats, she walked him through her different options, processes, and plans, organizing the next few days to see what they could get up to without overwhelming him. Nervous at first, Remus calmed down and then began to excitedly plan with her, the more that he learned about it and got to be involved in it.

Guessing which tea he was drinking became a constant, fun game for them over the next week, much to Fae's dismay and Euphemia's joy. The kettle was going constantly. After Sirius and James came home, they played hide and seek. And then when that was too easy, they made it hide and seek tag with home as base. Or as Fae liked to call it - Hide and Hunt.

"How come you're never it?" Sirius whined, getting caught once again.

"Because it'd be too easy for me to find and hunt you," she said.

Remus grinned. "So you say," he said. He hadn't been caught yet either and had hunted both James and Sirius numerous times. Her brothers were such good sports and it was a damn good thing they had so much energy. In fact, Sirius was really impressing Fae. Athletic, he was not, but having the energy to deal with toddlers all morning and then play with werewolves all night? Pretty damn miraculous.

"I do. I say I could find you anywhere," Fae challenged. She knew Remus' scent better than her own, was always so keenly aware of him. So she was it for the next five rounds to prove her point, with James and Sirius as Prongs and Padfoot respectively to give them a leg up. She gave them all five minute headstarts and spun around like a lunatic for funsies. Each round was still over in less than ten minutes with all of them captured before they could even get close to home base.

Remus insisted on being up next - and fared slightly well. Fae refused to be nice and let him catch her, he had to earn it. He counted to 100, they disappeared, he chased after them, and once fifteen minutes had passed, Fae appeared at home base without anyone so much as catching a glimpse of her, singing out to Aerosmith.

Remus kept it up all the way until dinner, at which point James and Sirius were tapped out and glued themselves to the couch. Fae ran Remus through a few more drills, showing him the tapes with random bird sounds and the spells to conjure little critters to chase after. When it got dark, Fae took him on another trip through the woods, jogging instead of sprinting and feeling their way instinctually with the severely limited light. Testing his eyes.

The testing was ruined a little bit when they happened on a clearing lit with fireflies. Laughing, they caught as many as they could, only to let them fly away. They laid in the grass, counting the lights above them and laughing about today's games. Fae closed her eyes and made Remus lead them back home, stumbling and laughing onto the back porch around midnight, covered in bug bites and grass stains.

Midway through the next day, Fae had enough of Remus sweating through the thinnest sweaters he owned. Seeing him so energized and active was awesome and he was putting so much focus and effort into the sensory exercises and hunting, but it was hard to see him soaked in sweat and repeatedly stopping himself from rolling up his sleeves.

"Seriously, Remus. Just take it off. It's the middle of summer and I'm getting heat stroke just from looking at you."

"I know… I just.."

"You don't have to hide anything from us. You can borrow a t-shirt or tank top or whatever from Sirius or James or even me, although I don't think you'll fit in mine."

He laughed a little and then Fae grinned devilishly. "Or just not wear one," she suggested, stripping down to her sports bra and showing off her scars. Remus' mouth dropped open and Fae ran her fingers across the claw marks coming down her shoulder, the one's Remus gave her.

"These are nothing to be ashamed of. They are trophies of the battles and wars we fight, lose, and win. They are reminders and stories."

Remus nodded. He didn't take off his shirt, but he did take Fae's t-shirt, which was really one of James' old t-shirts, and put it on, ditching his sweater happily. He looked good in band t-shirts. Really good actually. It was a size too small probably and stretched on his shoulders, riding up a bit on his hips. He looked different. Happier and more at ease. And much cooler. With that solved, they got back to it. They switched back later when they got home because Euohemia and Fleamont would flip if they knew she'd been shirtless around a boy, even if that boy was Remus. She gave him another t-shirt to change into, an even smaller one because his back looked really good. And then when Sirius got home, he nearly had a stroke because he'd never seen Remus in something as casual as a band t-shirt.

"You look good, Moony," Sirius said, flirtily. Jumping on the bandwagon, Fae agreed with a whoop and a wolf whistle.

"I agree! More, please!"

So they dragged him down to the town thrift store and loaded him up with t-shirts and tank tops. If t-shirts looked good on him, tank tops were extraordinary. He was still far too skinny, but his arms actually had some definition and his shoulders and collarbones had such a nice shape. The best change was the shorts though. Remus was tall and after months of running, boy had some damn nice legs. Poor Remus was blushing and shying away from Sirius' and Fae's teasing all night, but he looked happy. Fae had the distinct feeling that Hope probably bought all his clothes and decided his look for him and that just wouldn't do, not anymore. When he started worrying about the cost, Sirius took it all on easily.

"Ms. Cole insisted on paying me a little something. I'm babysitting in the first place because of what I did and I wasn't supposed to be paid for it, so this evens it out then yeah?"

"Yeah, okay," Remus said, holding on tightly to the yellow Rolling Stone's t-shirt he'd found.

The days passed in the blink of an eye. Before Fae knew it, it was midnight with less than 24 hours to go until the full moon. She and Remus were hunting conjured birds in the woods. Well, Remus was hunting birds while navigating with ease through the dark and Fae was hunting him. He caught six out of ten birds before Fae caught him, and then they started all over again, full of pre-moon energy.

Fae remembered that first 5K they did together, when Remus ran the whole thing with her and stared at himself in shock after, disbelieving that he was capable of that and suddenly so eager to see how much farther he could go. Sensory training out in Fae's woods was like that, but ten times better. He was running faster, singing louder, leaping blindly, living loudly. She could see the thrill in him, the reach, the amazement in himself and the desire to keep pushing it. It was ethereal.

They collapsed onto the backyard porch swing at 3 in the morning, laughing to themselves and staring up at the near complete moon, both of them so excited for the night to come. Remus was excited to transform. Even with the pain of it. Knowing how amazing the night could be, knowing how cared for they would be the next morning, it made the pain of transformation just a small obstacle to get past. One day, Fae wanted to solve that too. But for now, this was okay. They talked about the moon and Fae leaned onto Remus, bringing her legs up and curling against him as they cooled down. She fell asleep and then he fell asleep too. They woke with the sun at half after 5, raring to go again.

The day went entirely too fast, running through the woods, eating through almost the entirety of Lucrecia's pastry case and all of her sandwiches, laughing as they attempted yoga poses and tai chi to stretch their bodies before the growing pains set in. When the sun began to set, Euphemia, Fleamont, Sirius, and James trekked out into the woods and began to set the wards. Apparently, Fae's rescue of Severus was enough to prove to Moody that she was more than capable of looking after both herself and Remus so long as they stayed in the safe zone. Fae was very proud and flattered to hear that. She also suspected that the war was getting worse and he just didn't have the manpower to devote to guarding them. However, Moody would never have let them roam without him or Dumbledore around if he didn't believe in Fae to some extent and that was plenty for her.

The sun set and Fae was in her silk robe, repaired since the last moon, and Euphemia had charmed a pair of shorts for Remus. They were running, pacing out the twitching of their muscles when Remus gasped and stopped. Fae looked back and saw him whipping his head around, gazing around the woods in wonder.

"There's so much…" he breathed, hearing every creature, smelling every flower, feeling all of the life. Fae grinned and took his hand, squeezing in comfort and understanding. She howled and he howled with her. They burst from their skin and bones and then the moon swept them away. When Fae's vision faded back in, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail, or Whiskers as she preferred to call him, were there, and Remus was at her right shoulder, following faithfully as she roamed her territory and reveled in the power of her animal body.

It was just her and Remus again when they woke up on the grassy ground in the morning. They'd woken up at about the same time and he'd already recovered their bag with their wands, shoes, etc. He took a long drink of water and then crawled over to Fae when she reached for him. She took a drink next and then flopped onto him, cuddling up happily and stretching a little. They relaxed bonelessly and he breathed in deep, satisfied, happy. Neither had any injuries as far as Fae could tell, just the usual soreness. They really should get to stretching that out, and send up the sparks so James, Sirius, and Fleamont could come collect them to take them home for some proper sleep.

"Coffee…" Remus murmured.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"You smell like coffee. Coffee.. And salted caramel and sunshine. Smells good," he said. Fae laughed.

They slept half of the day away and stayed on the couch for the remaining bits, eating whatever was in reach and listening to music, watching movies with Sirius and James and Peter, whenever they could sit still. Remus recounted a very big chunk of the night, his memory getting better. It was amazing, and she was so proud of him.

Unfortunately, the tiredness won out, they fell asleep, and their time together ended. Fleamont shook them awake on the couch the next morning and Remus sleepily gathered up his things. They piled into the car and Fae buried herself unhappily into Remus' side. She did not cry when she hugged Remus goodbye and he disappeared into his house, but it was a pathetically near thing. It was Tuesday so Sirius came along and he and James tried to keep things lively, making plans to go swimming with Peter as soon as they got home. It didn't cheer her up completely, but they did have a lot of fun, splashing, swimming, racing, diving, and playing chicken in the sun all day until they fell asleep on the couch, sun tired and satisfied.

Fae struggled a bit during the next week, going to the cafe and library without Remus. Thankfully, at least they had Fleamont's latest invention to test out - a shared journal that they could both contribute to in real time and see in their respective copies. Essentially, a journal that they could write back and forth in constantly, at least until the pages ran out or the charm wore off. Fleamont was still working on it, and Fae was more than happy to help him.

Things went back to normal and Fae kept herself busy, spending plenty of time with Sirius and the kids or James and Peter or even Regulus on a few occasions. Romilly still wrote dutifully to both her and Regulus. The latest had a picture of her posing with a Zouwu which was one of the coolest things Fae had ever seen. A colleague of Kettleburn's had recovered it from illegal trading in the U.S. and had stopped at Hogwarts on the way back. They were happy Romilly seemed to be having an amazing summer and so planned to make it a little more special for her 16th birthday. Regulus had noticed that the bigger the creature, the more excited Romilly tended to get. So they found a niffler plushy and with some practice and messing around, charmed it to appear out of the gift box and explode to the size of a grizzly bear, with the tummy pouch stuffed with chocolates and flowers.

Tuesdays were her favorites because Sirius' energy really kept her on her toes and she and her older brother had adopted a weekly routine of going shopping together in the mornings. They would check out the thrift store, the antique store, and the music store. She and Sirius could spend hours going through the racks, in any of the stores, but especially the music store. Fae also showed him the surprise bin that she 'discovered' her strangely labelled mystery tapes from.

At least that kept her pretty busy - Fae had charmed her closet like Fleamont's workshop, turning it into a hidden, soundproof room for her to record music off her phone onto tapes. She left the original recording equipment in Fleamont's workshop for all of them to use when they wanted to tape a single off the wireless, but Fae had thousands of songs to secretly get down on tapes so she kept a second set of equipment hidden with her phone. It was as simple as dropping off the tapes at the music store early Tuesday during her run and 'buying them back' a little later in the day.

Sirius was always so excited to see them and listened to every single one that Fae bought. There were other mystery, white labelled tapes in there of course, and Sirius had determined Fae had the 'magic touch' at finding the good ones. Turns out, despite the decades difference, she and Sirius had very similar eclectic music taste. Sirius loved those days and loved discovering the new, otherworldly music. Fae loved how excited he was and getting to hear and sing these songs again out loud and share them with someone. They would always post up with the boombox on the back porch and dance the day away together.

Near the end of July, Sirius switched it up, deciding he absolutely must have a tattoo. Fae thought about it for two minutes and then decided she must absolutely have one too. So then James wasn't about to be left out. Come the next Tuesday, they cast a slight aging charm and loped off to the most reputable tattoo parlor in town based on their research, telling Euphemia they were catching a movie marathon at the drive-in. Peter came along for moral support and to take photos.

Sirius and James expected Fae to freak out, given her fear of doctors' offices and syringes, but it was different. Tattoos were totally different and it just didn't bother her as much. That and after she'd thought about it and what she would get, she realized how badly she'd wanted a tattoo to remember. So Fae didn't freak out, but James did. James got very cold feet, but they held him up and pushed him in and held his hand through the whole thing and he only cried a little bit, but made them promise not to tell Lily. The thing was, he'd told Lily he was getting a tattoo and now he couldn't show up at school without one. Most surprising of all was Peter being casually asked if he'd like one after the artist finished with James and Peter casually deciding that sure, he would.

Sirius, having learned his lesson over the summer and having learned responsibility from the kids, had wanted it immortalized on his skin. Mirroring Fae's injury, he had scratch marks tattooed in black from his shoulder down to his pecs. It was pretty impressive as far as first tattoos went and he took it like a champ, cracking jokes the whole time in standard Sirius fashion. James went next, getting a snitch on his calf, although the snitch had fairy wings instead of the usual feathery wings. It was small, the ball probably the size of a nickel and the wings curling around it. Peter ended up with a cool mixture of sun and moon in graphic swirls with a few stars shining around it. Fae suggested it go on his inner left wrist, hoping to take the space before Voldemort could, but alas he didn't want to horrify his grandmother and so he got it on the back of his shoulder instead. The moon for our wolves, the sun for our quidditch captain, and the stars for our rockstar, he said.

Fae went last, the three boys all ready to hold her hand and distract her with stories and wipe her tears. She handed a drawing to the artist and the artist got to work. It wasn't that bad - the pain certainly wasn't anything compared to transformations, just different. She didn't cry or freak out, but accepted the boys' sweet gestures anyways. When the tattoo was finished, they looked at it curiously and confusedly.

"What is it? What's it say?" James asked.

Fae smiled bittersweetly, cleaned it, and bandaged it up. "It's a secret," she said.

A chinese style seal with a dragon in red, slightly bigger than a quarter on the outer curve of her left shoulder. Her zodiac sign, a creature of rebirth, independence, and greatness. Beneath it, a line of black chinese characters. Til we meet again. She'd never looked Chinese in either life, often getting confused for Hispanic or Italian, but she wanted to keep this with her. Wanted to remember her dad teaching her and her brothers how to play mah-jong, wanted to remember learning how to say hello and my name is, wanted to remember cooking stir frys and receiving lucky money with the lunar new year.

James, Sirius, and Fae did remarkably well hiding their tattoos and bandages under glamour so Euphemia wouldn't find out. That is, until they started sabotaging each other for shits and giggles. James got found out first, then Sirius, and Fae lastly. Euphemia was enraged and lectured them on doing illegal things for five hours.

A few days later, they had Remus back and offered to go with him to get one so he wouldn't feel left out. He cheerfully and staunchly declined. Fae had dressed up to get him this time, ready in her cutest dress and braided hair so it would stay put-together during the windy car ride. Hope still looked like she was smelling something foul, especially when Remus gushed over her tattoo and asked to see it immediately. Of course, she had to show him and Fae lived happily with the knowledge that Hope was probably panicking about them turning Remus into some rebellious punk, with the band t-shirts and the growing muscles and the interest in tattoos.

At least they weren't smoking - Sirius had picked up a cigarette a few weeks back, thinking it'd be cool. Fae, having spent her previous life with a smoker, ripped it out of his mouth, lectured him on lung health and the pointlessness of 'looking cool', and then hadn't talked to him for hours until he promised to never smoke again. It wasn't really fair, Fae realized, to make him promise that, but she couldn't be anything but happy about it. At least Lily hated smoking as much as she did so James didn't even consider it.

Fae caught them later, pondering about her tattoo.

"Don't you wonder about her past? About where she came from?" Remus had asked.

Sirius and James shared a look before the latter answered. "Of course we do. You think we haven't looked? Or tried to find out anything? We have. But there's nothing there and Fae... she won't talk about it if she can avoid it."

To her joy, and sadness, they mentioned how she had told them some things, but they did not specify what, as if preserving her privacy even between them, her most favorite and closest people. Sirius talked about when he and Fae had run off to the diner or the time they talked about sexuality. James talked about that time she forgot her friends' names and the few times she woke up with nightmares early on. They didn't give away any details. Remus said he could relate. Fae wanted to tell them, she did, but she never would.

Ironically enough, she and Remus nearly shared one of those moments shortly after. They'd been out running and got caught in a sudden summer thunderstorm, torrents of rain dropping from the sky out of nowhere, lightning flashing and thunder booming. Fae loved it, but did not love being soaked. She and Remus got out of the rain and took shelter at Lucrecia's, taking a trip to the back for a moment to cast a drying charm before posting up at their usual booth with warm drinks and pastries. Fae was watching the storm excitedly when Remus suddenly spoke up.

"How did Euphemia and Fleamont take it? All the research and experimenting and the… the werewolf stuff?" he asked.

"Like champs. They took me in, a stranger and knowing I was bitten, and took care of me. To be honest, we bonded fast and almost forgot about it. Then the first moon came and well.. It was a big wake up call for all of us," Fae said, recalling it all with a fond smile. It was strange, how that was all so long ago. Nearly two years. "I got really lucky. I get anxious when I don't understand so my immediate instinct was to learn all I could, barr none. All the hairy details, I wanted to know everything. They supported me all the way down the rabbit hole, even when they didn't understand. They were there for me even if they had no clue why I wanted to know so badly or why I wanted to be so strong. They trusted me to figure things out and to ask for help when I needed it."

Remus was quiet for a bit, and then he started to explain about Hope and Lyall. Lyall wasn't there, not really. He was often at work and when he was home, he was quiet, contained, caught up in his own world. They didn't interact much. When they had to, usually because of the werewolf thing, Lyall was patient and kind with Remus. Remus just wanted to make him proud, but he had no clue how. They were at ease with each other, but never really addressed anything real. Remus usually didn't want to, but sometimes it was all that mattered and he just didn't know how to ask if his dad was proud of his progress with lycanthropy. Or even just his new, growing abilities as a runner. Practically almost an athlete. Or his intelligence and school status.

Hope was a different story and Fae hated hearing it. It was as she thought - Hope was a loving mother who claimed she put her child above all else, but was mostly a woman who cared about appearances and forgot to prioritize happiness above it. She loved Remus to bits and pieces, but hid the pieces that she decided the world wouldn't want to see, for his own good. Made him feel ashamed of them, whether she realized it or not. Whether Remus realized it or not. Fae's mother had been like that too, although she'd been much more vocal about which pieces of Fae, most of them, were unacceptable for society. And Remus was conditioned to feel guilty for feeling anything but love for a woman who constantly talked about her love for him and her willingness to do anything for him.

Remus was making tremendous progress. He was understanding his lycanthropy and talking about it positively for the first time in his life. He kept it up at home - the running, eating a protein-based diet, the singing, even the sensory training. And he wanted to tell Lyall and Hope about it, but they just didn't get it. Lyall wasn't there and Hope just didn't see how it could ever be positive. Asking if he was trying to hunt deer or something. Why he would need to see at night, he shouldn't be out after dark, it was dangerous. Wondering if he was going to start a band with that wild Black child and be some sort of crazy, outlandish singer like that David Bowie you like so much. It was hard. Hard to keep it up all on his own. Hard to go against their ideals. Hard to not be the son he felt they wanted him to be, even if it meant being something better.

Fae cried when he said that. He didn't understand why she was crying and she swept the tears away before he could ask. Instead, she got up and slid around to his side of the booth. They both desperately needed the contact, the warmth, the steadiness.

It was hard for Fae to offer advice or talk about that kind of thing. But she wanted to believe Hope was different than Karen. So she told Remus that his parents loved him and just didn't know how to express it in the ways he was familiar with receiving love. That swallowing pride and uncomfortableness went a long way. That sometimes you have to accept that the people you love are not perfect and that love does not fix all, so just hang in there and do what you can, but always take care of yourself first and foremost.

"I'm sorry, that probably isn't what you wanted to hear," Fae said.

"No. No, it's realistic advice," he answered. "I'll keep trying with them. They'll come around one day. Hopefully."

"I'm sure they will. Your dad seemed really interested in my research. Maybe I could put together a more, proper, report-like journal for him? He might be interested in reading it all if it looked like a proper scientific journal. Seems the bookish type - like you," Fae said, teasing a bit.

Remus huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Well, actually, it might work. But you don't have to go so far for me. I can handle them."

Fae shrugged and lightly headbutted his chin. "I'm happy to, you know that."

"I know," he said, smiling softly.

Fae nodded, chewed her bottom lip, and then turned to him more squarely. "And Remus? I know it isn't the same, at all," she said. "But I'm here for you. For any reason, if you ever need anything or need to talk about anything, werewolf-related or not. I'll always support you, even if you decided to quit all the extra sensory nonsense or never do strength training or whatever."

Fae wanted him to know this above all else. Having the courage to do what needs to be done to make yourself happy is much harder than it sounds. The last thing Fae wanted in their friendship was for Remus to have to choose between his own happiness and Fae's hopes for him. His happiness came first.

Remus thought about it for a second before answering. "Even if I decided to quit running? Go back to spending full moons securely at my house where I know I'd never, ever hurt anybody?"

She nodded. "It would break my heart because you deserve better, but yes. I'd support you. I'd go along, charm the walls with padding and learn extension charms and atmospheric charms so it was the best werewolf bunker ever."

He laughed at that and leaned his head down to nuzzle her hair. "Thank you, Fae. You don't know how much it means to me, to always have you," he said. Then, with another light laugh, "That notebook your dad invented is a thing of beauty."

No kidding. She and Remus constantly swapped notes at Hogwarts where they saw each other every day. In the summer, writing letters and only getting an answer every other day or so had been near torture. Fae hummed her agreement and reached for a messy bite of apple pie, not bothering with utensils. Remus continued while she licked her fingers. "You know I'd do the same for you right? I'm always here if you ever need to talk or ever need help or ever-"

"Need a shoulder to lean on? I know. And I take advantage, frequently," Fae interrupted, grinning devilishly as she grabbed his arm and wrapped it securely around her, leaning fully against him and curling her legs up on the booth. She took a drink of her coffee, sighed happily, and settled in to watch the storm. Of course she'd known Remus would offer to be there for her. Fae wasn't comfortable going to anybody for any problems really, but that was because she liked to ignore that she had problems altogether. That being said, she knew that if at any point she was less than happy, she'd go to Remus. And if she was happy, she'd go to Remus. He was perfect like that, suitable to be around no matter what mood she was in. Like a temperature-color-changing mood ring was always pretty.

Remus sighed as well, kicking his legs up on the opposite booth to brace himself better as he slumped down over Fae's smaller form. "Good," he said.

The day after, Friday August 6th, was Peter's birthday and the Marauder's celebrated his Sweet 16 with a day at the fair outside of town. A day of shaky and thrilling amusement rides, obnoxiously rigged carnival games, and deliciously nasty fried food. Literally, Fae and Peter linked arms and tried every food from every single stall. And then dared each other to get on the Swinging Ship and not throw up. Fae did not throw up and cast a quick charm so Peter wouldn't throw up in front of Kelly Reynolds, his pretty blonde-haired girlfriend of six months now who had joined them for the day.

James had tried to get Lily, but she ended up being out of town so it was just the Marauders, Fae, and Kelly. Kelly was cool though - a cutie pie with a feisty attitude and this hilarious habit of saying completely outlandish things with a straight face to fuck with people. Kind of like Luna of the future.

"You know, we should all run away and join the circus. I think Sirius would make a magnificent fire juggler. I've always wanted to be shot out of a cannon," she said wistfully. Sirius contemplated it. Fae was guffawing and continuing the fantasy - she'd be the lion tamer and Peter would be the strong man.

It was a brilliant day full of laughs and thrills. Just after sunset, they had a picnic on the outskirts and brought a cake and everything for Peter. 16 candles, cheesy song, and a few fireworks. They offered him gifts and then, as was Fae's idea, they gave him the gift she thought he'd love the most. She, James, Sirius, and Remus had thought about it a while back and all came to the same conclusion. Fae was the Little Potter and The Fae, Remus was the smartest, Sirius the rockstar rebel, James the quidditch captain. So often, Peter was forgotten about and skipped over. But to them, he was irreplaceable. For his 16th birthday, they gave him cassettes and quidditch gear and cool trinkets. They also gave him appreciation - a list of 16 things they loved about him.

"You're the best listener," James said, starting them off.

"The least complicated of us, by far," Sirius added, prompting them all to laugh.

"You pack the best picnic baskets," Remus grinned.

"You see things about people that they don't see in themselves, and then you capture it with photography so they can see it and feel special," Fae said, patting his shoulder and rubbing it when he ducked his head shyly. "You don't step on my feet when we dance together," she added.

"You're the sweetest person I know. And give the sweetest kisses," Kelly said with a wink, causing him to blush brightly.

"You're always there exactly when we need you."

"But you also know exactly when I need space," Sirius said, which the others all agreed with heartily.

"You cast the best silencing charms."

"And the best color-changing charms."

"You give amazing hugs. And piggyback rides," Fae said cheerfully.

"You always share your notes in History. And Transfiguration. And Divination. Basically, you make sure I don't fail most of my classes," Sirius admitted.

"You save me seats in the Grand Hall and sneak me food when I'm feeling down."

"You know how to diffuse arguments and how to calm down tantrums like nobodies business."

"You are always willing to go along with our pranks and ideas."

"You love us, despite how mad we all are," James said.

"And we love you, very much Peter. We'd be lost without you."

"You guys…"

Peter got all weepy and they all got huggy and then Kelly got very touchy with him, because she was the awesome kind of girl that appreciated genuine guys. She hung off his arm for the rest of the night and it was with no surprise that she tugged them all over to the ferris wheel.

"If we get lucky, it'll break and we'll just roll forever, all the way around the world," Kelly said airly. Fae imagined it, decided she loved Kelly's imagination, and giggled. Then she dragged Remus onto a bench and locked them in, leaving Sirius and James to take the third bench.

They all made sounds at each other and said obnoxious hellos from the respective benches as the wheel spun and began to lift them high. As they neared the top, James and Sirius started whooping while Peter and Kelly started making out. Fae gave out a particularly loud whistle of her own and laughed. Then she looked out over the lit up fair and felt so happy. It was so beautiful and she loved this part of summer and was so alive. And a little dizzy and nauseous. Suddenly, Remus took her hand really hard.

She laced their fingers together automatically and then gave him a look. "Remus?"

His face was very serious and focused and faintly red. Worried that something was wrong, she twisted toward him and used her other hand to turn his cheek so he was looking at her. "Darling what's wrong?"

"I'm…. not a big fan of heights," he admitted, slowly and nervously.

Fae blinked and then snorted, bumping their foreheads together. "Me neither. I won't even get on a broomstick without James," she said.

He snickered. "Seriously? You big wimp."

"Me? You look terrified right now!"

"So do you!"

They teased each other and stayed close, heads leaned in and eyes on each other so the distance from the ground wasn't all that noticeable, even if the lights were pretty. Fae couldn't resist a few glances out, but would always feel dizzy right after and end up burying her head in Remus' collarbone while he laughed.

Kelly wanted to dance after that and Peter wasn't about to say no and ruin his chance for more kisses so they all ended up in the big square, live band, and twinkling lights that Fae could enjoy from the ground. She danced with Peter and with Kelly and he did not step on anybody's toes. She shuffled with James and waltzed frantically with Sirius until those two ran off to swindle the carnival games. That left Remus, who usually stood on the outskirts and kind of shuffled and swayed back and forth in acceptable, safe dance moves. Fae wasn't having it - the live band was killing it and she wanted to share this moment with him.

"I'm not that good of a dancer, not like Sirius," he said shyly as Far maneuvered their hands into a basic position. Then she switched so she was leading, although a little awkward. She had on these badass bright sparkly pink platform shoes which helped her height considerably, but Remus still had at least five inches on her, boy was growing like a damn weed this summer.

"It's okay, s'long as you don't mind me leading," she said.

He nodded and beamed as she began to move them in circles. "After you."

Like with most things, Remus was shy and unsure until you began to teach him how to do it. Then the wheels started turning and he would start figuring it out and then he'd become a master at it in no time. They took turns leading waltzes and dipping each other wildly, Remus' laughter ringing out beautifully loud when Fae dipped him so low his hair grazed the ground and pulled him back up with ease. Too skinny, that boy. Then they started fucking around with lifts and spinning and definitely ran into a few couples or seven. There were the rock songs where it was just a lot of jumping around in circles and bopping. And there were the slow songs, where Fae wrapped him up in a hug and swayed so far back and forth, like a ship about to capsize.

They were kicked out of the fair not long after - James and Sirius successfully hustled several game stands and made a competition out of who could win the most prizes. Peter went home with more gifts than he knew what to do with that night.

It was back to sensory training the next day. Sensory training and running and a little bit of strength training. Usually, when Fae began her sets of push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, jumping jacks, squats, and the like, Remus would keep count or run more laps til she was done. Since he decided to take things more seriously, he actually participated. Fae wanted to be encouraging and excited, but it was a weak, half-assed effort. His heart wasn't in it and although he tried, he just wasn't getting into it. Fae knew why too. He was still scared. And he was conflicted.

Remus said that he hadn't wanted to need Fae to be strong for him, hadn't wanted to depend on her. And Fae would've loved it if he needed her and her strength forever, but she understood wanting to stand on your own two feet. She understood that after what happened, Remus was eager to learn how to gain awareness to prevent anything like that from happening again. So he could be sure he wouldn't hurt her or anyone else. But the other side of it was, with his amazement at his quickly growing speed, endurance, and sensory abilities, he was scared of just how strong he could become. He was a male and older. By all rights, if he trained, he should be stronger than Fae in werewolf form. And that clearly terrified him because what if he got stronger and he didn't gain control?

So he did some push-ups and sit-ups and Fae kept him on a much lighter regimen, but then suggested that he look into meditation again. Running was her meditation, but she wondered if there was something else for Remus. He spent some time reading up on it and ended up trying a multitude of things - yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, calisthenics, and so on. On closer thought, he considered what things he liked and what things brought him peace and relaxation. What they ended up with was Remus stretching and then settling into a relaxed pose while listening to audiobooks while Fae did strength training. It seemed to work well enough, he seemed more focused and centered.

His senses were strengthening. Seeing in the dark was nothing for him now. He could smell what tea Euphemia was brewing or what plant she was killing from the other side of town if he focused hard enough. He could hear every creature around them for miles. They put it to the test, Remus catching all ten conjured birds while evading capture from Fae. Then it was capturing the birds and Peter, James, and Sirius in human forms. Then it was capturing Peter, James, and Sirius in their animagus forms. Peter really had Remus running and hunting then. Finally, Remus had to catch Fae. The closest he got was on the day of the full-moon and he might've got her too, if they hadn't run out of time.

Right before the moon, his senses were at their strongest, he was on her tail near constantly, Fae's hair sliding through his fingers at several points before she dashed away shrieking with laughter. When the sun fell, she disappeared again and then flew out of the trees from his right, tackling him to the ground and pinning him. They raced back to the house, ate quickly, packed up their bag, and then sprinted to the ward zone. Fae let him tie with her that time.

The moon was brilliant. Remus didn't gain awareness, but the sensations were edging into his memories the next day. More than just images, but smells and feelings.

He remembered the entire night, something Fae had never done. She remembered only her consciousness and control. Remus, on the other hand, could recall it all after the fact even if he hadn't gained control yet. He was close though, he'd gotten into that primal state just before transformation with her. It was so different and fascinating and he was shining when they woke up on the earth. Fae looked at Remus - at his broader shoulders, strong legs, the way he stretched into his soreness with satisfaction, the way he stood taller. She saw him thriving, picking up scents faster than her, hearing things miles away whenever he felt like it and tuning it all out the next, running almost faster than she did. Learning at light speed. She reveled in the challenge, met his gaze head on, saw his competitive spirit. She'd have to step up her game and it electrified her to see Remus thinking the same thing.

Their rest day was tinged with melancholy as every hour that was passed blissfully sleeping cuddled up together or recalling their adventures the night before or listening to Remus read aloud or eating treats was just another hour closer to goodbye. Sirius had work in the morning and so it was James in the front seat with Fae clinging to Remus in the back seat. She almost cried again until James reminded her that they'd see Remus in two weeks at Diagon Alley and then in a week again for Hogwarts.

Then Fleamont offered to let her drive home and Fae cheered up considerably.

"I'm never getting in the car with you ever again."

"But did you die? Such a drama queen, not nearly as bad as that time we went flying."

She missed driving. So much. She missed driving an automatic especially, but manual driving was fun.

Fae practically counted the days until Diagon Alley, handwriting getting smaller and smaller to make their shared notebook last before she saw Remus again. Fleamont perfected the charm and sent it off to the lawyers offices for patents, not before handing one set each to Sirius, Fae, and James. And a special mini notebook in a collection of five, for the Marauders and Fae to share.

A few days before Diagon Alley, O.W.L. results came in the mail. Sirius was plenty happy with his few, James even happier with his 7 which he knew would impress Lily. Remus was completely overjoyed - he managed perfect Os across the board. Sirius, James, and Fae were in agreement. That called for a celebration.

The Marauders, Kelly, Lily, and a whole host of other friends ended up at a tea shop in Diagon Alley, heralding the end of summer and singing obnoxiously loud to congratulate Remus for his Os. And, to congratulate James on his new position as prefect.

"I'm going to be busier with my Newts and with running and all that. I figured you wouldn't mind stepping in for me since you know Lily and have helped out with duties before," Remus explained with a wink.

Lily was surprisingly cheerful. Bitter that she had all Os in her classes, save for Divination, but happy to see James, Fae would bet, despite the girl whining about having to be a prefect with him. Lily was quickly falling into the denial stage and it was cute now, but Fae was already planning how to speed things up a bit. No way was she dealing with that for the whole year.

Halfway through the party, the guest of honor had disappeared sneakily. Fae found him out back, sitting on the stairs and staring in wonder at his results letter. She sat next to him roughly, bumping his shoulder and jostling him playfully on her way down.

"Hey Fae," he said, laughing.

"Heya nerd," she teased. "You did good."

"Thank you."

"Were your parents excited?" she asked a bit later.

He shrugged. "Yeah, mom was pretty pleased."

He didn't sound very excited about that and Fae was sad for him. "Cool," she said. "And your dad?"

"Yeah he said it was not bad for a Gryffindor," Remus answered. If she recalled, Lyall Lupin had been a Ravenclaw. Hogwarts Houses and their rivalries were ridiculous and hilarious.

Then Remus grinned, face alight in the sunset. "He was more excited about my memories from the last full moon though."

"Really?" Fae gasped. Remus absolutely shined as he nodded his head. "That's great!"

"He said he's excited for me to gain awareness. To make history. To be able to tell him what it's like, during the change," he explained excitedly.

"You'll do it. I know you will, you're so close."

"Yeah. Yeah I know I will. It might take me a bit longer though, Hogwarts won't be as easy to work around as the woods and everything at your house."

"We'll make it work," she promised.

He agreed with her and then leaned back on his hands with a sigh. "I'll miss it, this summer."

Fae laughed and nodded, feeling the same twinge in her chest. "Yeah, it was pretty fucking amazing. I'll miss it too. But.."

"But?"

"But Hogwarts means we can spend every day together again so I know it'll be great too," she told him. Not to mention, Regulus would be free from the Black House and she'd get to see Romilly again.

Remus, beautiful, flourishing, bright, confident Remus, looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

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A/N: A nice easy, warm chapter for a cold, rainy day. Are you guys ready for next term? At 15-16-17 for Fae and everyone, shit is about to his the fan because dating is a thing.