Emma was startled awake by a sharp knocking on her door. She lifted her head to stare at the door, unsure of whether she imagined it until she heard Ward's voice through the door.
"Nickels! Get up! This isn't a holiday, and you have a visitor!"
A visitor? Emma rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly with a scowl.
"Nickels! If you don't get up, then someone is coming in."
"Bloody hell," Emma grumbled. "I'm up!" she shouted back, flopping back down on the mattress. She turned her head to look over at the clock on the dresser and frowned at what looked like a rock sitting right next to it. Something about the stone triggered something in her mind, but she wasn't sure what it was. It definitely wasn't there when she went to bed. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she glanced at the clock. It was nearly noon. It had been a very long time since Emma had slept in so late.
"Are you actually getting up?" Ward shouted through the door. "I don't hear any movement in there."
"I'm getting up! Buggering fuck."
"Language Nickels."
"It's Lupin!" Emma said grumpily, making the act of getting out of bed as noisy as she possibly could. "Happy?!"
"Don't keep your visitor waiting," Ward said gruffly. "They're in the reception room."
"Merlin's saggy tits," Emma grumbled, reaching under her pillow to grab her notebook. She smiled when she felt that it was warm, which meant that Remus wrote to her. It was one of the modifications that they added, and Emma was thrilled that Remus helped her with the spell-work for it. It made her feel like one of the Marauders coming up with her very first spell.
'I hope you slept well, sweetheart. I know that you have trouble sleeping when you're somewhere new, but I hope you were tired enough that you slept.'
A little further down – 'I guess you were exhausted as you haven't written back to me yet. Professor Dumbledore is coming to speak to you later.'
And one that Emma was noted with the time written down – 'It's quarter after eleven. I sincerely hope that you're just sleeping. Write back as soon as you see this.'
Not wanting to have Remus worry any more than he probably already was, Emma plucked the quill out from underneath her pillow. 'Sorry, just woke up – not too kindly, might I add. I'm fine – was just absolutely knackered. Yesterday took more out of me than I thought.'
Emma set the notebook and quill down, ran over to the windows to make sure no one was close by, and changed as quickly as she could. She watched as Remus wrote out his next message quickly. He had clearly been watching the notebook all day.
'Merlin, you had me worried. Is Dumbledore there yet?'
'I think he is since Ward came slamming on my door to wake me up.'
'Good. Don't keep Dumbledore waiting. He was here earlier.'
'Can we meet later?'
'Short answer – yes. Don't keep him waiting. When you're done with Dumbledore, head back to the café – Elle will be waiting. I love you.'
That was enough to put some pep into Emma's sour mood. 'I love you, too,' she wrote back quickly before clearing the notebook. With a grin, Emma picked up her bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder. She reached in and tossed the rest of her clothes into one of the drawers in the dresser. Emma looked up and stared at the rock for a moment, slowly picking it up and running her thumb over the smooth edges. There was something familiar about having the rock, and a slight frown crossed her face as she looked at her open windows. The odd window around the corner seemed a little more open than the others.
There was another sharp knock on Emma's door. "NICKELS!"
"I'll be five minutes, shitting hell!" Emma shouted, shoving the rock into her pocket.
"LANGUAGE!"
Emma ripped open her door to glare at Ward, not at all surprised to find he was glaring back. "In case you've forgotten, my room has been locked all bloody night. If you'll excuse me, I would like to use the toilet before meeting whoever is here, thanks."
Ward stared hard at Emma for a moment before stepping away, gesturing pointedly to the shower room. Emma shot Ward a glare and crossed the space to the other room. It was going to be a very, very long day.
With how things were going, Emma was almost afraid that it wouldn't be Dumbledore waiting in the reception room. It was nice to see such a familiar face in such a terrible place.
"Professor Dumbledore, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Emma said with a small smile.
Dumbledore turned to look at Emma with a smile, reaching into his robe to pull out his pocket watch. "I believe you're just on time. Sit, I brought breakfast for you, although I suppose it will be lunch now."
"Sorry," Emma said, sitting down on one of the sofas. She looked at the bag in front of her and looked at Dumbledore questioningly. He gave a nod, and Emma pulled it close, opening it with a grin. "You saw my dad before coming here?" she asked, pulling out an egg and bacon sandwich. It made her wonder how much baking her father had done, but she wasn't going to complain.
"He thought you would appreciate home cooking," Dumbledore said, sitting down on the couch opposite. "Especially, considering –"
"Professor Dumbledore, is there anything you need from me?" Ward asked as he stepped back into the room, looking much less irate than he had earlier. His eyes flicked over to the sandwich in Emma's hands, the muscle in his jaw jumping slightly as he returned his gaze to Dumbledore.
"Ah, Broderick, I don't believe that I do. If you don't mind, I'm going to let Emma eat, and then I'll be on my way."
Dumbledore's dismissal was plain, but Ward still lingered. He looked between Emma and Dumbledore for a moment, gave a tight nod, and made his way into his office. Dumbledore waited a moment before casting a silencing spell.
"There," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Now we should have no interruptions."
"I'm assuming that you don't want him to hear what you're going to tell me?" Emma asked curiously.
"Your assumption would be very correct," Dumbledore said brightly. "Now, I can't say much due to the nature of things, but we are working on getting you moved again."
"Again?" Emma asked, mildly distressed at the idea of moving again, until a glimmer of hope bubbled up. "Back home?"
"Unfortunately, no," Dumbledore said, his smile sympathetic. "But ideally, we would like you somewhere that's more…accessible."
"Accessible?"
"Meaning you have all of your things and the ability to see your father almost any time you'd like."
The bit of hope she had was swept away. "I want to go home," Emma said quietly. "No one is saying that I'm going to be able to go home…"
"You will, but it's going to take some time. It certainly won't be before the term begins."
"I'll be allowed to come back to Hogwarts?" Emma asked. "I thought that –"
"You are not a werewolf, and as long as I am Headmaster, you will always have a place at Hogwarts. You're a talented witch, and anyone who can outwit their father in a game of his creation deserves to continue their education."
"It was luck," Emma said quietly.
"It was skill," Dumbledore corrected with a soft chuckle. "Remus did say that you always downplay your talents."
"My father is a very kind man who thinks far too highly of his daughter."
"I assure you that he would have thought highly of you regardless of whether or not you were his daughter. Remus always could find the best in others and bring out those traits. It's a quality that he passed on to you. It'll be why reuniting you two will be that much easier."
Emma considered Dumbledore for a moment and shook her head. "I don't understand."
"What I mean to say is that people need convincing. It's not just the Ministry that feels that the right decision was made. All people see in the Daily Prophet is a werewolf attacked by someone who has purposely made it their goal to be known for savagery. It doesn't look good from an outsider's perspective. You can understand that, yes?"
"I do, but that doesn't make it right. I mean, Dad is the furthest away from being anything like Greyback. I like to tease him for folding his socks. I hardly doubt that anyone who really knew him could ever think he's anything but kind."
"And that's what you need to convince people of. All they're seeing is a werewolf and an impressionable teenage girl, rumored to be kidnapped. They don't see that there's an incredible bond between a father and daughter who learned to love and love fiercely. You two have overcome so much over the past few years. You should be proud of what you two have accomplished."
"At the expense of hurting each other along the way," Emma said sadly. She looked at the sandwich in her hand and frowned at it. "I've been terrible to him in the past. If I could take so much back, I would."
"Ah, but then we would never learn from our mistakes," Dumbledore said, standing up. "Families are complicated, Emma. Things in our world will be changing sooner rather than later, and I think we could all use a little hope. It's not going to be easy to bring you two back together. People are going to have a lot to say, and we're going to do our best to shield you from it, but things will slip through the cracks."
"I don't care," Emma said earnestly. "I would do absolutely anything to be back with Dad. I don't care what it is, and I don't care what people say. I know that it's going to be hard. I figured it would be difficult when I decided I wanted to help other werewolves."
Dumbledore nodded, a slight smile on his face. "I can assume that I don't need to inform you of what you need to do while you're here?"
"I know what I need to do."
"Excellent. Another thing to mention – no one here is allowed to go through your things. You might be considered a ward of the Ministry, but I'm serving as your guardian for most matters. I promise that I am doing my very best to get things sorted. Acceptance letters will go out soon. If you find one of the children receives their letter, try and take them under your wing. Perhaps Professor McGonagall would be willing to bring you on the journey to Diagon Alley. I do hear that you need a new wand…"
"But Dad has my old wand, and I was hoping that Mr. Ollivander could fix it for me."
"No one said that he couldn't just so happen to be in Diagon Alley at the same time," Dumbledore said with a wink. "I'm afraid that I must head out, and I daresay that you appear to be on your way out as well. Perhaps we'll meet again before the term begins."
"Perhaps," Emma said quietly. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore smiled and started to leave. He paused in the entryway and turned back to Emma. "Your father and I have talked about it a few times, and for what it's worth, you would have made a wonderful Gryffindor. Hufflepuff earned a wonderful member to its house with you." He pulled his wand out and gave it a quick wave. "Until we meet again, Emma."
Emma sighed as she watched Dumbledore leave and peered back in the bag, delighted to see that she had missed a bottle of pumpkin juice. To her amusement, there was a bar of chocolate hidden – one of her favorite dark chocolate bars from Honeydukes. It appeared Remus more than understood her need for little bits of magic.
"Dumbledore left?"
Emma's gaze shot up to meet Ward in the doorway and frowned, tucking everything into her bag. "He did," Emma said, opening the bottle of pumpkin juice and taking a drink with a delighted hum.
"You're not supposed to have that, you know," Ward said, staring pointedly at the bottle of pumpkin juice.
"Have what?" Emma asked, pretending she had no idea what he was referring to. She shoved the bottle into her bag. "It's apple juice."
"Funny looking apple," Ward said, an eyebrow arching. "Didn't know apples were orange."
"New variety," Emma said, wiping her hands off on her jeans. "I'm off."
"You need to be back by seven. You have another visitor later."
"Another visitor?" Emma questioned. "Who?"
"A friend."
Ward's response was very vague, and Emma watched as he moved back into his office, closing the door. She stared at his closed door for a moment, and after a quick look at her watch, she cringed. Emma hoped that Elara hadn't been waiting for too long.
Walking outside of the children's home that day, it felt like the air smelled much sweeter. Things didn't seem as dismal as they were before. There was hope that she could go home, hope that she could see her father whenever she'd like, hope that things would eventually work themselves out. She was scared, but things weren't so bad for the first time in nearly three weeks. For a moment, she could look past the fact that things were dangerous. Plans were being made, and she wasn't going to be kept in the dark anymore. Things were fine.
The scent of coffee and pastries wafted Emma's way as she made her way towards the café. She inhaled deeply with an appreciative hum. Perhaps she would get a coffee instead of a hot chocolate. She always enjoyed the smell of coffee, and the scent mixed with warm pastries was tantalizing even on a warm day. Emma was more than excited to walk into the café and let out a squeal of delight when she spotted Elara at one of the tables.
"Elle!" Emma said excitedly, running up to Elara and hugging her when she stood up.
"Hey, kid," Elara said brightly. She pulled back, holding Emma at arms-length, studying her closely. "I was getting worried about you. Had half a mind to come over and see what was going on. How are you doing?"
"Bit of a loaded question, yeah?" Emma said, sighing heavily when Elara reached up to touch the scar on her cheek. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore. It was fine after that weekend, actually."
"Remus made it sound like he gouged your entire cheek out," Elara said with an amused smile. "This isn't bad at all. You used the balm like I said?"
"Every day, twice a day except the past few days because it's been –"
"It's been a lot, I know. Padfoot was an absolute mess, unharmed, but a complete mess after yesterday. Remus was a mess until he finally got to see you."
"Heard you basically moved in," Emma said. "How's that been?"
"I think it's been needed," Elara said slowly, almost carefully. "I think we've all needed each other in different ways."
"And how are you doing?"
"I haven't been sacked yet, if that's what you're asking," Elara said with a snort. "I have a feeling that it won't be long, though. I'll be fine. I'm more than ready for it," Elara added at Emma's panicked expression. "Being a werewolf is a bit of an occupational hazard, and I was never one for relationships. I've got plenty saved up. My current arrangement is more than perfect for me."
"And what arrangement is that?"
"Me, myself, and I," Elara said with a wink. "Come on, let's get something to drink. I think a girl's day of shopping is in order."
Emma certainly felt much better with a vanilla latte in hand, but she felt even better at the very prospect of buying proper underwear. It was the first time she had ever been out with Elara, and Emma was enjoying herself far too much trying to shop in a department store. Elara had become like her older sister, and it was nice to have an older female to talk to. Emma realized that Elara dressed cool when she wasn't in her Healer robes.
She had seen Elara in just jeans and a jumper plenty of times. She had never seen Elara in ripped jeans, boots, cropped shirt with a flannel shirt wrapped around her waist. If Emma didn't know better, she would swear that Elara was closer to her in age than her father.
"Emma, just because it's pretty, it doesn't mean that it's comfortable," Elara laughed as Emma held up a pair of underwear that was more string than fabric. "Unless you're buying it because you want to show it off to someone," she added, waggling her eyebrows.
"Oh, God no," Emma said, putting the underwear in her hand down, unable to hide the blush that crept across her cheeks.
Elara's eyebrows immediately shot up, and a knowing grin crossed her face. "Emma Hope Lupin, do you mean to tell me –"
"George and I aren't together!" Emma said quickly.
"Yet," Elara replied.
"I haven't even written to him," Emma sighed. "I only wrote to Harry, and I don't even know if he'll be able to write back now. It's been days, and Harry's been a pretty fast writer."
"You wrote to Harry?"
"I thought it would be nice to talk to someone who understood to some degree. Besides, I felt it would be good to actually get to know him."
"I think that was a good idea," Elara agreed. "But I'm surprised you haven't written to anyone at all."
"I just…I wasn't feeling up to it," Emma said with a one-shouldered shrug. "Suppose it doesn't matter now because I don't have an owl. Aurora went back home, yeah?"
"Yeah, she showed up this morning with a note from your grandfather," Elara said, following Emma over to a different section of the store. "You know, if you want to write to anyone, just let Remus know. I don't mind meeting you to pick up your letters. You should at least let your friends know what's going on. Tell George, at least. His dad's been trying to help where he can."
"He has?" Emma asked in surprise.
"Arthur knows that George fancies you, and he thinks the entire situation is ridiculous. You have a fair amount of people in your corner."
"But not enough to make a difference," Emma said sadly.
"They can't keep you away from your father forever," Elara said pointedly.
"It feels like it," she muttered. "I'm half expecting to be stuck in Saint Nicholas's for the next two years until I'm seventeen, and then I'll finally be able to go home. I suppose if that's what had to happen, I would be fine with it as long as we could still see each other…What's two years compared to ten?"
"It won't be that long," Elara said. "Especially since you have all of your summer work to do. They're not going to keep you there, trust me."
"Where are we meeting Dad, anyway?"
"Over at Sainsbury's."
"Sainsbury's?" Emma asked, perking up slightly. "The one he worked at before?"
"He thought it would be funny if John made a reappearance. He was getting annoyed being at home and decided to work there again," Elara said, rolling her eyes. "I think he's a bloody idiot when he doesn't have to work right now."
"But it's close enough for me to bother him," Emma grinned. "His sense of humor is terrible sometimes. Besides, he doesn't know how to take a break."
"Ah, so that's where you get it from," Elara said, looking down at her watch. "He should be done in an hour, actually. I'll drop you off over there, and then I have to head off. Let's get you a few more things because what you have is not going to be enough. We'll stop at a few charity shops along the way to see what we can find."
With clothes shopping out of the way, Emma and Elara finally made their way to Sainsbury's. Emma was more than delighted to be with Remus, even if it meant grocery shopping. With Emma effectively swapped over to her father, Elara took her leave.
Even though Emma was content to be grocery shopping with her father, she quickly learned that she still didn't enjoy the task. She hated grocery shopping even more when she realized how limited her options would be. It needed to be small things that could be hidden and carried in her bag with very strict rations.
"Sweetheart, you make it sound as though I'd ever let you starve. This is just to get you through the worst of it. I promise, you'll have regular meals one way or another," Remus said gently as Emma packed the things they picked up into her bag. They found a hidden section outside of the store so Remus could cast the charms she needed.
"I just didn't realize how dramatic this was all going to be," Emma admitted. "And not being able to do anything to really fend for myself is hard."
"Well, it's a good thing that magic exists," Remus said, handing Emma a tin container so that she could have water. "The charm should hold for a few days, so you won't have to worry about not having water. If it seems like it's not working the way it should, let me know, and I'll fix it as soon as I can."
Emma sighed, looking down at her watch with a frown. The day had gone by very quickly, and she had to be back soon. "I felt optimistic last night, but now I don't," she muttered bitterly, shifting her bag. The combination of the featherlight and extension charms made her feel a little off-balance with her bag.
"Did you want to walk for a little bit?" Remus asked. "Or head over to the river and sit?"
"I have to head back," Emma said sadly. "Apparently, someone else is meant to be there to see me."
"Who?" Remus asked with a frown, clearly not anticipating Emma needing to leave so soon.
"No idea."
"That means they're not from our side."
"Do you think that it's Greyback, then?" Emma asked, readjusting her bag again. "Could you adjust the featherlight charm, please? It's too light."
"It could be," Remus said, not appearing too delighted by the idea as he took Emma's bag to redo the charm. "It would make sense, considering the connection to Ward…"
Emma watched Remus for a few moments and took in the disappointment on his face. It wasn't an expression that he wore plainly on his face. As hard as everything was for her, she couldn't imagine how much worse it was for her father.
"I don't want to go if that makes you feel better," Emma offered, stepping in close enough so that she could rest her head on his arm. "I wouldn't even care if we had to stay down this…very sketchy area so I can spend time with you."
Remus chuckled softly, setting Emma's bag down and bringing a hand up to hold her head against his arm. "I know you wouldn't," Remus said.
For the longest time, Emma hated silence. Silence had always meant bad things in her mind, though she never understood why. Silence led to awkward moments where she used to continually feel the need to fill the quiet. But silence with her father was different, calming. They were always more than content to stay as they were, just happy to be with each other. The city was busy, continually moving during the day, and this was a moment just for them.
"I should probably go," Emma eventually said, looking at her watch and stepping away from Remus. "I really don't want to…I have a strong feeling my visitor will be Greyback. I'm not afraid of him anymore, but…"
"You can be afraid of him, you know. I know I certainly am," Remus said, handing Emma her bag.
"But you're…you're you. You're so brave," Emma said earnestly.
"I wish I could see what you see in me sometimes," Remus replied. "I'm not very brave at all."
"Well, you're still the bravest person I know," Emma said, throwing her arms around Remus's middle to hug him tightly. With promises to write as soon as possible, they parted ways. Emma doubted that it would ever get easier.
Anxiety settled itself into Emma's stomach the moment she stepped back into Saint Nicholas's. Being back early made her feel odd, and she was left with at least twenty minutes to herself. She wasn't sure what would await her, and the disturbing lack of people around made her nervous. There were always at least two staff members in the staff area that she had noticed so far, very much witches with wands. Emma wondered about their stories, but it would have to wait for another day. No one was around.
Reluctantly, Emma started to pull her new clothes out of her bag. Elara had spared her the hassle of having to have her clothes washed right away, making quick work of laundering spells. It lacked the signature scents of home, but it was at least familiar enough. She picked up the closest shirt to smell it and sighed. Running away was starting to seem like a more appealing idea by the minute.
She stared at her things laid out on top of her dresser, her lip curling at the idea of even having to put any of it away. Putting her clothes away made it seem like her current arrangement would be more permanent than it was, but she didn't want to have to dig every day. With a slight growl, Emma began to put her clothes away. There was no point in making herself suffer any more than she had to.
Emma wondered idly if it was just her thing or a werewolf thing that she was aware the moment Fenrir stepped foot into the premises. If the lack of staff wasn't an indication to her visitor, the chill down her spine would have made it obvious. She glanced over at her clock with a noise of approval. Five minutes early was impressive. Emma half expected him to be late.
Not wanting to be taken off-guard, Emma kept herself turned to watch her mirror. She was well aware that Fenrir moved silently, and she wanted to finish putting her things away. As far as she was concerned, this was her territory. Keeping her gaze low as she unpacked, Emma watched for any sign of Fenrir's arrival. It took her a considerable amount of effort to continue what she was doing when she spotted the ends of his boots as he paused in her doorway.
"Thought it might be you when Ward said I had a visitor tonight," Emma said conversationally. She picked up Remus's jumper, the last thing she needed to put away, and sighed, holding onto it for a moment to give her some form of strength. "Do you have a watch that I've never seen before? Or is it some sort of wolfish instinct that you know precisely what time you're meant to arrive?"
Emma added Remus's jumper to the last open drawer and turned around, a hand on her hip, and froze. She had mentally prepared herself for Fenrir, but she never would've imagined this particular version of Fenrir. This was a clean Fenrir, and if it weren't for his overly cocky pose as he leaned against the doorframe, Emma might have doubted it was him at all.
His usually matted hair was washed and brushed out, sitting neatly. She was surprised to see a natural shade of brown to his dark hair and was surprisingly shiny. It wasn't as long as she could have sworn it was the day before. If he went through this much effort, she imagined the werewolf had to sacrifice some of its length to get it clean. Fenrir's skin, which always seemed to be covered in a layer of dirt, was scrubbed clean revealing tanned skin. Did Fenrir always have a pierced ear? That seemed new.
Much like at Christmas, Emma was surprised to find that Fenrir found the ability to wear clothes that fit. His boots and leather trousers seemed to be signature staples to his wardrobe, but his shirt was new. Emma had to bite down hard on her lip to keep herself from bursting into laughter at Fenrir Greyback in a polo. Of course, it was worn with every button undone and stretched tight over his chest, but it was a polo all the same. She tried to remember what his coat looked like, but she was pretty sure his overcoat was new, or else it had been cleaned. However, that wasn't the most disturbing part to Emma – it was the fact that he had shaved his face.
"Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with Fenrir Greyback," Emma blurted out, tilting her head slightly as she stared at Fenrir. He was oddly fascinating when he looked somewhat normal, but there was a lingering danger that bristled underneath the surface. Even if he looked to be an ordinary man, Fenrir still wasn't someone to be caught in the wrong place with.
"Somehow, the whole werewolf thing is less menacing. Maybe you should keep this look – it's terrifying." Emma gave a subtle sniff and raised her eyebrows. "Shitting hell, the world is ending – is that…Fenrir, did you put on cologne for me? You shouldn't have. Did this take all day? Or did you give yourself a proper spa day yesterday instead while I was being hauled off here?"
That earned an eye roll from Fenrir as he ran his tongue over his teeth in annoyance. "Funny what three weeks without your father does to your personality," he said slowly. "I know how to blend in when needed. It just depends on whether or not I really give a shit."
"It hasn't been three weeks," Emma said, whatever amusement she had withered away. Fenrir knew how to kill a good mood quickly. "Not yet."
"Was today the first time you've seen him since?"
Emma frowned slightly and shook her head. "No," she answered, crossing her arms. "I saw him last night. But I'm sure you already knew that."
"I can smell your father all over you. Of course, I knew that."
"What do you want, Fenrir? I don't need you to state the obvious; I'm living it, thank you."
Fenrir sized Emma up, his head tilting ever so slightly to the right as he surveyed her. He remained in her doorway, leaning casually against the frame as if it was something he did every day. Perhaps he did when she was here last, but she didn't remember. Perhaps she never would. "I want to make you an offer," he said, finally straightening up.
"Whatever you have to offer, I don't want it," Emma said.
"Hmm, that's what you said the last time. If I recall, you seemed quite keen to hear what I had to offer when you realized what I had."
"I don't suppose that what you have to offer has anything to do with the folder this time, is it?"
A slight smile reached Fenrir's lips. "You always were smart," he chuckled. "No, my offer is of a different nature."
"Then I really don't want to hear it," Emma said, starting to bend down to pick up her bag and yelping as she had to straighten up quickly. Clearly, Fenrir wasn't willing to take no for an answer.
Her room did not offer a lot of space for her to move, so when Fenrir advanced, she had no choice but to move backward. To Emma's displeasure, that left her up against the wall. She huffed in annoyance as he boxed her in, his hands on either side of her head. That annoyance gave way to a shiver of fear as he drew closer, bending down, his nose nearly touching hers. It was a challenge.
"I see that you're still as stubborn as ever," Fenrir said. "Just like your father, stubborn for all the wrong reasons. Unable to accept the truth and what you truly are."
"I didn't say I didn't accept what I was," Emma pointed out. "I just said I don't want what you have to offer."
Emma held Fenrir's gaze for only a moment before averting her gaze. As much as she wanted to give in and challenge Fenrir further, it wouldn't help her case. She had no friends in the children's home. No one would be able to save her if something went wrong. It went entirely against her nature to be so submissive, but she could play the role. Fenrir might look more like a man than he ever did, but she knew better. He was all wolf. She let out a slow breath and grudgingly bared her neck to him as much as she felt comfortable with. Emma hoped it would appeal to his wolfish nature and show she wasn't willing to fight.
It always made Emma uncomfortable that Fenrir's growls could sound pleased, but the noise that rolled up his throat was precisely that. "You know, after that first time in Hogsmeade, I find myself thinking about where I'm going to bite you," Fenrir said quietly, moving slightly closer.
"Oh, really? How lovely," Emma muttered, regretting her show of submission.
Fenrir's head dipped low, and Emma instinctively pressed her hands to his chest to try and keep him from coming closer. It only served to make him chuckle with genuine amusement. The situation was too familiar, and she felt her breathing grow shallow as he pulled aside the collar of her shirt.
"I can't decide what would be better…" Fenrir rasped, his nose brushing along her exposed shoulder. "I think it should be here, just like I'd planned last time."
Emma's breath caught when she felt the sharp drag of Fenrir's teeth on her shoulder. She had no doubt that if he wanted to sink his teeth into her right then, he could. There would be no stopping him if he decided it was what he wanted to do. But to her relief, Fenrir pulled away, and Emma's face twisted slightly as he grabbed onto her left hand, lifting her arm.
"But then I also think that right here would be a good spot, the perfect reminder of who you belong to," Fenrir said, baring his teeth in a wolfish grin before pulling her arm higher and grazing his teeth over the skin of her wrist. He suddenly pulled her arm up higher. "Or, my personal favorite, you can match your father." Emma watched as his teeth pressed into the skin of her forearm, closer to her elbow, right in the spot where Remus's bite was.
Fenrir straightened up again, letting go of Emma's hand, and he laughed heartily as she pulled her arm back, keeping it close. This was a game for him, his version of a joke. Emma didn't find it funny at all.
"But of course, I have to finish the job if I have you match your father," Fenrir said, running his sharp nails across Emma's face. "It would be like looking in a mirror. What do you think?"
Emma dared to meet Fenrir's gaze for a moment. "I don't personally think it's a look for me," she said, looking down at his boots. She wondered how long it would take for him to finally leave.
"Tell me," Fenrir said quietly, lifting Emma's chin and forcing her to meet his gaze once more, "what's her name?"
The last thing Emma wanted to do was tell Fenrir what her wolf's name was, especially if he already knew it. However, Remus said that he would be testing her, and she wasn't sure she was willing to fail the same test twice.
"Soleil," Emma whispered.
"Soleil," Fenrir said softly, his gaze moving down to her necklaces. "I sense a theme. The moon…the stars –" his gaze lifted again, and he moved his hand from her chin to her hair, running his fingers through the strands "– and the sun. Poetic."
"I'm rather partial to it."
"I'm not sure that I like it."
"Well, it's a good thing that it's not your name then," Emma challenged.
"Are you scared of me, Rabbit?"
Emma sighed, grateful that Fenrir seemed more interested in using the nickname he gave her instead. "No," she said, meaning it. She was disturbed by Fenrir, couldn't get a clear read on the werewolf, but she wasn't scared of him.
"Bold statement coming from someone half my size, especially when you know what I'm capable of," Fenrir said, gently touching the scar on Emma's cheek. "Such a shame this didn't come from me."
"I see you waste no time, Greyback."
Ward was not a welcome addition to the situation, and the dark look on Fenrir's face told Emma he felt the same.
"What did I tell you about interrupting, Ward?" Fenrir growled, keeping one hand against the wall and dropping the other as he looked over his shoulder at Ward. Ward was blocked from Emma's view by Fenrir being so close to her, and Emma had to admit to herself she didn't entirely mind. The less she saw Ward, the better.
"I confess that I find myself curious," Ward said.
"Curious of what?" Fenrir snapped.
"What exactly happens to little girls like her when you're involved."
Emma shut down almost immediately. All resolve that she had was gone, giving way to what she could only describe as a near primal fear, but she wasn't sure what it was directed towards. She hugged herself tightly with a soft whimper, her face heating up in pure embarrassment that she wanted to cry. Was her fear directed towards Fenrir? Was it towards Ward? But Ellis had used it as well, pulling in the same reaction. Such an innocuous phrase held a power over her that not even Fenrir himself could possess. She couldn't understand why.
Fenrir's gaze snapped back to her so quickly that Emma visibly flinched. He studied her for a moment and lifted the hand at his side slowly, crooking a finger under her chin to lift her face once more. Emma refused to meet his gaze, already humiliated by the tears in her eyes.
"What did they do to you?" Fenrir whispered to her.
"I don't know," Emma whispered back.
Just as slowly as before, Fenrir brought his thumb up to brush away the stray tears that had fallen down her cheek. Emma lifted her eyes to meet his, surprised to find the lack of coldness in Fenrir's eyes. The last time he had looked at her this way, it was with pity, but this time it was with concern. "You really don't, do you? You should," he answered back after a moment, petting her head gently. "Unless…"
Fenrir straightened up slowly, stroking Emma's cheek as he pulled his hand away. He reached back and handed Emma her bag. He gave her a once over and jerked his head back towards her bed. Emma slipped past Fenrir, eying him nervously as she climbed into the bed, holding her bag on her lap. Her glances bounced between Ward, who looked slightly nervous, and Fenrir, who still didn't move from where he was.
When Fenrir finally turned around, Emma found herself nervous by the power that suddenly exuded off of him. Whatever anger he felt, though not directed towards her, was palpable, and Ward paled considerably. The smile that played at Fenrir's lips made it even worse, and she half expected Ward to bolt, but the man held his ground.
"I think we need to have a little chat, Ward," Fenrir growled, his tone commanding. "Your office. Now."
a/n: My husband hates me for the end of this chapter and Fenrir's quick switch. I think his annoyance with me is hysterical, even though he knows where the story goes. That's all I'm going to say about good ol' Greyback.
Anyway - added side note, I don't know if the website is going to go bonkers again, so I'll mention archiveofourown again. I know it's not fun to switch sites, but it's a lot more transparent with site errors. I'll still update here though, so don't worry! I'm crossposting between here, ao3, and tumblr. :) You'll always be able to find the story somewhere.
Lu! YES! This website has been driving me absolutely insane! I'm glad you liked the last few chapters! I hope this chapter answered a few of your questions, but Emma is definitely still in danger. Fenrir's involved and that's worrying enough as it is. But we'll see what happens! :D
