Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if that's you.

Author's Note: So…werewolves are creatures, and I'm gonna say that the wolf part makes up for the human part, making them creatures with high intelligence. (Don't mind me. People make me tired occasionally.)

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 11); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Golden Times; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Old Shoes; In a Flash (Y)
House: Hufflepuff
Assignment No.: Term 11 – Assignment 03
Subject (Task No.): Magical Law & Government (Task#4: Write about a creature of high intelligence.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Insane House Challenge [163] (Memories); 365 [215] (Paradise); Scavenger Hunt [74] (Write a fic from a creature or animal's PoV); Galleon (mittens)
Space Address (Prompt): Su Bingo [2E] (Hike)
Representation(s): Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks; Starting a Family
Bonus Challenges: In the Trench; Surprise!; Grease Monkey; Most Human Bean; Second Verse (Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Found Family; Nontraditional; Middle Name; Unwanted Advice; Lovely Coconuts); Chorus (Wabi Sabi; Odd Feathers; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Tomorrow's Shade; Unicorn; Creature Feature)
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Thimble); SN (Rail)
Word Count: 564

(^^)
He Will Be Loved
(^^)

Remus watched as his pregnant wife navigated the snowy paradise around them. She was wearing a pair of thick woolen mittens that contrasted nicely with the dark goldenrod and black of her winter cloak. They were a rich burgundy, and he was fairly certain that she had stolen them from his jacket. They were definitely too big for her hands as they kept slipping. It made the wolf in him growl with possessive happiness to see his mate wearing something of his, even if it was such a minor thing.

It was slow going, relearning to accept the wolf within. He had never really been comfortable with him, after growing up with his father's aside comments about werewolves being monsters. Oh, Lyall Lupin had never said anything directly to him along those lines, but he had plenty to say when he had thought that his son hadn't been listening. After the Marauders had discovered Remus' furry little secret, things had gotten better until the setback in fifth year when Sirius had his spectacularly stupid idea to tell Snape about the Whomping Willow. Then Lily had swept in like an avenging angel which had the dual effect of Sirius groveling like the dog he sometimes was while also looking at Lily with a worshipful expression best matched by James' own. Things had been improving steadily those last few years.

Then in a single night, the pack he had grown used to having around him for comfort and safety had been destroyed. Lily and James had been killed, and their cub disappeared like fog at sunrise. Sirius had been sent to Azkaban, for the crime of betraying Lily and James (which had been a real blow, because everything in Remus had screamed that Sirius would never do that) and killing Peter. The grief had damn near killed Remus, and like a coward, he had run from anything resembling the life he had had. Only Dumbledore's summons had brought him back, even if it was Harry for whom Remus had stayed.

That's how he met Dora. She had been annoyingly insistent on pursuing him, filled with pure Hufflepuff determination to show him that he was more than a broken down, old werewolf. She hadn't accepted his self-sacrificing protestations or recriminating deflections. And now here they were, married and expecting their first child.

Dora froze in mid-step and pressed one of her mitten-covered hands to her baby bump. Remus immediately made his way to her side, every instinct ready to defend his mate. The moment he was in reach, she grabbed one of his hands and pressed it to her stomach. There was a tense moment of stillness. Then something pressed out from within Dora.

"Is that—?" Remus asked in awe.

"Uh-huh," Dora agreed, flushing with pleasure to the tips of her hair. The burgundy was nearly as a match for the stolen mittens. The baby retreated a bit before stretching out hard enough to make Dora grunt. "They're certainly being active today! Maybe they like the snow?"

"Yeah," Remus agreed. He wasn't going to mention that he was a bit restless, too, because the full moon was less than a week away and that was just how it went. If Dora wanted to ignore the possibility of the baby being a werewolf, then he could, too. Either way, the cub was going to be so loved.