Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or any of the X-men. The same can be said of the wonderful world of J.K. Rowling. I am not making any profit, but simply having fun. I did however create Emma Winter.

Memories and dreams are in italics.

Edited in March 2021 during lockdown.

Logan had been quiet ever since he returned inside the cottage. He scratched the side of his mutton chops and chewed hard on his unlit cigar while studying intently the kid sitting before him. It was clear to Emma that he had something on his mind, but she would not press him to tell her, instead she sat quietly waiting for her friend to open up to her.

Logan felt vulnerable. He never said anything private to anyone, not even to Rogue who was the closest he had to a child and then the witch was seeing his most personal memories. Even though he cared deeply for Emma, some things were simply too brutal or too personal to show to anyone. There were aspects of him that she had no idea of but would probably get to see through his mind. Logan didn't remember very far back but he remembered enough to wonder if the kid was ready for the visions she was bound to see. They would be ugly, and the mutant wondered if he was being fair to the young witch by letting her see such violence.

Emma had gotten a crash course in what it was to be the Wolverine and she hadn't even batted an eye. It was as if it didn't register with her that he had been responsible for all the killings she had witnessed in his mind. Logan had no explanation for her lack of emotion, he had expected disgust, horror or some kind of emotion that supported that what he had done in his life was considered wrong by every normal person's standard.

However, he was starting to wonder if the normal person standard fit for Emma, it didn't seem to fit her any more than it did him.

At long last, the mutant growled, "I don't think I like you seeing my past in all its glory when I hardly know anything about you."

The young woman sat deep in thought not saying a word and her face looked concentrated as if she was trying to decide if she should talk to him and if so what to say to him. Logan had studied her intently over the last month and noticed that when she bit her lower lip a certain way, she was deep in thought and usually about to say something that she deemed important. He looked sideways at the witch and almost chuckled when he saw Emma staring into space and chewing on her lower lip just like he had expected.

What troubled Logan now and then was how secretive she was. Emma was almost as guarded as he was; the only difference was that she remembered her past while he didn't. The way she naturally shied away from giving any information about herself or her past made it frustrating to work with her on his memory.

"I understand that you feel vulnerable Logan, I am not trying to intrude on your mind but merely trying to help you," Emma said quietly.

"It's going to get much rougher kid, I have lived and done many bad things. At least the things I remember," Logan admitted, his face set in a frown. The kid was too young to see the hell he had been through.

Emma gave him a soft smile, her dark eyes staring into his with such understanding that rattled Logan. At times Emma Winter felt much older than her age as if she had seen too much in her life.

"I too have seen bad things Logan," Emma said and the mutant looked at her curiously.

"Like what?"

"War, death and pure evil. I can't sleep because of the memories," the witch admitted and noticed that Logan's eyes had a startling green gleam to them as he studied her intently. No lies were coming from the witch, whatever she had lived through still haunted her.

"I'm sorry kid," Logan finally said and the witch nodded before her gaze left him and she stared out the window again, her mind whirling how they could help each other to heal.

"How about a tit for tat?" Emma finally suggested looking considerably paler than she had been a few moments ago. Her stomach was rolling in circles at the implications of sharing things with him. She didn't know if it would be the right thing to do, she would try it once and see how it would go. If the feeling was somehow off she would never do that again. Emma wasn't thrilled with her idea, that was for damn sure but if it would help Logan to get happy then perhaps it was worth it.

"What do ya mean?" Logan asked sceptically raising one eyebrow in a signature scowl. What the hell did Emma mean? What were they going to trade? What on earth did she have to trade for his life history and lost memories?

"You showed me your past. I agree with you, it's only fair that I return the favour and let you get to know me instead. I think I need to do this to face my past before I self-destruct, and I trust you to see my past. Maybe I need you to get to know the real me," Emma said hesitantly not sounding entirely convinced of her newest decision.

The beast within him agreed with her wholeheartedly, it was only fair. Logan would feel better knowing some of her past as a weapon just in case of possible hurt in the future. He refused to give her weapons against him without having something to use against her in return. It just wasn't in his nature to be this vulnerable, especially not against someone he hadn't known for a long time.

"You sure kid?" Logan asked considerably more interested than he had been a few moments ago. He was more than willing to get to know a bit about her background since nobody in the mansion seemed to know anything interesting about her. The only one who surely knew something was Xavier and he wasn't spilling.

"It's fair and it will help us both to heal," Emma nodded as if she was trying to convince herself. She wasn't sure; however, it was only right that Logan got to know something about her since she was probing into his head with magic.

Trading stories would put the two on an equal playing field and would lessen his resistance when it came to the legilimens session. By doing that it would be easier for her to find his lost memories that he wanted so much to get back.

Emma also knew that if she had chosen willingly someone to share her past with then Logan would have been high on her list. The witch knew by instinct that he wouldn't betray her. At least she hoped so. Hopefully, the sessions would help both to heal so they could face their futures.

Logan was studying trying to understand the mixed signals that were coming off her in waves. Her eyes were calm pools but her body was not. Emma was upset even though she tried to hide it from him not realizing that one could never hide their emotions completely from a feral mutant. Logan wondered what war she had been that had hurt her so and his curiosity had awoken by her offering to trade stories so to speak.

"Since the theme of your session was childhood, I guess I will tell you about mine," Emma said softly trying to sound relaxed even though Logan could hear her heartbeat speed up and watched as she started to play restlessly with a lone curl that was in her face. Finally, she began her story while fixing her eyes on the wall behind Logan.

"My parents were both from the magical world; they came from long lines of pureblood wizards," She said starting her story.

"That means that in a way they never lived in the real world, with the normal people that didn't have magical powers," Emma added as an explanation at the lost look on Logan's face.

"My father was British and met my mother when on holiday in Italy. They immediately fell in love and got the approval of their families to marry within the year. As they came from similar aristocratic backgrounds their families were more than happy with their union of two quite well-off families. My parents were only twenty when they became Mr and Mrs Winter.

As being pureblood wizards there was a burden on their shoulders, especially my father's. Many of the pureblood community believed in getting rid of all muggles from the wizard community. Muggles were people who were born into normal families and then grew up to have magical powers. A very strong wizard had made a secret community within the pureblood world to get rid of wizards from this world, the so-called mudbloods. That word was and is the worst derogatory word you can use of someone coming from the muggle world. I have myself seen it used a handful of times, always been repaid in some way back because of the severe insult it implies.

As my parents were both from pureblood families it was expected and encouraged for them to participate in the secret community in some way or another. From what I gather they never did anything to hurt anyone physically, but they had been working as spies at the Ministry of Magic for a while before I was born.

My parents had been more and more reluctant to do this as they were working with many muggles and many of them became their steadfast friends. They looked for a way out but it was unheard of to leave the group that later became known by the horrible words Death eaters. It is still today the worst category a wizard or witch can fall into and a one that makes most terrified of you instantly.

Finally my father, Edward, decided to talk to his old headmaster from the time he was studying to become a wizard. This school is called Hogwarts and is one of the top five wizard schools in the world. The headmaster had known my father since he was eleven years old and had first enrolled in the school. Dumbledore is the headmaster's name, and my father went to him pouring out his heart. He told him he was unhappy, that he wanted to get out and what should he do to get him, his wife and his future child into safety.

He admitted that Seraphina his wife was now pregnant with their first child and they had taken a collective decision to leave Voldemort's troops for the protection of their unborn child."

"That was you?" Logan asked lighting his cigar and listening with curiosity to her. Emma had been more than willing to give him the story after starting and the world she told him about was like a parallel universe. It was surprising to him to hear that it had even existed on the earth he knew.

"Yes, that was me. My mother was only a few months pregnant when Dumbledore helped them to get away. They left the magical world, took up other names and were relatively happy. They lived like muggles, had me and lived for a while quite comfortably albeit in hiding.

The attack on them was made when they were driving home one evening with me in the backseat. My parents were found lifeless in the car and the police never understood what had happened, especially since I was there alive and without a scratch on me. The car was parked by the road and they were dead. No trauma was on them, they simply looked sleeping. Now of course Aurors, who work as magical policemen, concluded that it had been the killing curse. They never found the perpetrators but of course, there was no doubt what group had done it."

"And you?" Logan asked gruffly chewing on his cigar and taking a large swig of his beer. Emma looked as if she didn't even know that she was crying, or that her voice cracked in some places if the story showing her distress.

"I was three when I became an orphan. The will of my parents declared Dumbledore my guardian until I would come of age on my 18th birthday. There was no way for him to have me at the school as my existence was to be a secret until he would decide what to do with me. Mrs Ashbrook, who I always called auntie, raised me from that time as Dumbledore had full trust in her to guard me as she was a retired teacher of Hogwarts and a formidable witch. She was a friend of Dumbledore who couldn't take me in while I was so little even though he was my legal guardian.

She raised me in a small magical village in Britain and called me her niece even though I was not. My childhood was from that point on quiet and uneventful. Exactly what Dumbledore and my parents had wanted. I would perhaps have opted for a little bit more action, but my childhood was above else safe. When my magical abilities started to come to light Dumbledore and Mrs Ashbrook were delighted. I never understood that there was something different from having magical abilities until I went into the real world and realized that we are so few compared to non-magical folk.

Dumbledore and Mrs Ashbrook decided I would go to Hogwarts as soon as my age allowed me like with all magical children. It had been verified that none of the Death Eaters knew of my existence. By the time that I went to Hogwarts, it was safe for me to use my last time, as it had been concluded that those that killed my parents were not after me.

Dumbledore visited me regularly when I was a child. I knew him by the name of uncle Albus. I loved him dearly as I did Mrs Ashbrook but Dumbledore knew how to gain the love of a child. He showered me with sweets every time he visited and in return, he got the love of a child that was desperate for any kind of affection.

When I was twelve Mrs Ashbrook passed away quietly in ripe old age of one hundred eighty. The age never surprised me until I found out that muggles were considered lucky to reach the tender age of eighty. The magical community usually has at least twice as long of a lifespan as a normal person. Dumbledore didn't tell me he had been my legal guardian until just minutes before my 18th birthday. That was the year of my graduation and I had no idea what I would do with my life after that. Dumbledore decided to offer me a teaching position at Hogwarts that I quickly accepted as I had no idea what to do with my life after the war.

So I had a strange education as a child. I heard stories of unicorns, fairies and other magical beings. Most of the creatures I saw as a child the non-magical folk only hear about in fairy tales."

Emma looked at Logan in amazement, "you know I have never told anyone the whole story, just snippets here and there."

"I think you have a good idea kid, and it will be my pleasure to help you deal with whatever you saw in your war," Logan said seriously. Emma had been right; it was fair that they would know of each other like that, it somehow made the whole thing a little less painful. She had indeed had a different upbringing from the children that were raised at Xavier's and elsewhere, but it made him understand her better as his memories made her see him in a new light.

"Yes, it's fair trade and now we can go to have a drink. How does that sound?" Emma asked smiling widely and wanting to shake off the chains of the past that laid heavily on her heart after going so many years back in time.

"The drink sounds great," Logan admitted looking at her grinning teasingly.

Emma laughed, "I thought so."

"But first," Logan said and stood up and pulled Emma up with him, "first a hug."

Emma smiled softly and nodded, her arms wrapping around his waist while the big mutant held her tightly. Her nose filled with the scent of cigars and Emma sighed in content. Logan tilted his chin on top of her head and stood for the longest while holding the young woman in his arms and feeling nothing but peace in his heart.

Finally, he let her go, grinned down at her teasingly and said, "let's go kid."