Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related. Any terminology, places or people that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Three

"Well Dorcas, welcome home." Dorcas smiled as her father spoke, making his way into the kitchen with his wife, obviously getting prepared to make dinner. Dorcas grabbed her trunk and started to heave it up the stairs to her bedroom. They had a modest home, with 4 bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms. The ½ her father added magically when Dorcas wanted a bathroom of her own. She made it upstairs and opened her bedroom door. It was just as she remembered it. A picture of Queen, the band, was above her bed, while pictures of her and her friends dominated the rest of the walls. A new picture of her and Sirius was on the nightstand, taken at Christmas when they had only been together for a few days. She smiled happily, heaved her trunk onto her bed, opened it, and started to unpack.

Meanwhile, at the Bennett household, the family was around the dining room table eating dinner, Roxanne's father Noah was talking spiritedly about the store he recently acquired.

"Thank god that that man left me with such a good list of contacts. I knew it was going to hard work you know, managing a store and everything, but I didn't even think about suppliers! Thank goodness that he had been doing this for so long. I was so grateful that before he left he sat down and had a talk with me, you know. He obviously wants the store to do well, even if he cannot do it himself. So luckily, he left me with a huge list of practically everything I needed. Even going so far as to tell me who had the best stuff for cheapest!" He took a breath and reached for his glass of water.

"That's really cool dad, that was really nice of him," Roxanne said after swallowing.

"Indeed Roxanne, indeed. You know I'm going to need your help this summer. We already talked about it. Even though the man was knowledgeable, he was definitely not very organized. We are going to have to go through everything. Catalog it and all that, so it won't be easy."

Roxanne nodded. "I know dad. I'll help. I already told all my friends that they could get off their lazy bums and help as well."

The family laughed. "Okay then. I'll let you have a rest tomorrow, but after that, I'll need you to report to the store as soon as you wake up."

Roxanne nodded again. "Got it. I won't let you down dad."

"Daddy! Why can't I help?" Olivia, Roxanne's little sister, whined.

"Unfortunately Olive, I have a feeling that if you went you would be more of a hindrance then a help."

Roxanne snorted into her food. "But, if you promise to be good, I swear I'll let you come once in a while," her dad said after giving Roxanne a look.

Olivia stuck her tongue out at her big sister and smiled. "Thanks daddy!" Roxanne rolled her eyes. Olivia was twelve, but she sure didn't act like it. She had figured out that if she put on a disgusting baby voice and whined that her father would cave to mostly anything the girl wanted.

"Won't you be bored in a Quidditch shop Olivia dear?" Roxanne's mother Charlotte asked patiently.

"No mother, I'll be fine," Olivia said rolling her eyes. Charlotte just shook her head.

In the heart of London, Rhiannon had just finished unpacking all her things and headed into the living room of their family flat. Her mother was sitting on the couch, doing some cross stitching, and her father was nowhere to be seen.

"Why do you do that mother?" Rhiannon asked, looking down at the sewing.

"It relaxes me Rhiannon, and with you coming home for the summer, I need about as much of it as I can get," her mother Rebecca said, with the hint of a joke.

Roxanne just rolled her eyes and sat on a comfy chair. "Where's dad?"

"In his study of course, where else would he be?"

Rhiannon's father was the assistant to the head of the Department of Magical Transportation in the Ministry of Magic and he was very set on becoming head in the very near future. Dedicated to his job, the man never had much time for his family.

Rhiannon nodded. "Yes, I'm not sure where else he would be. Does he know I'm home?"

"I'm not sure Rhi, you'd have to ask him."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes again and got up, heading to her fathers study. She was pretty sure he would hate being bothered, but she wanted to see him. She went to the door and knocked quietly.

"Rebecca, I told you not to bother me. I'm in the middle of something important!" Her fathers voice cracked out like a whip, obviously irritated.

"It's me daddy, I'm home," she said uncertainly, hoping he would want to see her.

"Come in."

Rhiannon opened the door and cautiously stuck her head in. Her father was sitting at his desk, papers placed all over, obviously in the middle of something. "Yes? Come in Rhiannon."

She walked into the room and toward her fathers desk. "Hello father, I got home today." She said meekly.

"Yes, yes, I can see that. How was your term?" He asked, barely looking up.

"It was fine. My O.W.L.'s went okay. I hope I did good on them."

Her fathers eyes narrowed. "You know me and your mother expect good marks Rhiannon. Did you study hard? I trust you didn't fool around, you were taught better."

Rhiannon flinched a little at her fathers harsh tone. The only person in the world who could make her flinch. Well, her father being one, and Albus Dumbledore being the other.

"I didn't daddy, I studied hard. Honest."

"Good. Now if you don't mind, I'm quite busy. I'll see you here in awhile for dinner and we can talk then. Help your mother won't you? Get that damn cross stitching away from her."

"Yes father. I'll see you at dinner." Rhiannon got up quickly and left the room. She walked back into the living room, but her mother had disappeared, so she headed to the kitchen instead to help with dinner as her father instructed. When she reached the kitchen, her mother was bent over in the refrigerator looking for something. Rhiannon cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Rhiannon, would you rather have salad or corn on the cob?"

"Salad, for sure. Corn gets stuck in my teeth. Not attractive."

Her mother chuckled. "Okay, salad it is." Rhiannon had just noticed something sizzling on the stove and went to investigate.

"Pork chops?" She asked looking down at the mystery meat. Her mother nodded and started cutting up lettuce for the salad. "What do you need me to do mum? Father said to help."

"There's some tomatoes in the cooler, if you don't want those, there's some sprouts in there too we can use instead. Sorry for the leftovers, your dad hasn't been available to take me shopping."

"It's fine, and I'll get out the sprouts, tomatoes make salad soggy."

Her mother chuckled again. "How did you get so picky? I know you didn't get if from me, I like mostly anything."

Rhiannon smiled and just shook her head, shrugging slightly. After a pause she asked, "So, has anyone found out yet?" '

Rebecca tensed up, obviously caught off guard. "Now why would you ask me that?" She said a little harshly.

"I deserve to know. If I'm expected to lie for him, I should know whats going on. He cannot keep it a secret for much longer."

Her mother shook her head. "No body is going to find out. Especially if you keep your mouth shut." It sounded like a threat.

"They are going after muggle-borns mother! It's only a matter of time before the Ministry is infiltrated. It may already be. There are Death Eaters everywhere, ready to pounce on a moments notice! They won't care who's assistant he is, once they find out what he is!" Rhiannon's face turned red and her voice had risen to almost a shout.

"Keep your voice down! Do you want him to hear you, you crazy girl? Now just help me make the salad and keep quiet, or else everyone will know by just listening to you shout." Her mother's hands had balled into a fist, it seemed to take everything her mother had to not hit her daughter.

"You are ridiculous. Face the facts. They will find out," Rhiannon's voice had gone the opposite way, it was deathly quiet now.

"Pork chops?" Brandon, her father, had just walked into the kitchen. He stopped suddenly when he saw the two women face to face, obviously angry with each other. "Now what is this?" Her mother smoothed her hair down and put on a smile. "Nothing dear, just a little spat about Rhiannon's O.W.L.'s."

Brandon scowled. "You did do well, didn't you Rhiannon?"

Rhiannon's face was still red, but she spoke calmly. "Well, I guess we'll see in a couple weeks. Maybe sooner."

"Indeed. Now lets get some food before it gets cold shall we?" Her father sat at the table, gestured for the girls to do the same and used magic to serve everyone. The meal passed in stony silence, each thinking the same thing, but none wanting to bring it up.

"Is that vanilla?" Remus asked his mother as they walked though the door of their inner city home. His mother smiled, and pointed at a big vanilla scented candle on a coffee table sitting in the middle of the living room. "Smells nice," he commented.

"Thank you dear. You know how I adore the smell," his mother smiled again.

"Yes," he said, smiling back at her. His father came in behind his mother, dragging Remus's trunk. "Well Remus," his father started. "I'll leave you to deal with the trunk and your mother and I will go try to rustle up some dinner."

Remus laughed. "Okay dad." John smiled at his only son.

Remus made his way to the back of the house where his room was located. It was slightly cramped, and it made him miss their old house in the country. The Lupin's spent a good 2 years perfecting a little house on the outskirts of London when Remus was a child. It was a wonderful two story log home that was very roomy. The Lupin's had abandoned the home however after Remus received his bite. They tried to stay, but his mother could hardly sleep at night and kept nervously peering out the windows, afraid the werewolf would come back. So, they moved to the inner city where there was a mass population of people so the werewolf wouldn't dare try to present himself. Remus lifted his trunk onto his bed and a guilty knot weaved into his stomach. He tried not to, his parents always told him it wasn't his fault, but sometimes, he still felt like it was. Remus sighed and sat on his bed, getting lost in his thoughts. After a while, he shook himself out of them.

"What's done is done. You can't change it, so stop dwelling on it," he told himself sternly. His stomach growled, so he abandoned the unpacking and made his way out of the room. When he arrived in the living room, his parents were nowhere to be seen, but a newspaper laying haphazardly on the couch caught his attention. He strolled over to it and picked it up, the headline was of course about Voldemort. He rifled though it absentmindedly, when a page that looked like it had been cried on caught his attention. He folded the newspaper over and a lump rose in his throat.

WEREWOLF ATTACKS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Remus scanned the article sadly. "Keep all your children inside on a full moon. Make sure they understand and are aware the dangers of werewolves at all times." This didn't upset Remus to terribly, werewolves were dangerous, but the next point made him almost start bawling. "Try not to consort with werewolves even in their human form as getting too attached could cloud the judgment when it comes to the dangers."

Remus collapsed on the sofa, defeated. 'I can't believe this. Why... why would they tell people this? I don't have human form. I'm more human than werewolf.' Remus felt tears starting to come down his cheek and with anger, he wiped them away. At that moment, his mother walked into the room.

"Remus? Supper is almost ready dear. Come serve..." she stopped dead when she saw the newspaper in his hand. Remus stood up and chucked the newspaper aside nonchalantly. "I'm ready, I'm coming," he told her tonelessly. He walked passed her and into the kitchen. His mother just stood there looking like she was about to cry.

When they all sat around the table, Remus and his mother were silent.

"Potatoes Remus?" His father asked, obviously lost as to why his family looked so miserable. Remus just nodded and took the bowl from his father. "What is it? What's wrong son."

Remus shook his head. "Nothing dad. I'm just tired. A little moody. The full moon is coming up."

"Not for a couple weeks," his father said smartly. "Are you sure that's all that's wrong?"

"You would know wouldn't you?"

Remus's father looked very surprised. "Of course I need to know when the full moon is son. Why wouldn't I know that?"

"Just so you can make sure you can stay away from the dangers of having me for a son." Remus didn't really know where his anger was coming from. He was just so tired of it all. He didn't want to be Remus Lupin anymore.

John looked even more surprised at that. "Where is this coming from Remus? I thought you had dealt with this. You are not a monster. You are my son and I love you, werewolf or not. Now what is really bothering you? Please tell me."

Georgia, his mother, interjected. "The newspaper. I left it on the couch. He read it. You know how those people at the newspaper are, telling everyone that werewolves are extremely dangerous even when they are not transformed. It's rubbish, absolute rubbish and somebody needs to go down there and give them a piece of their mind," she said very fast, agitated and it sounded like she was about to cry again. "Why do people have to be so ignorant?" She added.

Remus's father looked understanding. "Remus please. Don't take it personally. They are just afraid of what they don't understand."

Then Remus did something he never did before. He stood up and started shouting. "DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY? How can I not take it personally? I'm a monster! An animal! People are never going to understand because they don't care! I might as well go and get put down like the animal I am. The world would be better off without me in it anyway!"

His mother gasped. "Remus! Please don't say that! You can't think that. We would be devastated without you!"

Remus ignored her. "I just don't get why Greyback couldn't have just killed me!" He had figured out the name of his attacker very recently and his parents looked surprised.

"Son, don't. You are our son. We love you," his father said again in a calm voice. "Think about how your friends would react to what you are saying right now. Now, I'm not going to lie to you. You are never going to be everyone's favorite person, but who cares! People are just scared. There is a war going on and people say things that they don't mean. Please, don't let what they say defeat you. You can't. It would be playing right into their hands. Don't let them win."

Remus couldn't take it anymore. He left the kitchen and went to his room, slamming the door behind him. His parents stayed at the table, looking distraught. "Should I go talk to him?" His mother asked sadly, tears starting to roll down her face.

"No Georgia. Give him some time. He needs time."

A.N. A little shorter than my usual chapter, but I really wanted to include it. Hope you guys like it. :)