Fenrir has some separation anxiety

-Three weeks earlier (September 1st)-

Fenrir was having a significantly better week than he had been in any way shape or form anticipating. He'd been steadfastly dreading his children leaving for school for nearly a full calendar year, and the aching biting weight of it had begun to eat at his gut like an ulcer. In their last few August days at home he'd become borderline hysterical with fear and anxiety about them being away from home without him, defenseless and vulnerable, surrounded by potential enemies. It had regrettably gotten to the point that his obnoxiously observant and deviously meddlesome daughter had easily discovered his worries and taken it upon herself to see that they were wrapped up neatly.

She had managed to fix everything with a single letter to the right person at the right time, and he'd been kicking himself for not reaching out to the solicitor sooner. Andromeda had given him the man's information after all, he really only had himself to blame for getting so worked up instead of doing something proactive. More and more he was finding himself either paralyzed into inaction or rushing into over-reaction where his children were involved. His instincts weren't serving him well, and he felt nearly constantly wrong-footed.

Especially after the big meeting in Gwynedd.

Once the headmaster and the lawyer had finally both left, he'd had to deal with a lustful and worked up Lupin. He still wasn't sure exactly what it was that had the man suddenly panting after him so desperately, and poor Remus had seemed absolutely mortified by his own behavior afterwards. They'd been avoiding each other since, and it felt as awkward as it did lonely. He'd come to like the man, and he hadn't wanted to take advantage of him when he'd been so clearly out of his mind, but it had taken more strength of will than he'd be willing to admit to turn him away. He was certain he wouldn't have been able to resist if the man hadn't seemed quite so affected, it had come on so quick and unprovoked that his behavior resembled someone under a compulsion or lust potion and had felt distinctly wrong to act on in the moment.

He'd received word from Rowle only a day later that Dumbledore had come through for them, and that the paperwork had all been processed and filed blisteringly fast as far as British bureaucracy was concerned. The adoption of his son was fully legal and above board. His custody rights were iron clad, and couldn't be challenged by anyone. Even the boy's godfather Sirius Black would have to formally request visitation should he ever be freed, and he and Harry both had the right to reject it if they chose to. The solicitor had even put in a special motion for the muggle family who had so harmed his boy to be obliviated and relocated, which was pending approval.

It had taken an enormous weight off of his chest and he'd felt confident going into his second meeting with the headmaster, he knew he was feeling in a much more advantageous position. Rowle had negotiated and advocated for his children's full moon rights like a heavyweight champion. The man had ended up drafting a viciously nasty contract defending them from ever being given wolfsbane, dictating the highly specific conditions that had to occur for them to ever be in any way restrained, and granting them the right to leave campus for the day and night of the full moon in perpetuity of their education.

The only roadblock had been the board of governors needing to be called in to review and approve it as they had ultimate oversight on any individualized educational contracts, but he had found an unexpected ally in Lucius Malfoy. Even though the man had only done it to please his wife, he had really come through for them in bringing the other conservative governors to heel. He had made sure that the contract protecting the children was not only signed but that a confidentiality clause had been added that functioned like an NDA.

He was surprised to have been stopped by Madam Longbottom after the board meeting and told that she was pleased their children had made friends. It had been a few days since school started and he hadn't received any post from either of his children yet, and he'd told her as such. She'd cackled at him and winked on her way out, insisting that she didn't want to spoil any surprises he was sure to soon get. That had puzzled him a bit, but he was glad to know his kids were at least being social.

Finally on Thursday evening of that first week an owl had arrived.

Dated September 5th, 1991
From the study table in our common room
Gryffindor tower, Hogwarts
Near Hogsmeade, Scotland

Dear Dad,

Sorry for taking a few days to write! We were both sorted into Gryffindor and are still getting used to sharing a room with other kids. My roommates are Lavender, Parvati (who has a twin sister in Ravenclaw), and Sally Anne. Harry's roommates are Seamus, Dean, and Neville (who I met on the train and is my new best friend!). Ron and Draco were sorted into Slytherin together, and we were a bit worried about Ron at first but he seems happy enough. We've had almost all our classes so far for the week except for potions, which is tomorrow. I'm glad we got to learn so much from Remus and Geetha, but I'm worried we might be fairly far ahead of our classmates for quite a while. Our first charms lesson was just lighting a lumos and everyone but us struggled!

You should know that Mr Rowle's son Thorfinn might make trouble. He met us on the train at his dad's instruction and absolutely lost his mind when he realized we're wolves. He wasn't very kind, and seemed genuinely terrified of us. He got a howler from his dad and he apologized to me in front of the whole school, it was pretty embarrassing. We met Kipper, apparently she's bonded with you and me through our adoption bond with Harry. Don't be surprised if she comes to see you, she said you were her new master. We're gonna try and see if we can visit her on the weekend maybe once she's had a chance to have a bit of a rest. Apparently it was really hard on her to have to tell everyone about what happened to her and the Potters.

We'll write more in a few days, Love you dad!
Hermione 3

Hey Dad,

Nene and I are fine, we've settled into our rooms and they're comfortable. Our range of hearing easily covers the entire tower, but there's a security flaw I don't like where girls can get into the boy's side but boys can't get into the girl's side. She says it's just to keep out randy little mashers, but I don't like the idea of not being able to get up to her room if she needs me. Makes me a bit anxious if I'm being honest.

She scared the shite out of me running off and disappearing on the train, but it turns out she just made a new friend. Her and Neville are practically joined at the hip, he's a nice bloke and seems harmless enough. They both get a bit starry eyed when they're around each other, and I suppose it's sort of cute. There was a bit of an issue the first night with some of our house mates making her feel like she shouldn't eat as much as she needed, but I got it sorted by summoning a kitchen elf and having him tell her it wasn't actually extra work or an inconvenience to feed us more.

I like Kipper and I'm excited to go see her again soon, but I'm worried about her mental state. My birth parents dying clearly messed with her head something tragic, and I hope she can move on and make a new life with us or she might be very unhappy in the long run. She did seem really happy when she realized she was bonded to you and Nene through me, so that was encouraging. Fingers crossed I guess.

Also not to contradict her majesty, but Rowle's son wasn't just "unkind" he called us filthy half-breeds and dark creatures and said we shouldn't be allowed in school, and we have it on direct eye witness account from Ron and Draco that he told the entire bloody Slytherin house that first night that we're werewolves. A quarter of the student body because one idiot blabbed. His apology was pathetic, and I certainly wouldn't have accepted it but his head of house told Hermione that she could start a blood feud if she rejected it. She's way too forgiving. His dad's howler was next level though, he called his own son a "hateful disobedient little fool" in front of the whole bleeding school and it was the single loudest thing I've ever heard in my life.

Heads up by the way - Something's seriously wrong with either the defense classroom or the professor. It smells so strongly of death and decomp I'd be genuinely half convinced he killed someone and hid the body under the bleeding floorboards if it wasn't all solid stone. Like it's actually no laughing matter, I think there's a corpse in the walls or something.

Love you dad, see you in a few weeks
Harry

He sighed with relief at seeing his children's handwriting, laughed at his girl's antics, tensed when he read there might be trouble, and raged the entire time he read Harry's much more honest letter. Who the fuck did that little prick think he was terrorizing his kids and spreading rumors? Was he trying to get them killed? At least it sounded like Rowle had brought his little bastard to heel, but he hated the public nature of it all.

He was conflicted between scathing distaste and intense fatherly pride that his son had so blatantly turned informant on his sister unprompted. On the one hand he would be having words with her for leaving out important details, but on the other hand he hadn't thought he'd raised a snitch. Maybe his boy was maturing and had finally realized that the best betas held their alphas accountable rather than always trying to cover for them. It was no secret in their little family that Harry more often than not tried to take the blame for whatever mischievous schemes his naughty daughter had roped her brother into helping her with.

His Hermione had shown some character growth herself lately as well though. He'd been proud to observe that the last few times they'd been caught out she'd admitted to guilt before her brother could try and pin the wrongdoing on himself alone. As much hope as her newfound sense of responsibility gave him for her future behavior, her growing independence was causing him no end of headaches. It had started the very moment she had taken the Black Lordship seat, and he could admit he was at least partially to blame for setting that into motion.

Since hearing that there was a whole extended house and family she was in charge of and whose care she was responsible for, she'd taken to squirreling herself away and intentionally conducting business outside of his parental purview. He didn't think it was a matter of distrust, more likely her wanting to act like a little adult and feel as if she'd gotten important things done. He probably should have gotten her a pet to take care of in the last year for her to safely work that impulse out on.

It had been one thing to write letters to family he hadn't been particularly keen on her meeting, it was entirely another that she was arranging meetings for him with lawyers without letting him know beforehand. He should have seen this type of behavior coming when she'd essentially come home with a brother at age six. He'd need to have a stern word with her when he saw her next. The last thing he wanted was for her to think she couldn't tell him things and escalate her withdrawing away from him and acting independently, but she needed to know there were boundaries he wasn't comfortable with her crossing. Parenthood was all about boundaries, theirs had never been great but that was something they could work on together as a family.

It rankled at him that accepting her title had rendered her legally an adult. He didn't like that she could act entirely without his knowing if she wanted to. There was every possibility and likelihood that she had conducted other banking and family business without his input or say so. It made his skin crawl, not because he wanted to control every aspect of her life, but because she was very much still a child. As bright and clever as she was, there were things she still didn't understand about the way the world worked.

How could he protect her when she was off doing gods knows what? He wanted to respect her growing up but it was becoming unbearable. To his face she was still his sweet deferential and obedient baby, but as soon as he left her on her own for a minute she became headstrong and rushed into things. And now his son was caught in the middle between them. It was untenable.

He told himself that he at least had a few weeks to stew on these thoughts and feelings before finally seeing his children again on the night of the full moon.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Before he realized it the weekend had passed and he received another letter from his children on Sunday evening, a week to the day after he'd sent them off to school.

Dated September 8th, 1991
From the study table in the nonfiction section
The Library, Hogwarts
Near Hogsmeade, Scotland

Dear Dad,

You won't believe the last few days we've had! We had potions class and it went really well, Neville and I worked together and he and I earned 12 points each for Gryffindor for making the best potion and for pointing out expired ingredients to the professor. He was impressed by our observational skills, and he doesn't seem like an easy man to impress!

We met Kipper again, and she was happy to see us. Fred and George showed us how to get to the kitchens and they're nearly as big as the entire compound! You should call on her some time soon, she's recovered and I'm sure she'd be happy to see you and help out with anything around the house you need a hand with. Let her cook you a meal every once in a while and I'm sure she'll be thrilled to bits.

There's some more things that we need to tell you when we see you in person, things we found out from the goblins and house elves we've become friends with, but it's complicated and confidential and I'm not sure how much I should say. The things I want to tell you need to be said face to face. I will always defer to your wisdom and guidance, alpha, but there is a clear direction my heart is guiding me and I am not sure if we will agree on the best path forward.

Lots of love,
Hermione

Dad,

For once in her life Nene's being alarmingly modest, the Slytherin professor actually said she saved student lives by telling him about his ingredients that had gone bad or were the wrong thing entirely. And this is coming from a bloke who just sort of generally acts like he wouldn't piss on a Gryffindor if they were on fire. Apparently he's Draco's godfather and he says it's certifiably unusual behavior for him.

We went to visit Kip like she told you, and discovered some very interesting information about the nature of our small friends that will need to be investigated further. There's something going on with them that they're prevented from telling anyone, and it's a bit creepy. They called it a geas, but couldn't say more.

We got some letters from our friends at the bank telling us that they're planning to go on strike soon and asking us not to cross their picket line. Nene wants our family to support their efforts, and the kitchen staff we spoke with were interested in becoming involved as well. You should make an appointment with our friend and ask him to discuss our family's contribution to their cause. We don't want to overstep your authority as our patriarch, but the two of us are on the same mind on this matter, and have decided that we're onboard to support our friends whether the rest of the family decides to join or not.

Please advise

Love you,
Harry

Fenrir had to read the last paragraph three times before it clicked for him that his son was discussing siding with the goblins in their next rebellion. With the help of the school's house elves somehow. This was fucking exactly the sort of thing he'd been afraid of his daughter's independence building up to. Not- not this exactly, he hadn't anticipated an interspecies nonhuman uprising, but rather her becoming insolent and bucking his authority sooner than any of them were ultimately ready for.

He didn't want to have to come down on her. He didn't want to punish his child for being good and for wanting to do good. He always told her how much he adored her kind and compassionate heart, how could he justify repudiating her when she was only following it? But could he allow this - could he allow his child to so blatantly ignore his authority as her alpha in this way? Then again - could he in any way actually stop her without risking losing the girl he loved with all his heart?

He read the last paragraph one more time, his eyes catching on that damning final sentence - whether the rest of the family decides to join us or not. They weren't asking for his permission, or even his blessing. They would act with or without his approval or his participation in their scheme. He was utterly dumbfounded that the respectful children he had raised were even capable of so directly challenging him.

He couldn't trust himself to respond right away, he would say something that he wouldn't be able to take back. Lay down unfair ultimatums that would only drive them further away. He had to be in the right frame of mind to handle this delicately, and at the moment he absolutely wasn't. Setting down their letter, he strode into the kitchen and reached up into the highest cupboard behind the refrigerator, pulling out a dusty old half full bottle of Macallan that he hadn't touched in years. Not even pretending to consider getting a glass, he flicked the cap off and immediately guzzled several mouthfuls down. His throat was hot and he rasped out a heavy exhale and panted for a moment.

As much as he'd been endlessly worried about his kids the last week that they'd been gone, he'd also spent a good portion of his time steadfastly trying to ignore the confusing mix and muddle of feelings that had shown up during the initial meeting with Rowle. While he'd been frustrated with Lupin for the man's sudden and distracting lust in the middle of things, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since that day. And now, with his anger at its pinnacle and his blood up, he felt like a tiger pacing in its cage.

He left his house and stalked across the compound to the young men's dorm Remus was staying in. He stopped at the door, and ran his hands over his face. Fuck, was he really going to go try and get a leg over in the same building where over two dozen of his own bastards lived? He suddenly felt keenly vulnerable and embarrassed by his own impulses, and turned to leave. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he spun back around with a snarl on his lips.

It fell from his face when he saw exactly the man he'd been looking for, and he sighed and tried to smile but it was tight and miserable. Remus had clearly been about to ask him what he needed or wanted, but laughed at his awkward expression "What's got your tail in a twist?" The man asked him playfully, and without a second though he answered "You, to be honest," Remus reared back fractionally, eyes wide "Me? What on earth did I do?" He asked, startled.

Fenrir closed his eyes briefly in mortification and groaned quietly. He wanted to dig a hole in the ground here and bury himself in it. Avoiding the other man's eyes he scratched the side of his neck "You might as well have mounted and rode me in that cafe, and I haven't been able to get the thought of it out of my mind," he muttered, suddenly terrified that he was about to ruin the progress he'd made with the other man over the last year.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Or do anything about it," he backpedaled instantly, trying to do damage control "I came over here frustrated and hoping you still felt the same way, but if you don't it's alright. It's fine," he said feeling more than a bit pathetic. As the moment stretched longer the silence between them felt deafening and heavy.

"I'm pretty sure Sirius is my mate- was my mate," the other man said quietly, breaking the silence with a hammer. Fenrir's heart dropped and he reached out to touch without thinking. He was deliriously glad when Remus clutched his arm and pressed his cheek into his hand rather than flinching away. Gods be good but they were the same, exactly the bloody same "It's an unimaginable pain," he said softly "one I'm intimately familiar with," he added. The other man nodded and closed his eyes. When he spoke it was hushed.

"For so many years I've been furious with him. Not for betraying James and Lilly, because I don't think he did. Not for killing Peter and all those muggles, because I think he must have gone mad by that point. Not even for getting himself taken away from me, for leaving me all by myself without him. For abandoning our boy when he needed us. For letting someone else take Harry away instead of delivering him safely to my arms like he should have! When I saw you prioritize the child that I should have raised, the boy who feels like my son in all but name and blood - seeing you take care of him and love him and put him first, I was filled with an overwhelming desire I haven't felt in ages. I thought Sirius destroyed the part of me that could feel like that. Seeing you be such a good dad so effortlessly brought it all rushing back to the surface," he said a bit sheepishly, shrugging.

A very attractive rosy flush colored his scarred cheeks, and Fenrir felt lightheaded.

His chest filled with warmth at the other man's words, and he ducked his head low and chuckled "I'm not exactly feeling like a good dad right now… My girl is driving me absolutely bloody insane, I thought they weren't supposed to start rebelling until they were teenagers," he said shaking his head and puffing out his cheeks. A masculine hand lifted his chin gently, and wasn't that something new and pleasant? Remus had a beguiling grin on his face and a mischievous twinkle in his eye "She's got the Black gene for troublemaking then?" He asked cheekily, and Fenrir barked out a laugh "That's putting it fucking mildly."

He pressed their foreheads together, and it was wildly intimate to feel their breath intermingling and their noses touch. The other man was warm and smelled good, his hair was slightly damp as if he'd just had a bath. He gulped, desperately taking in a lungful of his clean foresty scent "Come back to my house for the night?" He finally worked up the courage to ask. Even though his eyes were shut tight, with their faces pressed together so closely he could feel the muscles in Remus face shift into a smile "Thought you'd never ask," and as the other man's hand gripped his own and twined their fingers together, his heart thumped interestingly in his chest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The last week had been an absolute revelation. After a night full of many varied and adventurous rounds of incredible sex, Fenrir had nervously asked Remus if the man would like their tryst to remain just that - a single fling - or be something more regular. To his sincere relief and pleasure the desire for something more meaningful was mutual, and the man had come over and stayed the night several times again since. They were gradually becoming closer, and he felt himself often craving Remus' company during the day, wanting to know his thoughts and opinions on things.

He had been hesitant to let the other man see the extent of his anxieties and fears regarding his children and their distance from him, but when he had broached the shallows of the matter he was surprised to find that it only endeared him in Remus' eyes. Fenrir was able to unload his worries and lay his burdens down at the other man's feet, and accept the relief that his mind and body offered. They could plunge the depths together as well, and comfortably so.

It was the perfect inverse of the cloying and ever-present romantic loneliness he had felt since his mate had died. His pack and his daughter and then his son had helped to fill the aching void platonically, but he never thought he'd feel this way again. He had found someone who could potentially be a partner to him, if he allowed the tentative connection between the two of them to grow. It felt like a lovely little flickering flame in his chest that he wanted to cup in his palm and protect from the wind.

Stretching his legs out in his bed, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a decadent mid-morning lie in. Every inch of Remus' back was pressed to his front, and he felt a spark of desire come to life. He pressed his nose into the other man's neck and licked a lazy stripe over his pulse point. Their scents were deliciously intertwined, and the fact that they were starting to smell so much like each other pleased something possessive in him.

Just as he was about to curl his arm around Remus' waist and reach a hand down into his underpants, an owl started tapping urgently at the window. He growled and the other man laughed, pushing his hand away and telling him not to ignore the poor bird. He rolled over Remus, making the man laugh even harder, and slid to the floor on the other side of the bed. By the time he reached the the window the owl had begun auditioning for the role of woodpecker, and he was surprised it hadn't concussed itself with how hard it had been clacking it's little beak against the glass.

He took the letter from its leg and it winged up to the top of his dresser, clearly expecting a return letter. His eyes narrowed and his hackles rose. He told Remus to budge over and he sat down on his edge of the bed as he opened and read it. He clutched it tighter and tighter as he read, until the edges of the parchment crinkled and threatened to tear.

Dated September 17th, 1991
From my dorm room
Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts
Near Hogsmeade Scotland

DAD!

I know Harry's been telling you more than I have in our letters home and I'm sorry, I just hate worrying you unnecessarily over things it feels like I have handled well enough on my own… This is pretty big though and I don't want you to hear it from anyone other than me.

Sooo I was feeling really restless all day today, and after everyone else went to bed for the night I snuck down to the forest for a run. I would like to emphasize that Harry knew where I was going and stayed up waiting for me in the common room the whole time I was gone! I didn't just run off Willy Nilly. Also professor Snape opened the front doors for me, so technically a teacher knew too.

Okay so - gosh it was so crazy, I don't even know where to start. So I met these centaurs while I was in the forest and we talked about the humans and they get treated badly too! Just like us and the goblins and the house elves.

Alright so I probably should have told you about the goblins in the last letter, I just didn't want to jinx it. They're very unhappy dad, really. I just want to help them and I didn't mean to sound so dramatic, I'm sorry. Harry and I are just worried you'll prioritize our personal safety over their general well being as an entire species, which is fair because you're our DAD. I don't know, I have a lot of feelings about it. I think we should use our wizengamot seats to try and make some changes, and what I wanted to talk with you about in person was asking you to be our proxy because we trust you more than anyone else to do the right thing and help them if they can't defend themselves. Would you even be willing to do that? It would mean putting yourself out there in the eyes of the wizarding public. It could be dangerous…

Anyways, the centaurs - they said the ministry keeps sending people out telling them to stick to smaller and smaller areas of the woods, even though their herd used to have the run of the whole forest and the lake and all the lands where the castle was built. And apparently the groundskeeper Hagrid let a giant spider loose in the forest fifty years ago and now it's got an entire colony of its baby giant spiders in there and the centaurs are very cross with him about it because the spiders eat the deer they used to hunt.

But dad, I met the most incredible person in the entire world. Her name is Amalthea and she's a unicorn centaur, and she says her and I are both blessed by the moon goddesses and have an incredible shared destiny! I should have told you before we left for school but Ófnir told me about a werewolf prophecy he thinks is about me and I didn't want you to worry and keep me from going to school if you thought it was dangerous, but it was wrong of me not to tell you. I think she's supposed to help me with it, or we're supposed to help each other? I don't know yet but it feels important.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm really sorry dad, I've been trying so hard to prove to you that I can be responsible and take care of things on my own, but all I've really done is write letters and hide them from you and not tell you when important things happen and I hate it and it makes me feel awful. My wolf is going nuts telling me that I'm undermining you as our alpha, and that's not what I ever meant to do at all. I feel so guilty.

Harry told me that while we're at school here just the two of us he wants me to be in charge and make the decisions for us, and I agreed at the time because he was being very vulnerable and I didn't want to make him feel bad, but it's just too much dad! I'm not ready to be the alpha, not even just for the two of us - we're still kids! It's been eating away at me since he said it, and please don't be mad at him because he did say you'll still always be our dad and alpha, I just don't know if I can handle it. We haven't even been here for two weeks and we're already halfway committed to an inter-species rebellion against the wizarding order!

I feel like I'm royally bungling things, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I changed into my wolf form in the common room tonight in front of our entire bloody house, I don't know what I was thinking. It turned out alright, everyone was really curious and Harry answered all their questions. But it was reckless and stupid and I don't know what's wrong with me! It could have gone so badly, and it was just pure dumb luck that it didn't.

It's so embarrassing dad, I wanted to tell you this in person face to face, but I think I must have met my mate. His name is Neville and he makes my heart sing, and I get stupid around him. He's so sweet and I like him so much. The reason I shifted in the common room was because he was curious and asking questions and he looked at me in a way that made my tummy feel fluttery, and I just did it without thinking in front of the gods and everybody!

I'm rambling, I wish you were here. Or I was there. School is fun but I really miss you. I don't know why I didn't say it in either of the other letters we sent but I really really miss you, dad. Meeting Amalthea was the most incredible experience of my life and all I could think of when I got back to my bed was that I wish you'd been there to meet her too. I don't think there's another person in the whole world like her, I could hardly believe it when she said her and I were the same.

Bane is nicer than he looks, I think he just has general grumpy face, but he shot an arrow at me and it was scary even though I know now that he missed on purpose. My very first thought was what would dad do, and I snarled at him before they made nice. He and Magorian and Firenze saw me transformed trotting about and they thought I was a normal werewolf that had been trapped since the last full moon because I was hurt or something. Can that even actually happen - what kind of injury would make you stay stuck in your shift?

Anyways, I'm writing this in bed before going to sleep - I'm still in my pajamas with leaves in my hair and dirt on my feet! I'll send it to you first thing in the morning. I hope me apologizing and telling you what's been going on is enough to fix the mistakes I've made. I love you, and I hope you can understand and forgive me.

Love you love you love you love you
Miss you miss you miss you miss you
Hermione

"Gods but I love that girl so much," Fenrir said, crying and laughing at the same time. He dragged the back of his hand across his cheeks he sniffed and wheezed out another laugh. Remus had sat up behind him and leaned over his shoulder to follow along as well, and huffed out a chuckle "Poor thing is really putting herself through the wringer over this" he said thoughtfully.

"Certainly puts all your worst worries to rest though, doesn't it daddy?" The man purred lasciviously a moment later, and began pressing hot kisses to his bare back. He barked out a laugh at that "Best not let your mouth write a check your arse can't pay, you cheeky cunt" he snarked back, deliriously happy and joyously giving in to the sensation.

"The only mouth that should be anywhere near my arse is yours, you great bloody pillock" Remus replied rather petulantly, and his eyebrows shot up "I think I could arrange something like that, if you'd like" he replied, his voice lowering to a rumbling grumble in his chest. He twisted at the waist, and pressed the other man flat to the bed "You'd like that eh, you dirty thing?" He teased, licking his way down Remus' chest to the band of his underpants, reveling in the moans that brought forth. Pressing his nose against the bulge forming there, he sniffed in deep and took in heady lungfuls of the other man's musky scent.

They had quite the morning after that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As he reread Hermione's letter again over breakfast later, his eyes caught on a significant detail he'd overlooked upon first skim through. He passed it to Remus who sat across the table from him "Tell me if you notice it too," he huffed angrily, and waited for the other man to read it.

"She really is raking herself over the coals isn't she? Dear thing," his lover muttered sympathetically as he read, and then as he came to the first page he paused and his brows shot up ""Longbottom? Her little mate is Neville Longbottom?" He asked incredulously, his eyes wide and startled. Fenrir was taken aback as that was not the part he had been worrying about and he failed to see how it was a problem. "Yes? I met his grandmother during the school board meeting, she's the chairperson apparently. A tough old bird, but seemed a decent sort. She said our kids were friends but I didn't think more of it until now. He must've told her something and fast, because she looked like the cat that got the cream when I said I hadn't heard from them yet. That would've been… their third or fourth day at school? Why do you ask?" He said a bit lamely, feeling awkwardly like his daughter when she was on a roll rambling incessantly.

Remus frowned, and shook his head "Fenrir, Neville's mother Alice and Harry's mother Lilly were very close friends - they even named each other their children's godmothers. There was- …you know there was a prophecy near the end of the war. It's why James and Lilly were targeted by you-know-who, but for a long time we weren't sure who exactly it was about. Until he acted that night and chose one of them, it was up in the air. It could equally have been about either the Potters, or the Longbottoms. Both families went into hiding around the same time and they ended up having Harry and Neville within a few days of each other. I don't know what it means that Hermione is finding herself gravitating towards Neville, but it's a strange coincidence. All three of them are potentially children of prophecy, and Harry and Neville are technically godbrothers. Maybe it's just my mind seeing patterns that aren't there, but something feels a little too perfect about it," he said, his voice and hands both shaking.

Fenrir was quiet for a long stretch as he thought about that, and he reached out across the table and took his lover's trembling hands and held them. "I have no idea what to make of that. I hadn't the foggiest about any of it, and it's frankly not what I was expecting you to take note of. It does seem like a strange coincidence though. Thank you for telling me. Whatever it means, it can only help to have more information," he reached for the letter, and handed it to the man, "Here on the third page, this is what I was talking about. She says that my beta has been telling her secrets and asking her to keep them," he said quietly.

"Huh," Remus said, frown growing deeper as he read the paragraph in question "alright yeah, that's definitely a much more immediate problem… What are you going to do about him? It's somewhat creepy if I'm being honest," He said, setting it down flat on the table, his hand resting almost protectively over the pages the girl they both so cherished had poured her heart out onto. Fenrir felt an enormous relief and sense of reassurance that the man had so immediately understood exactly what he meant and picked up on the danger of it as well. He wasn't crazy, or reading into things that weren't there.

He shook his head "I'm not sure, every time I try to get answers from Ófnir it's like pulling teeth or trying to wring blood from a stone. He always tells me I'm not ready - but yet my eleven year old child is ready to be told she's the subject of a prophecy? I don't like it one fucking bit," he growled, emotions building in him swiftly. He took their plates over to the sink and mindlessly scrubbed at them, thoughts a thousand miles away.

Remus came up and leaned against the counter next to him, grabbing a dish towel and starting to rinse and dry what he'd washed "You need to consider the very real possibility then that he could be part of the reason she's been trying so hard be an little adult and keep you in the dark. If whatever he thinks she's supposed to do is the same thing that he thinks you're not ready to hear, could he have gone so far as commanding her not to tell you about it?" He asked, brows furrowed. Fen's hands curled over the edges of the sink, and it took all of his concentration for his hands not to become claws and dent the metal. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily through gritted teeth.

"In the alpha's absence the beta outranks everyone else - even the alpha's heir. Everyone in this pack knows they are expected to obey Ófnir's orders as if they were mine. But he wouldn't have had to give her a command to keep a secret if he was able to convince her I'd not let her go to school if I learned what he didn't want me to know. Fuck - I never should have let her overhear me bitching about my worries and fears, I should have locked them away where they couldn't have been used against me to manipulate my child!" He snarled, picking up a spoon and throwing it against the wall on the other side of the kitchen.

Remus drew him back over to the table where he collapsed into his chair, his head in his hands. His lover knelt at his feet and tugged on his hands where they were tangled in his hair "If someone uses your feelings against you, it's not your fault for having the feelings in the first place. It's their fault for taking advantage. You'd have always felt some way about your kids leaving home, and a clever bastard would have found a way to use whatever that feeling was. If you'd been happy for them or even apathetic, he could have just told her you didn't care to know and that might have been convincing enough," the man reasoned, and while it did ease some of his own guilt it made his anger at his beta rise to even greater heights.

"I need to confront him, but I don't even know what he's told her. Should I wait until I can see her in person and ask what this prophecy business is about first? I'd still be completely in the dark here if she'd waited to tell me everything in person. Maybe I should move right now, storm over there to his house and demand he tell me," he mused aloud, thoughts racing and feeling unsteady and uncertain.

"Fen, listen to yourself," Remus chided gently "you're forgetting the entirely rational third option where you owl your daughter today and ask her to tell you as a show of good faith what your beta said to her. She wants to be honest and obedient to you, she said as much on every page of that letter. The dear heart practically begged for some punishment or task she could do to make things right between the two of you - so let her fix this herself. She'll be happy and feel absolved of her guilt, and you'll get the information you need without having to either wait a week or hear a version from him today that may be a lie," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"Whatever you do, you can't let him know you're on to him before you've heard from her or he could reach out and undo everything by convincing her to lie again," Remus added seriously, and his heart dropped as he considered the possibility that he was being actively undermined by the person who was supposed to be his right hand. That he had to act carefully so as not to allow his beta to cause further discord and chaos.

"Goddesses be good, but you're right. If he's somehow convinced her she can't talk to me, he could do so again and make things even worse. I feel like I can't breathe, like there's a knife between my ribs, Remus," he said, pressing his palm flatly against his sternum "This pack is supposed to be a family, what does it even mean that my beta is acting against me? How could such a thing happen in the home I've built to protect us all?" He whispered, feeling the beginning of a pathetic whimpering whine build in his throat and harshly cutting it off before it could grow.

"I don't know what it means, this is all so new to me. Living in a pack, being around other werewolves, I never understood the appeal until I came here for the first time. It took everything in me to leave that night, even knowing I would be coming back. You've built something good here, Fen. Just because there might be a bad apple doesn't mean the whole thing's got to be thrown out. You've helped so many wolves find a place to call their own. That can't be anything but a good thing," he said confidently and kindly, and with kisses pressed to his knuckles and palms.

The man stood then and summoned parchment and quill with a wave of his wand, and checked the clock on the wall "It's still early enough for her to be at breakfast, if you write to her now you might get a response by lunch or dinner," he said insistently, and Fenrir wrote his daughter a quick note reminding her that he loved her and letting her know that he forgave her but needed her to explain exactly what his beta had told her about a prophecy and why she ought to keep it from him. He added a post script about how much he missed her as well and how he wished he'd gotten to meet her unicorn friend (!!??). He signed it and sent it off with their fastest bird, souping up it's on-my-way protective mail delivery charms so it wouldn't be hassled or meddled with mid-flight. As a last minute thought he added a notice-me-not charm. Just in case.

Now he just had to wait.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ultimately he was glad she hadn't made him wait long, he wasn't sure he'd have been able to go about his day and act like nothing was wrong. It was just after lunch when her response came and he was relieved beyond belief that he'd only had to awkwardly putter about the house for a few hours rather than actually show his face around the compound and pretend everything was normal. It wasn't normal, everything felt shattered and broken beyond repair. There was a rage dancing under his skin that was so potent and so close to the surface that it was utterly unfamiliar to him. Even on his darkest and wildest days he'd never felt this way, this angry.

That being said he'd expected his own owl to return to him, not the little creature he'd met in town a few weeks ago. She had popped into his living room and was standing on his coffee table bowing low in his direction with an envelope clutched in her hands. Her ears reminded him of a sheep, and they waggled as she bent and then straightened.

"Hello?" He greeted her hesitantly, turning wild eyes towards Remus who shrugged unhelpfully, and looked equally startled but greeted her politely by name. The creature smiled widely, her enormous eyes were a watery hazel and her skin was a greyish green, and she had just enough mousy brown hair on the top of her head to be pulled into a tufty little upright ponytail. With a pang of tender emotion he was reminded of the way his mate had done their daughter's hair the same way when she was a very little baby, with a few wispy sprigs standing straight up. When she spoke her voice was what he imagined a kitten might sound like if it gained the ability to speak, high and squeaky and childlike.

"Greetings Master Wolfy and Master Remus! Kipper is honored to be an elf in the service of the house of Greyback, and is especially honored to be meeting the kind sir who rescued her Baby Harry. Kipper is being very happy to be called to service for the young mistress, she is delivering a letter for the Master's hands only!" She said with another bow, reverently handing him the letter.

He reached out to take it, "Thank you, Kipper. I appreciate you bringing this to me," He said. She nodded and smiled, letting him know she'd be in the kitchen if she needed him and popping away again just as suddenly as she'd arrived. He heard the sounds of pots and pans banging from the kitchen, and blithely wondered what he'd find when he next went in there. Unmoving, he sat on the sofa in the living room and opened the letter.

Dated September 17th, 1991
From the Gryffindor table
The Great Hall, Hogwarts
Near Hogsmeade, Scotland

Dad,

I'm so glad you're not mad at me. As anxious as I was that you might be furious, it felt like such a relief to tell you everything I've been keeping to myself. As soon as I put pen to paper I knew I was doing the right thing.

Óffy talked to me on the night we had our bonfire, the day before Harry and I left for school. He told me that there was an ancient Icelandic prophecy that his ancestors had brought over when they came here, and that it foresaw a werewolf who would save us all from a disaster, but he doesn't know what it is or when it'll happen. He said that there are people who don't want a werewolf to save them, and they've been fighting to make the prophecy not come to pass. He doesn't know who they are but they hate us and have been trying to make the rest of the magical world hate us and that's why they spread those terrible rumors about you.

When I asked him why we couldn't tell you he said it was because he thinks the prophecy is about me, and that you would be afraid that I had some kind of crazy destiny and not want me to leave your sight if you knew about it. I'm still not sure he's right, I don't know how I'm supposed to stop a disaster, I'm just a kid! It felt wrong when he said to keep it a secret, and he told me it hurt him not to tell you but that he didn't think you were ready to know.

I was going to keep pressing to try and find out more but then he did that blessing, the one that was so bright. It started with a prayer I've never heard him do before. He begged the triple moon goddesses to protect and guide me, and that's when the glowing started. I could feel the moonlight on my skin like a blanket! It's what Amalthea must have been talking about when she said I was touched by the moon. Ever since the night he did the blessing I've felt more powerful, and my senses have been stronger even when I'm not shifted. Also last night she did something and she said it would make the mark visible, and when I came inside professor Snape was waiting there by the doors and when I shifted back to talk to him he said that there was a golden crescent moon on my forehead like a tattoo - but by the time I remembered to look in the morning it was gone!

You remember that I wrote professor Snape to give him a formal apology from the house of Black for Sirius nearly killing him, well… I don't think I ever told you but I also gave him quite a bit of money. Like, kind of a lot. Gornuk told me a fair wergild for the situation was 30,000 galleons and I wanted to really let him know I meant business and that his life had meaning so I gave him 50,000 galleons. We can afford it! It didn't even make a dent in the vaults, and it felt like the responsible thing to do seeing as he's had werewolf related trauma his whole life since that happened. I know it's technically my money, but that's another thing I should have told you about and I'm sorry I didn't.

Anyways, he wrote back saying how much it meant to him that someone finally apologized and took the risk to his life seriously, and he's been very kind to me since I got to school. Comparatively. He really is quite intimidating, and a bit of a bastard to the rest of the student body in general if I'm being honest. He really seemed to appreciate me helping him with his ingredients though. And when I got back to the castle last night and he saw Amalthea running alongside me he was so funny, he demanded an explanation - said he'd just let me out for a bark and a wee and what was I doing playing with a unicorn! When I finally got back to my dorm last night I nearly laughed myself silly thinking about him saying it looking so serious and grim.

Anyways - I'm pretty sure that's all Óffy said, but Amalthea said something about destiny too. She said the two of us are champions of the moon goddesses and that we have to fight a war together. If I hadn't been so entranced by her I probably would have been really scared! She said the goddesses chose her as their voice and me as their sword, and that we have to do the moon's work. It was honestly pretty confusing, and I didn't think to ask the questions I probably should have, she just had such a powerful wonderful aura.

Part of me was certain I'd never see her again the moment I walked out of the forest, but she promised I would. I don't know if it'll stay that way or if her magic made it permanent, but when I transformed in front of her my wolf form was enormous! I was as tall at my shoulder as she was at her back - like the horse part of her back. It made the run back three times as fast as it was to get out there into the deep woods. I hate to say this but I was definitely bigger than you. No question about it, and I'm still a growing girl!

I told you about meeting the elves in the kitchens and how they wanted to join the goblins rebellion, right? Well when we were talking to them the weirdest thing happened - Kipper started trying to answer a question she apparently wasn't supposed to be able to talk about and it was like she was having a seizure! The head elf Nilly (or Nilliams? Still not sure which one is his actual name) said it was because we're not actually human so he could mention it in front of us but not actually say anything about it, but that because we're her masters Kipper might actually be able to tell us about it if she tries hard enough, but we didn't want her to hurt herself so Harry told her to stop. It seems like there must be some kind of spell on house elves that prevents them from talking about certain things. All we did was ask her if elves in general were happy serving wizards, and that was enough to trigger it! She called it a geas, and the centaurs seemed to know about it when I asked them last night.

I really want to know more but I don't want to risk Kip. I felt so bad for pushing and triggering the spell. I'm gonna send this letter back with her so it gets to you faster. Plus, you can send her back again as quick as a whistle if you need to know anything else I might have forgotten. She's missed having a family to take care of, you should let her help you out around the house a bit while she's there!

That's all I can remember right now that seems relevant? If there's more it's stuff I genuinely forgot, not anything else that I kept secret on purpose. So much has been going on and it's been a lot to keep straight in my head. Amalthea told me there was a bunch of other stuff the centaurs needed to tell me, and that I could come back to find out another time. Maybe we could do that together? I'd love for you to meet my new friends, and maybe even her if she's there too. It almost feels like she was just a beautiful dream, I'd like it if someone else could meet her and say she's real.

Love you dad
Hermione :)

Fenrir's mind raced as he read his daughter's second letter of the day. A prophecy? A chosen champion? Just what was going on with his child? He had always said she was special, but for the first time ever the thought made his stomach turn to lead rather than his chest to glow with pride. Special drew attention. Special got called to action. Special was considered the property of the masses, belonging to the public. Special was expected to put others first and themselves on the line.

He made eye contact with Remus who was patiently waiting in the comfortable armchair across the coffee table from him, and remembered what this had all been about finding out. He nodded grimly, looking back down at the pages and hating what he saw written there "Ófnir explicitly told her I wouldn't let her go to school if she told me, and he did it at the party the night before she was due to leave. He manipulated my child into lying to me, and he did it twenty fucking feet away from me. Then when she tried to question him he put on that light show to distract her and everyone else away from his misdeeds," he growled, shaking his head and curling his lip in disgust.

"I don't even know how to perceive a treachery like this, or what to do about it. It isn't just a simple betrayal of trust. He's told me over and over again that there's something he knows that I'm not ready to hear, practically since he joined my pack and became my beta - and that was decades before my daughter was born… Even if there really is a prophecy and he does actually think it's about her, then there still must be something else he knows but isn't telling me as well," he reasoned, feeling overwhelmed and monumentally out of his depth. Remus hadn't said a word yet, but his silent support and the strong grip he held his hands in was somehow exactly what he needed in that moment to stay sane.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next few days swam by like his head was underwater. He wasn't sure what to do, and so for the time being he did nothing. Kipper visited regularly, popping into his kitchen to make him meals and clean in a flurry before he could get there to do it himself. Her food was rich and filling and delicious, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten so well. He vaguely remembered going to restaurants with his mother on a few very special occasions when he was a child, and it reminded him of that. Something he hadn't ever really indulged in, food was for fuel and it didn't have to be fancy. When he ate in his wolf form or when his fur was particularly close to the skin, it didn't even necessarily have to be cooked for him to enjoy it. It was a change of pace, but it was appreciated. The little creature made him feel well taken care of.

Having shared secret knowledge will always bring two people closer together, but he felt especially drawn to Remus in the days since they had uncovered Ófnir's treachery. He had already felt burgeoning romantic feelings for the man, and they only grew fonder and more tender in response to the way he stood by him and supported him through such a tumultuous time. He hadn't gone back to the men's dorm since, and Fenrir was nervously considering asking him to stay with him permanently in his home. It would be a big step, but he had spent enough time analyzing and second guessing his feelings - he knew they were real and he knew what he wanted.

On Saturday morning, just when he was finally psyching himself up to ask the other man to move in, Fenrir received yet another letter from his daughter. After reading it he was so beside himself that he was sincerely tempted to go down to the school himself and drag his children home with him by their ears. How did they keep getting themselves into these situations?

Written in Amalthea's hut
Centaur village
Forbidden forest
Hogwarts grounds
Near Hogsmeade, Scotland

Dad,

I'm not really sure how to even begin to describe what's happened, but it's a true miracle. Like from the actual goddesses. After realizing that Amalthea's connection with the moon might help me fix whatever was keeping Harry from being able to shift freely, I brought him to the woods to meet her. We asked permission and everything, and professor Snape escorted us last night after dinner.

She took the two of us into her hut and guided us into a meditative state. I don't know what I was expecting, but somehow through prayer and being a certifiable divine priestess of the moon she was able to bring us before the triple goddesses themselves. It must have been an astral projection of some sort or a spirit walk, but it was so real. We were really there dad, in their celestial plane standing before them on the surface of an ocean. The goddesses Selene and Artemis and Hekate spoke to us and it was wonderful.

We met them and they told us so much and healed Harry's wolf spirit. It wasn't anything I did wrong at all dad, my bite was true! Harry's wolf was sick and hurt from when you-know-who attacked him as a baby, and the two of us have been sharing mine ever since apparently. The goddesses worked incredible unbelievable magic to fix him and it was like nothing I've ever seen or even dared to imagine before.

I don't know how or why but we were twin spirits even before we met. They made us that way and planned it before we were ever even born. They have so much planned for us, I have no idea what but I'm shaking with the thrill of doing their work through my hands. Our lives are to be lived in devotion to them until they call for us again, that's the task they've given us - to worship them enough that their powers are sufficiently built up do some great work. I don't understand it but I don't need to. It's the purpose that they made us for.

I'll answer any other questions you have but it's been such a long night and the centaurs let us sleep here since the two of us ran for hours after Harry's first free transformation. I still can't believe it, I was so sure for so long it was something I did wrong, and it's such an enormous weight off my chest to see him shift at will. I've never felt happier or more satisfied in my entire life. His wolf looks just like him dad, black fur and bright green eyes. It's a miracle.

He would send his love but he has refused to shift back to two legs for even a moment since last night. He's a very happy brat.

Love you and wish you could have been with us,
Praise and thanks to the goddesses of the moon,
In the name of the Ladies Selene and Artemis and Hekate,
Hermione

Tears streamed down Fenrir's cheeks, and he covered his mouth to hide how quickly his breath was coming. He wanted to howl with joy that his baby boy was healthy and his children had been so honored and favored by the goddesses, and scream with rage that this had happened without him there and that his babies had such an unimaginably weighty burden placed upon their little shoulders. It was miraculous like she'd said, but it wasn't fair. Why did his children have to be the ones to change the world? Why couldn't it be him, or any other adult who at the very least could meaningfully consent to such an undertaking?

He felt his lover's hands on his face wiping away his tears, and he leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and allowing himself to whimper and wubble and be soft and vulnerable. The man had earned the right to see this side of him that meekly peered out of him on occasion, leaving him irritable and sensitive in its wake. Even the alpha couldn't always bear the entire weight of everyone's problems alone. It had been a long ten years that he had been by himself, and the support of having someone here beside him while he was so in his own head was such a relief he could scarcely believe it.

"Shush my love, you're alright. It's going to be fine, just fine," Remus whispered softly, caressing his face and stroking his hair. And upon reflection he found that he believed him, with this man by his side everything would turn out okay. He sniffled and snuffled the gunk in his nose away and straightened himself up, pressing a kiss to the man's forehead as he did. "Thank you, I really needed that," he rasped, feeling hoarse and run ragged but clear-headed. "I need to write to professor McGonagall and get those two home. It's well past time I spoke to my children face to face."

(Note: For readers thinking "why is Hermione so formal and mature in some letters and so childish and rambling in others?" good noticing! That's not character inconsistency, that's her being a precocious little egghead that likes to play adult sometimes and who does it well when she has the time and patience to make it count. She's a child, and at times she's going to speak and act and write to her closest family like one. I like fics that make the kids mature, but even mature kids aren't always on like that. It's unrealistic. Kids get excited, even ones that are really clever and well behaved)