It had been a week since what Emeline considered her disastrous visit to the Hospital Wing, had occurred.

Feeling set ten paces back, she kept her distance from her father the entire week. Did she admittedly feel bad everytime she saw his face fall or he called for her after a class whilst she pretended to become lost in the crowd? You could say that. But her anger was bubbling inside worse and worse; as bad as it sounded, seeing him recover from his transformation only made it easier to fall into a pit of teen angst. She didn't want to be near him and hear some sodded excuse for his decline of her visit.

In her mind, none of it made sense. After all, he'd been much more open then she could've ever pictured him being in their situation, so quickly. However, truthfully, she could have never pictured being in this situation to begin with had hit her square in the face.

Alas, there she was: with a werewolf professor for a father who had completely changed his tune when he turned her away. It was all too much to make sense of, so she'd resolved not to care to make sense.

She thought she'd cleared another class's end by slinking into the ocean of students shuffling out of the dark arts classroom until she felt a tap on her shoulder and heard her father clear his throat whilst offering her peers a warm smile. It was too embarrassing to storm away now, so she turned on her heel to re-enter the classroom with a downcast expression.

"Yes?" She asked quietly, gaining large interest in her shoes.

"Emeline," his voice came gently but stern. "Look at me."

She looked up slowly and met his eyes. Their usual calmness twinkled in them against an ocean of scars - a few fresh - across his face, which caused Emeline to slightly wince in imagination of the pain.

"I know that you heard me ask Madame Pomfrey to send you off. Your look right now is precisely why."

"But-"

"-No. I'm sorry, Emeline. I couldn't waver on this. It's much worse the closer to the moon it is and you aren't ready for that. I'm not ready for that. I know you've been avoiding me but I meant nothing harmful by turning you away."

"Alright."

Remus was taken aback. Surely it couldn't be that easy?

"Alright? Then, you understand?"

"No. I don't understand why you wouldn't want someone beside you; family, at that, during such a difficult time. I was never raised to shy away from sickness or pain and I am certainly not used to being shut out. Then again, I'm not used to having a father, either."

Her words may have hurt more than this transformation had. He found himself at a loss for comment and wasn't sure how to offer her what she needed whilst protecting what he did. His disbelief in Dumbledore's plan reared its ugly head and all the ways he had failed Emeline and could fail her in the future played before his mind's eye.

"Can I g-"

"-yes, you're dismissed. Get to supper."

He turned his back to her and Emeline stood frozen for a moment, unable to comprehend the whiplash of this moment in time.

"Certainly, Professor. I wouldn't want to make life anymore difficult for you." She forced out bitterly. He heard the slightest break in her voice but before he could turn back to face her, she was already out the door to his office and the heavy wood rattled his body with a slam.

What had he done?

•

Another three days had passed which included a mystery chocolate bar resting on her desk before class, a used and tattered version of the next novel in a series she was currently engrossed in at the foot of her bed, and finally today, a letter delivered by her little old owl, Saffron.

Em - please meet me in my office after tonight's feast. We need to talk.

Dad

She stared down at the words for a long time, running a finger over the word 'dad', then glanced to the book that was now on her bedside table. She sighed and took a seat at the foot, drawing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on top.

"What do you think, Saffron? Shall I try one more time?"

The little owl blinked at her twice before flying to her favorite window to perch. The slight breeze settled on Emeline's face and the moon, safe for now, caught her gaze.

"Mum, why couldn't you have told me anything about him?" She whispered. "I have no idea how to navigate any of this. I haven't a clue who he is. You can come back any day now." Hot tears pooled in her eyes and she wiped them away with determination. "He is all you've left me. You must have loved him…That has to be enough and, maybe one day, I could love him too."

•

His door was open and inviting when she arrived at his classroom, ready to knock. Saffron was perched on her shoulder and nestling her little beak into her curls. There were many creature vertebrae lit as candles and fresh tea filled the air. Lavender, which she had divulged to him was her favorite. She always loved the classroom at night.

Harry had noted its peaceful atmosphere, too. He said once that Professor Lupin told him the candle glow combats the eerie cold of dementors, (boggart or not), and Emeline had to agree. She felt warmth immediately and rested her shoulders and breath as she approached the desk.

But he wasn't there.

She was only left wondering where her father had gone for a few moments before he entered the classroom, holding two chocolate bars and a stack of books.

"Em, thank you."

She nodded wordlessly and sat her in usual chair opposite his. His old tweed cloak had been left thrown across it and Emeline sunk in to the familiarity that was already her remaining parent. Peace washed over her for the first time in quite some time.

"I couldn't ignore your peace offerings forever." She quipped with a slight smile.

Saffron once again flew off to a windowsill and Remus stood over Emeline, with a fleeting and nervous smile back.

"For you, my dear. And a final peace offering." He handed her a chocolate bar first then a book with no title that had been atop all the rest. It looked bound by hand and it had two initials etched onto the front.

R + F

"Was this-"

"-your mother's and mine, yes." He nodded. "We wrote to one another and passed it off after every class and took notes of special occasions once we left school. Why don't you give page one seventy-three a chance?"

Emeline ran her hand over the letters gingerly and opened to one seventy-three.

December 25th, 1979

There are no words to put this feeling to paper. When Poppy confirmed the news, my already perfect world became that much richer and it is all thanks to you. A love I never saw coming and could never deserve. You are my moon and stars, Remus. We're going to be parents alongside our best friends!

Love you forever,

Florence

Emeline took in a shaky breath and swallowed thickly before reading into her father's passage.

Despite the unbearable emotion, she was completely enraptured in this glimpse of her parents that she'd never been given the privilege of before.

Florence,

I knew this would be the verdict. I suppose my instincts pay off occasionally. You always say you never deserved my love but I am the one who is forever in your debt. You've seen me like no one else ever has or has taken the care to. You are my stars. You, and our child. My life began the moment I met you.

Love you forever,

Remus

When Emeline looked up from the page, she found that Remus was not watching her as she had thought, but rather he was at the windowsill, petting Saffron with the back of his hand and humming a more melancholy version of his normally booming records.

"You don't say moon." Her voice found his ears in the silence and he chuckled as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"You have an inquisitive mind much like her. No, I never did return that sentiment. I could never compare your mother to something so damaging to me. Her argument was that she accepted every part of me. She never ended something without saying I was her moon and stars. After years I was beginning to believe it when-" he trailed off and sighed, calling Saffron with the click of his tongue as they both moved to his chair. "-your grandparents delivered their ultimatum."

"This just doesn't make sense, though, Professor."

Something flashed across his eyes when she said Professor that she couldn't place.

"What doesn't?"

"My mother wasn't a weak woman. She was in fact, as you may recall if we're discussing the same person, incredibly hard headed."

Remus laughed as Emeline continued.

"I haven't a clue what ultimatum they could've given her that would sway her from her usual personality, especially with entries like this. She was so in love. So were you."

Her voice grew softer as those wheels turned in her brain once more. It was a sweet sight to him, something about her that he had caught onto quickly. She wore every thought on her face.

"We never had a blessing from her parents. The only thing close to it was when they asked us to never attempt children. I think they were hoping your mother would bore of me before it escalated so seriously, but to their dismay, here you were. I know they loved you, Emeline, please don't take this poorly. But they hated werewolves and were quite terrified that you'd inherit my condition. While very possible, the largest relief of my life was coming home the morning after your first full moon." His eyes glazed over as he replayed the memory in his mind. It was the same memory in which she wrapped her little fingers around his that he had recalled before. Shaking himself out of the past, he continued. "There you were: my beautiful baby girl, unharmed, unchanged… unlike me. My reprieve did not last long. Your grandparents arrived to see how you'd faired the night and, upon seeing you pristine, they offered your mother the decision."

Emeline once more swallowed hard, partially not wanting to ask her next question. Yet, she knew she must.

"What was the ultimatum?"

"That I leave you and your mother to them, to safety, or your grandfather would have me killed."

All of the warmth that enveloped his classroom shot quickly out the window. Her body shook with anxiety and the eeriness of such a cold hearted comment leaving her late grandfather's lips. He wanted her own father gone so badly from her life that, with no regard for her emotion as she grew, they put her mother in an impossible situation. Emeline simply could not stomach it. All these years, picturing her father a villain when truly, she was living in the same home as one.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Remus was up and by her side in one brisk step. Conjuring a cauldron close, he knelt in front of her as she clutched it and steadied her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"You need to breathe, Em. Just breathe. Look at me and breathe."

She followed his instruction and steadied her breath as he demonstrated. It took quite some time for the nauseating vision of this discussion to leave her mind, but she pushed it as far away as possible as she focused on his hand gently rubbing her shoulder and offering quiet words of encouragement that nestled into her mind, soothing her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." She replied shakily.

He reached behind him and handed her the last chocolate bar from his desk.

"Eat this. You'll feel better."

As she nibbled at her chocolate, Remus moved to sit completely on the floor with his back sinking against his desk, hands folded on his knee in front of him as he sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry. I know how distressing this must be. But I need you to know that your mother and I would never have broken our family apart this way. She made an impossible decision that morning; one that shattered the both of us. I've never been the same. I'm certain she wasn't. One thing is true, however: She was the strongest woman I ever knew and I know that's how she could say goodbye when neither of our hearts could fathom the pain."

For what Emeline could not say with words, she made up in tears. She wasn't sure how long she sobbed to her father that evening nor could recall every single kindness he spoke into her or the tears he shed beside her as they came to an understanding. Now sat together on the floor, they looked through many a page of that little journal together, laughs and tears alike as they poured over pages loitered with happier days that included many past friends and much love.

It warmed Emeline's heart to learn just how beautiful of a pair they had been and put better stories in her mind of their friends and school years which had always been such a mystery to her. She felt as though she'd unlocked a new vault in her life and it all made much clearer sense seeing it written before her.

"It's quarter to three already." She finally yawned, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, and you are officially on holiday break, dear child. Which reminds me of one of the reasons I hoped to speak with you." He attempted to push himself up as the floorboards creaked and she leapt up, despite her exhaustion, to help him. Steadying himself against his desk, he smiled. "Would you care to come home with your father for the holiday?"