Nearly a week had passed since the Yule Ball and Emeline's arrival back to Hogwarts. It had started as a day like any other, despite the growing pit in her stomach that was mounting as the moon did. She was rushing to Defense Against the Dark Arts, as usual, when she heard Cedric around the corner.
"-and that's how I figured it out. It makes sense, ya know. A water task= bathtub. Nevertheless, it's certainly an advantage to be able to sort it out."
Suddenly, Emeline found herself running in a separate direction, to Harry, and skipping Defense Against the Dark Arts altogether that day.
•
Despite her finding Harry and divulging what she heard about the egg, encouraging him to take it for a dip, she was in a great deal of trouble with Mad Eye Moody. He found her walking calmly to Potions, quite a bit ahead of the scheduled class time, and stopped her with a gruff cut off in the hall.
"Reason you weren't in class?" He asked harshly.
Emeline blinked a few times as she got a grip on the sudden scenario at hand. She swallowed hard, but remembered that Mad Eye had given Harry advice for the first task, so figured that against her better judgment, she would attempt to trust him.
"Professor, I apologize. I had learned information about the second task and went to tell Harry. I didn't realize it would take the whole of class."
His eye spun and he smiled menacingly. It made Emeline's stomach churn.
Back in London, Remus felt cornered and ill.
"Very well. Though I must wonder, why would you tell Harry and not your own house's representative: Diggory?"
"Well, I overheard the information from Cedric, professor."
"Ah. I see. Either way, you'd likely tell potter over anyone. Your families are… oddly close, are they not?"
The lump in her throat grew. Everyone knew Harry's parents were dead.
So Mad Eye's intentions could only elude to one thing: Padfoot.
"They were," she nodded. "In school."
His eyes bore into her.
"And you live alone now with your father, is that right?"
"That's correct." She said quickly; too quickly.
She felt like she could pass out right there under his stare. He truly did look mad. Her stomach was in complete knots. She couldn't explain how she knew, but she could tell that her father was tuned into this exchange. Perhaps if he felt what she could, she could better explain what was off about their professor.
He straightened up and nodded. "Well go on. Wouldn't want you late for Severus too."
"Yes, Professor." She hurried off with no further look back.
•
Evening was falling and the moon was beginning to rise. Emeline felt off, but nothing distressing like her father feared. Mostly, her own emotions had her sad for him, as normal. She was pouring over the potions lesson from the day and humming softly to herself, without intention, the song her father always hummed around the house.
Their song.
Unbeknownst to her, in London, Sirius locked the cellar door and hastily transformed to Padfoot.
Remus hummed himself as calmly as he could into transformation before the wolf took reign.
"Emmeline? You were right." Harry's voice came from behind her in the library as she shared absentmindedly at the moon. She was sure he was done now. Her humming stopped.
"Huh?" She asked, turning tiredly.
"The egg. The second task is in the lake, but it just says something about recovering what they took. I'll have an hour to complete it."
"Well that's a start, I suppo -"
"-Miss Lupin?" She heard McGonagall's voice. Offering a smile to her students, she looked at Emeline a bit downcast. "Could you come with me to the Headmaster's office, please?"
Emeline felt sorry for being unable to stifle her groan and McGonagall offered a quirked eyebrow yet hid her amusement.
"Tough day for you too?" She asked, her eyes shifting to the moon in the window behind her. Naturally, Minerva had heard about Remus' letter to Poppy, her bestfriend.
"I suppose." Emeline grumbled, grabbing her bag and bidding Harry goodbye.
He found it odd that she hadn't returned to the library that evening, but he himself did fall asleep countless times over books on the Black Lake.
•
Remus awoke the next morning with a gasp and desperately fought for air. He threw himself at the cellar door which awoke Padfoot who quickly transformed. He unlocked the door with a wave of his hand and Remus stumbled into him.
Still feeling as though he was drowning, Remus grabbed Sirius shirtfront, the effects of the moon still heavily contributing to his crazed appearance. He had dried blood from the night before, was extremely pale, and trying while failing to calm this suffocating feeling.
He managed through gritted teeth, panicked: "s-something is wrong with her, Si-Sirius."
•
Remus stumbled into the Headmaster's office, his cane barely holding him up. Dumbledore turned to face him, surprised.
"Remus, my boy. What do I owe the pleasure?"
"A-albus, where is she?" He asked painfully.
"She is safe." Dumbledore responded whimsically.
Remus' face twisted animalistic-ally, his words coming in almost a growl. "Don't feed me this garbage, Albus, where is my daughter!"
Dumbledore was still unfazed, knowing Remus well enough by now to understand that perhaps the timing of this was not… ideal.
"Have a seat, Remus."
Remus looked between Albus and the chair. Resting was desperately inviting right now but he wanted to waste no time. He just came to find his daughter, not for a pathetic break.
"I'm fine." He said through gritted teeth.
Dumbledore turned around with a mug of cocoa and pointed again to the seat in front of Remus.
"You really should sit."
Begrudgingly, he clamored into the seat and rested his aching limbs. He took the cocoa with no argument and closed his eyes a moment, still trying to catch his breath.
"Remus," Dumbledore began, his normal straight forward and no worries shining through. "At present, Emeline is at the bottom of the Black Lake." He ended cheerfully, sipping his own cocoa with a smile.
Remus spit his over Dumbledore's desk and stood violently, lucky enough to grip the desk front before falling over in pain.
"Care to elaborate?" he asked, loudly exasperated.
"She is a part of the second task; Harry's part."
Remus eyes were frantic and his head was swimming. He still felt suffocated.
"Albus, how could you agree to this? I want her out now!"
"Each champion has a missing student to rescue within the hour."
"Then pick another student!" He yelled through gritted teeth.
"It is already done, Remus. Let's settle in."
"I'm settling nowhere, Albus! What happens if she isn't found! Students die in these games."
"Not the bystanders, Remus. I will pull Emeline up should Harry fail. And what's the likelihood of that?"
"You better be right." Remus responded angrily, grabbing his cane and relying solely on it.
"Where are you going?" Dumbledore asked.
"I would kindly like be shown to where I can spectate."
"Very well; I will allow it." Dumbledore replied, amused.
•
Remus stood close to Dumbledore as the champions lined up to dive in at the canon's sound. Harry furrowed his brows in happy surprise as he caught Remus' eye and his old professor was able to muster a smile back. Soon enough, the canons blared and the champions dove in. Heart racing, Remus shifted his weight from foot to foot, holding his cane with white knuckles and watching intently for the first champion and student to break the surface. His stomach lurched as he watched almost breathless (in part from this unshakeable suffocating feeling and in part from nerves), as Cedric made his way out with Cho. Fleur was already on the platform, shaking from her malfunction and inability to save her sister.
That made half the competitors.
Next came Victor Krum, holding tight to Hermione.
What was taking Harry so long that he was the only one left?
His glanced at Dumbledore, his face pale. The clock was getting close to time now.
"You need to send someone for her the moment it strikes." Remus hissed, still surveying the Black Lake.
"Patience, my boy." Albus responded, walking off with Barty.
Fleur looked just as distraught as he was, and Remus cast her a sad smile in encouragement. He looked around to qualm his nerves and locked eyes with George whom he had never seen so serious in his career at Hogwarts or his meetings this year. After the full moon, he thought he'd feel his protectiveness creeping through as usual, but instead he felt a deep peace seeing the concern on the young lad's face.
George truly cared for his daughter.
He was more than grateful.
Just as he felt like his head could explode, he felt the freeness of coming up for air as the clock chimed and Emeline broke the surface with Fleur's little sister beside her. She gasped and glanced around, finding the dock and grabbing the little girl close to her to get them out of the lake.
He breathed a deep sign of relief, a warm smile washing over his careworn face. His body ached, and fresh scars were bright red across his arms and neck, but his mind was calming.
Remus' thoughts strayed to Harry and why he still had not come up and he shot a look to Dumbledore who simply pointed at the lake as Harry erupted quickly and flew onto the dock before the girls even made it.
Relieved, everyone cheered. George was already rushing to the lower dock to help Emeline and Remus grabbed his shoulder as he knelt down at the water's edge with him.
"Dad?" Emeline asked curiously, still flooded by water; completely drenched and unable to see straight from the cold.
"I've got her, Remus. You're alright." George responded to his grimace of pain, pulling Emeline up after Fleur had taken her sister.
Catching her breath, Emeline sat on the dock, feet still dangling in the water, with George behind her and her father to her side.
Remus tore off his cloak quickly and draped it over her shoulders. Shivering and pale, she smiled at him. "Thank you, both." She leaned slightly into George and Remus swallowed hard, reminding himself of the gratefulness he felt moments ago. And then, she reached for his hand, and any protective assertion he may have had melted away.
"You knew, didn't you?"
He nodded wordlessly, studying her and moving to wipe the wet hair from her face.
"You had a hard night." She said quietly; sadly. No one else could hear her over Dumbledore's booming voice, announcing winners and points. George rubbed her back absentmindedly as he listened, Fred whistling and hollering behind him when Harry came in second. Remus clapped and offered Harry and smile as well, hoping to steal a moment with him but realizing quickly the excitement of this win was whisking him into the crowd.
He looked back at his daughter, eyeing George for a moment too, who was preoccupied chatting with Fred and Ron, yet still had a gentle and comforting hand on Emeline's back.
"It seems everything is under control, now." Remus leaned in to kiss her forehead which was freezing cold. "Your old man probably doesn't need to rush in for everything at this age, hm?"
He was smiling, but Emeline could feel the pain in her heart. She felt out of place, and somewhat melancholy… or maybe, a little worthless.
Rather, she knew that he did.
She placed her palm against her heart, looking him in the eyes and shaking her head.
"I will never grow too old to let you save the day, dad. I always wondered what it might be like."
'Me too' he mouthed, hand to his heart.