AN: I hope you continue to enjoy the story! This one took a combination of research and my own imagination. I hope you enjoy it. I've listed some sources at the bottom of this chapter from articles that helped me build my framework for this chapter.

Remus felt nervous that morning, and his palms kept sweating as he wrote in his journal as Tonks got ready for the day.

'Today we will meet with a Lycanthropy expert that Ashlee knows. I'm nervous and anxious for the meeting, but I know that after at least we will have all the information.

My son is growing continuously now, and I have become impatient waiting for his arrival. Tonks tells me we have 20 weeks left, but I feel like I could waste away waiting for answers.

But, I hope today is the day that ends.'

Remus put his quill down as he heard a groan from the bathroom.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" He asked, moving to sit on the edge of their bed.

Tonks sighed as she left the bathroom. She was just in leggings and a bra..

"Well. You can't go like that." Remus joked.

But, she shot him an angry look.

"I know that, Remus. Nothing fits anymore.." Tonks whined, fairly unlike herself.

Remus tried not to smirk.

"Well, why don't you sit, I'll find you something." Remus explained, helping her sit down.

She shot him another look of annoyance.."I don't need help." Tonks said glumly.

"What about this sweater?" He held up a maroon jumper..

Tonks surveyed it and nodded, trying it on.

It fit her fine.

"You look lovely." He kissed her on the head.

"Well. I feel huge." Tonks joked.

Remus went to help her up, but thought better of it as she pushed herself up to stand.

"C'mon." Remus held his hand out for her to take. "You look perfect." He told her as they walked through the flat.

"Why so much flattery?" She quipped.

"Ha, I can't tell my wife i think she looks good? Besides, you actually can't tell you're pregnant in that outfit really." Remus explained.

But he instantly knew for some reason this had been the absolute worst thing he could've said.

Tonks looked pissed. "What?? I obviously look pregnant?" She looked down at her ever expanding bump.

Remus didn't say anything, but he couldn't help with disagree with this, sure when she wore something formfitting you could certainly tell that she had a baby bump but when she wore something overly large, you certainly couldn't tell yet, or at least he didn't think so.

"Well, usually that sweater is just oversized." He tried to placate her.

"So you're saying I just look fat, you can't even tell I'm pregnant in this?" She cried, tears running down her face.

She snatched her hand away from him and went straight back to the bedroom.

He could hear her rummaging through the chest of drawers, and knew that this wasn't something he could help with.

Eventually, she came out in a much tighter long sleeved black crew neck. And, a green coat.

"Well, I can't button the coat, but. You can tell I'm pregnant right?" She practically dissolved into tears again.

"Yes, you can definitely tell you're pregnant. I'm sorry." Remus assured her. It was true, you could. Her smallish baby bump was displayed nicely.

She nodded. Looking relieved.

He hadn't seen her so emotional ever before. He didn't often need to tread so carefully with her. He slightly reminded himself to be more cautious with her feels during this time as they emerged from their flat.

She took his hand and they made their way down the front steps. He sighed, perhaps the

"Wait here. I want to check to make sure it's safe." Remus told her before slipping out of her grasp, to peer down the street.

Remus quietly and cautiously walked out past the garden and peered out into the road. It didn't appear that anyone was out there, however he was still concerned.

He waved his wand quickly and surreptitiously, not wanting any muggles in nearby condos to see.

He eventually went and got Tonks and led her out to the street.

"No Death Eaters?" Tonks questioned..

"Doesn't appear to be any currently. Remus took her hand and walked with her cautiously down the road.

Ashlee's house wasn't too far from where they lived. They could walk there in about 40 minutes. They encountered a lot of foot traffic in the way, so they were able to blend in with the crowd. Remus was grateful for this.

They had been cooped up in their flat so long.

Tonks smiled happily as they slowly walked.

"It feels so nice to be outside." She breathed in fresh air.

"It's not too far a walk for you, right?" Remus asked as they got closer.

Tonks shook her head.

"You don't need to worry so much." She whispered to him, resting her head on his shoulder briefly.

he smiled and nodded. He had been feeling fairly overprotective of Tonks and the baby for sometime now, but the longer the pregnancy went the worse this seemed to get.

Soon, they were being ushered into Ashlee's stately manner by two stern looking guards.

Inside they found Ashlee in her large kitchen that spilled over into her living and dining rooms. She wasn't alone, two men were with her.

No, two vampires were with her. Remus could tell. He had been told this of course, but he couldn't shake the chill going up his spine.

The one man closest to them, that was leaning against the hearth, sighed in reverie. "Oh, this is the Werewolf?" He beamed, looking at Remus.

Remus looked over at Ashlee. Blinking he eyed the man then her again. It looks could have killed she probably would've dropped dead on the spot.

She tried to hide a smirk. She was clearly enjoying herself.

"Yes, but I'm not so sure that's how he likes to be addressed…" Ashlee mused.

The man clearly missed that she was making fun of him though and stepped forward unabashed.

"Slater A Weissmen, nice to meet you." He held his hand out quickly, introducing himself

"Ah, hello. Remus J Lupin." He bizarrely introduced himself, shaking the man's hand. Following his lead.

Tonks snorted a little.

"This is John Wilson he's my associate." Weissmen introduced his fellow.

"Hello." Tonks waved kindly, introducing herself.

"Tonks, if you'd like to help us, Wilson and I are making cookies, then Remus and Slater can speak?" Ashlee smiled.

"Oh, ah sure." Tonks smiled, slightly taken aback.

Remus was sure he looked a bit stricken as his wife walked away into the overly large kitchen.

Then, the man on his right was ushering him into a spare room towards the front of the house.

The small library had a grand piano and several plushy arm chairs.

"Tea?" Alter offered him a tray.

"Ah, thank you." Remus thanked him in kind.

"Well, I'm really glad that we are finally able to meet." Slater said.

Remus nodded. "Yes, I've been anticipating it." He was unsure what to say now he and this loquacious stranger were face to face.,

But thankfully, this didn't seem to matter. Slater could have talked enough for both of them.

"I've wanted to ask you more questions about yourself? And, shot in the dark, but I was hoping you'd let me put your story in my new book I'm currently working on. You'd be chapter 4." Slater rambled.

" I'd be chapter 4?" Remus asked, confused. Not sure how anyone could write an entire chapter in a book about him.

Slater nodded happily. "Yes, if you agreed."

"Um, would you use my name?" Remus asked.

"Hmm. I don't have to. Some have chosen to remain anonymous." He shrugged..

"I could just use a first name too." He offered.

"Ah, yeah, I guess that's would be fine." Remus muttered. Not really sure why he was agreeing.

"Perfect. Will you tell me, how you became this way?" Slayer asked, bizarrely.

"Um well, I don't remember a ton I was only four. I suppose it has been a day like any other I remember my parents putting me to bed the same time they always did, same everything.. I remember that the moon was streaming through the windows and the light shown across my bed, just slightly. The next thing I remember was pain and noise, screaming. after, the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital five days later."

Skater wrote this all down, and for the next thirty minutes he pestered Remus for more information about the days and months that followed the incident. He recounted all of the tests he had gone under at the hospital what it was like to go back home after waking up, what the days that followed looked lik. He described the plights he faced, waking up for days, weeks and months in cold sweats. The Insomnia, paranoia, the pain.

"Well, I appreciate this. I know we kinda strayed off topic. But, Ashlee mentioned you might be interested in being part of the book. I'm glad I mentioned it now." Slater smiled.

"Ha, did she?" Remus chuckled, hoping he sounded good natured.

"Oh, yes. Great lady."

"Have you known Ashley a long time, then?" Remus asked.

Slater nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I met Ashlee while I was studying about werewolves in the far east in the 50s. Indonesia specifically. She'd seen similar things in Africa to which I was studying. And, it just so happens to be the topic you are also interested in." He explained.

Remus held his breath. They had finally gotten to the topic he was most eager to discuss.

"I've been conducting studies on all magical beings since i became a vampire in the 1840s. But, in the 1950s that's when my specific interest in Lycanthropy began."

Remus nodded. "You've been a vampire -"

"Awhile." Slater chuckled, interrupting him.

"But, I've tried not to waste my immortality. We vampires truly live on borrowed time in some ways, we get centuries longer than most mere mortals could dream of, but yet we are often seen as unearthly, unholy, untrustworthy. I made it my mission in this life to become a true mediator for magical beings across the globe. To forage bridges and peace offers between magically groups." He explained to Remus.

Remus was kind of surprised, but he also felt happy because he felt suddenly he and the stranger had things in common. He himself often wish for this among werewolves, but had seen it very little.

"I've wished for similar situations between werewolves" he admitted to Slater

"That's a hard one, warring between werewolf groups has been occurring for centuries potentially millennia. We have much evidence of this throughout the middle ages." Slater told him.

He continued.

" That's where the story begins that you're so interested. The beginning of lycanthropy. For centuries, it was believed there were only three sure fire ways to become a werewolf. Be born to parents both with active lycanthropy, be bitten by a werewolf, like yourself. Or, be "cursed" which was never explained very well. It was really a misnomer for unexplained cases."

"We now know, or at least those of us that study these ancient curses, that this is simply untrue. It's always been untrue. There's even evidence of this as well, especially in Greek and Roman cultures where Lycanthropy was rumored to have originated."

"It's often been thought this was the result of a curse or spell or from bites. But, we now have more definite evidence to support other theories." He explained.

"Have you ever heard that killing damages the soul?" Slater asked.

"Ah, Yes." Remus replied hesitantly. Not particularly sure where he was going with this.

"Well, we believe at my clinics that it can also damage or alter the genes that control Lycanthropy as well. We believe that's one of the reasons why we see random werewolf mutations where the curse has been trigger to occur. This happened most often in ancient cultures where they would send young men off to war around puberty. For some time we were under the belief just seeing death could be enough, but we have since determined that's untrue, one must engage in the act."

Slater rambled on. "But, this occurred even when a person may not have had a parent with the illness. This is called genetic lycanthropy. The genes can be active or dormant. Sometimes they may remain dormant in a family for centuries if no one ever actives the genes."

"One of the reasons?" Remus questioned. Wanting to know everything about gene activation.

"Actually, we have many theories on things can alter these genes or infect people. We have lists that are several fold, we can provide you with them."

"So, you're saying my son will be okay? He won't be born a werewolf?" He asked quickly. His heartbeat accelerating. 'Unless he breaks the rules on the list?" He thought bitterly to himself.

"Oh no. Not in this scenario. Your wife would also likely need to be a werewolf, besides in my experience she wolves that do carry fetuses that are infected with lycanthropy almost always miscarry very early on in pregnancy anyway."

"Yes, your son will be fine. I couldn't promise he'd never become a werewolf ever, but he certainly wouldn't be born one. But, I doubt it would ever occur." Slater rambled. "In ancient times they even believed puberty could also be a trigger for activation, but we now know this is also untrue."

"But, I don't really understand the way that works?" Remus asked. "Would that be something we'd need to worry about? He asked looking at the list Slater had just given him.

It was short. It only had a few things on it.

"Think of it this way, Muggles have what they call Autoimmune conditions, some can even run in families. But, sometimes they won't always present themselves. Other times something in their environment or life can trigger the illness to present itself." Slater continued, pouring what had to be his eight cup of tea.

"And the things on this list? They could contribute to the illness coming out?" Remus asked.

"They could simply cause the amount of lycanthropy genes to increase or mutate. So it wouldn't necessarily be definitive."

The list had several things.

1. polyjuice / spell mishaps

2. Bodily transformations gone wrong

3. Murder (accidentally or otherwise potentially)

4. Potentially, illness.

5. Blood contamination (through bites or other means, sharing blood products through infusions, or drug paraphernalia.)

Remus couldn't help but think this seemed like quasi science of some kind, but then he remembered those that he had met while underground. Some of those people had not had bites. He had wondered at the time how this was possible. He wondered if perhaps this was proof.

Slater shrugged. "I'm sorry this stuff isn't really an exact science."

Remus nodded, joy flooding him. It didn't matter to him, someone had finally told him his son would be born healthy.

"And, after your son is born we can come meet him and do an assessment. We could try to give you a percentage of lycanthropy. I suspect it will be somewhere between 1-12% probably."

Remus sighed, that was no where high enough to result in lycanthropy.

"And, if you have any questions in the meantime you can always write me. Your owl should find me." Slater explained.

"Oh, I think the cookies are done." Slater smiled walking off distractedly.

Remus sat there for a few minutes while everything he'd just been told sunk in. His baby boy would be fine.

He shifted, making to stand.

He found his wife happily eating cookies in the kitchen with the others when he joined them, she beamed at him.

"Well, i finished my assessment apparently. Passed with flying colors!" Tonks explained, smiling.

"Yes, very healthy witch, and baby." Wilson agreed.

Remus ate a cookie happily, before he and Tonks finally went home through the floo.

Remus couldn't help but find himself smiling during the next day or two.

His son would live.

Sources:

https//ways-to-become-a-werewolf.html

https/criticalrole./wiki/Lycanthropy#:~:text=A%20lycanthrope%20has%20three%20forms%3A%20humanoid%2C%20hybrid%2C%20and%20animal,features%20that%20suggest%20the%20animal.