What newfound independence Emeline had found herself the recipient of was gone the moment Remus saw Peter's name.
She was not allowed the map back, not allowed any other outings, and certainly not allowed slinking around after curfew, even if it was to her father's classroom. He escorted her to her dorm in the evening as often as possible, which was perhaps the most embarrassing thing Emeline had ever bore witness to.
They were rapidly approaching another moon, and the thought of Peter out there somewhere and her dad's semi-removed, semi-in-the-middle involvement frightened her. His sense of protection was extremely heightened and his intolerance for her joking, sarcasm, and oblivion was growing painfully thin once more. He was certainly better at restrain, and the week leading to the moon passed with no notable explosions or disagreements between the two, however she was sure she saw a somewhat displeased glance when George 'awed' the entire Great Hall after he dropped a small, handmade bouquet of wildflowers in front of her one afternoon.
If the shade of pink that had become her weeks ago was a shock, the red on her cheeks now - in front of the whole school and her father - rivaled even George's hair. At the blush, Remus' glare softened, and she was happy to see his wolfish instincts squashed for the moment as he offered her a reluctant smile from the head table.
Once her classes were finished for the day, the one thing she couldn't ignore was following the golden trip to Hagrid's Hut. She knew her father may, very well, kill bee for doing so. However, she couldn't let her friends or Hagrid down.
Buckbeak was being executed today.
As she trailed behind them, Ron still gloating over Hermione's punch to Draco's pretty boy face, her stomach tied up in knots. She felt uneasy. Likely because she couldn't bear to see an animal in pain, but something else felt slightly off. She tried desperately to ignore it.
Before she knew it, they were at his door and Hagrid opened it quickly, ushering them inside. He chatted for a bit with her friends as she stared off into the pumpkin patch. Her stomach lurched into her throat again. Why, she was still unsure.
"Emeline?" His gruff voice pulled her from her reverie. "Spot of tea?"
"Oh, yes please, Professor. I'm terribly sorry. My mind's been wandering today."
"Ay, well. I'm sure yer've quite a deal on it." He poured the steaming liquid in front of her and gave her a pat on the back that nearly sent her flying forward. "Remus is a great fellow. I knew him long before now. I reckon he's in better spirits lately having yer around and all."
"Yes," she offered him a kind smile, taking a sip and letting the warm liquid soothe her nerves. She preferred her father's tea already, she noted, and it broadened her grin. "He's a great dad. We had a lovely holiday."
Hagrid winked at her and turned his back, gasping slightly when he saw Dumbledore and the executioner walking toward his hut with the Prime Minister in tow.
"Quick, shoo. You lot best be out of here before they see yer or I'll have worse problems on my hands. Hurry!"
She followed the trio, running quickly to the top of the hill and out of sight from the small group overseeing Buckbeak's demise. As the axe tore through and hit straight to the ground, Emeline let out a quick sob she didn't expect to come forward. Her and Hermione hugged one another and Harry patted their backs awkwardly before they all turned to Ron, who cried out in pain.
"Scabbers! He bit me! He's never!" He immediately shot off after his rat, throwing caution to the wind of anyone seeing him, and the three of them remaining took all of two seconds to sprint after him. They were relieved to see he'd caught him toward the bottom of the hill and thought they could quickly leave unseen, before Ron looked at them and lifted a trembling finger. Emeline had already felt that feeling again - gloom? Fear?
She turned on her heel and breathed in quickly.
Doom
"It's the grim!"
If what Emeline had been surmising with Remus was true, this was Sirius Black. And as he leapt forward she thought for sure he was coming for her. To her surprised, he lunged over her head and grabbed Ron by the leg, dragging him toward the Whomping Willow into the Shack's hidden entrance. Her breath was all but gone now. She glanced behind her but her father was nowhere around yet.
"No." She whispered in a whisper that once again almost came simply from her soul and not her voice.
Back at the castle, Remus' breath hitched in his throat as he heard her silent desperation. Tearing the map open, his eyes widened. Sirius and Peter in the shack?
And his daughter running straight toward them.
"No." She heard his breathless plea.
Remus darted out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, his Wolfsbane sitting on a vial on his desk, and headed for the shack as fast as he could, pain and pre-transformation woes be damned. As his legs carried him past Hagrid's hut and ever toward the Willow, he heard her again.
"Dad, please."
•
"It's a trap, he's the dog! He's an animagus!"
Emeline didn't have time to process what was happening before Harry had Sirius on the ground. She screamed just as her father ran in.
"Expelliarmus!"
Harry's wand flew and Remus cocked his head to motion him off. Reluctantly, Harry let go and rushed back to where Hermione and Ron were. Emeline stood awkwardly in between both parties as Sirius leapt to his feet.
"Well, Sirius, looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally the flesh reflects the madness within."
"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?"
With a grin, they both hugged each other fiercely and Hermione gasped. Emeline still stood between her friends and her father, dumbfounded.
"It's him!
"I know. I understand."
Emeline's eyes flashed between them both. Her father was right. Sirius was innocent.
Emeline's lips fell into a smile, too, and Remus beckoned her closer as he pulled away from Sirius. As Sirius' mouth opened in surprise, glancing between them both, Hermione interjected.
"No! I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend?" She turned to face Harry and Ron, then back to lock eyes with Emeline. "I trusted you, Em! Hes a werewolf! That's why he's been skipping classes!"
"Hermione!" Emeline shot forward, but Remus grabbed her arm quickly.
"How long have you known?" Remus asked.
"How dare you!" Emeline spat. Remus held up his hand to her and shot her a quieting glance. Sirius snickered and she shot him the same glance her father had dealt.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay."
Emeline was hanging on their every word, back and forth, with bated breath. Sirius remained slightly behind her and Remus, watching the scene unfold, until her father and him began arguing once more over killing him.
Who?
"Very well. You can't wait one more minute - Harry has the right to know why!" Her father's kindness and teaching spirit were admirable. He diffused Sirius' anger quickly and stood between the trio and Sirius and Emeline now. He snatched the wand from Remus and Emeline clenched her fist in protection of her father. Remus noted the anger in his daughter but friend quickly to Harry's voice as they began to explain to one another the situation that was truly at hand.
Sirius beckoned Peter to come out from the shadows and Emeline looked at Remus desperately.
"Has he lost his mind?"
Before Remus could respond, Professor Snape stormed in and disarmed Sirius swiftly. As the four students watched this new scene unfold, Emeline was growing more impatient and wary of what Severus may do. Fear for her father and his old friend took over and she reached discreetly for her wand from her clock.
"Expelliarmus!"
Severus shot backward into a worn down bedframe, wand flying from his grasp as Emeline stood with hers outstretched.
Remus could have simply died as he turned to his daughter.
"Emeline Lupin! Wand away, now!"
She made no moves to change her stance and shot him a dangerous glare.
"You two are endangering yourselves and us. Explain to them, please!"
Remus couldn't argue with that, and the rest of this damned evening unfolded and ended with Peter Pettigrew in the flesh. When it came time for Pettigrew to beg for mercy, he found Emeline's cloak front first and knelt before her, practically dragging her down.
"Clever, sweet girl. You look just like your mother. I knew Florence well. She would never let your father and Sirius do thi-"
"Away from her! Don't you dare touch her!" Remus grabbed Peter back by his shirt and shoved him to the ground forcefully. Emeline's heart was beating out of her chest and her panic was beginning to mount. She felt ill, once more.
Her dad appeared animalistic already. The sun was falling.
"Are you alright, Em?" His voice and face softened as he surveyed her. She sunk into his embrace and nodded.
•
They all exited the shack and Remus kept a close eye and wand on Peter as Sirius took Harry aside and Hermione soothed Ron as he grimaced from the pain of the punctures in his leg. Emeline stayed close to her father, behind him as instructed.
The calm before the storm had the eerie feeling Emeline couldn't shake bubbling up in her heart once more. She looked up and saw the moon moving with a speed she didn't know it had as it ascended to its highest position in the sky, full and menacing. The clouds sunk away and it bathed them all in bright moonlight. She grabbed her father's arm and felt the tension in his body already.
"Dad?"