It took nearly the entire break for Emeline to train and condition herself to become an animagus. She was somewhat relieved that her timeline for training was severely diminished due to having her father and bestfriend's expertise at her beck and call. A unique quirk she learned, is that your form comes to you organically and she could not choose it. That met her with much trepidation as they approached the final full moon of summer. However, she was ready to be done with training being watched like a hawk by her father and uncle.
Sirius' encouragement, having been through the process, was quite helpful, and due to this encouragement she remained hopeful that her first transformation wouldn't be a devastating disaster.
The other moons of the summer passed by uneventfully. To her surprise, Professor Snape continued sending Remus Wolfsbane vials leading up to the moon and his transitions had been smooth and no cause for anymore discomfort than normal. Sirius did his best to keep her occupied and busy those evenings with various games and stories of his own animagi form and she was eternally grateful that he caught on to just her heartbroken she felt during the moon. She had a strong desire to be there for her father and it was painful to listen to his transformations.
Sirius took away some of that dark cloud by reminding her, yet again, that Remus had done this practically his entire life. Having Emeline now could only soften the blow of a condition he already had down pat. That seemed to soothe her and give her the purpose she needed.
All to say, they'd finally arrived at the evening of the moon.
Remus drank the last Wolfsbane vial and secured himself in the cellar. Sirius looked down at Emeline who stood next to him in the basement on the other side and nodded encouragingly.
"Are you ready?"
"As ever. You?" She turned to her dad.
"I'm alright, Em. Listen to Sirius. The second the moon beams come through the window, don't wait. I'd like to see you succeed if I can keep my wits about me."
"The Wolfsbane will ensure that," Sirius added as he turned Emeline to face him. "Don't let rushing ruin your incantation. He's an anxious father and he'll see you succeed either way, because you're going to. You've had two marvelous teachers. One of whom is exceptionally skilled in voluntary transforming." He winked at Remus and the first light of the moon shined against her bare feet.
"You have everything you need to excel at this, Em." Remus forced out, already attempting to remain stoic and sound.
She nodded and watched Sirius for instruction.
"Now." He ordered.
As lightning struck outside the small window, Emeline grabbed the bright red potion vial Sirius handed her and she heard the familiar sound of claws against metal as she drank it.
She whispered the incantation with her wand pointed at her heart and nothing else to lose. She quickly felt her human form melting away.
•
When Remus came to the next morning, he was laying on the stone of the makeshift cell and facing the snouts of a mutt he'd seen many times in this position, and a new, very small and peaceful looking wolf pup.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he lifted his hand to reach for the lock. The sound of metal clanking roused the animals at his feet and drew them to stand. Sirius' tail began wagging excitedly with a happy yipe and Emeline offered him a playful howl back as they wrestled on the ground in excitement. Remus watched them, amused, before the little wolf stopped and turned to him. Head held proudly high, she came to sit perfectly still at his feet, tail coming to a stop. She looked up at him with her same crystal blue eyes, shining like ice against her grey and brown fur.
He knelt down to her and she kept her stance as he appraised her transformation, in complete awe.
"Well done, pup. You've passed."
An excited howl and leap up at him gained her his laughter and he held her close as she transformed back, laughing also in human form now. Before she knew it, they were all piled together, hugging and grinning like mad men.
"I told you, Remus! Pup!"
"My daughter, a marauder." He mused, smiling at her as blood dripped from a new scar on his face.
Sirius threw an old cloth at him. "Well, what did you expect, Moony?"
Emeline chuckled and snatched the cloth off the floor, wiping at the new scar with that familiar whisper only Remus could hear.
"Yeah, Moony. What did you expect?"
•
When they all made their way upstairs that morning, Saffron was already viciously pecking at the window with a beak full of letters. Emeline rushed to let her in, soothing her with a gentle tap on the head and offering her some water by turning the faucet on low. She divvied up the letters among them.
One for Sirius, from Harry.
Two for her, from George
One for her father, from -
"The Registering Department? But I thought you were already in the registry."
"Ah, this is for you. All animagi must be properly registered for many purposes. I was simply being proactive as ordering the paperwork holds you to nothing."
"You're incredibly over prepared sometimes, you know that? Isn't it exhausting?"
"I must pass that exhausting onto you as it requires the Hogwarts Express whistle to wake you some days."
"Very funny." She grinned as she looked back at her letters. Sirius was already halfway through his letter from Harry but stopped abruptly as the room went deafeningly silent. He looked up at Remus inquisitively and Emeline blushed, offering Remus a look as if to say don't you dare.
"Back to your letter, Padfoot. Emeline has some reading from her friend to get to."
"Oh, ho!" Sirius laughed, jumping up and snatching the letters.
"Sirius! Come on! You two really are the worst together!"
"I'm just joking." He stuffed them back in her hands. "A Weasley, eh? They're a funny match those too. Keep you on your toes."
She tore open the first letter, smiling to herself as she read through.
E-
It was lovely to get to hear from you so much over break. It sounds like you three are settling in nicely and it'll be neat to have some normalcy this year, I'm sure. Everything is fairly well here. I wish I had new news to report, but as it goes, you are the most exciting as of late.
An animagus?! Merlin, I simply must spend some time amongst such royalty. Fred and I are marauder die hards. Still can't believe we know two of them, had one for a pet, and are friends with two of their children!
Well speak soon, gotta run
George
Her heart sunk slightly at her and Harry being regarded as 'friends' to George, but nevertheless, she opened the second letter.
Her sunken feeling certainly did not last long.
Remus meant to interject at the slight fall her caught in her face, but it was quickly rectified with an excited scream and Emeline jumping up as she read the rest of the letter. Remus could not even gather his thoughts quickly enough before he was overcome by her screaming, giggling, begging, and jumping in front of him.
He caught a few keywords
George. Cup. Two days. And: please, please, please!
"Em, slow down." He laughed, taking a seat. Still taxed from the moon and desperately trying to understand his daughter, he looked up at her calmly. "Can you tell me what's going on in a normal, single sentence, please?"
Sirius hooted behind her, Emeline not even realizing that he'd snatched the letter again.
"The Quidditch World Cup?! You're bloody lying! Merlin, he must really be into you!"
"Give me that!" Remus shouted, grabbing the letter from Sirius now.
"No fun he's only invited you!"
"Sirius, please." Remus held up a hand as he read through and looked up at Emeline with a quick smile. It was forced.
"I'm not sure with what's lurking about, you should be at such an exposed event, Em."
"Dad, please. The break has been fairly calm unless you've been informed of something I haven't. I'm sure there's plenty of safety measures there."
"I'm sure there's none considering the minister for magic believes nothing of the matter at hand."
"Well, I'm not sure I'd believe an inkling, either." She argued.
"It feels just like before," Remus started. "I just want you safe."
"I'd be perfectly safe with the Weasleys. Besides, Harry will be there too! And Hermione. I've never heard of this Cedric fellow, but I'm sure he's lovely and he's my house! Please, dad."
Remus didn't have the heart to tell her that Harry going was precisely why he had heavier fears. He also feared such an expansive place for easy attack.
And… without any magical threat… was this a date? An entire weekend he was leaving his daughter and her friend/ not friend to their own devices?
There it was again: pinching the bridge of his nose and pulling in a rattling breath to calm himself.
"Alright," her scream interrupted him and he held up his hand to her. "I will owl Arthur and discuss the matter and assuming the safety is to my approval, you can go."
She bit her bottom lip, face bubbling with excitement as she danced back and forth between her two feet. Sirius patted Remus on the shoulder.
"Well?"
"Can I scream now?"
"I suppose." Remus groaned.
As she threw her arms around his neck and hollered in excitement, Remus was certain he could add a new condition to his roster: completely deaf.