Two weeks had passed since Emeline and Harry's conversation fireside with Remus and Sirius. One week had passed since the first task. Emeline's heart was still in her throat from watching the entire thing, but to no surprise Harry was victorious (and safe) until the second task came round shortly.

He had attempted to persuade Emeline in Mad Eye's direction after sharing their conversation with her, where he touched bases and encouraged use of Harry's wand during the task which proved ingenious.

However, she still could not find herself on board. There was something, she was sure of it. Perhaps her father was right. Perhaps she was sour and emotional about that class being someone else's now. She felt insecure to admit it as a teenager, but she missed him deeply and she felt her anxiety surrounding the tournament mounting. Despite him caring for her and always being consoling, she knew he would be disappointed deep down if she could never manage her stressors; it's what he'd been trying to instill in her.

So she tried.

It had been a long day of classes and losing herself to her thoughts by now. Almost so long a day, that she had forgotten what tomorrow was: her birthday.

This was the first birthday she'd have ever celebrated with her father in the picture. Well, she supposed last year he was in the frame, however she had no clue who he was and she was still a bit bothered that he could avoid her so easily on that day. As that mounting anger tore her up, she decided to check a calendar and found to her relief, he had been likely avoiding everyone except Moony himself that evening, which was satisfactory for her.

Still, she was alone this year once again. She wasn't the type to share that information with the world to garner a pity party if they hadn't known. George was aware of her birth date: September 26th. However, getting any interaction from him would likely equate to the ease of her passing her classes- practically impossible (without extra credit anyway, which is normally how she achieved fair marks).

Regardless, George had not spoken to her since their conversation. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit hurt.

It was certainly a whirlwind being nearly fifteen.

As Emeline yawned on her way to the Hufflepuff dorms, knowing damn well she should not be out at this hour, she heard a delicate cough behind her.

"Pardon, Miss Lupin, could you come with me briefly?"

She turned to face Professor McGonagall and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She failed, she was sure of it. And she was completely deflated. Or, she was in trouble for being out so late. She couldn't wait to explain this with a lame study excuse to her father.

"Certainly, Professor." She relented, shoulders slumping. She was too angry at herself to even ponder why in Merlin's beard McGonagall would be beckoning her to her class to go over marks at this hour, so she leaned toward the wrong place at the wrong time idea.

Midnight was moments away.

As she trailed behind her, she felt a bubble of excited chatter swell in her soul. She could almost hear it. It was the oddest thing she'd ever experienced especially in such a sullen state and it wasn't coming from her.

"After you." McGonagall said quickly, opening the door.

Emeline stepped into the darkened classroom before the lights flashed on quickly and the room erupted in shouts of "surprise!"

Standing in front of her were the trio, Neville, Ginny, the twins, and-

"Happy Birthday, pup!"

Her dad.

He wrapped his arms around her before she could say anything from her excited shock and hugged her close.

"Happy birthday, Em!" The rest of them chimed in, huddling around their friend and old professor.

"How did you all pull this off?" She barely got out, oxygen coming in small supply as the center point of the huddle. "And, could I maybe breathe?"

"Right sorry!" Everyone slunk away, still grinning with various gifts on Professor McGonagall's desk, who came up behind Emeline and gave her a light saueeze on the shoulder.

"Happy Birthday, Miss Lupin. I hope I didn't terrify you too much bringing you in this hour." She said with a twinkle in her eye. "I have a birthday announcement for you, also: You in fact passed your recent Transfiguration exam, so no need for hyperventilation."

Emeline laughed and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Would you take a look at that!" Remus laughed.

Everyone was still standing quite close to her except George, which she took note of. Once they had pointed out which gifts were from who and shuffled out with more 'happy birthdays!' yelled back, the only ones left were her father and the twins as McGonagall retired for the night.

George shuffled past them anxiously, choosing to hand Emeline her gift personally.

"This is for you, E. Happy birthday."

"Right, the gift is only from George, but happy birthday no less. You're alright." Fred laughed, nudging her shoulder as they exited the classroom without another word.

Emeline turned to her dad and smiled gratefully.

"Dad, thank you. This means so much to me."

"Darling, you think I'd miss anymore of these special days? Never." He gripped her shoulders and looked down on her lovingly. "I can't stay terribly long, but I have brought you a little something."

"You didn't have to bring me anything, you kno-"

"- I do know. But I wanted to." He handed her a small purple box from his coat and she grazed her fingers over the velvet before popping it open.

She gasped quietly as she pulled the silver chain from the box, a beautiful shining star dangling in the center.

"This was your mother's. She gave it back to me that day and I always hoped I could hand it off to you someday." He smiled as she grabbed the star between her fingers. "As you can see, we had a theme."

Emeline chuckled and nodded, looking up at him with glistening eyes.

"It's perfect. Thank you, dad."

She unclasped the chain and he held out his hand gently.

"Let me?"

She nodded and pulled her curls up off her back as he stepped behind her and pulled it around her neck.

She looked down at the star hanging in front of her, a symbol of a love she never knew existed until last year. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about her mother and this being just another of a lifetime's worth of birthdays she'd never see again.

Meanwhile, it was the very first one her father got to celebrate with her, being unable to make up the others he'd lost. Turning to face him, he proceeded to plant a kiss on her forehead and swept her tears away with his thumb.

"I miss her too." He said softly. "In a perfect world we'd be celebrating together. I'd give anything for it. I can only hope that having one another gives you the same comfort and purpose it's given me. I mean this as a promise to you, Emeline: as long as I'm here I'll never let these moments pass by me again."

"I love you, dad." She buried her head into his chest as Remus sucked in a deep breath. He had never heard those words from her yet. His voice failed him as he opened it to say them back.

Him?

The father who she'd seen transform and could have very well killed her? The father without a job who hadn't two galleons to rub together. The father who couldn't offer her more than his small rundown cottage and often rivaled her moody temper during the moon's cycle. The father who left her as an infant.

One feeling swelled more strongly inside of him than any other and it was a foreign feeling: grateful.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Emeline."

•

Once Emeline returned to her dorm and found herself alone, she decided to open George's gift.

It was a small envelope with a seal she had never seen before - two Ws on a colorful background. She rolled her eyes at his custom stationary and took a breath before opening it with shaky hands. She had no idea what to expect.

She slid out a simple piece of parchment and turned it over in her hand.

E,

The only thing better than knowing the child of a Marauder has to be fancying them.

The only thing better than that would have to be if they fancied me back.

PS: this isn't about Harry.

Happy Birthday,

George

She laughed to herself softly, cheeks illuminated, and threw herself back into her pile of pillows with a quirky squeal of excitement.

Best. Birthday. Ever.