Remus decided around the late afternoon that it was time that they make their way home. Their entire day had been spent weaving in and out of the stores in Diagon Alley, with Remus asking Emelyn questions about herself. He was surprised to find out how alike they were and even felt comfortable sharing facts about himself.

Emelyn liked that Remus enjoyed reading books like she did and seeing a movie whenever he had a moment. Remus liked the way Emelyn's face would light up whenever she found something that she enjoyed talking about. He would feel a pang of sadness whenever she would start to get excited and would close off almost immediately. He wasn't sure what had happened in the children's home to make her that way, but he planned to find out.

Remus had been surprised to see that Emelyn came with so little. Her entire life was packed into a single, large backpack. He made a mental note that he would have to take her shopping as soon as possible. The clothes that she had were in nearly the same shape as his.

"Normally, I would Apparate back home," Remus said as they walked side by side out of The Leaky Cauldron and towards King's Cross. "However, I didn't think that would be the brightest idea of mine, considering the state you're in. I thought taking the train back would be best."

"Apparate? What's that?" Emelyn asked, her brow furrowing as she looked up at Remus. She found herself having to walk twice as fast as Remus as he was a lot taller than her, and his legs were much longer. They had walked at a nice leisurely and unhurried pace within the confines of Diagon Alley. Now that they were on the streets of London, his walking was brisk, and she was struggling to keep up.

Remus peered down at Emelyn and let out an embarrassed chuckle. He was so used to being by himself that he didn't consider that he was moving too fast for her little legs to handle. "I'm sorry. Here," he said, holding his hand out for her to take. She grabbed it without hesitation, and he smiled. "Apparating is a way that we can travel, and it's relatively safe when done correctly."

"Relatively safe?" she questioned.

"Well, there are a few things that could possibly go wrong," Remus said thoughtfully. "You could potentially splinch yourself, or you could find up in the wrong place."

"Splinch yourself? What does that mean?"

"That means you've managed to leave a part of yourself wherever you were leaving from," Remus said, looking down at Emelyn and suppressing a laugh at her wide-eyed and horrified expression. "They usually get sorted out very quickly, and ordinarily, it's because something had broken their concentration. I would never let that happen to you, I promise."

Emelyn kept her eyes forward and nodded slowly. She couldn't comprehend how one could leave a part of themselves behind, but she thought it best not to think about it. She was determined to never try this strange Apparating thing Remus spoke of. Emelyn was more than content taking public transportation everywhere she needed to go, thank you very much.

The rest of their walk to King's Cross was silent. Remus slowed down his pace when they neared the train station, much to Emelyn's appreciation. Before Emelyn knew it, they were on a train heading north back to York. She wasn't expecting to be back on the same train she had arrived on.

"You live in York?" Emelyn asked in surprise.

"Outside, yes," Remus said. "I was just as surprised as you were when I found out you've been practically around the corner this whole time."

Emelyn gave Remus a small smile before turning her attention out the window to her left, watching the world pass by. She watched as the massive buildings of London turned into more modest and homier residences. Emelyn found it almost silly to be returning to where she had just come from a few days prior. However, she felt an immense relief that she wouldn't be going back to the children's home. At least she hoped not.

The two spoke quietly on their ride back to York, primarily pointing things out to each other as they passed. Emelyn was glad that the train ride back was much faster than the trip to London.

Once back in York, Emelyn felt herself growing tired. Remus took her hand in his, peering up at the ever-darkening sky when they made it back onto the street. "I don't need you getting lost," he said, pulling her along the sidewalk.

"We, erm, we'll have to take the bus into Stamford Bridge and then walk the rest of the way," Remus said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I don't have a car, I'm afraid. B-but if you're too tired, I'll carry you back. I don't mind at all."

"Oh," Emelyn said sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and gave Remus a tired smile. "I don't mind at all."

The number of new things that Emelyn had experienced in such a short amount of time was beginning to wear on her. She felt as though her brain hadn't been able to shut off the entire time. Emelyn felt that she was perpetually moving forward without being able to give a second thought to what was happening around her. All she knew, at the moment, was that she was holding hands with a man who she was told was her uncle, and she was heading to her new home. Even better, she would be leaving that home to head off to a magical boarding school at the end of the month. Her uncle also had to do something important, but she didn't know what.

Each new experience she had was another new addition to her memory. Emelyn found herself getting lost in her thoughts more often. She found herself trying to think hard and remember her past, but she couldn't remember much at all. Remus had told her she had been brought to the children's home when she was two at the beginning of November 1981. She couldn't figure out if a two-year-old could remember things, but Remus said that because she had magic, she could. The problem was, Emelyn couldn't remember anything at all; she just knew that she trusted the man she was with.

The bus ride was quick and let them off in a suburban town. It was nothing like the city. There were a few shops, but there were far more houses. Remus led her down the main road and towards a side street. The more they walked, the more the scenery changed. Gone were the row houses and shops, replaced by vast expanses of farmland and trees.

"You know, if we were to Apparate, it would be much faster," Remus said quietly.

"Oh, no," Emelyn muttered, having no interest in being splinched. "I truly don't mind walking. I used to walk everywhere from the children's home."

"Well, if you need me to carry you, just say the word."

Emelyn gave Remus a small smile but continued on, holding tightly to his hand. The sky was growing steadily darker, and the sun had nearly dipped beneath the horizon as they turned down a dirt road.

"We're almost there," Remus whispered to Emelyn, who was growing sleepier by the minute. She hummed quietly, allowing herself to hug Remus's arm to make walking a little easier.

The houses had disappeared save for the small cottage-style building they were approaching. Forest seemed to surround the cottage on three sides with an expanse of open field sitting across from the cottage. The bushes that lined the road gave way to a broken, stone fence, and Remus's steps slowed. He stopped outside the half-opened metal gate, and Emelyn stared curiously at the building in front of her.

It was a brick cottage with a thatched roof, with a skinny black front door and wide front windows. There were several trees in the front of the house and unkempt bushes that lined the dirt pathway to the door. Perhaps, at one point, the path had been stone, but she wasn't entirely sure. The stone fence wrapped around the front of the house and along the sides before switching to wooden pickets and then ended with nothing at all as it approached the backyard and the forest. One of the front windows on the right side of the cottage was boarded up, and the yard could use some sprucing.

A lone streetlamp sat just outside of the gate, and Emelyn wasn't sure that it had ever existed there in the first place before the cottage arrived. It seemed out of place considering there were no other lights, and she wondered if Remus had added it himself.

If this was her new home, Emelyn could already say it was perfect.

"Welcome home," Remus said with a grimace, embarrassed at the state his – no, their – home was in. It didn't matter for him alone, but now that he had Emelyn to look after, he would have to start fixing things up. It didn't even occur to him that the cottage could look terrifying to her in the dark, almost as if it were a haunted house.

"We're home?" Emelyn asked, perking up. She peered at the house again and then up at Remus with delight. She gave his hand an excited squeeze, ready to run to the door and head inside.

Remus was surprised to find Emelyn so excited and not caring how the cottage looked, and he found himself smiling back at her. "Would you like to go in?" he asked, letting go of Emelyn's hand to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a set of keys, gave the keyring a jingle, and held it out for Emelyn to take.

Emelyn stared at the keys in his hand, her eyes lighting up, and she took them from him with shaking hands. "Which key?" she asked him breathlessly. She looked at each of the keys in turn, her tongue poking between her teeth, trying to decipher which would be the correct one.

"Let's make it a game – try to figure out which one it is," Remus said, pushing the gate open further. Emelyn rushed through, not caring that the gate wasn't open completely. Remus let out a hearty belly laugh as she ran up to the door, trying each key in the lock.

"You have so many keys!" Emelyn laughed when she reached her sixth key. She attempted her seventh key with a quiet huff and gasped as she heard the click of the lock releasing. She looked up at Remus, her eyes wide with nervous excitement.

Remus chuckled, reaching around Emelyn to turn the doorknob and letting the door swing open. He pulled his wand out from the inside of his sleeve, pointed it just inside the door, and the front room was aglow with flames from the fireplace. Other lights lit up in the cottage by themselves, allowing Emelyn to take a look at things for the first time. Remus placed an encouraging hand on her back, gently pushing her forward into the room. He couldn't stop himself from watching her awed expression.

Emelyn took in her surroundings slowly. They stepped right into a living room, and she couldn't find it any more perfect. Even with the peeling wallpaper and chipped hardwood floor, Emelyn couldn't help but appreciate the immediate charm of the cottage. It was the first time she was ever seeing her new home, and she never wanted to forget it.

It appeared that at one point, the door once opened into what once was a slim hallway in front of her, but the wall to the left had been removed. Emelyn decided that was a good idea as it made the small room appear even bigger.

The fireplace sat on the wall facing her, bathing the room in its warm glow. Immediately to her left, across from the fireplace, was a medium-sized couch. A rectangular coffee table sat just in front, several books sitting on the surface. A set of squashy armchairs sat to the left of the sofa, with a small round table sitting between them. Behind the armchairs was a massive bookshelf filled with books of all shapes and sizes and funny little objects. A small television sat nearest to her, sitting just to the side of the fireplace. On the mantel was a small radio and several moving photographs. A fascinated smile touched her lips as she walked towards the photos, giving them only passing glances. She still couldn't get used to moving pictures, but at least they were no longer a surprise.

Emelyn turned to her right to see what looked like a small study. She peered curiously through the open door, excited to find even more books. Remus had told her that he enjoyed reading, but she hadn't anticipated just how much. She popped back out of the room to look down the hallway. To the left of the study appeared to be the door to a closet.

She turned to look back at Remus with a sheepish grin and slowly walked down the hallway. To her left was a bedroom, the door slightly ajar. She didn't want to peer in because it seemed to be Remus's room. It appeared very lived-in, and she didn't want to be rude.

The bathroom was across from Remus's room, leaving only two more rooms to visit – one on the left and one on the right. To the left, the hallway opened up to a small kitchen with a circular table pressed against the wall with three chairs. It looked like a typical kitchen, but Emelyn wasn't sure if magical kitchens were meant to look different or not. She was grateful that it all seemed familiar. The back door was lined up exactly with the front, but she would have to wait until the daytime to explore the world outside the door.

That left only one more door and one final room. Emelyn turned around to stare at the door and looked at Remus curiously, her unasked question hanging between them. He nodded at her with a soft smile, and her eyes grew wide once more.

Seeing that Emelyn was now rooted to her spot on the kitchen floor, Remus stepped over and gently guided her to the door. He lifted his hand to open the door but then paused. "You should open it," he said quietly to her. "It is your room, after all."

She let out a shaky breath and nodded, lifting her hand and turning the doorknob. Emelyn pushed open the door, and a small gasp escaped her lips as she peered in. The room was small and square-shaped, but it was the perfect size. Emelyn stepped in slowly, knowing that she would never get to experience entering her bedroom for the first time ever again. Her bedroom. It seemed almost too good to be true.

A twin bed was in front of her and tucked into the corner facing her. Her new school trunk sat propped open at the foot of the bed, her things ready to be removed and placed where they belonged. A nightstand sat to the left of her bed, a small lamp sitting on top. As if reading her mind, the lamp lit up, and Emelyn turned back to Remus with an appreciative smile. The walls were a beautiful shade of painted pale yellow. Though it wasn't lived in yet, it was a happy room, just how she had hoped.

A lone window, cracked open to let in the fresh air, was on the wall to her left facing out into the backyard. A wooden dresser sat just underneath the window, her owl's empty cage sitting on one of the corners. A small and currently barren closet was inset into the wall on the hallway side to her left. Emma peered at the small bookshelf against the wall next to her nightstand with a shiver of excitement. Her schoolbooks had already been placed on one of the shelves, and she couldn't wait to fill the rest.

Emelyn turned back to her bed, sitting down on it and brushing her hands over the very cozy grey patchwork quilt. There were several very comfortable-looking pillows that she couldn't wait to snuggle into and a very soft teddy bear. She could see directly outside from where she sat on her bed. Emelyn picked up the bear and hugged it close to her, and looked at the new set of flannel pajamas that sat at the foot of her bed. Curious to see if the pajamas were as soft as everything else, she brushed a hand over them as well. They were.

"I know it's not much," Remus said quietly, "but I hope that you'll feel more than comfortable making it your own with time."

"It's perfect," Emelyn whispered, peering around the room again. The annoying prickling sensation agitated her eyes again, and she rubbed them, trying to make it stop. "Thank you."

"For what?" Remus asked, sticking his hands in his pockets as he looked at her curiously. Emelyn hesitated, squeezing the teddy bear tighter in her arms. She cast her gaze down to the floor, resting her head on top of the bear's.

"For taking me home…."

Remus's breath caught in his chest at her words and how quietly she said them. He walked over to Emelyn and knelt down in front of her. Remus placed a hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze before lifting his other hand to cup her chin gently and tipping her head up to look at him.

"Sweetheart, if only you understood how long I have been waiting for today," he said earnestly. "I have waited a very long time to see you again. Of course, I would take you home." Emelyn gave him a shy smile, and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "Now, are you hungry? I think there might be some ice cream that we could have for dinner."

Emelyn giggled and nodded. "I think I would like that," she said.

"Perfect," Remus said, standing up and offering his hand to her. "Let's have some ice cream, and then I believe it might just be time for bed."

Their morning hadn't started off as well as he'd hoped, but the rest of the day had gone well. Remus worried that ice cream for dinner wasn't a good idea, but Emelyn retreated to her room for the first time with a sleepy smile. He was terrified, but his joy over having Emelyn back in his life overshadowed his fear. Remus only hoped he could do the right things for her; so much time had passed.

It had been dark for a while, but Remus wasn't sure how much time had passed. He lifted his exhausted and aching body off the couch just as the fireplace finally put itself out. With a sigh, Remus looked at the small clock on the mantel. It was nearly two in the morning. He had spent so much of the night trying to figure out what to do with Emelyn the next day that he lost track of time. He was entirely at a loss, and he found himself growing anxious.

As late as it was, Remus wondered if his father would still be awake. It had been months since he had visited Lyall, and he had a stack of letters asking him to visit. He wouldn't mind if he knew, Remus thought to himself as he stretched his arms out over his head.

He padded across the living room, turned the corner to head into his room, and was surprised to see the light still on in Emelyn's room. Curious, Remus walked down the hall and peered around the door, a smile crossing his face at the sight he saw.

Emelyn was sitting up in her bed, pouring through one of her schoolbooks that sat in front of her. She held her head in her hands as she tried to read, fighting off her sleep for as long as she could, but her eyes were getting dangerously close to closing. Her teddy bear was sitting on her lap, looking almost as though the bear was reading along with her. Though she would most likely fall asleep on her own, he decided that a bit of help wouldn't hurt.

Remus grabbed an empty glass from the kitchen and went to his room. He opened one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a dark brown bottle, and uncorked it. Remus poured the purple liquid the bottle contained into the glass and sighed when he realized that was the last of the bottle. He had every intention of using the Sleeping Draught for himself, but he could sleep well as long as he knew Emelyn was. He would have to pick up more just to have around.

He peered back into her room, glass in hand, and smiled seeing her still trying to stave off sleep. The girl was determined to stay awake and read, and he couldn't help but be reminded of himself at her age. Remus knocked gently on the doorjamb to grab Emelyn's attention, hoping that he didn't startle her in her sleep-deprived state.

Her head shot up to look at him, and she gave him a sleepy smile. "'Lo," she murmured.

"Hello," he said, smiling back. "It's very late, dear. You really should go to bed."

"'Snotthatlate," Emelyn muttered, her words slurring together with exhaustion. She shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up, yawned, and then peered suspiciously at the glass Remus held in his hand. "Wha's that?"

"This?" Remus asked, lifting up the glass. "This is a Sleeping Draught. I thought that you might like to take it so that you could sleep a little better. It's nothing like you had at the children's home," he added quickly, seeing the worried expression on her face.

"What does it do?" she asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"It'll just put you into a deep sleep so that you won't be disturbed. I thought that maybe you weren't asleep yet because –"

"– because of my nightmare," Emelyn said sleepily. Remus gave her a slight nod.

"That's not the only reason, though. Thought you might be having a little trouble. First night in a new home, I'm sure that you're just a little overwhelmed."

Emelyn eyed the glass and nodded. "Just a little," she said sheepishly. "I suppose I could try it."

Remus nodded and sat down on the edge of Emelyn's bed. He placed the glass on her nightstand and reached behind her to adjust her pillows so they were propped up at an angle. He picked up Emelyn's book – her Defense textbook, he was pleased to see – and closed it, setting it aside. "It works quick," Remus explained, gesturing for Emelyn to lay back. "It'll be more comfortable for you, trust me."

It was strange for Emelyn to be more at a reclined position, but she sunk into her pillows appreciatively. The way the bunks were set up at Saint Nicholas's never would have let her recline back like this. To be fair, she wasn't surrounded by cloud-like pillows, either.

Emelyn took the glass apprehensively from Remus as he handed it to her, and she worried her lip. She studied his face, trying to see if his eyes would betray his words.

"You promise it's nothing like what I've been given?" she asked.

"I promise," Remus assured her. "It's only to help you sleep."

Emelyn studied Remus a few moments longer. Satisfied and sure that he was telling the truth, she nodded and looked at the glass, wondering what exactly she should do. Did she just drink it? It seemed obvious, but she wasn't sure.

"Are you comfortable?" Remus asked, waiting for Emelyn's nod of approval. "Right, then. You'll need to drink the whole glass."

Emelyn's eyes grew large as she stared at the glass in her hands. "The whole thing? That's a lot."

Remus chuckled and shook his head. "It is, but it'll help. Once you start to drink, I'm afraid that you'll have to keep going," he said, watching as Emelyn propped herself up a bit and slowly brought the glass to her lips.

She frowned slightly but tipped the glass back. It didn't taste terrible, but it didn't taste nice either. It smelled wonderful, like a lavender field, but it certainly didn't taste like one. The more Emelyn drank, the sleepier she found herself becoming, her body becoming heavy and the room becoming comfortably warm. Remus reached out to help her tip the remaining potion into her mouth before taking the glass and gently guiding her back down into the pillows. It didn't take long at all for Emelyn to slip into a relaxed sleep.

Remus remained where he was for a few moments, his lips twitching into a smile as Emelyn finally looked peaceful. The poor thing hadn't been able to relax the entire day, and it was nice to see her calm. He carefully turned off the lamp and looked over at the window, wondering if he should close the curtains. Perhaps it would be all right to leave them open; her owl hadn't returned from hunting yet.

Even though the potion worked quickly, Remus remained in the dark, listening to the sound of Emelyn's breathing. He wanted to wait for her breathing to shift before getting up. It would be pointless to accidentally wake her up now, and he forgot how much he missed the sound. He allowed himself to gently brush the backs of his fingers against Emelyn's cheek. She had grown up so much since the last time he'd seen her. Ten years was far too long.

When Remus was positive that Emelyn was finally asleep, he carefully stood and left her room. He had somewhere to be. He quickly rushed into the kitchen, dropped the glass in the sink, and rushed out the front door. He spun on the spot and disappeared with a pop only to wind up on the doorstep of his father's home. He peered around the darkened streets, and he frowned slightly as he looked into the dark windows. Was he even home? Of course, he's home, Remus thought to himself.

His father was probably sleeping, and he felt guilty not waiting, but Remus couldn't wait any longer. Remus raised his fist and began to knock on the door heavily, hoping that his father was at least awake and would answer. After a few minutes of hard knocks, Remus stopped and waited. He shuffled anxiously, peering around the dark street once more. If anyone were to pass by, he would look absolutely deranged instead of looking like a very nervous man who desperately needed the help of –

"Dad!" Remus practically shouted the moment the door opened. He hugged the older man tightly and pulled back, gripping his arms with a smile.

"Remus?" Lyall asked, blinking at his son. "What in Merlin's beard are you doing here at this hour? It's nearly three in the morning."

"I have Emelyn."

The bespectacled man stared at Remus incredulously, as if he didn't believe his son. A slow smile grew on his face, but he still looked skeptical. "Emma? You have our Emma?"

Remus nodded breathlessly and allowed himself to be pulled into the house. Lyall quickly turned on a light and stared at Remus.

Lyall Lupin, bathed in the warm glow of the light in the entryway, looked overjoyed, confused, and terrified all at once. "How?" Lyall asked, grabbing onto Remus's shoulders. "How do you have Emma? Merlin, she should be at least ten or eleven now?"

"Eleven," Remus said, surprised at how excited he suddenly felt sharing the news with his father. "She'll be turning twelve in September. C-can we go sit?"

"Yes, yes, of course, son," Lyall said, suddenly spry and awake. He gestured for Remus to take a seat on the settee in the sitting room and bounded for the kitchen with a shout of, "I'll make us some tea!"

"At this hour?" Remus asked, sitting slowly on the couch. His face was starting to hurt from the smile he wore on his face, but no matter how hard he tried, it wasn't going away.

"Remus John Lupin, there is never a wrong time for tea," Lyall said, popping his head around the corner to shoot his son a look. He tried to look grumpy, but his smile was peeking through, and the effect was lost. "It'll just be a moment." Lyall ran back to the kitchen, and Remus laughed at his father's exuberant shout, "Merlin's beard, we have Emma! Does she like to be called Emma? Oh, never mind that now. We have our Emma back!"

Lyall entered the sitting room carrying two saucers with very full teacups. He was moving so fast in his excitement that he was practically running. He handed a saucer to Remus and sat down in an armchair, staring at his son with rapt attention. "What happened, Remy? How has this miracle taken place?"

"Dumbledore," Remus explained, taking a quick sip of tea, not caring that it was scalding hot. "Dumbledore came to call a few weeks ago, broke in, really…Said that when they were going through acceptance letters, Professor McGonagall came across a reply from the children's home in York. They found it very curious that it was for a girl named Emelyn Nickels.

"He apparently did some research into the school's records, some records at the Ministry, and then checked the information with the children's home…and Dad, it's her. It's really her. Oh, Merlin, she is wonderful. She's funny, absolutely beautiful, very trusting, which worries me, but she's perfect."

"Does she –?"

"She looks just like Margaret."

"We truly have our Emma back?" Lyall let out a shaky laugh and sat back in his chair. He took a long and unsteady drink of his tea.

Remus nodded fervently, his smile still plastered on his face as he took another drink of tea. His smile began to falter slightly as he remembered what happened that morning.

"What is it, son?" Lyall asked, noticing Remus's expression.

"Well," Remus sighed, "before I brought her home – she was staying in Diagon Alley, mind you – she was getting ready to go down to breakfast. As she was fixing her hair, which is incredibly long, might I add, her shirt lifted up and…"

"And what?"

Remus took another sip of tea to try and quell the anger that would be sure to rise. "She had these massive bruises all over her back. Absolutely dreadful – dark and new. And those were just the ones that I could see."

"How could she have gotten like that?" Lyall shouted, his teacup shaking precariously on its saucer. "That little girl has gone through enough! Not knowing her bloody family all these years and being holed up who knows where! You mean to tell me that they weren't taking care of her?"

"I don't really know," Remus said, his voice sad. Lyall held more than enough anger for the both of them. "She tried to tell me that they were from falling, said that they didn't hurt. I got her to break down and admit that they did, but she really wanted me to think otherwise."

"Where is she now?"

"Home – asleep. I convinced her to take a Sleeping Draught. She didn't want to because…."

"Because why? Merlin, Remy, what has happened to her?"

"They were…er, essentially drugging the children. There's a specialized potion that was made that was slipped into their drinks that blocked their memories and subdued their magic."

"They WHAT?" Lyall sat straight up in his chair, anger etched in his face. Tea slopped out of the side of his cup.

"Dad, you're going to wake up the whole neighborhood," Remus said, his eyes wide. He couldn't recall the last time he saw his father this angry.

"I don't bloody care! They were forcing this potion on children? What sort of facility is this?"

"Ministry sanctioned, apparently. There are three Ministry-approved children's homes, and Emelyn just so happened to be at the one in York. All of the children in the homes come from magical blood, but not all gain their powers." Remus took another sip of tea with a small jerk of his head. "We're just fortunate that Emelyn's powers were strong enough to come through for a Hogwart's acceptance, or else –"

"Or else we wouldn't have her back," Lyall said, leaning back in his chair again. He looked aggravated as he thought about what to say next. "I could send someone from St. Mungo's to look at her tomorrow. It could be considered Ministry business as it's due to the welfare of a child."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I know you mean well, but if someone were to realize…."

"Remus John, just because you are a werewolf, it doesn't mean that you're not fit to care for that child." Lyall peered at Remus over his cup. "But she doesn't know that, does she?"

"No, I can't tell her."

Lyall considered his son for a moment and then nodded. "It's your right not to tell her, Remy, but I believe that you should."

"I can't," Remus said firmly. "I cannot tell her what I am. I don't want to scare her."

"And yet –"

"And yet her wounds will heal. Mine won't."

Lyall opened his mouth to say something but closed it, taking another drink of tea instead.

"What do I do now?" Remus asked into the silence, a hint of trepidation in his voice.

"You keep her safe," Lyall said, setting his cup of tea down to look at his son. For a moment, the man sitting across the chair from him was ten years younger, sad and scared. So much had changed in twenty-four hours, and they both experienced so much loss. But this time, there was something new – hope.

"Remus, you keep that little girl safe," Lyall repeated, fixing Remus with a hard stare. "You give her someone to trust with no exceptions, give her someone to tell her secrets to. You love her with everything you have, and you show her what family is. As much as I would love to see her, I want to give her the chance to get comfortable before turning her world upside down."

Lyall placed his empty cup and saucer on the arm of his chair and leaned forward to grip Remus's knee. "She sounds as though she wants to put on a strong front because she's scared but make her feel safe enough to open up."

Remus nodded, making sure to remember everything his father just said. He was incredibly nervous about the entire situation.

"You know, you'll never know if you're doing the right thing," Lyall said with a knowing smile. "You just have to pray and hope that you're doing the right thing. Remus, I always said you would make a wonderful father. I know that she's Margaret's, but…."

"I know," Remus said, a sad smile crossing his face.

Lyall sighed and smiled back. "Let me send someone from St. Mungo's. I'll be depositing some money into your account at Gringotts to help care for Emma – do not try to make me change my mind. You have denied me the opportunity to help you for years, and now you don't have an excuse. I think I want to get an investigation started on this children's home.

"Get her taken care of. I imagine she didn't come with much – take her out, buy her new clothes, let her pick out her own things, and make it fun." Lyall stood up and stood in front of Remus, bending down to kiss his forehead. "Love her with everything you have, Remy. Now, get home before she notices you missing." Another smile crossed Lyall's face as he looked at Remus. "We have our Emma back."

"We have our Emma back," Remus repeated back, his smile coming back once more as well.

a/n: Oops. Two chapters at once because I was in London last week with my partner (who I always like to mention I met because of this story - yay). And I'm not going to want to post later in the week, so double-feature for everyone else~