The first week of Emelyn being home was rough. Remus wasn't at all prepared to step into the role of guardian, and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. It was one thing when Emelyn was small and helpless, but now she was older, and it was difficult to adjust.

True to his word, Lyall made sure that a Healer from St. Mungo's was sent over to the house. The witch arrived around noon, and Remus was flustered. It was hard to tell whose emotions were higher. Remus was embarrassed over having someone at his home with no preparation, and Emelyn, who insisted that she was okay, didn't like doctors and was anxious.

With sheer exasperation in her voice, the Healer tried to explain to Emelyn that she was not "all okay," which led to many tears from the girl. Instead of purchasing new things for Emelyn, Remus spent most of the day attempting to calm her down. This was not how he ever expected his living room to be used.

"She has a few fractured ribs," the Healer said reproachfully, her lips pursed as she started to go down the list of issues Emelyn had. She paused to give Remus a look of contempt.

Remus stared back at the woman before groaning. It didn't occur to him that the Healer would think that he was the cause of Emelyn's injuries. "If you weren't informed, I only brought her home yesterday," Remus said icily, keeping a protective arm around Emelyn, who had tucked herself into his side. "She had been in the care of a children's home up until very recently. I've only been her guardian for twenty-four hours."

The Healer stared at Remus for a moment before consulting her paperwork. She hummed quietly and met his gaze. "Well, then," she said, her response just as cold as she gave him a once over. "All the same – she will require a salve for her bruising once a day, for three days. You will have to help her as there are spots that she won't be able to reach herself. Ordinarily, it would work faster, but several of the bruises are in direct correlation to the fractures. She will need a single quarter dose of Skelegro to repair the fractures, it will be uncomfortable for her, but she will be fine. A blood replenishment potion would be helpful as she seems to be lacking vital platelets, and she'll need three days of that as well."

Emelyn tucked herself further into Remus's side with a quiet whimper that drew the Healer's attention. The witch glanced at Emelyn before writing something down in the folder in front of her. "I would recommend keeping Draught of Peace and a Calming Draught on hand for her. You said that you gave her a Sleeping Draught last night, correct?"

"Er, yes, she was resisting sleep as much as she could," Remus said, feeling odd talking about Emelyn as though she wasn't clinging to him. "I'm not sure if it was from the nightmare she had the other night or if she was just scared about being somewhere new. I thought it would be best."

"You were correct," the Healer said, her demeanor changing and brightening slightly. "If the story I've been given is correct, Mr. Lupin, I understand your concerns, but I believe that you will do fine. You seem to have a knack for parenting already. Should you need anything at all, please send word by owl or get in contact with someone at the Ministry. I'll admit it's refreshing to see someone within the Ministry concerned about the welfare of our children."

Remus gave the Healer a polite smile, ready for the woman to finally leave. He carefully detached Emelyn from his body and walked the Healer to the door.

The Healer turned to look at Remus thoughtfully. "Mr. Lupin, just as an aside, have you considered keeping chocolate on hand? She's a young girl, and I would much rather see her have something more organic than a potion. It'll do wonders as a pick-me-up and help her feel better."

"I will be sure to do that, thank you," Remus said, ushering the witch out the door and agreeing to her sending pamphlets for him to read.

Remus let out a relieved sigh as he closed the door behind the Healer. He turned to look at Emelyn and was startled that she burst into tears when his eyes met hers. It took several very long hours of him holding her and speaking to her in soothing tones before she finally opened up. Remus's heart broke when she told him that she was afraid that she was in trouble and that he would send her back.

After many reassurances that he would never do such a thing and the promise of ice cream for dinner again, Emelyn finally relaxed. He was disappointed to see that Emelyn had become highly withdrawn after being so excited the day before.

By the time Emelyn had calmed down enough to begin speaking in normal sentences, it was early evening. It was far too late for them to get any real shopping done as they would have to head back into York, and Emelyn had no desire to try Side-Along Apparition. Instead, he decided that it would be best if they settled in for the night. Remus had gotten Emelyn showered, ready for bed, and tucked in by nine.

Since Emelyn was distressed most of the day, Remus decided that a Sleeping Draught would help again. He was glad that he thought to take a bottle from his father before heading home. He repeated the same process as the night before – potion, lights out, waiting, and then he was out the front door Apparating to Wales.

"Twice in one week?" Lyall asked, a smile crossing his face as he opened the door to let Remus in. "Emma being home truly is a miracle. You haven't been home this much since, well, since you were in school. Tea? Emma is sleeping?"

"You know why I haven't been home," Remus said, shooting his father a look. "You really didn't need to send a Healer, Dad. I suppose tea would be fine, and yes – I've given her another dose of Sleeping Draught. Thank you for letting me take your bottle."

"You gave her another dose? And why should I not have had a Healer sent?" Lyall asked, his chest puffing out. "That little girl needed to be looked over if she was in the state she was in."

Remus shot his father another look and then sighed, running his hands through his hair. "She thought the Healer was there so that I could find a reason to send her back. Plus, you know my home isn't in the best shape. I could feel her judging everything."

"Why the bloody hell would she think that? Merlin," Lyall breathed. "Well, at least now you'll take the time to fix the cottage up."

"I don't know," Remus sighed. "But I had to spend most of the day trying to calm her down. I could have had her taken her myself – I planned to take her myself." Remus glanced up at Lyall, who was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "Yes, I suppose I'll have to take the time to try and get things done."

Lyall regarded Remus for a moment before nodding. "Sit down. I'll grab the tea," he said, heading towards the kitchen.

Remus took a seat on the settee with a slight nod in return. He took a look around the living room, thinking of how much had changed. It had been in this very room that so many significant moments had taken place. This was the final home that he had lived in before joining the Order of the Phoenix immediately after graduating. He had spent less and less time at home before eventually buying the cottage. It meant that he could try to keep his family safe, and they no longer had to move due to the neighbors getting too curious about Remus and his condition.

It was in this very sitting room that Remus and his father sat in quiet, drinking their tea, unable to speak after Hope's funeral. It was in that sitting room Remus had returned to after leaving St. Mungo's after Emelyn's birth. Just over two years later, they would find themselves in the sitting room again, bearing the weight of the grave news of how their lives had changed. Remus had visited Lyall several times over the years, but his stays were much briefer before he moved along with life. It had to have been nearly a year since he had seen his father.

Remus's eyes found the photos on the mantel over the fire, showing much happier times. An old photo of Lyall and Hope dancing at their wedding, a picture of Hope holding Remus as a small child before he was bit. Another photo several years later showed a much different story with a very young Margaret and a sad Remus, scars on his young face. Further along, Remus's eyes paused, lingering on a photo that he could scarcely remember being taken. He stood up and crossed the room to look at the picture, pulling the frame off the mantel.

It was a photo from St. Mungo's the day Emelyn was born. He was cradling Emelyn in his arms, beaming, with Margaret holding onto his arm while she sat up in her hospital bed. She looked exhausted but proud. Up until that point, Remus and Margaret had a strained relationship with each other growing up. Emelyn's birth had brought them together, even for a brief moment.

He couldn't stop himself from smiling at the photo, remembering how Margaret had asked him to be Emelyn's godfather just moments before. Remus had been absolutely horrified that she'd asked him, but he had become completely besotted by the baby in his arms. He could have never imagined what happened two years later.

"Do you remember how small she was?" Lyall asked from behind Remus.

Remus turned around, the photo still in hand. "I do. She's still small," he added, looking down at the photo. "You know, I don't recall ever holding Margaret when she was born."

Lyall chuckled as he set their cups of tea down on the coffee table. "You didn't. Emma was the first baby you ever held. You were terrified to do it, as well. You thought you were going to break her even though you had been holding her for at least 15 minutes by the time I got there." Lyall stood next to Remus, clasping an arm around his shoulders and looking down at the photo. "She looked perfect in your arms, Remy."

"It's still so hard to believe that she's so grown up now," Remus said, returning his gaze to the photo. "There's been so much time that we've missed."

Lyall gave Remus a sad smile. "Well, the important thing is that she's home now. You should take that photo back with you. I think she'll enjoy it."

The next day wasn't any better than the first. Remus wasn't expecting to get into an argument with Emelyn so soon, but there they were, arguing over the Healer's instructions.

Remus had raided Lyall's stockpile of potions to get the things that she would need, plus a little extra just so he had it. He had everything lined up carefully on the kitchen counter to ensure that everything was ready. She took one look at the potions and gave him the dirtiest look he had ever seen.

"Emelyn, contrary to what you believe, you are not all okay."

"I feel fine," Emelyn insisted, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Remus. "I don't need any of that!"

"Emelyn," Remus said pleadingly, "please, it'll help."

"No, I won't!" Emma said, stomping her foot. "I don't need it!"

She glared at Remus for another moment before storming off to her room and locking the door. Remus stared helplessly at the door, knowing he could easily open it, but he thought it might be better to leave her alone. He knew that she was still upset over the day prior and still incredibly nervous being somewhere new. This was all unfamiliar to her, and he would give her the time that she needed.

After spending most of the day locked in her room, Emelyn finally came out, looking guilty. She didn't fight him over having to take the potions, only pulling faces at each one, and she begrudgingly allowed him to apply the bruise salve to her back.

They had ice cream for dinner again.

The third day seemed to combine the first two days into one. Emelyn felt comfortable enough to start testing Remus's limits, and he was exhausted from it. Remus didn't want to go to work so soon, but he had a very short shift – she was old enough to stay by herself, he figured. However, when he returned home, he found that Emelyn didn't listen to his loaded warning of staying inside. Emelyn decided that climbing one of the trees in the backyard seemed like a much better use of her time.

Remus was absolutely terrified when he didn't immediately find her, frantically checking all of the rooms in the house. His mind was racing with the possibilities as he finally decided to check outside. He was incredibly relieved when he spotted Emelyn staring at him with wide eyes from her perch in one of the tall oak trees.

"What are you doing up there?" Remus shouted up at her. "I told you to stay indoors."

"I'm in a tree, obviously," Emelyn said slowly, not bothering to mask her snark. "I'm fine."

"Would you please come down from there?" Remus asked. "We need to run into town."

Emelyn stared down at Remus and frowned. "Fine," she grumbled, carefully beginning her slow descent down the tree. Halfway down, her foot slipped, causing her to fall the rest of the way. Remus, who barely had time to react, managed to catch her in his arms but nearly missed her.

She gave Remus a sheepish grin once her brain caught up to what happened and giggled nervously. Emelyn wasn't expecting to have made it to the ground so quickly, and she certainly wasn't expecting to be cradled in Remus's arms like a small child. Remus let out what sounded like a low growl and placed her down on her feet. He gave her a hard stare before walking back into the house without another word. Emelyn remained rooted to the spot for a moment and guiltily followed him back inside. She had pushed too far.

Remus was so aggravated that he let Emelyn do what she wanted for the rest of the night, once again abandoning their plans. They only spoke to make sure that she took her potions and so that he could help her with the salve. Luckily her bruises were starting to look a lot better.

They didn't have ice cream for dinner that night.

By the fourth day, things were finally starting to turn around. Emelyn came out of her room, took the last of her potions without a word, and sat down at the kitchen table. She watched Remus curiously as he stood at the stove making breakfast. The scent of bacon and eggs and toast hung in the air, and Emelyn inhaled deeply, appreciating breakfast would be delicious. They had existed on toast and ice cream for the past few days.

Remus didn't immediately look up or speak to her, choosing to sing along quietly to the music playing on the radio. He absentmindedly scrambled the eggs in the frying pan in front of him and turned the flame off when they were done. Remus took a quick look over at Emelyn, a mischievous glint in his eye and a smile tugging at his lips.

Before Emelyn had a chance to react, Remus scooped her up in his arms. He held her right hand in his, his other arm supporting her body as he whirled her around the kitchen. Emelyn burst out into a peal of laughter as he began singing the song to her, "Oh, the rhythm of my heart, is beating like a drum, with the words I love you, rolling off my tongue…."

As the song ended, Remus lowered Emelyn to the floor and bent into a low bow, kissing the top of her hand. Emelyn was still giggling as she shyly took her hand back from Remus, her smile wide. Remus's heart swelled at the joy radiating off of Emelyn. He had been worried that she would hate his impromptu dance in the kitchen, but he woke up in such a good mood that he couldn't help himself. He picked up his wand from the counter and lowered the radio's volume before turning back to Emelyn, who blushed and ducked her head.

"I have to work again for a few hours, but I thought we could finally head into town when I get back," Remus said, turning back around to grab plates and divide their breakfast. "What say you?"

Emelyn nodded, a smile plastered on her face as she took her plate from Remus. She sat down at the table, eating slowly as she observed him as though he might pull her into another dance. Instead, Remus sat across the table, looking at Emelyn thoughtfully as he picked up a piece of bacon.

"I have a question for you," Remus said, smiling at the wide-eyed expression on Emelyn's face.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously.

"What do you like to be called?" Remus asked, watching as Emelyn's face shifted from confused to surprised.

"Like, my name?"

Remus nodded at her, finding it curious that Emelyn seemed flustered by his question.

"Oh," she said quietly. "I usually just go by whatever people decide to call me. I don't…I mean, I told Hermione that I go by Emma…or Em…." Emelyn trailed off with a slight shrug.

"But what do you like to be called? I don't mean what others call you."

Emelyn thought about it for a moment, pushing her eggs around on her plate. "I don't know," she whispered, sounding almost like she never had the choice before.

"Well, why don't we start with Emma, and if you change your mind, you can let me know?" Remus said, scooping some egg into his mouth. "We always used to call you Emma when you were very small."

"All right," Emelyn said with a small smile.

Remus returned Emelyn's smile and looked over her head to look at the clock. "Oh, bloody hell, is that the time?" He stood up quickly, throwing his half-eaten breakfast on the counter and turning to Emelyn apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I wouldn't normally do this, but they asked me to come in early, and I nearly forgot. Would you be all right cleaning up? When I get back, we'll finish up with the rest of the bruise salve, yeah?"

"Oh, okay," Emelyn said, her eyes wide as she watched Remus run into his room and come running back out with his shoes. He threw them on his feet without bothering to tie the laces.

"I'll see you when I get back, Emma," Remus said, rushing over to give her a quick kiss on the top of her head and running out the front door.

Emelyn – Emma, she finally decided on – stopped eating for a few minutes to process what just happened and began to laugh. She finished her breakfast and began to clean up. It was the least that she could do after he made her breakfast, and she needed something to do.

Life at Lupin cottage was really nothing like Emma ever expected or imagined. Time seemed to move quickly and slowly as she navigated her new life with Remus. She enjoyed the quiet of the house, and she enjoyed the easy conversations they would have when he was home. If Emma was honest, she loved being surrounded by Remus's seemingly endless books.

Emma was starting to feel more at home as each day passed, but she was still plagued by nightmares. They were either of the meadow or Remus bringing her back to Saint Nicholas's. She would wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Emma found that she almost missed the potions from the children's home so that she didn't wake up so terrified. She found herself never wanting to go to sleep, but she never let her fears be known to Remus.

For Remus, having Emma with him made him feel as though nothing and everything in his life had changed all at once. Even with his father's guidance, and the surprisingly helpful pamphlets sent from the Healer, he still worried he was doing the wrong things. He appreciated Lyall's helpful words and was happy to have his father back in his life, but every day was a new challenge.

Remus knew that he needed to step into the role of guardian, but he was terrified of growing too attached to Emma. He worried that she would disappear all over again, and he was afraid she would be too scared of him if she knew he was a werewolf. It was a fine line that he had to tread, and he was anxious all the time.

Still, Remus fell in love with Emma more and more each day. Since that morning in the kitchen, their relationship started to bloom. Emma liked to challenge him as much as she could, but even when she annoyed him, he knew he would do anything to keep her safe. She was his life now, and he had every intention of making sure she remained happy and whole; he had a job to do.

He was happy to see that Emma was adjusting to her new life, but she seemed to look tired most days. He would try to gently broach the topic with her, but he would only be met with her signature smile and a cheery, "I'm fine." Remus supposed that as long as she was happy and was well fed, sleep would eventually come to her. He had to remind himself that her entire world had changed as well.

Nearly three weeks had passed by with Emma in the blink of an eye. They fell into a steady rhythm and had grown much more comfortable with each other. During the day, Remus would go to work, leaving Emma home for a few hours by herself. She would sometimes sneak out into the backyard to climb the trees, but she would stay inside and read on the couch most days. When Remus returned home, sometimes they would make trips out to York to run an errand or two or go on a walk together. Most nights, he would just make dinner. It didn't matter what they did; Emma seemed to love it all.

Emma was very persistent in trying to get Remus to tell her what exactly he did for work, but she wasn't able to gather much. He told her that he worked for a private bookseller dealing with antiques and old copies of books. As Emma would ask more questions, he would often deflect and change the topic. She wasn't sure why Remus seemed to avoid answering her, but she was glad he at least answered the rest of her questions.

At the beginning of their second to last week together, they sat at the kitchen table, waiting for dinner to finish. Remus decided to allow dinner to be made with the assistance of magic so that he could talk to Emma. He would occasionally get up to readjust things, but mostly he sat. Emma was across from him reading one of her textbooks, and Remus skimmed through a book of his own.

"Emma, I have to go away for a few days this weekend," Remus said, looking up and watching as Emma slowly pulled her gaze from her book.

"How come?" she asked curiously.

"I have to go away for work," Remus said, hoping that his lie was convincing. "I'm needed up in Scotland for a few days to take care of a purchase."

"Can I come?" Emma asked, sitting up excitedly. The idea of going out to Scotland seemed fun.

"Unfortunately, no, my dear," he said, feeling guilty as Emma's face fell. "As much as I would love to bring you with me, I don't think my boss would be too happy with me."

"They won't even know that I'm there!" Emma said with a whine. "I'll be quiet!"

Remus sighed, standing up from his seat to stand in front of Emma. He gently took her face between his hands and kissed the top of her head. "I know you'd be quiet, but I need to keep this job," he said softly. "I'll bring something back for you, I promise."

Emma gave him a sad smile and nodded, "Okay."

"Good," Remus said, smiling back at her. He walked over to check the flames on the stovetop before leaning up against the counter. "An old friend of Dumbledore's, Mrs. Figg, will be coming over Friday night. I believe that she'll be bringing over her cats."

"Cats?" Emma asked, intrigued by the idea.

"They're not just any cats. They're special mixed-breed cats," Remus said. "I have a book that talks about them that I can show you after dinner."

"That would be nice," Emma said with a wide smile.

Remus loved it when Emma smiled, and he sat down at the table, feeling a little lighter. "Did you remember to let Aurora out today? You remembered to clean her cage?"

"I did," Emma said, scrunching up her nose. "She seemed delighted to go out mousing today, but cleaning her cage was dreadful."

It had only been a few days ago that Emma finally decided on a name for her owl. She had spent several hours with Remus on one of his days off, trying to find the perfect name. They sat in the living room, pouring through books and calling out different names when they saw a name that might be fitting. They simultaneously called out the name Aurora in a moment of pure serendipity, reading similar stories in two different books. The barn owl was named Aurora from that point on, and they both felt the name was perfect.

"Have you thought about what house you'd like to be in at Hogwarts?"

"I have," Emma said, closing her book. "I don't know what house I want to be in. I know I don't want to be in Slytherin."

Remus chuckled and nodded. "I wouldn't want you to be in Slytherin either. You deserve far more than Slytherin, though I'm sure you would do well if that's where you were placed." He stood back up to check the pots once more and began to turn off the burners.

"I don't think I would be a good Ravenclaw, either," she said, watching as Remus grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and ladled the soup he made into the dishes.

"And why is that?" Remus asked, looking over his shoulder at Emma in surprise as he added the final touches.

"Well," Emma started, leaning back in her chair, "I don't know that I want to have to answer a riddle to get into the dorm. I also don't know that I want to walk all the way up to a tower, either."

"That's a fair point, but you know Gryffindor is in a tower, too," Remus said, chuckling softly at the look on Emma's face. "However, if Slytherin and Ravenclaw are out, then it leaves Gryffindor or Hufflepuff for you."

Emma let out a puff of air, blowing her fringe off her face and scrunching up her nose in thought. "I don't know about either," she admitted. "I don't think that I'm brave enough for Gryffindor, but Hufflepuff? I just don't know."

Remus placed spoons in their bowls and brought their dinner over, placing Emma's bowl down first. He took his seat, clasping his hands together under his chin. "I think you would be fine in either house," Remus said. "I was a Gryffindor during my time at Hogwarts."

"You were?" Emma asked, looking excited again. Remus hadn't talked about his time at Hogwarts before. "What was it like?"

"Eat," Remus said, picking up his spoon pointedly. He thought about how he wanted to answer Emma's question. There were so many things that he could say, some many things that he couldn't. He felt that there would never be enough time to explain to Emma that Hogwarts wasn't just magical due to the actual magic, but also because of the friendships he made.

"It was wonderful," Remus said. "I had the best friends anyone could have ever asked for. They were the ones who helped show me what it truly meant to be a Gryffindor."

Emma nodded slowly, dragging her spoon through her soup. "I would love to have some best friends," she muttered, casting her eyes downward.

"You'll make them," Remus reassured. "If you're like me, you might even meet them on the train. What did you think about Hermione? You could write to her, you know."

"Hermione? I don't know if I liked her," Emma said reproachfully. "She was rather…I don't know."

Remus inclined his head. "That's understandable. You didn't get to spend a lot of time with her."

Emma shrugged, "I guess."

Silence fell between the two, Remus eating while Emma still played with her food.

"I promise that things at Hogwarts will be fine," Remus said with a smile. "And, if they aren't, you can send Aurora with a letter back to me and tell me all about it. But I promise that you will be fine. Now, eat before your soup gets cold."

With dinner finished, Emma decided to get ready for bed and sleep early while Remus cleaned the kitchen. He turned the radio on, playing music softly to not disturb Emma. As he cleared off the table and put the leftovers away, he decided to leave the dishwashing until the morning.

He looked over at Emma's door and was glad to see that her light was off. Her light seemed to stay on for hours, but the fact it was off was a good sign. Remus peered around her half-open door, smiling when he saw that she appeared to be asleep. He made his way to the living room, lit the fireplace, and picked a random book off one of the bookshelves.

Remus settled himself on the couch, propped a pillow against the armrest, and laid down. He took a quick look over at the clock and began to read. "Only for an hour," he whispered to himself.

Of course, it wasn't for an hour. The flames in the fireplace had started to die out as Remus began to drift off to sleep. He debated turning the radio off but decided the music was low enough that it wouldn't interrupt his sleep. Remus was about to close his book, but the sound of Emma's door opening caught his attention.

He listened carefully, wondering where it was Emma would go. He turned his head towards the hallway and smiled as Emma turned the corner to the living room. She looked sleepy, her blanket draped over her shoulders and wrapped tightly around her body. He took a quick look at the clock and realized that it was once again nearly three in the morning. Remus didn't mean to stay up that long.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her softly, watching as Emma hesitated, silently debating with herself. She gave a nervous shake of her head in response.

Remus gave her a comforting smile and placed his book, still open, face down on the armrest. "Come here," he said, motioning for Emma to sit in the empty space next to his legs.

Emma walked over to the couch and climbed onto the sofa; her legs draped over his. Unsure of what to do next, she looked at him curiously. Remus gave her arm a slight tug and pulled her down to rest on him. She curled up, almost reflexively, resting her head on his shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of lavender and chocolate on his shirt with a smile. It was the first time Emma realized that she would miss him fiercely while at Hogwarts.

"I can't sleep either," Remus admitted. As exhausted as he was, he knew that it would be a fitful sleep. Perhaps a cuddle would help him as well. He kissed the top of Emma's head and began to stroke her hair. Remus whispered something under his breath, and the fire relit itself, the flames warming the room again.

"Why can't you sleep?" Emma asked, closing her eyes and listening to the quiet playing music.

"I've got a lot of things to think about," Remus replied, gently brushing the back of his finger against her cheek. "How about you?"

"Bad dreams," Emma said quietly, her voice barely higher than a whisper. She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Did you want to talk about it?"

Emma shook her head and curled up to fit her head underneath his chin. She pressed the side of her face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She had never realized how warm he was before, and it was making her sleepier.

Remus let out a soft chuckle, adjusting how Emma was lying so that they were both more comfortable. He was so glad that Emma finally felt comfortable enough to cuddle. He had been letting Emma control most of their interactions except for the small things she would allow. Remus hoped that it meant that she trusted him.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" he asked, smiling as she nodded with a yawn. Remus thought for a moment, wondering which story he could possibly tell. He turned his head to look at the book he laid down and smiled – The Fellowship of the Ring. He reached back to grab the book and carefully turned back to the prologue.

"This book is largely concerned with Hobbits," he read aloud. A small smile crept across his face as Emma nestled herself into a more comfortable position, her eyes still closed. Lord of the Rings would be the perfect book to read to her, and he found himself excited to share the story. With Emma finally settled in, he continued on.

Remus got halfway through reading chapter two aloud when he realized Emma finally fell asleep. He carefully laid the book down and looked over at the clock. It was nearly five in the morning, and the rekindled fire was on the last of its embers.

He peered down at Emma, who was snuggled into his chest, snoring quietly. With a small smile, he brushed her hair off of her face and kissed the top of her head. He used to love cuddling up on the couch and reading to her when she was younger. Reaching carefully over her head, he pulled down the throw blanket draped on the back of the sofa, pulling it down over the both of them. She had a blanket already, but she always seemed to pile them up. She wouldn't mind another at all.

"Good night, sweetheart," he whispered to the sleeping girl. He closed his eyes, falling asleep to the sound of her soft breathing and the quiet music. Things were finally all right again.

a/n: I enjoy reading things and realizing how much my writing style has grown over the years. It's so much different now, but alas! We continue on.

This was a cute one, though. Ready for a lore drop? It's kind of a sad one, but here we go.

I remember when I originally started writing this chapter waaayyyy back in 2019 (scary) how I just needed comfort. Things at the time were extremely difficult, and I think it's the loneliest I felt in ages. That strong need for comfort led to this chapter as a wish to just have someone care. So much of what Emma needed in this story is a lot about what I needed at the time, but without writing myself in. If I couldn't have it, at least my little character could. And now I do get that comfort (although without the reading...maybe we'll work on that :P) and me in 2019 wouldn't be able to imagine what me in 2024 gets to experience.

Anyway, that's my fun little bit of information for this chapter.

For all of my late night readers - good night.
For all of my readers just starting their day - good morning.
For those who needed a little afternoon break - I hope that you've had a good day and continue to do so.

xoxo,
Moony