Make Me.

Book 1 - Chapter 14

Remus Lupin had never been so happy to be so busy, not at least in a very long time. 

He seemed to always be doing something over the first few days of Christmas holidays: always cooking, always cleaning, always mending his daughter's clothes who looked like she had grown twelve feet since he had last seen her, though in reality she had only sprouted up a few centimeters. However, with his daughter back home talking all about her first few months at Hogwarts, the memories of him and his friends at school age were beginning to flood back into his mind, spreading to the deepest parts of his soul where he had worked so hard to remove them from. Whether he was ready or not for their return, he was experiencing them with full vigor, even his dreams were clouded with reminiscence.  

During the day, he was too busy to acknowledge their returning presence, only painfully aware of them at night. If he had trouble sleeping before hand, he was certain that he left his bedroom every morning looking like he had risen from the dead, eyes red and crusty, skin sallow. He tried his best to hide his newfound foes, but he knew it would only be a matter of time until the perceptive girl would notice that his tiredness had reached an extreme. 

The silent, serene breakfasts, time spent playing board games and reading books by the grand fireplace while curled up under a blanket, tucked under Remus's arm, and peaceful enjoyment of each other's comfort, lasted for about two days: much shorter than Remus had hoped for, but about how short he had anticipated. 

Remus knew Ellie was a curious girl at heart, something he suspected she had picked up from him: sometimes he cursed himself for passing on this quality, but he didn't regret it and in the end, if given the chance to "re-do" Ellie's childhood, he wouldn't change a thing. She was intelligent, inquisitive, ambitious, fearless, and a bit of a jokester but she was also loving, understanding, and at times, quite riddled with anxieties of her own, which again he cursed himself for passing onto her. The pair of them had a lot in common, their nervousness, loneliness, and sufferings all but being exempt.  

Therefore, when Ellie had turned suddenly quiet during their one of their infamous Chinese takeout lunches and her eyes seemed to be boring deep into the parts of Remus's soul where even he was scared to examine, he was anything but surprised. 

They were in their usual spots, Ellie sitting at the island, Remus standing, leaning against the other side. The scraping sound of metal forks against their teeth every few seconds was the only sound filling the room besides a slight howling from the wind outside. Ellie's cold white eyes were locked onto Remus's warm brown ones. 

Remus cracked first, though he was pretty sure this was all part of her plan. 

"What?" he said in a slightly accusatory, slightly apprehensive way. He leaned in further towards the girl.

Ellie was still, eyes still, only her mouth moving to chew. Remus felt as if her stare was going to turn him to stone any second. He pushed his plate to the side and leaned his body against the counter, crossing his arms as his weight shifted. 

"I missed this you know. After not seeing each other for almost four months, two days without bombarding me with your questions, I was starting to worry. Thought, maybe I picked up the wrong kid from the platform." 

Ellie's stare started to falter, her eyes narrowing, a sly smile spreading across her face. Remus extended his neck towards the girl, over the counter.

"I am proud of you, you know. Two days without a question, I do think that's your new record." Remus smirked. He was playing it cool, but in reality, trying to distract the girl's swimming thoughts, in fear of being asked a question he would rather not answer. 

Ellie looked down at her plate, thought for a moment, then back up at her father. 

"I haven't asked a thing."