Caelen raced around near the fireplace in their quarters her father sat watching her a tired smile gracing his scarred face, "calm down cub," he murmured.
"It's the full moon!" She called giggling excitedly, "you know what that means!?"
Remus didn't understand the girl's excitement, of course he knew what a full moon meant, "ummmm yessss?" He responded in a questioning tone, "we will change but why are you so excited?"
The girl sighed as if she couldn't believe he wouldn't know what she was referring to, "no not that! We've been together for a whole month! Best month of my whole life! And tonight when we change it'll be the second time ever I don't need to be scared, you won't get mad at me for being a werewolf!" She grinned happily thrilled at the idea of being with her father. "I'm gonna be with you forever!"
Remus smiled pulling the young girl into his lap as he watched the sun sink on the horizon through the window, "ah that of course!" He nuzzled the girl gently rubbing noses with her, "you never need to be scared again cub, I'll always protect you."
The pair waited for the sun to set cuddled together, Caelen seemed to realize the change didn't come as easily to her father as it did her. "Are you ok?" She questioned quietly framing his cheeks with her tiny hands.
"I'll be fine little one its just a difficult change for me," her father responded with a tired smile.
Caelen cocked her head to the side puzzled, "it's not hard for me?"
"Well you're younger and you were born a werewolf it makes a difference," Remus attempted to explain.
"You weren't born a werewolf? How did it happen?"
Remus sighed sadly, "when I was a little boy I was bitten by a werewolf, I've been one ever since."
"And I got it from you?"
"Yes cub, I'm sorry," Remus admitted sadly feeling the need to apologize for passing his curse along to his child.
"It's ok I'm glad I'm like you!" The child reassured him kissing his cheek, "I'm sorry it hurts you though" she whispered quietly.
Remus smiled as with a short yelp he suddenly held a small wolf in his hands, "I'm glad it doesn't hurt you little one," he whispered placing her gently on the floor as his transformation began. Remus howled in pain as his bones shifted and joints cracked making way for his wolfish form.
Caelen sat patiently watching her father, she whimpered when he groaned in pain nudging his paw gently with her nose. Before her, panting, stood the werewolf form of her father, moony. 'Are you ok?' She questioned via their werewolf link.
Remus, having not been of his own mind their first transformation together, was shocked to hear her thoughts, 'I'll be fine cub, just need to rest a moment,' he responded once the shock had warn off.
Caelen climbed onto her father's head nibbling his ear playfully, 'Ok but after can we play?'
Moony smiled dropping his head so the cub fell between his paws where he could nuzzle her gently, 'of course little one, I just need a moment.'
The older werewolf watched his cub racing between chair legs in amusement. She was so carefree and happy, he smiled as the cub collided happily into his side.
'Are you rested yet?' A small giggly voice called into his mind.
Moony turned his head knocking his cub over gently with his snout.
Caelen grunted falling onto her side with an oomph. She glanced up questioningly at her father before noticing the humor in his dark wolf eyes. She barked happily wagging her little tail as she nipped at her father playfully.
As the larger wolf nudged her over once more the small cub lay panting between his paws her pale belly heaving in her excitement. 'Do you, do you love me?' Her little voice questioned hesitantly.
Moony eyed his cub large wolfish eyes meeting their smaller copies solemnly, 'yes cub, so very much.' He promised her.
Caelen yawned her long tongue curling out of her mouth adorably, 'I love you too, more than anything ever,' her voice whispered in his mind as she cuddled into his soft fur.
'Goodnight cub,' Remus murmured placing his head over her tiny body protectively.
Sometime the next morning Caelen awoke once again in her human form. She found herself cuddled under a blanket against her father's side his arm wrapped snugly around her. The little girl stretched tiredly before slipping under Remus' arm and hurrying to her trunk to dress for the morning.
Remus grunted when a weight bounced on his stomach waking him with a jolt. "Morning little one," he groaned.
"Are you up?" The girl asked placing her forehead up against his.
Remus smiled despite the rough awakening, "I'm up, did you sleep well?"
"Yes, but I'm hungry can we go get something to eat?" The girl questioned rubbing her tiny belly dramatically.
"Alright let me get ready and we'll go," he responded wrapping the blanket around him as he headed for his room to change.
They had just entered the great hall when the headmaster appeared seemingly from nowhere, "Remus might I have a word?"
"Certainly headmaster," Lupin responded, "go on and sit down I'll be along shortly ok cub? Don't go anywhere promise?"
Caelen nodded and made her way to her usual seat next to the potions professor, "good morning Professor Snape!" She greeted cheerfully.
Over the past several weeks Severus had come to expect her greeting and found it increasingly difficult not to smile at the little child. "Morning Caelen," he muttered in his quiet tone.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked struggling to reach the bowl containing scrambled eggs.
Snape sighed before reaching to help the child fill her plate, he carefully filled her cup with pumpkin juice placing it in front of her plate, "fine yes, and you, nothing kept you awake during the night?" He questioned wondering if Remus had kept the child with him during his transformation. He supposed with the wolfsbane potion he had provided him it was possible but the potions master believed even so it would be irresponsible. He eyed the child curiously, unless of course she had inherited his lycanthropy. "Did your father have an easy night?" He questioned hoping to gain information from the young child.
Caelen eyed him suspiciously after her years with her mother she knew being a werewolf was not something you shared with everyone and even she could feel the tension between her father and professor Snape. "Fine I'm sure," she mumbled hoping that was a safe response.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief when her father appeared patting her knee lightly, "did you serve yourself little one?" He questioned surprised to find her eating already.
"Professor Snape helped me," Caelen responded smiling up at her father and then the potions professor.
"Really?" Remus replied in surprise, "thank you Severus!"
"Well I could hardly eat while she struggled to reach the eggs now could I?" The potions master snapped with a glare at his former classmate attempting to brush over the fact he had helped the child.
"Thank you Severus," Remus repeated quietly before turning to dish himself up some breakfast.
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Remus trudged along the school grounds slowly, Caelen skipping along next to him. "Why doesn't professor Snape like you?" The little girl questioned curiously.
Remus sighed, he felt ashamed for not having stopped his friends from tormenting Snape when they were children. He'd rather have not had this conversation. "When I was a boy here at Hogwarts, my friends and I, James, Peter, and...Sirius, we would tease Severus. There were times it went too far.."
Caelen eyed her father in shock, "you were mean to him? Why?"
"It doesn't matter why it was wrong of us," he replied quietly.
The little girl said nothing for a time seeming to ponder this new information as they walked, "have you told him you're sorry?" She finally asked as if it was the simplest solution, "I would forgive you if you were mean but then told me sorry."
The man eyed his little girl, his eyes misty, "that's because you are amazing!" He replied scooping her up and peppering her little cheeks with kisses. "Not everyone is as forgiving as that though cub I'm afraid Severus and I will probably never be more than strained acquaintances."
"Professor?" Harry's voice called out from behind them.
Caelen squealed hugging the older boy happily, "Harry!"
"Hello little Lupin!" Harry laughed swinging the girl up into the air, "how's my favorite six year old?"
"Fine!" The girl replied giggling as Harry held her against him, "are you ok though? I overheard professor mcgonagal say you fell off your broom!" She gasped stumbling over the Gryffindor head's name.
Harry smiled a tight smile, "good as new," he promised setting her down to inspect him, "professor Dumbledoor saved me."
"I was sorry to hear of your fall Harry," Remus interjected watching his daughter rush off after a bunny, happy with her inspection of her friend. He couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like had he had Caelen from the start and his friends not been murdered, "can anything be done about your broom?"
Harry grimaced, "I'm afraid not it was smashed to bits. Professor, why do they effect me more than the others?"
Remus watched Caelen playing, peeking into an old log in search of the rabbit, he smiled gently her direction before looking solemnly at his dear friends' son, "you've known true horrors in your life Harry, horrors your classmates couldn't dream of. That's why they effect you more, your not weak my boy. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm scared professor."
Remus very nearly chuckled, "well I'd consider you a fool if you weren't."
"But you can fend them off," the boy began desperately, "what you did on the train, you sent it away."
"That was one dementor Harry," Remus sighed leaning on a tree he was still recovering from the effects of the full moon and the exhaustion weighed heavily on him. "I don't pretend to be an expert Harry, still, they do seem to have taken a particular interest in you, perhaps I should teach you. It will have to be after the holidays for now I need to rest."
Harry nodded happily, "thank you professor," he grinned turning back towards the castle, "I'll see you later Caelen."
The girl smiled up at Harry waving her little hand, "bye Harry." She ran back over to her father leaping up into his arms, "what holiday is coming?" The girl asked cocking her head as Remus had come to expect when the child was puzzled.
Remus grimaced expecting her response but wishing it weren't so, "Christmas, haven't you ever had Christmas? Not even before..?"
Caelen shook her head no, "m-mother said Christmas was a waste of time and money, only good children deserve Christmas."
Remus squeezed his daughter close hiding the tears in his eyes, "she was a liar," he growled angrily, "you're the best little child and definitely deserve Christmas!"
Caelen gasped in excitement, "really!? I get Christmas?!"
"Definitely cub,from here on out you always get Christmas!" He promised holding her close as he climbed the hill back to Hogwarts.
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More chapters because I love love love Remus and Caelen and because my whole family is sick so don't have the energy for much more. ok off to write more. Still would love some comments....pretty please?