Caelen spent the following weeks working diligently on what to get her father. She'd never given a present before and she was determined to make this one a good one. Despite her father's warnings she snuck away one evening after he'd fallen asleep.
Sprinting as quickly as her little legs would take her Caelen rushing towards the dungeons. She knocked hesitantly hoping she wouldn't upset the potions master with her late evening visit, "professor Snape?" Her tiny voice called as she poked her head around the heavy door.
Severus glanced up shocked to see the little girl, "Caelen? What are you doing out at this hour?" He looked behind her expecting to see Remus.
"Ummm well..." The little girl hesitated lifting a heavy book up where the professor could see, "you see I was hoping to make this, for my father, for Christmas." The girl mumbled.
Severus sighed reaching for the book, "give it here." He snapped in his usual tone. The book opened to the potion, Elixir to Induce Euphoria, "you wish to induce euphoria in your father?" Snape questioned the girl puzzled.
"I want him to be happy, that's what euphoria means right really happy?"
"More or less," the potions master agreed, "but it is a fake, temporary happiness I suspect time spent with you might have a similar effect."
"Please professor Snape will you help me make it please?" The child begged brown eyes looking up pleadingly.
Professor Snape didn't like to think of himself as soft still the sight of those big brown eyes begging him for help began to worm their way past his hardened shell. "I suppose you won't leave it alone until I agree to assist you am I right?" He asked sighing.
"Oh thank you professor Snape!" the little girl gasped happily reaching forward in a move to hug the cranky professor.
Snape held the child at bay, his hand placed firmly on her head, "there will be no hugging!"
"Sorry professor Snape," Caelen responded still grinning. "What do we need to do?" She asked bouncing in her excitement to begin.
"I can't believe I've agreed to this," Severus growled out shaking his head, "come along child. My first years wouldn't be able to make this and you're even younger than them, so you must give your word you will do exactly as I instruct."
Caelen nodded eagerly bouncing along next to the man, "I promise professor!"
Snape rolled his eyes directing a caldron to his desk. He lifted the small girl onto a chair nearby before beginning the potion, "stir four turns counter clockwise." He instructed.
Caelen obeyed immediately watching his every motion with interest.
Snape added a few more ingredients, "alright now six turns counter clockwise."
Caelen counted the turns out carefully stopping immediately at six, "how's that professor?" She questioned a look of concentration on her young face.
A smile flickered briefly across his face, "well done Caelen, study hard and you have the makings of a first rate potions master."
The girl grinned watching with interest as Snape ladled out the sunny yellow potion handing her a vial. "Thank you so much professor!" She squealed once more reaching to hug him.
"What did I say about hugging?" Snape hissed pushing her away.
"Sorry I forgot no hugging, goodnight professor Snape thanks again!"
Snape sighed as the girl headed for his door, "wait," he called walking towards her, "can't have you wondering the castle alone at night. The drama that would ensue if you got lost or into trouble...come along I'll escort you to your father."
"You won't tell him I left to see you will you?" The girl worried biting her bottom lip.
Severus rolled his eyes pulling his hand away from the girl as she went to hold his hand, "you don't suppose he'll figure it out when you give him the potion for Christmas?"
"Oh," the girl responded crossing her arms nervously, "I hadn't thought of that. You don't suppose you could come up with a reason as to why I was with you?" The girl begged.
"You made the decision to sneak out I will not be drug into it," the professor informed her in a hard tone. His face softened as he took in the girl's nervous expression, "I'm sure he won't be especially cross once he knows why, you were with an adult after all." He tried to reassure her. Severus knocked on the door to the Lupin's quarters waiting stoically for a response.
Moments passed before a disheveled and groggy Remus opened the door, "Severus? What brings you here at this hour?" He questioned in a puzzled tone.
Severus turned to find the girl hiding behind his cloak, "an escape artist," he growled moving his cloak aside to reveal the girl.
She stared up at her father looking guilty, "hallo," the child murmured glancing down at her toes.
Remus knelt down in shock, "thank you Severus, Caelen what do you think you're doing out alone at this hour? We've talked about this." Her father questioned sternly.
Caelen looked up at Severus fear and desperation lighting in her big brown eyes. She didn't know how to respond, she couldn't tell him what she was doing without giving away his Christmas gift, but she knew she'd never get away with giving him no explanation at all. "Well you see...I ummmm..." She began her voice quivering.
Snape sighed above her, "sleepwalking I suspect, you're lucky I happened upon her Lupin. Perhaps you should get her out more during the day less energy and such, good evening." He snapped before spinning on his heels and walking briskly away his robes billowing as usual.
Caelen watched him leave making a mental note to ask him to teach her to move like that before facing her father once more. She looked up at him giving him what she hoped was an innocent smile.
"Sleepwalking hmmm?" Remus questioned raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Now why I wonder, when I've never known you to walk about in your sleep before, you might start now?"
Caelen bit her lip looking down once more guiltily, "I dunno?"
"Could it be," Remus began, "that you snuck out, for what I haven't the slightest, and somehow managed to convince the hardest professor in the school to cover for you?"
"It was really important..." Caelen muttered quietly.
Remus eyed the girl shocked and confused by her behavior, "So important you had to break your promise to not wander around alone?"
Tears filled her eyes, "please, it really was important." She began in a sniffling tone," I jut c-can't tell you right now. I didn't do anything bad and I was with professor Snape almost the whole time!"
"Caelen I told you why you can't wander around alone," Remus sighed sadly. It suddenly occurred to him that parenting was sometimes very difficult. Whatever the girl had snuck out to do she obviously felt was necessary, and she had been with an adult, albeit one her father didn't really get along with. But, he'd given her one rule not to go anywhere alone and she'd broken it. He bought some time to think as he led her back into their quarters and shut the door placing a locking charm on it in case the girl decided to sneak off again.
His heart broke when he turned to find his child shielding her face with her tiny hands, "ok I'm ready," she mumbled through her fingers.
Remus sighed kneeling before her and pulling her hands down, "ready for what cub?"
"To be p-punished," the girl all but sobbed out, "I broke the rule and I can't tell you why so you're going to whip me now right?"
Remus sighed and pulled her to him cradling her shaking body in his arms, "I don't know what to do little one. I should punish you in some way, you broke the rules. I don't want to though and you seem to have, at least in your mind, have had a good reason. But, Caelen, I'm your dad that means when I tell you something I need you to listen regardless of how you feel on the matter. I know more about the world than you do, I know about things out their that could hurt you. I only make rules to protect you do you understand?"
"Yes," the girl mumbled sadly, " I am sorry."
"Thank you for saying so," Remus responded rubbing his temples, "now what do you think we should do about this?"
"You mean you aren't going to beat me?" She sniffled in surprise.
Remus shook his head sadly, "no little cub id never beat you, not ever."
"I guess you can return my Christmas," she sighed looking towards her pocket and the potion hidden inside, "I don't deserve it anyway."
"No you're getting Christmas," he insisted, "I know you're not allowed to eat any pickles next time they serve them in the great hall.
Caelen eyed her father in confusion, "but I don't like-"
"Are you arguing with me?" He interrupted sternly.
"No I'm sorry, no pickles for me," Caelen agreed before wrapping her arms tightly around her father's neck. "Thank you."
Remus nodded carrying the little girl to her bed, "whatever you're hiding in your pocket it would probably be best to find a better spot for it before you fall asleep." He told the girl with a grin before tucking her blankets up to her chin, kissing her head and leaving the room.
Caelen bounced out of her bed stashing the small potion vial inside the box her boots had come in and placing it deep in her trunk. She scurried back into her bed oblivious to her father shaking his head and grinning at her loud hurried actions on the other side of her door.
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Christmas dawned cold and snowy, Caelen climbed from her bed dragging a chair to the window to peak out at the white ground far below. She'd never been allowed to go out in the snow and the frosty water crystals intrigued her.
She rushed to her trunk hanging upside down inside it to reach the bottom where her gift for her father lay hidden away safely. She hurried to her father's room the box grasped securely in her grip. Climbing onto Remus' bed she crawled quietly up next to him laying facing him on his pillow, "pssssssst pssssssst," she whispered poking his cheek, "are you awake?"
Remus' brown eyes opened meeting the sparkling matching versions that belonged to his little girl, "good morning cub, merry Christmas." He greeted her gently tugging her closer.
"Merry Christmas!" Caelen squealed in reply grinning broadly, "I got you something!" She whispered scooting away to reach the shoe box.
Remus sat up taking the box gently from her outstretched hands, "don't you want your presents first?"
"No I'm too excited to give you yours!" The girl squealed tapping the box, "go on open it!"
The man smiled lifting the lid carefully off the box, inside lay a woven bracelet with a shiny blue stone hanging from it, A drawing of the two Lupins smiling, and a vial filled with some yellow potion.
"Do you like them?" The girl asked looking at her father hopefully," Hagrid helped me collect unicorn hair and showed me how to braid it one day while I was with him during your class time. I found the stone myself and he whacked a hole through it and helped me attach it! The drawing I did myself!" She hesitated when her father lifted out the vial, "that's Elixir to Induce Euphoria, professor Snape helped me make it."
Remus eyed the potion puzzled, "why would you want to give me this potion?" He asked curiously.
"Well euphoria means really really happy right?" Caelen questioned her childlike logic easily understood, "I want you to be really really happy."
Remus smiled pulled his little daughter close to him, "you make me really really happy, thank you cub they're the best presents ever."
"Really!? You like them!?"
"I really do," Remus nodded putting the bracelet on, "see? I'll wear it always. And this," he said as he placed the drawing on his nightstand, "belongs right here so I can see it every morning, me and my little cub."
Caelen giggled as her father poked her belly playfully tickling her until she gasped. "Stop stop!" She begged between squeals and giggles.
"Alright here you go little cub," Remus smiled cradling his daughter against him as he accioed her presents to him.
The small child nuzzled her head into his shoulder tears filling her eyes her reaction confusing her father, "what's wrong little one?"
"It's just I never expected anything, I'm so happy to have you I don't need anything else!" The girl sobbed clinging to her father.
"How bout you open these anyway huh?" Remus choked out rubbing his daughter's back comfortingly, "I think you'll like them."
Wiping her tears Caelen turned, still cuddled against her father and reached for the closest present. Minutes later she had unwrapped a stuffed wolf toy, a sweater that had apparently been knitted especially for her by Ron's mother, a silky throw blanket in the girl's favorite colors, green black and blue, and a small chain link bracelet with a small heart shaped charm. "Thank you!" She squealed wrapping her arms around her father excitedly.
Remus smiled hugging her in return, "the sweater is from Mrs. Weasley, apparently Ron wrote her about you."
"I'm going to write her a thank you!" The girl stated excitedly bouncing off the bed and racing from the room.
The defense professor laughed at his little girl before climbing from his bed and carrying her abandoned presents to her room. He found her sitting at his desk tongue hanging out in concentration as she penned her thank you to Mrs Weasley, "where's my thank you?" He questioned teasingly.
Caelen leapt from the chair rushing over to her father to be scooped up into his arms, "I love you," she whispered into his ear tucking her head under his chin.
Remus smiled squeezing her close, "I love you too cub."
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Soooooooo here's another chapter...ummmmm is anyone there? Does this totally suck and I'm just clueless? *cricket noises* yeah ok. *sings All by myself* alright off I go, I'm going now, ok bye.