~ Chapter 2 ~

June 1998

Elspeth was curled up in a corner of the sofa, leafing through a magazine and keeping one eye on her small daughter. Callie had had a rough couple of days, but now she seemed happy enough, bent over a colouring book with a new set of crayons.

It was shaping up to be a nice quiet evening, really—until the fireplace roared to life, with those utterly unnatural green flames.

Elspeth started, dropping her magazine on the floor. She never would get used to that Flue—no, it was Floo—well, that thing.

"Good evening, Mrs. Kimball," came a low and slightly hoarse voice through the flames. A man's head appeared, hatless and with hair a little longer than his collar. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to call and see how Caroline is doing."

It was him. That werewolf, the one the Ministry for Magic had sent, before the moon. Lupin.

Callie recognised him, too, and sat up straight with a big smile. "Hullo!"

Lupin turned his head and saw her, and smiled back. "Hello, Callie. How are you feeling?"

She considered this for a moment. "My arm hurts," she decided, holding it up to show him the large plaster that covered a gash on her forearm. "And my back hurts, and my ankle hurts. And I've a headache."

Lupin nodded, solemnly. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you look pretty good to me, all in all. I think you'll be just fine in another day or two." He turned back to Elspeth and raised a silent eyebrow.

Elspeth swallowed nervously, but nodded back. "It really wasn't too bad this time. She was so upset before the change—I was expecting—" She stopped. Callie was watching her, of course. "I think that breathing exercise you showed her really helped." She swallowed again. "Thank you."

Lupin's face brightened.

There was no need to be afraid of him, she reminded herself. He had been nothing but helpful and patient with Callie.

Even though he was a werewolf.

But of course, so was Callie, now.

"I'm glad," said Lupin. Then he hesitated. "I can teach her more coping strategies like that, if you like. There's plenty of time before the next moon. And there's that potion I told you about..."

"I remember," said Elspeth. The one that might keep werewolves from hurting themselves, he meant. "Can we—can I get some of that for Callie?"

"Absolutely," said Lupin. "Would you two like to come for dinner some day soon? We could talk about the potion, and about when Callie can practise some more exercises."

Dinner. With a werewolf.

At the werewolf's house.

Elspeth felt her throat closing up in panic. Every night, alone in her room trying to sleep, she could still hear the horrible howling and growling, and her daughter's screams, and her husband shouting, "It's me they've come for! Get Callie inside!"

Those had been Jonathan's last words.

"I could Floo over, and bring you and Callie back through," Lupin was saying. "It would only take a moment. Have you traveled by Floo before?"

Elspeth could only stare, fighting to breathe.

"Can't we go, Mummy?" said Callie.

A second head appeared in the flames. Lupin's wife, the one with the short spiky hair (although it seemed to be longer today, and curly).

Mrs. Lupin met Elspeth's panicked gaze straight on. "Why don't I come through," she said, calmly, "and Floo back here with you and Callie. Tomorrow's Saturday—how would that be? Or Sunday?"

"To-tomorrow would be fine," Elspeth managed. Mrs. Lupin was an Auror. Like Jonathan had been. "What can I bring?"

Lupin backed out of the Floo to let his wife finish making the arrangements, but not before Elspeth saw his smile turn wry.

She felt a pang of guilt, then. Lupin had given her no reason at all to be afraid of him.

But she couldn't help it.

~o~

Elspeth spun through the green flames—Keep your elbows tucked well in, Jonathan had always said—and emerged in a bright, spacious kitchen.

An elegant woman turned to face them when they clattered out of the Floo. "Welcome, Mrs. Kimball, and Caroline," she said. "I'm Andromeda Tonks. Nymphadora's mother."

"Don't call me that, Mum," muttered Mrs. Lupin, behind Elspeth's shoulder.

"I'm Callie," came from below in nearly identical tones. Elspeth smiled in spite of herself.

"Please," she said, taking her own turn, "call me Elspeth."

But Callie was studying the lovely woman in the big white apron. "Are you a wolf, too?"

Elspeth winced. She had begun to get the idea that asking such a question was a serious faux pas in wizarding culture. And indeed, something unidentifiable flashed behind Mrs. Tonks's eyes.

Elspeth made to apologise, but their host crouched down to Callie's level. "No, dear. I'm not."

Lupin came in, then, with the baby on his shoulder. "Hello, Callie," he said, with a warm smile. "Mrs. Kimball," he added, a little more carefully. "Welcome."

"Teddy's awake again already?" asked Mrs. Lupin, bemused.

"Awake and alert." Lupin grinned. "I've changed his nappy, and he's ready to take on the world."

The baby blinked wide, dark eyes at Elspeth. He really was sweet.

"He's tiny." Callie stood on tiptoes to see better.

"He's just turned two months old," said Mrs. Lupin, smoothing down the fuzzy hair on top of her son's head. Elspeth blinked—the baby's hair looked almost turquoise. You never knew what you might see, with wizards.

"Callie," said Lupin suddenly, "would you like to hold Teddy?"

"Yes!" Callie's eyes shone.

"Remus—" Mrs. Tonks swallowed the rest of what she had been going to say, but Elspeth could read the are you sure about this? in her eyes, clear as day.

Her stomach twisted, and it was all she could do not to be sick right there.

The Healers and the people from Werewolf Support Services, when they spoke with Elspeth after the attack, had only hinted and danced around the truth. But she didn't need to be an expert in lycanthropy to understand that several of her magical friends, despite going out of their way to assure her that she could still count on them after losing Jonathan, had done a sudden silent vanishing act when they learned that Callie had been bitten.

Distrust. Fear. Stigma. This was Callie's future.

Her happy, clever little girl.

Except—Mrs. Tonks must have read her thoughts, because she was speaking again. "Oh, Elspeth, it's not that. It's just that Callie is only five. Nothing more, I promise."

"She'll be fine," said Lupin, calmly. "I'll show her how. Callie, let's go and sit on the sofa."

He led the way out of the kitchen, with Callie tripping along beside him. Elspeth followed, and the others came behind her.

Lupin installed Callie in a corner of the living-room sofa, with a cushion under her elbow to keep her steady. Then he transferred the baby to her arms.

Teddy looked up at his new admirer and broke into a wide toothless grin.

"You see?" said Lupin, laughing. "He likes you."

Callie grinned back at the baby, utterly delighted.

Elspeth watched them all. The happy baby. Her daughter, trying something she had never done before. Mrs. Lupin, just about bursting with love and pride. Mrs. Tonks, watching the whole scene benevolently from a slight remove.

And then there was Lupin, looking much healthier than he had been on the day of the full moon, guiding Callie with his kind words and quiet voice.

The people in this house had found room in their hearts for a werewolf.

Maybe this was Callie's future, too.

Two quick steps brought her to Lupin's side. She touched his arm.

He turned, startled.

"You're a marvellous teacher." Elspeth met his gaze straight on for the first time, and, beneath his surprise, she could see warmth and steadiness. "Please—anything you can teach Callie—I'll be so grateful."

"Callie's not the only child to be bitten in the war," he said. "The Minister has asked me to set up some sort of support group. I'm only just getting started, but I do have some ideas."

"I'm a Muggle, as you know." Elspeth squared her shoulders. "But I want to help with this. I'll do what I can."

"That's all anyone can do," said Mrs. Tonks. "Nymphadora, come and help me with the roast."

Mrs. Lupin rolled her eyes. "Elspeth, don't listen to her when she uses that name. Call me Tonks, for Merlin's sake."

Elspeth laughed. Lupin joined her.

She was so glad they had come.

~o~

Author's note: I originally posted the first chapter of this story as a one-shot, but here's another chapter. I may add some more in the future if inspiration strikes.