Remus Lupin sat on the floor of the nursery, playing with his six-year-old twins: Tessa and Teddy. They had learned when the twins were just babies, that if he spent time playing with them on the night of the full moon before heading to the small farm where he had grown up, then both children slept peacefully through the night. At least that was his beloved wife’s opinion, and as she was the one who had to stay with them, he always spent an hour or two playing with them, no matter how bad he felt. Neither child knew of his monthly disappearance, or the reasons behind it, because he always left after they were in bed and returned before they woke the next morning. The Wolfsbane Potion that his best friend brewed for him every month allowed him to retain control over his actions, but he preferred to play it safe where his children were concerned and leave the house during the transformation.

“Wolf, Papa!” little Tessa begged. “Wolf!” She was referring to his Animagus form that he sometimes used while playing with his children.

He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. “Not tonight, princess,” he told her. “Papa’s tired. Maybe tomorrow night.”

“Please, Papa?” she asked again, looking up at him with blue eyes so much like her mother’s that he almost gave into her. This tiny replica of his wife had had him wrapped around his finger from the day she was born. And like her mother, she knew exactly how to make her father do what she wanted.

“Papa said no, Tessa,” Cissy Lupin said from the doorway where she had been watching her husband and children play. Tessa pouted at her mother and soon her brother joined in. They both adored playing with ‘Wolf’ and frequently begged for more time with their father’s Animagus form. “Bedtime, my babies.”

“Wolf!” Teddy protested. “We want to play with Wolf!” While Teddy looked like his father, he seemed to have inherited his personality from her side of the family.

A low growl from their father caused both children to scurry to their little beds. Normally their father was very laid back and easy going, but they had learned that a noise like that meant they were headed for trouble if they didn’t obey.

After tucking them both in, Remus and Cissy made their way into the living room. “I hate these nights without you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest, taking comfort in the sound of his heart under her ear.

“I know, my darling,” he replied, burying his face in her hair as he held her close, wondering as he had so many times before, just how he had managed to win her heart.

In following with pureblood tradition, Narcissa Black's father had signed a marriage contract by the time she was six weeks old. She had been betrothed to Lucius Malfoy, the only heir of another of the old and wealthy pureblood families. He had been four at the time; the same age as her sister Bella.

Cissy had never thought to question the old tradition until she had gotten to Hogwarts, where Headmaster Tom Riddle had encouraged purebloods to befriend the Muggleborns and half-bloods. He had done this by pairing every pureblood with a Muggleborn or half-blood study partner from another house.. He said that doing this allowed them to understand both worlds and also encouraged inter-House friendship.

After being sorted into Slytherin like the rest of her family, except for her cousin Sirius who was the same age and sorted into Gryffindor, Cissy had been paired with the Muggleborn Ravenclaw Lily Evans. And through Lily's long-standing friendship with Cissy's fellow Slytherin Severus Snape, Cissy had met his study partner, Gryffindor Remus Lupin. Both boys were half-bloods with Severus being raised Muggle and Remus being raised in the wizarding world. It was not uncommon to find the four of them spending not only the assigned study times together, but also their free time.

Remus had realized that he loved her during their fifth year and it broke his heart to not be able to speak of his love for her because of her betrothal to Lucius. Cissy had come to love the quiet werewolf as well. And while she tried not to encourage him, they found little ways to let the other know their feelings even though they both knew nothing could come of their love.

And so during their seventh year, when a week before Bella's wedding to one of the LeStrange boys it was discovered that Bella had run off with Lucius Malfoy, Cissy came to Remus in a state of panic. She was terrified that she would have to take her sister's place as the wife of the oldest LeStrange son who was ten years her senior.

With the help of Headmaster Riddle, Remus and Cissy slipped away from Hogwarts with their two best friends, Lily and Severus, to be married in a simple Muggle ceremony. Upon their return, Headmaster Riddle then performed the wizarding marriage ceremony. They had not even been able to spend their first night as husband and wife together because it had been the full moon and Remus had been forced to race out of the Headmaster's office, barely making it to the Shrieking Shack in time for his transformation. Cissy had spent the night in the Room of Requirement with Lily and Severus, worrying about her new husband.

Headmaster Riddle had allowed Cissy and Remus to spend the next week hiding in the Room of Requirement and when her parents came for her at the end of the week, just as she had feared, there had been nothing that her parents could do. They had been furious and disowned her just as they had her oldest sister Andromeda when she had married the Muggleborn Ted Tonks. During Easter break they had gone to visit Andromeda, Ted, and their four-year-old daughter and had been welcomed with open arms.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Remus had built Cissy a house on the section of land the Ted and Andromeda had given them as a wedding present. The house had been a surprise for Cissy and it had been perfect for the newlyweds and later their twins and the occasional visit from their godchildren.

“Be careful,” Cissy said, pulling Remus from his thoughts.

He kissed the top of her head. “Always, my love. Always.”

“Lily wants us to come by tomorrow. I think that James is causing trouble again.”

“We’ll go. Between the four of us we ought to be able to come up with something. James seriously needs to grow up.”

“I agree with you, Remus.” She leaned up on her toes and kissed him gently. “When do you have to leave?”

“In about five minutes,” he sighed. He really hated these separations, even if it was just for one night. “I’ll go by Sev’s and take the last dose of the Wolfsbane and I’ll tell him that we’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Why don’t we all go out to the farm tomorrow?” she asked. “It’s been a while since we’ve all been out there. The pups will enjoy it.” Remus had always referred to their children and godchildren as pups, for young wolves were called pups.

“They would,” he agreed. “Make sure to bring along the brooms, because Harry and Teddy will want to fly.”

She nodded. “I will.” Harry and Teddy wanted to fly any time they could convince someone to take them up, though neither was allowed to fly alone, and though Harry had a broom thanks to James; it was safely stored away until Lily decided he was old enough to use it. That had created quite a stir with James and he relented only when Lily threatened to make sure that he never had any other children.

He caressed her cheek. “Diligo vos,” he said softly.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

Remus kissed her tenderly and stepped through the Floo to the Snape flat.