It was the first hogsmead trip, the old castle sat quieter than usual with many of its students running about the little village nearby. Caelen, who had been drawing silently at a desk, walked over to her father boredom and curiosity getting the better of her. "Whatcha doin?"

Remus glanced up smiling at his small daughter, "Preparing my next lesson."

"What's it about?" The girl questioned standing on her tip toes in an attempt to see the book.

Remus chuckled lightly lifting the girl into his lap. "Redcaps someday when you're older and have your own wand I'll teach you." He promised the girl kissing her hair.

The pair looked up together as a knock sounded on the door. A messy black haired boy stood in the doorway, "excuse me professor do you have a moment?" Harry questioned walking towards Lupin's desk.

"Harry my boy," the defense professor greeted cheerfully, "what can I do for you?"

Harry eyed his professor hesitantly, "I was wondering, that is, the boggart... Why didn't you let me try?"

"I would have thought that was obvious," Remus began setting Caelen down and sending her back to her artwork, "I assumed your greatest fear would be Voldemort and wanted to avoid scaring the class."

Harry stared at him understanding crossing his face, "I thought of him at first but then thought of the dementors."

"That's very wise Harry", Lupin responded, "that suggests that what you fear most is fear itself."

"Professor, with the dementors, on the train I heard a woman screaming..." The boy began a questioning tone in his voice, "I think it was my mother, when Voldemort killed her."

Remus sighed sadly glancing over at his young daughter, "you have an especially strong reaction to the dementors Harry because you have known true trauma. The dementors play on your worst memory they feed off of the negative."

"So it was her, my mother screaming?"

"I knew your mother Harry," Remus told the boy quietly, walking over to peer out a nearby window, "she was a friend to me when I had none, I knew you immediately, not from your scar, you have your mother's eyes, Lilly's eyes. James possessed a propensity for mischief, one I hear he's passed on to you, you're more like them than you know Harry."

Harry smiled slightly enjoying hearing about his parent's from their old friend, "thank you professor," the boy responded before disappearing out of the door.

Remus continued to stare out the window saddened for the loss of his friends and the hole that had left in their child. A small hand appeared on his arm and gave a tiny comforting squeeze, "you sad?" Caelen asked him quietly.

The man lifted his daughter kissing her hands and forcing a smile on his scarred face, "yes, but I'm happy to have you little cub."

Caelen cuddled into her father's neck wrapping her thin arms around him tightly, "do you, do you think everyone is like their parents?"

"No," the professor replied on a sigh knowing immediately why she'd wonder, "not everyone is like their parents. We all choose who we become Caelen, circumstances may shape us but we always have a choice in how we react to those things. You're nothing like her, you're kind and thoughtful and smart, you could never be like Gena."

"You think, maybe, I just got everything from you?" The girl asked hopefully.

Remus smiled kissing her head, "I think maybe." He agreed laughing. "Well I'm hungry, you hungry? Come on let's go to dinner."

The little girl skipped along happily swinging her father's arm between them. She didn't hesitate at the stairs simply tightened her grasp on Remus' hand. Plopping down into her place between her father and the potions master as usual she smiled broadly, "hello professor Snape!" She called cheerfully to the grumpy professor.

Severus glared at the pair menacingly before turning back to his food.

"Have you had a good morning?" Caelen continued undeterred.

"No," the man replied in a bored tone as if the very thought of having a good morning was repugnant.

The girl smiled gently at him placing her tiny hand on his arm resting on the table, "I hope it gets better," she whispered before turning to inspect the food before them.

Remus smiled at his daughter despite whatever dislike he felt for Severus he felt proud that she was so accepting of others. He watched as she dug her spoon into the mashed potatoes he'd scooped onto her plate happily eating her food. They'd been together nearly a month now and many things about the little girl had changed in that time. She smiled more easily, she flinched less, she chatted away as if no one had ever told her to be quiet but most important to Remus was, in this case, appearance. When Caelen had shown up on his doorstep she'd weighed a scant thirty pounds, her little body had been riddled with cuts and bruises and the nightmares had been a nightly occurrence causing heavy bags to form under the young girl's eyes. Now, however, she had put on about fifteen pounds, she was still small for her age but given time Remus was certain she'd catch up. The bags had disappeared as the nightmares grew further and further apart, Remus had to admit his allowance of the girl to crawl into bed with him could have been a factor in the lessening of the dreams. Thankfully, the bruises had all but healed leaving a few faint marks to shadow her ribs and the occasional scratch that had yet to heal.

Sensing his scrutiny the child looked up at him, brown eyes sparkling cheerfully, "somethin wrong?" She questioned puzzlement causing her to wrinkle brows.

Remus smiled happily amused by the expression, "nothing at all," he whispered happily pointing to indicate she should finish her food.

The duo made their way between the rows of students, heading for their quarters. Remus looked straight ahead ignoring the snickers and whispers from the Slytherin table regarding his clothes. "Why do they act like that?" Caelen's small voice questioned as she furrowed her brows in frustration. She didn't like people to mock her father, to her he was a hero he'd saved her he'd given her real clothes and boots and food he'd shared his books. As far as Caelen could tell her father was the most amazing person she'd ever known and for someone to ignore that because of his appearance baffled the young girl.

"Some people are like that cub," Remus replied with a saddened expression. He hated that she had to experience that, the prejudice that would follow her as a werewolf, the very reason he hesitated in starting a family. "To some people the most important thing is what a person is worth, or what they can do for them, that's a very shallow way of living life. They miss so much when they judge others, you mustn't ever judge someone without knowing them ok little one?"

Caelen nodded looking sadly back towards the children still snickering and pointing in their direction. She thought it was very sad they'd miss out on knowing her father because they were too worried about his clothes.

At the top of the staircase the pair had been climbing, a throng of students stood chattering in agitation. "What's the holdup here?" Remus called over the noise.

"The fat lady she's gone we can't get in," Seamus Finnigin answered back.

Remus placed his little girl at the edge of the crowd, "stay here cub," he told her before wading through the agitated students.

Caelen grunted as more and more Gryffindors showed up jostling her around in their attempts to find out what the holdup was. She knew Remus had told her to stay but the little girl assumed he'd understand why she had to move. She wandered down the corridor wandering if she could find their room on her own and if that would be acceptable.

The girl froze when, upon rounding a corner, she came nose to nose with a big black dog. The little Lupin hesitated reaching a tiny hand out towards the dog, "hello doggy," she greeted quietly glancing backwards to see if anyone was coming, "I'm not sure but I don't think you're supposed to be in here."

The dog gave her a happy doggy smile before licking her outstretched hand.

"You're a good puppy," the girl murmured rubbing the dog's ears, "m-mother said doggies are gross, like me, but you're not gross are you?"

The dog whimpered nuzzling Caelen's neck gently.

She smiled hugging the dog's neck, "Oh it's ok now, she don't know where I am and da-re...." The girl paused uncertainly, "I don't know what to call him. M-mother always insisted I call her m-mother or ma'am, he never told me what to call him...." The little girl shrugged, "so I just don't call him anything I don't want to make him mad. He might be mad now though, there's something wrong with the Gryffindor's door he told me to stay put but the big kids kept squishing me and stepping on me so I just had to move! He's not like m-mother though so I think he'll understand, do you think so doggy?"

The dog nodded as if he understand everything the small girl had just told him and licked her cheek gently. He turned his head his doggy ears picking up footsteps heading their way with a final lick and wag of his tail the dog disappeared around a corner.

"Caelen!" Remus' voice rang loudly as he rounded the corner discovering the small child sitting on her own in the hallway, "what are you doing I told you to stay put!" He scooped her up quickly crushing her to him in a hug. "You have to listen when I tell you things!"

At first the small girl had tensed, the volume of her father's voice worrying her, he'd never shouted at her before? Once in his arms the worry had become obvious in his tone and she relaxed into the hug, "I'm sorry they were squishing me and stepping on my feet. I didn't wanna disobey but it hurt and I thought it would be ok," the girl sobbed into her father's shoulder.

Remus sighed, "I'm sorry cub I shouldn't have left you alone there, it's my fault, next time try to get my attention ok? You don't need to be wandering alone around the castle. The man the dementors are searching for broke in tonight I was afraid he might have grabbed you."

Remus' blood ran cold when his little daughter responded, "Oh it's ok I wasn't alone a big black doggy kept me company till he heard you coming!"

He glanced around holding the girl close, "a black dog about this big?" Remus questioned the girl indicating padfoot's height.

Caelen nodded cheerfully, "he was such a nice puppy he licked me and let me pet him! I told him I didn't think he was allowed in the castle though but I think he thought that was funny cuz he snorted."

Remus only sort of heard what his daughter was saying as he looked down the hall nervously. Why would Sirius waste time hanging out with his child rather than running and hiding? Did he know Caelen belonged to him, had he recognized Remus in the little girl? Why would he have spared her, they'd been alone for several minutes and yet all he'd done was listen to her talk and lick her cheek? Possible reasons wriggled their doubts into the professor's mind, "come on cub all the students are going to stay in the great hall while we search for Black," he murmured carrying her off towards the great hall, "Harry, Ron, and Hermione agreed to look out for you while I help search ok?"

The little girl nodded tucking her head into her father's neck.

Hidden in the shadows padfoot stood watching, he'd thought the little girl looked familiar now he knew why. He smiled thinking of what a wonderful father he knew his old friend must be, then frowned remembering what the child had told him regarding her mother. Hopefully when this was over he'd get his friend back and get to meet the little girl properly, until then he hurried from the castle hiding once more in the forrest nearby, he hadn't gotten his prey this time but he would one way or another. 

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Ok I know it's not exact but I'm working from memory so I hope we can ignore any discrepancies it's mostly set from Caelen's point of view anyway so that changes some things. Anywho that's the new chapter I hope you enjoy it I would love comments I can't tell if anyone's liking this or not there's a serious shortage of votes and comments and readers going on...ok off to write more later peeps