The Lupin cottage, a place used to the quiet reading and study of the bookish werewolf who resided there, was alive with noise. The Weasley clan alone was enough to liven the stodgiest of places. Not that Lupin cottage was stodgy, there'd been many a prank pulled inside its walls and out. It simply was a place more used to quiet than noise, order than chaos. Still, it was a happy sort of chaos and if the house were able to feel any sort of way about it, it must surely have been happy.

High pitched squeals and giggles could be heard as a small girl with chocolate brown hair ran inside and out, a myriad of redheaded children of varying ages often in pursuit.

Sirius Black had spent quite a lot of time there, to be expected I suppose when your best friend owns the place. It had never, however, been quite this lively.

He was sitting alone on the back step in the shade of an old oak tree, a plate of chocolate cake on his knee and a steaming cup of tea next to him. Usually he'd be looking out across the yard to the cliffs, or standing along the edge watching the waves crash against the land in a never ending bid for dominance; the latter option having always made Remus nervous. Today, however, it was the interior, or rather what was happening in the interior, that had captured the dark haired man's attention.

A sudden thump to the back of his head had the man flinching in surprise. "I honestly don't understand you," Nuts signed as she took a place next to him on the step, shoving his tea aside as she did so. "How long are you going to pine away before you grow a set and go after what you want?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius responded dismissively, his eyes straying back to the sight he'd been so wrapped up in before Nuts' arrival.

"If I were able to make a sound I would snort at you," the woman responded, her expression revealing exactly how much she believed Sirius' words. "You've been hung up on him since Hogwarts. I know it, you know it, James and Lilly knew it. What's the problem?"

"Nuts, sometimes one person's feelings aren't enough!" Sirius began signing in response his movements choppy and agitated with emotion. "Look at them! Does he look like he'd welcome a declaration of love from me right now?"

"At least you're admitting that's what you need to do...slight improvement I suppose. Are you afraid he'll hate you for your feelings? Remus isn't like that. Even if he didn't feel the same, which would honestly shock me into an early grave, it wouldn't matter. You wouldn't lose him if that's what you're worried about."

"Just leave it Nuts, please?" Sirius sighed long and forlornly, "look at him, he's happy. He and Tonks will be good for each other. He doesn't need to have to worry about me any more than he already does." He placed his cake next to his tea where he'd been sitting and walked away, shoulders slumped, to stare out at the sea.

Nuntis scowled back through the window at the duo talking inside. "Daft gits the pair of them!"

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Tonks stared into the kitchen where Remus was cleaning up. Molly had headed home a while ago with strict instructions that her children behave and not overstay their welcome. "Hey Remus, need a hand?"

Remus smiled dubiously, "I'm nearly finished now, thanks though Dora."

The pair lapsed into an uncertain silence. "So uh, Bill and the Beauxbaton's girl make a cute couple."

"Yes, she seems like a nice girl," Remus agreed readily, busying himself by making tea.

"Remus, about what I said before, I'm sorry if I pushed. I just, I love you," Tonks shrugged laughing in an almost self deprecating manner. "I know you have concerns, and that you aren't exactly quick to let others in, or share what you're feeling...I just. If there's a chance you could care for me in return. I'd love a chance for us. Even if you can't love me like I do you, I could be good for you. You and Caelen. If you're honestly not interested put me out of my misery, tell me you feel nothing for me and I'll leave it alone. But if it's just fear, give me a chance to prove you wrong? Please?"

"Daddy, daddy!!!" Caelen burst through the doors effectively interrupting whatever Remus was about to say. Tonks didn't missed the relieved expression the man tried to hide. "Uncle Sirius says to ask you if he can take me flying along the coast? He promises we'll be safe and he won't lose me in the surf!" The child burst out seemingly in one breath.

Remus gave Tonks an apologetic smile as he was dragged away through the back door. Tonks laughed slightly, "well so much for that then."

The man stumbled along behind his daughter as she tugged them both as quickly as she could toward the cliff's edge and a waiting Sirius. "So, you offered to fly her around then?" Remus questioned, crossing his arms as he leveled his sternest gaze on the grinning animagus.

"I'll be careful Remmy," Sirius promised reassuringly as he scooped up the, obviously excited, girl. "Come on, please?"

Much as they had inside earlier in the day, matching pleading expressions landed, full force, on Remus. "Your puppy eyes aren't going to work." He tried to insist knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

Sirius' grey eyes seemed to widen further, lips pursed in an amusing pout which the child mirrored instantly.

Remus groaned, "oh fine, but if either one of you get hurt you're in for it Mr. Black."

"You have my word Mr. Lupin," Sirius responded with a salute and a wink as he launched himself and Caelen into the air.

The broom rose swiftly into the air before dropping suddenly towards the pounding waves below. Remus' heart thudded painfully and his breath caught before the duo leveled out a few short feet from the surf. Caelen's excited squeals seemed to sooth his frazzled nerves slightly. At least enough to keep the man from dragging the pair bodily back onto solid ground.

He found himself reevaluating that decision moments later as Sirius and Caelen rocketed straight through a breaking wave. They shot up moments later, breezing past Remus. Giant grins spread across their faces as Sirius whooped his excitement and Caelen called back to her father, "daddy did you see?!"

Remus nodded, a small nervous smile forming as he waved slightly at his laughing child.

A soft tap caught his attention and he turned to find nuts smiling gently towards the flyers, "He's really good with her."  She stated, eyes never leaving the pair in flight.

"Yes he is," Remus agreed softly.

"Must've been hard on you, thinking he'd betrayed you all."

Remus swallowed hard before nodding, "yeah, was. I'm sorry. I know I sort of disappeared on you for a while."

Nuts shrugged smiling up at her old friend, "I understood. I mean I hated it, I lost people too you know. Would've been nice to not have lost everyone. But I understood, you must've been crushed."

Remus focus shifted out across the water just as the flying duo broke through yet another wave. Caelen's high musical laughter rang out mixing with Sirius' bark-like laugh.

Two wide loops later sent the flyers mere feet away from Remus, where they hovered before him. Caelen's eyes were bright and cheerful, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Did you see daddy?!"

Remus chuckled lightly helping his daughter to the ground, "I saw. You two are dripping, best go change cub."

"Yes daddy," the girl responded before rushing off into the cottage.

Remus straightened, meeting Sirius' smirk full on, "gonna help me next Remmy?" Sirius questioned with a wink.

"I'm quite certain you're capable of climbing off that thing on your own." Remus responded as he turned back towards his home.

"Oh come on Rem, I'm dripping!" Sirius whined dramatically, "I could get tangled or something and fall to my doom!"

Remus snorted, "all the more reason for me to keep my distance. I much prefer to remain dry."

Wet hair was his only warning before he found himself propelled towards the grass, a laughing, sopping, weight landing heavily on his chest. "You see I told you I'd fall on my own," Sirius gasped through laugher.

"Get off you daft git!" Remus groaned attempting to dislodge the laughing man.

"Can't I'm broken," Sirius barked shaking his long black hair in a very doglike fashion, further drenching Remus in the salt water.

Remus began to laugh despite himself, "Sirius honestly this is my favorite jumper."

"Yes it's lovely, very becoming, you've a very nice middle aged librarian vibe going." Black responded teasingly.

"Oh shut it," Remus shoved suddenly finally managing to dislodge his friend. "Come on," he ordered offering a hand up, "you'll catch cold."

"Not in July I won't, mum." Sirius replied cheekily.

Remus rolled his eyes.

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Caelen hurriedly changed out of her wet clothes before hurrying back down to the kitchen. She glanced out the back door glimpsing her father and uncle laughing together on the ground before raiding the leftover chocolate cake.

"I'm sorry about the gift, you were very gracious about accepting it but I could tell it was a failure." Tonks spoke, almost guiltily, from the doorway to the hall.

Caelen glanced up from her large serving of cake and smiled, attempting to hide the mouthful of chocolate as she did so. "It's ok," the girl responded after struggling to swallow the large bite. "It's the thought that counts right? Even if it's not to my interest it's still more than Gena ever did. I appreciate that you bothered at all, honestly I do."

The woman smiled, "you're very sweet Caelen, it's no wonder your father and Sirius are so proud of you."

Caelen grinned but didn't respond otherwise.

"Still," the pink haired metamorphagus continued, "I wanted to get you something, preferably something you liked. I can tell for next year I should think less little girl and more little Remus." The pair laughed together at that. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"Not really, I'm not trying to be difficult I just, daddy has a great library, I just got a lot of wonderful gifts, uncle Sirius seems to be trying to make up for every year I'd ever gone without sugar, I just don't really need much."

"Anything you'd like to learn? I can't really teach you anything that involves a wand of course, not till you have one of your own," Tonks grinned, "I can teach you how to trip of course."

Caelen laughed along, "you're so much more than clumsy Tonks. Your metamorphagus skills are the coolest! I love how you can change your hair!"

"My hair?"

"Yeah I love the colors! Maybe not the pink so much, no offense-"

"-none taken"

"I just really love how unique you always are." The girl finished, smiling sincerely.

Tonks paused, her expression thoughtful, "well I can't make you an animagus, but I could add some color to your hair. Perhaps just a strip though, don't wanna frighten your dad. Would that make up for my terrible gift?"

Caelen's eyes widened in excitement and surprise, "you mean it?!"

Tonks nodded before gasping in surprise as the young girl launched herself into her arms. "Thank you!! Can it be blue?!"

"Yes whatever color you want."

Caelen was nearly bouncing from excitement, "I want blue. Thank you!"

"Alright kiddo, stay still ok?" Tonks laughed as she smoothed Caelen's long brown hair. "Alright, you're sure?"

Caelen nodded, giant grin spreading across her face. "So ready!"

"Alright one blue strip of hair coming right up,"  Tonks placed the top of her wand gently against the girl's head, slightly above her temple. "Colovaria," she whispered.

Several brown strands near the wand tip began to change slowly, blue melting through root to tip.

"Their your are lovely girl, your own colorful hair."

Caelen grasped the newly colored hair with a squeal, "thank you!! Daddy! Daddy look what Tonks did!! Isn't it great?!"

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Updating yay!! Ok after this I seriously have to work on my other story you've got like 3 updates since their last one lol. Anywho I loved this so so adorable. Hope you like it as well. Thanks for all the comments guys you're all the best see you in the next chapter. Laters💙😊