✧

Coursing through the endless forest, Mia trembles uncontrollably under the pouring rain and cold breeze. She faintly hears thunder from afar and the leaves crinkling underneath her. It's gotten significantly darker, the moon now starting to make its appearance and competing with the sun over ownership of the sky.

With nowhere to go, there's no use heading back. Arriving at her haunted Victorian house meant accepting the truth. The erroneous would no longer be a suspicion, but a certainty instead.

She can't go home.

She can't accept the universe's cruelty.

Fate can't be the bearer of iniquity when she's always drawn inside the lines. She's been the perfect picture inside a broken frame and never once questioned following her morals.

Doing everything right has to be worth something, because if in the end she still lost, was it worth it to preach the good all along?

Growing up, she always felt there was darkness inside her, waiting for the right moment to emerge. It's always been there, hiding behind the curtains like an intruder. She never allows the monster to awaken and never once has considered awakening it.

Until now.

Losing her power has taken her ability to differentiate what's real and what's not. Her father is everywhere. She hears his voice, sees his face, and feels his presence everywhere she goes.

And yet for the first time, he's not with her.

He's freed her for the meantime, but Mia knows he's bound to appear again. Wherever he is, he will make certain her destruction comes. Like many say, there are worse fates than death. If she had a choice, she would willingly choose death if it means being liberated from this misery.

What made her extraordinary and valuable is gone, so what's the point?

But through this, Mia's denial keeps her moving forward. Jackson's words didn't matter anymore. She needs to be sure before screaming to the heavens and declaring war on her betrayers. Anything would be better than accepting her tragic loss.

Through her ragged breaths and trembling body, she extends her hand and casts the first spell that comes to mind. It's the easiest spell in the book and one she can do in her sleep, but as she waits for the spark to appear, there's only an emptiness received.

Alarms in her head start ringing like a piercing siren. A sense of ruin consumes her from the inside out, casting her into a timeless loop of agony. The usual shot of adrenaline never comes and a part of her starts believing that perhaps this is her punishment. Maybe the universe wants to prevent her from becoming like her father by taking away her weapon. Without it, there's no risk of joining the Dark Lord's army. The wizarding world would be safer and maybe, she should be grateful for it.

But Mia's anything but grateful. She would much rather fight this darkness than not having anything to hold on to. Many have their personal gravity holding them steady and her magic just happens to be hers. Without it, she will float away into the emptiness and risk never being found. No one will bother searching for her or removing her from the brink of madness. If anything, they will abandon her just like he did.

Casting another spell once again, Mia waits for a surge of power to appear. Her hand remains extended, waiting for an invisible force to cover the perimeter, but the same vacancy remains.

"No, please," she cries, pleading to the universe for a second chance. She can be better. She can fight harder to be good, but she just needs one chance to prove herself.

One more.

"Incendio!" Mia says the word with all her might, willing herself to form even the smallest spark. She yells the spell not once, not twice, but for what seems to be the thousandth time that the word starts to lose meaning.

The rain continues pouring with an even greater force, but it doesn't stop her from continuing to run. She can't return home without her magic. She can't reveal her loss as it would make everything real and she'd be forced to accept her life has become a tragedy.

"Incendio!" Mia fails to notice the fallen branch and crashes to the ground. Her hands sink deeper into the leaves as the rain causes her framing pieces to trickle down her face. There's no use in getting up, because what's the point? There's nothing left for her. She's lost her purpose and has now become a lost wanderer. She's been eternally cursed to a life of damnation and despite knowing she's wrong, she blames everything on Edward.

Maybe he had been the first drop of the storm or maybe this was bound to happen regardless of his abandonment. She knows blaming him isn't fair, but damn it, she hates him for having caused this spiral.

Between death eaters taking her power, seeing her father everywhere, Laurent attacking her, and now Victoria wanting to kill her, she holds Edward responsible for deserting her in spite of the mess he helped create.

It wasn't enough to break her heart, but he also took the one thing that brought her purpose. She's no longer the girl who was able to defend herself without anyone's aid. She's now a frail and helpless girl who no one will bother caring for once they learn her magic is gone.

She's no one.

When she glances up, Mia wills herself to find the needed strength for another spell. She looks ahead with her last remaining hope and declares the words with all her might. She continues running with no means to stop, praying that her magic isn't gone and is still somewhere buried deep inside.

When nothing happens, everything finally starts setting in. She accepts that she's no longer a witch and has become nothing but an ordinary human. The thing is, she brought this onto herself for having overestimated those around her. If she had remained wary, maybe she wouldn't have been cursed. Maybe she would have remained complete and none of this would be happening.

There's no reason for anything anymore. Her gift is gone and no one will want to take part in her life. Her power was the one thing that fulfilled her and now that it's disappeared, no one in their right mind would stay.

Her struggling footsteps come sinking to the ground, leaving her stranded like a sailor lost at sea. She's so tired. She can't feign any strength or will. All hope is lost and nothing matters anymore.

Is there really a point for continuing?

Mia looks up at the sky, allowing herself to release her anger, pain, loss, and resentment in a blood curdling scream. Sobs rake her body as the rain seeps through her skin, every inch of her becoming surrounded by the darkness she's been trying so hard to escape from.

Desperation to acquire her magic fills the hole in her heart, but also casts millions of shatters around it. She's never felt this way before. So lost, so betrayed, so abandoned, so cowardly, and so useless. She's now back to being that little girl afraid of the shadow man, the girl that barely found out the truth behind her name, and the girl dying at the hands of her father.

How could fate hand her the keys of paradise and then cast her to purgatory?

None of this is right. None of this should be happening, especially to her. She needs to find a way to recover her magic, and for the first time, she's willing to let the darkness consume her if it means becoming whole again.

__________________

The Grey House itself, stands against the trees, becoming the only light to outshine the desolate street. A disoriented Mia walks out of the forest, her footsteps appearing as if they were floating through every stride. Despite her tainted thoughts, her expression remains stoic, as if nothing had occurred over the course of the past hours.

Through the window, she catches sight of two silhouettes in the living room. Her mother and a man. At first thought, she considers it's Charlie, but not seeing his police cruiser dismisses that thought. She opens the door and discreetly takes a glimpse into the room, now finding herself surprised when learning who it is.

"What are you doing here?"

Remus stands from the sofa and offers that gentle and warm smile. He reaches into his briefcase and pulls out her favorite chocolates, handing it to her with eagerness.

Mia glares down at the box unimpressed and doesn't move an inch. He waits for her to take it, but is then forced to set it down and place it aside in disappointment when she refuses.

"It's been far too long," Remus tilts his head slightly as he questions her lack of excitement. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"I was happy, but then I saw you."

Isobel gapes at her in disbelief, "Mia, don't you-"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right now," she cuts her mother off, causing the two adults to glance at the other with concern. "I don't know the reason for this little visit, but whatever it is, I wish not to take part in it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than waste my time here."

She starts walking toward the stairs, but is prevented from leaving the room when feeling an invisible wall coming in between her and the exit. Pausing, she breathes heavily before glancing back and noticing Remus holding a firm grip of his wand.

"Really? You're that desperate for my affection?" Mia frowns ever so slightly as she sits herself on the sofa. She reaches for a piece of chocolate and takes a bite, her expression displaying a taunting look as if expecting him to be pleased at having accepted his gift. "There. Is that all better?"

Remus only observes her in silence. He's never seen her act this way before and a part of him considers it might have been due to him distancing himself. "I know you're probably angry with me for not answering your letters, but I had to for your protection."

She narrows her eyes and rests her arms against her thighs, "You should know I was attacked by death eaters on Halloween, and recently, a vampire tried to kill me. He's dead now, so that's one less problem to worry about, but there's also this redheaded vampire who wants revenge for Edward killing her mate, which means she's after me now."

Mia runs through her words as if they were the most normal thing. She doesn't appear frightened or like she cares for it at all. If anything, there's an emptiness in her eyes and a tinge of humor in her voice. A strange combination that only raises concerns.

"Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot," she laughs. "Edward and his family left. Something about me becoming a dark witch and being a danger to them. They had no choice than to run off, so that's another issue I've been dealing with."

Isobel takes a step closer, now full of worry when hearing the lack of emotion in her voice. "What happened out there? Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" Mia nonchalantly says as the hint of a smirk plays in her lips.

"You're just... not yourself," she studies her closely, wondering what could have happened in the course of just a few hours. "What am I missing here?"

She curses under her breath and wishes to be able to have her magic. With one simple spell, she would be out of here avoiding this little lecture the most insufferable people are planning. Alas, she's been cursed to this damned living room, forced into dealing with their overbearing worries.

"If something happened, you can tell us," Isobel moves a step closer and she wastes no time in scurrying off the sofa to the opposite side of the room.

With a loud groan, Mia rolls her eyes and leans her head back, "Nothing happened. I'm fine. Nothing is wrong, so you can stop pretending like you actually give a damn and just let me go."

"We do care," Isobel raises her voice slightly, the same way she used to do when Mia was a child. It always worked and she seriously hopes it still does. "Why do you think we're here?"

"He comes because you're a part of the Order, so he needs to keep you informed," she crosses her arms across her chest, glaring at them so heavily they might as well turn into stone. "It's never for me, so you can cut the lie that his visits are because he cares when you know it's far from the truth."

A silence comes in between them. Neither say a word for what appears to be an eternity. Mia reconsiders that he's lost the capacity to speak. He's not saying anything and is simply staring at her as if she were a lamb about to be hunted, like she's a glass about to shatter, and like she's nothing but damaged goods.

"You know he's here because he cares," Isobel insists, but it goes one ear and out the other. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but this attitude needs to-"

"Can you give me a moment alone with her?" Remus finally says, causing Mia to raise her brows in surprise.

"It speaks," she laughs. "I thought the full moons had finally affected your senses. It's nice to know I was wrong."

Mentioning his condition strikes a nerve. She knows better than to bring it up, but she just wants to hurt. She wants everyone to feel what she's feeling, because that's what monsters do. They're selfish, damaging, and destructive to everything in their path. If everyone already expects it from her, might as well live up to it.

Isobel's eyes widen in shock, "Mia!"

Standing up from her spot, Mia ignores her mother's reprimand and makes her way toward the archway. She gestures to the barrier holding her captive, impressed at the intricate spell being used. "Look, I'm not in the mood for one of your useless lectures, so just let me go and we can each go our separate ways."

Normally, Mia would have cared for how she's speaking to him. The man has been like a father to her and practically helped raise her. He didn't have to, but he did. He made sure she was safe and always protected her from the dangers of the world.

Why did he care?

What did she do to deserve it?

"You can leave if you want," Remus walks toward her, his hands placed inside his pockets and eyes narrowing as if studying for an exam. "You know the counterspell, so cast it and you're free to go."

Mia figures he already knows she's no longer gifted. Why else would he have placed this barrier? He's testing her and instead of feeling pain for having lost everything, she's angered. This feels like a mock, like he's dangling the carrot to a ravenous rabbit and taking it away once it's in its reach.

With her back facing them, she extends her hand slightly, but not enough for them to notice. She wills herself to cast the spell, hoping a miracle would be granted and her magic would resurface. Her hand trembles with a grand strength, but she had been a fool for believing miracles would take place.

Defeat consumes her as she turns around, making sure not to display her loss on a silver platter. Her face becomes the perfect representation of stoicism as she reluctantly returns to her spot on the sofa, harshly placing her feet on the coffee table and pretending as if her loss wasn't breaking her by the minute.

"You know what? I have time to spare, so just go on with it," she lazily says, now avoiding Remus' accusatory gaze.

"Your mother and I were talking and we think it's best if you head back with me," Remus waits for a flicker of excitement or joy to appear in her eyes, but the careless persona she's adopted remains. "Dimitri's whereabouts are still unknown, so it's better if you're closer to the Order to ensure you're safe."

As much as Mia desires to head home, she can't return empty handed. It's pathetic no longer being the gifted witch she once was, so how can she dare head back without her most remarkable quality?

"No thanks. I'll pass."

That comes as a surprise. Neither of them expected her to deny returning, especially when it's all she's wanted since moving here. They believed that after Edward left, she would have had a change of heart, but it seems they were wrong just like they were about everything.

"Mia, it's time to come home," Remus approaches her, but as if his movement had awakened her senses, she staggers back like a prey running from its predator. "We all miss you. Your friends, professors, even your house mates."

"I'm not leaving Forks," Mia shakes her head, denying his suggestion despite it being the one thing she wants, but she can't return. Not until she figures out a way to get her magic back.

"Honey, I don't want you to leave, but it will be good for you to see your friends again," Isobel says. "A change of scenery can help."

She scoffs, "I'm fine, okay? I don't want to head back."

Isobel hums in thought for a moment, "You used to beg me to let you return and now you're refusing?"

"Exactly."

Remus is quiet for a split second, "Mia, he's not coming back."

She doesn't need the reminder that Edward is never returning. He made it explicitly clear. As long as she's still in Forks, he will never set foot here ever again. If only he could see how powerless she's become, maybe he would reconsider his decision, but a part of her hopes he never shows his face again as she's not certain what she'd do.

"I know and I don't care," Mia has to force the words, because as much as she wishes not to feel anything for him, the ghost of his presence still haunts her. He's everywhere she goes. Whether it's in the places they visited or even the songs they listened to, she will never be able to escape him. He made the promise that it would be like he never existed, but he broke it like he's broken all of his promises.

"Then why are you still angry?" Remus studies her microexpressions and finds a sense of satisfaction when noticing her emotions peeking through her hard facade. "If you didn't still love him, you wouldn't be holding on to this resentment. You would have found a way to move on."

Mia laughs in his face, "Is that what you did when Peter betrayed you? You simply moved on?"

"That's completely different," Remus' voice is tremulous as he tries to prevent all the memories of Peter's betrayal from resurfacing.

Mia knows she should stop, but it's as if her mouth has developed a mind of its own. "Is it? You say that I'm angry with him because I still love him, so that must mean you still hold the smallest bit of affection for Peter. If not, you would have moved on with your life, but the fact that you're still here just shows you haven't."

Remus tenses as he listens to the girl he views as a daughter speak of the worst moment of his life as if it were meaningless. "You've changed. You're not the same Mia I last saw, because I know she would never say this."

She raises her chin, her eyes narrowing into slits and back resting against the wall. He's stating the obvious and expects her to deny such accusation, but the truth is that she couldn't care less for convincing him of the opposite anymore.

"That's what happens when you trust the wrong person," Mia bluntly says, not an ounce of emotion in her face. "Why don't you ask James and Lily?"

Her words are aimed to kill and him staggering back like a fallen soldier proved their efficiency. As if the air had been stripped from his lungs, he struggles to catch his breath, wondering how to proceed with her cruelty. His silence links itself to his disappointment, to his look full of shame, resentment, and disdain. He's looking at her like she looks at herself and maybe he's right to view her this way.

Breathing in and out, remaining still, and glaring at her so heavily, it all reminds her of Dimitri. They're the same movements done before hurting her, so Mia does what she knows best – brace herself for the impact.

"Don't speak to me that way."

His demand is nearly identical to Dimitri's, as if they had been cut with the same scissors and tied with the same thread. She shrivels at their similarities and avoids his reflection, afraid of seeing those piercing gray eyes leaving scars and dents behind.

"Or what?" Mia carelessly says, finding herself unable to stop. "You're going to try to kill me?"

Remus would never hurt her. He would never dare lay a finger on her, but she refuses to believe no one would want to. Everyone has done it in their own twisted way, so she protects herself in the way she knows how – isolation.

She doesn't look at him. She's afraid of facing his disappointment. She's afraid of having wrecked the only stable relationship in her life, but she also can't prevent from wanting him to leave. He will be better off away from her, because she's an extension of her father. She's his darkness, his mirror, his straitjacket...

She's her father's daughter.

"Okay, that's it," Isobel raises her voice, but she doesn't flinch. She knows her mother is all talk and no bite, so she just glares at her as if hoping for a challenge. "We have done everything to ensure your safety. Moving here was to make sure you could have a normal life, so this disrespect won't be tolerated-"

A laugh, so full of mockery fills the expanse of the room and cuts her words short. She walks up to her mother and looks her deep in the eyes as if to make sure she's being heard.

"Let's not pretend you didn't choose this town to sleep with Charlie-"

The smack of her mother's hand against her cheek cuts her deeper than anything. It burns like the fire she founded and takes her breath away like the lake's waters. Compared to the wounds Dimitri inflicted, this hurts a lot more. Dying had been nothing. Dying had been a hail mary. The worst part of it is that Mia knows she deserves this. She deserves this hit and way worse.

"Acting like this is what makes you just like your father," Isobel's grating words are becoming the last straw. They're meant to be a wake up call, but it's only wrecking the image Mia has of herself. "Just because you're hurt, it doesn't mean you can take it out on us. We care for you and love you, but we will not tolerate this."

Mia blinks away the tears, refusing to allow them to see how much this is destroying her. Now that she's not worth anything, she can't afford to show how weak she's become. She needs to be strong and if becoming heartless is the way, maybe it wouldn't be so terrible becoming what her mother fears.

She looks up at her and forms the smallest smirk. "You know what's a shame? That you had me despite knowing I would turn out just like him. You could have saved yourself a lot of regret and have been with the person you loved all this time, but you didn't. So really, isn't all of this your fault?"

Isobel has to look away to compose herself. She's never seen her daughter act this way before and it destroys her not being able to help her. Was she the cause for this? Did she not do enough?

"You once told me that if I was found, I would become a monster like him," Mia maintains her expression neutral, staring at her so intensely with a look reserved for an enemy and not a mother. "You were right. Everyone was."

"I remember that every time I looked into your father's eyes, there was only hatred," Isobel's voice trembles with heaviness as she walks toward her at a leisurely pace. "I have never seen it in yours and I know I never will."

Mia could have believed her months prior. She could have chosen to believe there's a goodness inside her, but she once believed the people she loved would never betray her. She once trusted him and it led her to disaster.

What's to say her mother won't give up on her any time soon?

She once believed that following her morals would bring good things. That the universe would set the cards straight and offer her the world, but not even through all the hardships and sacrifices did it work. She lost everything. Her heart, the man she loves, and her will to continue.

She's on the brink of ruin and nothing will bring her back.

"You shouldn't have come here," Mia's words are full of venom as she now addresses Remus, who's staring at her as if having experienced a major heartbreak.

It's right then and there when she believes she repulses him. It's unimaginable how someone that's not her blood can bother caring for her, because why would he? There's nothing remarkable about her. Nothing she can offer anymore.

She's just... nothing.

"I'm not going back, so take your offer somewhere else."

"Can you give us a moment?" Remus asks Isobel one more time in a lower voice to ensure his request is accepted.

"Are you sure?"

Remus nods and with hesitance, Isobel heads upstairs and he casts the Muffliato charm for additional privacy.

A tension surrounds them like a weighted blanket. She refuses to say the first word, already not expecting much after the silence he offered all these months. If he had no trouble disappearing on her, a couple more minutes under the quiet won't affect him much.

"I know you don't wish to speak to me, but I want you to know how much I care for you," he says the words slowly as if hoping she understands. "Please come with me so I can keep you safe."

And there it is again. He's protecting her for no reason. He's ensuring her well-being above all when she doesn't deserve it. He should be focused on protecting Harry, because he is the one that is going through hell. He's the one that deserves to be saved.

Not her.

A million things could have been said. Anything that wouldn't reveal her anger or her pain, but listening to his empathy, it burned her from the inside out and transformed her into the monster she is.

"Stop pretending you actually care."

Remus is aware Mia can be explosive when provoked. He knows her like the palm of his hand, but it takes him by surprise seeing the hatred in her eyes. "You know I do," he says and she rolls her eyes in response. "Just because I'm not present all the time, it doesn't mean I don't care."

Mia knows she's biting the hand that feeds her, the one that's protected her from the dark side of the moon, and has accepted the blaze within her. She's betraying him just like she had been betrayed, and she wants to stop, but she can't.

"I want to help you," he approaches her gently with his palms extended, as if advancing a rabid dog or an unstable prisoner. "Please let me."

"What makes you think I need your help?"

Mia has always needed him. Ever since she learned to speak, she needed him like the anchor on a ship. He kept her in place and prevented her from drifting into the sea. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she couldn't deny needing him now, but she's always been too prideful.

"Are you forgetting that I know you? I can see the secret you're carrying is bringing you down, and I want you to know that you don't have to bear it on your own," he notices her face turning pale and her attempts of feigning confidence falling short.

"You don't have the slightest clue on what's been happening," Mia rubs her forehead, her burning hands caressing the coldness of her skin and reminding her of the graze of her betrayer. "You know, I used to think I needed you, but I learned I can only count on myself. You're not my father and I'm not your kid, so you don't have the right to involve yourself in my life."

Remus doesn't move an inch and she doesn't either.

She expects him to leave, to give up on her like he did, and declare her a lost cause. No sane person would fight to stay by her side, so what makes Remus any different? Why is he acting like he truly cares? God, why couldn't he just abandon her and get it over with already?

Her father wouldn't allow her to speak to him like this. Her father would discipline her and cut off her tongue if needed. Anything to ensure respect, her father would do.

Why isn't Remus doing anything?

"I know," he eventually says. "I know I'm not your father, but I do know you. I know you're only acting this way to avoid facing your emotions because you think it makes you weak. You don't like trusting people, because you're afraid they will leave you, so you choose to keep your circle small and even then, you don't fully confide in them when you need to."

Usually, she would have cowered at his reading. Despite her objections, he does know her well, and someone having that much access to her makes her afraid of having been an open book all this time.

"Great work being able to profile despite the wolfsbane," she attacks him again with his insecurity, knowing it's the thing that will become his last straw. He will leave her and she won't have to worry of disappointing or hurting him.

"This is why I know you're hiding something," he ignores her attempts to push him away, refusing to allow her to believe her venomous words are striking him deeper than anything. "You tend to be hostile when you're in pain. You believe if you can hurt me enough, I'll leave, but I never will."

She narrows her eyes, "You know who else said that? He did and now he's gone."

Remus knows she's now referring to Edward. If before, he didn't trust him or consider him good enough for her, his dislike is now transforming into a profound hatred.

"What he told you, it's far from the truth."

"Is it?" Mia rhetorically questions. "He just pointed out what's real. Everyone else knows it, so why bother acting as if I'm not what everyone says I am? What he said?"

It's only then when he learns the way she was hurt, it had been through her greatest fear and insecurity. The person who claimed to love her betrayed her in the worst possible way. He abandoned her and made her feel like she's not worth anything. That she's capable of becoming the worst version of herself all due to her last name.

God, Remus absolutely despises Edward Cullen.

"Mia, you can't let what anyone thinks affect who you are," he recognizes the emptiness in her eyes isn't just out of pain, but also a look of determination. "You are worth more than what they say and I want you to know it."

Everything he says doesn't matter anymore. Mia wishes it did, but she's damaged beyond repair. His view of her is bound to change like everyone else's and she wants him to understand.

"Oh, but I do know it," she moves closer, her voice dropping a few octaves and her once empty look becoming full of an ardent fury. "I know I could be worth something if I just had what I needed."

"Him? Is that what you need?"

Mia laughs at his absurdity. She refuses to believe he thinks Edward is what she needs. What she needs, what she deserves, is her magic. It's the one thing that kept her alive and without it, there's nothing holding her back anymore.

"A man is not what I need."

"You're right. You need more and I know it is your magic that you seek," he agrees.

The ghost of a smile appears on Mia's face. She interlocks her hands together, a peculiar sense of confidence overpowering her like never before. "I have been told I was the devil's spawn. That I was a monster waiting to escape its cage and would become the cause for the second war. You know what kept me sane through all of it?" She pauses and takes a step closer to him, "Magic. Power. I knew if I found a way to fight for the right side, I could prove everyone wrong."

The anguish in her voice becomes more noticeable. She's no longer shielding her emotions through her steel barrier. She's being open with what she wants and while this is all he's wanted from her, he can't prevent becoming more unsettled at the determination in her tone, almost as if she's willing to do whatever it takes to obtain her power again.

"You don't need to prove yourself to anyone," he says. "As long as you're at peace with yourself, that's all that matters."

"Are you at peace with yourself?"

Her question takes him by surprise, as if a wave had submerged him and left him sunken into the depths of the ocean. It doesn't take a genius to know she's referring to his self-loathing over his condition.

She knows how to hurt people, knows where to insert the needle, knows how to use their insecurities and worst fears against them. A defensive mechanism, some might call it. A way to protect herself when the backstabbers aimed their acid at her. She knows how to play with their threads and where to cut them.

Staring at her as if she were a glass about to break, Remus' expression resembles that of a person staring at a caged animal biting anyone that offers aid. He reflects himself in her, knowing exactly how she feels when refusing to accept what he is. The full moons have become his life sentence and his self-deprecation is a feeling he never wished his daughter to experience.

To hear her use this against him, it hurts more than all the transformation. This is worse than anything he's ever experienced.

"Don't turn this on me," Remus tells her, an unfamiliar impassiveness in his voice that was never heard before. "This is about you and how you're letting this loss consume you."

Mia wants to be angry at him. She wants to release her fury onto someone, but listening to him is opening her eyes to the truth. If she allows her anger to consume her, it's only a matter of time until the worst version of herself emerges. She will be proving everyone, Edward, right, and she would rather die than do so.

"All these months, I sensed something was wrong," Mia speaks the words as if a faucet had been opened. "I tried ignoring it, thinking if I avoided facing it, nothing would happen, but I only ruined everything." She breathes heavily and tries blinking away the tears, "I have nothing left anymore. I ruined myself like I ruined everything, so do not try telling me that I shouldn't let this consume me! I did this, so I need to find a way to get back what I had!"

Seeing his daughter in this much pain shatters him. He wants to hold her and assure her that there is a way of getting her magic back, but how can he when it would be far from the truth? What's lost will remain lost. It's irreparable beyond means, so all he can do is just try to be there for her and help her not lose her way.

"Tell me how I can fix this!" Mia cries, her voice and hands trembling with extremity. He's her only hope and if returning back home will grant her the answers, she's willing to abandon everything to save herself, but if she's lost, there would be no point.

Remus shakes his head in defeat, "There's not a way."

"You're lying!" Mia rises from her seat, refusing to believe there isn't a solution to this. Everything always has an answer and it's unfathomable that a curse this grave doesn't have a defense against it.

"I want to destroy Bellatrix for what she did to you," Remus clenches his jaw, his gaze hardening at the image of the deranged woman having harmed the person he values most. "To punish her for what she did and find out more about what happened to you, but there's nothing I can do."

It's strange how much her life changed over the past few months. She used to believe dying was the worst demise to face, but she was wrong. Losing herself is the worst end she could encounter. Now as she's forced to accept a life without magic, she's not willing to continue moving forward.

"I'm not worth anything without it," she admits, her voice breaking and tears brimming in her eyes.

Remus walks closer to her, denying her words, "That is far from the truth."

"Nothing is worth it anymore and I- I can't accept this."

"Even with your magic, you always felt something was missing," he expresses, but knows nothing he says will make the circumstances better. "You always felt like you needed to prove yourself, so what makes you think having magic will fill the void?"

"Because it's the only thing I have left!" Mia loudly declares as she remembers all the times when she was viewed as valuable by everyone. The Cullens only saw her for her magic and even recently, Sam's pack as well. No one cares for her, but only her power. Now that it's gone, she won't have anyone left.

"You have so much more to give-"

"But I don't," she cries, a sob raking her body and cowering her into the corner like a frightened child. "With power, I could prove that I'm not like my father. That I can be good and not capable of the worst. Without it, everyone will think it's the only reason I didn't follow in his footsteps. I need to show him how wrong he is!"

Her confession reveals her pain is linked to the one person she claims to no longer care for. This torture ties back to the betrayal of the man she loves and no matter her attempts at denying it, his words left a wound that will never heal. He broke her to complete emptiness and losing her magic meant never proving to him that she's not capable of hurting him and his family.

Remus wants to curse Edward's name, to plead to the universe to repay him with the same coin he handed, but expressing his hatred would bring her more harm. It's easier said than done, but moving on seems like the only solution. He might not know how to help her, but being there for her is the first step.

"I'm so sorry."

Those three words were ones she never expected to hear. No one has ever apologized for the tragedies surrounding her and to hear the man she views as a father say them, it opens all the gates she's kept closed.

Holding her in an embrace, Remus allows her to release everything she's kept repressed. All the pain, the anger, the resentment, it escapes her system like a bomb having exploded. She didn't realize she needed this until feeling the warmth returning, but just like the warm spring, winter is bound to come.

Nothing good ever lasts.

And she's the bearer of such a sentence.