Fifteen years later

Far from having a the lonely childhood that sometimes accompanies being a firstborn, John had a handful of playmates from early on. He was often at his Aunt Alyssa's house, playing with Stephanie, who was only a couple of years older. Bill and Fleur Weasley had a daughter who was only a year older. Charlie had also married not long after Remus and Holly; he and his wife had a son who was only a few months older.

It had taken Remus and Holly three years, but they realized there was something more they wanted out of life...another child. Just before John was four years old, Holly gave birth to a little girl, Marie Elizabeth Lupin. She was born April twentieth, weighed seven pounds, eight ounces and was twenty-one inches long.

At first, John had not been so sure he liked this little red-haired invader. She got a lot of attention, and made a lot of noise. Having the intelligence and curiosity of both parents, he was puzzled by the baby. Holly and Remus found ways to allow him to interact with his little sister. They also did their best to assure him that he was still as important and loved as he'd always been.

As they grew, the children became close friends. At times, of course, they couldn't stand each other. But overall their relationship was a close, caring one.

The children's early years had been full of the usual milestones, and their parents had delighted in watching them grow. Both children were completely normal, with no trace at all of the lycanthropy that plagued their father. They both showed signs of magical abilities early, at around age six. Holly had suspected this would happen, therefore she taught them at home. She made sure they got all the basic skills they would need for their education at Hogwarts. Though she didn't send them to muggle school, she made did teach them about muggles.

Time had revealed that the speculations Remus and Holly had made about John before his birth were true. The older he got, the more he looked like his father, except he did have his mother's smile. He was a bright, curious little boy, with a mischievous streak; he was always getting into something. He was also a kind, caring child and a natural athlete. He'd started riding a toy broom when he was eighteen months old, and by age five had a real one. It had come as no real surprise that this talent, along with his long, lean frame, had landed him the seeker's position on Gryffindor's quidditch team in his second year at Hogwarts.

Marie, however, was a mirror image of her mother, but had her father's bright blue eyes. She was the quiet one of the pair. She was intelligent and curious, but shy and reserved. She had her mother's love of the outdoors and her creativity. She would spend hours in a tree, watching things around her, or she'd take pencils and paper into the garden to draw flowers.

Both children enjoyed spending time with Sirius, who made frequent visits. It was not unusual to see him three or four times a week. He enjoyed spending time with the children, telling them stories of their father's teen years, teaching them things, especially pranks. He filled the role as a really close uncle to them, and spoiled them almost as if they were his own.

The Weasley family had assumed a unique role, becoming an extended family to the Lupins. Molly and Arthur treated the children as well as they did their own grandchildren; the rest of the family looked at them as an extra nephew and niece. The Lupins visited them often, and attended most family gatherings, especially at the holidays.

Alyssa and Steve welcomed their nephew and niece warmly, and the children enjoyed their time with them. On a couple of occasions, they invited the Lupins to spend a school break with them in Australia. They'd accepted, and the kids had really enjoyed the time at the beach.

Today, the four of them, along with Sirius, were in Diagon Alley. School was to start in a few days, and both children needed supplies for the new term.

Remus and Sirius went with John to look at broomsticks, and to pick up a few little extra items he wanted for school this year. He would be starting his fifth year at Hogwarts, so for him, shopping for supplies wasn't as interesting as it was for Marie. He'd been made Quidditch captain this year, so his parents had promised him a new broom. When they went inside the shop, his eyes darted from one to another, finally landing on the one he'd read about, the Firebolt 4. When he spotted it, he said " Dad, there it is, the silver one."

"The Firebolt 4?"

"Yes, sir. That's the one I want, if we can get it."

Remus walked over to the display and examined the broom. Sirius joined him, and after a moment, quietly whistled.

"This is a fine broom, Remus. This is better than the one I bought Harry a few years ago. He'll enjoy this one."

"I thought it seemed nice, and well made. I'm going to see about the price. If I can, I'll get it for him."

Remus went up to the counter and talked to the clerk about the broom. The price was within the amount he'd set aside for this purchase, so he told the man he'd take it. The two of them walked back to the window where it was on display. As the shopkeeper took it down, John's expression questioned his father.

"Yes, son it's yours." Remus told him.

John smiled and hugged his father in excitement. A wave of happiness washed over Remus as his son hugged him. He was very pleased to be able to provide for his family. For a long time, he'd have never thought it possible. But that part of his life seemed a lifetime ago on days like this.

For the rest of the day, John carried his new broom around as carefully as if it were alive. It was clearly his favorite possession.

While the guys had been shopping for brooms, Holly had taken Marie to be fitted for her uniforms. Marie was starting her first year at Hogwarts, so she needed everything. Even though she knew a lot about it after listening to so many people talk, there was still something new and wonderful about going there. She'd also been to Diagon Alley before, but today the things she would be choosing were for herself, to use while she learned magic. Once they were finished at the clothing shop, they went to the wand shop. It was in the building Ollivander's had used, but it was now called The Wand Emporium. They'd heard the man running it had been taught by Mr. Ollivander, but didn't know for sure. His work seemed good; John's wand had come from there, as had Sirius' and both worked fine.

A tall, think wizard who looked about Holly's age smiled at Marie .

"You must be getting ready for Hogwarts."

"Yes sir. I need a wand."

"You've come to the right place. I'm sure we have a perfect fit for you here somewhere."

He then took a bunch of measurements and asked Marie a lot of questions. After he was finished, he disappeared into a back room. A few minutes later, he came back with a half dozen wands for her to try.

She tried each of the first four with bad results. She'd managed to make a real mess of the shop, and was more than a little embarrassed. She looked up at her mom, her face bright red. Holly gave her shoulder a squeezed. "This happens in here all the time, doesn't it, sir?"

He smiled at Marie "Yes it does. In fact, this is about the sixth time today it's happened. Luckily, I'll have it all cleaned up in about the same amount of time it took to make the mess. So, cheer up, we still need to find that special one for you."

Marie managed a smile and said "Okay".

So she picked up the fifth wand in the group. This time when she waved it, nothing exploded or broke, it simply shot sparks out the end.

"Looks like we have a winner. Cherry, twelve inches, unicorn hair. A good wand for transfiguration, though like any wand, it will perform anything well for its master."

Marie smiled brightly "I'm looking forward to really using it."

Holly paid for the wand, which was boxed nicely, and the pair left the store.

Next, they went to the Magical Menagerie. Hogwarts had begun allowing the students to have cats as pets, and Marie wanted one. Along the first row of cages, Marie spotted a small white kitten. She walked up to the cage, and the kitten came right to the door, as if trying to get to her. It looked at her pleadingly, and Holly could tell by the expression on her daughter's face that this was the one. Holly got her to look around more, just to be sure, but she went right back to it. So, they got the kitten, which they were told was female, about three months old, and part Kneazle. They also bought a basket, food, and some other necessary items.

After they finished there, it was time to meet up with the guys. Not only had they picked up John's broom, but the potions ingredients each kid needed, along with Marie's cauldron and scales. All that remained on their lists were their textbooks. Sirius and John stayed outside of the shop with the cat while Holly, Remus and Marie went in the bookstore to make those purchases. A little while later, they came out, arms full of books and ready to leave.

They apparated back home, then got busy separating and checking everything. About an hour later, they realized they had everything on both lists, so the two packed their trunks. Then John went outside to try out his new broom. Marie spent most of the evening curled up on her bed with Fluffy, reading over her new textbooks.

On the morning of August thirty-first, the Lupin family, like so many other wizard families, went to King's Cross station. They went through the wall that served as a gateway to Platform 9 3/4, and in front of them was the large scarlet steam engine of the Hogwarts Express.

Holly stood there for a moment, observing her family. Remus had the luggage trolley, with John's well-worn brown trunk, and Marie's new pink one. Perched carefully atop the trunks were an owl cage housing a brown barn owl and a basket holding a white kitten. From time to time, a white paw would reach out and swipe at the air- the cat could obviously hear and smell the owl. Luckily, the basket was turned so that he couldn't reach the owl.

Off to her right, about fifty feet away, was John, tall, lanky and sandy-haired. He'd caught up to a couple of his friends and was now talking animatedly to them.

Standing close by was Marie. Small and slender, with a long red braid, she reminded Holly so much of herself at that age. She looked around, obviously nervous about the day. Holly took her hand, gave it a slight squeeze, and said.

"It's okay, darling. You'll have fun today. I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip, and I bet you'll meet someone interesting."

"I hope so. Are you really sure they won't pick on me for being a werewolf's kid?"

Holly thought carefully about this before she answered. Marie had been nervous about this all summer. Holly had tried to assure her that it would be okay, but she knew there was a small chance she would encounter some kids who would tease her about her father.

"I don't think they will. John has never run into anyone who did. Most people now know and respect your father because he's shown everyone what a good person he is. If anyone gives you trouble, tell your head of house, us or the Headmaster."

"Okay. You and dad won't be upset if I'm not in Gryffindor, will you?"

"Of course not. The sorting is just a best guess of where you belong. It tells you what talents it believes you have. But it also takes your choice into consideration. I've heard a couple of people who whispered to the hat that they'd rather be in a particular house and it put them there. I've also seen a number of students who got sorted into one house and later seemed like they belonged elsewhere, but they were good students, had made friends where they were and were happy."

"If I don't like the house I'm sorted into after a while, can I change?"

"I'm not sure, but probably. For now, stop worrying, it will be okay. Why don't you see if you can find James Potter and Rose Weasley. They're starting this year too."

At that suggestion, Marie's face brightened. It hadn't occurred to her they would be here as well.

"I think I will."

She hugged her mom, and was off at a quick walk. Holly saw her stop about thirty feet away from her in the opposite direction from where John and his friends still stood. She looked closely and recognized the group she'd found as her friends.

Just then, Remus walked up.

"Everything is on the train. They should be ready to leave in a few minutes."

"Good. Marie found James and Rose. That should help her nerves."

"She still worried about being teased about me?"

"Yes, but I told her I didn't think it was very likely. I also told her what to do if it did happen."

"Good. She'll be okay. Kids now are much more tolerant than they were even a few years ago."

"I know."

He slipped his arm around her waist, and hugged her.

"So is our oldest schoolgirl ready to go back?"

"Absolutely. After fifteen years away, I'm looking forward to it. I enjoyed those first three years so much, I'm excited about more. But I have to admit it feels a little strange to be 'starting over' at fifty."

"Don't look at it as starting over; think of it as returning after a long vacation. But as for your age, we both know fifty is not old for a witch or wizard. I'm glad to know you're looking forward to it, though."

"I am. And I'm glad we decided to stay in the castle, I think it will be great for all four of us to be together."

Just then, the train gave a whistle that was the warning it was nearly time to leave. Both kids knew the reason for the whistle. Holly looked around and saw them both making their way toward their parents. Even though they would see them again in a few hours, both kids came up to them and said their goodbyes before boarding the train.

Holly and Remus stood there, hand in hand, and watched the train leave the station. As it pulled out of sight, Holly found herself thinking, as she had on many happy occasions, that all was right with their little part of the world.