5 YEARS LATER

When I had applied to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, I vowed to one day have the entire department renamed because why in Merlin's name were we trying to control other magical creatures? What gave us the right to do that? Of course, my ambitions were derailed slightly when Ness told me that to do so I'd need to become the Minister of Magic and I didn't really have any political ambitions besides petitioning to have laws changed. I could leave the position of Minister for Ness, I trusted her to change it for me. Instead, I would focus on attaining equal treatment for as many magical beings as I could.

A knock on the door had me looking up from the paperwork I was supposed to be surveying. "Come in."

Fairfield popped his head into the open door and pointed vaguely behind him to the hallway. "Lupin is here to see you. He said something about lunch."

"Tell him I'll be right out," I assured Fairfield as I prepared to leave.

Rising to my feet, I shrugged into my coat and grabbed my wand only to pause, suddenly remembering the paperwork. Crossing the room to grab the papers, I hesitated as I looked the proposal over again. Remus wouldn't mind if I was a little longer, not if he knew the reason why I was late. Held in my hands was all the evidence I had gathered against the restrictions that certain sections of the ministry were lobbying for stricter restrictions to be placed on the movement and registration of werewolves. More voices were needed to shut down the bullshit that the older generations of the ministry were trying to advocate and I would be one of the first to do so.

Closing the folder, I placed it safely in one of the drawers of my desk. Warding it and locking it several times, I checked my office once more before preparing to head out for lunch to where I knew Remus would be waiting for me.

Helga, it wasn't surprising that the only time I could concentrate enough on my school work was when I had other people depending on me. I was never more motivated to work hard than I was when I knew that my work would help someone else. And when that someone else just happened to make up half of my heart, then how could I just sit back? I couldn't let my heart suffer unfairly when he had never done anything to harm someone else. Merlin, anyone that came for Remus would experience hell and not just from me, but from his friends who were deservedly protective of him. I could still remember the time that his dormmates had abducted me in our seventh year to interrogate me about my intentions towards him.

"Remus," I called out with a smile when I spotted him where he was chatting to Fairfield at the younger man's desk.

He straightened out at the sound of my voice, turning towards me with a wide grin. Raising a hand to wave at me, he chuckled slightly as my steps quickened as I hurried towards him. When I reached his side, I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up into his face with a smile that mirrored his own.

"How have you been?" he asked, reaching out to tuck some of my hair behind my ear.

"Busy," I said with a shrug. "I'm starving."

"It's a good thing we're going for lunch then, isn't it?" Remus dropped a quick kiss to my forehead as he started to lead me towards the lift.

Over my shoulder, I waved a quick goodbye to Fairfield who was too focused on sorting through some paperwork that he only managed to send me a quick wave in return. Turning my focus back onto the man walking beside me, I snuggled closer to Remus's side as he talked about his day and what he had gotten up to whilst babysitting Harry. Lily had decided to seek out work, once the threat of Voldemort had lifted, and as a result, James was left to babysit his son. But almost every day he called his friends round to help him share the burden.

"He's beginning to get cranky," Remus explained. "He's at that age."

"Harry?"

"No, James." I laughed but Remus nodded seriously at me. "Me and Pads are a bit concerned that mini Prongs will pick it up as well. But Prongs is so used to seeing Lily all the time that he's a bit upset at how little time they spend together since she started working. Not that he'd ever tell her – he says it's amazing to see her so excited about work."

"Well," I said after a moment's thought, "why don't we babysit Harry for the weekend? We can have Sirius around too and I mean, how hard can it be to babysit Harry with three adults to share responsibility?"

"We'll have more of an issue babysitting Sirius," Remus protested as we boarded the lift.

"In that case, you can babysit Sirius and I will handle Harry. That's a fair deal." I paused, suddenly realising something. "But when are we supposed to stay with your dad again?"

"Next weekend," Remus said in a way that told me that he had forgotten all about it too.

"We can't cancel on his Remus," I warned when he started to frown and I remembered the plans Remus had wanted to make for the next weekend. It had been something about Quidditch and breakfast in bed. "I haven't seen him in weeks – he is my favourite Lupin."

Rolling his eyes, Remus escorted me out of the lift and into the lobby. "Well, just between us, I think you're his favourite Lupin. Something about you being less moody."

"Well, you can get a bit broody when you're near your time of the month, Remus."

"I told you to stop calling it that."

"Sorry – your period."