Rain poured down, striking the window of the nursery and jolting year old Teddy from his sleep. He instinctively reached for his stuffed cow with a whimper and tried to go back to sleep but the pounding of the rain was insistant.

Suddenly, the room lit up as light streamed through the curtains and Teddy shut his eyes to ward off the scary shadows that had suddenly appeared in his vision.

Surpressing a sob he peered back out from underneath his pillow only for a huge boom of thunder to echo throughout the landscape.

With a terrified shriek Teddy curled up once more under his blankets clamping two small hands over his ears and squeezing his eyes shut.

He wanted his daddy. Where was he? Normally his daddy came whenever things got scary and he'd pick him up and cuddle him until he fell back asleep. Sometimes, if it got really bad his daddy would take him into his room and let him sleep next to him and mommy.

But he wasn't coming and Teddy gave a small squeak when another flash of lighting lit up the sky and the thunder rumbled by a few seconds later.

"Daddy!" he shouted, lisening intently for the tell tale sounds of his parent's door creaking open and soft, quick footsteps making their way to the nursery.

"Daddy!" Teddy cried again, eyes filling with tears as the wind picked up and shook the very foundation of the house.

And then suddenly the whole sky lit up once more and at the same time the roar of the thunder boomed out louder than ever before. It shook everything to their core and poor Teddy Lupin knew it was time to act.

Panic already setting in Teddy cried and clawed desperately at the bars of his crib.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" he cried, jumping up and down in his bed.

As another earth shattering boom echoed Teddy ducked his head, tightened his grip on the bars and jumped. As he vaulted over the edge of his crib he kicked his legs frantically so that the rest of his body would flip over so that he landed on his back with a small thump.

Dazzed but not feeling the least bit safer Teddy ran as fast as his little feet could carry him...which wasn't very fast... Eventually he tripped over air and resumed crawling frantically for the door to the nursery.

The hallway was darker than Teddy had ever seen it and he half contemplated going back and hiding in bed. But then the lightning flashed and Teddy was jolted into action.

He turned his head to his parent's bedroom right down the hall and froze.

The bedroom door was open and the faint light of the moon illuminating the inside of the room showed no one was inside.

Teddy was ready to cry again.

But then he remembered something.

Sometimes Daddy had to go to bed early downstairs. Teddy didn't like it when he went down there because his Daddy couldn't play with him the next day but maybe today that was where he was.

So, new goal set and heart beat quickening with every echo of thunder, Teddy crawled down the stairs and made his way through the spooky house towards the basement. He slipped and ran into a few things here and there but got to the door nevertheless intact.

"Daddy!" Teddy shouted, hauling himself up only to find that he could not reach the door even if he stood.

The rain pelted the windows as Teddy called for his dad. He had come so far. He couldn't back down now. He wanted his daddy and he wanted him now.

"Daddy!" Teddy cried just as a crack of lightning illuminated the hosue for several seconds.

Teddy kicked and hit, limbs flailing as he rattled the door until it would surely fall off its hinges.

"DADDY!" Teddy cried in desperation and, punctuated by the rattling of the house as the wind intensified outside, the door slammed open with a burst of magic.

Teddy didn't bother marvelling at his use of underage magic for, as soon as the door opened he fell head first into the basement with a surprised squeak.

He bounced several times down the steps, trying to balance himself as he fell but before he knew it he had landed rather painfully on his face.

Ignoring the pain the boy eagerly looked up.

Had he finally found sactuary?

His gaze took in the almost empty room. There was a ball and some books in the corner, a rug and at the very back of the room, a fairly large four poster bed.

But Teddy's heart plummeted when he realized that there was no one on the bed.

His daddy wasn't here. All that effort. The fear. The pain. His daddy wasn't there to tell him that it would be alright and that he'd make it all better. His daddy had abandoned him.

And finally, as thunder clashed overhead, Teddy, still sitting on the cold basement floor closed his eyes, opened his mouth and cried.

Remus the werewolf flattened his ears at the wailing coming from his son just a few feet away. His first instinct was to run out of his cover beneath the bed, scoop the little toddler up and cuddle him to death.

But another part of him told him that if Teddy saw a ferocious looking wolf standing over him it'd only make him more scared than he already was.

"Dammit Remus he's your son," a part of his mind told him and slowly he inched out from underneath the bed.

Teddy was too busy crying to notice a huge grey wolf approach him until a cold nose softly nudged his cheek.

Eyes flying open, Teddy stared in shock at the large canine before him.

He took in the large mouth that no doubt housed large teeth, the thick fur and the rather sharp looking claws.

But then Teddy saw something else. A look of concern in those golden eyes and a careful lick on the cut on his forhead made Teddy smile in recognition.

"Daddy!" he said happily, flinging his arms around the werewolf with a content sigh.

Remus looked startled at his son's reaction. Slowly he turned his head to take in the sight of the boy burying his face into his fur with a peaceful smile on his face.

He had a little bruise on his chin and a cut on his forhead from his fall down the stairs but Remus was thankful that his son was safe and happy...at least...he looked pretty happy.

Remus moved to wipe away the tears on Teddy's face only to realize paws wouldn't be much use for such a deed so, slowly he stuck out his tongue and gave Teddy's face a small lick.

The boy burst out into a fit of giggles as the tongue splayed itself on his face and Remus would have smiled if he knew how. Instead he playfully tickled the boy with his nose and Teddy only laughed harder much to Remus' delight.

He carefully set Teddy down and ran to grab the ball in the corner. Dora had placed it there as a joke but now seemed like a pretty good time to use it.

On normal days he read to Ted to get him back to sleep but unless Teddy wanted to hear a mixture of howls, barks and growls Remus didn't think reading was a very good idea...which left only one option: he needed to tire him out.

Swatting the ball with his leg, Remus watched it roll over to Ted who grabbed for the brightly colored ball eagerly. The toddler was always up for a game as he bounced the ball back to the wolf in the corner.

It was like having your own dog really. As the thunderstorm raged outside, Ted was too busy admiring the large wolf waiting for his every beck and call. He ran after the ball and gave it back to him like a game of fetch and when Ted got tired of that Remus romped around with his son on his back in the little basement. It wasn't very spacious but it was still a lot of fun for the boy. Not many people could say they'd been given piggy back rides by a werewolf on the full moon after all but Teddy was more than delighted to be given the opportunity.

Eventually though, Remus watched in slight amusement as Teddy rubbed his eye with a little fist and gave a large yawn.

Time for bed then...which was really a good thing. With all that running around Remus himself was starting to get a little tired.

Carelly picking a half asleep Teddy up by the back of his pyjamas Remus led the way over to the bed at the other side of the room. His ears still picked out the telltale signs of the thunderstorm and he doubted Teddy would have wanted to leave.

Making sure to keep his teeth in check, Remus lowered Teddy onto the bed who pleasantly curled up within the blankets.

Remus nodded and was just about to lie down at the foot of the bed before Teddy spoke up.

"Daddy," Teddy said, looking at Remus expectantly and Remus cocked his head.

"Daddy," Teddy said with a stubborn look on his face as he patted the bed beside him.

If Remus had eyebrows they would have shot up by now. Teddy wanted him to sleep next to him like this?

But Teddy was insistent and reluctantly Remus leaped onto the bed.

The mattress dipped as Remus made himself comfortable without trying to jossle the sheets too much but once he was settled Teddy gave him a happy smile before wriggling himself right up against him.

Remus couldn't have been happier.

He ruffled his boy's tranquil blue hair with his nose and watched with pride and joy as Teddy gave a happy gurgle in his sleep.

He really was the luckiest man in the world.

A few hours later, Tonks apparated directly into her house with a flustered huff.

She really did hate work.

"Why'd that man have to go and bloody escape now of all days?"

Needless to say, Tonks had spent all night chasing after some escaped convict in the middle of a bloody thunderstorm whereas she should have been at home taking care of Teddy. And now to make things worse, Remus wouldn't be in any position to hear her story, make her a cup of tea and whisk her off to bed with him.

Tonight she'd have to make her own cup of tea and go to bed alone and with a sigh Tonks marched upstairs to get undressed.

After a shower and shedding her Auror robes for something more comfortable, she decided to see how well Teddy was holding up. She hadn't heard any noise from his room so she figured he was still asleep.

The bundle in the blankets was still when Tonks looked in on it.

"How's my little boy?" she whispered, reaching down to stroke the soft...fur?

With a cry of alarm Tonks suddenly realized that the figure underneath the blankets wasn't her beloved son but of his stuffed cow instead.

"Teddy?" she shouted doing a search around the room before running down the stairs.

She froze at the sight of the battered looking door that led to the basement. It was hanging open; the wall behind it crumbling as if it had been knocked aside with tremendious force.

"Oh please no," Tonks whispered as she raced down the steps.

What she saw made her break out into relieved hysterical laughter.

Her werewolf husband's eyes snapped open at the sound and he gave her a pointed look from across the room.

In his sleep, Teddy shifted slightly and Remus delicately ruffled his hair with his nose again to get him to settle before turning to glare at his wife for almost waking their child up.

"Don't look at me like that Remus!" Tonks whispered, hands on her hips, "I come home and my son's not in his crib and your door looks like someone blasted through it. You had me scared half to death!" Tonks said with a frown and Remus looked away. Was that shame in his eyes?

"Don't be such a prat. I thought something happened. I didn't think that you ate him," Tonks whispered, walking over to give her husband a cuff on the back of his ear.

"Now schooch over," Tonks commanded grabbing Remus' pillow from under him.

Remus looked at his wife as if she was crazy.

"What? You got to stay here all warm and cozy in the house and play with your son and I had to go chase after some mass murderer in a bloody typhoon! And what do I get in return? Do I get a thank you? Or even tea? No. Why? Because my husband's too busy being all insecure with 'oh, my son doesn't love me anymore now that he's seen me like this'," Tonks quoted as Remus paused to looke sheepish. Dora really did know him too well.

"Now schooch over so I can make my idiot of a husband feel less...what was the word? Emo?"

Remus cocked his head in confusion.

"Don't ask. I heard a lot of the new recruits using that term. Have to stay with the times Remus! Now move your bloody ass already!" Tonks threatened, poking her lupine husband on the nose.

Remus would have sighed but he shifted over anyways to allow his wife onto the bed.

"More. You're hogging the blankets," Dora said as she got comfortable and Remus rolled his eyes again as he moved all the way over, dragging Teddy along with him.

When all three Lupins were balanced precariously on the bed, Teddy protected by both parents on both sides, Remus opened his eyes a slit to look at the peaceful scene.

Tonks had an arm wrapped over Teddy so that she was clutching a handful of Remus' soft fur on the other side. Even Teddy seemed to love the fluff the fur gave as he cuddled close with a happy sigh. It was like having your own stuffed animal and Remus ruffled his hair lovingly.

They could make this work. Even after all these years Tonks still stuck up with him and even Teddy seemed to have accepted him.

Years ago Remus would have laughed at anyone who had said that he would have a loving wife and child. He would have rolled his eyes in disbelief if they'd said that after a while, being a werewolf wouldn't be so bad. That it'd get better and easier over time. He had scoffed. How could such a curse possibly get better? It had ruined his life and would continue to do so.

His mind relpayed Sirius' words from a few years ago: "You're gonna get married and get a job and maybe even have a kid…"

Back then he'd never taken those words for anything but a fool's paradise.

But, for once in his life. Remus had to admit that he was wrong.

It did get better.

People still loved him, still respected him and cared for him even though he was a beast once a month.

And now. Now he wasn't a beast at all. They were sleeping next to him. Holding him and loving him. In this form.

"And you know why Remus? Because you can. I know you can. Give yourself some bloody credit for once in your life would you?"

With a smile Remus closed his eyes and lay back down on the bed, secretly relishing the feeling of simply being loved.

Sirius was right.

Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

But as he took in the peaceful, happy faces of the two people he loved sleeping right next to him he had to admit.

That maybe. Just maybe. He was so much more.

END

Review if you've made it this far. I wanted to make another chapter because of one major reason: I wanted to hit double digit chapters :P Besides, this chapter's not long enough for it to be its own story.

Anyways, by the end of this week I want to uplaod the re-edited version of A Year to be Remembered (the sequel to this story) and hopefully by next week I'll be working on the next installment of the series!