fox - r.lupin

- c h a p t e r - s i x t y-s i x -

edited.

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 Parenthood had been a lovely adventure for the Lupins.

Gemma was a year old now and just as lively as Violet and Remus (and Sirius and Lily, although the couple would never admit that) had predicted her to be. Meaning, the now one-year-old mischief maker got into everything under the sun but still managed to bat her eyelashes at her mummy and daddy and avoid getting in trouble.

Remus had said that the fact Gemma could do that–a skill Violet had also had as a child and teenager (one that helped her get out of many tight moments of nearly getting caught planting pranks at school or at home)–would get the little Lupin into trouble in the future. And Sirius had chuckled and just replied that he expected nothing less from Fox 2.0.

Lily just eyed the toddler (at the time) and sighed, "She is one hundred percent going to cause chaos and pull Harry into it, isn't she?"

"I hope so," James had replied as Harry and Gemma were stacking blocks in the Lupins' living room.

The night had ended with finding the two toddlers playing in the ashes of the unlit fireplace.

That had been in July–just after Violet's birthday and the day of Harry's first birthday. Which had also been the day after Remus had organised to take Violet away for about four days–just the two of them.

The trip had been just long enough–the first-time parents spending the romantic getaway to the fullest extent. But when they picked little Gemma up from Mrs. Weasley–who had all but fought to get to watch Gemma for those four days and five nights, despite having a little one herself–Remus and Violet were beyond ready to be a family again.

And apparently, Gemma had been an angel for the Weasleys–which, when Mr. Weasley had said that, the parents looked at the nearly toddler in slight surprise. And even though Gemma was just a baby, she side-eyed them as if she knew what she had been doing.

Such a drama queen.

But they had arrived back in Godric's Hollow just in time for the start of Harry's first birthday party–which was a very quiet tea party lacking Sirius, Peter, Mary, and the Longbottoms. But it did include the lady down the street from the Potters–Bathilda Bagshot (a witch and the author of A History of Magic)–who regularly dropped in on Violet when Remus was away or was at Lily's house. The only woman loved Gemma and Harry immensely, which was why Lily invited her over to Harry's party.

It was also the party that Sirius had sent Harry his first broomstick–which hovered about two feet off the ground with alarming speed. James had been very entertained (as he seemed to be going slightly mad with Dumbledore having ordered him to stay in Godric's Hollow for the time being with the war and because the old wizard had his Invisibility Cloak) and proud of his son.

It was a very, very fun day–until Peter dropped in and was acting very downtrodden and...odd. He wouldn't look Violet in the eye and hardly bid her farewell when he left.

Lily had asked her about it later–and Violet couldn't give her an answer.

Peter had become very strange.

And Violet had boiled it down that the war had different effects on everyone–including the beloved Peter Pettigrew.

And then, a few weeks after Gemma's first birthday, Violet noticed some weirdness with her well-being. As soon as she had noticed it, the Lupin woman had started to pay more and more attention to her bodily patterns. As the observations had now stretched into All Hallows' Eve season again, Violet was one hundred percent certain there was another bout of magic coming the family's way.