Nuntis' lip curled as she listened to his footsteps receding, her wand leveled at the other woman. "I always knew you were a special sort of demented!" She roared, voice echoing in an eerie, haunting manner through the magic that allowed it. "How dare you lay a finger on that baby!"

Even if she'd had some defense for her reprehensible actions, Nuntis was not about to give her the chance. "I dreamed to become a mother, longed for it!" Her eyes filled with tears, remembering the fear, the near losses. Even now, years past that ache, she could plainly remember the ever present terror of her firstborn, how close she'd come to losing him. Her little ones, like her husband, Nuntis had nearly lost everything. There was no doubt in her mind that, had they not escaped when they did, she would have.

Her eyes flashed in rage and a burst of magic flashed from her wand, shattering the shelving behind her. This woman had a family, a beautiful
Baby, and she'd mistreated them, just as Nut's father had her and her brother as children. "You've no right!" She snarled.

Gena was lucky in only one thing, Nuntis wouldn't drag out her task.

____

The sun was rising when the woman, dark cloak damp, heavy with the scent of jasmine, pounded on the grand front doors of Potter manor.

"I'll get it!" A young voice shouted from inside and she smiled softly.

"Don't you dare! You know the rules, Harry James Potter!"

"Oy! Freeze or be frozen!"

If she wasn't so angry she would've laughed.

"Nuntis," James blinked in surprise, adjusting the glasses on the end of his nose. "We, Uh...we heard you were in Spain?"

Italy, actually, she replied. Planning to invite me in, Potter? Or, perhaps, you know why I've come?

James sighed heavily. How is he?

How do you imagine him to be? He's alone in the cottage convinced more than ever that he's no right to friends...

The man swallowed hard. Last we heard he was married and didn't want to hear from us...

Get that from her? She rolled her eyes in disgust. I believed you smarter than that. Well, once upon a time I had believed so. Guess you've proven otherwise now, haven't you Potter?!"

Nuntis hadn't called him by his surname since they'd become friends back in school. But Remus had been her friend first. "Is he alright or not, Nuntis?"

Don't you dare, James Potter! Don't you even dare take a tone with me! You knew how she was! You knew!

"I thought he was alright!" He insisted as Lily walked into the room.

"What's going-"

Do not start with me! Nuts aimed her wand at her one time friends. If you hadn't abandoned him she would not have got her hooks in him! He wouldn't have been hurt!

"Wait," Sirius walked in with a little boy with glasses and a ridiculous bird's nest head of hair at his side holding a broom. "Moony's hurt?"

Nuntis scowled at him. Oh, now you care? Well, don't worry your pretty little head about it, Sirius. None of you Gryffindors should. I handled her. She won't be touching a hair on his head ever again. As for you three, I'd tell you to fuck off, but he wouldn't. And I'm here for him. So if you don't get your heads out of your asses, real quick, and apologize to that man I'm going to release the remaining rage I couldn't take out on Gena, on your arses!

She turned and slammed the door behind her so hard that it didn't latch. It was still hanging open when she stepped out of the wards and apparated with a loud crack.

Harry glanced at the three adults around him with a snicker. "Well...I don't know what any of that meant but I know an angry girl when I see one...you still gonna take me flying, Da?"

James glanced at Lily and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I'm comin, Harry. I guess I'll..."

"Be around sometime later, ya," Sirius nodded. "I'm heading...well, I'm going to the cottage..."

"I'd go for chocolate first, Siri," Lily sighed. "I'm certainly going to."

___

She was so small. Remus thought as he bathed and dressed his little girl. He thought it again as he sat with her in his arms while she nibbled a peanut butter sandwich. He marveled at it still as they settled together on his couch. He couldn't help noticing how she reached out to touch things when she thought he wouldn't notice or how her eyes, unblinking, stared around the room. He followed her gaze, taking in the room in a way he hadn't before.

The couch and chairs didn't match but he liked them. They were all three plush and comfortable, even when he dozed off in them after a full moon. He had a blanket either draped over the arm or in a basket beside each, plush pillows in every corner, and there wasn't a sharp corner or scratchy fabric in sight. It was still sunny, at least for another hour, and it streamed through the window just the way he loved, warming his feet in their thick knitted socks. She deserved thick knitted socks. He'd make sure she had some soon.

"Whatcha think, Cub?" He whispered gently. "You like it?"

Cae nodded slowly. "Is...ummm...wike dis?" She grabbed a fistful of her curls.

It took him a moment to understand what she meant. He chuckled when he caught on. "Brown? Yeah, there's a lot of brown I guess." Between the couch and the many, many, bookcases there really was a lot of brown. He dragged a faded Gryffindor blanket off the arm of the couch and draped it around his baby, who immediately cuddled in close. "What if I read you a book? You like stories?"

Caelen shrugged as she stuck her thumb back into her mouth. She didn't really know what that was but she liked being warm and clean and she liked the way he talked to her.

Remus cracked open an old favorite he thought she might enjoy and began to read softly.

Caelen craned her neck to peer at the pages, looking from them up to Remus and frowned again. "Is that really in there?" She whispered. "Is that what all those black marks mean?"

"Thats what they mean," the man confirmed with a soft laugh. "Those are letters. They all have their own sounds. When you put certain letters together and they make their sounds together then you get words. Words tell stories."

The child looked visibly astounded. She hesitated, her thumb held just below her chin as she considered asking or not. "Can I yearn yetters?"

Remus laughed happily. "Yes baby. Yes you can learn yetters." He kissed her head tenderly. "We'll start learning those soon, ok?"

"Ok," she whispered.

When she settled her head against his chest, nuzzling in close while he read softly and her eyes grew heavier and heavier Remus thought he might burst. He hadn't really let himself dream of becoming a father, not since he'd been turned, but now...he brushed a baby fine curl back from her brow, watching as she went lax in his arms. Merlin's beard he could barely breathe from the swell of affection he felt for this tiny being in his arms. "I've got you, Cub," he promised.

_________
(And a second one because it's Christmas 🥰🥰 enjoy!!)