Chapter Text
Lyall sits on Remus's bed, setting a tray of milk and biscuits next to him.
"Mummy says no snacks in bed," Remus points out.
"Well," Words stick in Lyall's throat. "Tonight, it's okay. After all, you're still hurt."
Remus glances at his forearm. "But it's all gone, Daddy. The healers fixed it."
"Yes. You're not scared, are you? The man that bit you is gone."
"But it wasn't a man. It was a big, shaggy dog."
"It was a wolf. But it was also a man. A big, bad man who was angry with me."
"How can a man be a wolf?"
"Ma---gic!" Lyall draws out the word in a sing-song voice, like when he shows off to Hope. "Ma--gic!"
Remus giggles,
"He was mad at me, so he hurt you."
"But I'm okay now."
"When he bit you, a little bit of that magic got inside of you. So you....you're.... you're going to be a wolf too."
The room falls quiet. Remus grabs a biscuit and begins munching it slowly. "Forever and ever?"
"No. Just--just on the full moon. Once a month."
Remus pauses, hand halfway to his mouth. "Cool."
"Cool?"
"Well, a wolf's like a dog, right? I want a puppy, but I get to be a puppy!" He bounces up and down, nearly knocking over the tray. "Puppy! Play catch with me!"
Lyall shook his head. "Not exactly. You know how we send you to your room when you're naughty?"
Remus looks at the tray, then at his dad.
"Not tonight," Lyall forces himself to laugh. "When you turn into a wolf, you need to stay in your room."
"Is it bad to be a wolf?"
"I...I...You're my son, Remus. And I love you, even when you're bad. Okay?"
"Okay." Remus yawns. "And Mummy?"
"Mummy loves you too. We both love you so much. And that's not going to change."