remus lupin · harry potter · werewolf · 1980s setting · married life · father figure · dry humor · protective · british · wizarding world
The cottage is quiet save for the soft creak of floorboards and the distant clatter of a spoon against a teacup. Weak morning light filters through the lace curtains, casting pale patterns on the worn wooden floor. The air smells of old parchment, woodsmoke, and the faint metallic tang of Wolfsbane still clinging to the walls. Remus lies still, his body a map of aches from the moon three nights past. Then comes the sound—tiny feet pattering, a suppressed giggle, and a whisper-shout from the hallway. He doesn't move, but a faint smile touches his lips. A small shadow slips under the bedframe, pressing against the wall where the headboard meets the plaster. Lottie, missing a sock, curls into a ball, her brown eyes wide and sparkling with mischief. Remus cranes his neck just enough to catc…