MY CUB ( REMUS LUPIN DAUGHTER )

CHAPTER 10

After Snape was gone, Jaiden went back to sit under the tree. She put her bag to the side and sighed. Remus smiled a little and went to sit next to her, his back resting against the tree bark. One thing Remus had noticed about her, she could go on without talking for hours while being with people.

He had seen her being around Harry and his friends from time to time, but usually, she'd end up sitting alone. Whether in class, outside of class, or in the Great Hall. He could tell that Jaiden didn't feel very comfortable being around people, but he wished she was comfortable with him.

Remus had caught Jaiden walking alone multiple times for the past few weeks and he ended up finding himself walking together with her. Even if the walk meant to just be in silence.

"Jaiden, why are you sitting here alone? I thought you had friends?" Remus asked but he kept his eyes forward. Remus thought that maybe if Jaiden were to be in the presence of a friend, she wouldn't easily get picked on.

Jaiden looked up at her professor for a few seconds before looking back to the front. She sighed quietly.

"I do. But, I like to be alone. I don't even know why." She replied.

That was the quickest lie she could come up with. Jaiden wanted to hang around with her friends. To have a best friend, but it was all stopped by her furry little problem. What if her friends find out and start to freak out about it? She wouldn't want that. She would rather be alone.

Remus didn't take her lie, nor did he press the question. He was quiet for a moment as he thought about what else he could bring up. The girl surely was not going to carry on the conversation, Remus knew that. So, it was up to him.

"Christmas is just around the corner. Are you going home?" He asked again and this time, he looked down at her. Jaiden shook her head.

"Nope. I'll be staying here for the holiday. Even if I go back, no one's gonna be home." Then, her eyes widened after two seconds. She had said something she shouldn't. No one knew about her being an orphan. Only Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore. And, maybe the rest of first-year Slytherin.

For a second, she thought that Remus must've already acknowledged it. Dumbledore had surely told the teachers. Hadn't he?

"What do you mean, Jaiden?" Remus frowned slightly.

So, Dumbledore didn't tell anyone. Got it. Jaiden stared down at her hands as she tried to choose her words. She thought about giving another lie, but she suddenly got a little feeling that she shouldn't. So, she decided to come out clean.

"I'm an orphan, professor. My parents are dead." Jaiden admitted quietly. Remus nodded, already expecting the answer.

"I see." He was quiet for a few seconds. He felt a little sympathy for her. She had lost her parents at such a young age. How did she even survive? "If you don't mind me asking, Jaiden, how did your parents die?"

"Uh...my mom died when I was eight," Even just saying it, Jaiden was taken back to the moment when she was sitting next to her mother who was lying weakly in bed. Their hands were holding onto each other and Jaiden watched as her mother took her last breath. She swallowed thickly as she shook away the memory. "She was sick and there was nothing that could help her."

Remus looked at the girl next to him. Jaiden had her eyes forward, looking at the lake, but her look was distant. It was like, she was looking back into the past.

"I'm," Remus cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for your loss. It must've hurt." He watched as Jaiden slowly nodded her head. "What about your father?"

Jaiden blinked as she had just realised something. She hadn't thought about it for a long time. She had forgotten about it.

"Right. My dad." Jaiden said to herself. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I'm not sure. I thought he already died. Like what my mom told me, he had died when I was little. But when the school started, Professor Dumbledore told me that he's still alive. I don't know where he is right now. I even forgot about him being alive."

Remus frowned. She had said it so easily. Like, it was an everyday conversation.

"So, you're telling me you've been living alone for almost three years?" He concluded in shock. Jaiden nodded slowly. It was hard to believe that she had survived this long on her own. "What about food? How'd you get them?" Remus had started to grow concerned about her.

"Me and my mum grew a small garden in our backyard. There are potatoes, vegetables and some fruits. You know, stuff people grew by themselves." Jaiden explained. "Sometimes, I would sell them to get some money to buy other things I need." Remus nodded.

"You cook them yourself, then?" Remus asked and Jaiden replied with a single nod.

"Yep. My mom already taught me how to do it when I was still young. So that if there's anything happen to her I know how to survive. It's like she knew what would happen."

"I'm truly sorry for your loss, Jaiden." She just gave him a small smile. She thought that it was nothing compared to Harry's life. Sure, Harry didn't have to grow a garden to eat, but he got mistreated by his uncle. He got locked away when Jaiden could go out whenever she wanted. She wouldn't dare to say her life was the worst.

There were a few minutes of silence between them but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was a peaceful silence. But then, Jaiden broke it by asking Remus a question.

"How about your life, professor?" The girl asked, looking up at him.

A smile immediately formed on his face. Remus stared off. He hadn't seen them for a long time, but never a day passed by he didn't think of them. He had tried searching for his daughter in the castle. He had gone through the list of the first-year students, searching for anyone who goes by the name Lupin. But, there was none. Snape said that maybe his wife and daughter had moved far away and that his daughter had gone to a different magic school.

"I have a family, but I had to leave them and now I don't know where they are. As you already know, there was a war happening a long time ago, correct?" She nodded to confirm it. He nodded and continued, "That's the reason why I had to leave them. I have a daughter. And a beautiful wife."

"I hope you will find them one day." She put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. Remus looked at her and smiled.

"Thank you, Jaiden." His smile grew a bit wider. "You know, I also named my daughter Jaiden." Her eyebrows rose in interest.

"Really? Why?" Jaiden asked.

"My wife decided to not want to know the gender of our baby. So, we settled on a gender-neutral name. She chose Jaiden." Remus smiled at the memory. He remembered when they got into a small argument about picking names. He chuckled slightly to himself. "Let's go inside. It has started to get cold out here. It's nearly dinner, too." She nodded and they walked back into the castle.

They were having a small talk when they saw Dumbledore walking towards them. Remus nodded to acknowledge his professor.

Even from afar, Dumbledore had smiled upon seeing them walking together. It was a sight to see them having a good time together.

"Good evening, professor." Remus greeted with a smile.

"Good evening, Remus, Miss Rookwood." He acknowledged the both of them.

"Good evening, sir." Jaiden said.

"Are you two heading to the Great Hall?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, sir." Jaiden replied with a short nod.

"Let's go together then shall we?" Both Remus and Jaiden agreed, so they fell into a walk. Both professors walked at the front while Jaiden followed from behind.

Rewritten- 1/01/2024