Sign it [Lupin's Daughter]

Chapter 12

Maddy sat on her bed, staring at the wall; not moving, not signing. She'd been like this ever since Harry had talked to her father and herself about the dementors.

Remus was starting to worry more than usual, and sat next to her to hand her a chocolate bar. This seemed to snap her out of her trance, but still made no moves to communicate with her father.

Remus took a deep breath, "Maddy?" Maddy looked up at him, expressionless. "Are you alright?" She shrugged, and slowly continued to nibble on her chocolate.

Remus unwrapped a piece for himself, and took a bite before asking, "Have I ever told you why I became obsessed with chocolate in the first place?" Maddy shook her head, her eyes still looking down. "When I was your age, I read in a book that chocolate was toxic for dogs." He took another bite before continuing, "Since a wolf and dogs are both in the genus canis, I thought that the chocolate would kill the wolf in me, and let me be human again."

Maddy finally looked up at her father, her neutral expression didn't change, but she still sighed, Really?

Remus nodded, and took another bite, "It didn't work though. Still, even all these years later, I have a small sliver of hope it will work, even though I know deep down it never will. I guess that's why I always give you more chocolate than necessary, it's my way of making sure you'd never have to face what I face."

Maddy took a bite, before looking back at her father. She wondered why he was telling her this. I'm not a werewolf, Dad. She reassured him.

"I know that, cub."

She raised her eyebrow, before discarding the wrapper on her end table. If you're so worried about me being a werewolf, then why do you call me 'cub'?

Remus sighed, "Did I ever tell you why your mother left?"

Maddy's eyes widened as she shook her head. It was pretty much an unspoken rule between the two of them not to bring up her mother.

"It wasn't you, I hope you know that. She left while she was still pregnant with you, because I told her I was a werewolf."

She left because of something you couldn't control? She asked angrily.

Remus nodded, "She was disgusted about what I was, and left on the spot. When I went to the hospital to visit you when I heard you were born, the receptionist said that her words were to not let me in the ward, and to take you with me, because I had 'contaminated' you."

She thought I was a werewolf? She asked in disbelief.

"She thinks you're a werewolf," corrected Remus.

She didn't bother to check her facts?

Remus shook his head sadly, "No. The first full moon after you were born, I had your grandfather lock the door to my room, which had your crib in it, and watch you through a baby monitor. I was convinced you were going to be one, and you were only two weeks old at the time. I was so relieved when I heard you weren't a lycanthrope that I said, 'My cub isn't like me' and I've called you cub ever since."

Maddy's expression finally showed one of thinking. I thought you told me I was born two weeks early?

Remus smiled, "You were. That was how I told her I was a lycanthrope. You were to be born on a full moon, and I had to let her know that I might not be there for your birth. That freaked her out, she convinced herself you'd transform as she was giving birth, and told the doctors that she had couldn't carry the baby full term. That didn't turn out to be a problem, because you were born early anyway. On a new moon to be exact."