When Lyall Lupin had heard the screams coming from his four year old son's bedroom, his heart dropped. It dropped again when he ran in to see a werewolf making his escape and his son covered in blood. He could feel his blood go cold and he couldn’t move. He lost basically all focus of his surroundings. He knew his wife had followed quickly behind him, and she was now screaming for Lyall to call someone, for help, and he tried to move, but he started shaking so bad he couldn’t. He was stuck hearing the cries of his baby boy and his wife.
He knew it was his fault. He realized he should have never said those things in front of the werewolf. It was reckless. But he also knew now, he was right, and he should’ve never let the werewolf go.
He’s a monster, my son is a monster, was Lyall’s first thought when he regained consciousness of the situation. No he’s not, was a thought that followed quickly after. Four year old Remus Lupin who ran into his and Hope’s bed after a nightmare wasn’t a monster, four year old Remus Lupin who begged and begged for another story at bedtime was not a monster, four year old Remus Lupin who would not eat his dinner unless he was promised chocolate for desert was not a monster, four year old Remus Lupin who loved to play hide and seek without telling anyone was not a monster, and would never be. He’s just a little boy. His baby boy.
He thought about how small Remus had been. 3.1 kilograms, he felt lighter than that though. Lyall remembered the first time he held Remus, it was the happiest moment of his life, how could he, even for a second, consider the fact that this baby could be a monster.
“Is he okay?” Lyall sighed lightly, wiping the tear he had just realized was falling down his face.
“He’s.. um, I don’t know,” Hope fretted, “you come check, you did the magical injury course thing in school right?”. Lyall just nodded silently and went to check on his boy.
Remus’ screams were loud and painful. Both for young Remus and for his parents. Till the end of their lives they both chose this day as the worst days of their lives.
“It hurts Daddy, it hurts all over” Remus cried “please make it not hurt Daddy, i’ll be good”
“I’m trying, little man, i’m trying” Lyall could hear his own voice breaking but he tried to keep his composure.
It was at that moment that Lyall realized he would have to hear his own child scream like this every month for the rest of their lives. Even as he put a magical sedative on Remus to calm him, he knew he wouldn’t be able to help his little boy when he was a wolf, that would be dangerous. He hated that thought as he thought it, because he couldn’t deny it, Remus Lupin was not dangerous, but the wolf that was now inside him was.
— — —
The first time they had to lock Remus in the cellar for his first full moon was traumatic for all of them. After they locked the door all Lyall could find himself doing was sitting in Remus’ room and staring into space.
All he wanted to do at that moment was save his child. But he couldn’t, and he didn’t think anyone ever would. Later he would find out he was wrong, but that was almost ten years away.