Right, then. In case anyone's wondering what this is - it's an excercise in writing, something I'm doing for my own personal amusement and improvement. This is strictly indulgent, you may find many characters who have died are alive and well, two blokes are married (leave me alone, HISS!), the main character (Mimi) is probably a Mary Sue (I don't know, it seems OCs always are), English's not my first language, yadda-yadda - you know the drill. Drop a line if you like it - my black little heart will maybe grow a size bigger from kind words. ;_;

Also, I don't own absolutely ANYTHING except OC's. Don't sue me? Please? I have nothing except my empty coffee-cream cups anyways. ;_;

Oh, ALSO - rating's just to be safe since some violence and possibly strong language may be coming up in the future.

Chapter One: With Sticks, Puppies and Sheet-monsters

The nights were definitely growing chillier, Mimi concluded as she felt the nippy breeze

push its way through even the tiniest cracks in her clothes. It was unusually cold for the end of September. Sure, October was just around the corner and England didn't exactly boast the warmest of climates, but this wintriness felt more like the end of Fall, ready to cross into Winter. She shuddered and hugged her friend closer to her chest, the comforting crackle of the straw he was filled with making her feel instantly warmer.

"Aren't you cold, Patchy?" she whispered as she ran, the black cat-shaped backpack bouncing against her back, "We'll be home soon."

Patchy was, in fact, a small stuffed scarecrow toy and Mimi's dearest friend. He was old and scruffy. His dirty-blonde hair poked out underneath his patched-up, pointy hat, much resembling the straw he was stuffed with which peeked out of a couple of tears here and there. He was dressed in a tiny, gray suit that looked a little like pajamas, but there were many-coloured patches sown onto it of various shapes and sizes along with a lot of love. Mimi had taken good care of her friend over the years, patching up his little suit whenever it got torn as well as sowing his black button eyes back onto his round head whenever they fell off.

Mimi finally made it out of the forest and into the moonlit courtyard of the Orphanage main building. In the pale moonlight, she was revealed to be a small child of no more than ten years old. The girl was wearing a peculiar jacket with the hood pulled over her head. It was fleece and beige with dark brown sleeves and pockets at the front. On the hood, two dark brown, stuffed cat ears were sown on so that the whole thing gave off a Siamese kitten theme. Under the jacket, the girl wore a short, denim skirt and the stockings covering her legs were blue and yellow stripped, whereas her little boots were dark brown. Completing the silly outfit was her backpack that was shaped like a large, black cat.

The girl huffed with relief when she spotted the orphanage building and its promise of warmth and her breath escaped her mouth in the form of thick, white mist. It was very cold.

She ignored the front entrance, knowing that a bell was attached to it that jingled whenever someone entered and went straight for the thick vine covering the wall next to it. The plant climbed a wooden rack that was put there for that specific purpose, but Mimi had long ago discovered that it made for a perfect ladder, leading straight up to the third floor attic window where she had established her base.

Not caring one bit for the fact that the caretakers at the orphanage would suffer cardiac arrest if they knew, Mimi jumped onto the rack and began climbing it expertly even with one arm curled tightly around Patchy. She knew every crook and bulge by heart and was safely in the attic in a matter of minutes, appreciating the warmth that suddenly engulfed her, as well as the instantaneous feeling of safety that covered her like a blanket.

No one ever came up here. As far as everyone were concerned, the shutter door leading into the corridor bellow was locked and the key long lost. Except it wasn't lost…Mimi had it.

The girl set Patchy on his blue cushion (that once served for holding pins and needles, but Mimi had taken them all out with care) and the plushie remained sitting upward, as though he were alive. Mimi had never given that bizarre habit of his much thought, but a lot of people asked her how come Patchy always sat up straight when he was just stuffed with straw.

'The same way you do," Mimi would reply, looking confused.

Now that her hands were free, the girl took a small, dusty lantern off the nearby box and lit it with a match, instantly bathing the whole attic in subtle, yellow light and making it feel even cozier.

She'd found that lantern in the forest some months ago. Dug it up from under a tree because the handle glittered at her from the grass oh so prettily. It was possibly an antique, though Mimi never even considered it ~ the roof was made of time-blackened iron with a vague, leafy pattern carved into it and the walls were of misty, yellow glass. A small doorway on its side opened to give access to the fuse and the paraffin reservoir. It looked like an actual, little glass door, even had a tiny doorknob.

Mimi got the paraffin, fuses and matches for it from the orphanage stockroom. She felt a little guilty for taking it without permission, but the little lantern glowed so prettily when she lit it up…not lighting it would be more of a crime than borrowing a little cup of paraffin and a fuse or two every now and then.

With the small flame now flickering contentedly in its little glass house, the girl sat up and pulled her beige hoodie with brown cat ears off her head, revealing a mass of pitch-black, glossy hair. It was long and silky and once free of the constrains of the hood, it cascaded down her shoulders freely, its choppy ends reaching down to half her back. Some more disobedient bangs were pulled out of her vivid-blue eyes and secured behind her ear with pale-blue hairpins but one strand which stubbornly refused to join either the right or the left part of her hair remained freely falling down the middle of her face. Mimi had always liked the particular colour of her hair. In most people, black hair still had a brownish or bluish shine, but Mimi's hair was utterly and completely pitch black…like pure darkness…or shoe polish!

"We had a good hunt tonight!" Mimi said to Patchy as she took her cat-shaped backpack from her shoulder and emptied its contents on a large, blue tablecloth, spread on the floor.

Several shiny items poured out; some marbles, an old metal badge, some colourful pebbles and a pretty, empty perfume bottle. Mimi picked up the badge and held it up against the lantern light, squinting at it like an experienced appraiser would at an antique treasure.

"Do you suppose it belonged to a hero?" she asked her scarecrow plushie, "It could be hundreds of years old…maybe an explorer got it for discovering new land for England! I bet the Queen pinned it on his chest…"

She glanced at Patchy and grinned.

"In the name of Mother England, I thank you for your incredible discovery," Mimi said grandly as she pressed the badge into the plushie's straw-filled chest, "may your adventures take you to new and mysterious lands…"

Mimi pulled her hand away and the badge clattered down to the box Patchy's cushion was resting on. The scarecrow looked a little disenchanted with this.

"It's okay…" Mimi told him, patting the top of his scruffy, pointed hat, "I'll find some way to make it stick."

The distant sound of the grandfather clock in the corridor below came, signaling midnight was upon them and, as though on cue, Mimi yawned heroically.

"Acha…we were just in time." she half-said, half-yawned, "I'm so tired…come on, let's go get some sleep."

She gathered up her new treasures and carefully placed them in one of several, metal cookie boxes – the kind with idyllic countryside pictures engraved into them and then hand-painted.

After that, she mindfully snuffed out her lantern light and then carefully lowered the hatch and climbed down into the empty corridor. This hallway was usually deserted even during the day. It was the northern third floor corridor that many said was haunted.

Many times people would hear mysterious noises or find things moved even though no one was there. What they didn't know, though, was that Mimi was probably the one who made it all happen.

Because Mimi was not an ordinary little girl. She had power to make things happen. They were little things, like Patchy being able to sit up straight on his own, or any place she claimed being avoided by others unconsciously. Or sometimes, when she needed light in her attic, the little lantern would keep on burning even if it ran out of paraffin.

Sometimes things she didn't like had a tendency to fall over and break. Or if someone tried to cut off her lovely, black hair which would grow right back the next day.

These were subtle things Mimi never really paid any mind to herself, thinking they were normal occurrences. In Mimi's mind, the whole world was a mysterious, secret-filled place to explore and discover so even the little mysteries involving her were just to be expected.

However, other people didn't see it that way. Mimi has had three sets of parents adopt her from the orphanage so far, but they all brought her back, terrified, as soon as they realized that she had unusual powers.

Every time that happened was a new disappointment for Mimi, but in general she bounced back as long as she had Patchy. The scarecrow plushie had been with her for as long as she could remember and it kept all her secrets, hopes and dreams. She brought him along on all the exploring expeditions she took into the nearby forest, in search for shiny treasures. It was against the rules of course, but the only one who knew about it was Patchy. And, somehow, if Patchy was keeping a secret, it could never be found out by anyone else.

Mimi hugged him to her chest more securely as she snuck through the empty corridors, to the girls' sleeping room. As always, no one detected her and she successfully slipped into the dormitory and tip-toed amongst rows of beds before reaching her own.

She changed into her sleeping dress, washed out white just like everyone else's in the orphanage and finally settled under the covers with Patchy in her arms.

"'Night, Patchy," she whispered to him through a small yawn before she settled down and drifted off.

But even falling asleep was a promising beginning of an adventure.

The following morning, orphanage kids set off to their usual devices ~ classes, then chores and after that it was free time. The St. Miriam's Orphanage was actually fairly decent, as orphanages go. The caretakers were kind, they had a good education system, in the winter it was warm and the food wasn't too bad either. They weren't exactly the richest institution, but they were highly-regarded.

To Mimi it was home more than any of her previous adopted parents' houses. She had friends here, she knew every little nook and cranny by heart and, of course, she had her attic secret base. Not to mention the forest right outside the courtyard where she would roam every single afternoon, until late into the night.

Strangely, even at night the forest wasn't creepy. It would take on a dignified air of mystery, but it wasn't frightening. In fact, Mimi felt right at home there, exploring its depths and the occasional ruins the trees hid.

But before any of that, she had to sit through classes. Ms Anderson, their teacher, had just began to read the class the first rhyme for the day when the sound of a car driving in caught Mimi's ear and she glanced through the window next to her seat just in time to see a black, luxurious-looking car drive to a slow in front of the courtyard gates.

An excited murmur instantly spread amongst the rows of desks, as they would whenever potential adoptive parents would come to visit.

"Now, class, keep focused please!" Ms Anderson called out sternly, "They'll come around here too eventually so please be patient and remain seated so we can keep working."

Mimi sighed and turned her eyes to Patchy who was patiently seated next to her old rhymes book.

"That's one shiny car." she whispered to him confidentially, "Wonder who they'll pick…ow!"

She gasped out the last bit when something unexpectedly struck her on the back of her head. Mimi looked down just in time to see a large eraser drop to the floor and then glared over her shoulder in search of the culprit. That really hurt!

Of course, it was that jerk Milo. Milo was, like, the biggest bully around. No one liked him, but the bigger boys all hung out with him because…well…who knows? Maybe jerks just mutually attracted each other.

"Hey, freak, are you going to hog these parents to yourself too?" the blonde boy whispered to her nastily and his posse of bullies snickered all around, even though they probably couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Wha- I don't-" Mimi began, but Milo cut her off with a haughty wave of his hand.

"Nooo, of course you don't," he sneered, "You just got adopted three times because you're soooo bloody perfect? Why'd they bring you back, then?"

"I-" Mimi didn't really know what to reply to that.

"Look, just do us all a favour and don't be selfish this time." Milo said, "Some of us would like to get adopted for the first time, y'know?"

The girl's dark blue eyes filled with tears and she took a deep breath of helpless anger as she stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor loudly in the process.

"You're a big, fat, JERK!" she screamed at him and grabbed Patchy in her arms before running out of the classroom.

"Wha- Mimi!" Ms. Anderson called after her, but the girl was long gone so the woman glared at the boy, "Milo, what did you do this time?"

Milo looked positively outraged.

"Me, Ms. Anderson?" he gasped in fake outrage, "I just said the truth! It's no fair that she got picked three times. She should just sit this one out and let someone else get adopted."

His posse mumbled in agreement, but other kids didn't disagree either. Though Mimi was generally well-liked and fun to be around, it was hard not to envy her when perfect parents dropped by, got everyone's hopes up and then picked her over and over again. She was outgoing and cheerful and this drew people to her, but in the eyes of the other orphans, she just ruined all the good chances everyone had of getting a family.

Perhaps she should sit this one out?

As for Mimi, she ran straight up to the third floor corridor and made her way into her attic, still in tears.

Once safely behind the closed hatch, she set Patchy down on his pillow and burst into tears.

"It's not my fault!" she sobbed, "I- I- I didn't want- they just- UGH! Milo is such a jerk!"

Sniffing loudly and with tears still streaming down her cheeks, the girl grabbed her cat-shaped backpack angrily.

"I'll show them!" she half-sobbed, half-ranted as she began stuffing everything she could get her hands on into the black backpack, "I'll run away! That way I won't ruin anyone's chances! Like Milo ever HAD any! Who'd adopt such a big jerk?"

With all her shiny treasures safely tucked into the backpack (which miraculously managed to hold all of it without even being heavy) as well as some apples she'd saved and a bottle of water, Mimi slung it over her shoulder and then grabbed Patchy in one hand and her little lantern in the other.

"Come on, let's go get my clothes and then we're out of here!"

Just as she climbed down the hatch and closed it, she heard one of the caretakers calling her name from the distance.

"Mimi!" the female voice called cheerfully, "Dear, where are you? Someone wants to see you!"

"What the-" she gasped, "They haven't even MET me!"

Looking around, she dashed down the fire escape stairway.

"There's no time to get my clothes, Patchy!" she gasped as she ran, "We'll just have to make due without it!"

She felt a pang of longing for her beloved Siamese kitty jacket, but this was more important. If they caught her now, she might get adopted again and everyone in the orphanage would hate her and the parents would probably just bring her back here in a month or so, like always.

The fire escape led her to the back yard and she dashed straight across it and into the forest.

She stopped to catch her breath when she was safely among the concealing trees, but at that moment she heard the voice of the caretaker who'd been calling her name before.

"…I'm so sorry, she was supposed to be in the classroom," she said to someone, "but sometimes she plays in the forest…she can be a bit restless sometimes…Mimi! Mimi, honey, are you out there?"

Mimi drew deeper into the woods, but couldn't resist peeking out amongst the bushes to see who was looking for her without even having met her first.

To her surprise, it wasn't a couple…or rather, it was a couple of people, but they were both men, not husband and wife…

She glanced down at Patchy and looked back up again.

"I suppose you're right…" she whispered, "They could be husband and husband…ack, nevermind that! We're running away!"

Well…maybe in a minute…Mimi's curiousity got the better of her and she peeked out from behind the bush to get a better look at the visitors.

They were both tall and handsome men…Mimi couldn't put her finger on how old they might be, though…both of them certainly looked older than any of her previous adopted fathers who were twenty five and thirty respectively, but other than that, she couldn't tell…she got this vague feeling that somehow regular people's age didn't apply to these two.

The taller one had long, black hair that fall down his broad shoulders and mischievous, pale-gray eyes. Mimi somehow instantly liked him – there was something…canine about him, almost, the way he eagerly looked around and grinned often. She was half-expecting him to suddenly start panting happily and grow a wagging tail.

The other one had short, mouse-brown hair and kind, golden eyes. Unlike his friend whose long, black coat awesomely hugged his strong, muscular body, he looked positively tucked into an odd, green kind of a…cloak-poncho thing? The bizarre clothing concealed his figure, but his legs, clad in pale blue jeans, were very slim, hinting that he was probably skinny.

Still, he looked bright and kindhearted and Mimi decided she liked him too.

"They seem nice." she whispered to Patchy, "Just hope they don't adopt that jerk Milo…"

Suddenly, the brown-haired man flinched a little and his golden eyes snapped up and flew right to Mimi, as if he'd heard her somehow.

Their eyes met for a split second before the girl yelped and dove back behind the bush and then ran off into the forest.

The man blinked and then smiled a little, turning to the caretaker.

"Sorry, is she about yeigh tall with black hair and blue eyes?" he asked the woman, snickering when she nodded, "I think I've found her…mind if we go talk to her?"

"No, please, talk as much as you like." the caretaker said happily, "It's a big decision, so it's better if you're sure. Especially since…Mimi hasn't had such great luck with adoptive parents so far. She got taken back three times now…I don't get it, she is such a sweet child…"

"Eh, those people just suck, is all." the dark-haired man said cheekily and winked at the woman, making her blush and giggle, "We're not like that at all, right love?"

He hooked an arm around the shorter man's waist and pulled him close to plant a loud smack in his shaggy hair.

"Siri!" the man snapped at him, "Don't say such things. Eh…nevermind…let's go find our girl…"

"Um- one moment, please," the caretaker called after them nervously, "I just wanted to ask…what made you ask for Mimi specifically? Have you met her before somewhere?"

The two men looked at each other and the dark-haired one nudged the other.

"Tell the nice lady, Remus."

"One of our friends knew a couple who'd returned an orphan girl to the orphanage because they thought she was odd in some way." Remus said, "We've been looking to adopt and when we heard…well, our hearts went out to her. So, after a bit of investigating…here we are."

The woman nodded, looking relieved.

"So that's how it is…" she smiled, "Well, don't worry, Mimi is really a sweetheart even if she's a little…um…"

She waved her hands in the air in some kind of unidentifiable gesture before finishing her thought.

"…different."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow at her skeptically. Boy, this lady was as clueless as they went.

"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll be back with her in a jippy." he said and took his husband's hand, pulling him into the forest with him.

~~~ TBC (well, obviously... _)