Part 7 - Politics

Waking up was like emerging from a pool of sludge: heavy and slow, struggling against being sucked back down into the black mire.

Mina groaned and forced her gritty eyes to open, with great effort rolled her head back and forth on a pillow that felt like a rock. She surveyed the dim room, its dozing inhabitants. Though the girl couldn't recall exactly what had landed her there, she was sure that she was in a hospital. Mungo's. She remembered the smell and color scheme from when Remus had been bitten.

"Remus," she croaked, her voice a hoarse murmur. She wet her lips and swallowed several times before trying again. "Remus... Moony."

"Mina?"

It wasn't Remus, but Mina was just grateful to be answered. When Peter's plump, pale face swam into focus a few moments later, she graced him with a soft smile. "Water," she rasped, taking stock of all her assorted aches.

Peter nodded and hurriedly poured a glass from the pitcher on the bedside table, helping her sit up and hold the glass when her own arms proved to shaky to manage the tasks.

Once her thirst had been slaked, Mina coughed a little, peered around the room again. The Marauders were all there, Sirius and James sleeping in uncomfortable-looking chairs at the end of the bed, Remus curled on a fold-away cot on the other side of the room.

"What happened?" Mina murmured, gracing her friend with another fond smile when he fixed her pillows to prop her up.

"You were in Diagon Alley," Peter supplied. He took a seat beside her on the bed, his pudgy bum making the mattress sag awkwardly, "There was an attack by those pure-blood fanatics, and you were crucioed. You've been unconscious for the last four days." Seeing her gaze dart back to Remus, the pale blonde added, "We only got him to lie down a few hours ago. I guess we all zonked out right after he did. Sorry."

"No worries," Mina soothed, "Wouldn't want anyone breaking my record." She glanced back at Peter, stared at him for a few moments before declaring, "I remember now. Ethan Bell got a job with the Creature Cops. I wanted to make sure he wasn't running his mouth, so I went to lunch with David, the prick."

Peter's whole face brightened. "Ha," the teen declared happily, "I win the pool."

"You arseholes were taking bets on how long David would last?" Mina demanded, laughing despite herself and rather regretting the painful action when it made all her sore muscles throb.

"Not just us," Peter reported with a high, twittering giggle, "Half the school put money in! And that was my day! I'm bloody rich!"

Mina shook her head tiredly, chuckling, "Happy to oblige, Wormtail. I expect an extra special Christmas present this year."

"Anything you want, Sunny," he beamed, "I never win ever! This is amazing!" He spent a few more moments being absurdly pleased with himself before he remembered why he was sitting on the hospital bed in the first place. The young man gave an embarrassed half smile, muttering, "Sorry. How do you feel? Should I wake everybody? Or get a healer?"

"Not just yet," Mina replied, forcing a brave face, "I'd rather put off the poking and prodding and incessant questioning for as long as possible... have you guys been here the whole four days? You all smell terrible."

Sniffing gingerly at his plain t-shirt, blushing, Peter responded, "We were worried."

Mina shot him a cocky grin. "I'm touched," she said, "Now hit yourself with a bloody laundry charm, and let's play some cards."

xxXxx

"You were heard making inflammatory statements against the Ministry just prior to the attack," the young auror observed casually, though the remark clearly wasn't. He and his grizzled old partner stood over her hospital bed like creepy vultures that wanted to rip Mina's throat out.

She stared them down, completely unflinching as she replied, "And by inflammatory I assume you mean honest." With a short, bitter bark of laughter, the young woman added, "Since when is it illegal to announce facts in public?"

The aurors didn't share Mina's amusement, remaining impassive, trying to be intimidating. The older one grumbled, "No games, girlie. A lot of innocents died in the attack. You've got a history of violence and subversion, and both have made you a person of interest in our investigation."

"Then your investigation is a bigger joke than the Ministry itself!" she fired back, hurling a water glass across the room with all of her meager strength, "I was tortured, you idiots! And I'm a half-blood! Why in the name of Calypso's warty tits would I ever join forces with those fucking psychos?"

Unsurprisingly, the commotion drew Mina's friends and family back into the room, Remus actually snarling at the aurors as he rushed to his sister's bedside and doted over her flushed cheeks and elevated heart rate.

"I'm going to have to ask you gentlemen to leave now," Grandmother declared with that faux politeness she reserved for individuals who she really wanted to light on fire, "Mina is still recovering. Any further questions you may have for her should be delivered via the Lupin family attorney." She flicked a small business card into the air, and it sailed elegantly into the older auror's slightly mangled hand.

Grandmother wasn't exactly an impressive physical specimen—white-haired and slight and so wrinkled she looked shriveled—but her reputation was formidable.

The aurors grumbled and retreated.

"With hacks like that running the show, it's a wonder anything ever gets done in our government," Sirius observed, taking a seat at Mina's free side and slinging a strong arm around her shoulders.

Sighing, melting into his broad chest, Mina felt another wave of exhaustion threatening to pull her back into sleep. But she sure as hell wasn't going without a fight. "Actually, their abhorrent behavior and atrocious investigative skills don't surprise me in the least," she said, "Being a useless moron is pretty much a prerequisite for Ministry employment."

With a soft laugh, James rearranged her feet across his lap and observed, "Good thing none of us have delusions of civil service grandeur."

"Well," Peter pointed out meekly, shuffling a few steps away, "My mum says I should try to get a post there. Job security and all."

"Ya, that would be perfect for you, Wormtail," Sirius laughed, "You could do every bonehead thing in the book without getting fired. Hell, you'd probably end up running the place."

"Wormtail for Minister of Magic!" Mina crowed, losing herself in a fit of giggles and the feel of Sirius's warm arm around her.

xxXxx

Even though she didn't usually, Grandmother let the Marauders all stay over at the Lupin Manor. It wasn't quite the campout they'd envisioned (no great outdoors, no bonfire, no smores, and Mina wasn't even supposed to get out of bed), but, as usual when they were together, the five friends had a lot of fun.

"I don't understand," James said for the hundredth time that night. He held the game token up to the light and inquired, "What does a thimble have to do with real estate?"

"Nobody really knows," Mina answered with an exaggerated eye roll, "Put it back on the board, you wanker! You're going to lose my spot!"

Giving the dice a brief shake, Sirius declared, "Muggle games are so weird."

"Especially this one," Peter complained, "I don't like being in jail! Can't we just go back to poker?"

Sirius scoffed and scolded, "Why? So we can win more of your money from the pool? Merlin's sakes, Wormtail. Quit while you're still ahead."

The pale boy fidgeted anxiously.

Remus returned with a big bowl of popcorn and plopped it and himself beside Mina in her big bed. "Did I miss my turn?" he questioned, munching on a handful of crisp, buttery goodness.

"Nope," Mina answered, "Prongs is still trying to wrap his mind around the game tokens."

Smirking, Remus laughed, "I told you we should've started them off with something simpler."

Mina shrugged and stated, "Ya, but I don't remember where we put the Candy Land set, and we have too many people for Sorry!" Smirking, she suggested, "We could play Twister if you idiots would let me out of bed."

"Not a chance," they proclaimed as one.

"Wow," Mina deadpanned, "So you really do share a brain..."

xxXxx

Grandmother never got around to kicking the boys out, so the Marauders actually spent most of the rest of their summer together at the Lupin Manor. Mina recuperated nicely but still felt tired all the time, long after she stopped admitting it or giving in to sleep more often than a narcoleptic cat. But even that wasn't so bad since she always found herself waking snug between Remus and Sirius, or James and Sirius, or Peter and Sirius...

They had plenty of time and privacy to work on their Map and to practice their transformations and had both nearly down by the end of August when the letters arrived.

No one was surprised to find that Remus had been made a prefect, and Grandmother even let them floo to London and go to the muggle cinema to celebrate. Mina just had to swear not to get into anymore duels.

The day came to return to Hogwarts, and it felt weird, not having her brother in the compartment while he was at his silly meeting, but he had promised to be back in time for the traditional Marauder Lunch Feast. And since he always had been the voice of reason, his absence gave the others the opportunity to try out a few of their more dangerous and downright absurd schemes. The most daring and conspicuous of which involved climbing onto the roof of the moving train.

"Come on, Wormtail!" Mina cheered over the roar of the engine, "Padfoot and Prongs will pull you up! Quit being such a wuss!"

The two boys leaning half over the side of the train seemed to agree, but Mina couldn't hear exactly what was said (and, once she thought about it, they probably couldn't hear her, either). A few moments later, they were hauling Peter up by the back of his trousers, grunting and groaning and falling together in a great heap.

Arms flung wide, Mina faced into the wind and laughed joyously, hoping that the rest of the year would be half as amazing as that very moment.

xxxxxxxxxx

Short but maybe I'll have another one for you soon. Reviews are love :)