Chapter 14: The Deception Overturned
After their good laugh the toddlers went to their room for a nap and Minerva and Marshall cuddle up on the couch.
"Oh what to watch now? Oh wait I know!" Aphrodite laughed as the screen came on
"It's ten o'clock Aradia where is she!?" a tall annoyed but posh looking woman snapped. She had mousy brown curls and brown eyes.
"I told her to come right here. I haven't the foggiest…But I'm sure she's on her way," said a thin brown haired woman with hazel eyes.
"She's on her way!" a 29 year old Mildred shouted.
Seconds later in walked a young woman in her early twenties. The girl was pretty but was covered in dirt with leaves sticking out of her hair.
The posh woman and her daughter gasped in disgust and shock. "She's nothing but a common squirrel!" the posh woman hissed.
"Melanie I assure you she isn't. Minerva what on earth have you been doing!?" Aradia shrieked pulling her daughter to her by the scruff of her neck as if she was afraid the dirt would spread.
"I was playing with Daisy and Rupert and Brenda," Minerva replied.
Aradia sighed rubbing her temple with her delicate fingers.
"Who is Merlin's name are they?" Melanie snapped.
"Well the first two are Marissa Bennett's grandchildren and Brenda is my son Aloysius' daughter," Aradia stated.
Melanie let out a sigh that seemed like frustrated growl. "You're telling me she was playing in trees with half-blood brats!?"
"Well Brenda's pureblood," Aradia replied.
"Hello I'm right here!" Minerva snapped.
"Ooh she's feisty I see why Marshall wants her," laughed a pretty blonde in the back that was twenty.
"Shush Honoria," Melanie snapped as they all started circling Minerva.
"This is what you give me to work with? Well honey I've seen worse," Melanie stated as she waved her wand and Minerva's clothes were gone. She screamed slightly and tried to cover herself as she was pushed into a claw foot tub.
"It's freezing!" Minerva shrilled.
"Well if you had been on time it wouldn't have been," Aradia snapped.
"We're going to turn this sow's ear into a silk purse," Melanie replied sending her daughters off to gather items.
"Who are you calling a sow's ear?" Minerva snapped.
"Silence petulant child," Melanie snapped.
The scene faded and returned to Minerva standing in the middle of the room again. She was washed and scrubbed and polished absolutely glowing; but she was far made over than anyone had ever seen.
"Well it's not much but it'll do. Sadly I never could get Marshall with the right taste," Melanie replied sweeping out of the room with her daughters.
"Mother honestly that woman is insufferable!" Minerva shouted.
"Melanie's from very old stock Minerva. Don't be rude," Aradia frowned.
"She's ancient the way she talks," Minerva mumbled.
"Minerva you love Marshall and this marriage is very good for us so quit sulking!" Aradia snapped.
"Knock, knock daddy entering," a tall man with dark hair and green eyes chuckled, "Minnie you're so beautiful!"
"Don't call me Minnie daddy," Minerva snapped.
"Sorry Mina then," Gordon grinned. Minerva smiled and they left as the screen dimmed.
"Wow…you weren't kidding about Grandmother Melanie being horrid to you," Jessica blinked.
"She was like that to everyone. Nothing you did could satisfy my mother god rest her soul," Marshall replied.
"She liked me though. She was always nice to me," Jessica frowned.
"Yes well you were a rather special child," Marshall chuckled.
"Hey wait a minute…how could you loose your virginity on Graduation when Marshall's two years older than you!?" Ron asked looking at Minerva.
Laughing could be heard over head as Minerva turned the deepest shade of red.
"I knew that lie couldn't last forever," Marshall sighed.
"What do you mean?" Horace asked eyeing the two.
"I…I lost my virginity on …on Marshall's graduation," Minerva answered putting her face in her hands.
"Wait …but then you would have been about the same age as Jessica! Don't you think that's a little hypocritical getting on to her?" Ginny asked.
"Eh they do it all the time," Jessica shrugged, "It's a parent thing. When you lot have kids you'll understand."
"She takes things so well…what's the point in teaching her anything?" Aphrodite asked.
"We're not trying to teach her. We're trying to teach the four knuckle heads we had first," Artemis stated.
"Who are you calling knuckle heads?" Harry growled.
"I'm talking to the four idiots that don't listen to the wisdom of idiots past. See this is why History repeats itself," Artemis sighed.
"You've learned too much from mother," Hermes replied.
"Well that was odd…now what?" AJ asked.
"Lunch?" Ron asked.
"Will you stop thinking about you stomach!?" Hermione shrilled.
Everyone silenced and stared at the two.
"And they call us odd," Apollo chuckled.
"Okay go for lunch oh Mrs. Dumbledore?" Artemis called.
"Yes?" Jessica and Clara asked before laughing.
"The younger Dumbledore please," Artemis replied.
"Yes?" Jessica asked.
"Are your children allergic to anything?" Artemis asked.
"Well Landon is to the blood replenishing potion why?" Jessica asked.
"Oh that's no problem then think you," Artemis replied and they heard the toddlers squeal in laughter.
AJ ran to their bedroom and opened it to find it…empty?
"Bloody hell they stole my children!" AJ shouted.
"No wait a minute…do you hear that?" Jessica asked.
Everyone listened as hard as they could but no one heard anything.
"Jessica there's…"
"Shush," Jessica hissed and closed her eyes tilting her head up.
Jessica heard scraping and running and laughter. She also heard what sounded like a woman's chuckle. She opened her eyes and stared at everyone.
"They're not hurt and I don't think they left the corridor," Jessica replied, "Albus do you know if the founders are ghost?"
"There's speculation. No one's seen them. Although each head of house as a picture of the founder in their private quarters that connects to an immovable picture in the common room. Apparently the founders can observe the common room without the students knowing it. It's a very strange enchantment really," Dumbledore replied.
"What isn't strange in this castle?" Lorna frowned.
"Good point," Sebastian nodded.
"I don't like it though," AJ frowned.
"AJ I feel certain they'll let them go when they let us at least. They did let our parents go after all," Jessica replied.
AJ sighed and nodded as they went for lunch. Condiments, meat, and bread were put on the table with chips and everyone just made a sandwich.
Hermione watched in a mixture of wonder and disgust as Albus Sr. put lemon drops in between his ham sandwich.
"You're not really going to eat that are you?" Hermione gulped.
"Oh yes it's very good," Albus nodded.
Hermione made a gagging sound as she watched the headmaster it his sandwich.
"Sometimes I wonder how you still have teeth," Minerva sighed.
"I make sure he brushes and floss," Clara answered.
"I don't let the kids have a lot of sugar its better that way," Jessica stated.
"I never had sugar till I got to Hogwarts…my mother was terribly strict," Marshall stated.
"Are your parents still alive Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked.
"Completely," Minerva nodded, "as are two of my three brothers."
"I have Mildred but that is all," Marshall stated.
"What about everyone else?" Ginny asked.
"Well I have Aberforth of course," Albus stated.
"I was the first witch in my family. Muggles don't leave as long as magics and I was an only child," Clara stated.
"I was an only child," Severus nodded.
"I have a brother," Lorna answered.
"I have a brother, my parents, and my brother's family," Jessica answered.
"Me, myself, and I," Horace answered.
"My parents, a sister and her family. Plus another sister's kids and their families," AJ answered.
"Hey wait do the professors count as aunts and uncles?" AJ asked.
"They go along with the extended family," Albus answered.
"Right," AJ nodded.