A/n: Here's chapter fourteen for your enjoyment. This chapter take on more of a somber note, kinda depressing, just so you're warned.
D/c: If you don't know now, then there's really no point in me telling you, you don't read it.
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Mina smiled as they made their way back to her rooms. Things were calm. There were no problems with Diggory, there was no immediate problems from Voldemort. She didn't think it would last, but there it was.
Sirius was wonderful. He doted on Destiny and still managed to be his same old goofy self. She loved him more for it. It seemed that her not being biologically his was made up for by how much he loved the child. He'd taken her to hold and carry the more bags that Mina seemed to collect.
She laughed as Sirius passed the infant to James, who looked nervous as a virgin bride on her wedding night. She loved it. Lily was laughing at him too.
"James, if you're that scared, I can take her." Mina told him.
"No, I'm all right, I just haven't held a baby since my mum's friend gave birth a few years ago." James told her.
Mina nodded. "All right. Just remember to support her head. She's not doing so well on her own yet."
James nodded and did as told.
Destiny smiled up at him and reached for his glasses. James smiled and cooed at her as he pulled his head back. "You can't play with those, Dezzy, Uncle Prongs needs them."
Mina smiled at her friends. This really was her family.
Sirius wrapped his arm around Mina's shoulder. "Can't wait till he has a kid."
"I know. It'll be the greatest thing ever." Mina laughed. "Poor guy will be so nervous."
Remus smirked at them. "That's what you think. Prongs is a natural with kids, he just lacks confidence."
Lily snorted as she walked over to stand by James. "If there's one thing this baffoon has plenty of it's confidence."
Mina laughed at her friends' antics.
Allison smiled at Mina as they shared a look. The Full moon was coming up, and now that Mina was out of confinement, she could join them. It wasn't a month ago that they convinced Dumbledore to put Remus and Allison in the Shack together.
Once inside the room, Mina put Destiny down for her nap and joined her friends in the sitting room.
"Lily, do you remember when school started, we told you about my plans to join Alli on the full moons?" Mina started.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I agreed to watch Dezzy for you."
Mina nodded. "I'm going with them this month. I think it's time that I really test my form. I sent a letter to the Ministry last week. I'm registered and everything. I just need to try it all out."
Lily nodded. "Alright. What time do you need me here?"
"Moonrise." Allison and Remus told her.
"That's what time the boys come out." Remus added. "They come out just after Moonrise."
Lily nodded. "Sure thing."
Mina smiled. "Thanks, Lily."
"No problem. I'll love the quality time I get with my niece." Lily told the others smiling.
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The night of the Full Moon came quicker than anyone could have anticipated. After Remus and Allison made their way down to the Whomping Willow, Mina met the other three Marauders in the corridor. Peter was in rat form so that all of them could fit under James' invisibility cloak.
Mina took a deep breath as nerves assaulted her stomach. She felt Sirius squeeze her hand in reassurance, but it did nothing to ward off the butterflies. She'd never done anything like this, and was scared to death.
"You gonna chicken out on us, Kitten?" James asked.
"No. I promised Allison, and I'm going to do this." Mina told him.
"All right." James said. "Come on, Just up here."
They came up to the whomping willow and Peter scurried down James' shoulder and made his way through the swinging branches and hit a knot on the base that caused the tree to freeze. Mina watched in amazement.
James pulled off the cloak and folded it up into the base of the tree. He led the way into the tunnel in the ground.
Mina watched the walls around them in amazement. "This leads to the shrieking shack?"
"Yeah. It was put in our first year for Moony to have a place to transform without hurting the other students." Sirius said. "I'm surprised that Allison was allowed to stay in the castle, to be honest."
"Dumbledore was worried about them doing something that they would regret when they returned to human form." Mina hissed.
"Transform now. Sirius can get the catch as Padfoot." James murmured.
Mina did as told and slid into cat form. She was a feirce looking lioness.
"Pretty good looking cat." Sirius muttered before sliding into Dog form. He was an exact replica of the Grim. Mina didn't know what it meant, but it didn't feel like a good thing.
James slid into his Animagus form and came out as a majestic looking stag. Mina had to admit he looked delicious to her Lion's eyes, but she fought back that instincts to attack him.
Padfoot reared up and kicked open the catch and jumped up, a rat hanging onto his back.
Prongs followed after glancing back at Mina.
Mina followed Sirius' lead and jumped up. Her back feet lost grip and she fell back, only to have the back of her neck caught by Padfoot, who pulled her up as Prongs threw the door closed.
Mina looked around and saw all of the torn furniture and bits of debris laying around.
Padfoot gave her a doggish grin and let out a bark.
Two massive wolves came barreling down the stairs to greet them.
Padfoot dove at the larger one, that Mina realized must be Remus. She saw the smaller one, a lighter tan than the larger, skid to a halt as she noticed the newcomer.
"Moony, look, intruder." She said in animal speech.
"Not intruder, Fang, friend, packmate, same as we." Prongs told her.
"Prove it." Moony growled. "Or she dies."
"She's my mate." Padfoot told him. "She's recently gained animal form and wanted to join. She's friend of Fang's other side."
Mina looked at this in confusion. Wait, they knew that they had human forms? They had conscious thought outside of killing? This was messed up.
"Fang, Was it?" Mina asked, lowering her front end. "I mean no harm. I only come to play and observe."
"You've recently had a cub." Moony pointed out. "When?"
"Six moons ago." Mina said, not surprised that there was no way to say 'months' in animal speech.
"Very well. You may stay, but if you don't come back, when next we meet, you die." Moony told her.
Mina nodded, suddenly scared. This was freaky.
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As Mina followed James and Sirius into her room, she was stunned. That was the single most creepy experience she had ever experienced. She had wrestled, talked with, and met werewolves. That was so weird. She'd never known what to expect going into this whole ordeal, but she was sure glad she had experienced it. She couldn't wait to tell Allison.
Sirius was smirking at her. James was grining.
"So what did you think."
"It was creepy. I never knew werewolves had conscious thought in were form." Mina told them. "I've never been prejudice against them. It was awesome."
Sirius smiled. "Welcome to the Marauders' world. Full of the weird and unexplainable."
"How long have you been waiting to say that?" James asked as Peter finally arrived.
"Say what?" Peter asked.
"Sirius' slogan for the Marauders." James muttered.
"It's been a while." Sirius smirked.
Mina rolled her eyes. They never changed, no matter what you learn about them.
She sighed and leaned back into the couch. "I could sleep for a week." She murmured.
"It happens to all of us." James told her. "Luckily, it's only once a month."
Mina nodded.
"I'd think you'd be used to the all nighters, just having given birth." Peter muttered.
Mina glared at him and leaned her head over on Sirius' shoulder. "Peter, go away. I don't want to get pissed off right now. I'm liable to hurt you."
Peter glared and walked out. She had never really liked him. She got the feeling he couldn't be trusted. His Animagus form was a rat, for Merlin's sake. But the boys trusted him, so she would keep her peace.
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They simply sat around and did nothing for the next three hours. According to the boys, Remus and Allison wouldn't be awake for another six, so there was no point in going to the hospital wing. Added to that, they really weren't expecting it when Anka appeared before them with a message. Since none of the other house elves were allowed in Mina's room, Dumbledore called one of Mina's if he had a message for anyone in her room.
"James Potter, sir, Anka has a message for you from the Headmaster." Anka told him. "You is to go to the Headmaster's office immediately. Is important."
James nodded and stood, stretching. He clapped Sirius on the shoulder and leaned over to kiss Mina on the cheek. "I'll be back."
Mina nodded and kissed him on the cheek in return.
As James left Lily came out of Mina's room, holding Destiny. "Look who's home, Dezzy." Lily said with a smile. She laughed when the child squealed in delight.
"Hey, there's my Destiny." Mina said, smiling. "Come here, baby girl." She reached out her arms. "Did you have fun with Auntie Lily? I'll bet you did. I'll bet she read you a few chapters out of that horrific charms book of her's." She smiled up at Lily. "How was she?"
"She was an angel." Lily told her, smiling. "It was so cute. She started playing with the mobile James had given her. Then she even started clapping when I took one of her teddies and started to transfigure it. She seems to have a problem with rats, like she's scared of them. She also doesn't like mice. I did a snake, just to see, and she actually swung at it with a scream."
Mina nodded. "Good thing to know. Thanks."
Lily nodded. "I'm going to go get my homework and come back."
Mina smiled at her. "Thanks for watching her. It'll have to be a monthly thing."
"Not a problem." Lily told her. "I had a blast, and it'll be even better when she's older."
Mina nodded as Lily walked out.
"So what do you think that means?" Sirius asked. "That she doesn't like rats or mice."
"Well, I know for a fact that Amos, if he were to be an Animagus, is a mouse. Kinda pointless form. Cowardly and skittish. Peter is a rat. And we all know that Slytherins are snakes." Mina sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm reading to much into this."
"It's possible." Sirius told her. "But what does your Maternal instincts tell you, Your lion's instincts."
"That I'm right." Mina muttered, watching her daughter's face as she fell asleep in her mother's arms. "I don't want to be, but I think I am."
Sirius nodded. "We'll deal with it when the time comes."
They both looked up when they heard a frantic banging on the portrait that guarded Mina's door. Mina handed Destiny to Sirius and got up. She opened it to see James. He was on the brink of an emotional breakdown.
"Prongs?" Mina asked. "Honey, what's wrong?"
James stumbled in and fell into a chair as Sirius came out of Mina's room, where he'd put Destiny in her crib.
"Prongs? What happened mate?" Sirius asked.
"My - my parents …" James muttered. "He got them. I missed it in the prophet today because of last night …" He looked up at Sirius. "That bastard got them."
Sirius fell into the couch. "No …"
Mina looked at the two of them with a lost look on her face.
"Mina, Mina, these were our parents." James whispered.
"I know, Prongs. I know exactly how you feel." Mina told him hugging him. She reached out a hand to Sirius as well and pulled him to her. "I'm so sorry it happened to you guys too. I'm so sorry."
James stood and Mina pulled them both into a proper hug. Both had tears streaming down their cheeks and into Mina's shirt.
That was how Lily, Remus, and Allison found them two hours later.
"Prongs, Padfoot, what happened?" Remus asked.
"You-Know-Who got Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Mina told them. "James just got the news."
Lily's hands flew to her lips as she ran to pull James into a hug. "Oh, James!" she whispered. She sat him down in a chair and held him.
Mina rocked Sirius with her. "Siri, are you going to be okay?" She asked him softly as Allison held Remus, who also saw them as another set of parents.
"I don't know. It's just so …"
"Sudden." Mina finished. "I know, love. I know."
"This is how you felt. Why you were in such a daze all that time. I don't … I can't … I don't know." Sirius whispered through the tears as he held her closer.
"Come on." Mina said to the boys. "I know something that's going to help you work it out." She told them. "Allison, Lily, go get me their brooms."
"Mina, I don't think a fly is going to solve this." Lily told her.
"No." James said, stopping her. "That's exactly what we need."
Mina nodded. "Come on, Up you get."
Sirius, James, and Remus al moved in slow motion, pulling away from their girlfriends.
Mina grabbed her broom. "Lily, I hate to impose, but I need you and Allison to watch Destiny. This needs to be just the four of us."
Lily and Allison nodded.
"Come on, boys, lets go get your brooms." Mina told them softly.
They nodded and followed her into their dorms to get their brooms. They then followed her out to the Quiddtich pitch, where they found the flying instructor.
"Madam Reynolds." Mina called. "I need a bludger and three of the beater's bats."
The woman turned to her. "What for?"
Mina walked over to the woman as the three boys took to the air. "James just found out that his parents were killed by You-Know-Who." Mina told her. "You know how close the Marauders are. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were like parents to all three of these boys. Instead of giving them their wands and setting them louse on a class room, I figure a few rounds with the bludgers will do them some good. They get to hit something, and nothing gets destroyed."
Madam Reynolds nodded. "All right. I like the way you think, Rosland."
Mina nodded and smiled as Hooch kicked open the crate in front of her. "Can Potter handle a Bludger?"
"As deftly as Remus, Sirius, and I."
The teacher nodded. She pulled four of the bats out of the compartment in the back of them. The two for Gryffindor, and the two with black bands on them. The black bands were neutral, for when one of the teams needed a spare, or were playing a pick up game with their reserves.
"Thanks." Mina told her as she took to the air.
She flew over to the boys. "Here." She told them. "Take one." She and Sirius took their bats as James and Remus took the neutral ones.
"Mina what's all this?" James asked.
"Like I've said. I know what you're going through. As soon as the initial shock wears off it's going to settle into anger. You're not going to make a scene in the school by blowing something up. Not only would you be expelled, but someone might get hurt." She wheeled around and did a few rolls. "Now, since I have Lily and Allison watching Destiny for me, I decided to bring you out her to do some drills with the Bludgers, this way, we're the only ones that get hurt."
Sirius smiled, as did Remus and James. Anything to allow them to vent their aggressions, and she knew them well enough to pull it off.
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A/n: And we are back in the action. What can I say? I can never stay away from the action for long. Filler hits me really well during writers block, but this hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn't put Mina in on the full moons, I haven't done some of the other things that I planned to do.
So there it is.
Thanks to
Crazyanimallvr93: glad you agree with me, not everyone shares the sentiment. No, the story is not winding down. It isn't completely planned out, so it's one of those make it up as you go along. I'm on a bit of a roll.
XlinzX: Glad you liked the idea, and I'm glad you agree with me. Here's the update.
Danii: To each their own opinion. I disagree, but whatever. I'm not one to judge. I would like to know what you think about the story. I do agree with you on one point, though, Lucius Malfoy would have been ten times worse than Diggory was, that doesn't change my opinion, however.
Thanks for the reviews.
And Sirius-Baby, I got this one out before you reviewed, sorry, catch ya in the next one.
Leggy freak003