Okay, here is the newest chapter. We're really getting into the thick of it. Time to get to know the werewolf pack. Please relax, read and review!

"This is great!" cried Kitty, munching on a mince pie. "Can we have this all the time, Daddy?"

"I'm afraid we'd need a proper kitchen for that, love," said Rod.

It amazed Sirius how easily the little girl accepted this without argument or complaint, similar to the way Harry had been, and sometimes still was, just a month ago. But unlike Harry, Kitty wasn't shy or withdrawn. She was boisterous and excitable, and seemed to fancy Remus the same way Twilight had.

She had a million questions for the poor wizard, barely leaving him a moment to answer any of them.

"What is this thing on your shirt?" she asked, pointing at a button. "And what's your cloak made of? Mine is from a doe. I was really sad when Daddy killed it, but he says if I take good care of it then the doe will be happy in heaven. Have you ever killed an animal?"

"N-no," Remus managed to say.

"Me neither," said Kitty. "Gill says I'm not old enough to hunt yet. I have to be ten. Do you want to know how old I am?" She paused long enough for Remus to nod. "I'm six years old. And I've been a werewolf for four years. That means I was bitten when I was two. That's when Daddy and Gilliam found me. You're a werewolf, too, right?"

"Yes, I'm been one since I was little, too." Remus said when Kitty actually waited for an answer. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your birth parents? The family you were born into?"

Kitty shrugged. "Daddy said they didn't make it. I think he means they're dead. The bad werewolf who bit me killed them."

Sirius glanced at Rod, who was listening to his daughter with downcast eyes.

"But it's okay, because as long as I stay happy and do good things, my mommy and daddy in heaven will be happy, just like the doe," Kitty said cheerfully. "What about your parents? What happened to them?"

"They died as well, but of illness, when I was a teenager." Remus said.

"What about you?" Kitty asked, glancing at Sirius and Augusta.

Augusta dabbed her mouth before speaking. "I'm afraid mine passed away a number of years ago, of old age.

"Mine died, too," Sirius added. "But they weren't very kind parents."

"That's sad," said Kitty. "Mommies and Daddies should be kind. Everyone should be, right, Daddy?"

Rod nodded. Kitty was quiet just long enough for Sirius to speak.

"So…" he began. "What's your story, Rod?"

Rod shrugged. "I don't have one. Eight years ago, I woke up in the middle of a forest with no memory of who I was or how I had gotten there. All I had was a bad bite on my arm. If Gilliam hadn't found me, I probably wouldn't have survived my first transformation. I still don't remember anything."

"I can't imagine how that feels," Sirius said.

Rod shrugged. "I doubt I could go back to my old life even if I remembered it."

"Who would want us around?" Mei asked, surprising everyone. She'd said even less than Rod the entire evening.

"Don't you want to hear our story?" Embry asked.

Everyone gave the twins their undivided attention.

Merric cleared his throat dramatically. "Seven years ago, Embry and I were climbing a hill with our dad."

"At night." said Embry.

"Yes, at night. We were trying to find a special flower that only blooms on the full moon."

"We heard this horrible howl-"

"-and then the rest is sort of a blur."

"When we woke up, we were both bleeding, and our father wouldn't wake up," said Embry.

"We couldn't find our way home, but then we were discovered by this black wolf," said Merric.

"We thought it was the wolf that had killed our father, but then she spoke to us, and wanted to help us."

"We met Solan, and he introduced us to Gill and Rod. A few years later we had Mei and Kitty, too."

"And that's the story of how the wizarding world was made!" said both of them at the same time.

Everyone laughed. Although Sirius expected Mei to bring up her past as well, the others began talking of lighter subjects for awhile, until Gilliam rekindled the fire and brought up the topic they'd all been waiting for.

"So, about this werewolf legislation," said Gilliam. "You want our point of view?"

"Would you mind looking at our draft?" asked Sirius. "Then you can tell us what you think about it?"

Gilliam nodded and took the scroll that Sirius offered him. He took a few minutes to read it in the dim firelight.

"You have… some unorthodox ideas." Gill said. He passed the paper to Mei and Rod, both of whom could apparently read.

"Can I read it?" Kitty asked.

"Not today," said Rod, passing the scroll back to Sirius.

"I can't see anyone going for those ideas." Mei said. "They're great, but unrealistic."

"I think if you had more of our kind behind you, it could be successful." said Rod. "The village is supposed to work as a transition, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Sirius. "The intention to give lycanthropes, as you would officially be called, access to resources that would teach you skills necessary to live in the Muggle and Magical world. Instructors in magic, money, daily life, and even some vocational skills that would make it easier for you to get a job."

Augusta chimed in. "And by barring businesses and institutions from refusing to hire you based on your lycanthropy, and making the Registry confidential, there would be plenty of opportunities for werewolves to reintegrate into society."

"That's all well and good, but what are you going to do about full moons?" asked Mei. "A village full of man-eating monsters once a month won't go over well with the Ministry."

"We've thought of that. You see, the location of the village is in a valley that is closed in on all sides. The only entrance is through a tunnel behind a waterfall, and measures can be taken to bar the entrance. Likewise, every werewolf would have access to the wolfsbane potion."

Mei snorted.

Rod nudged her. "Really, now, I've heard it works. Remember Yesenia? She was one of the testers, and she said she'd never had a better transformation."

"It does work," said Remus. "I've used it, and I was able to keep complete control of myself. I've never been able to do that before."

Mei wasn't convinced. "Still, having us all in that one small space?"

Gilliam shrugged. "We could build each cottage with a basement for those who want to transform alone."

Sirius could tell Gilliam and Rod were starting to come around, but Mei was still adamantly finding issues, even minor ones, that could be resolved easily. She grew even more frustrated when she realized she was alone in her corner.

As the moon drew higher in the sky, the children grew sleepy and everybody decided to call it a night.

Gilliam stood up and turned to their guests. "I'm afraid there isn't much room in our shelter. Do you have-"

Sirius felt Remus stiffen and looked around. All of the werewolves had, even the children, stopped what they were doing and stood frozen, their eyes on the trees.

"Greyback." Gilliam muttered. "Run… run!"

There was a scramble as everyone made for the tunnel.

They stopped short as a tall, scarred man with sharp teeth and a crooked smile stepped out, blocking the entrance to the their escape.

They huddled together as Greyback and four equally frightening men surrounded them.

Sirius knew what the others were thinking: if they couldn't run, then they would have to fight. That could end badly.

Remus took Sirius' hand, and Augusta's in the other. "Everyone, grab onto me!"

Gilliam grabbed Remus shoulder, leading the rest of his pack to take hold of him as well.

"Go!" Cried Gilliam, and a split second later they were being dragged and pulled as Remus put all his strength into apparating them someplace safe.

Right, so the cast of characters just keeps getting bigger. I hope it's not too confusing, because it won't get any easier. Sorry.