(***A.N. I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. I do own my own OC Characters in this story. Please do not copy this story and claim it as your own.***)
Prologue: July 31st 1980
"I have watched these Muggles all day, Albus." a stern-looking witch claimed, walking towards another wizard who held knowledge behind his gentle-eyes, carrying a bundle in her arms, pursing her lips, and furrowing her eyebrows together when she didn't see Dumbledore carrying the 2nd baby, "They are not fit for these children. They don't understand our world. Where's the boy?"
"That's exactly why he will be safe here, Minerva." Albus Dumbledore spoke-softly, stepping towards Minerva, glancing down at the little bundle in her arms, and crinkling his eyes at the baby girl when she grabbed his finger with her tiny hand, "Hagrid's bringing him."
"Do you think it's wi..." McGonagall trailed-off, snapping her eyes towards Albus once she understood what he was suggesting, and clutching the baby girl close to her chest, "He? You're not suggesting separating them? After everything they've been through, they need each other, Albus."
"It's too dangerous to keep them together. Their magic signals are strong on their own, but together it would be a beacon for Voldemort." Dumbledore explained, glancing down at the little baby-girl sadly, hearing a motorcycle in the distance, and standing on the Dursley's driveway, "That must be Hagrid."
"I dislike it when you use logic to make a valid point, Albus." McGonagall sighed, lifting the corner of her lips up into a half-smile, gazing down at the baby-girl, and rocking her in her arms, "Who do you propose will be taking care of the girl? I have always wanted a child."
"That happens to be my best quality." Dumbledore pointed-out, putting a comforting-hand on her shoulder, and smiling-somberly, "I'm afraid not, Minerva. You would be the first person Voldemort would go to if he started looking for her since you had a close relationship with Lily. I already made arrangements for Elaewyn to take the girl."
"Black's fiancé?" Minerva exclaimed, a look of bewilderment appeared on her face, widening her eyes in shock, and glancing at Dumbledore as if he lost his marbles, "Have you lost your mind? She can barely take care of herself after finding out about Sirius, let alone a baby. Have you thought that perhaps Sirius told her about his plans?"
"I'm perfectly sane, Minerva." Dumbledore assured, staring at her with a piercing gaze, and sighing-heavily, "I fail to see the logic behind Sirius killing his best friend. I extremely doubt we were told the full story about what partook with him and Peter. Remus has agreed to keep watch over Elaewyn and the child until Elaewyn has overcome the shock of finding out about Sirius. In these dark times, if we can't trust our closest allies then who can we turn to for help?"
(***********************************************************************************)
6 Months Later
"You need to eat something, Ella." Remus prompted, sitting down across from Elaewyn at the kitchen table, holding Mina in his arms, sliding a plate of toast towards her, and feeding a bottle of milk to Mina.
"I'm not hungry." Elaewyn stated-flatly, sitting down in a chair, wearing her PJ's, her normally perfect, black-hair now had mega snarls in it, dark bags under her grey-eyes revealed she hasn't been sleeping properly, keeping her back towards Remus, and taking tiny sips of her coffee that Kreacher had brought her.
"It's been 6 months, Ella." Remus reminded, glancing up at her, sighing-softly, and giving her a pointed-look, "Not once have you acknowledged her. Dumbledore gave you the responsibility of looking after her. Not me."
"HOW CAN I WHEN EVERYTIME I LOOK AT HER, SHE REMINDS ME OF MY BEST FRIEND?!" Elaewyn exclaimed, scraping the chair across the floor, standing up harshly, choking back a lump in her throat, slamming her hands against the table, slumping back into her chair in defeat, feeling drained of energy, crossing her arms against her chest, and mumbling-quietly, "I don't understand what Dumbledore was thinking. I can't take care of a child."
"YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO IS GRIEVING! I ALSO LOST 2 OF MY BEST FRIENDS THAT NIGHT!" Remus bellowed, raising his voice, standing up abruptly, exhaling in frustration when Mina started crying, rocking her in his arms, exiting the room, and calling over his shoulder towards Elaewyn, "I get that you're hurting, but Lily's daughter needs you. Lily would want you to step as her daughter's guardian. It's time you start acting like one."
Elaewyn sat there staring at Remus's back with wide-eyes. Never in all of her years of knowing Remus Lupin, has he ever raised his voice to his friends. Out of the 6 of them, Remus was the level-headed one. Always keeping James, Sirius, and her from picking fights with their classmates. Particularly, with Severus Snape and Lucious Malfoy.
(***********************************************************************************)
2-Years Later (Mina-2-years-old)
"Hey, Auntie." Mina called, trekking out of the library, carrying a worn-black-leather book in her arms, entering the living room where her aunt was sitting in her chair next to the fire, gazing curiously up at her aunt, opening the book, and pointing to a picture, "Who are these people?"
In the picture were 6 people huddled together. Standing in the middle of the group was a gorgeous red-haired girl wearing Hogwarts robes. She had beautiful bright-green eyes. A handsome young boy with messy jet-black hair had his arm around her shoulder. The boy was wearing classes over his charming-hazel eyes. He also was wearing Hogwarts robes. To their right stood Mina's aunt standing beside another messy-black-haired boy. Elaewyn had her arm around the red-haired girl's shoulder as well, while the 2nd black-haired boy had his arm around Mina's Aunt's shoulder. To the left of the red-haired girl and the 1st black-haired boy, was Mina's Uncle Lupin. Her uncle was standing beside another boy. The boy looked like a rat with his facial features. All 6 of them were wearing Hogwarts robes and had gigantic smiles on their faces. As far as Mina could tell, the emblem on their robes looked like a lion.
She has Lily's love for books. Elaewyn thought, smiling-faintly, lifting up her niece, resting Mina on her lap, running her fingers through Mina's auburn-red-hued-hair, and pointing to the couple in the middle, "Those 2 are your parents. Lily and James Potter."
"Are they up in heaven?" Mina inquired, glancing up at her aunt innocently, and faintly-scrunching her eyebrows together, "Is that why they don't live with us?"
Her comprehension is way above normal for a child her age. Elaewyn thought, glancing sharply at her niece, widening her eyes in shock before schooling her expression, swallowing down a lump, and nodding-forlornly down at Mina, "A very bad man came to hurt you and your brother. Your parents fought bravely to protect you both, but the bad man was stronger."
"Why doesn't my brother live with us?" Mina asked, gazing up at Elaewyn, tilting her head in confusion, and bunching her eyebrows together.
"When you're older I'll explain it to you." Elaewyn dismissed, pointing to the man beside Remus, and staring fondly at the photo, "This was our other friend Peter Pettigrew. All 6 of us were best friends in school."
"Who is the boy you are standing next to, Auntie?" Mina questioned, looking up at her aunt, staring at her aunt with childishly-innocent-eyes, and yawning.
"It's getting late. It's your bedtime." Elaewyn announced, harshly-closing the book, setting it on the black-wood side-table, standing up, carrying Mina in her arms, padding up the stairs, opening Mina's bedroom, gently-laying her on the bed, sliding the covers over her sleeping niece, brushing away some strands of hair that had fallen over Mina's face, sighing-softly, her eyes crinkling as she glanced at her niece from the doorway, and shutting the door behind her, She really does look like Lily and James.
(***********************************************************************************)
1-Year-Later (Mina-3-Years-Old)
"MINA?!" Elaewyn clamored, a panicked-tone in her voice, her frantic footsteps bounding against the floorboards of the steps, dashing upstairs, barging into the library, placing her hands on her knees, catching her breath, standing up, spotting Mina sitting crossed-legged on the floor with a spell book laying in front of her, padding across the room towards her niece, and bending down in front of her, "There you are. What did I tell you about taking spell books off the shelves?"
"Not to." Mina recited, bending her head down before lifting it, grinning widely, and excitement lighting up her bright-green eyes, "Look at what I can do."
For a few seconds nothing happened, then suddenly Mina was cupping a ball of blue-light in her hands.
"Where did you learn that?" Elaewyn inquired, feeling the strong magic-electricity emitting from her niece in the air, staring wide-eyed at Mina, and concern briefly-flashed in her eyes, I have never felt this powerful magic-trace before. When she learns to control it, her magic might even be stronger than Dumbledore's.
"From that book I was reading." Mina replied, the blue-light vanishing, pointing towards the book, and smiling-obliviously.
"You can understand what you read?" Elaewyn marveled, bending down, picking up the book, skimming over the spells, and glancing at her niece in astonishment, These spells…are a 3rd-year level. But she grasped the concept of the 1st spell. Admittedly, her control needs work.
"Of course I can." Mina bristled, pursing her lips together, crossing her arms against her chest, and glaring-harmlessly at her aunt, "You've been teaching me how to read."
TO BE CONTINUED…