Only a few more chapters until the Marauders! :)

3rd April 1968

"You're so good with the children, Minerva," sighed Helen, her hands cupped around a purple mug, "I just wish they would listen to me as much as they listen to you," she finished, smiling at her sister-in-law.

Minerva gave a weak chuckle and drank the last few drops of her tea, which was now a little cold, "Well we will put that theory to the test when they start at Hogwarts," she said, setting down her mug on the wooden table, bouncing Helen's youngest child, Malcolm, on her knees.

"You won't get a decent night's sleep for the next seven years," informed Helen seriously, waving a finger at Minerva who gave a look of mock horror and lifted her eyes to the sky. "They are troublemakers my lot," stated Helen, "and don't get me started on Florence's and Malcolm's children."

Florence, who was sitting next to Helen, laughed and nodded solemnly in Minerva's direction, "It's likely that they will be worse than those Prewett boys you keep on complaining about."

"Never," answered Minerva, shaking her head from side to side, "Those boys are unique and I hope I won't be getting anymore like them for the rest of my career at Hogwarts," she said, smiling slightly. "I just don't understand how their sister was a Prefect and they can hardly manage to stay out of trouble for a few minutes let alone their seven years at Hogwarts!" Minerva scooped Malcolm from around his waist and pulled him back up onto her lap, which he had been slipping off.

Florence smiled and shrugged before getting up and collecting all three mugs, which she carefully placed into the sink next to the stove.

"How many more years do they have left?" asked Helen, leaning her chin on her hands.

"Just one, thank Merlin," answered Minerva, "I don't think I have had anyone in my office as much as those two and," she added, looking significantly at Helen and Florence, "I hope no one will ever beat their record."

Helen chuckled and for a while the three of them sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Minerva's nieces and nephew could be heard running about upstairs, shrieking with laughter at irregular intervals. Sometimes, loud bangs echoed from the above floors however, the giggling and laughter continued and Helen and Florence shrugged the unease off, no one had ever been injured, yet. For a few moments, they continued to sit in silence, Minerva bouncing Malcolm Jr. on her knees, Helen staring vaguely in space and Florence making patterns on the wooden table with her index finger.

"Malcolm and Robert will be back soon," said Florence, glancing at the clock on the far wall in the kitchen, where they were currently sitting. "I hate how their new jobs mean they have to stay at work for another two hours. It means I have to cook more often."

Suddenly Helen jumped up, hair flying and looking completely horror-struck.

"What is it? What is it?" cried Florence, jumping up from her seat as well and looking wildly around the room as though Helen had been frightened by some beast who was waiting to pounce on them.

"It's nearly five o'clock and I haven't even started cooking yet!" exclaimed Helen, clutching the sides of her head as though this was the worst possible thing that could ever have occurred.

"Cooking! Goodness gracious, Helen you nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought you had seen something dangerous!" cried Florence, falling back down noisily into her chair and massaging her chest, "Three hours left to cook and you think it's the end of the world!" she muttered, still massaging her chest.

Helen whacked her sister-in-law on the arm and narrowed her eyes at Minerva who had found that little moment humorous and was trying not to laugh.

"I thought it was my job to give people the disapproving look," said Minerva lightly, removing Malcolm's fingers from his mouth. She then placed Malcolm back into his high chair and strapped him in tightly. "There are three of us here, it won't be too difficult for us to cook something."

"She's right, Helen. Although I am not sure how much I can help with the cooking – mine is awful," said Florence, standing up as well, "I make Robert do all the cooking. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when he starts to finish work even later in the evening," she said, smoothing down her skirt to remove all creases.

"Sometimes I wish Malcolm was as good a cook as Robert," sighed Helen, grabbing an apron and tying it around her waist.

"When are you leaving, Minerva?" asked Malcolm, ladling some soup into his bowl.

"Well, if my company is so unappreciated then this evening," answered Minerva, taking a sip of her water, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards, "I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I will be out of your way soon enough do not worry," she added, enjoying Robert's clear discomfort as he tried to say that it was not what he meant.

"Honestly, Robert, she's just messing with you," said Florence, finding the whole situation quite amusing. She shoved her husband gently on the shoulder, "She's a clever one, our Minerva. Helen warned me of the McGonagall brothers but I never thought Minerva would be just as dangerous," she added, smiling at Minerva who raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

"Yes, beware of Minerva," agreed Malcolm in mock seriousness, "She always has something up her sleeve."

"Nonsense," countered Helen, "She is an absolute sweetie, or perhaps I am just saying that because she has been looking after all of the kids for the past few days," said Helen, winking at Minerva.

"Ah, she has lured you to the dark side, Helen," joked Robert, eyeing his sister suspiciously, however, smiling kindly at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Minerva, looking innocently at Robert who chuckled.

"It is true though," Florence said, more seriously than before, "she has been an absolute star with the children – I don't think I've ever seen them so well-behaved."

Her words were greeted by a large thud coming from the room above, followed by a squeal of laughter and the sound of several feet running across the floor upstairs.

"I take back what I said," said Florence, glancing upwards and watching as the ceiling shook repeatedly as the culprits of the noise galumphed down the hallway and supposedly back to their bedrooms, ready to pretend, if an adult came up, that they had no idea who had made the loud noise.

Minerva laughed as the sound of springs creaking under the weight of something heavy, resonated through the house. No doubt the sound of Robert, Isobel or Minerva having thrown themselves onto their beds, she thought, remembering only too well her brothers' misdemeanours when they had been growing up.

"I better go and check on them," remarked Malcolm, already rising from his chair.

"No don't. They don't see their cousins very often, let them enjoy their last night together," said Florence, pulling her husband back down onto his chair, "Anyway, Minerva took them out for a walk this morning and then they played Quidditch so they will all be asleep in an hour. It happens every time," she added, shaking her head knowingly at the others.

"They get on so well with each other," said Helen, lifting her eyes up to the roof, "I can't wait until Minerva has children, then they could all play together," she said good-naturedly.

Minerva felt her cheeks burn up, which, unfortunately for her, was something that was very noticeable as she had very pale skin. Clearing her throat she tried to speak in a confident and off-hand voice, however, it came out as more of a croak than anything else, as her mind drifting unforgivingly to Dougal and then Elphinstone, the latter making her heart twinge painfully in her chest. "Yes, that would be nice."

"Anyway, I think the children at Hogwarts are far more than enough at the moment," said Malcolm, hurriedly. "I remember my days at Hogwarts and all the havoc the students created. It's only now that my sister is a teacher that I fully appreciate all of the work the professors do there."

"I've heard rumours that Professor McGonagall can be very scary," added Florence.

"I'm not that scary," said Minerva, having successfully pushed the unwanted thoughts from her mind and now relaxing into her chair.

"That's not what I heard," clucked Florence, glancing up cheekily at Minerva.