The smell of breakfast cooking had woken the small child. Her long red hair come down to the center of her back and her bright green pajama's matched her still half sleeping eyes. She made her way down to the kitchen slowly and when she entered, she was greeted with a kiss on the head. "Well good morning there my little sleeping Princess. How was your sleep?" Her Uncle smiled as he set the table for the two of them.
Minerva smiled at him and took a seat. "It was great like always. I had that silly dream again. The one where there is a man, a woman and two babies it is just so strange that I have the same dream all the time, don't you think?" She pulled her hair back out of her face as she looked up at the tall scruffy man.
He shrugged at her and carried on at the stove. "I am not sure what to tell you baby, I mean you could be having that dream repeatedly because you want to have it. Do you remember when you told me you liked watching them together as a family. I think that is because you want that, a family like your dream." He sighed as he looked back at Minerva.
She nodded at him. "Well, it would be nice to have a family like that, wouldn't it? I mean I love you so much Uncle Remus but to have my real mommy, daddy and even a brother would be amazing." She started to serve food onto their plates.
He sat down across from her, he hated lying to her. "My sweet girl, I know that it hurts you not to have your family with you, but when unfortunate things happen, we have to learn to face them, no matter how hard they may be. When your parents were taken away from us, it was devastating. I remember when I was given you, I was not sure how I could do it. I faced it, and now we are strong and happy together. I am so glad that I did, I was the lucky one, that I get to raise you." The tears filled his eyes as he thought back to that night seven years ago. "Now Minerva, finish up your breakfast and go get ready, you are going away for a few days because it is the full moon tonight." He forced a smile and ate his food.
Remus had finished cleaning up after breakfast and he went into the dining room that was covered in pictures of Minerva throughout the years. She had really won his heart over, and it saddened him that he could not share magical stories about her mother and father. He sighed as he dug into a drawer and pulled out a photo of Lily, James, Harry, and Minerva. He shook his head at all the events that unfolded that Halloween night seven years ago. He got deep into thought then he heard a loud cracking noise, he jumped a bit and turned around quickly to his fireplace. An older man stood there with his bright blue eyes shining over his half-moon spectacles. Remus smiled at the man. "Good day Albus, what brings you here today?"
The man returned the smile and sat down on the sofa. "It is about Minerva and Harry. I have made their schooling arrangements, so it is all taking care of." He looked around to make sure Minerva was not around. "Harry will obviously be coming to Hogwarts when he turns the right age, I need to keep a close eye on him, he is in a lot of danger being who he is. Then that left Minerva, and I think that it best for her to go to Beauxbaton because we know that she must be kept a secret from the rest of the wizarding world. This way she will get the top magical education while still being kept hidden from our world."
Remus nodded in agreement, although he wanted her to be in Hogwarts. "Yes, I understand why she must go to some place else, but what about her last name? She is a Potter after all and if she attends school with that name questions will be asked."
Albus smiled and nodded at this question. "I did think about that as I was enrolling her in Beauxbaton. So, I came up with a plan, she is going to go to school as Minerva Lily Lupin. She is to be known as your daughter. I think you might need to have a conversation with her about her last name, that way it is all cleared up before she attends school, or even start using it now with her"
Albus looked over at the clock on the wall. "Well, I should be leaving because I believe that you have somewhere you need to take Minerva." The man smiled and he walked towards the fireplace. "Good day Remus." With a crack he was gone.
Remus sighed he had no idea how he was going to talk to Minerva about all these things when he could not tell her the details. This was going to be a task once she started school, keeping her away from the world that he knew, to keep her safe from darkness. He put the photo away and he walked up to her room
She was sitting by the window talking to her doll. "It would be nice to have a mommy like you have, you have me as your mommy. I know I have Remus and Severus to look after me, but it is not the same. Lucy, do you think that they will ever tell me the truth about my family?" She sighed and combed her dolls hair.
His eyes filled up with tears as he heard her words. He walked in and he grabbed her brush, sitting down on the bed. "Baby, let me do your hair so we can get a move on. I do not want to be running late, because the full moon is this evening."
Minerva rolled her eyes and walked over to her uncle. "Why do I always have to go to Severus' on the full moon? Why can't he come here and look after me and you leave."
Remus chuckled at her as he braided her long hair. "No sweet girl I cannot allow you to do that, I have to stay in the cellar for a few days when there are full moons and that means that you must leave the house all together. Anyway, I thought you liked staying with Severus?"
She nodded. "Oh, I do I do but his home is not our home. He has everything so dark and creepy, I kept telling him that, but he said that is the way he liked it." She mocked Severus as if he were saying it.
Remus laughed, as he finished braiding her hair. "Well, that is old Severus Snape for you. So, are you all ready to go? All your stuff is packed for four days?"
She nodded and picked up her backpack. "I have everything, and yes before you ask, I have my underwear, shirts, pants, all that stuff as well." She rolled her eyes and walked out.
"Good, not just toys and books this time." He smiled at her and followed behind.
They both walked to the fireplace and stood there holding each other's hands. "Do you want to do it this time? No funny business this time little miss" He looked down at Minerva.
A big smiled formed on her face and she nodded at him. "Yes, of course I do." She reached into the pot and grabbed a handful of floo powder. "Diagon Ally!" She yelled and threw the powder on the ground, and in a moment, they were gone.
"Minerva Lily Potter!" Remus yelled at the young girl as they appeared in a fireplace of one of the shops in Diagon Ally. "How dare you do something like this, again. This is not funny and uncalled for on so many levels. You need to stop doing this." She had never seen her uncle this mad at her before.
"Well…. Um Uncle Remus I just wanted to do a bit of shopping before I go to Severus' house. I mean can't we spend a few more hours together before you must leave me again?" She looked up at him with sad eyes.
He shook his head and looked at his watch. "Minerva it is getting late and soon the moon will be out, and you know that you cannot be around me when it does." He grabbed her arm and he walked into the Leaky Caldron. He sat her down at a table and walked over to the bartender.
Minerva sat there smiling at all the people that were coming in, they looked back at her oddly and she would laugh at them. She sat there her feet unable to touch the ground, she swung them back and forth. A strange looking man came over to her and sat beside her. "'ello there love, and who might you be?" He smiled a toothless grin.
She scrunched her nose at him. "Well, I don't know who I am, who are you?" She smiled at the man.
He laughed. "My dear child how can you not know your own name? I am who they call Scabior." He smiled at her again making her chuckle.
"That is a silly name my friend, I have never heard such a crazy name in my whole life." She laughed. "Well, I am Minerva, just Minerva."
He smirked at the girl's wit. "You know you remind me of someone…." He was cut off by Remus pulling Minnie by the hand.
She smiled and waved at Scabior as Remus pulled her out the door. "What are you thinking talking to a man like that? Well anyway I have got us some floo powder now we can head to Spinner's end to drop you off."
Minerva was still laughing. "Uncle Remus did you see that man; he was one odd looking man. Then there was his name, Scabior what a crazy name that is. I am glad that my mom and dad did not give me a name like that."
Remus smirked at her comments, she had always known how to make him not mad with her anymore. The two of them stood back in the fireplace that they entered Diagon Ally in, and Remus took a pinch of floo powder and threw it in the fire. "Snape residence!" With that the two of them were gone.
They arrived in a dark and quiet sitting room, the walls were covered with books and the lights were so dim you could barely see in front of you. Minerva looked up at Remus. "See, you try living here, even for only a few days." She sat on the sofa throwing her bag on the floor.
Remus laughed, and he picked up her bag. "Would you stop and behave; I am going to find Severus you sit here and stay out of trouble." He sighed and sat her bag on the end table.
He walked into the hallway which led to the kitchen, he opened the kitchen door and seen Severus sitting at the table reading a book. "Hey Severus, we are here." He walked over towards him.
Severus kept his nose in the book, and he nodded. "Where is the girl?" He asked with a soft, cold tone.
"Well, I left her in the sitting room, she is in a very annoying mood this evening. I think that dinner and bed will be best for her." Remus smiled and walked towards the door.
Severus stood up and walked towards Remus. "You know that I love taking her on the full moon, and that I will do anything for this child, but there is something that is starting to become a problem."
Remus looked back at him a bit confused. "Severus what is it? Please do not tell me you cannot take her anymore; this is for her safety. There is no one else who knows, we need to keep it to as little people as possible."
Severus nodded. "I know and I will do anything for her, but she is starting to get a bit nosey, and she wants to leave my chambers at the castle when I take her there with me. She cannot be roaming the castle alone. Someone might find her, yes, it is safe there, but she likes to talk."
"I know that, well maybe I can figure something out for the next full moon. I could try to get someone to take her during the days and you pick her up after you are done classes." Remus had a puzzled look on his face, he had no idea what to do now.
Minerva was still in the living room, but she was not sitting on the sofa any longer. She had her doll in one arm and was walking around the sitting room. "So, Lucy what do you think? what should we do? I am so bored, and I know that you are as well." She smiled and she looked up at the bookshelf.
Minerva seen something hanging off the top of the bookshelf, she smiled. "Lucy, I think that might be another doll, then we will have someone to play with" She walked to the bookshelf sitting her doll on the end table. "Never thought that Severus would own a doll, that is silly." She laughed as she climbed the shelves.
As the small child climbed, she looked back to see books falling and making loud thumps on the ground. She tried her best to stop them from making any noise because she knew that if she got caught, she would be in big trouble. She looked down at her doll and grinned. "Ok Lucy make sure you tell me if you hear them coming." She continued to climb up.
She finally reached the top and she grabbed the material that she thought was going to be a doll. She sighed as she picked it up. "Should have known that is was not a doll. Lucy it is just an old rag or something. We should have known that old Severus would not own a doll." She laughed.
Minerva fell silent as she heard footsteps coming towards the sitting room, she needs to get down but how? She did not think that part threw at all, she knew now that she would have to wait for them to come in and get caught, she hated being in trouble.
The two men walked in the room and they both looked around for Minerva. Remus picked up her doll and he looked back at Severus with an odd expression on his face. "That is weird she never leaves this old doll behind."
Minerva smiled, and then she took a book and threw it in between them. "Hey! I am up here, and I cannot seem to get myself down. Can one of you please help me?"
They both looked up quickly, Remus' eyes widened, and Severus held back a smirk. "Minerva Lily Potter what are you doing up there?"
"Well I thought that this rag was a doll, but I was wrong. So can you help me down?" She still had a big smile on her face.
Remus sighed and nodded, he pulled out his wand and slowly lowered her back down to the ground. "Minerva, you have been nothing but trouble today. First you take us to Diagon Ally, then you talk to a stranger, now this, it must stop, and it must stop now"
She nodded at him and sighed. "If I must say I only wanted to shop in Diagon Ally. Spend more time with you, is that so bad. Plus, that man Scabior…" Severus' eyes widened at the name. "… was gross and had a funny name. Then when I went up there, I just wanted another doll for Lucy and me. I do not see what the big deal is with any of this." She snatched Lucy back and walked away.
Remus sighed and walked to the fireplace. "Well Severus she is all yours, hope you have a blast. See you in four days." He went to the fire, he was gone.
Remus got back to the cottage and was once again greeted by Albus. "Good evening, Remus, sorry to disturb you so late in the evening but there was something else I was meaning to discuss with you."
"I do not have long to talk, but I can give you a few moments." He walked over to the window and watched the sky.
"Severus had brought to my attention that Minerva has been leaving his chambers while she is with him at the school. This may become an issue as she gets older." Albus watched Remus' as he watched the sky.
"Um, yes Severus did mention that. I have no idea what we are going to do with that. She can not stay here during this time, what if I get out? What is I hurt her?" He asked concerned.
"It will not come to that Remus; I have a plan. I want to get you opinion on it before I ask the family." He was always one step ahead.
"Who is the family? Do you trust them enough to keep her a secret?" Remus looked back at the moon.
Albus nodded. "I do trust them; they are Edward and Andromeda Tonks. They are good people, and I think that Minerva would love it there."
"Give me a little bit to think on it, and then I will get back to you." Remus went towards his cellar door. "I must be going, good evening Albus."
Meanwhile back at the house Severus was getting Minerva into bed. "Severus, do you think that dreams are real."
He looked at the small girl with confusion. "What do you mean by that Minerva?"
She sighed. "Well, you see I keep having this dream. Uncle Remus thinks that I have it because it is what I want, but I do not know."
"Minerva, I believe that dreams are sometimes what we desire the most." He looked at her, she seemed disappointed that he agreed with Remus. "…But I also think that they could be, possibly what the future holds for us, or even what happened in the past. What is the dream?"
"I keep seeing a man, woman, toddler boy, and baby girl. They are so happy, and the boy is playing on a toy broom while the mother is feeding the daughter. The father watches his son on the broom, he says 'future quidditch star'. Then the dream fades away." She sighed.
Severus was at a loss for words, was she seeing her past, did she have that ability. "Minerva, I think that Remus is right on this one. It is something that you desire, and that you want more then anything in this world. You have made yourself the perfect family in your mind." He kissed her forehead.
"I guess that is it, I mean if both you and Uncle Remus think that. You two are the smartest people that I know. Goodnight." She hugged him tightly, then kissed her cheek. She laid down, he tucked her in.
"Goodnight, sweet Minerva." He turned her light off, then shut her door.