June 1992
"I was surprised when you called," Amelia said with a small smile. She was sitting in the booth in the London bar they always sat at when they went out for drinks with Minerva sitting across from her. "It's been so long since we all went out like this."
"Hmm... yes, it has," Minerva said a little absentmindedly. She looked at her watch quickly before shaking her head and looking up at Amelia. She gave her a smile. "Let's not let that happen again. We should do this at least once a month."
"I agree," Amelia said. "I've missed it. And now you can finally drink as much as you want because you're no longer breastfeeding."
"This will actually be my first drink," Minerva said with a smile. "I've been waiting to have it with you all."
"That's exciting," Amelia said with a laugh.
Just then Raj and Jay came back to the booth with glasses in their hands. They sat down and handed out drinks. Minerva took a big gulp. She definitely needed this.
"Whoa, slow down there," Raj said with a laugh. "Take it easy. You haven't drank in a long time."
"I've been dealing with a very energetic baby, who has now learned how to run. Not just walk but run," Minerva said. "I need this."
Raj laughed. "So is Christie watching the kids?"
"Yes," Jay said with a nod. "It's the first time Minerva's actually left Lucy alone. She was freaking out all the way over here."
"Oh, so that's why she's being so distracted lately," Amelia said.
"I'm not distracted," Minerva said with a frown. "And I was not freaking out all the way here. I just need a nice drink."
"Uh huh," Raj said.
"Maybe this was a bad idea," she said, shaking her head. "You three are very mean to me. I should have just stayed home."
"I think you've been hanging out with a child too much," Raj said with a laugh. "You need more adult conversation."
Minerva sighed. "You're right," she said. "The only time I ever got adult conversation was during lunch at Collins Enterprises and the occasional phone call which I'm still mad at you for, Amelia. You should have come visited me more."
"I'm sorry, Minerva," Amelia said with a smile. "I should have visited and called more. Then maybe you wouldn't be so adult conversation starved."
"Maybe," Minerva said. She sighed and checked her watch again. She looked around the bar quickly before spotting a pay phone a little ways away. "It's almost time for Lucy to go to bed. I should call home to make sure Christie has her in bed."
"Minerva, stop," Jay said, grabbing her before she could get up. "Christie knows what she's doing. Just try to enjoy yourself."
"Well, she's going to be sad if I'm not there to tell her goodnight," Minerva said, trying to get up again. Jay wasn't making it easy. He held her close to him. "I should call and just tell her goodnight."
"You told her goodnight before we left," Jay said.
Amelia smiled and shook her head. "Minerva, Lucy will be fine," she said. "Drink your scotch and enjoy your first night not having to worry about her."
"Not having to worry about her," Minerva said, furrowing her brow and shaking her head.
"Well," Raj said. "How about we talk about something else? Ah... we could talk about..." he looked over at Amelia beside him. "Amelia?"
"Ah... how's work going, Jay?" Amelia asked.
"It's going well," Jay said, loosening his grip on Minerva slightly. She straightened up, straightening her clothes, and gave him a look. He smiled and rested his arm around her a little gentler this time. "We've been very busy recently with all the new projects we were able to start because of the resources that Howard Stark has given us."
"How come he's given you so much?" Amelia asked.
"It's some new deal we struck with them," Raj said. "Jay offers some consulting services and they invest in some of our projects."
"Why does he need you as a consultant?" Minerva asked. "Don't get me wrong, you are wonderful and a great business man but Howard Stark has been running Stark Industries since before the Second World War. Why would he need your help now?"
"It's for another company he's started," Jay said. "Not Stark Industries. The one that he and Peggy Carter work on together. It's still quite underground. That's why you haven't heard of it."
"What's it called?" Amelia asked.
"Sword and Shield, I think," Raj said. "They're in security, right?"
"Yes," Jay said with a nod.
"Jay's been doing a lot of work for them," Raj said. "Always so tired by the end of the day. I'm a little worried that it may start affecting your Collins Enterprises work."
"Don't worry, I won't let that happen," Jay said. "Collins Enterprises is much higher on my priority list than this company."
"You have been very overworked lately," Minerva said. "You worked late three out of five days this week and you've started going into work on Saturdays too. I worry that you're not giving yourself enough of a break, love."
"I'll be fine, darling," Jay said with a smile. "What about you, Amelia? Heard things are getting pretty busy for you as well."
"Oh, yes," Amelia said with a sigh. "I've got a lot of court cases lined up this week. I've been working late just as much as you have unfortunately."
"And Amelia has always worked weekends," Minerva said with a shake of her head.
"A lot of people breaking the law, huh?" Raj said. "That sucks. Though I guess it keeps you in business, right?"
"I suppose," Amelia said. "Though I do wish more people would just follow the law."
"That's the dream," Raj said with a smile.
"What about you, Raj?" Minerva asked. "How's work going for you?"
"Busy," Raj said. "With Jay busy with Stark and Carter, I've got a lot more on my plate. Not that I really mind, of course. I like doing what I can."
"Thank you, Raj," Jay said with a smile.
"Of course," Raj said. "You'll be going back work in September, won't you Minerva?"
"I will be, yes," Minerva said. "Lucy will be a year old then. She'll stay with Christie during the day."
"I can't believe she'll already be a year old," Jay said with a serene sigh.
Minerva sighed too and took another big gulp of her drink. "Kids are hard," she mumbled with a shake of her head, suddenly very tired. "Lucy is harder to deal with than Daniel."
"She's a lot younger than he is," Raj said. "Daniel was just as crazy when he was her age. Maybe Jay just makes very crazy children."
"Daniel was much more wild than Lucy, I must say," Jay said. "Drove us crazy. Couldn't sit still for even a second. Football helped. It gave him an outlet for that energy. When Lucy's a little older we'll put her in something like that. Something she'll like that she can run off some of that energy in."
"What are you thinking?" Amelia asked.
"Whatever she likes," Jay said. "It'll be up to her to decide. Daniel chose piano and football himself."
"I think she should do an instrument as well," Minerva said. "I'll push for that. It's a little early for that now though. She does like hitting the piano keys though. Thinks it's fun."
"Drives Daniel mad," Jay said with a laugh. "She always sits beside him when he's practicing and bangs the keys."
Amelia smiled. "Maybe she's learning from him already."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Raj said. "Daniel's trying to teach her everything already. The alphabet, numbers, basic math."
"He takes credit for teaching her his name as well," Minerva said with a smile. "He's a good older brother."
"He is," Jay said with a smile. "I'm glad they get along so well. Lucy absolutely loves spending time with her brother. Daniel spares some time here and there."
"He likes playing with her too," Raj said with a smile. "Even if he won't admit."
"Unless it gets in the way of him going out with his friends," Amelia said with a smile.
"Of course," Minerva said with a laugh.
"So, are you excited to get back to work then?" Raj asked.
"Yes, I am," Minerva said with a smile. "I missed teaching. Staying at home with Lucy was great, of course, but I'm ready to go back to school."
"I'm sure James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter have missed you greatly," Jay said with a laugh. Minerva gave him a look.
"Who are they?" Raj asked.
"Some of Minerva's most troublesome students," Jay said.
"I'm sure that they'll have something excited planned for your first day back," Amelia said with a smile.
"Oh, I'm sure they will," Minerva mumbled, sounding very tired again all of a sudden.
Raj laughed and shook his head. "Well, how would they keep their title of most troublesome if they don't cause the most trouble?"
"I'm guessing you were also one of your teachers' most troublesome students," Minerva said giving him a look.
"I don't know what you mean," Raj said, chin up and hand over his heart. "I was a wonderful student."
"I'm sure you were."
"Oh, I was," Raj said. His smile faded and his hand fell to his side. "Had to be if I didn't want to get a beating from my old man."
Minerva's smile faded. "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
Raj shrugged. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "My father wasn't a great guy. That's not your fault."
There was silence for a while before Raj said, "hey, hey, I didn't mean to bring down the mood. Let's talk more about Lucy." He looked at Amelia. "She showed me the doll you got her. Pretty cool. I haven't really seen any Indian dolls before."
"It was hard to find," Amelia said.
Minerva realized now why they always talked about her and Jay or Amelia and never really about Raj. This is why Raj didn't really like talking about himself. Why he clammed up when she asked him about his childhood. She felt bad. She wished that Jay had warned her not to say stupid, insensitive things like that.
"Custom made, I'm guessing," he said. "What with the grey eyes."
"Yes," Amelia said with a nod.
Minerva looked at Jay who gave her a small reassuring smile and a little squeeze. She gave him a look and he nodded. They would talk about it later.
"That's nice," Raj said. "It's her favourite toy now, I think."
"Oh no," Jay said with a shake of his head. "That would be the cat that I gave her when she was born. She named it Tula before she could even really speak."
"I could have guessed that part," Raj said with a laugh. "Tula. Doesn't really sound like a name a kid would pick up somewhere."
"There's also that stuffed sheep that Malcolm gave her," Amelia said. "I think she named that one Shawn."
"Yes, but I think she definitely prefers Rin over Shawn," Minerva said with a smile. "She loves that doll now. Keeps it with her everywhere she goes."
"I'm glad she likes it," Amelia said with a smile.
They talked for a while longer before Raj got up to get the next round. Amelia turned and looked at him for a second before turning back and looking at Jay. "Were Raj's parents abusive?"
Jay sighed. "His father wasn't a very happy man," he said, pulling Minerva a little closer. "He doesn't really have a problem talking about it anymore which I guess is good. Means he's coping, right?"
"I suppose," Minerva said softly. She looked up at the man waiting at the bar. He caught her eye and smiled at her. She smiled back. "I mean he seems okay now."
"Yes, he's doing well now," Jay said with a nod.
"Are his parents still alive?" Amelia asked.
"No," Jay said with a shake of his head. "I think his father saw some pretty bad stuff in the war and started drinking a lot to try and forget about it. He wasn't a great drunk. Raj and his mother got away from him when he was fourteen, I think. He killed himself not long after that."
"Wow..." Minerva whispered. She realized that she had known this man for a very long time but still didn't know very much about him.
"His mother died when he was thirty. He took good care of her up until the end," he continued. "Bought her a nice house, got her the best care. She passed away in her sleep. Natural causes. He never cried. At least around me anyway. I've never seen him cry."
Amelia sighed. "I hope he's okay."
Jay smiled. "I think he is," he said. "Raj is really resilient. He's been through some pretty bad stuff but he's come out the other end a great person. He's caring and loving and he's wonderful with Lucy and Daniel."
"He is," Minerva said with a nod. "I wonder if that was what put him off marriage."
"I don't know. It could be," he said. "Don't treat him any different now that you know. He wouldn't like that."
"Of course not," Amelia said.
"We would never," Minerva said.
"Don't worry about him," Jay said. "It was a long time ago and he's worked really hard to move on. He'll be okay."
Minerva nodded and leaned against Jay again. Jay smiled and kissed her temple. "It's kind of amazing," she said. "He's such a fun and happy person. To have gone through such a horrible thing so young... I can't imagine."
"It's funny how that works sometimes," Jay said. "Sometimes the happiest people are the ones who've learned to be happy through a lot of adversity."
"I guess it makes sense," Amelia said. "I really commend him for that."
"So do I," Minerva said with a nod.
Jay changed the subject to something else and Raj came back with their drinks. They sat in the bar talking and laughing for a couple hours. Soon it was late and everyone was about ready to go home. Amelia leaned back in her booth and yawned. She looked over at Raj who was scanning the bar.
"Who will you be going home with today, then?" she asked.
"Ah, I'm hurt, Bones," he said, putting a hand over his heart. "I'm not looking around for a prey, if that's what you're suggesting."
"Of course not," Minerva said with a smile. "Though, I did notice that one in the blue. She keeps looking over at you every so often."
Raj turned and looked at the blonde by the bar. He gave her a little smile before turning back to look at the others. "You know, you guys make pretty good wingmen," he said. Minerva gave him a look. "Or wingwoman, of course."
Minerva rolled her eyes. "I'm not your wingwoman," she said. "I don't think you need my help very much anyways."
"You're right. I'm very charming."
"I was talking about your size of your wallet," she said with a smile. "It's the best wingman you've got, I would say."
"How do you think I got this one?" Jay asked with a laugh.
"Exactly," Minerva said with a smile.
"I knew it," Raj said with a laugh. "And now she's got one of your kids, Jay. You're trapped."
"It seems I am," he said with laugh. "I've never enjoyed being trapped before."
"Stockholm syndrome?" Amelia asked.
"Maybe," Jay said, pulling Minerva closer to him. He smiled at her. "Well, we should go. Raj, I hope that I don't have to wake up tomorrow to deal with another girl who won't leave your apartment."
"I'm sure she's not like that one."
"What happened?" Minerva asked.
Raj shrugged. "Brought a girl back and I guess she really liked my place," he said. "Refused to leave and I had to enlist Jay's help."
"Where do you find these women?" Amelia said with a shake of her head.
"I believe I met her the same restaurant that I met you, Bones," he said with a laugh. "So…"
"Go," Amelia mumbled.
"I'm going," he said. He looked at Jay and Minerva. "See you Monday. I expect you and Lucy will be coming down to Collins Enterprises for lunch on Monday as well?"
"Yes, we'll be there," Minerva said with a smile. "She loves coming to see her daddy and Uncle Raj at work."
"And we love seeing her too," he said with a smile. He looked over at Amelia. "And you, Bones, better not be going into work on a Sunday. I'm going to call you to make sure."
"And what will you do if I am?" Amelia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I will come down to the courthouse and drag you out myself," Raj said. "And before you say that I won't be able to get in. I will find a way."
Amelia smiled and shook her head. "Go, you don't want to keep your woman waiting too long," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
He smiled, said one last goodbye, and headed for the door, grabbing his coat on the way. Minerva watched him walk up to the bar and introduce himself to the woman in the blue dress and buy her a drink. She smiled and shook her head before looking back at Amelia.
"You two really need to talk to each other," she said.
"Oh god, not this again," Amelia said with a shake of her head, leaning back in her chair and taking a sip of her drink. "Jay, control your wife."
"If only I knew how to do that," Jay said, earning himself a pointed look from Minerva. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry, love."
"Well," Minerva said, looking back at Amelia, "since you're not going into work tomorrow, you should come over for dinner. See the kids. They miss you."
"I'm still going into work," Amelia said. "There's too much to be done with the riots that happened recently. All those arrested need to processed and tried. That means a lot of paperwork for me to deal with."
"You heard Raj," Jay said. "He's going to call you tomorrow and if you don't pick up he will go down to the courthouse. He wasn't lying. That is something he would completely do."
"Then he would end up at the wrong building and probably get in trouble for trying to get in," Minerva said with a shake of her head. "And at some point he will most likely learn that there is in fact no judge named Amelia Bones that works there and then you will have a lot of explaining to do."
"Then I'll just wait for his call and go in afterwards," Amelia said with a shrug.
"No, because then I will come drag you out of the office," Minerva said.
"You can try. I doubt you'll have much luck."
"Do you really want to start a duel with me in the middle of the Ministry building?" Minerva asked. "Because you know that I wouldn't back down from a challenge like that, even from you, Amelia Bones."
"Eh, it'll be a Sunday so I don't suspect there will be many people there," Amelia said. "Maybe it's about time we had another duel."
"I beat you last time, if you remember," Minerva said.
"I do not recall."
"Of course you don't."
"Okay," Jay said. "Or, this is just a suggestion now, you limit your time at work tomorrow and come over for dinner afterwards. That's a good compromise, don't you think?"
"I don't like that," Minerva said with a frown. "She still goes to work which is exactly what we're trying to avoid."
"That's what compromise means, Minerva," Amelia said. Minerva gave her a look. Amelia smiled and looked at Jay. "I would love to come over for dinner tomorrow, Jay. Thank you for the nice, accommodating, invitation."
Minerva rolled her eyes. "You two are insufferable."
Jay smiled and kissed her again. "No, we're not," he said. "You love us."
"Do I?"
"You do," Amelia said with a smile.
"Well, there was my first mistake," Minerva said making them both laugh.
"Well, shall we head out?" Jay asked.
"Yes, it's getting quite late," she said with a nod. She motioned to Raj, who was now walking the girl in the blue dress out the door, with her head. "We better go before Amelia gets too jealous."
Jay laughed as he stood up and offered his hand out to his wife. Minerva smiled and took it. Amelia rolled her eyes at Minerva as she got up.
"I'm just going to leave without you two," Amelia said. "You're both so annoying."
"Oh, calm down," Minerva said with a smile as she and Jay put on their coats and followed Amelia towards the door. "Maybe, if you could swallow your pride for long enough, you and he could -"
"Finish that sentence and I cannot be held responsible for what I do to you next, Minerva McGonagall," Amelia said dangerously.
Minerva laughed. "Cute, you think you could hurt me."
"I know I can," she said.
"Uh huh," Minerva said.
"As much as I'd love to see the duel that results from this," Jay said as they walked out into the cold London night. "I feel it might be better if that did not occur so how about we all agree to disagree on this topic."
"The problem is that it's my opinion of this topic that matters, not yours or your wife's," Amelia said.
"Of course, I agree," Minerva said. "I'm just saying that I know that you know that he likes you and you like him too."
"That was a complicated sentence," Jay said. "And I'm too drunk to decode it."
Minerva laughed and put an arm around Jay lovingly. "It's okay, my love," she whispered to him. "Just focus on walking straight."
"I'm not that drunk," Jay said with a laugh.
"I predict you'll probably throw up after you Apparate back to Rochester," Amelia said with a smile as she turned into the alley they used to Apparate in.
"I don't think so," Jay said. "I've gotten used to Apparating by now."
Amelia smiled and shook her head. "Of course you have," she said. "Well, I should get going. I'll see you both soon."
"Goodbye, Amelia," Minerva and Jay said with a smile.
She pulled out her wand and Apparated back home. Minerva pulled out her own wand and held her hand out for Jay. Jay took her hand and off they went. They appeared outside the gate of Collins Mansion and Minerva gave him a minute as he did his best not to throw up. He leaned on the wall while she punched in the keycode.
"I'm fine," he said.
"I didn't say anything," she said, looking over at him with a smile.
"I saw the look you gave me," he said, pushing himself off the wall as the gate began to open. He put an arm around Minerva, partly because he loved holding his wife and partly because he needed the support.
Minerva smiled and kissed his cheek before walking in through the gate. "It's okay, love," she said as the gate closed behind them. "Some people never get used to Apparating."
"I'm not those people," Jay said. "I've just drank a little too much tonight."
"You know, everyone says you're such a nice, go-with-the-flow kind of man," she said with a laugh. "If only they could see you now."
He gave her a look and she just smiled at him.
"Of all the things you could be stubborn about," she said. "You chose this."
"I could always be like you and be stubborn about everything," he said with an annoying smile.
"I'm not that stubborn."
"You keep claiming that but evidence is piling up against you," he said with a laugh. She gave him a look but he just smiled. "You know, Lucy's also becoming stubborn like you. When she gets older and becomes more difficult, I'm going to blame you."
Minerva rolled her eyes. They made it to the front door and Minerva held her hand out for the keys. Jay handed them over and she unlocked the door. They walked inside and heard the television on in the living room. Christie turned it off and walked into the entrance hall when she heard the door. She smiled at them cheerfully.
"Hello, Mr. Collins, Mrs. McGonagall," she said. "Did you have a good night?"
"Yes, thank you, Christie," Minerva said with a smile as she took off her coat and started putting it away in the closet. She took Jay's coat from him and put it away as well. "I hope the children weren't too much a handful for you."
"Oh no, they were perfect," Christie said with a smile. "Well, that is until bedtime. Neither of your children like going to bed very much."
"I'm sorry if they were difficult," Jay said, pulling out his wallet and taking out a few bills. "We'll make it up to you."
"Oh no, it was fine," Christie said with a smile. "You've already paid me for tonight, Mr. Collins. It's alright, really."
"Please, just take it," Jay said with a smile, holding out the money towards her.
It took some convincing but eventually Christie accepted the tip. She picked up her things, put on her coat and said goodbye as well. Jay closed the door behind her and then he and Minerva walked up the stairs to their own bedroom. Jay changed and got into bed immediately but Minerva couldn't sleep until she checked on the children first.
Jay grumbled sleepily for her to come to bed but she ignored him and walked towards Daniel's room. She looked inside to find him fast asleep in his bed. The lamp on his bedside table was on, a comic book was open on his chest and his blankets were hanging off the bed. Minerva smiled and quietly moved over to the bed. She picked up the comic book and set it on the bedside table and turned the lamp off. She fixed his blankets and kissed his forehead before leaving the room and heading for Lucy's.
Lucy was asleep as well. She laid in her crib with her hands clenched tightly up by her head. Minerva smiled and walked over to the crib. She leaned in and kissed Lucy's forehead as well, trying not to wake her up. Lucy shifted slightly and mumbled something about Tula the cat making Minerva smile.
"Goodnight, my darling," she whispered before heading out of the room and back to her own.
Jay was snoring when she came back. She smiled and walked over her side of the bed. She got in and curled up beside him. He grumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. Minerva smiled. Like father, like daughter, she supposed. She leaned her head down on his chest and he put an arm around her in his sleep.
Sunday, May 3rd 1998
Minerva jumped slightly at the sound of tapping on the living room window. She looked over at it but saw nothing. With a sigh she forced herself off of the couch she had been sitting on and set down her book. She walked over to the window and opened it. James and Sirius took the Invisibility Cloak off their heads and smiled up at her.
"What is the point of that thing if you're always taking it off to talk to me?" she muttered, looking around to make sure no one was looking. "Raj is here somewhere and Lucy's playing outside, you should be more careful."
"That's what we came to talk to you about," James said. "We were watching her play and she started climbing this tree and now..."
"She's stuck," Sirius said with a laugh. "She can't get down and she doesn't know what to do so she's just sitting there waiting for someone to come out looking for her."
Sirius thought this was hilarious. He kept laughing while Minerva shook her head. James smiled and hit Sirius on the back of the head. "Come on, man," he said. "The kid's stuck and scared. Be a little more sensitive."
"It's just too funny," he said with a laugh.
Minerva rolled her eyes and closed the window. She walked to the kitchen and looked out into the back garden. She saw Lucy sitting up in a far off tree on a very high up branch. She shook her head, walked to the kitchen door, and called up the stairs, "Raj!"
After a moment, she heard a door upstairs open and close. Raj came down the stairs. "Yes?"
"Lucy has managed to get herself stuck in a tree," she said with a sigh, walking back into the kitchen and towards the back door. Raj laughed as he followed after her. She looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Apparently she was climbing up and went much too high," she said. "She hasn't moved in a while. I think she's too scared to climb down."
Raj laughed again and Minerva smiled a little, shaking her head. They walked out into the back garden and Minerva called, "Lucy?"
"Mum! Up here!" Lucy called.
Raj and Minerva walked over to the tree that she was sitting in and looked up at her.
"Hey, Princess," Raj said. "Ah, what you doing up there?"
"I was climbing," Lucy said with a smile. She pointed to a mess of twigs on a branch nearby. "Look, there's a bird's nest over here! Bluejays! They're so cute!"
"That's nice, sweetheart, but it's almost lunchtime so please come down now," Minerva said with a smile.
"Ah... no. I think I'll stay up here a little longer," she replied, smile fading. She avoided Minerva and Raj's gaze by looking over at the birds again.
"Are you stuck?" Raj asked with a laugh.
"No..."
"Lucy," Minerva said, raising her eyebrow at her.
"Getting down is scarier than getting up," she mumbled, looking down and grabbing the tree branch more tightly. "It's so high up!"
"Why don't you start climbing down and if you start to fall I'll catch you," Raj said, walking closer to the tree. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it yourself."
"Um... okay..." Lucy said, though she made no move to start coming down. "You promise you'll catch me?"
"Yes, I promise," Raj said with a smile. "Come on, love."
"Bye bye, birds. I don't think I'm going to come up here again," she said as she started to grab hold of the tree trunk and climb down. Minerva gripped her wand in her pocket tight, just in case she needed to make a quick move. Raj instructed her as she climbed. Lucy made it about halfway before not finding any good places to put her hands and feet. She clung to the tree trunk and cried, "I'm stuck! There nowhere to go!"
"There's a branch just a little bit lower," Raj said. "Just go a little further."
Lucy lowered her right foot again but still didn't feel anything. She hugged the tree tightly and shook her head violently. "No! I'm going to fall!"
"Alright, alright," Raj said, moving forward, reaching up, and grabbing Lucy by the waist. "You can let go now."
Lucy let go and Raj pulled her back away from the tree. He set her down and she smiled up at him. "Yay!" she said, hugging his legs tightly. "Thank you for saving me."
"Of course, love," he said with a laugh. "It wasn't so bad was it?"
Lucy shook her head.
Minerva laughed and shook her head. "Oh, yes, she was not scared at all."
"I wasn't!" Lucy said, running over to her mother.
"Of course not," Minerva said with a smile. She reached down and brushed the dirt and twigs off her clothes. "Alright, how about we all go inside and get some lunch?"
"Okay!" Lucy said. She started running towards the house and looked back at Minerva and Raj. "Oh! Oh! Mum, Uncle Raj, watch this!"
Lucy ran, raised her arms up into the air and did a couple cartwheels around the backyard. Minerva smiled and clapped her hands. "Wow, Lucy. That's great."
"Good job, Lucy," Raj said with a smile.
"Thank you," she said, pushing her hair out of her face now that she was upright again and ran back to them. She grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her towards the house. "Come on, I'm hungry!"
Minerva smiled and walked with her. Raj followed behind them. He teased Lucy about her tree experience and she did her best to defend herself. When they reached the door, Raj opened it and motioned for them to go inside before going in himself and closing the door behind him. They washed up and then sat down in the kitchen to eat lunch.
Friday, May 22nd 1998
"So how are you, Dorcas?" Minerva asked. "I haven't seen you in a really long time."
"Yeah, it's been a while. I was out on a mission for Professor Dumbledore. He had me all the way in Northern Ireland," she said with a sigh, leaning back in her chair in front of Minerva's desk at Hogwarts. "I'm good though. How are you? How's Daniel, Nina, and Lucy?"
"They're good, thank you for asking," Minerva replied. "Daniel is the only one of them that really knows the extent of the war. Nina knows that there is a war going on but she doesn't really know how bad it's gotten and we've kept Lucy completely in the dark about it. Though Amelia has told me that she was starting to get suspicious."
"I see," Dorcas said with a small smile. "I suppose that it's for the best that you don't tell her. It's not really something that a six year old should have to worry about "
Minerva sighed and nodded. "She's finally getting better after losing her father. I don't want to ruin that by tell her about how terrible everything is now."
"Well, it's not completely terrible. Did you hear that some of the French and Italian Aurors arrested twelve Death Eaters last night," Dorcas said.
"I did hear about that," Minerva said with a small smile. "It's progress, I suppose. I fear that the war will not end until we get You-Know-Who, however."
She nodded. "I know," she said. "We still don't know where he's hiding though. Which is why I was in Northern Ireland. Dumbledore thought that he may be hiding up there."
"He sent you alone?" Minerva asked with a frown.
"No, it was me and Remus," Dorcas replied. "We had instructions to just do reconnaissance. Just look, don't disturb."
"What made Albus think that he may be in Ireland?"
"There was a big group of werewolves gathered there for some reason," she explained. "Which is why Remus came along. I couldn't get close enough to the werewolves to find out what was going on. I don't know how they know you're not one of them but they always know."
"I think it's smell," Minerva replied. "They have quite the sense of smell."
"You may be right," she said with a nod. "Well, he wasn't there. The werewolves were gathered because of Fenrir Greyback. They seem to do whatever he says. He's offering them a world where they will no longer have to hide or be looked down upon by other witches and wizards. Remus tried to make some friends and convince them to join our side instead but he didn't have enough time and I refused to leave him alone in a werewolf colony."
"I'm glad," Minerva said with a sigh. "I couldn't imagine Remus alone with them."
"Yeah, I... I just saw how much it was killing him. I - I couldn't let him stay," Dorcas said, looking away.
Minerva gave her a little smile. "You and Remus have been seeing a lot more of each other recently."
Dorcas looked back and raised her eyebrow. "We've been working together."
"That's all you've been doing?"
"I don't know what you're trying to -"
"I know you like him, Dorcas," Minerva said with a smile. "He likes you too so I don't understand what's keeping you two apart."
"You're crazy."
"I'm not. I know there's an unspoken thing between the two of you."
"Nope. No unspoken thing," Dorcas said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Never has been."
"Uh huh," Minerva said. "So the two of you never steal glances at each other during Order meetings or whispering in the corner when it's over or Apparate to my house together."
"Okay, no. No. We do not stealglances. What is this? A romance novel?" Dorcas replied making Minerva smile. "And we weren't whispering in a corner! We were just talking about the war. And we didn't Apparate together. We just happened to show up at the same time. You're reading too far into things. You know who you sound like? You sound like my mother."
Minerva laughed. "So you don't like him?"
"I do like Remus. He is my friend."
"No, but you like him more than just a friend," Minerva said with a knowing smile. "And that's okay, Dorcas."
"There's no unspoken thing, Minerva," Dorcas said, suddenly sounding very sad. "There can't be."
"Why not?" Minerva asked, smile fading.
"Because we are at war."
"That is not a good reason to give up in love, Dorcas. Love is the only thing that will see us through these dark times," Minerva said, giving her a reassuring look.
Dorcas shook her head. "Maybe I like him. Maybe I love him. Maybe I do but maybe... maybe I only think I do. Maybe I think I like him because I'm worried that I might die at any moment and he is my only chance at something like what Lily and James have. Maybe I love him or maybe I just love the idea of him," she whispered. "I will only know for sure if we both survive this. When we get out on the other side and I still have the feelings for him that I do now then I'll know. Then I'll know for sure that I love him the way he deserves to be loved. It is not fair to him if I have doubts."
"You can't let the war interfere with every aspect of your life, Dorcas," she said with a sigh. "You can't let it drag you down. You need something to keep you afloat. James and Lily have each other. I have Lucy, Daniel and Nina. You and Remus have been drowning for a long time. Let yourselves be saved."
"I wish I could, Minerva," she whispered. "I just can't right now. I just can't let myself think about anything other than this war. I need it to end so I need to put every ounce of my being into it to make sure it does."
"Dorcas... you've always been an all or nothing type person but this... this will destroy you if you let it."
"I have to focus on the war, Minerva," Dorcas said quietly, looking down at her hands. "If I don't I will forever wonder if there was more I could do. If someone dies while I'm off snogging Remus, I will never forgive myself. If I don't give a hundred percent and we lose..."
"It wouldn't be your fault," Minerva said firmly. "These things are not always in our control."
She doesn't respond.
"Dorcas..."
She finally looked up and gave her old teacher a little smile. "I'll be okay," she said, reassuringly. "Besides, I've made quite the name for myself among the Death Eaters. It's not safe for anyone to be associated with me."
Minerva gave her a small smile. "You'll always find an excuse won't you," she said. Dorcas doesn't respond. She just rubbed the tears out of her eyes and smiled. Minerva shook her head. "I heard that you singlehandedly arrested five Death Eaters last week."
"I'm just doing my part."
"You're doing more than your fair share, dear," Minerva said. "Way more."
"I'm just doing my part."
Minerva sighed and shook her head. "Albus said that he asked you to stay at Hogwarts from now on."
"There was a little bit of a scare the other day but I'll be fine. There's no need to worry."
"A little bit of a scare?" Minerva asked exasperatedly. "They found your flat, Dorcas. What if you had been asleep when they showed up? Move to Hogwarts, please. How will you do your part if you're not taking care of yourself first?"
"I -"
"Dorcas, please," Minerva said. "After what happened to Mary, I don't want the same to happen to you."
Dorcas sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll stay at Hogwarts."
"Excellent," Minerva replied with a small smile. "Remus is also staying at Hogwarts."
"Oh God," Dorcas mumbled with a shake of her head. "My mother has returned."
Minerva laughed and shook her head.
...
Minerva sighed and flopped down on the couch beside Lucy. She pulled Lucy closer and hugged her tightly. Lucy squirmed and laughed.
"What's wrong? Can't I hug my daughter after a long day?"
She sighed. "Fine, if you must."
Minerva laughed and shook her head.
"Just don't cover my eyes. I want to be able to see the TV."
Minerva sighed and pulled her closer. Lucy rested her head on Minerva's chest and watched the television program she had put on. Minerva had her arms around her and leaned down to give her a kiss on the head.
"Daniel and Nina go out a lot," Lucy mumbled.
"Well, they don't have school anymore so they can go out whenever they want," Minerva said with a smile.
"I wish I didn't have school and I could go out whenever I wanted."
"Where would you go?"
Lucy shrugged. "Wherever I wanted! On so many adventures."
Minerva smiled and gave her a little squeeze. "Well you'll be able to do that when you're older."
Lucy made a face and Minerva laughed.
"Daniel and Nina also didn't get to go out a lot when they first got together," Minerva said. "So now that they can, Daniel wants to take her everywhere he never got to before."
"Yeah because of me," Lucy mumbled.
"What?"
"They didn't get to go anywhere because Daniel had to come home and pick me up from school or dance and take care of me," Lucy muttered, not looking up at her mother. "That's why they didn't get to go out on dates."
"It's not your fault, darling," Minerva said, running her fingers through Lucy's hair. "It's no one's fault."
Lucy didn't respond. Minerva looked down but she was just staring at the television. Minerva sighed and kissed her again. Lucy made a face and Minerva laughed.
Just then Raj came into the living room carrying two tea cups. He smiled at them and held a cup out to Minerva. She took it and thanked him and he sat down on an armchair.
"Nina's friends are coming over tomorrow," Lucy muttered.
"I know," Raj said with a smile. "Why do you think I'm leaving so early."
"You're lucky you just get to leave," Lucy said with a sigh.
"What's wrong with Nina's friends?" Minerva asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing, of course," Raj said quickly. "They're just..."
"Loud," Lucy said.
"Yes, very loud." Raj said with a nod.
Minerva smiled.
"They call me cute and hug me and kiss my cheeks," Lucy muttered, shaking her head. Minerva laughed. "That's why Uncle Raj is running away."
"I'm not running away," Raj said.
"It seems like you are," Minerva said with a laugh.
"No, I just thought that Nina and her friends would like a little bit of privacy," Raj said. "So I will be elsewhere and they can have the house."
"Daniel's running away too," Lucy said. "He's going to hang out with Michael. He doesn't like being here when all of Nina's friends get together." She added in a whisper, "They're crazy."
Minerva laughed. "So should we run away too?"
"Yeah!" Lucy said.
"Where will you go?" Raj asked.
"Where would you like to go, Lucy?" Minerva asked.
"Hmm... I don't know," Lucy said. "Maybe we can go to the park?"
"We can do that but that won't really be running away for very long would it?" Minerva said.
"Nina is making a nice dinner for herself and her friends as well," Raj said. "You might want to be here for that at least."
"I do like food..." Lucy said, weighing her options.
Minerva and Raj laughed. They watched television for a while until Minerva looked over at the clock and saw that it was way past Lucy's bedtime.
"Okay, sweetheart," she said. "It's time for bed."
"Just one more episode," Lucy whined. "Please."
"No, I think that's enough TV for one night. You have already stayed up much too late," Minerva replied.
"But -"
"No, Lucy," Minerva said sternly.
"You better listen to her, Princess," Raj said with a smile as he leaned back in his chair. "She's using her teacher voice."
Minerva gave him a pointed look and he just smiled innocently at her. Lucy was still not happy. She was about to protest again when the doorbell rang. Lucy jumped to her feet quickly and ran towards the door excitedly.
"I'll get it! I'll get it!"
Minerva sighed and shook her head as she got up. Raj got up too and followed her towards the door. They didn't really want Lucy answering the door this late at night but by the time they reached the entrance Lucy unlocked and opened it.
"Lucy -"
Lucy flung the door open and there stood Amelia Bones. Lucy smiled. "Aunty Amelia! Hi, we were - what's wrong?"
"Oh, h-hello Lucy," Amelia said. She looked up at Minerva who saw the tears sliding down her face. "I'm very s-sorry for - for... I'm sorry. I just... didn't know where else to - to go."
"Amelia, come in. Come in," Minerva said quickly. She walked in front of Lucy and pushed her back a little.
Lucy looked at Raj who was looking at Amelia with concern. Amelia walked into the house and Minerva closed the door and put an arm around her. Lucy looked up at her aunt with a scared expression on her face.
"Are - are you okay?"
"I'm - I'm fine, love," Amelia said, giving her the saddest smile Lucy had ever seen. "Don't worry about me. Just - just listen to your mother."
"Uncle Raj -"
"Let's go, love," Raj said, picking Lucy up into his arms. He looked at Minerva. "You guys can go talk in the office again."
Minerva nodded and led Amelia away. Lucy watched them go. She didn't know what to do. Why was Amelia crying? What happened? Why couldn't she know?
"What happened?" Lucy asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, love," he said as he walked towards the room. "I'm sure everything will be fine. We just need to give Amelia some time to calm down."
Lucy sighed and looked back over Raj's shoulder down the stairs. Why was everyone treating her like a baby? Why couldn't she know what was going on? She wanted to help too! She wanted to help Amelia feel better but she couldn't do that if they kept shutting her out.
Raj took Lucy to her bedroom. He helped her into bed but Lucy refused to lay down. She was going to wait until Minerva came up to ask her what happened. She was sure that Minerva wasn't going to give her a straight answer but she could still try. Raj sighed and told her that she could wait. He was sure she would just fall asleep anyways. He said goodnight and walked out of the room before heading back downstairs.
...
Minerva led Amelia to a chair and helped her sit down. She conjured up a glass of water and gave it to her. She put a hand on Amelia's back and rubbed small circles as she sipped the water.
"It'll be okay, Amelia. Just tell me what happened," Minerva said soothingly.
"Oh, Minerva... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have - have come here," Amelia said through her tears. "I just... I had no - nowhere else to go."
"It's okay. It's okay," Minerva said quietly. "You're always welcome here."
Amelia took one of Minerva's hands in both of hers and took a couple deep breaths. "Edgar... he - they..."
"Oh, Amelia," Minerva whispered, pulling her close.
"They found him... I don't know how..." she mumbled. "We - all the protections... Nobody knew... Only the Order... It was supposed to be safe... A safe house."
Minerva felt tears fall down her own cheeks. She kept rubbing Amelia's back as she sobbed and covered her face again.
"All of them..." Amelia whispered between sobs. "Edgar... Karen... the - the children!"
She sobbed harder. Minerva sighed and put a hand on the back of her head. She wished she knew what to say or do to make it all better but nothing could bring them back. Nothing was could turn back the clocks.
"Sirina was only - only three," Amelia cried. "And David... David was only two! Evan was a year old and Karen was pregnant! They killed them all! All of them! They were babies! Babies!"
Amelia was getting angry now. She pulled away from Minerva roughly and stood up. She pulled out her wand. "I'll kill them! I'll kill them all!"
"Amelia, stop -"
"THEY'VE TAKEN SO MUCH FROM ME!" She screamed, making Minerva grateful for the muffling charm she had placed on the room. "I WANT THEM TO HURT THE WAY I AM! MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY GRANDPARENTS AND NOW MY BROTHER, SISTER-IN-LAW, AND NIECES AND NEPHEWS! I HAVE LOST SO MUCH AT THEIR HANDS! I WILL FIND THEM AND I WILL KILL THEM! I WILL FIND HIM!" She flicked her wand but nothing happened. "WHY CAN'T I APPARATE?! WHY ISN'T IT WORKING!?"
"Amelia, stop," Minerva said, standing up and walking towards her.
Amelia pointed her wand at her. "Don't touch me!"
Minerva put her hands up. "I know that there's nothing I can say that will make this pain go away. I know that you are hurting but hurting them won't make you feel better."
"You don't understand! You've haven't lost anyone to them! Jay was killed in a hospital! They were taken too soon!"
Minerva dropped her hands to her sides. "I know what you're doing and I'm not taking your bait. We are not going to duel right now."
Amelia glared at her but dropped her wand. She turned away from Minerva and took a few deep breaths.
"Amelia," Minerva said quietly. "Listen. I know you're hurting. I know that and I understand. We will win this fight. I promise you, we will. We will not let those who died, die in vain. We will make a world that they would have been proud of. We will."
Amelia fell to her knees. "Three..." she whispered, putting her head in her hands. "I'm down to three nieces and nephews."
Minerva walked over to her and sat down next to her. She put an arm around her and whispered, "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We are going to fix you up some tea, get you into a nice warm bed, and then you will stay here for a couple days."
"I - I can't... I have to go to work... and I have to -"
"No you don't. You are going to be a normal Ministry worker who takes weekends off," Minerva replied. "You'll stay here for a few days and then you can go back to work on Monday if you're feeling up to it. Until then we will stay in this house, play with Lucy, and forget about the war for a little while. Okay?"
There was silence for a long time before Amelia finally nodded, her head still in her hands. Minerva got up and helped her too her feet. She led her out of the office and towards the kitchen. Raj was there too. He looked up.
"Oh, should I go?" he asked as Minerva helped Amelia sit down at the table and moved over to the kitchen to make tea.
"N-no, th-that's okay," Amelia said with a shake of her head. She didn't look at him. She put her arms on the table and her head on her arms. She felt like such an idiot. She was intruding in their house, scaring the kids. She shouldn't have come here.
Raj looked at Minerva and she sighed and shook her head. She walked over to kettle and whispered, "her brother. His whole family. They're dead."
"Oh - oh my god," Raj said with wide eyes. "Steven or Edgar?"
"Edgar," she said. "I'm making more tea. Would you like some?"
Raj shook his head. He opened the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whisky and two glass. "This is better than tea," he said, walking over towards the table. He set the glasses down on the table, making Amelia look up. Raj opened the bottle and started pouring it into the glasses. "Leave the tea. Bring a glass for yourself, Minerva."
Minerva looked at him for a second. She was about to protest when Amelia grabbed her glass and downed the contents. She set it down and motioned for Raj to pour her some more. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow but she just pushed her glass closer to him. He poured more whisky into the glass. Minerva sighed, picked up her own glass and walked over to the table. She set it down and Raj pours her a drink too. He and Minerva sat down and Amelia leaned back in her chair.
"I'm sor-"
"Don't apologize," Raj said. "You have nothing to apologize for. When stuff like this happens you get to do whatever it is you need to do."
"I worry I may have scared Lucy," Amelia said with a sigh.
"She'll be fine," Minerva said. "Don't worry."
They sat in silence for a while and suddenly Amelia felt a wave of deja vu. She had been here before. She had sat with a drink in hand with these people after a death before. A little while after her parents and grandparents were killed. They had brought her out to cheer her up. She had sat here drinking with these people at least once every month for almost eight years of her life. She had missed this a lot these last two years. She looked at the empty seat at the table and sighed. There was just one thing missing and it would be exactly the same.
"When he died," Amelia said, looking up at Raj. "What did you do?"
"What did I do?" Raj asked.
Amelia nodded.
"This, I suppose," he said, leaning back in his chair too and taking a sip of his drink. "Put the kids to bed and drank."
They kept drinking, talking quietly every so often but mostly sitting in silence. Minerva looked down at her glass and sighed. This was another perfect opportunity to tell Raj about the war yet for some reason she still couldn't make herself do it.
Finally they got up and Minerva helped Amelia up the stairs. Raj stayed down to clean up before he would also come up and go to his own bedroom. Lucy heard the steps creak and quickly got off her bed. She ran towards the door and opened it just a crack. She saw her mother walking Amelia towards an empty bedroom. She waiting for a long time before Minerva walked back out of the room again and started towards her own room.
"Mommy," Lucy whispered, looking up at her mother with a frightened look on her face. Minerva looked over at her and sighed. She walked towards the bedroom and Lucy opened the door wider. Minerva leaned down and pulled her into a hug. Lucy wrapped her arms around Minerva's neck and whispered, "Is Aunty Amelia okay?"
"Yes, darling. Your Aunty Amelia will be okay," she said, picking her up into her arms and walking towards the bed. "Don't worry, my darling."
"What - what happened? Why was she crying? Did - did... is everything okay?" Lucy asked a little frantically. "I - I'm a little... a little scared."
Minerva sighed and put Lucy down in the bed. She kneeled down beside it and put a hand on Lucy's cheek. "It's okay, my love. It's just... well... Amelia's lost someone too now and so she's not feeling very well."
"Like... like when Daddy died."
Minerva nodded a little and combed Lucy's hair out of her face. "Yes, my love. You see, her brother and his family... they - they were in an accident. She's very sad but she'll be okay. Just like we're starting to be okay now."
Tears filled Lucy's eyes. "I - I cried a lot when Daddy died," she whispered, taking Minerva's hand in both of hers. "And I... I said some - some really... bad things."
"Oh, darling, it's okay. You know, a lot of people get angry when they're hurting," she whispered, moving to sit down on the bed beside Lucy. Lucy hugged her and buried her face in Minerva's side. Minerva wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, love. Sometimes these things happen but we have to be strong and keep going. That's the only way we can make the one's we lost proud. They would want us to keep out heads up, my love."
"Mommy?"
"Yes, my love?"
"Will you stay with me just - just for tonight?"
"Of course, my love," Minerva whispered. She helped Lucy lay back in bed and put the blanket over her. "I just have to go get changed and then I'll be right back, okay?"
"Okay," Lucy whispered.
Minerva got up and sighed. She walked back to her own bedroom. As she changed into her pajamas she thought about Edgar and Karen Bones. She sighed and shook her head. How did they know? How did they find the Bones's safe house and what did that mean for everyone else's safe house? Was there really a leak in the Order? Who could possibly be a turncoat? They had done so many internal investigations, they had taken so many precautions, they had done everything right. Hadn't they?
Minerva walked back into Lucy's bedroom, closed the door and turned off the lights. She got into bed and Lucy immediately curled up beside her, leaning her head on Minerva's arm. Minerva kissed her forehead and told her goodnight. Lucy fell asleep quite quickly. Minerva listened to her rhythmic breathing and sighed again. She was finally getting better. She had stopped having nightmares and had started sleeping on her own again. She wished that Lucy had been in bed when Amelia had arrived. She wished Lucy hadn't seen Amelia that way. Amelia was a strong, confident woman so to see her in such a state was definitely a shock to anyone who had seen her before. To see her in such a state just affirmed Lucy's ideas that something was very, very wrong and Minerva had done everything she could to stop those ideas. She didn't want Lucy to worry about these things.
...
Minerva knocked on Amelia's bedroom door the next morning and heard her voice inviting her in. She opened the door to see Amelia standing by the bed, looking out the window.
"How are you feeling?" Minerva asked as she walks into the room.
Amelia gave her a small smile. "I'm fine," she said before looking back out of the window and avoiding Minerva's gaze. "I'm very sorry, Minerva. I was such a mess last night."
"It's alright. I understand," Minerva said with a small smile.
"I hope I didn't scare Lucy too much."
"She will be fine," Minerva replied with a small smile. "She was worried about you though. She wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"She is a good kid," she said with a sigh. She finally turned back to look at Minerva. "Well, I should get going. I've already put you out enough."
"No, no," Minerva said, walking over to her. "You're staying here and getting away from the war for a little while, remember? Here, I brought you some clothes and a toothbrush." She shoved the pile of clothes in Amelia's hands and put a packaged toothbrush on top of it. "Breakfast is in five minutes and I expect to see you there."
"Minerva -"
Before Amelia could protest, she saw a little head poke out in the doorway behind Minerva. She gave her a little smile and put the things Minerva had given her down on the bed. "Hello, Lucy."
Minerva turned around to see Lucy all dressed and ready for the day walk into the room looking a little frightened. Minerva gave her a smile as she watched her walk over to Amelia and take her hand.
"Aunty Amelia, are you okay?" she asked in a small voice.
Amelia smiled and kneeled down in front of her. "Yes, love. I'm okay."
Lucy smiled a little. "That's good," she said. "Sometimes when I'm sad Mum or Nina will hug me to make me feel better. Do you want a hug?"
"Sure," Amelia said with a smile. She opened her arms up and Lucy hugged her.
When they pull away, Amelia straightened up and picked the clothes back up. "Well, I guess I should get ready for the day too."
Minerva smiled. She held her hand out for Lucy. "Come on, darling. Let's let Aunty Amelia get changed and ready. We can go get some breakfast."
Lucy nodded and took her mother's hand. They walk out of the room and Minerva closed the door behind her. Amelia stared at the door for a second before moving to get ready for the day. When she was all ready, she walked down to the kitchen where everyone was sitting eating breakfast. Nina smiled at her and got up so Amelia could sit in her chair.
Amelia learned that Daniel and Raj were running away today because Nina's friends were coming over. Amelia smiled as she listened to Daniel try to justify to Nina why he didn't want to hang out with her and her friends.
"It's not that I don't like them, I just -"
"Don't want to be here when they're here?" Nina asked with a raised eyebrow. "They are great people."
"They are! I love all of them," Daniel said quickly. "I just don't like them when they're all together. Sixteen people, Nina! That's insane!"
"Sixteen?" Amelia asked. "Are you having a party?"
"A dinner party, yes," Nina said. "Just to celebrate the end of our first year. This is the first time we're all free at the same time in a long time."
"I think it sounds lovely," Raj said, "and I don't want to get in the way of you girls having your fun so I will leave you be. I have some work in London anyways."
"Don't think I don't know that you're actually running away too, Uncle Raj," Nina said, giving him a look.
"Nina, how dare you suggest such a thing. I would never," Raj said, putting his hand over his heart in mock hurt.
Lucy laughed and Nina shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Alright, go, but I'm not saving any dinner for either of you," Nina said.
"Will you be coming back home tonight, Raj?" Minerva asked.
"No, I'll be back Monday," Raj said. "I think you guys will be okay without me for one day."
"Oh no, how could we ever survive?" Minerva said with a smile.
Raj smiled. "I know it will be difficult but I'm sure you'll be okay, Minerva," he said. "If you need help, Lucy can always help you. I always put her in charge when I leave."
"I'm in charge?" Lucy asked with a smile.
"Of course," Raj said.
"Do you want the house to burn down while you're gone?" Daniel asked. "Lucy can't be in charge!"
"Yes, I can!" Lucy said.
They laughed. They talked some more and then cleaned up breakfast. They hung out in the living room for a while, playing games and watching television. Then they had lunch. A little while afterwards, Daniel and Raj headed out and Nina started preparing for her friends to arrive. Minerva helped her in the kitchen with magic while Amelia and Lucy sat at the table and kept them company.
"And then I got stuck and I couldn't come down," Lucy said, telling her aunt about getting stuck in a tree last week. "And Uncle Raj had to come get me down."
Amelia smiled. "Well, at least you got to see the bluejays, right?"
"Yeah, they were cute. They were just babies!" Lucy said happily. "I went back to look at them again but they're not there anymore. The nest is still there but the birds are gone."
"Oh, they must have flown away," Amelia said.
"Do you think they'll come back?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know," she said.
"I hope they do," Lucy said. "When Nina's friends come over, Mum said that we can go to the park! Are you going to come with us?"
"If you want me to."
Lucy nodded vigorously. "You can see me do the monkey bars!" she said. "I'm pretty good at them now! I can do it forwards and backwards and can climb on top and swing upside down too!"
"Wow," Amelia said with a smile. "Well, I can't wait to see."
Lucy smiled. They talked for a while longer until Nina and Minerva were done in the kitchen. Nina's friends began arriving and they were all lovely. They did hug and kiss Lucy, fawning over her like a baby, but other than that Minerva couldn't see what Daniel and Raj had against them. That was until she heard them all sitting in the living room together. To say they were loud would be an understatement. They talked and laugh at a decibel that Minerva didn't think she would be able to reach screaming. They spoke mostly in Hindi, very fast, dipping into English every now and then.
"What are they saying?" Amelia asked. She, Minerva and Lucy were sitting in kitchen.
"They're talking about how big the house is and how well Nina has done for herself," Lucy said.
Minerva smiled and shook her head.
Soon they left for the park, leaving the noisy house behind. Lucy excitedly ran ahead while Minerva and Amelia walked behind her.
"It's a nice day," Minerva said.
"Hmm... yes," Amelia said a little absentmindedly.
Minerva looked over and gave her a little smile. "You know, you don't have to go back to work on Monday," she said. "If you're not feeling up to it, you can take some time off and stay here for a while or with Steven and Poppy or Emmeline."
"No, I'll go back tomorrow."
"No, you won't. I'm not letting you do that."
Amelia gave her a look. "And how do you plan to stop me?"
"The same way I did today," Minerva said with a smile. "Apparently you listen to Lucy better than you listen to me."
"She's much more persuasive," Amelia said with a small smile. "You are right though. Rochester is like a private little world untouched by the war. It's nice being here, getting away from it all for a while."
She nodded. "It's the only thing keeping me going."
They made it to the park and watched Lucy play. She showed them all her monkey bar tricks and had Amelia push her on the swings. Some of Lucy's friends came by and she played with them while Amelia and Minerva sat down on a bench and talked.
Eventually it was time to go home. They went back to Collins Mansion, Lucy running around excitedly telling them about her day, and had dinner in the kitchen while Nina and her friends ate in the dining room.
Amelia felt a little bit better eating with Minerva and Lucy. It was nice to leave the war behind even if it was for just one weekend. She had been letting it consume her day in day out for so long and now finally she had a little bit of peace. Maybe she should come back here more often.