Jean smiled as she felt Sam drink in her first sight of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Even living in a castle two-thirds of the year didn't render her completely immune to feeling awe at the size of the institute. For a brief second she opened their connection and saw the neoclassical mansion she'd called home through new eyes. It took her breath away all over again.
They shared a private smile before Jean dialed the link back down to manageable levels. She kept it open enough to identify the few students wandering around the front lawn for her wife.
Rahne was a new student from Scotland, she'd only been at the school a month before Jean had left for England. She was of course sticking close to her recent crush Roberto who had come from Rio De Janeiro only a week before her arrival. Jean actually didn't recognize the two girls that were sitting on the opposite lawn from Rahne and Roberto.
The driver finally pulled to a stop outside the front doors. All three of the London group, Kitty, Logan and Professor Xavier, were there as well as Ororo and Scott. Sam waved off the driver's offer of assistance with their bags and gave him a good tip once they were sure they had everything. Jean could feel Sam's apprehension spiking, but there was nothing they could do now but face the music.
"Welcome to the Institute, Samantha. I'm pleased you decided to join us." The Professor said easily. "You've met Kitty and Logan. These are Ororo Munroe, one of our teachers, and Scott Summers, one our longest standing students aside from Jean."
Sam took each of their hands in turn, "Jean's told me a lot about you, all of you." She tried to make certain that came across as a compliment, though the reality was more complicated than that. "If you don't mind Professor, I think it would be best if Jean and I met with the staff for a tick before I get too settled in."
"Is there a problem?" Scott asked earnestly. It would have been endearing if Sam hadn't just stated that it was none of his business.
"Just some orders of business is all. I'm sure you'll hear plenty about it later." Sam replied keeping her tone only politely cutting.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll have a great deal to go over." Professor Xavier said. 'Such as your choice of jewelry.' He broadcast silently to Jean making her grimace. They'd decided not to hide their rings on account of the fact that they could just explain they were engaged until Sam was eighteen. Sam even wore her torque openly, though Jean decided to forgo wearing the circlet outside of formal functions.
"Scott, if you wouldn't mind informing Dr. McCoy that we are having a meeting of all the teachers in the sitting room. Kitty, I'm sure the others are quite curious about our newest resident. I'd appreciate if you could convince them to remain patient until we've sorted everything out." Xavier said. Once the two teens had split off the rest of the group made the short trek to the room in question.
For the first time, Jean herself began to feel apprehensive. These were people she respected. She'd worked damned hard to live up to the Professor's expectations. Could she really bear with it if they no longer respected her?
In an instant the anxiety Sam had been fighting against was tamped down so thoroughly that for a second Jean thought it was gone completely. A physical bump of Sam's shoulder made Jean glance at her wife. She nearly stumbled at the resolute expression facing her. 'Let me be the bad guy.' Sam sent her.
Jean smiled but shook her head. 'We're in this together.' Despite her words she could still feel Sam's determination and the diamond hard edge of her sense of loyalty.
The sitting room somehow felt more ominous than it ever had before, even with the large window letting in plenty of sun. Sam and Jean had taken the couch on one side while Ororo took the opposite couch. Logan took to holding the wall up behind the couch and the Professor wheeled over to the window to look out over the front lawns. The sight of the lawns reminded Jean to make a psychic check for eavesdroppers which thankfully came up blank.
Hank's entrance a few minutes later drew all eyes to his obvious embarrassment. "Ah, I appear to be fashionably late." The eloquent chemist observed and moved to take a seat next to Ororo. Despite Sam's surprise and fascination blooming loud and clear over the link, she managed to give the blue furred man no more attention than was polite.
Jean caught Sam's eyes as the girl looked to her for strength. The instant ended as Sam slowly drew her wand. "Magic…" She said as she wordlessly shrunk one of the nearby chairs and summoned it into her left hand. A few lightning quick flicks of her wand and there were four chairs which became small Chihuahua like dogs in the color of the upholstery. The dogs raced across the room and came to heel, one in front of each teacher. "Is real."
"What Sam just did is not a product of the X-gene. From what I've been able to gather, the magical branch of humanity split off much earlier and is a much more stable mutation." Jean told them.
"Assuming it is a mutation at all." Sam cut in. "Ever since I found out about my mutation I've been thinking about it a great deal. It could also be an energy parasite or a spell created by a non-human species that simply has a large weighting on family in the criteria."
The reactions around the room varied by quite a bit. Logan looked at the dog at his feet and wrinkled his nose in distaste but said nothing. Ororo had actually picked up her dog and was petting its maroon fur. Hank was examining the dog but also seemed very interested in their theories. Xavier was the most inscrutable of all. "I assume this is not something you'd like to advertise?" He asked.
"It's illegal to share the secret at the moment. You're Jean's guardians before everything else so I've been given express permission to tell you this. The rest of the students, however, are not to know." Sam replied.
"Fascinating. I hope you can spare some time to allow me to study your abilities. It may help us more fully understand mutants and perhaps humanity in general." Dr. McCoy remarked.
Sam gave him a slight nod and then took Jean's hand in her own and summoned up her courage. "Jean and I are engaged." Xavier and Logan took this in stride having already guessed. Ororo seemed completely dumbfounded while Dr. McCoy's look said he had misgivings. "On the night we first met we developed some sort of psychic bond. From there attraction quickly grew into love, so we're going to make it official as soon as it is legal to do so."
Jean couldn't quite help the nervous glance she shot the professor. What they were saying may be true for the non-magical world, but it was still a half truth. They hadn't even gotten to the real hard part yet and if Xavier called them out on this it was certain to get ugly.
"You're quite certain about this?" Ororo asked. "You are both rather young for such a commitment."
Sam's grip on her hand tightened. "Very," She replied.
Jean picked up from here despite feeling that Sam was about to press on. This she wanted to tell them herself. "I'm pregnant."
This time Logan was the only the one not shocked and he still raised a questioning eyebrow. "WHAT? When did this happen?" Ororo asked. "Who is the father?"
"Indeed, this is a most unexpected development. Please tell me it isn't Duncan's! That would be rather… distressing." Dr. McCoy said.
"No, they aren't Duncan's. They're Sam's." Jean told them. "It'll be four weeks in two days."
The explosion of worry, concern and outrage were suffocating. She wanted to break down into sobs but instead her mind fled to the only safety near at hand, Sam's mind. It was an incredibly disorienting moment as they changed from two minds thinking in parallel to Sam controlling both bodies while Jean's entire world reduced down to only their thoughts and feelings.
'What did I just do?' Jean thought worriedly as she floated in an ocean of pure emotion listening to pure thought.
'What you needed to.' Sam replied adjusting quickly to the change. Her anger felt like scalding waves to Jean's limited senses yet it wasn't unpleasant. Like a hot shower can be uncomfortable for the skin but pleasantly relaxing for the muscles underneath. The sense of love, of knowing that the anger wasn't at her but for her helped to soften the knots of tension plaguing her psyche.
However as she relaxed her attention quickly turned outward. While Sam may have adapted to the change in circumstance gracefully, Jean could easily sense the immense strain it placed on her. With training they could probably do this for hours at a time, but right now even the minute or so Jean had been out of touch was exhausting to her wife. It made her glow inside to realize that Sam was actually trying to hide that from her.
A quick glance at their shared memories allowed her to reconnect with her own body and not miss a beat in the conversation. "Because she may not have that kind of time." Jean replied to Ororo's last question.
"Jean?" Ororo asked, uncertainly. "What do you mean?"
She nodded and squeezed Sam's hand. 'Rest for a bit, I'll take it from here.' "I'm sorry about that. We haven't had time to explore the connection very much recently. It's all very new to both of us." She addressed the first question.
"There's a war about to break out in magical Britain. It's the same war we face here in reverse, but much more immediate and bloody. Sam and I agree, we can't run forever. It's wrong to just roll over and let the bigots have their way, but it's also wrong to expect a school-girl to fight to the death… to be a martyr without ever having had a chance to live. So we'll stay here, at least until the twins are born, but hopefully until we've both finished high school… Then we're going back." Jean told them.
"I see. If that is your position then I respect it." Professor Xavier said.
Ororo gave him an angry look, "But Profess—"
"No, Ororo. While I do not think of the X-Men as soldiers they may, at any time, find themselves in the center of a war. I have asked no less of those who have worn our uniform." He told her quietly. "If the institute can give you the peace you seek then I welcome you to it… But I make no guarantees. We have our own enemies, our own problems. I cannot save you from the world, but I will do what I can."
"You gave me a warning and let me decide. That's all I really ask for." Sam said quietly as she ran a hand through her hair. Jean could see the faint lines of strain and the tension in her neck muscles and she felt a pang of guilt. Reassurance and strength of will immediately flooded across the connection.
'I am curious, though, what you mean by saying that she is expected to become a martyr?' Professor Xavier mentally asked. Sam's experience with the bond allowed her to respond non-verbally as well.
'The… man at the center of the conflict, the self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort… Well, he researched a great deal of the darker side of magic. A great deal that would have been better left forgotten…' Sam was quiet for a long moment. 'In order to increase his lifespan he split his soul into pieces and sealed those pieces into objects so that if he died their existence would anchor his soul to the world of the living.'
Sam leaned back, 'In order for the ritual to take place it requires the murder of an innocent, usually a child. When he attacked my home while I was still an infant… For some reason I survived, but, and I've only figured this out myself a few days ago, because he was already prepared to use me to create a new one I wound up with a piece of his soul inside my head…'
'Now this is very obscure magic, with almost nothing recorded on how to counter it outside of overwhelming destructive force.' Sam told them. 'When I started putting the pieces together, things that didn't make much sense about how I was raised and treated suddenly made frightening amounts of sense. I believe, fundamentally, that the man who is currently expected to lead the opposition to Voldemort wants me to die. He knows what was in my head, knows what it would take for wizards to destroy it. The war won't end until we're both dead in his eyes… So I was ritually prepared to be offered up to the slaughter.'
'And is this still…' Xavier asked in a quiet voice.
'No,' Jean replied immediately, 'I completely annihilated it as soon as Sam and I bonded. Magic may have some options for telepathy but compared to myself or the Professor it's not especially strong.'
'I see… And you have told the man who is acting as your leader as much?' Xavier asked.
'No.' Sam replied, the firmest she'd been all conversation.
The room calmed somewhat as they let everything sink in. Jean could feel Sam and Xavier continuing their mental conversation but more subdued and quietly. Mostly now they were talking about her lordship and managing estates. Xavier readily agreed to tutor her in the subject.
"Sam's magical education didn't include any of the traditional school topics. She'll need tutoring in those subjects if she's going to attend Bayville High." Jean told them.
"I would be happy to assist in that capacity," Dr. McCoy said. "While I may be somewhat biased in my assertion, I believe it will be relatively easy for me to ground the subjects to important matters in your own life. I've found a personal stake in a subject does wonders for learning."
Sam nodded, "Thank you. I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
"I believe we are finished here for the time being." Professor Xavier said, "I will leave it up to the two of you whether or not to inform the other children of your changed circumstances. However I'm sure you're aware that you have a rather strictly enforced time limit before nature takes it out of your hands. Oh, and please, return the chair to its original condition if possible."
They nodded and stood. Sam easily returned the chair to its original form and position but had to put some real effort into vanishing the duplicated dogs. As they headed towards the exit, a strong hand gripped Sam's shoulder so suddenly that Jean felt a sympathetic pressure through the link. "You're coming with me. We need to figure out just what it is that you can do aside from making chair dogs." Logan said gruffly and physically steered Sam towards the elevator that would take them to the danger room.
Tonks looked at the small café her next meeting was in and sighed. She wasn't even certain what the job was, but hopefully it beat the entry level positions that seemed her most likely destiny here in Perth. Not that she would be too broken up about being a shop clerk… She just didn't want to give up on being more just yet.
As she entered a blond twenty something picked up a menu and practically bounced over to her. "What can I get for ya?"
"Uh… Reservations for Adler?" Tonks said uncertainly. She hadn't really had much experience with eating out anywhere fancier than a fast food joint.
The blond cocked her head as though she were recalling something and then smiled and nodded. "After me please." The girl led her to a small booth towards the back of the café. "Here's your plus one Irene. Let me know when you're ready to order, right sure!"
Tonks slipped in across from the sunglasses wearing woman. To her surprise the woman didn't seem to be looking at her at least judging from the position of the glasses. Actually it made her nervous. "Should I just go ahead and order or…" She blushed as soon as she'd spoken. Mentally she berated herself for acting like such an ignoramus.
"Please. Our discussion can wait until after the meal." Irene said and waved down the waitress so they could order their food. Tonks was careful not to order anything too expensive, but still the meal was good. Whoever they had working the kitchen had some talent at least.
"Ms. Tonks, it isn't very often that an auror retires so young. May I ask what motivated the decision on your part?" Irene asked once the food was gone and only their tea remained.
"I didn't want to be a hired thug… Anyone's hired thug. I became an auror with the best of intentions, but the reality was that helping people and putting away dark wizards was pretty much the exact opposite of what the ministry wanted." Tonks told her. "I tried more… Independent work, but ultimately it was the same bull from a different direction."
"I see… So it was not the work itself that you had problems with?" Irene asked.
"No, ma'am. I rather liked the grunt work in fact. More getting stuff done, less political bull getting in the way." Tonks assured her.
Irene reached down to her large purse and withdrew a manila envelope. She slid it towards Tonks but didn't wait to see if she'd pick it up. "There are contact details for a friend of mine in there. She's in Australia for a few weeks to acquire something from a local Hydra base. I've already been made aware she is recruiting for the operation so you should have no problem securing a position."
The blind woman leaned back, "The majority of the paperwork is a license from the ICW allowing you to use your metamorphmagus skills in public. You are not authorized to use wand magic or reveal the secret of our world… How you bridge that gap is frankly up to you."
Tonks hesitated slightly before picking up the paperwork. The sudden good fortune just made her even more paranoid. "Thanks… But what's in it for you?"
Irene smiled, "I'm investing in your future skills. I have an adopted daughter in America that will soon need far more support than I alone can give. When you have seasoned and matured you will make a fine protector for the girl."
Tonks raised an eyebrow, but decided not to push her good fortune. It didn't sound like that bad of a gig… Unusual training period aside. "What's the name of this friend of yours? And how can I convince her I really did talk to you?"
Irene smiled, "She goes by Domino. If she asks for proof then tell her… That I have a lead on the location of Seven. Hiring you is my price for that information."
Tonks hesitated for a moment but finally shook her head. It was none of her business, at least not yet. "Thanks. I'll let you know when I've got the job." She told Irene and received a nod of agreement.
Long after Tonks had left Irene Adler sat at the same booth drinking her tea. Finally she spoke, mostly to herself, but wishing her words could reach another. "Forgive an old woman her meddling, Raven… But I want to see more of your smile before I'm gone."
Sam leaned forwards in the tub to let Jean have unrestricted access to her muscles. 'Even my vocal chords hurt…'
"Yeah… The tests for voice activated powers tend to be… It's just very common that an extreme is needed for activation." Jean comforted her as she carefully massaged her lover's body. Any other time this would have been a fairly erotic situation for them, but Sam was too exhausted to keep her aches and pains to herself.
'Were the laser batteries really necessary?' Sam asked with a childish pout.
"You did the best with the laser batteries! What do you have to complain about?" Jean shot back. Honestly, nobody liked the laser batteries but even the super-agile people like Kurt at least took a shot or two from them.
'They were murder on my thighs. I didn't even know I had half the muscles that are hurting there now.' Sam whined. Jean smirked and slid into a slightly more focused state of mind. Concentrating on Sam's thighs and especially the burning pain leaking through the bond, she molded her telekinesis into invisible hands which she used to massage her thigh muscles as well.
'Oooh… Feels good…' Sam mentally muttered. 'So who do you think has it right, Logan or Xavier?'
"Oh, I think they're both right for different reasons." Jean said. "While you do seem to have some super-agility, I think it's mostly the probability manipulation. The Telepathy is a whole second power set and I really think it's a product of both magic and mutation."
'Huh… What makes you say that?' Sam asked, gaining a bit of energy as her curiosity peaked.
"Well, magic isn't completely devoid of telepathy. In fact it uses it fairly often from what you've seen. However the way it uses it tends to be very different. For instance it usually either senses for something like intent, or its part of a larger binding. I think your exposure to the fidelius which bonded with you, and actively mucked about in your mind, convinced your infant brain that that was how telepathy was supposed to work. Your magic simply enforced it." Jean explained.
'And now I'm the amazing bonding woman… Joy.' Sam deadpanned earning a small laugh from Jean.
Putting on a more serious expression, Jean gathered Sam into her with a hug. "It also probably saved your life. From what you've told me the Killing Curse is probably a very strong psychic attack wrapped up in a spell. I don't doubt you'd bonded with at least your mother by then… So with the sudden loneliness of their deaths and the strange attack you latched on to the nearest mind in fear and by instinct redirected the attack back through the bond you'd just made."
Sam was silent for a long moment. 'You've been looking at that memory again haven't you…'
"Yes." Jean confirmed without hesitation. "She's your mother, Sam. I love her too, just as you did. I don't think it was her that saved you though…" Now Jean was quiet for a long moment. 'Sorry.'
Sam shook her head. 'It's okay. It explains so much.' A bitter smile crossed her face. 'But now I really am the girl-who-lived… That sucks.'
"We need to get out soon and head to dinner. They'll probably mob you for details so keep that in mind… And try to reign in your typical reaction. To them you aren't famous, just new. All most of them really want from you is a chance to find another friend." Jean told her.
Sam nodded, but felt apprehensive anyways. It was easy to tell herself something intellectually. That didn't necessarily mean that she'd be able to keep it in mind the whole time. Oh well… In any case it was time to face the firing squad.
"Fools." A man in a long maroon cloak growled. His face was hidden in the shadows of the hood but at least his voice sounded distinctly Italian. "Mister Wilson, would you be so kind as to grab the target while those idiots are distracting her keepers?"
"Sure, why not." Deadpool answered with a fair amount of nonchalance and set off at a run into the trees. He weaved his way through the gunfight taking place at the tree line without even slowing down. A single bullet ricocheted off his sword as he passed, but the softness of its silver composition prevented it from doing more damage than a solid punch.
The cloaked man frowned as he turned his attention back to the groups exchanging weapons fire. Occasionally a brightly colored spell would cover the intervening ground and light up the small battlefield. The mercenaries he'd hired had fallen into an obvious trap and they would soon be caught on both flanks. Normally this would leave a weakened center that his mercenaries could exploit but they had ignored his most dire warning.
An ear-piercing howl split the air and a teenage boy that had been hanging towards the back began his transformation. Simply having the command of his beast to transform at will at his age was most impressive, but Piotr Rasputin was truly the heir of his prestigious house, whether the ignorant wizards acknowledged it or not. His mutant gift surrounded his transformed hide with a layer of pure adamantium, a metal prized barely below Alchemist's Silver, which not only protected him from all physical harm but allowed him complete control of whether or not he turned his enemies.
His mutation alone, while useful, hardly won him the cloaked man's respect. Accidents of birth were nice but they did not earn you accolades from the discerning. No, it was the hooded long coat and trousers that set this young man apart as an exceptional wizard and a worthy foe. Despite their appearance of unassuming cloth the incredible design, grouping, weaving and construction of the charms rendered them greater treasures than the very armor of Achilles.
Lower powered spells were reflected back at their casters without pause. Higher powered spells still found most of their power refracted reducing bone breaking curses to weak knockback hexes and cutting curses to stinging jinxes. The cloth itself was spelled indestructible, though that could be overcome with enough energy or power and even repaired itself on the few occasions it managed to take damage. Combine all of this with the luck of nature, and truly one could only be worthy of the highest regard. As the idiots he'd sent in as a distraction were now discovering.
The boy tore through their reinforced center like it was butter. Bullets bounced off no matter where they managed to hit. Spellfire sloughed off Piotr's coat like a spring shower. The few times someone managed to cast a Crucio or the Killing Curse his lupine agility allowed him to dodge with ease. None could stand against the metal monster ripping them apart with its wickedly sharp claws.
It wasn't until the rest of the werewolf clan fell upon the flanks of his mercenaries that he felt the distinct tug that warned him that Deadpool had acquired the target and port keyed to the meeting zone. With a cruel smile he activated his own port key and left the mercenaries to their doom. The fools would probably have gone to work for that twit in England afterwards anyways.
As soon as the spinning of his chosen method of travel stopped he was in a posh sitting room. Deadpool was waiting next to a chair that held the unconscious form of a blond girl who was about ten years old. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages to hide the bite mark whose scars would never fade.
Nodding in appreciation the man gestured with a hand causing a nearby landscape painting to swing from the wall and reveal a safe. Another gesture and the safe opened.
"Your payment is within as well as a port key to Odesa, Mr. Wilson. I assume you can take care of things from there?" He told the gregarious, but incredibly skilled, mercenary.
"Sure." Deadpool replied and walked over to the safe. He cracked open the briefcase within and practically cackled with delight at the sight of the gold bars within. However before he left he turned back to the cloaked man. "You know, kidnapping the third member of the love triangle isn't going to end well for you…"
His hidden face twitched. "A hypocritical stance considering it was, in fact, you that did the kidnapping."
"Psh. I'm a breakout character with rave success. The only way I die is if it's to get more readers when they bring me back." Deadpool replied. "Seriously bro, be the nemesis not the obstacle. That's all I'm saying."
"I'll keep that in mind." Was his dry reply.
Deadpool looked at the audience and shrugged, "I tried… It's just not the same without the yellow thought boxes. Oh, and just too really kill the tension for you, he's… Belasco!" He paused. "Strange that usually makes the name go all bold and show up in a fruity font…"
"Who are you talking to?" Belasco asked with a hidden frown.
Deadpool shrugged. "Nobody. You know where to call if you need me, Belly!" He grabbed the port key, a small teacup, and shouted, "I'm a little teapot!" He disappeared with a pop.
"That… Was not the password." Belasco muttered to himself. Shaking off the confusion surrounding the strange mercenary he pulled down his hood revealing his red skin and small demonic horns. He turned to the girl still unconscious on the chair. "I finally have you, my dear… It will not be long before we are safely in limbo and then… then you shall be my apprentice." 'And your power shall be mine!' He thought with a hungry grin.
"Something on your mind?" Scott asked as he, Kurt, Ethan and Kitty sat down to eat.
"I'm just, like, wondering when she and Jean became, like, so close…" Kitty said. She shook her head, "I know she was, like, there in London. I just mean don't they, like, seem kind of too close?"
Kurt looked thoughtful but shrugged, "I didn't notice. But honestly I haven't really seen them yet."
Rogue barely edged out the first wave of the New Mutants in acquiring her dinner and finding a seat. In her case she found somewhere out of the way that wouldn't draw in any of the others. Of course the room did feel rather crowded once the whole group was seated. They'd managed to recruit nine new members over the past six months, and one of them had a power that caused him to multiply. The copies apparently needed food too judging from the small group of identical boys.
It was only after everyone had gotten their meal underway that Sam and Jean came in. A hushed silence descended on the teenagers as they quietly observed the two girls getting their food and then wandering over to where the longer serving members of the institute were sitting.
"Sam, you've met Kitty, and Scott if only briefly. Well this is Kurt," Jean said pointing to the blue furred German boy and Sam quickly shook his hand. "And this is Ethan," She turned to the darker skinned boy and watched as Sam shook his hand as well. "Everyone this is Sam, she's going to be with us for at least a while… And she's my fiancée."
Scott did a spit take and there was a very real concern he'd lose his glasses. Kurt tried to speak but obviously couldn't quite make words form. Ethan was a little wide-eyed. Kitty paused for a very long second and then smiled exceptionally wide. "OH! Do you have a ring!? Rings? Like, can I see them! Can I be a bridesmaid?" She suddenly exploded.
A not so subtle round of murmurs from the New Mutants informed them that one of them had overheard and was sharing the news. Even if most of them didn't really know Jean, it was still obviously very juicy gossip. All of the activity was enough to attract Rogue who moved in close enough to be a part of the discussion. "And what's this all about?"
"Jean and Sam are getting married!" Kitty nearly shouted. Rogue instantly looked just as floored as the others. Scott seemed to have recovered and, from the look of his face, was about to say something they'd all regret in the morning.
In an uncommon display of social acumen, Sam cut him off at the knees by flashing her engagement ring to the two girls. "Our rings are matching except for the secondary color of the bands. I wear red to remind me of Jean and Jean wears black to remind her of me." She said too loudly for Scott to easily interrupt. "Oh, and from what I understand you girls and you, Kurt, are the only members of the group with a power that you might use to directly affect your allies. Is this correct?"
The three in question looked at each other in surprise, "Ah suppose…" Rogue said finally.
Sam steepled her fingers and leaned in slightly. "Then, for the time being, do not under any circumstances use those gifts on Jean."
Kurt was taken aback, "Why?"
Jean gave Sam a look that clearly said, 'You are not…' And got in reply a look that clearly said, 'Oh, yes I am.'
The mischief was still in Sam's eyes as she turned back to her captive audience. "It's just that we don't know if they'll be harmful for the babies."
"WHAT!" The word resounded in stereo but Sam simply went back to eating with a Cheshire smirk. A few moments later she apparently had another thought as she turned to address the New Mutants as well.
"Oh and if I catch any of you trying to play rough with Jean… I'll connect all your minds together, let Jean mash them like potatoes and leave you a walking hive mind with no sense of individuality!" Sam warned with a baleful glare.
Ten identical blond little girls stood in front of a large mahogany desk. Behind them are an array of young adults in black and green uniforms with red X's on their left shoulder and belt. The adults are all glaring at an equally adult Samantha Potter who is looking sheepish despite her sharp business suit.
"What!? I didn't do it!" Sam huffed. "I swear you threaten to make a psychic hive mind just once…"
Susan Bones blinked in surprise as something woke her from her nap. 'That was a very odd dream…' She thought and got up with a light stretch. She looked at her present companions and smiled, "I'm going to go say hi to Auntie."
Nadia, Hermione and Lavender acknowledged her words but went back to their reading. Hannah and Parvati got up to join her though. "So who's next on the list?" Hannah asked.
"Lily Moon," Parvati answered as they walked towards the master study. "She was born at the same moment that your mum died. A little research shows that the Moons are a squib branch of the Gaunt family, well squib until her da that was. So in his Slytherin mania it could be said he marked her, another potential heir, as his equal."
Susan hummed in agreement but mostly focused on making it to her aunt's study. The door to the study was styled to look like the wall around it but that hardly phased Susan as she swung it open. "Auntie I was…"
Four death eaters and a very surprised Pius Thickness turned to face the suddenly opened door. Two of them were actively holding her Aunt Amelia down on her desk with her neck exposed. It didn't take much to guess what was supposed to have happened next. From the woman's unheard screams there were apparently either silencing charms on the room or on her aunt.
Despite her time in the DA and some training from various aurors that worked for her aunt, Susan didn't even think of drawing her wand. Instead she lunged, open handed at the nearest death eater. The man turned his wand on her but fatally hesitated. His eyes widened in fear.
She barely noticed that she wasn't using magic when she ripped his head off with an angry thought and a gesture of her arm. It wasn't until much later that she found out he'd hesitated because of her glowing pink eyes…