(A/N): Hey Guys! So, this chapter's rather short. Really short. But, it's 1 am, and I need to sleep. Besides, this year is going to be somewhat shorter than the last, I hope. I also hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Shari, Nicholai and Quiggly.

Leo

After lessons ended that day, we all met up in the Room of Requirement, and simply stood around the table staring at the ingredients that had 'mysteriously appeared' there this morning.

"Well... should we get to work actually brewing this thing, or just stand around staring at it some more?" I asked quietly, and Minnie turned to glare at me disapprovingly.

"Of course, just let me pull my cauldron from thin air." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes, and I raised an eyebrow.

"We are in the Room of Requirement, you know." Her angry expression turned to something that could almost be considered sheepish.

"Right, of course." She muttered, snapping her eyes shut, and in the next second, a cauldron and a few brewing utensils appeared on the table beside the ingredients I had collected the previous night.

"Ooh, feisty Minnie." Remus teased, and she glared at him. I swear to god, she looked like she were about to actually growl at him. "Okay, okay, it's just a Leo thing then!" He backpedaled, holding his hands up in the international sign for surrender.

"I'd prefer if no one said it, but if it has to be said..." She hissed, turning to glare at me, and I simply smiled at her innocently.

"Love you Minnie!" I said sweetly, and she rolled her eyes again with a defeated sigh.

"Whatever, let's just get to work. It says here that the potion takes two months to brew, if done correctly- and we cannot afford for it to be brewed incorrectly." She sat herself in one of the chairs, and Remus and I glanced at each other before sitting in the remaining two.

"Anything you need us to do?" She shook her head quickly, too quickly.

"Min, you can't just shake your head. You know we're just going to find something to do anyway, so just let us help." I told her, and she didn't look up from the potions book, but I could tell I had almost worn her down.

"Yeah, let us help before we set something on fire." She paused before slowly looking up at us and sighing.

"Alright, alright, if the alternative is you two getting destructive on me." We cheered, and highfived before managing to compose ourselves, but Minnie still rolled her eyes in- dare I say fond?- amusement.

"You can start by chopping these, Leo. And Remus, you can mush these into a paste using the mortar and pestle." She handed me some leeches, and Remus some newts eyes, and we shared a rather disgusted look before setting to work. A quiet chuckle echoed through the room from our transfiguration Professor, but we tried our hardest to ignore her.

Over the next few hours, we got all the worst jobs she could find for us, until finally, just before it was time to head to bed, we were ready to start brewing. And start brewing we did.

At this, we fell into our chairs once more, all exhausted, but on a high seeing as we were many steps closer to freeing our friends- or students and colleagues- from the evil trance that Maloney had placed over them.

It hurt to think that Elaine, usually outspoken and bold, was now under the control of a madman, her opinions no longer her own, her teasing tone turned blank, and pliable.

It was like they were different people, we had noticed, over the past few weeks. Everyone was changing. Sure, the changes were slight at first, but they were definitely noticeable to anyone who wasn't in the trance themselves. People's whole personalities changed! Of course, pertaining to the Slytherin's, this was probably a good thing.

"Professor, do you have any kids?" I raised an eyebrow at Remus's seemingly random question, and Minnie momentarily froze, before she managed to recollect her typical measure of composure.

"No." She said quietly, and I stared at her silently, a small frown upon my lips. "At least, not anymore." Oh. I tried to change the subject, to avoid revealing the heartache that was obviously hidden behind her words.

"I don't think I'll ever have children." They turned to stare at me.

"Why not?" Remus asked, and I blinked. Of all people, I thought he would have understood.

"Because if I do, they'll probably be like me. And I don't want my children to have to go through life like this." I muttered the last bit almost silently, staring at my hands, clasped as they were in my lap.

"Oh." Remus murmured, and I realised that this thought had probably never occurred to him. Aw yeah, way to go Leo, make everyone sad!

"If I do have kids though, I'm sure I'll be the most embarrassing, awkward as hell dad ever." I said quietly, and Minnie smiled at me somewhat sadly.

"I think you'd make a great father. Both of you." We glanced at her, returning the smile, before turning away again, blushing slightly.

"Thanks Min. It means a lot." And this time, I wasn't lying.

(A/N): So what did you think?

*Read This*

So, in my head, at some stage during her life, Minerva had a miscarriage. Or, like, her baby died during childbirth.

I know there is no record of this happening, but just bare with me, okay? It's head-canon.

And with the whole, Leo not wanting to have kids thing, I figured he'd be a lot like how Remus was when he found out Tonks was pregnant with Teddy.

Of course, Leo was trying to lighten the mood, or at least draw attention away from Minnie's painful past, and it turned out rather...wrong.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

In microsoft word, this story is now almost 100 pages long! Yay!

This chapter has had small edits made to it on 29/12/22