Being Minnie's Daughter

Chapter 24

Remus' POV

I stumble out of the hospital wing and slowly start up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room. Two days ago, December 2nd, was the full moon and it has left me more exhausted than usual and my injuries have been getting worse. As much as I don't want to harm my friends, when they become animagi it will be so much easier. James, Sirius and Peter all came by early this morning to let me know that they were heading to Hogsmeade today to get presents and they each had part of my list to take with them. Yesterday and today are Hogsmeade days to allow the students to buy presents for their families and I'm sad I'm missing both days.

As I near the dorms I see Lily and Marlene walking towards me. "Hey are you guys going to Hogsmeade too?"

Lily smiles, "Yeah we are going. I would ask if you want to come with us but you don't look too good."

"Are you coming down with something Remus?" Marlene asks.

"Oh no, I'm not. I just feel really tired so I was going to relax in the dorms today," I lie to try to assure them I'm okay. They don't know I'm a werewolf so I can't tell them that I know why I look so rough.

Lily gives me the look where she knows I'm lying but doesn't press the issue. "Well, Mackenzie got all her shopping done today so she will be staying in the dorm too if you want to spend time with her," Lily informs me.

"I think I will do that, thank you ladies," I smile before walking up the rest of the stairs.

I enter the common room and see there is no one there. "But they said Mack was here," I mumble to myself.

Bummed, I trudge up the stairs to my dorm and find the Marauders map. This will tell me where Mack is. I search the map and finally find Mackenzie's name in the girls' dormitory.

"Now how do I get over there," I think out loud before remembering that embarrassing moment with Mackenzie. "Through the wall!" I exclaim.

I head over to the empty corner and put my hand out. Once I'm satisfied that my hand can pass through I take a deep breath and walk through the wall.

"Remus! What the hell are you doing here? Get out! GET OUT!!" Mackenzie yells from the ground right next to me.

"Why do I have to leave?" I exclaim before noticing all of the wrapping papers and bows scattered across what must be her bed and the floor. "Are you wrapping presents?" I ask.

"Yeah I am Captain Obvious," she stands up and pushes against my chest. "Now leave."

I put my hands up to surrender and walk backwards to the fake wall. "Can I come back when you finish wrapping my present?" I ask.

"Yes!! I'll come get you. Now leave," she shouts with one final shove.

"Jeez, I'm going. And Mack, you might want to relax. Your hair is fire red," I teased.

I hear a frustrated scream and notice a shoe flying towards me as I step through the wall. Instinctively I ducked and the shoe flew over my head and crashed into James' dresser.

I kneel on the ground and pull out my trunk from under my bed. Since I knew I wouldn't be able to go to Hogsmeade this weekend, I snuck out to Honeydukes last Saturday after Mack and I spent hours working on the Animagus potion. I stocked up on more chocolate frogs and also grabbed some sugar quills that Mack loves so when she searches my bag for candy she can take the sugar quills instead of my chocolate.

After sitting there for about 15 minutes Mack comes over, "Okay you can come over now."

"Alright, I'm coming," I begin as I stand up from reading in my bed. I slowly walk over to her when I stop.

"Are you okay?" I ask her once I finally get a good look at her.

She laughs softly, a tired sort of laugh. "I think I should be asking you that question, you look awful."
I sigh, finally feeling like I should admit the truth. "I feel awful but honestly you don't look so good either." Her hair looks really dull and so do her eyes. She looks like she's beyond exhausted.

"C'mon, I'll help you wrap presents so it will be done quicker then we can nap for a while," I persuade her and pull her through the wall.

She sits down in front of her bed and I sit next to her. She reaches over and hands me a book of pranking spells and tells me to wrap it in moving snowman paper for James while she packs some potions she made in a box for Sirius.

We are busy for a couple minutes but soon it feels like it's too quiet in her room so I cast a spell to make Christmas music come out of my wand. She starts to hum along to the music while we add the finishing touches to the rest of the presents she had already wrapped.

"Do you think the boys will mind if I give them their presents right before we leave to take with them and open on Christmas?" she asks me.

I think about it for a moment, "They won't mind if you do that. They would be okay with opening them before Christmas too if you wanted to watch them open the presents."
"I don't mind not watching them open the presents. I would rather them open them on Christmas Day."

"Then give them to them on the 15th then everyone can pack them before we get on the train on the 18th."

"That's right!" Mack exclaims. "I totally forgot when everyone was leaving since I'm staying here for Christmas. I'm glad that they gave you a whole day after the Yule ball to finish packing before you leave on the train."

"What do you mean after the Yule Ball? We aren't having a formal dance this year," I fretted.

"Mum announced it yesterday before we left..." she trails off. "You weren't there, you missed the announcement."

I sit there shocked and my friends said I missed nothing. "So, uh, when is this dance and what is the like theme and such?"

"Seriously Remus, it's a Yule Ball, what do you think the theme is?" she sasses.

I blush, "Good point."

She laughs so cheerfully. "The ball is on Friday the 16th. It starts at 9 pm and goes until 1 or 2 am, I don't remember which one. It's also a masquerade ball though. Mum wants everyone to wear a mask."

"Cool," I say softly before standing up.

"Where are you going?" she protests.

I reach down and grab her hands and pull her up. "Nap time," I say with a smile and guide her over to my room.

"Then why are we switching rooms," she moans.

"Because girls are technically aloud in the boys' dormitories while boys are not allowed in the girls," I explain as I lift her into my bed.

"Oh, right. Don't let me sleep too long. I have other stuff to do," she mutters as I climb in beside her.

"Mhmm, like what, homework," I tease knowing she already completed all of her homework already. She's already asleep as I turn out all the lights and drift to sleep holding onto her.