A Marauders' Daughter

13

We were nearing the end of October, and I was sitting in Professor McGonagall's office. The professor sat across from me and offered me some biscuits as we waited for Remus.

"So, how are you adjusting?" She asked me. I swallowed the biscuit I just took a bite off before answering.

"Okay, I guess." I shrugged. "Things are different here, but I'll get used to it. Been studying hard for the past month and half."

"Oh, yes. Your potions exam is next week, isn't it? Don't worry about it, you'll do fine. If Professor Snape suggested something like that... Let me just say, he has never done something like this for the years he's working here."

"Well, I wish to make Remus and Professor Snape proud."

"That's a sentence I thought I would never hear." A ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Hm, I guess you know about their...rivalry." I decided. "Since you were already teaching back then."

"I was, and it wasn't pretty."

"My uncle told me all about it, he regrets that he never intervened when the others took it too far. But what happened then is between them, not me. So, I just hope he sees the same."

"I know he had a hard time when he found out Remus and you were coming, but I think you've proven that you're not them, but brilliant at potions."

"I wouldn't say brilliant." I murmured as I looked at my biscuit and broke it in half.

"Believe me, if Professor Snape goes out of his way for you like that, you must be pretty brilliant. Especially seeing the history with your family. Ah, talking about family. Remus, please sit."

"Thank you, Minerva." I looked up from my biscuit to see Remus walk in with a smile but hearing his voice I knew he found it strange to call her by her first name.

"So, since we are all here. Can you tell me why you wanted to meet with me?" She asked, her eyes going between me and Moony. Moony smiled and nodded for me to go on.

"I was wondering if I could start a club."

"A club. What kind of club?" She asked intrigued and surprised at the same time.

"A duelling and defence club. It would be a combination of duelling and muggle martial arts. And one of the most important parts is that it would be open to all houses."

"Hm." She hummed as she leaned back in her chair and thought it over, her fingers tapping against each other. "That sounds interesting. Do you have an instructor in mind, a supervisor."

"I would oversee everything, Minerva. I would be the instructor together with Alec."

"You want to teach the others?" McGonagall's eyes shifted to me.

"I've been training since I was eight. I've trained under Courtois and had duelling lessons before I started school."

"That's impressive." Her lips turned in a smile. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"The empty classroom on the third floor, it should be big enough." I answered. "We've been practicing there since we arrived at Hogwarts."

"And from what age do you want the kids to join?"

"We thought about third years and up first, if there is enough interest from the first and second years, and we have an opening, we can expand to them."

"No." She shook her head, and my heart dropped. "If we're starting this, and the younger students want to join, I'll supervise them and I could let some of the seventh years help with the muggle fighting, if necessary. There must be some of them who have learned it." She took a piece of parchment and wrote something down before glancing back up to me. "I really like the idea of a mixed house club; can I ask why you insist on it?"