Picnic Anyone?

Missing Scene

September 16, 1996

Regina and Harry exited the kitchens with a dozen baskets of food and several baskets of drinks between them for the impromptu picnic out by the lake. Regina had told Harry after the professors had finished searching them for the Dark Mark and he in turn told Hermione and Ron. By the time lunch had rolled around, all the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Years knew about the picnic as well as the professors. No one had told them that they couldn't have it so Harry and Regina went to the kitchens only to have Dobby insist on laying out a dozen or so blankets out by the lake. Harry had told Ron, Roberto, Sam, and Bobby where to find the Marauders Map so that they could sneak into Hogsmeade to get some chocolate from Honeydukes. Harry reminded Ron to grab the Invisibility Cloak as well. Regina kept shuffling the baskets as she and Harry started through the Entrance Hall. She saw several Fourth Years looking enviously at the gathered teens outside.

"Give yourself another year and you'll be out there, kids." Regina gave them a brilliant smile as she and Harry passed them to head outside.

"That was nice but why didn't you invite them out there with us?" Harry looked down at his cousin.

"Because we're actually trying to fix people up out there and the fourteen year olds don't need to know about it." Regina shuffled the baskets once again. "These things are heavy. What did the House Elves put in them? The whole cow?"

Harry laughed slightly. "Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you and Sirius talk about last night?"

"He told me about the pranks that he, Mother, and Uncle James did over the years." Regina shot a look at her cousin. "What's wrong?"

"Did he tell you whether or not he blamed me for his death?"

"He didn't say anything, but, Harry, he wouldn't blame you. You didn't make him go to the Department and fight his bitch of a cousin. He loves you like a son. Why would he blame you?"

"I don't know."

"Listen, from what I've seen of Snape, I guess he's not the greatest teacher in the world. It's possible that he waited to tell the Order. He might still be working for Voldemort."

"Snape hates me. You and Ron think alike but then again I think so too."

"Besides, Mother told me a little bit about the prophecy that they were guarding. She didn't tell me what it contained but she said that you should have been told years ago but weren't. "

Harry just looked at his feet. He could feel his cousin's eyes on him. "She's right."

"Yeah, well..." She stopped before turning to face her cousin. "What was the prophecy about?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't give a shit. Now spill."

Harry took a deep breath. "Can I tell you later? I want to tell Ron, Hermione, and Ginny too."

"You may as well tell all the X-Men, kid. We're here to help in any way that we can. Besides, Rosie here will eventually spill the beans." Logan had snuck up on them.

"Hey, Wolverine, shove it up your ass." Regina stuck her tongue out at the wiry Canadian.

Harry had looked over at his cousin. He didn't think that anyone could have done or said what she did to Logan and lived. "Could we discuss it tonight? I know somewhere we could go and not have any eavesdroppers."

"Get your team together, Rosie, and you too...Falcon. I'll get the X-Men and the rest of the DADA teachers. We'll meet at nine tonight." Logan watched for Harry's reaction to his codename. Veronica and Professor McGonagall had told him that Harry was a fair flier so the name suited him perfectly. "Don't worry about curfew. This is going to be a student-professor meeting. Just make sure your whole team is there. That means anyone that you trust."

"Cool. Meet me at the portrait of the Fat Lady and I'll take you up to the room."

"Nice." Regina looked over at Logan. "Could you help me with some of these baskets, Logan? They're getting heavy."

"Sure thing, Rosie." Logan looked over his shoulder and whistled. "Alex, Inu-Yasha, Ginta, come help Rosie and Falcon with these baskets."

Alex, Inu-Yasha, and Ginta grabbed several of the baskets from Regina and Harry before heading outside with them. Regina looked up at Logan who had taken the last of the baskets from her hands.

"Why are you hiding in the Entrance Hall, Wolverine?" Regina kept pace with the Canadian. "Shouldn't you be in the Great Hall with the rest of the staff?"

"Dumbledore and 'Roni asked me to get some of the Defense Professors together to keep an eye on the lot of you. Besides you've got five new kids out there that are in Gryffindor. I don't want the rest of you to scare them off." Logan moved down the stairs.

Regina followed Logan down the stairs and surveyed the group gathered by the lake. She barely heard Harry's gasp of surprise when he saw Ginny and Hermione talking with the Slytherin Sixth Year Prefect, Blaise Zabini. Most of the students seemed to be getting along with the remaining Slytherins. It turned out that most of Slytherin House did not support Voldemort. Regina was glad to see the Houses finally uniting against the common enemy. Regina watched him push past Neville and Luna, who were talking to Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson, which was a surprise in itself. Draco was nowhere to be seen but the Gryffindors were being civil to the remaining Slytherins. Regina smiled as she realized that Hermione, Ginny, and Blaise were speaking to the five new students. The four girls were as different as night and day. One girl had bright red hair that would have fit in with the Weasley family. Her brilliant jade green eyes were twinkling with mischief. She'd be perfect for Fred. Regina's gaze landed on the dark haired girl with hazel eyes. Her laugh was infectious. Blaise smiled broadly at her but Regina knew that this girl would be better off with one that was most like her. Gambit is perfect for her. He'd balance her and she'd keep him in line. I'll have to see about hooking them up. The blonde girl with aquamarine eyes gazed around the group looking for anyone that wasn't talking to anyone else. She smiled as Draco appeared out of nowhere, walked over to her, and engaged her into an animated conversation. Who'd have thought she'd like Draco? Forget that. Draco's not her type. She'd be better off with Blaise. This brought several others over to discuss whatever topic came up. The brown haired girl with bright blue eyes was watching her friends before Harry started to discuss what Regina assumed was Quidditch which in turn brought Bobby and Piotr over to learn the finer points of the game they had been trying to learn. She's going to be hard to find one for. He's going to have to like sports. It's a shame that Bobby and Piotr are taken. Regina started toward the crowd when she saw the new boy leaning against a tree trying to ignore everyone around him. Hmm. Maybe he'd like Pansy or Daphne. Regina turned her attention back to some of the Seventh Years asking Logan questions about some of the classes they were going to have.

"Hey, Reggie! Over here!" Marie waved her over to the small group that now just contained the new girls and some of the former DA members.

Regina jogged over to the group. "What's up, 'Rie?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Rie?" Marie rolled her eyes slightly. "I thought you'd like to get to know our new classmates. This is Beth Byars. She's the oldest of the group."

Beth Byars stuck out her hand for Regina to shake. "Nice to meet ya. Do ya know of any joke shops around here? I'm running low on dungbombs and fireworks."

"I know of one. It's called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The place is awesome." Regina felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

"Did someone mention us?" A muscular arm draped over Regina's shoulder.

"Freddie!" Regina wrapped her arms around his waist. "Beth, this is Fred Weasley. He's co-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

George frowned slightly. "What am I? Hippogriff shit?"

Marie raised her eyebrows slightly. "Language, George."

George draped his arm across Kitty's shoulders. "Kitty doesn't mind my language."

"Of course I do, George. I just know not to nag you about it." Kitty looked up at George.

Regina jerked her thumb at George. "That is George Weasley, Fred's twin and the other owner of the joke shop."

Beth grinned broadly. "Nice to meet ya both. I'm Beth and these are my friends, Tabitha Lawyer and Lindsey Swann, and my sister, Katie. That guy over there is Justin Charge." Beth pointed over her shoulder at the sullen looking boy. "We're all from the Salem Witches' Institute."

Regina grinned. "Good we need a few more people from the States to keep these Brits in line." She ducked as Fred took a swing at her. "You missed."

"I planned to miss." Fred stuck his tongue out at Regina as a dark headed man stepped up to the group. "Did you forget that you're dating a Brit?"

"Hey, Harry. Keeping the team in shape?" The man clapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Yeah. Oliver, I'd like for you to meet my cousin, Regina Croft-Lupin." Harry slid an arm around Regina's waist. "Reggie, this is Oliver Wood. He used to be the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor."

Regina stuck out a hand and Oliver grasped it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Oliver."

"You too." Oliver noticed Lindsey watching him. He walked over to her. "Hi, I'm Oliver and you are..."

"Lindsey Swann. You used to be the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor?" Lindsey grinned. "I used to play Chaser on my old team."

Regina shook her head slightly as Oliver and Lindsey walked away from the group. "Well, looks like Lindsey has found herself a new friend." She looked over at Fred and George. "What are the two of you doing here? Did you decide to come and cause come mischief?"

"Well, we're actually playing delivery boy this afternoon. Charlie wanted you to have this." Fred held out a brightly wrapped box. "He said to tell you that he went back to Romania this morning and he misses you. He also sent a kiss but I don't think he really wanted me to give it to you."

Regina took the small box from Fred, slid her finger under the paper and carefully unwrapped it. She slipped the lid of the box off and stared at the exquisite dragon hair clip with matching earrings. The dragons were made out of jade and edged with gold. The hair clip was large enough to hold Regina's hair in a high ponytail but small enough to hold a small amount of her hair away from her face. She pulled the earrings from the box and removed her small gold studs to put her new earrings on. The dragon earrings dangled about an inch from her earlobes. They swung with each turn of her head.

"I'd say that you like them earrings." George had moved toward Kitty while Regina had been putting on her new earrings.

"Of course I like them. My dragon tamer knows what I like." Regina grinned as Harry groaned slightly. "What, cuz?"

"Nothing. It just seems like our family can't get away from redheads." Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist and nuzzled her neck. "Give Reggie Leobug, Ron."

Ron handed Regina the dark headed baby. "He's already eaten."

"Good." Regina nuzzled Leo's neck. "How's my little bug doing today?"

"Is he your kid, Harry?" Beth scooped up Leo out of Regina's arms and snuggled him close to her chest.

"No. His dad is one of the Defense Professors but his mum asked me to take care of him." Harry watched as Tabitha and Katie started to fuss over Leo as well.

Regina shook her head slightly as she looked around the group. "Hey, Harry."

"What, Reggie?" Harry glanced over at his cousin.

"Let's talk about what we're going to do to get Marina and Richard together."

"Sure thing."

"Maybe we can help?" Beth handed Leo to Ginny before motioning to Katie and Tabitha.

"How?" Regina turned to look at the newest member of Gryffindor Tower.

"We could lock them in a closet and see what happens?" Beth smiled broadly as she nodded her head.

"They'd never speak to us again. Besides we're trying to unite all the Houses." Regina rubbed the back of her neck. "Let's see. How about we arrange the seating so that Richard and Marina are next to each other?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Harry took Leo from Ginny because he had started fussing. "Can we please kick it into gear? Leo wants his food. Again."

"Hungry little Leobug." Regina tickled Leo's sides slightly.

"Of course he is. Look who his daddy is." Ginny shook her head. "I swear Sirius could pack it in."

"Let's eat." Regina moved toward one of the center blankets while Harry and Ginny followed her.

Beth looked around for her friends and saw Lindsey and Oliver seated on one of the blankets closest to the Forest. Fred, Katie, George, and Kitty had joined them. Draco was trying to talk Tabitha into taking one of the blankets somewhere more private but Blaise managed to talk her into joining him. Beth smiled slightly when she saw Justin joining Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass on a blanket. Both girls were making a fuss over him. Once she saw that all her friends were seated and eating she moved to the blanket that Regina had claimed and joined her new friends. Logan was working his way through the crowd while Ginta was seated at the same blanket as Fred and George. Shippo, Rin, and Anakin were quietly enjoying their lunch while listening to some of the Seventh Years complain about the change in their classes.

"What's going to happen in the new classes?" Harry reached for a piece of fried chicken.

"I think Professor Lupin said that we need a lot of help. We're going to learn hand to hand combat, how to fight with a weapon, and stealth." Marina took a bit of potato salad from the bowl that Richard had held out to her. "I think we're going to need it."

Ginny turned to the Slytherin Seventh Year. "Are you going to be able to work with Gryffindors?"

"If I weren't, do you think I would be sitting here and eating lunch with you?" Marina raised her right eyebrow slightly.

"Maybe." Ginny glowered slightly as she turned back to Leo and finished feeding him. "After all, Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor and he betrayed his friends by becoming a Death Eater."

"You can't book judge a book by it's cover." Marie's southern drawl lengthened her words slightly. "Not everyone is as bad as you think. Look at Wolverine. You would think that he would be a monster compared to someone like Magneto. But Magneto is the monster."

"Right." Regina placed her empty plate onto the blanket. "Magneto tried to kill all the world leaders...and Marie. Wolverine, along with the rest of the X-Men, saved them and Marie. He was willing to give his life for her."

"Really?" Marina leaned forward slightly.

"Yeah. You see Logan kinda has a hero mentality. He thinks that he has to save everyone." Regina didn't notice that Logan had come up behind her. "He jumped into the X-Men team when Marie was in trouble. He came back to the mansion before Stryker attacked. He helped keep Stryker's men from hurting us. He even saved Mother from a bunch of ..." She noticed that everyone was looking at the person behind her. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Harry nodded as a hand landed on Regina's shoulder. "I've a hero mentality? Where are you getting your information, girly?"

Regina plastered a smile on her face and looked up at Logan. "From all the times you helped me and Mother."

Logan shook his head as he flopped down onto the blanket. "I never could stay mad with you, Rosie."

"I know." Regina looked around the blanket. "We've got a lot to do and short time to do it in."

"You've got seven years of learning to do." Harry spooned some mashed potatoes into Leo's mouth.

"You've got plenty of learning to do yourself, pal." Regina nudged Harry's elbow slightly. "Don't think because you've gone through six years of magic that Mother is going to let you slack off in your training."

Harry gulped as he watched Regina for a minute. "What do you mean?"

"What she means, Falcon, is that you're going to be getting trained by me, Inu-Yasha, Lord Sessho-Maru, Koga, Obi-Wan, Veronica, at least until we make her stop, Remus, Ororo, Scott, Jean, Lorna, Alex..." Logan noticed Harry shaking his head. "What?"
"I don't want to learn anything from Alex. He's got foot in mouth syndrome." Harry picked up a roll and took a bite.

"Harry, all men have that syndrome, even Logan here." Regina ignored Harry's gaping mouth when she saw Richard's hand move slightly toward Marina's.

Marina turned and smiled at Richard as his fingers wove through hers. Regina turned to Harry and gave him a dazzling smile. That's one set of people together. At least for today. Regina looked around the crowd and saw more and more of the teens moving toward one another and forming couples.

"Hey, Rosie." Logan put his empty plate back into the basket as several others started to clean up around them.

"What, Logan?" Regina stretched slightly as she watched Logan climb to his feet.

"How about we show these kids what it's like to battle an X-Man?"

"Oh goody. I get to beat you up again." Regina jumped to her feet as Hermione made the baskets and blankets disappear.

"Don't even think about it, kid." Logan started to stretch as Regina stretched her muscles out. He knew that she could take him but really didn't care. She still had a lot to learn from the others and her mother.

Regina and Logan didn't see all the students and guests gathering in a huge circle around them. They bowed to one another as Logan had taught her and Marie. Several of the students gasped as Logan's claws slid out. Regina laughed maniacally as she and Logan circled each other.

"Come on, Wolverine. Take your best shot." Regina flipped backwards as Logan lunged for her.

Regina's left foot swung through the air above Logan's head as he ducked the roundhouse kick. Logan watched Regina's hands form a cup. "Oh, shit!" A ball of white light flew toward him. "Damn Dr. Strange. He never should have taught you that."

"You're just pissed that he did and you didn't." Regina jumped to her left as Logan lunged at her.

"Girly, you'd better start fighting fair."

"Who said this was a fair fight? Can I help it if my powers include that of a witch and a wolf?"

Logan dodged a bright blue ball of light as Regina managed to land a hard right to his chin. "If your mother saw you right now..."

"She'd tell me to give it to you!" Regina flipped over Logan and landed a roundhouse kick to his back.

"Damn it, girl! At least let me get a punch in!"

"Not bloody likely. You'd cut me to ribbons with your claws." Regina dodged Logan again as he lunged toward her.

"Hold still."

"I think Regina has one up on Logan." Hermione settled back against Ron as they watched the escalading battle before them.

"I feel sorry for any Death Eaters that get in her way." Harry bounced Leo slightly as Regina's bright purple ball of power grazed Logan's right arm. "Damn. She's going to have to teach me that."

"Don't worry, pup. She will." Inu-Yasha's voice floated down from the tree he was perched in.

"Why do you say that, Inu-Yasha?" Harry watched as the half-demon landed beside him.

"Because of your destiny." Inu-Yasha shook his head slightly as Harry started to ask him what he meant. "You'll have to ask Tori about it. She can explain it more than I can."

Harry nodded as he turned back to the fight. He noticed someone coming from the front of the castle. "I think they better call it quits before Professor Lupin gets here."

"Too late." Ginny giggled as she watched Veronica approach the group.

"Come on, old man. You can take a little girl." Regina taunted Logan as she had been taught.

"I don't want to hurt you, Rosie." Logan circled around her carefully.

"You never could before." Regina flipped over Logan as he lunged for her. "You missed."

Veronica pushed her way through to the edge of the crowd of students. "Enough, you two."

"But Mother." Regina straightened her uniform slightly as Logan's claws slid back into his arms.

"I don't need to be taking you to the Hospital Wing. And you should know better." Veronica moved back through the crowd as the rest of the Seventh Years hurried down the front steps to the castle.

Regina gave Logan a lopsided grin as she dropped onto the grass. "We'll have to finish this later."

"You're not going to get the better of me, Rosie." Logan moved away toward the rest of the teachers.

"You're just pissed that Mother stopped us." Regina laughed as Logan shook his head.

Several of the students made their way over to Regina and clapped her on the shoulder. She just grinned. Now that the Slytherins, as well as the rest of the Fourth through Seventh Years, knew what she could do, maybe they would think twice before messing with any of the X-men or even Harry and his friends. Merlin help any Death Eaters that got in her way.