Marriage is Murder

Robert let Dakota splash in the pool until he didn't hear splashing anymore. He looked up to see she was just sittiing in the pool. He got up and went around to see that she was asleep in the water. He picked her up and took her up to the nursery and transfigured her into dry clothing an put her in her crib to nap.

He was pleased. He found Khaat in the nursery still. "I'm going to go check on teh house and lay some protective spells and see if I can find what started it. I expect you to stay here and take charge of your house. I'm taking your mother with me. We shouldn't be long."

"Okay," she said. He went downstairs and told Jack and Steven that they were in charge of the security for the house while Brian and Khaat were injured and while he and Kate were going to be going out. Then he and Kate put on their coats and apparated out.

Jess smiled seeing a sleeping Dakota being carried in and placed in a crib. Steven finished up in the barn as Robert came in and told them to secure the house while Brian was out of i. Jack aperated back to the house and headed to the play room smiling as he saw each child being placed down for a nap. He walked over and kissed Jess before checking the whole house. Steven finished up and aperated back also heading to the play room cassidy had just laid Catlin down and walked over to him .

" some thing made Dakota become angry Roberts gone to check things out " she said and Steven nodded.

" Jack, you stay here I'll check as much as I can" he said and they left.

"I think I'll join you," Khaat said. She got up and got her jacket and put on her boots and picked up her wand before going outside. She began searching.

"Mrs. Quinn," Lee's head auror said, "Anything wrong?"

"I dont' know," she said, not picking on the fact that while he was recognizing that she belonged to Brian, she also knew that he had gotten her name wrong. She was still a Lupin.

"Then I should go with you," he said.

"As you like," she replied. She began to make a show walk around the house up close to the house and the flowerbeds. She saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. And then, near the playroom she saw footprints, or rather pawprints in the snow in the flowerbeds. If she hadn't known better shed have thought they were werewolf prints. The thing that didn't make sense to her was how small they were. They were entirely too large to be a grown werewolf or even close to it. She was puzzled.

Steven saw what she saw and knelt down " looks like a wolf " he said and looked at Lee " what do you think, wolf or wear?" He asked and moved to let him look. Inside Jack stood by the window and looked out he was not looking at the others out side but beyond to the woods he was frowning and focused as Jess walked over to him. " you ok?" she asked and he didn't move.

" somethings out there it was watching you all earlier " he said and looked down at her. Steven saw Jack and looked at Khaat then Lee " tighten up security no man is to patrol alone he must have a partner " he said and looked at the woods he then looked at Khaat " if that's ok with you?" he asked " I have grown to trust Jacks instincts " he added.

Lee drew out a small brown leather book from his pocket. It was loaded with pages and pages of illustrations. He flicked through it and looked at a footprint. He knelt and compared the footpriint with an illustration of a wolf print.

"It can't be wolf," Lee said. "Look. It's entirely different. Its not wolf." He flicked backwards a few more pages and looked again. He became quite serious. "Look." He showed an illustration of another sort of pawprint. It was almost an exact match.

"Do I want to know what that is?" Khaat asked.

"Its a werewolf," Lee said. "You have a problem."

"It can't be. Its too small," she said.

"It most certainly can be," Lee replied. "I said it was werewolf. I didn't say it was an adult. This one is a child. And if it has the balls to come right up to your window, this one already doesnt' have much fear of anything. And..wait..." he saw something behind a bush, almost against the house. "Look. Blood. Either it killed or it was wounded. And a wounded werewolf, even a child, is nothing to mess with."

Jess looked out at the others as they spoke " jack I'd suggest you go out with them we'll be fine " she said and patted her wand . Jack moved out side and over to the others he sniffed the air now certain.

" wear , small child " he turned to the woods " that way" he said and looked at Lee " take one to know one , he or she will be scared " he knew that feeling he had been there already in his life and didn't want another to go threw it. He wanted to go look but he also knew he could not leave the house unguarded at the same time.

Khaat looked around and saw where Jack was pointing. "Let's go," she said.

"Now, wait," Lee said. "We're supposed to keep you safe. You're not supposed to go werewolf hunting."

"I'm not. I'm a mother. Looking for a child," she said.

"You're splitting hairs with me," Lee said, hustling a step or two to keep up with her as she headed off in the direction Jack indicated. Lee motioned other aurors to the house and then looked at Jack.

"You coming?" he asked. He watched his staff move to the house. "If you don't come, then go warn Robert and Kate that they might not be safe on their farm right now either. They might not be expec ting the possibility of their farm being invaded by a half grown werewolf. I don't want them blindsided."

Jack looked at Khaat he was about to talk when Lee spoke first to her Steven knew where this was going and moved to Jack " I'll go inside and stay with the women " he said and aperated in. Jack moved with Khaat and Lee shrugging at him .

" we have learned she is head strong and determined when there is something she wants" he said and followed her towards the woods " wait Khaat let me check it out , even a child wear can do some damage " he said and glanced at Lee " I know all to well " he said softly .

"Go," Lee said, drawing his wand and putting the book away. "Wand, Khaat." She drew hers and they followed Jack into the woods. They watched Jack head into the trees. and they followed several paces behind. The next thing she knew, she heard the crackle of wandfire and Lee dropped to the snow like stone. A second crackle fired, and she felt herself falling. She didn't think she was dying. She wasn't sure. It all happened in slow motion. She landed in the snow beside Lee, her vision fading. He was either unconscious or dead, and she didn't have the ability to reach out and find out as the darkness began to swallow her up. She tried to call to Jack, but her voice didn't work. The last thing she saw was Lee's chest rising slowly and shallowly. He was still alive. She heard the odd biter laughter of something that waas not child and not entirely monster either. Then it all went black.

Jack watched as both Lee and Khaat dropped to the ground he heard the laughter he crouched and gave a low growl hoping who ever it was would see he was one of them. " show your self " he said his voice gravely as he moved to check Khaat finding her unconscious along with Lee in the snow he stood between them both and looked around " I can smell your fear, COME OUT !!" he said his fists clenched as he spoke to keep himself focused on his human side so he would not slip too far into his wear side. His eyes changed to yellow as he looked around.