It's Witchcraft

Chapter One

The ambience in the small, country railway wagon was tense, and it wasn't because of the skinny, old spinster in the corner, nor because of the middle-aged man, anxiously focusing on his terribly uninterestingly looking newspaper.

It was all because of the young, handsome couple who looked as if they could tear the other apart every second.

"Well where you go I cannot follow!" the young man raised his voice at the younger woman opposite him, taking off his hat in sheer anger.

The woman just stared at him, back perfectly straight, silently raising one eyebrow. It were her hands, nervously playing with the ends of her tartan shawl, which gave her away, though.

"Frank, you cannot be serious!"

He merely shrugged his shoulders, his handsome face angry and annoyed as he stared out of the window.

"Frank!"

Her shrill yell cut through the atmosphere like a knife, but he didn't even look at her anymore. His hat still in his hands, he crossed his legs and impatiently tapped his leather shoe against the wood.

"What have I done wrong, Frank?"

She was obviously in control again, because nothing more than a slight trembling of her voice indicated her obvious distress.

He simply sighed.

"Minerva, you going to teach at Hogwarts is... is..."

"Is a wonderful job opportunity! What do you want me to do, Frank? Being your loyal housewife while you're off in the States, strolling about and..."

"Minerva, I am trying to earn money here, and guess who will enjoy that money along with me?"

The girl, not much more than twenty-one years of age and a beautiful, Scottish type- dark hair, white face, faint blushes on cheeks- rested one hand on her trembling chest as she half stood up.

"Not me, for I'll be at Hogwarts! Teaching!"

"Then after all it won't be you who'll enjoy it!"

"Do I want to?"

They now stood opposite each other like lifelong enemies, her green eyes shooting fire, his blue ones merely sending icy glares into her direction. He didn't reply, though, and she stretched out her arms in an exasperate gesture.

"Frank, you don't even want to get married!"

He just rolled those remarkably light eyes of his as he fell down on his seat again. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her back next to him. She reluctantly obeyed.

"Minnie, honey, really, why would we get married now? I mean, you're still so young, and I have to earn some money, remember? Can't have the distraction of a marriage going on now, I'm sorry. You'll have to wait some time."

"How long?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders, settling his hat on his head in a fashionable way.

"Some years, I s'ppose. And now really, Minnie- Minerva, you can't be serious about the Hogwarts-plan!"

The last sentence had obviously come out with more anxiety than he'd intended it to, for he immediately leant back in his chair again and did a considerable effort to keep the corners of his mouth in a confident expression.

Her Scottish stubbornness proved once more to be one of her more important character traits, for immediately, though her eyes were tear-filled, she stuck out her determined chin and nodded.

"I am, Frank. Why can't I have a job- it'll be very interesting and Albus asked me, since we worked together two years ago, and..."

"Albus, Albus, Albus, ALWAYS ALBUS!"

This was the first exclamation which managed to make the paper-reading gentleman look up from his obviously interesting activities. With an irritated glance at the quarrelling couple, he concentrated again on the yellowish pages, leaving them to an uncomfortable silence.

When Frank spoke up again, his more quietly spoken sentence was not less accusing than his yelled one.

"You want to marry, eh, Minerva? But who, honey..."

He bowed over to her till their noses were nearly touching. In other surroundings, with other expressions on their faces, it would have been an almost romantic gesture. But it so obviously was not. The firm grip of his right hand on her chin forced her to look at him, as he hissed

"Who is it you want to marry, little one? Me, or that dearly beloved Hogwarts of you... and more in particular your darling "Professor Dumbledore"?"

With an angry movement, she removed his hand from her chin, but her eyes were big and sad as she shook her head.

"I don't understand you anymore, Frank. I love... I think I love you, but why do you think I am... I'll not give up Hogwarts, Frank. I am sorry."

These, he knew, were her last words on the topic, and the firm line of his mouth showed that she had found her equal in stubbornness in him.

"Then we are over, Minerva. WE ARE OVER, do you hear that? Go to Hogwarts and screw your beloved Dumbledore for all that I care, as if..."

"You know NOTHING of what there is of love between Albus and me! There's nothing! Absolutely..."

But the train had already pulled into the London station that was their final destination, and with a swift move, Frank had put on his elegant coat.

"It's over, Minerva. I'm off to the States."

He banged the door shut behind his back.

"...nothing." Minerva flatly ended her sentence.