Distressed
Disclaimer: I don't own HP
Hermione was on her way to the kitchen at Number 12, Grimmauld Place when she heard the front door open and close. Curious, she paused at the foot of the stairs to listen. She recognized the voice of her Transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall, along with Mrs. Weasley's, "Have you heard anything?"
"I'm sorry Minerva, there's been nothing." Hermione noticed that Mrs. Weasley responded in a sad voice.
She also noted that Professor McGonagall's voice cracked as she responded, "But it's been two weeks!"
"I know, I know," Mrs. Weasley replied in a soothing voice. "I'm sure that you'd be the first to know if he sent word to anyone. I'm sure he's okay."
"Well – thank you – I must go," Professor McGonagall dismissed herself in a barely restrained voice.
Hermione heard the door open and close and rushed off to the kitchen so Mrs. Weasley wouldn't know she had been eavesdropping. The teenager was utterly fascinated by what she had heard. Minerva McGonagall, in Hermione's memory, was the picture of cool, calm, and collected. This new side of her did not fit with what she knew of her Head of House.
Hermione paid close attention to Mrs. Weasley, watching to see if she discussed Professor McGonagall's distress with anyone else. Whenever she heard her professor's voice or saw her face, however briefly, she paid attention to every move and every word.
It was not difficult to watch Professor McGonagall, because her visits were becoming more and more frequent, and longer. She seemed more distressed each time Hermione saw her, and it worried the girl. What could possibly cause her teacher to fall apart like this? Usually, Minerva McGonagall was strict and strong, brave and proper, and never, to Hermione's knowledge, so distraught.
It was an odd day at Grimmauld place for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George when Professor McGonagall stayed for dinner. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to be the only ones aware of the woman's new attitude; the members of the Order that stayed for dinner and Ginny seemed to notice too. Ron never notices anything of the sort, and the twins were too busy either laughing at people or making people laugh.
Right now, the professor was quite pale and thinner than usual. She was staring at her hands, which were in her lap. Although no one could see, she was rubbing a gold band on her left ring finger with her right fingers nervously. Hermione thought that the older woman looked like she wanted to cry, but had run out of tears to cry with. Instead, her expression was blank, unstaring. Hermione had a feeling she knew why; it was another week after she had overheard the conversation in the hallway and Professor McGonagall would most likely be much worse after three weeks of whatever was causing her so much distress.
Ginny leaned close to Hermione, who she was seated next to at the dinner table, and whispered so only the other girl could hear, "What do you think is wrong with her? I've never seen her so depressed."
Hermione told Ginny about the conversation she had overheard, adding, "She's worried about some man that's important to her, like a father, husband, son, or something like that. Maybe she's close to a nephew or godson?"
"I think you're right," Ginny murmured back. "She must love whoever's missing very much."
The girls were not the only ones watching Minerva. Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Bill, Tonks, and Remus were all watching her with concerned expressions on their faces. Sirius, Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus were all oblivious. Sirius was wallowing in self-pity and Mundungus was laughing with the twins so neither noticed.
As Mrs. Weasley served dinner, Hermione and Ginny noticed that she deliberately left Professor McGonagall last. They watched as Mrs. Weasley put the older woman's plate in front of her and stood next to her seat until she looked up from her lap. Mrs. Weasley took this opportunity to say quietly, although the two girls heard, "He's going to be okay. Please eat; he's not going to want to see you dead when he returns. You know him; he'll blame himself and become terribly guilty if he sees you like this whether you're alive or dead. To be completely honest, if you die of starvation, I think he'd kill himself with the guilt. Now eat."
Minerva nodded wordlessly and picked up her fork. She picked at her food, taking a bite once or twice, but she wasn't in the mood to eat. Even Sirius had noticed her odd behavior by now and was frowning every time he spared a glance at her as he ate. Soon everyone was done eating but Minerva. Mrs. Weasley frowned in frustration, but then her face lit up as if she had just had an idea.
Mrs. Weasley hurried over to the fireplace, grabbed some Floo Powder, threw it in the flames, thrust her head into the fire and shouted something inaudible. She sat there for a while with everyone but Professor McGonagall watching her until she finally pulled her head out with a triumphant look on her face. She moved away from the fireplace and the flames turned green again.
A man with auburn hair stepped out and moved away, watching the flames expectantly. An auburn haired woman followed him, who was followed by two ebony-haired women, and then another redheaded female. The oldest looked to be in his mid-thirties and the youngest looked to be in her late twenties.
All five walked over to Minerva's chair and stood around it with their arms crossed. She finally looked up, and her shock was apparent on her face. The only man spoke, "You haven't been eating."
Minerva spoke for the first time in a while, and her voice was hoarse from lack of use and crying, "Well Allen; what do you expect? It's been three weeks!"
"I never thought I'd see the day when we had to take care of you, not the other way around," the third woman to enter the room commented.
"Ella, what are you saying?" the oldest woman asked.
"I'm saying we force feed her, Cathy dearest," the woman called Ella answered.
Minerva shook her head, "I don't want to eat. I don't feel up for it."
"We're not going to let you starve," the youngest one stated defiantly.
"Hestia…," Professor McGonagall sighed, looking at the girl who had spoken last, "You don't understand!"
"Don't I?" the girl called Hestia said coldly. "If you haven't noticed, he's my father. Of course we understand, but he's missing because he wants us to stay alive."
Sirius finally overcame his shock of seeing five people he had never met before enter his house, "Excuse me, but who are you?"
Mrs. Weasley exchanged a glance with Professor McGonagall, who nodded. It was Mrs. Weasley who answered, "They're Minerva's children: Allen, Catherine, Ella, Victoria, and Hestia from oldest to youngest and, ironically, the order they stepped out of the fire."
"Yes, well, if you'll excuse us, we need to force-feed our mother, now," Cathy said, picking up a fork. Victoria and Hestia each took one of their mother's arms so she couldn't fight it. Ella gave her mother an apologetic look before forcing her mouth open. Allen confiscated her wand and pointed his at her.
Everyone else but Mrs. Weasley gaped as Cathy shoved food down Professor McGonagall's throat and one of them saying, "Chew and swallow." This was normally Allen, seeing as he could threaten her with a curse if she didn't comply. Eventually, Minerva's plate was cleared and Mrs. Weasley took it away with a smile at the five adults. Allen handed her a glass of water and she drank it, glaring at her children.
The four women grouped together, and Cathy had her wand out, pointing it at her mother as Allen handed her back her wand. Allen jumped back to his sisters once he had placed the wand on the table. Minerva snatched it up, pointed it at them and said, "Incarc–,"
But Cathy cried, "Protego!" blocking the spell. Fred and George were roaring with laughter at the scene that had just unfolded before them; their professor's children were afraid of her temper, "Mum, why don't you come back with us? Dad will probably come there first looking for you."
"He will come here first," Professor McGonagall said defiantly.
"Are you sure?" Victoria asked.
"Yes," Minerva maintained.
"Fine, but if you stop eating again, we're coming back," Allen threatened. The five stepped through the now green flames, shouting, "McGonagall Manor," as they threw the Floo Powder.
Days passed, and Professor McGonagall begun to look better, but still distressed. It was the second night in a row that Mad-Eye Moody had eaten with them, and he suddenly said, "Minerva."
She looked up from her plate with sad eyes until she realized that his fake eye was fixed in the direction of the front door. She jumped up faster than anyone expected her to and ran for the door. Everyone remained seated, and Moody averted his magical eye from the direction of the doorway.
Minerva had entered the hallway just in time to see a slightly worn-out Albus Dumbledore step through the door. She hurried over to him, happy and relieved tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Albus took her into his arms as she cried into his beard, placing soft kisses on her head. He rubbed her back comfortingly as she whispered, "I was so worried about you."
"I'm sorry, my dear," he murmured, holding her close and rubbing her back soothingly.
Minerva wondered if she should tell him what had happened with their children. They wouldn't want to upset him, and she didn't either, and she knew no one in the room behind her would tell him, but she didn't want to hide anything from him. "Albus…," she hesitated.
"What is it, Minerva?" he asked in a soft voice.
"I don't want to hide anything from you," she sighed.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't either," he replied with a wry smile.
"So I'm going to tell you something I'd rather not," she murmured into his beard.
"What happened?" he asked, suddenly serious.
"Well…Molly had to bring our children here…all five…," she started.
"Why?" Albus prompted.
"To force feed me," she answered quietly.
"So you weren't eating?" he asked just as quietly.
"I was so worried about you," she sniffed.
"I am so, so sorry," he repeated as he stopped rubbing circles on her back and wraped his arms tighter around her.
Minerva looked up, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," he said to her, putting his forehead against hers.
"You worried a lot of people," she continued.
"I'm guessing you did too," he guessed.
"Yes," she sighed. "Our children are waiting for you at our home."
"I assumed so, but I had a feeling I needed to come here first," he smiled, the sparkle returning to his tired eyes.
"I had a feeling you would," she smiled back. "Are you going to tell me what you've been up to?"
"Maybe," he teased, his jovial attitude returning now that he was reunited with the woman he loved.
Minerva pouted, her eyes sparkling in a manner reminiscent of her husband, "Please?"
"Of course I will, Tabby," Albus chuckled. "Later, though."
She sighed, giving him a sharp look, "Fine."
"That's good enough for me," he grinned.
"It should be," she said before she pressed her lips to his, and he responded immediately. It was a slow and tender kiss filled with emotion, mostly longing. The couple had missed each other so much and had longed to be back together everyday they were apart. As Minerva's fingers tangled themselves into his hair just behind his ear, they thought about how happy they were to be together again and relieved that the other was okay.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, everyone was still in their seats. Ron asked, "Mum, who's her husband? Do we know him?"
"I can't tell you, Ron. Not many people know, and that's the way it's supposed to be," Mrs. Weasley sighed.
"I believe I have a right to know what's going on in my own house," Sirius frowned.
"Then ask her yourself," grunted Moody. "If she thinks you ought to know, she'll tell you."
"Are they still here, Alastor?" Remus asked.
Mad-Eye flicked his eye quickly in the direction of the door, "Yeah. Talking."
"Do you know, Remus?" Sirius asked in disbelief.
"No," he answered, "I just wanted to know if Minerva was still in the hallway with her secret husband."
"They're just talking?" Fred asked incredulously.
"If they were doing anything else, do you think I would tell you?" Moody asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," George answered slowly. "But are they?"
"He's just holding her, talking to her. I don't have magic ears, so I can't hear what they're saying," he answered. "No more questions."
They sat in silence for a while before Minerva walked in, looking much happier than she had in weeks, "Goodnight, Molly. Thank you – for everything."
"Not a problem, Minerva," Mrs. Weasley smiled.
"Wait! Who's your husband?" Sirius called.
Minerva paused in the doorway, considering him, "You are terrible at keeping secrets, Sirius."
"That's not true! If it's really important, I can keep it!" cried Sirius desperately.
"What about Severus and the Whomping Willow?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That was because I was a stupid teenager," Sirius defended. "I won't tell a soul."
Minerva tilted her head to the side, considering him again. She glanced out the door at Albus, who nodded, and she raised her eyebrows. She turned back to Sirius and sighed. She moved forwards, "Don't shout out when I tell you."
She bent over and whispered, "Albus Dumbledore," in his ear so only he could hear. His mouth dropped open and his eyes popped.
But then he grinned, "No way."
Minerva rolled her eyes and told Remus. His reaction wasn't as dramatic, but his mouth opened slightly in surprise, "It – it makes sense."
She smiled a half smile, waved goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, and left the kitchen. Albus and Minerva Dumbledore left the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and Apparated to McGonagall Manor, where they were greeted by their children and their grandchildren before being allowed to retreat to their bedroom where they each had their first peaceful and restful night's sleep in three weeks.