"Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes, Miss Darcy?"
"If I could have a second. I've got a question about animagus forms."
Minerva McGonagall was sitting at her desk in her classroom, which was empty save herself and a sixteen-year-old girl standing in the doorway.
"Well what do you need to know?"
"I-um…Professor, are you feeling well?"
The girl had stepped closer to the desk and now that she was so near she could see that Professor McGonagall did not look well at all. She as much more pale than usual which made the dark circles under her eyes all the more apparent.
"Yes of course, Miss Darcy" said the professor but some of her usual briskness was lacking.
When the girl looked skeptical, Minerva's temper flared.
"Don't you look at me like that, Regina Darcy!"
The girl had a wicked, mischievous look in her eyes for an instant before casting them down to the floor.
Professor McGonagall relented slightly. "I am a bit tired perhaps, but I have survived much worse, I am sure."
"Of course Professor."
"Now," Minerva fixed the girl with a beady stare. "What was it that you came to-?"
"Minerva!"
A-Albus!" Professor McGonagall looked up to find Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster and her dearest friend, standing in the doorway where Regina had been a minute before.
The change in Professor McGonagall was slight but surprising. Though she looked up sharply and with concern for his tone, her eyes grew warmer and some almost imperceptible color bloomed in her cheeks.
"Minerva, I need you. I must speak with you privately."
His words seemed to make her sad. She looked down at her hands. Regina Darcy squinted at her face, wondering.
Professor McGonagall looked up, composed. "Is it quite serious, Professor Dumbledore? I am with a student." She indicated to the young woman standing at her desk.
Dumbledore blinked at her coolness and Miss Darcy looked uncomfortable at getting dragged into this. "It's all right Professor McGonagall. My question can wait for my lesson this evening." She inclined her head to the witch at the desk and then again as she passed the Headmaster on her way out.
Minerva stood and swept over to Professor Dumbledore, bidding him to come in and shutting the door behind him. "What happened?"
"Oh nothing, Minerva, nothing! Only that Ludo and Barty have just told me what the First Task is going to be!"
"What is it?" Minerva asked, though she feared the answer.
"Dragons!" He practically shouted. "Bloody dragons!"
Minerva clutched her heart and stumbled backwards to her chair. "Dragons? Dragons? I mean…we all knew…but dragons?"
"I've made a terrible mistake, Minerva. I never should have allowed them to let Harry compete! What if…What if…?" The enormity of it all seemed to hit him in that moment and he sank down onto one of the desks with his face buried in his hands.
"Oh Albus." Minerva approached him slowly and perched herself on top of the desk next to him. "Albus this…this is not your fault. There was nothing you could do. Harry is bound by ancient magical law."
"I'm supposed to keep him safe." He choked through his fingers.
"Oh Albus." She said again. Not knowing what else to do she placed her hands on his shoulders and carefully leaned his frame into hers, bearing up the weight of the man who bore up the wizarding world. She put his head under her chin and held him tightly. "He will be fine. We will make sure of it."
He responded with a small sniff.
Afterwards, neither could remember how long they sat there, holding on to each other. Neither seemed particularly eager to let go.
Finally, Albus looked up. Eyes dry and his nose centimeters from hers. "We should go down to dinner."
"Oh. Yes and I have some essays to mark and then a private lesson to prepare for."
"Ah yes," Albus sat up straight. "How is Miss Darcy progressing in her animagus training?"
"Oh very well enough" said Minerva, though she seemed distracted.
"Just well enough?"
"Well no. She's doing very well. Remarkably well as a matter of fact. Her form is developing nicely."
"And what is it?" He asked.
"We can't be sure yet. Though I think she has in inclination. It's something with fur. It could be a wolf or something of that sort."
"You know," Albus said pensively. "When she first came to Hogwarts, I wasn't entirely sure she'd be comfortable here."
"Yes, I think about that too sometimes." Minerva replied.
Regina was an American, the only American to attending Hogwarts School. She had transferred here after the tragic death of her mother. Just at the beginning of this term so she was still very new. No one knew why she chose to leave her home and come to be educated in Scotland. She never talked about it.
"She is a talented girl." Minerva allowed.
"As were you." Albus reminded her. "You were particularly easy to coach as I recall, so determined. At times I feared you would hurt yourself. But you never did."
"Of course I didn't!" She said as though that were a stupid thing for him to worry about. "Any injury I might have sustained would only have set me back! But then…I don't think I fully appreciated what a cause for worry I must have been. She is determined to say the least. In fact, she wears me out sometimes. And no doubt when she is gone after next year or even before, I'll have Hermione Granger knocking on my door, ready to begin." She smiled weakly at him and he seemed to notice, for the first time, her fatigued appearance.
"Minerva, you are not well."
"Oh for heaven's sake Albus I'm fine!"
"No, I don't think you are. No, please don't interrupt." He said, for she showed every sign of wanting to contradict him.
"I was so caught up in my own affairs that I didn't even notice that you've been neglecting yourself."
"But Albus…"
"Just listen to me. Poppy told me that she found you asleep at your desk yesterday."
"Poppy" Minerva ground her teeth.
"Yes and I'm glad she did it. Those essays can wait. As can Regina Darcy. Why don't you go upstairs and rest. You can reschedule your lesson."
"No Albus, I can't. I've much too much to do anyway to go off to bed like an invalid. I am perfectly healthy!" She was eyeing him sharply as if contemplating whether or not a duel would convince him. "Besides, how can I help you, help Harry, by going to my rooms and lying down?"
"Oh Minerva," he sighed. "Help yourself." Then more sternly, "If you're going to force me to order you as your employer than I most certainly will."
"Oh alright! I'll…I'll leave off these essays but I won't call off her lesson, Albus I completely and adamantly…" She caught sight of the look he was giving her. "What if I end it early and then go rest up a bit?"
Albus speculated for a moment. "Agreed."
Minerva stiffened as he gave her shoulders a little squeeze and said "I need you here by my side as well as you can be."
"Yes of course you're right." She relaxed. "I'll start taking better care of myself. I'm sorry.
"Excellent." He stood up.
"Shall we go to dinner?"