A/N: I am posting this as one of a series of ficlets documenting the progress of the relationship between Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. These are my opinion on how the couple came together. I am also posting this based off of the fanfic 100 challenge. I know this isn't too long, but I am just capturing moments in Minerva's life until she returns to Hogwarts. If you want fluff, it will come soon: probably in a couple fics from now.
Pairing: ADMM
Challenge: #94 Independence
Words: 439
Summery: Minerva has graduated and is now enrolled in wizarding college. Why can she not stop thinking of a certain someone? This is a sequel to "Hope for the Future."
Disclamier: I don't own Harry Potter. While I wish I had JKR's talent for writing, I don't. Please don't sue me.
Independence
Minerva was sitting in the courtyard of her chosen wizarding university. She was attempting to transfigure the tiny mouse in front of her into a robin. Bone structures being completely different, it was a hard change to make. She sighed. She wished she had Professor Dumbledore here to help her. He would have more than enough patience to help her. Noticing the mouse trying to escape, she quickly transfigured it back into its original form, a quill, and tossed it into her bag. She pulled her knees up to her chest and her hands and head on them. She knew she missed him more than she should. While it was normal to feel out of sorts at the beginning of college, it was now her third of four years. She didn't miss most of the staff nearly as much as she missed Dumbledore.
College was all of what she dreamed it would be: fun, entertainment, and independence. No one yelled at her for being out after curfew; in fact, there was no curfew. She had attempted dating, but the more she tried, the more she thought of that blue eyed, auburn haired professor. College gave her the independence she had once craved, yet she also with that feeling felt lost and lonely. She missed Hogwarts. It was her home. She had to study more independently than before, fix meals independently, and pretty much do everything independently. Yes she had friends, but they didn't mean as much to her as her Hogwarts friends. She sighed. She didn't physically need people to help her along, yet she wanted companionship, a companionship that the boys which she had tried dating couldn't satisfy and her current friends didn't fill. She knew there was nothing she could do about it right that moment so she changed her train of thought.
She had no clue what she was going to do after she graduated. She wanted to be a transfiguration professor, though the only school she wanted to teach at had its position already filled by the man haunting her dreams. She could find a job at the Ministry, but that didn't appeal to her, especially seeing as how it would put her in danger against the dark wizard Grindelwald. He was a radical, and a dangerous one at that. She didn't know if he would attack but she didn't want to take that chance. She shook her head and picked up her bag. She now had to go to her dorm to practice her animigus form. For now, she would study and relish her independence as much as she could before it was gone.