Chapter 3
Hermione glanced at the calendar, October 31st, All Hallows Eve; and she sighed. It had been just over two weeks since the wild events at the Ministry, Ron's splinching and the long days and even longer nights as they rotated who wore the damning necklace.
It seemed to pull the very warmth from the air and body. It felt, heavy. Encased in darkness.
And she had only been wearing it for an hour.
Grabbing her coat and wand, she slipped out of the tent for a bit of fresh air. Unlike the bone seeping coldness, the wind held a fresh, almost crisp flavor and the sky as black as Snape's robes and the stars iridescently bright. It reminded her of nights upon the Astronomy Tower…
Drawing her arms about herself, she continued to stroll inside the warded barrier; thoughts returning to Hogwarts. Quidditch season would have been in full swing, the second game having been played. The Houses vying for the cup.
Innately, a smile pulled upon her lips picturing the meals splayed out across the House tables, roasted pork, ham, potatoes, cabbage soup, green beans, carrots, pitchers of juice…Ron contentedly eating his fill as Harry laughed at the latest prank Fred or George had just played…and she glanced up to the Head Table. Eyes landing upon the Deputy Headmistress or rather Minerva.
And the rest of the Great Hall melted away.
Because in truth, it was just a distraction from what she yearned to see.
The weight of the necklace suddenly increased as she stymied her thoughts, chastising herself for what she knew could never be. After all, how could Minerva McGonagall ever love her? And how could she even consider it? Why would she?
The necklace pulsed…her thoughts churning recklessly forward.
She was over three times her age. Had lived through two wizarding wars and was fighting in a third. She was…well, Britain's premiere witch. A living legend. An…icon. She could have any number of suitors and potential lovers, if she wanted them. Because not only was she an exceedingly talented witch, but also a beautiful woman. Rather, a very beautiful…stunningly so, woman – that was if she choose to unveil it. And, for some reason unfathomable reason, it seemed that she rarely, if ever, choose to show her…what should she call it? Her more personal side? Her true self? Her emotions?
And Hermione felt the burgeoning desire to sit, the necklace pulling her farther down.
What could she, Hermione Jean Granger, ever offer her? She was…eighteen, and…what? On the run. An undesireable. A muggle born. Without means and barely able to protect herself and friends. "Who am I kidding?" she murmured to herself as she collapsed onto the cool ground as a heady scent of earth enveloped her.
"How could she ever love me?" She asked aloud as she pulled off the necklace and stared into its depths, as if waiting for an answer. But an answer didn't come in words.
It didn't have to.
Instead, an image of stunningly clear emerald eyes swam before her vision, along with the sweet taste of her lips. Her heart automatically skipping a beat as fingers skimmed across her lips in recollection of the faint touch so recently shared. A touch that lasted only a brief second, barely long enough to even feel the her lips had been moist, and she wished it could have lasted minutes more; but she enthralled that it happened at all.
That Minerva had let herself be kissed. She hadn't backed away when Hermione had covered the scant space between them. She hadn't acknowledged it either…at least verbally.
Hermione laid down, a smile pulling at the edges of her lips in retrospective as her eyes gazed into the twinkling sky, the weight of the necklace becoming insignificant as a warmth filled her skin and a sliver of hope beat in her veins.
There was something present, perhaps buried behind the parapet walls but it was there. Had seen it in the clarity of her emerald irises that she had never witnessed prior to the latter part of this summer. The soft touch upon Hermione's fingers, causing her to halt her movements as she had stepped closer…
Hermione inadvertently breathed in deeply, like she had in the elevator and rolled over, coughing. The earthy aroma was not as sensual, but just as permeating, as the lavender and hint of ginger spice. Smiling at her own foolishness, she rolled back over and stared at the stars, wondering what Minerva was doing this evening.
If she was still in the Great Hall, lingering with the last of the students and a handful of the other professors. Did they have a small get together marking All Hallow's Eve? Did she ever attend Sir Nicholas' party?
Hermione couldn't see her partaking in the previous listed events. Undoubtedly, she was in her office marking long essays that had been recently assigned. Or…dealing with the Carrows.
A shiver went up her spine at the notion and she banished the negative thought. As Minerva had looked well the last time she had seen her. Undoubtedly the professors had altered or at the very least, made it clear to the Carrows that certain conduct would not be tolerated.
Hermione's smile broadened, as she could definitely see Minerva telling that to both Alecto and Amycus – even with Snape there as the Headmaster.
oxox
"I know." Filius slid his rook across the length of the board, "However, Poppy is walking a fine line too."
"And you still did not answer my prior question." Minerva remarked as she moved her pawn ahead.
"In this instance, no I did not." He captured her previously moved pawn. "As you will undoubtedly bring it to the Headmaster's attention or worse, confront the Carrows."
"While tempting on both accounts," Minerva pressed ahead with another pawn moving it to E6. "I was hoping to ascertain what you, along with Horace and Pomona would require in medical supplies and procure them, from a supplier not connected to Hogwarts so as to not put Poppy in any further danger."
"Where? And more importantly how? You know that the wards were reset last evening, and it will alarm the Headmaster if we leave; which we have been ordered not to for our own protection."
"Let me worry about the details, my friend."
"And if what you said earlier this month was accurate, that the Carrows suspect too?" He scanned the board, and moved his knight towards her king.
"Then let us hope my dueling skills remain proficient." She quipped, castling her king.
Filius frowned at the board, "That is not what I meant."
"And you should have merely answered, four out of the last five nights you have been in the Tower treating your fledglings."
At once, his gaze snapped to hers. "You're following me?" Only years as colleagues and friends kept him seated and unmoving.
"Amycus did last night, and please inform Pomona that Alecto has been keeping tabs upon the frequency of her visits to Hufflepuff's Lair."
"How is it that you know this?" He leaned incrementally forward, "I have not seen your alter persona."
"Be smart Filius, Hogwarts has many allies and eyes throughout its walls. Most are willing to assist a long tenured and trusted professor."
"If you know…."
"Only the past week, my friend. As I was concerned about each of your safety, but please ask how many visits to their Houses require medical attention. Actually, just ask your wife as I'm sure Horace's House has been relatively unscathed."
"And you? How often have you been treating your cubs? Especially Mr. Longbottom?"
"Nightly." Minerva sighed, "I take the back passages to the Tower each night just before Midnight. And he is the reason why I'm looking for supplies outside of Hogwarts. I've healed the fingers of his left hand three times in the past two weeks."
"It seems he has taken up the banner that his Head of House set." Filius dryly remarked.
"They are children Filius."
"Not any longer, Minerva." He heavily replied, "This war has stripped even their innocence away."
His words pierced her heart as an image of Hermione's face flashed in her mind's eye, a carefree smile lacing brown eyes as she laughed with her friends was replaced in the next heartbeat by lust filled mocha orbs, moans and the scintillating warmth she had forbiddingly felt, enjoyed and the innocence of one of her most precious cubs…robbed. Even if it had been to save her…even though she had been of age…had meant her thrust for thrust…
Vaguely she felt the tears swimming against her eyes…as she tried to once again reconcile what happened and why, along with to who and how it had irrevocably altered their relationship. How she had been forced to let the younger woman into her life, enabled her to see past the walls that she so deftly hid behind, and how she had allowed their emotional bond to continue – even forging it deeper when she had kissed her good-bye at the end of the summer, and letting it continue to simmer as Hermione had leaned forward and kissed her only a scant two weeks ago. At the time, it had seemed…necessary. However, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. As what was occurring between she and Hermione couldn't continue for any number of reasons.
She felt a warm hand, tighten their grip upon her fingers; pulling her from her thoughts…and into a sea of golden concern. "Minerva…" He breathed, cadence laced with emotion.
Blinking back the wall of emotion along with the a stream of tears, she swallowed her shame at what had transpired as she laid her right hand atop his and her left one. "It is stripping everyone's away, my friend."
Xoxo
A/N: Hope you enjoyed!
