Sighs for folly done and said
Twist our narrow days,
But I must bless, I must praise
That you, my swan, who have
All the gifts that to the swan
Impulsive Nature gave,
The majesty and pride,
Last night should add
Your voluntary love.


Dear Reader,

Madame Pomfrey kept her word, and kept quiet of Minerva and I's affair, but nevertheless it was only a matter of time before more found out. We were meticulous in our meetings at night, and Minerva gave me her own invisibility cloak which ensured that I was not seen going to-and-from from her rooms. However, neither expected it to be Ginny who found out next.

Minerva was still often summoned to the Ministry, and she never once complained, though I know that she would often come back tired and disillusioned. One morning, she left Hogwarts, and came back shortly after lunch. I had been waiting in her office, but I saw the unmistakable vision of her marching back through the school gates. I could see immediately that she upset, and hurried downstairs to intercept her. However, when I reached the Entrance doors I saw her hurrying to the other side of the lake.

Naturally I followed, and some minutes later I found her in a small bank, skipping stones. She had taken her shoes off and was standing ankle deep in the water, merely watching the pebbles bounced on the surface of the water. I came closer, and she turned and smiled at me gently, her eyes weary.

"He's going to attack Hogwarts," she said, her Scottish lilt more perceptible than I'd ever heard it. "And I'm so scared the children are going to be hurt."

Tears began to run down her face, and I walked over to her, my boots soon soaked through with water, and drew her toward me, mimicking the actions she had bestowed on me. She clung to me tightly, her fingers curling in the wool of my pull-over, and I merely held her, unsure of what to say. I gently stroked her hair, freeing it from its restrictive style, and the black locks fell down her back.

Finally she pulled back, and smiled gently. Her eyes were red and swollen, but I always remember that moment as one which I'll never forget. I brushed away the tears that were still running down her face, and cupped her cheek in my hand. It was then I realised just how delicate she was. I'd always known she was slender, my hands had wrapped around her waist more times to count, but her very bone structure was small.

She rose to the tips of her toes, and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a heated kiss. I'd never seen her like this, but my body reacted of its own volition and I kissed back hungrily, my fingers curling in her hair as our bodies melded together. Both of us forgot our location, and her legs rose and ensnared my waist until we fell back into the water together.

We both burst out laughing as our clothes were soaked through, but Minerva soon pushed me out deeper, flicking her wand which she'd retrieved from her pocket and muttering a quick concealment charm. Soon we were lying in a tangle of discarded clothing which floated about us, and our limbs entwined as she tried to touch every available inch of skin. I could feel the pebbles on my back from the lake bottom, and Minerva was still kissing me. Our eyes were open, neither wanting to look away from the other, and I became aware of her hands on hips lowering me. Her legs wrapped around me again and eased me inside her, and in that moment I realised what it was like to be whole.

There was something different in how we made love that day in the lake, and as I exploded inside of her and she tightened around me, her eyes were wide in amazement. I suppose I must have looked the same, for she leant forward and kissed me on the forehead. Tears were again falling down her cheeks, and as we separated I found myself wincing. Now I'd become whole it didn't feel...right and it was no good being myself.

We held each other afterward, wanting that time in the lake to last forever, but then the bell tolled signaling dinner, and the spell was broken and we dried our clothes and walked back to the castle. We separated at the door, and she walked to the staff table and I to where Harry, Hermione and Ginny were sitting. The three was sitting and talking, and I can remember that Harry was smiling which was rare in those times, but I just looked up to the staff table and found Minerva staring back.

Our eyes remained riveted on the other's, and whilst the teacher's tried to talk to Minerva, and other Gryffindors to me, we didn't look away.


March 12 1997 – Excerpt from Ginny Weasley's diary

You when you have that gut feeling that somethings going on, but you try to ignore it? And then when it turns out you're right, you're happy that you were right, but also unhappy? Well that about sums up what I'm feeling now.

I'm not an idiot, I could see the way my brother would look at McGonagall, and recently I thought (and prayed I was wrong) I saw her looking back the same way. I put all this to the back of my mind, but today I went for a walk to clear my head. And I saw McGonagall almost running toward a small bank I knew about. She looked distressed, and I followed her thinking that perhaps I could help.

However, she picked up a bunch of pebbles, and began skipping them across the water, I guess to relieve stress. I was still about to walk to her, when I heard another person coming and ducked behind a tree. To my intense surprise it was Ron, and McGonagall turned to face him. At first I thought she was going to berate him, but instead she started crying and Ron wades through the water and just holds her. He was rubbing circles on her back, and he let her hair down as he let her cling to him.

Finally she pulled back and I thought that was it, but then Ron cupped her cheek in his hand and brushed her tears away. It was then I realised I'd been right. They looked so...intimate. McGonagall smiled, and allowed him to do that for a while before she put her arms around his neck and started to kiss him. I knew I should have looked away, but I didn't and just watched as Ron's hand moved up and cupped her breast in his hand. McGonagall was kissing him harder and her legs left the ground tipping them off-balance so they fell into the water.

Neither seemed to care as McGonagall reached for Ron again, though she did grab her wand quickly and cast a spell that obscured them from view. I walked away then, my mind reeling with this new information. I wanted to be repulsed, but there was a tenderness between the two that I recognised. It's the same way Harry looks at Hermione, and that Neville looks at me.

I went back to the castle, and sat down at the house table next to Neville. Ron and McGonagall came in about twenty minutes later, and I swear that neither looked away from the other the entire meal. After desert was served, I watched McGonagall leave quickly and Ron soon followed. I rose to my feet, and trailed behind them. Ron quickly caught up with McGonagall, and grabbed her from behind. To my intense surprise, she laughed and Ron kissed her again in front of the window.

There was something magical about that moment; it wasn't muggle or wizarding, but something completely sentient that crossed those boundaries and became something else entirely, but any thought of 'outting' them vanished, and I merely walked away.


Dear Reader,

Ginny didn't tell me what she'd seen, not until much, much later, which allowed Minerva and I to continue our relationship in an odd state of bliss. Both of us were reluctant to leave the other, and it soon progressed to the point I would simply stay the night in her chambers and state that I'd got up early that morning. However, eventually I didn't bother answering any questions, and no one would think that Minerva would have anything to do with me.

A month passed since the lake 'incident' and we trained, the Ministry interfered (which was the norm) and then Saint Mungos was attacked. Luckily Minerva didn't bother trying to stop us coming along, and merely held out a port-key which transported us into the center of the mayhem. The battle was almost over by the time we arrived, and Lord Voldemort hadn't bothered to come, so it was fairly low key in comparison to the Hogsmeade attack.

We sustained minimal injuries (I had a cut lip, Harry a grazed knee and Hermione a broken toe) so when Minerva collapsed we were understandably perturbed. We took the floo back to Saint Mungos and Madame Pomfrey quickly looked Minerva over after ordering us to stay behind the curtain. When she came out, she looked absolutely furious, and glared at me for several moments before letting me past.

Minerva was sitting upright, looking stricken and when she saw me she ran her hand through her hair distractedly.

"I..." she began now twisting the sheet in her hands. "I'm...it's..."

I was utterly perplexed, and nearly fainted at her next words.

"I'm pregnant."

I swayed, and she conjured a chair for me which I gratefully collapsed on. Neither of us had even considered the possibility of children, and to suddenly find out that Minerva was pregnant was an understandable shock.

Nevertheless we got through it, and when Diana was born eight months later, we wondered what all the fuss was about. Diana looks almost identical to Minerva, except for one major difference. She has the Weasley red hair. Every time I see her, I am reminded of her mother, and I only hope that my writings will help her see how extraordinary her mother was.


Author's notes: This story seems popular in terms of favourites and alerts, and yet the reviews are minimal; there aren't many chapters left now, so they are essential.

Please review.

Cheers. Minniequill