Sorry for the long break! Here comes the new chapter and I do hope that you like it.
I wish you all merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful time with those whom you love :)
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Minerva was pacing up and down the corridor in front of Mrs Wanneroo's office. This morning, she and Hermione had travelled via floo powder to the Ministry of Magic to attend to the, well, hearing was not quite correct. It was more a conversation. Mrs Wanneroo had greeted them and then taken Hermione with her, asking Minerva to wait outside until the two of them were finished. And now she was standing in this damn corridor for more than half an hour, getting more and more nervous with every minute passing by.
It's okay, she kept telling herself. Hermione has loads to talk about and the more she tells this lady, the better for her! The poor girl has gone through a living nightmare and now needs all the support she could get to heal.
Nevertheless, Minerva was very nervous although she tried to pretend to be as calm and professional as ever. When being earnest with herself, what she nearly always tried to be, she had to admit that her, well, mental condition was this jumpy because of the offer she had made Hermione and which the girl had accepted. To become her foster mother.
Merlin's beard! What on earth had driven her to that decision? Her, a mother? She had never had children and she hardly ever saw her nephew and niece. It was a completely different thing to teach children than to educate them at home, being the closest contact person of said child, even at a boarding school where the pupils lived during school term. Yes, she had been Head of Gryffindor House for a couple of decades by now and even if she seemed to be strict (which she was) and unapproachable (which only was due to her professionalism), she had always been willing to listen to her students' problems.
Minerva was passing the office's door for the thirty-forth time within fifty-two minutes. With great effort she stopped herself from putting her wish to eavesdrop into action. If Hermione wanted to tell her what she and Mrs Wanneroo have been talking about, she would do so.
A mother … and not only any mother but the mother of a brilliant, beautiful and very fragile little girl that needed much comfort, support and stability, and someone who really cared for her. Someone who loved her.
Well, Minerva thought, that already is the case. I never admitted it, but I do love Hermione as if she was my own daughter.
A daughter! She, Minerva McGonagall, would have a daughter! A daughter for whom she would do everything to guarantee that she was well and could heal. Maybe she could find a psychologist for Hermione in the Muggle world as the wizarding world was very backward in such manners. She would have to talk to Hermione.
But first, she reminded herself, it would be necessary to make their arrangement officially. If only the office door would open! But it did not.
Minerva sighed and glanced at the big watch that hung at the wall opposite of her. She was now waiting for one hour exactly.
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Hermione was biting her lips, shifting anxiously around on her chair, casting every now and then an eye on the door behind which professor McGonagall, no, Minerva was waiting for her. It has been nearly one hour since they had arrived at the Ministry and Mrs Wanneroo hat taken her to her office to talk to her, alone. Hermione had wanted to protest, insisting that Minerva would come with her but in the end, she had said nothing, following the woman into the small room, sitting down onto the chair in front of the overloaded table.
The talking seemed endless. First, Mrs Wanneroo had read the laws and other official stuff to her which Hermione already knew, thanks to Minerva who had explained everything to her. Then, the lady had once again told the girl which possibilities she had (what she also already knew, she had even made her decision which she had told Mrs Wanneroo at the very beginning!). But instead of protesting or asking, Hermione had listened wordlessly.
Finally, the Ministry's witch had offered Hermione some tea and cookies (which she refused) and looked earnestly at her.
"Well, Hermione, you have declared that your parents who had been your legal guardians have died in a car crash some days before Christmas, is this correct?"
The girl nodded, feeling sick.
"Your parents have appointed your uncle, Mr Joseph Granger, as your guardian in case that something might happen to them, which now is the case. Did you know that?"
Again, Hermione nodded. To just hear her uncle's name made her panic rise and she needed all her strength to remain on the chair, pretending she was alright.
"Differently than in the Muggle world, young witches and wizards have the right to decide on their own on their whereabouts from the age of twelve years which applies on you. You declared not wanting to live with your uncle. Is this correct?"
Hermione wanted to answer but her voice was gone, so she nodded again. Cold sweat covered her front and her hands were trembling. To hide this, she was clutching the seat squab of her chair so tight that her fingers felt numb. She really didn't like this woman.
"As you know, you have either the possibility to spend the remaining time until your seventeenth birthday in an orphanage or with a foster family. In the form you wrote that you want to have a foster family. We have a list of various wizarding families who …"
Hermione cleared her throat. "I have also written in said form that I want Minerva McGonagall as my foster mother" she said in a steady voice.
Mrs Wanneroo flicked through her papers. "Ah, yes, I found it. Mhm … mhm … As it seems, the Ministry has accepted professor McGonagall's offer. Well then, she is waiting outside the door, isn't she?"
"Yes, ma'am. Shall I …?"
"No, no, I will do it." Mrs Wanneroo stood up and walked to the door, opening it. "Mrs McGonagall?" she called. "Will you please enter?"
Hermione felt her heart racing like it wanted to escape her ribs. Her mouth was all dry, but she could not drink the offered tea as she felt so sick. For some reason, she did not dare to look up and meet Minerva's gaze as she heard her professor entering the office. Instead, she was staring at the carpet which was very dirty and ugly.
"Sit down, please" Mrs Wanneroo's voice said.
The chair next to Hermione's was moved backwards and forwards and then she felt Minerva's closeness. Suddenly, the girl felt the urge to through herself in the older woman's arms, but she suppressed this wish, continuing to stare at the carpet and to clutch her chair.
"Are you alright?" she heard Minerva's whisper.
Without thinking, she nodded, knowing that Minerva would not at all be convinced.
The elder witch threw one glance at the girl and knew immediately that Hermione was close to a breakdown. As much as she wanted to pull her in a close hug, she suppressed this wish and looked straight at the Ministry's witch. "So?" she said, wanting to get Hermione out of here.
"Well, so we will now fix your agreement and make it official, shall we?" Mrs Wanneroo said, laying down the forms that needed to be filled and signed by both witches. "So, we have here the underage child, named Hermione Jean Granger" she continued while dictating her quill the words to write down, "and in this line we have the foster mother whose name is Minerva McGonagall. Both parties have read and accepted the legal consequences and the responsibility. First, I need your signature" she addressed Minerva, pushing a second quill into her hand.
Lively, Minerva put her name into the section.
"Thank you. And you need to sign here, Hermione" she now talked to the girl who still refused to look up.
With a trembling hand, Hermione took the offered quill and wrote down her name. The form was gleaming in a golden light, then it pretended that nothing had happened.
"Very well. Your magical and legal connection is now fixed and official. From now on, you will be this girl's foster mother, Mrs McGonagall, and you are responsible for her until Miss Granger turns seventeen. You will also administer Miss Granger's inheritance and her monetary belongings until she is of age."
"That is what I read in the forms you sent to me" Minerva replied coolly. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"
"Well, no" Mrs Wanneroo replied and wanted to continue but Minerva decided that Hermione needed to leave as soon as possible. She had glanced at the girl's face which was white as the wall and had also realized her suppressed trembling.
"Then we will leave as we still have to do some shopping. Thank you for your support, Mrs Wanneroo. If you need anything else, you know how to contact me. I wish you a good day." With these words, Minerva stood up, grabbed Hermione's hand and leaded their way out of the office.
Once standing in the side street in which the visitor's entrance to the Ministry was hidden, Minerva took a deep breath. "Finally!" she whispered, enveloping Hermione in a very tight hug. "Do you feel ready to apparate?" she asked the still trembling girl.
Hermione nodded. "Where are we going?"
Minerva smiled. "To my cottage in the north of Scotland. It is rather small, and we will have to cook by ourselves, but I assume that you need some rest and peace."
"That … that sounds great" Hermione replied. "But the shopping …"
"… was an excuse to get away from Mrs Wanneroo and the Ministry. I thought it wisest to get you out as soon as possible, you did not look well. You are still much too pale" she added, looking closely at Hermione. "This was really hard for you, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Come here." Minerva opened her arms wide and Hermione threw herself again into them, enjoying the closeness and warmth of the older woman who was now her foster mother. Suddenly, Hermione felt more calmly than ever before. Finally, Minerva released her.
"Ready to go?"
"Ready."
And with a turn, both witches were gone.
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Tbc.
The last chapter is already in my mind and "only" needs to be written. I can't promise you that I can do so until the end of this year, but I do hope that you'll be able to read it at least in January.
What do you say to this chapter? Was it realistic? Some of you have asked for more "insight" to Minerva's troubles about being a mother and I do hope that I managed to write them. Reviews are very appreciated :)