Disclaimer: I own none of this, except the plot.
A/N: my apologies for the delay. Finals are brutal.
As predicted, both Minerva and the child survived the spring holiday. Poppy kept Minerva on a strict schedule of rest and a little exertion. She was frustrated by her confinement at first, but them Poppy would simply remind her of the baby. Hestia returned to her apartment, but only after she and Minerva had a long talk. Slowly, Hestia was being rejoined to the family.
On Friday, Sedna and Theseus arrived with Sedna's parents for a weekend of getting to know each other. Eir and Bragi Rynkar were fascinating people. Her mother was a very earthy, free soul. Eir delighted in spending her spare moments in the Hogwarts greenhouses. Bragi, Sedna's father, was a very lanky, spry man. He was a closet Opera singer and engaged Albus in conversations about the greatest composers of all time. Both seemed to have forgotten the circumstances under which they were meeting and simply became old friends.
Later that night, Sedna, Theseus, Poppy, Euripides, Hestia, and Daphne came over for a long evening of dominoes. Poppy and Eir discussed in depth the benefits of certain plants as an alternative to Potions. Hestia was furious that Theseus won the game, disproving her prediction that she would be triumphant. Amadeus dropped by that evening and accompanied Bragi in one of Wagner's tenor arias.
That evening, they reclined on the top of the Astronomy tower, looking over the grounds. Minerva reclined against her husband, his arms automatically wrapped around her.
"There is so much danger in the world. So many evil powers creep at our hedges." Eir sighed, she too was ensconced in her husband's arms.
"But life and love still continue!" Minerva reminded him, gently rubbing her swelling stomach.
"What's that muggle song?" Bragi sat up straighter. "The fundamental things apply, As Time Goes By" His song almost cast a spell of awe and peace.
Hogwarts received the students back to her classroom with open arms. Minerva continued to teach, but from her wheel chair. All curious students were told that Professor McGonagall merely had a relapse. The students survived OWLS and NEWTS with only two suffering nervous breakdowns. Of course, Daphne passed her NEWTS with exceptional marks.
There was another coming of age that was considerably more difficult. Daphne was graduating, leaving Hogwarts, and studying to become a potions master. Daphne was excited to be out on her own. She had spent her entire life, practically, at Hogwarts. Even Albus was so proud to his little girl at the graduation ball, he had to keep from showing open affections for her the whole night. Amadeus and Theseus even behaved and admitted to being genuinely proud of their baby sister.
But Minerva was in consolable after the Graduation ball. She retired to their quarters and sobbed for hours. Albus ventured to find piles of sopping tartan handkerchiefs strewn about their room. He found Minerva wailing in their bed. She refused to speak to him, and became even more hysterical. Finally, Albus decided to get Daphne, hoping she could calm her mother's hormones. Daphne was exhausted, but she bounded onto her parent's bed to hug her mother.
"You're leaving me!" She wailed. Albus, waiting in the sitting room, jumped up and cast a silencing charm on the room.
"Mother!" Daphne scolded snuggling up to Minerva as she did when she was little. "I'm not leaving you! I'll still be around! I promise I will come to visit you!"
"But you're my baby!" Minerva had given up conjuring handkerchiefs and was simply using the bedspread. "You're my little one! If you leave, I'll be old!"
"Oh! Mother this is absurd!" Daphne flopped back on the pillows. She grabbed Minerva's hand and placed it over the hill that contained her new sibling, "This is your baby now! You have a new little one! You're not loosing anything! You're gaining a child!"
"You're leaving me!" Minerva dove back into her pillow sobbing louder, "You and Theseus are bothleaving me!"
At this newest tanget, Daphne threw her hands up and returned to father, "She's crying about Theseus now!" She muttered rolling her eyes.
"Merlins' Beard!" Albus jumped up and ran to the room, calling back, "Go get Poppy!"
Two hours later, Minerva slept, interrupted by only occasional hiccup-sobs.
"Is she going to be all right?" Albus whispered from the next room, still petrified at the thought of waking his so recently hysterical wife.
"She's getting better." Poppy sighed, tiredly gathering her equipment, "Another sever hormonal imbalance. Minerva's recent over activeness excited the baby. Thank Merlin you called me when you did! Who knows what the baby would have altered next!"
"But she's safe now?" Albus echoed.
"Yes, I was able to calm the baby, and I gave Minerva light sedative." Poppy hugged Daphne, who continued to look worried. "She'll sleep through the night and be fine for the Leaving Feast. Just make sure she doesn't get too excited."
True to Poppy's prediction, Minerva weathered the Leaving Feast, and seeing the students onto the train. She and Albus spent a final week finishing up paper work. Then they rushed to McGonagall Manor to spend a month preparing for the wedding.