Chapter 12
"Has it changed so much?" Ulrich questioned as he came up behind Minerva.
"Rather the opposite." Minerva answered, "It is just as I remember."
He drew to a halt beside her, long blond hair blowing gently in the breeze as they stood side by side for seeming an eternity. "If you wish…"
"I am not the young woman I once was," Minerva interjected not bothering to meet his questioning gaze as she finished, "but I did make a commitment to you, Ulrich, one I shall keep."
His respect for the woman before him increased tenfold at her stanch position, but he needed to make sure he stated what had intended. "However, what I was about to say, is I long since relieved you of your vow."
Slowly she found herself turning to the aged man, "Then you do not wish an heir?"
"I do. But, he is not you. And you are not he. And I had no right to seek the vow that I did, as you, were as much a victim as William. And, I wish to ask your forgiveness for my brash behavior and hope that despite our previous discord, you shall remain…" he motioned to the area before them, "here. As I find your presence quite calming to my weary soul, and if you cannot remain, then at least visit, for you are a part of us and we are lesser without your presence amidst us."
Green eyes met soulful black ones, "I was at best impetus in my youth."
A rich chuckle spilled off his lips, "In comparison, you still are quite young."
"Not as young as the last time I frequented your home," Minerva replied with a wisp of a smile, "nevertheless, I have lived a fair life and will abide…" His eyes sparked with hope at the direction of her conversation, "by my vow."
"Minerva, you do not…"
"Ulrich," she laid her hand along his forearm, "I am not the young girl who does not know what she is doing. Besides, if I had chosen to remain here, I'd have gone through the ceremony seventeen years prior. Which bodes the very real question as to whether there is anyone who would wish to mate with me."
Black eyes widened at her proclamation, "Then you do not know?"
"Know?"
"There are several who have abdicated their own ceremonies hoping that you'd partake in the following year's ceremony."
"That is solely because they believe they shall have a right at being your successor."
"If you do truly wish to remain, then you, my dearest…" his voice became hoarse as he stated the subsequent word, "daughter…not another, shall lead our people."
"I'm not…"
He wrapped his hand around her shoulder, "You may not have been born my daughter, but, you have my blood flowing through your veins."
Xoxxo
Hermione paused at the broken gate, eyes peering across the dilapidated home with the thatched roof having long since given way. "Really?" She muttered aloud, "Here?"
Shaking her head at the absurdity of the situation, Hermione stepped through the gate but felt an invisible wall push against her body preventing her from stepping farther. "Hello? I'm here to speak with Minerva McGonagall."
"Who are you?"
Hermione jerked around, wand instantly snapping into her hand. "Hermione Granger." She stated as she stared into nothing.
Black eyes suddenly appeared from the ether, "She is not taking visitors."
"Will you please ask? I…"
"You were the one she brought the day before yesterday?"
"Yes." Hermione breathed, "And who are you? And why can I only see your eyes and a vague outline of your face?"
"I shall send word if she wishes to be seen." Its voice cooed.
"Where am I to wait? Here?"
Black eyes began to fade as did its voice while it answered, "Here, your home, work, location matters little, for word will reach you."
Before Hermione could ask any additional questions, the gentle presence she had felt was gone.
For several minutes, she remained unmoving as she waited for another sign – any sign, but none came save for the first vestiges of twilight. And she came to the startling and very unsettling realization that she would not see Minerva again until after she was betrothed and there was nothing she could do about it. Despite, very much wanting to intercede to enable Minerva to have a chance at happiness, much akin to the happiness Minerva had wished for her. Or at the very least, that's what she continued to tell herself as she apparated back to her flat.
Xoxox
"Hermione?" Ron asked leaning back, confusion lacing his features at her reaction to him trying to give her a kiss.
"I'm sorry," Hermione breathed into the night air, "I just…look, I love you but…"
"What, you aren't in love with me?"
"Don't put words in my mouth Ronald Weasley." Hermione snapped, "Because I do love you. I just…want us both to be happy and the road we are going down is not a road either of us will like."
"Is this because I had a few pints while you were with McG last week?"
"No, and for the record you had more than a few pints."
His ears burned red, "Nothing happened."
"Save for the heated kiss shared with Lavender?"
"It was a wager, nothing more."
"And therein lies the problem, if we were truly in love, wager or no, you'd never had said yes."
"But I love you."
"Yes," Hermione rasped, "and I you, which makes it all the harder but also so much more important to be honest. As I don't want to hurt you, and I'm assured you don't wish to hurt me – which if we remain together is precisely what we shall do to the other given enough time."
Oxox
"She came here?"
Kaintan nodded, "Yes. She arrived and while she couldn't see the area, she asked for Minerva. I'm guessing as she had just been here two days prior she was sensitive to the warding. I don't believe there is need to be concerned regarding a re-warding of the property."
"Hmmm…" Ulrich pulled himself from his musings, "no, no. We shan't need to. I'm certain you are accurate in your assessment."
"Then pray tell what has pulled your thoughts?"
"Fate's ironical nature."
Kaintan frowned, "You are not making sense."
"I have no doubt."
"And I'm going to garner that you shan't be sharing what you are thinking."
A light smile graced his lips, "No, I dare say not." He stood, "Though, given time, you too may discern the basis of my musings."
"Perhaps, now," he began to depart, but stopped by the door, "is there anything else you require?"
"Has the witch departed?"
"Quite," Kaintan assured, "prior to night fall."
"And how did you leave it with her?"
Kaintan's brow furrowed, "That she'd be sent for if Minerva wished to be seen."
"I'll relay the message."
"I already have, and Minerva asked that Hermione not be granted entry."
"Truly?"
Kaintan nodded, "I asked her a second time to be certain."
"How very interesting." Ulrich stated more to himself than to Kaintan, "How very interesting indeed."
Xoxox
"Why did you come to the borders of our home?"
Hermione jerked awake, "Wh…at?" She jumped back, hand blindly grasping for her wand as her heart thudded in her ears, "Who…" her eyes scanning across the blackness, "is there?"
A soft light sprung forth from the wall sconces, "My name is Ulrich. Now, to my question, why did you come to the border of our home?"
"Border of your home…?" Hermione repeated breathless as she stared wide-eyed at the man standing at the end of her bed, wand remaining pointed at him. "How did you get in here?"
"You asked to speak with Minerva."
Hermione slowly lowered her arm, thereby her wand, "Are you…a unicorn?"
"Now, as I've answered your questions, perhaps you can answer mine."
"I…ahhh…" her eyes moved to the closed door and then back to Ulrich. "Went there looking for Minerva." She lifted her wand once more, "I'm going to silence our conversation, as I don't want to wake Ron."
"We are between moments, you haven't need to worry over waking him." He stepped closer, eyes scanning across the woman in the bed. "You are not like most witches or humans for that matter as you seek answers. The question is…what answer are you looking for?" Worldly eyes pinned hers, and Hermione felt as if the room was spinning…as flashes of memories laced with Minerva sparked behind her eyes…
…and his soft voice rumbled off in the distance, "Very…interesting…"
And just as quickly the room spun back into focus, and she was sitting on the bed – and the man…Ulrich…was standing at the foot of her bed. "What…was that? What did you do?"
"Trying to ascertain if you had an answer to one of my questions," Ulrich obliquely replied, "now, if you still wish…to see Minerva, ensure you know the answer to my first question lest the subsequent choice is taken from you."
"I don't understand."
"You shall." He moved towards the window, the moonlight flittering through his skin, "You may enter the property between the sun's zenith and before the sun's passing on the day after the morrow. But heed my words young one."
"Wait," Hermione called out, his body the consistency of mist, "are you really a unicorn?"
"That is one of the many monikers I have been called, but it is not who I am."
Xoxo
a/n: Hope you enjoyed :)
