Chapter 21: Interruption
A very loud and unanticipated clap against the see-through door to the balcony made both women look up in surprise. It actually took both of them quite a while to recognize the bunch of feathers and such to be an owl. Hermione quietly rolled her eyes and rolled off Minerva, giving her one last fleeting kiss on the lips before sitting up and wrapping the sheet around herself. She then slowly got up and walked over to the wide slide door. By the time she had reached it, the mass of owl had slid down onto the tiles with its feet into the air. Hermione quietly opened the door and squatted to pick up the animal. She quietly carried it to the bed and laid it down on the mattress, before un-attaching the letter it carried to its one paw. She quietly eyed the name onto the envelope and handed it to her lover, who accepted it rather curiously.
"I'm going to…" Hermione began, carefully picking up the bird again, watching Minerva eagerly open the envelope while nodding, as she hastily walked into the bathroom to give the owl some water to help it recuperate. If it had come whole the way from across the water, it wasn't so strange that the poor little thing was in this condition. She didn't fail to hear the groan of Minerva. She intuitively dropped the owl into the stream of cold water and hurried to the doorway to see what was the matter.
"Filius…" Minerva whispered. "He just got word that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that had accepted the position has fallen seriously ill. I have no choice but to go back to Hogwarts and solve the matter. That's my responsibility as a Headmistress." Minerva sighed, before looking up at her lover with rather sad eyes. "I'm sorry, I…" but she got interrupted by loud screeching from an owl. Hermione gasped and hurried into the bathroom again, to retrieve the owl and turn off the tap again. She soon appeared into the doorway again, holding a rather irritated looking bird into her arm.
"I'm sorry," Minerva repeated. "I'll solve the matter as soon as that's possible… We already had quite a hard time finding this professor, so I don't believe it shall be resolved so soon, but… Argh," she added, biting down on her lip in thought. "I cannot run away from my responsibilities," she said, looking up at Hermione again.
"I get that," she whispered, sitting down beside her lover on the bed with the rumpled owl in her lap. "I knew who you were the day I chose to let you know about my feelings. I've never asked you nor will I ever ask you to drop your responsibilities for me."
"I'll do everything in my might to get it fixed soon, but I cannot give any estimation of time, really. I would suggest you enjoy the rest of the holidays here, and I'll return when possible."
"No," Hermione said, very easily. "I'm going with you."
"Hermione–" "No. I'm going with you, and there's nothing you could say or do that would change my mind on that. I could try and aid you in finding another professor for that damn Defense Against the Dark Arts job. We'll come back together if it should still be worth the effort. When are we leaving?"