A/N: Aww, bit of MMADness in this one. Can't have Harry interrupting all their special moments now can we. Don't fret though, it's quite lovely if I do say so myself.
Harry avoided Minerva as best he could for the next week. He threw himself into the mountains of homework that the teachers seemed to be giving them all of a sudden, all of them insisting that with exams at the end of the next term they needed to start preparing now. Minerva kept trying to catch Harry in the hall ways or in the classroom, but short of asking him to stay behind she could never get him to stay.
"He's avoiding me Albus." Minerva said to Albus as they ley cuddling on the couch. "I can't tell if he's ashamed, or just giving me some privacy or he hates me." She said sighing in frustration. She leant back in his embrace as he rubbed his worn hands gently up her arms.
"Tabby dear, I'm sure Harry is just a little overwhelmed with everything that is going on. Not only is there a murderer on the loose out to get him, he is discovering a new relationship with a woman who for all intents and purposes was his teacher, he's now contending with us as a couple and from what you tell me he is also fighting with Hermione." Albus kissed her hair nuzzling her neck as they sat watching the fire. "Sweetheart I'm surprised he hasn't self-combusted." He said with a smile, causing Minerva to giggle.
"I love it when you call me that." She sighed again as they drifted into silence, Albus giving her time to think. After 40 years of friendship, he knew her better than herself sometimes. "I'm floundering here Albus." She whispered. He stayed silent knowing it took a lot for Minerva McGonagall to admit she needed help. "I don't know what to do." Albus drew her impossibly closer and held her tightly against his chest.
"Would you like me to talk to him?" He whispered in her ear. Minerva thought for a moment, nothing less than Albus had expected. Minerva was never one to make uncalculated decisions.
"I would like that." She whispered feeling sorry for herself. She wasn't a very good mother to Harry. She chastised herself as she thought that. Lily was Harry's mother, not her. She would never be, nor would she want to replace Lily.
"My dear, to Harry you are the only mother he has ever had and I'm sure Lily would love that you feel that way towards each other." Albus whispered making her smile. He didn't even need to see her face to know what she was thinking anymore. "Lily would be proud of the job you are doing my love." She nodded, not really sure whether she believed him or not. "Don't be sad my love. Lily died in the best way, protecting her son and there is no-one else she would rather have this close to him." Minerva drew a shaky breath.
"There's almost nothing to make me happy anymore." Minerva said quietly. She sighed as she felt Albus hands run over her abdomen and placed a kiss on her neck.
"I know a way to make you a little happier," he said. Minerva grinned, knowing he was smiling into her neck.
"Just hold me tonight?" She asked afraid to disappoint him. She craned her neck around to look at his face and saw only love and devotion there.
"Tonight and every night my love." With a strength that he didn't look to possess, he picked her up and carried her to her room, settling down with her encased him his arms.
Harry and Ron were planning their illegal Hogsmeade trip when they were interrupted by a small cough. Ron paled as he saw the headmaster standing just inside the portrait hole shooting a look of horror at Harry, who was simply ignoring the headmaster, not willing to talk about anything. He was still annoyed at the world and he really didn't need one of Albus' soul piercing lectures right now.
"Mr Potter." He said gently, but with a force that made the whole common room fall silent. Harry glared at him, he desperately wanted to tell him to leave him alone, but knew that if he did that people would realise that there was a little more to Albus Dumbledore than people knew about.
"Yes Professor Dumbledore," he grumbled finally, not meeting the man's eye.
"Could you come with me please?" Harry got off the couches and walked purposefully towards the portrait hole, exiting without saying anything, but briefly meeting Hermione's eye, who have him a small smile.
They walked in silence, neither one giving the other any hint of what was to come. Except Harry was fairly sure that the Headmaster knew what he was thinking. He sighed as they stopped by the stone gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office, mounting the winding stairs side by side. Dumbledore sat on the visitor's side of his desk, before conjuring a chair facing the one he was in for Harry. Harry stood defiantly annoyed that he would be doing this.
"Please sit, dear boy." Albus said sadly. He could tell Harry was still angry but didn't want to push it. Albus waited patiently until Harry's common sense won out and he slumped in the chair.
Albus sat in silence, not meeting Harry's eye and refusing to even acknowledge him as they sat for longer and longer. Finally, Harry could stand it no longer, and Albus smiled to himself, he had been teaching for longer than he cared to remember, and he had not lost his touch.
"Are you going to talk to me, or are we just going to sit here." Harry said in annoyance. Albus finally looked up taking in the boy before him.
"What would you like to talk about?" Albus said ignoring the look of indignation on Harry's face.
"You brought me here. I thought you wanted to talk to me." Albus reclined in his chair, unaffected by Harry's tone, or demeanour.
"I do, dear boy, but I am old, and I cannot properly remember what it was that I needed to talk to you about, so I thought if you started maybe it will come to me." Harry snorted.
"You're not old." He said before he could stop himself. He really didn't want to get friendly with the headmaster right now, he was still annoyed. Albus secretly congratulated himself on round one to him.
"Thank you Harry, now what would you like to talk about?" Harry grunted and looked away. "My dear boy we are never going to talk about anything unless you tell me what you want to talk about." Harry stood up out of his chair, unable to contain his temper any more.
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING. YOU INVITED ME HERE. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO APOLOGISE." Harry and Dumbledore looked at each other, both as surprised as the other at Harry's outburst.
"Do you want me to apologise Harry?" He asked gently. Harry stared at the headmaster, unable to believe what he had just said. Did he want him to apologise? And for what? Harry sat back in his chair.
"I, I don't know," he said sheepishly. He looked at Dumbledore, who simply looked back at Harry.
"Harry, I am sorry that you had to find us in that, um situation, especially when we promised you that we would not put you in that position again." Dumbledore said gently. "I love your grandmother more than anything and sometimes it is hard to resist her." Harry repressed a shudder. He wasn't being mean; he just didn't need to think about that sort of thing. "But that is not really what you wanted me to apologise for was it?" He asked studying the boy's face. Harry looked at him curiously, as far as he was concerned he wasn't really sure what he wanted Albus to apologise for.
"I don't know." Harry mumbled, not meeting his headmaster's face. "I, I guess, Urgh." Harry got up and started pacing in front of the headmasters chair. "Why can't I just be normal?" Albus didn't answer and Harry continued once he realised that Dumbledore couldn't really answer him. "Why is it always me, why do I have to be like this, why does everyone around me leave me. Why did you leave me." He said, shouting the last bit. Dumbledore looked at him sadly. They'd been over this many times before and he would give Harry the same answer as he always did.
"Harry," he started before he was interrupted by Harry turning to him, his anger welling up.
"Don't tell me I won't understand. Why won't I understand? Why do I have to live with them? They don't want me. You don't want me, Minerva doesn't want me." Harry stopped suddenly realising that he had said the one thing out loud that he'd been thinking all week. Now that Minerva had Albus, Harry was sure that she wouldn't want him. He was always interrupting them and it was becoming clear that Minerva was too busy with Albus to be with Harry.
"Oh my boy, is that what you think?" Albus said sadly, as he watched the emotions flicker across Harry's face. "There is not another witch in this whole world who wants you more." Albus said standing up to grasp Harry's shoulders. I know I have not always been able to tell you what you want to hear, but let me tell you this." He bent down a fraction, capturing Harry's eye in his. "She loves you Harry. She's always loved you. There hasn't been a day when she hasn't been in here arguing about you going back to the Dursley's. But I just can't Harry, and I will be eternally sorry for that." Harry breathed deeply trying to stop the tears from spilling over his eyes.
"Everything is so hard." He whispered to Dumbledore, who pulled him into a hug. Even the great headmaster of Hogwarts sometimes forgot that Harry Potter was just a boy, with more problems than the average boy, problems that Harry would never admit to anyone outside his group of friends. As Harry stood cocooned in Dumbledore's arms, he felt something give and all the grief poured out of him. The frustration of Sirius Black toying with him, the frustration he felt towards Minerva, whether rightly or not, the frustration with Hermione and Ron fighting, the frustration with Dumbledore. "I've got you Harry." Albus whispered not letting go of his young charge. How he wished things could have been different. How he wished that Harry would not be the one that would be plagued by sadness his whole life.
He heard the stairs start to move and glanced at his watch. Minerva had bought it for him years ago as a joke thank you present when she had been offered the transfiguration job, right at the start of their friendship. He loved using it to keep the time as it supposedly a timeless watch, without numbers and revolving planets instead of hands He smiled every time he looked at it, more so now that he knew that his love for her was returned. He glanced at the door, still holding Harry as the love of his life walked in, stopping when she saw the scene before her. He smiled at her, trying to convey every emotion he could to her and after this many years of friendship understood immediately, walking forward cautiously until she reached the two. She placed a hand on Albus' cheek before running a hand through Harry's hair, kneeling stiffly on the floor.
"Harry?" she whispered. He looked up startled not realising that someone else was in the room. He looked at her for what seemed an age before looking back up at Dumbledore, who understood what Harry wanted.
"Minerva, Harry seems to think that now you have me, you will no longer want him." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing that there could be nothing further from the truth, but needing her to know how Harry felt. Her mouth opened in a panicked 'o' and she looked at Harry, who had buried his slightly embarrassed in Dumbledore's robes.
"Harry look at me please." She said in her teacher tone of voice, causing his head to whip up so fast he nearly dislocated it. "Do you really think that?" she asked softly wanting to draw him into a hug, but knowing that he needed to hear what it was she had to say. He shrugged cautiously afraid of what the real answer would be. "Harry I have never, in my whole life, wanted something as keenly as I want you. Albus and I love each other, but there's room in my heart for more than one person Harry, in fact there's a whole section dedicated to you. There has been since the moment your mother placed you in my arms and you wrapped you tiny fingers around mine. I have never felt as complete as when you came into my life and I find myself wanting to take you away from here every time you are near to danger." She let the tears run down her face. The Professor in her wanted to wipe them away, but the grandmother in her let them fall unashamed. "You are my grandson Harry, and I would NEVER give you up from anything." She said placing a hand over his heart and muttering a spell. Harry's eyes widened as she let her magic project her feelings. He felt so warm, so protected and yet so free. As she held her hand there, he felt everything that he had always wanted. He felt like he was home.
"Tha gaol agam ort, Seanmhair." I love you, grandmother. He said as he leapt into her arms, knocking her backwards. Three cushions appeared under them as they lay on the floor and Minerva sent a grateful smile to her love, who winked and left the room muttering something about Sherbet Lemons.
"Tha gaol agam ort-fhèin, a linbhin," I love you too, my child. She whispered to his as he hung on to her tightly.