You all aren't ready to hunt me down and shoot me yet? Oh, right...you'd do that if it weren't for the fact that you're actually enjoying this! So, it's just a little bit of fluffiness, and for that, I'm sorry. I promise: there will be more action in the coming chapters and those chapters will come much sooner. After my trip, I got overwhelmed with the kids and duties back at home and couldn't seem to find a spare minute to write and actually want to write. I've got my head again, though, and so we should be good to go.

Anyway, thanks go out to AryaElf, A, Kokotheevilone, dsrtchck, MilliePrue-BellatrixLestrange, Sammy Ocean, ruth hammond for your outstanding reviews. Also, thank you TsumeNagata (aka Kayla...I finally got her to make an account...), MilliePrue-BellatrixLestrange, yojojo19, BoredCollegeGirl, phantom-of-mystery, waterflygirl, Sammy Ocean, redwolfeye, & Jaymorie for either favoriting this story or adding it to your story alerts. Also, an extra special thanks goes out to Ruth because you're totally the reason I got this chapter out today. :)

Another super special thank you goes to my lovely Kayla! Thank you for posting chapter 27 for me while I was gone. I also want to apologize for the fact that you have to listen to me complain when I'm trying to get a chapter done before bed, but I'm too tired, and therefore cranky. Thanks for loving me anyway, dearheart. -Liz

Now, if you stuck with me through all of that...here's you disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter. Now read on...

It was five in the morning and the sun had yet to rise as Minerva lay in her bed, wide awake. Isobel had decided to give the new family their space and had begun only coming over after flooing. She didn't always wait for permission, but she at least warned Minerva in advance. She got along with Annabelle and Albus very well, but Minerva kept their conversions short and to the point, not letting herself grow close to the woman she's had begun to consider dead.

Today, however, Minerva found herself looking forward to seeing her mother. She was simply glad that Annabelle would have another family member there for her, or that's what she told herself. Really, she wanted her mother to be there when their new family officially began.

Like every morning since term let out, Minerva got up to check on Annabelle. She wrapped a turquoise robe around her thin figure and slid her feet into a pair of house shoes before opening her door and making her way up to Annabelle's room.

Knocking almost inaudibly, Minerva opened the door and came face to face with a short teary-eyed blonde who immediately wrapped her frail arms around the teacher. Minerva returned the gesture, rubbing circles on her back. "Good morning, kitten. I love you." Kneeling down, she brushed Anabelle's tears away. "How'd you sleep?"

The blonde witch shrugged. "Okay, I guess, but not real well. I was too nervous to sleep any longer." Her eyes began to roam the room, not willing to believe that after today, she may never see anything in this haven again. It may never again be hers.

Minerva ran her thumb over her daughter's cheek, smiling at her honesty. "I didn't sleep very well either, but it's okay to be nervous. Today, a lot of crazy things are going to happen and our lives are going to change, but you need to remember something very important." She let her hand drop to Annabelle's chin and lightly held it still, not letting the blonde remove her gaze.

Annabelle had finally begun to gain her composure again, but bit her lip as she wondered what could be so important. "What?" What could be so important to this woman on a day like this?

"I made you a promise over break, kitten. You're not going back. I don't care what I have to do. You are not going back with them." Minerva would hex anyone who tried to counter that. She didn't care how much trouble it might get her into. It might end her teaching career, but she would not break this promise to her baby. It was one of the few things she had not told her caseworker. You don't tell the woman in charge of your case that you're willing to curse anyone who attempts to send your daughter away from you.

Annabelle took a step back as her face slowly hardened into a glare. "You can't promise that. They might decide to make me go back with them. Don't make promises you can't keep." She couldn't believe that Minerva would lie to her, but there was no way she could overrule the court's decision either. It just wasn't possible.

Minerva couldn't help but chuckle as her outlook became slightly cynical. "Oh, yes, dear. I certainly can promise that because I will guarantee it. I will do anything to keep you from them, kitten." Her hand twitched towards her wand, but she kept herself from grabbing it, for fear of frightening the child. "Do you trust me, Annabelle?"

The blonde haired witch slowly nodded, worried that she might be getting herself into a mess even by admitting this. Minerva completely changed when discussing the blonde's parents and this scared her. Could she trust a woman who could change so quickly? She acted that way around Isobel, too, who had told her to call her Gran, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't even let herself call Minerva, 'Mum.'

Minerva grinned as she stood back up. "If you trust me, then believe me when I say I will protect you from them." The blonde showed no sign of even hearing Minerva, so the elder witch sighed, lightly shaking her head. "Alright, well, since we're both up, I suggest we head down to the kitchen and find ourselves something to eat, yes?"

Annabelle nodded and silently accompanied Minerva to the kitchen. She expected Annabelle to simply trust that everything would be okay. How would everything be okay? What if Minerva wasn't able to protect Annabelle? Sure, she was powerful, but there was going to be a room full of other witches and wizards there, too. Even if Aunt Poppy, Ro, Pomona, and Molly were all there to fight with Minerva, Annabelle doubted they could take on a whole room of others. Who would be on a muggle-born student's side? Who would want to protect her?

The pair settled into tall wooden stools, sitting on opposite sides of a circular table. Two mugs immediately appeared in front of them, one filled with fragrant hot chocolate and the other filled with very black, very strong, coffee.

Minerva gratefully picked hers up after casting a quill spell over it and imgomediately began nursing it as she gestured for Annabelle to pick up the chocolate liquid. "There is always at least one house elf moving around the house at a time. They live on strange schedules compared to us. It's a little difficult to understand, but you'll get used to it." She had noticed the child's utterly bewildered expression and decided to explain the only thing that could possibly be confusing at the moment. Surely, the child had grown used to Minerva drinking coffee at all hours of the day and night, as well as her strange habits of checking it for poison.

Annabelle slowly picked up the cup and took a quick sip. The truth was, she didn't want to put much on her stomach for fear of it not staying down. What if she got sick in the middle of their court hearing?

This thought alone made Belle's stomach churn and she leapt up from her chair, immediately dashing out of the kitchen and down the hallway. Reaching the bathroom, she slammed the door shut as she sank to her knees and emptied what little food was in her stomach. Given that she hadn't eaten much the previous night either, her bile was extremely acidic and hurt more than normal.

Minerva's eyes grew wide as her cub sprinted from the room, letting the door fly back and forth in her wake. Still gripping her coffee mug, which had a charm on it to make sure it never grew cold or empty, Minerva made her way toward the bathroom, where she could hear her poor baby. Knocking on a door for the second time that day, Minerva cautiously let herself in. The elder witch audibly sighed at the sight in front of her as she knelt down and swept back the child's hair, magically tying it into a bun so she could have both hands free. Running her hands up and down Annabelle's arms, Minerva kissed the top of her cub's head. What could she say? Really, what does one say when their child is ill? Minerva couldn't remember a time where her mother or father had needed to comfort her when she was sick. After all, it had been an extraordinarily long time since she'd been a child.

Annabelle's breathing was beginning to slow down, so the blonde witch grabbed a piece of tissue paper and wiped off her mouth. She hadn't meant for Minerva to see any of this. In fact, she had hoped that the older witch would pretend nothing happened. Now, that wasn't really an option, so Annabelle gave into her fate and simply leaned back against the elder witch, closing her eyes and trying to breathe in her scent. The cool peppermint was the strongest aroma and Annabelle swore to commit that to memory. She was so wrapped up in absorbing Minerva's scent that she didn't even flinch as the elder witch wrapped her arms around her.

Minerva carefully pulled the child into her lap and guided the blonde toward her shoulder so she could lie her head down. The poor child was sweating from the light exertion of throwing up and Minerva couldn't help but pity her. However, she felt absolutely helpless. Of course, this feeling only intensified as another witch poked her head into the room, looking quite worried.

"I was afraid I might find one or both of you here." Isobel walked the rest of the way into the room, flicking her wand at invisible 'messes' as she did so. Kneeling down next to her two favorite witches, Isobel cupped her granddaughter's cheek. "Don't tell me you're nervous. Your mum is going to take good care of you and the rest of us are going to help. There's no need to be afraid, lamb."

Minerva had expected their meeting to be tense today, but it really wasn't. Her mother was great with Annabelle, and the blonde witch already appeared to be finding her composure again.

The three witches managed to sit in harmonious silence for a moment before Isobel interrupted, yet again. The elder McGonagall stood up and brushed invisible wrinkles out of her robes. "Come now. It looks like neither of you have eaten in weeks." Turning around, Isobel failed to see the glance passed between the others. All she cared about was the fact that she was followed back towards the kitchen.

Minerva stood up, haphazardly pulling Annabelle up with her. The pair followed Isobel at a distance, not sure what to think of her presence. Annabelle was overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all. Everything simply seemed surreal.