Scandalous
Friday, 1 January 1943
After being sent to her room, Minerva had spent a good part of an hour pacing and muttering to herself. She still felt heated from her argument with her mother, but that little nugget of guilt grew with each passing minute. Eventually, though, the adrenaline wore off and her legs refused to pace any longer. She laid down in bed and ended up taking a nap out of exhaustion. When she awoke, she laid in bed for another hour, contemplating the morning. She felt clearer about certain things, and more muddled about others. One thing she did know was that she needed to go back downstairs.
Minerva changed into fresh robes, fixed her hair, and made her way out of her room with some trepidation. She encountered no one in the upstairs halls as she walked, although she felt the eyes of the portraits that she passed more acutely than she normally did. As she reached the Entrance Hall, she could hear voices coming from the drawing room. She paused, considering going inside, but ultimately deciding against it. It sounded as though there were too many people for her comfort. Instead, she turned the other way and headed for the library. There was a specific person she was seeking out, and she hoped to find them there.
When she opened the door to the library and saw who was seated within, her shoulders relaxed in relief. William McGonagall looked up at her as she entered. Her heart panged when did not smile at the sight of her. Minerva's eyes trailed away from her father to the other person in the room, and she made eye contact with Mitchell, who had turned to see who had just entered the room.
Minerva stepped more fully into the room and shut the door behind her. There was a lull of silence between the three of them before Minerva finally said, "Mitchell, do you mind if I speak to Dad alone?"
Mitchell stood, and said, "Of course not." William gave him a tight, grateful smile as he turned away. Mitchell made eye contact with Minerva as he made for the door, and gave her a sympathetic smile. The simple gesture bolstered her courage.
Minerva took a deep breath as she returned her attention to her father, who was leaning back in his chair and watching her levelly. She did not feel comfortable enough to sit. She took a step closer to him and opened her mouth to speak, but the look on his face quieted her. She wished he would give her something more to work with than this expressionless regard.
William surprised her by speaking, "What do you think about Evelien placing the blame for all of this on Rolanda?" He stared at her piercingly, making Minerva want to squirm. She fought hard to remain still, with her hands folded in front of her.
"It was her idea, but I could've stopped her or not gone along," Minerva responded, speaking quietly.
Finally, a small smile quirked at William's lips. It was so small that it hardly affected any of the other muscles in his face, and had Minerva not been desperately looking for it she might not have caught it.
Relaxing some, Minerva added, "I'm sorry."
William looked away from her as he adjusted his position in his chair, straightening up. As he resettled, he said, "Have you said so to your mother?"
Minerva's face colored and she averted her gaze, murmuring, "No."
"I can't hear you."
"No," she repeated louder, meeting his eyes again.
"You should," he said. "She loves you so much, Minerva."
"I know." Minerva pursed her lips. She almost didn't say what she said next, but her frustrations needed to be shared, "She's hard to talk to sometimes."
"Why?"
Minerva frowned, thinking about this. She knew it was something she'd felt for a while, but she wasn't sure exactly where the idea had come from. "I think…things changed when the war started. She was on edge more. She didn't share as much of her life with me. She tried to shield me from more rather than…well, rather than talk to me in ways that stimulated my curiosity and respected my intelligence the way you did. And…I noticed that she was…kind of opinionated. Or, rather, well, judgmental."
William didn't say anything at first. Minerva was grateful that he seemed to be seriously considering her words. Eventually, he said, "All that comes from a place of love."
"That's not how I want to be loved."
"Well, Minerva, if you think about it, the things you and I talk about are our shared interests," William said, sighing. "You mother tried to develop shared interests with you, but you gave up on them when you were about twelve, thirteen years old. You quit piano, you quit dance lessons, and now even dancing has become something that you and I share since you only do it on special occasions when I'm playing the bagpipes. She tried. It wasn't just her who pulled away."
That observation struck Minerva. He was right. Her relationship with her mother had been better when she was younger in part because they could talk about music and dance. Like Miranda had this Christmas, Minerva would play while Halina sang. Halina had been so supportive, too, of Minerva's interest in sword dancing, even though she had personally never learned the art. She had always shown an interest and asked questions about Minerva's lessons, and Minerva had loved to talk about what she was learning and show off her skills.
Minerva sunk into an armchair and put her face in her hands, feeling immensely guilty. All this time she'd put all the blame on her mother for them growing apart, when she absolutely shared half of it. To her great embarrassment, she felt tears well up in her eyes, and tried to conceal it from her father. The emotions started to overwhelm her, though, and she could not conceal the way her shoulders shook quietly as years of pain over her strained relationship with Halina bubbled to the surface. William stood and came around to Minerva's chair, kneeling in front of it. He pulled her hands away from her face, revealing her red eyes. Minerva averted her gaze, directing her eyes upward, but William grasped Minerva's hands in his and squeezed them hard. Minerva leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. William wrapped one of his arms around her, holding her to him, and they sat together in silence like that for a few minutes while Minerva cried.
Eventually, William pulled away and asked quietly, "Do you want me to bring your mum here? So you can talk in private?"
Minerva nodded, wiping her face, and William stood. He squeezed one of her hands one last time before walking out of the library. Minerva took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself while she waited. All too soon, the door to the library opened again. Minerva looked around and saw Halina standing alone, shutting the door behind her. Their eyes met, and Minerva noticed Halina's eyes trail down her face, where she was sure there were still tell-tale signs of crying. Halina navigated her way through the room and chose a seat on a couch adjacent to Minerva's chair. She leaned towards Minerva, whose heart rose both with relief and with guilt when she reached a hand out, offering it to her daughter. Minerva took it and squeezed it. Halina waited for Minerva to speak.
"I'm sorry," Minerva said. She took a deep breath and continued, "I'm sorry for not thinking last night. You're right. I think...even though I worry about the people I love, I don't think about myself also being in danger. If that makes any sense. I didn't connect going to the party with the war." She cleared her throat, wanting to add that she was sorry for growing apart from her, but thought that might be a little much at the moment.
Halina did not immediately reply. When she finally did, she said, "Thank you." She paused, and then said, "I'm sorry too." Minerva sat up straighter, surprised. Halina gave her a small smile and clarified, "I'm sorry for being dismissive about your own worries. You're not a mother. I can't expect you to fully understand just how deep a mother's worry can be. I'm sure you worry about the people you love."
"I do," Minerva affirmed quietly.
Halina squeezed her hand again. She averted her gaze and said, "You know…after you went upstairs, I vented to my sister about our relationship. Yours and mine."
Minerva's heart raced uncomfortably. Sylvia wouldn't betray her. Would she?
"We used to be so close. You would tell me anything. Now I feel like…I have to ask before you tell me things. And even then, you might not answer. Or want to answer." She took a deep breath, "Sylvia told me…that you might feel afraid to talk to me. That maybe…the way I talk about her around you makes you afraid that I will judge you for your thoughts and feelings." Halina finally looked in Minerva's eyes again and said, "I get the feeling that Sylvia knows that's more than a 'maybe.'"
It was Minerva turn to look away. She cleared her throat and commented, "That must have been a hard conversation."
"It was," Halina agreed. She grimaced, "My own twin sister, accusing me of being too judgmental about her life. And being right."
Silence fell between them for a minute or so before Minerva confessed, "She's right. To an extent. I am afraid of what you'll think."
"I'm so sorry, Minerva," Halina murmured, squeezing her hand. She closed her eyes and shook her head, "I…I should've known better. I should've known the different ways you could have absorbed the way I spoke about her. And, I'm sure, about Mitchell and Rebecca, not too long ago."
Minerva grimaced, but a small snort escaped her nose, "You certainly put a fear of being forced into marriage in me."
Halina grimaced too, "Ah, well, that was a combination of me and the Robinsons. I was blinded in my disappointment. Mitchell is a Ravenclaw, like me; I…felt betrayed, I suppose, that he would do something so foolish. Now, of course, I know that there was a Fertility Potion involved, and I wouldn't trade Chris for anything, but…before Chris was born, it was all abstract. I could just be disappointed with no complications." Minerva wasn't looking at her mother. Halina eyed her and added, "But those aren't good enough excuses. It was wrong of me to be part of that."
Minerva looked up at her at that, smiling. Halina smiled back, relieved. She hesitated before asking, "Were you being honest, earlier? About," she hesitated again, uncertain if it was still not appropriate to ask these kinds of questions.
"About having sex with Oliver?" Minerva supplied, her face pink. Halina nodded. "Yes, I was honest." Minerva looked away, debating if she should offer her mother more. She took a deep breath and said quietly, "I almost did. I wanted to. I might."
Halina took a deep breath but said nothing. Minerva glanced nervously over at her, trying to gauge her reaction without making eye contact. Halina seemed to be struggling with a response. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she closed her eyes, took one final deep breath, and said, opening her eyes again, "Do you know – are you prepared – ah –"
Minerva's lips twitched at her mother's clear discomfort, and asked jokingly, "What, do you mean to tell me the lesson I got from you when I 'became a woman' wasn't enough?" Halina shot her a stern look, but Minerva saw amusement there and grinned. "Rolanda gave me a helpful book for Christmas, and, well, she certainly talks about it enough."
"Talks about it?" Halina repeated, surprised.
Minerva grimaced, "Ah, yes, Rolanda and Richard have sex. A lot."
Halina scoffed and shook her head, muttering, "That's very French."
"Mum!" Minerva exclaimed in an admonishing tone.
"Sorry." Halina cleared her throat and said, bringing them back to the subject, "It's hard to be sure you're doing the Contraceptive Spell right, especially practicing out of context."
"Ah, well," Minerva's face colored, and she wondered how to tell Halina this as sensitively as possible, "Aunt Sylvia saw the book in my room. She's familiar with it. So…she gave me some vials of Contraceptive Potion," she continued quickly, speaking louder as Halina opened her mouth, "just in case! She emphasized that she was not saying I should have sex with Oliver, but that she wanted me to be prepared in case I do."
Halina shut her mouth and pursed her lips, shaking her head. She didn't look pleased with this revelation. Minerva eyed her mother warily, concerned she'd gone too far and betrayed Sylvia. Halina closed her eyes again and took another calming breath. Minerva felt she needed to give her mother some credit. During their first sex talk, when she'd taught Minerva basic anatomy, she'd revealed that she waited until marriage, and had encouraged the same for her. Minerva acknowledged that talking to her about this now, making sure she was prepared for any pre-marital sex she engaged in, was probably difficult for Halina.
"I'm glad you're prepared," Halina finally said, her voice quiet. Minerva released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They smiled at each other, and Halina squeezed her hand again. "Do you love him?" she asked.
Minerva smiled a full, genuine smile, lacking in discomfort or nerves, and Halina knew the answer before she spoke it. "Yes, I do."
Halina smiled and asked, "Would you tell me a little more about him?" And Minerva did.
That night, after dinner, with the conversation she'd had with her mother still in mind, she decided to take her first dose of Contraceptive Potion. Just in case.
Wednesday, 6 January 1943
The last few days of the winter holiday passed quickly for the McGonagalls. They had no more guests; they just had their family. Life resumed as normal as the Hogwarts students and Miranda went back to the days of the adults with jobs leaving them for most of the weekdays. Even Jon, who usually worked from home, spent a few hours here and there away from the house. In addition to managing the businesses he owned, he was also a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and they had a meeting in the days leading up to the start of the new term. The grandchildren spent their days primarily with their grandparents. Minerva was relieved to see Gliona walking more surely, and sometimes without aid of a cane. In the mornings, if she woke up and sat at her window seat at just the right time, she would see Charles and Gliona taking a slow walk together around the grounds. Her heart warmed to see her grandparents together this way.
On Sunday, Mitchell, Isabella, and Chris had left them after lunch to return to their house in the village outside of the Auror Academy, so they could get resettled before Mitchell started his classes on Monday. Mitchell going back to school helped Minerva, Michael, and Mason mentally prepare themselves for their own return to Hogwarts. There was a bit of a rush among the three of them as they remembered they had essays to write before they went back on Wednesday.
Although the days following the fiasco on the first of January had been better for the McGonagalls – particularly Minerva's relationship with her mother – Minerva was relieved when she took her seat on the Hogwarts Express Wednesday morning. She'd said all her goodbyes, including two hugs for Miranda, and had boarded the train with Oliver, who Miranda had been delighted to meet. Now, they sat beside each other on the train, waiting for their other friends. She'd written Oliver a letter explaining what had happened to her after they parted the morning of the first, so that he'd be prepared if she was in a less than stellar mood upon their reunion. She was grateful that she was able to just lean against him with his arm around her without feeling guilty or as though she needed to explain herself for her tired reaction to seeing him.
The sound of the door opening drew Minerva's attention. She turned her head slightly so she could see who was coming into their compartment without lifting her head from Oliver's shoulder. Richard was entering, dragging his trunk behind him. Minerva lazily raised her wand and levitated it up onto the rack above her for him. He gave her a tense smile in thanks, taking a seat directly across from her and leaning forward anxiously. He asked, "Have you heard from Rolanda?"
Minerva gave him a sympathetic look and finally sat up straight, "No, I haven't." Richard had written to her a few days ago with the news that Rolanda had not been responding to his letters. She'd told him what had happened when the pair of them returned to McGonagall Manor, and that she also hadn't heard from Rolanda even then.
Richard stood anxiously and moved to the end of the compartment, looking out the window.
"I'm sure they're not going to pull her out of school," Oliver said, attempting to be reassuring. "She'll be here."
Still, Richard sat by the window, looking for any sign of his girlfriend.
As always, Pomona and Poppy entered the compartment together. Minerva helped them both store their trunks, as she was the only one among them who was of-age. Nathan found them soon after, and levitated his own trunk. Minerva smiled to see Nathan and Poppy greet each other warmly with a kiss and hug.
"So," Pomona said, glancing over at Richard, who was paying no attention to what was going on in his compartment, "no one's heard from Rolanda since New Year's?"
Everyone – save Richard – shook their heads. No one was quite sure what to say. As the minutes ticked closer to eleven o'clock, Donnie, Augusta, and Theodore joined them in their compartment. Their group for the journey from Hogwarts at the start of winter break was nearly complete. They left a space open across from Richard for Rolanda, as she was the only person they were still waiting for. Donnie, Augusta, and Theodore were filled in on the situation, and silence reigned in the compartment once again, as Richard's anxiety started affecting them all. Minerva wished Rolanda would hurry up and get to Platform 9 ¾ already so they could all relax.
The train's whistle blew. Everyone exchanged wide-eyed looks. Minerva stood and looked out the window herself, searching for the distinct platinum blonde hair of her best friend. Her heart pounded, and she checked her watch. It was eleven. Richard stood abruptly and was out of the compartment in two strides. Everyone stared after him, wide-eyed and mouths agape, as the train began to move.
Minerva's hand flew to the opal pendant on its golden chain around her neck, and she flipped it over, bringing the tip of her wand to the smooth gold backside. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she inscribed, "Are the Robinsons alright? – Mi2."
She sat down heavily, holding her breath as she waited for a response. There can't have been an attack, there can't have been… Still, her heart felt like it was in her throat. The seconds ticked by agonizingly, the tension in Minerva's shoulders growing with each tick of the second hand on her watch. She ground her teeth and squeezed her fingers a little tighter around the pendant.
Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach flopped nervously as she watched her own message disappear, replaced by her father's quick scrawl. "As far as we know. Why? – W."
"Rolanda isn't on the train," she replied quickly.
The seconds ticked away again. In her mind's eye, Minerva imagined her parents, perhaps with Jon and Diana, sitting around looking troubled, discussing her messages. She hoped they were doing something to get answers.
Eventually, William's handwriting returned, "We will look into it."
Minerva swallowed hard, staring at those words and not feeling very comforted. She would much rather have a straightforward answer, or at least the power to do something about this herself. She felt trapped on the Hogwarts Express, chugging slowly out of London. She felt helpless. She didn't even notice as Oliver's hands came up to rub her shoulders, nor as he started whispering comforting words to her.
William's message was replaced by another one, this time in her mother's neater, thinner handwriting, "Don't panic. She's most likely late xxx – H."
Minerva clutched her opal and gold pendant tightly and shut her eyes, forcing herself to take a calming breath. Halina was probably right. If something bad had happened to the Robinsons, her parents would have likely already heard about it.
Her hand fell like a dead weight from her pendant into her lap. She finally became aware of Oliver's attempts to comfort her, and gave him a weak smile. His hands slid from her shoulders as she leaned into him again. Richard returned minutes later, alone and pale-faced. Minerva sat up as he entered, searching his expression, and feeling disappointed by what she found there.
Poppy stood shakily, "Well…Minerva and I ought to head to the Prefect's carriage…"
Minerva sighed and stood, grabbing her bundle of robes out of her bag and performing a Switching Spell to put them on. She then shoved her Muggle clothes into the bag and pinned her Prefect's badge to her chest. Poppy asked for Minerva's help in doing the same, and so Minerva also performed a Switching Spell for her friend.
Once the compartment door shut behind them, Poppy asked, "Did you contact your family?"
Minerva nodded, "They're looking into it."
"She's probably just late," Poppy reasoned, but her tone did not sound confident.
A subdued train ride was followed by a quiet carriage ride up to the castle. Their group of nine divided into two thestral-drawn carriages, with Pomona, Poppy, Nathan, and Theodore in one, and Minerva, Oliver, Donnie, Augusta, and Richard in another. When they reached the doors to the Entrance Hall, Minerva felt heartened to see Dumbledore standing on the steps, greeting students with smiles and kind words. He did not seem worried at all, and Minerva felt that she'd learned how to tell when her favorite professor was concealing his anxieties.
As she approached him with her friends around her, she tried to catch his eye and smile at him, but he looked right over her and called out to Richard. Everyone in their little group turned to look at Richard, who practically ran to his Head of House. Minerva watched as Dumbledore led Richard inside the castle, hoping she'd read him correctly and that there was nothing to worry about.
Just as Richard disappeared into the shadow of the Entrance Hall, Pomona, Poppy, Nathan, and Theodore piled out of their carriage. Theodore asked, "Where is he going?"
"Dumbledore called for him," Oliver replied, shrugging.
"You don't think –?" Pomona whispered.
Poppy shook her head, but there was a small, concerned crease between her eyes.
Minerva flipped over her pendant again. "Any news? – Mi2."
It only took a few seconds for Halina's handwriting to replace hers. "No, no Robinsons, no attack. – H."
"How? It's been 8 hours!" Minerva replied, frustrated.
"We are doing our best. – W."
Minerva pursed her lips and closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. She grudgingly returned, "Thank you," before releasing her pendant, still frustrated.
All of the students coming in from the carriages were making their way into the Great Hall. Minerva and her friends followed suit, separating as they walked towards their own house tables. Minerva didn't speak as she watched the door, hoping to see Dumbledore and Richard return any moment. Around her, her friends spoke little, too, but a stray comment was thrown about here and there as they remarked on any changes they noticed in their classmates. They'd sat near Chasers Hank and Amelia, who didn't know a thing about what was going on and who were eagerly discussing the rest of the Quidditch season.
After nearly every student had made their way inside the hall and to a seat, Minerva spotted what she'd been waiting for. She saw Dumbledore first, towering over the people he was with. On his right walked Richard, and on his left, Slughorn. Next to Slughorn – Minerva's heart soared with relief – was Rolanda. She murmured her friend's name, drawing the attention of the people she was sitting with, who all looked around for the elusive Slytherin. Neither Richard nor Rolanda looked happy. Rolanda's face was tilted downward, not quite looking straight at the floor but basically doing so. Richard kept glancing across their Heads of House towards her. The quartet stopped a few paces into the Great Hall, and their respective Heads of House turned towards them. With one last long look in Rolanda's direction, Richard turned and walked towards the Gryffindor table. Rolanda, though, simply turned quickly in the direction of the Slytherin table and walked purposefully towards it.
As soon as Richard sat down with his friends, they swarmed him with questions. He frowned as he listened to them all, before saying loudly, "Stop!"
Everyone shut their mouths. Richard clenched his jaw. When he spoke, his voice was directed towards his plate, "I have detention."
"What?" his friends exclaimed collectively.
"Whatever for?" Minerva asked, baffled.
Richard grimaced, raising his eyebrows significantly. He glanced around at his audience, as if gauging them, before replying quietly, "For repeatedly breaking school policy on intimate relations."
Theodore snorted, "I'm sorry, what?"
Richard gave him an irritated look and clarified, "I have a month's worth of detentions for having sex with Rolanda at school."
"I'm scandalized," Donnie remarked dramatically.
"You've got to be joking!" Oliver exclaimed, ignoring Donnie.
Richard shrugged, "I wish I was."
"So Rolanda does too, then?" Minerva asked.
Richard nodded, "Her parents came here and spoke with Slughorn about it. They demanded we be given detention." He rolled his eyes, "Judging by some of Slughorn's comments, they also spent some time making sure Rolanda's detentions would not interfere with Quidditch practice."
"Then what's the point of detention?" Minerva exclaimed.
"To make us miserable in other ways, cleaning up things no one wants to clean up, so we can think about what we've done," Richard replied. As he spoke the last few words, his voice was dripping with sarcasm. Minerva shook her head in disbelief. "We've also been banned from Hogsmeade for the rest of term."
"Only a man like Slughorn would go along with such an asinine plan," Minerva commented. "I'm surprised they're not making the two of you get married."
Richard simply shook his head with his eyes closed.
With the question of Rolanda's whereabouts answered, dinner passed normally. Minerva contacted her family to update them on the situation. They were relieved to learn that the Robinsons were safe, and after briefly passing along what she knew to her baffled family, Minerva joined in on the conversations around her about everyone's winter holiday, swapping stories and sharing in laughter like everyone else as though her previous anxieties had never happened.
Towards the end of dinner, Minerva caught Rolanda leaving the Slytherin table alone. She was walking fast towards the doors to the Great Hall. Minerva made a decision quickly, and stood. She said quick words of farewell to her friends and gave Oliver a kiss on the cheek before fast-walking after Rolanda. Along the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, Poppy and Pomona were doing the same.
In the Entrance Hall, Rolanda hoisted her robes and kept on plowing ahead up the stairs, not turning to greet her friends. They rushed to keep up with her, but Rolanda was in the best shape of all of them and was able to climb the stairs much quicker than her friends. Minerva was simply glad Rolanda was going up the stairs rather than down them; this meant that at the very least, Rolanda wanted to talk to them. She could have gone straight to the Slytherin common room if she didn't.
When they reached the seventh floor, Minerva, Poppy, and Pomona stopped next to the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy, breathing heavily, while Rolanda paced in front of them, summoning their room. They filed in after her as she walked through the door as soon as it appeared. Once the door was shut behind them, Minerva called out, "Rolanda, please. What's wrong?"
Rolanda stood with her back to her friends and her hands on her hips. Minerva watched, alarmed, as Rolanda bowed her head, her blonde hair sliding forward to cover her face. No one moved or spoke. Then, slowly, Rolanda finally started turning around, her head still bowed and her hair like a curtain in front of it. Minerva watched Rolanda lick her lips nervously and then bite down on her lower lip. She then finally looked up at her friends. Poppy and Pomona gasped aloud, and Minerva's eyes widened to see piercing yellow eyes staring back at them from their friend's face.
"They couldn't fix it?" Minerva breathed.
Poppy's and Pomona's heads snapped in Minerva's direction. Poppy asked sharply, "Fix what? You didn't mention this!"
"Rolanda…" Minerva began to explain, but then looked to her friend and trailed off. It was not her story to tell.
Rolanda turned and walked away, towards the group of armchairs by an unlit fireplace. She took a seat in the emerald armchair and curled her legs up into it. Her three friends came around and took their own seats.
They sat in silence for a few moments, until Rolanda finally said, "I discovered the bit of Veela magic that I inherited from my mother." She rubbed her hands together nervously. "I can turn into a harpy when I'm angry."
Poppy and Pomona exchanged surprised looks.
"When my mother was yelling at me for disappearing without a word, and then for having sex with Richard, and comparing me to Rebecca…I got angrier than I've ever felt. She said many unkind things about Richard and Rebecca that I couldn't just accept. That anger…it awoke something in me, and…I transformed. Maman helped me transform back into a human, er, well, my human-like form, I suppose. But I couldn't change my eyes back. Not cosmetically. They don't work like harpy eyes. I went through a lot of tests this past week to find out. Maman and Dad took me to the chateau that houses the Resistance, and Maman was able to get in touch with a Veela from her colony who came to check on me. She could not urge my eyes back into their normal state." Rolanda closed her eyes tightly and sucked in a deep breath, "I'm afraid…I'm afraid that Quidditch recruiters are going to see my eyes and worry they're not legal for professional Quidditch."
"But you said that you went through a lot of tests!" Pomona exclaimed. "They should be able to accept that!"
Rolanda shrugged, "There are many people out there who are prejudiced against non-humans. My eyes now clearly show that I am not a human."
"You are –" Poppy began.
"I'm not," Rolanda snapped. "I am only half-human, and that is not human enough for the kinds of people who would be prejudiced against me."
"You're probably right," Minerva said. Poppy and Pomona turned to look at her, aghast at this method of comforting. Rolanda looked over at her impassively. "But I see a positive. Other than the fact that your eyes look bloody brilliant."
Rolanda snorted, "What's that?"
A slow smirk curled at Minerva's lips as she replied, "The Holyhead Harpies have to take you now."
Rolanda blinked at her slowly, and then she started to laugh. Minerva grinned as Rolanda's laughter grew, and Poppy and Pomona joined in, with some relief.
Once Rolanda stopped laughing, Minerva saw that there were tears in her eyes, which could be from either the laughter or sadness at her lot. Minerva reached over and offered Rolanda her hand, which Rolanda accepted. Minerva squeezed her friend's hand comfortingly, and Rolanda smiled
"I hear you have detention," Minerva commented. Poppy and Pomona turned their attention to Rolanda, wide-eyed.
Rolanda rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I do. My stupid parents thought they could protect me from going down the same path as Rebecca by coming here and demanding I be given a month's detention, along with Richard. Slughorn, bless him, reminded them that this is an important time for my future career, if I'm serious about pursuing professional Quidditch. They worked out with him that my detention won't interfere with my practice, which, in my opinion, defeats the point of giving me detention. If you're going to let me continue doing my favorite things, what kind of lesson am I really learning?"
"I'm sure you're not complaining, though," Poppy remarked.
Rolanda snorted, "No. It's just irritating that I'm going to be doing things like…cleaning toilets or…making fertilizer…"
Pomona laughed at that. Rolanda shot her a dirty look, "Just because you enjoy playing with fertilizer, Miss Pomona, does not mean the rest of us do." This only made Pomona laugh harder.
Her lips quirked in amusement, Minerva addressed Rolanda over Pomona's laughter, "But you're allowed to see Richard still, right?"
Rolanda nodded, "Our detentions won't be together, but we're not banned from spending time together. Slughorn and Dumbledore aren't stupid. I'm sure they've been teaching long enough to know that separating randy teens is not an effective way to make them stop shagging whenever they can."
"But you're not going to stop now, either," Poppy assumed, raising her eyebrows.
"Of course not. They could give us detention on alternating nights for an entire school year and we'd still find time to shag," Rolanda replied. "Speaking of which, Minerva, let Richard know that I expect to see him here tonight at our normal time."
Minerva laughed, shaking her head. Rolanda grinned.
Friday, 15 January 1943
The first weeks back at school felt just as they should have. Their professors mercilessly threw them into their lessons, piling essays and personal practice onto them quickly. In Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, they continued learning to use spells wordlessly. The level of normalcy in all of this lulled them into a tentative sense of security, hopeful that all was behind them. Students and teachers operated under varying levels of anxiety, from completely moved on from it all to still completely on edge, and all the while life went on at Hogwarts.
Transfiguration, as always, was Minerva's favorite class, even though she'd already read ahead for the rest of the year and had studied these spells long ago. She still loved listening to the way Dumbledore explained the spells, and his passion for the subject. It was inspirational, and made her proud to be skilled at the art of Transfiguration. Surprisingly, though, she began to love Defense Against the Dark Arts nearly as much as Transfiguration, but for different reasons. She felt that Merrythought was teaching them extremely useful skills each class, and appreciated the opportunity to practice for the real world. They did mock duels at some point during every lesson, which Minerva thought was the perfect opportunity to practice wordless magic and to prepare to join the Resistance after she graduated.
On top of the normal workload from her classes, Minerva gave herself even more work to do. She continued with her Transfiguration help sessions on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and found many new faces coming in who'd already forgotten what they'd been learning right before the winter holiday. She also held regular Quidditch practice for her team twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays, which she'd scheduled with Plumpton the day after she'd returned. In addition to all of that, she started practicing her dueling on her own on her spare time, making use of the magic room she shared with her friends. She found the room's ability to give her anything she needed extremely helpful as she fought against dummy opponents that the room provided to give her a real challenge.
Of course, among all of these things she also needed to find time for her friends and for Oliver. Oliver, though, was certainly not going to let her forget about him. Nearly every day he would pull her aside into a classroom, broom closet, or up to his dorm to continue the exploration they'd started on New Year's. Minerva was not unhappy with this in the slightest; she relished the moments when he would pop out, taking her by surprise and pulling her into a private room to lavish her with kisses. They took many an opportunity to undress each other and explore each other's bodies even more than they did in Richard's parents' room.
The second Friday back at school was Oliver's seventeenth birthday. They did have a few classes that day, but Minerva, Oliver, their close friends – which, to Minerva's dismay, included Nicholas Pomfrey – and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team found time to meet at the Quidditch pitch for some leisurely flying, as most of them had for Minerva's birthday. Plumpton agreed to supervise, and even gave a few pointers to the members of the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams. As on Minerva's birthday, they ended up playing a pickup game of Quidditch, and this time they had more than enough people for a game. This time, though, Minerva and Rolanda ended up on opposite teams from each other. Minerva deferred to Oliver, letting him be captain and draft his team for his birthday, although Rolanda declared herself captain of the opposing team. Oliver ended up with Donnie, Minerva, Hank, and Amelia, all from the Gryffindor starting team, along with Nicholas Pomfrey and reserve Beater David Llewellyn. Rolanda drafted her own Seeker from Slytherin, Lucretia, and her fiancée Prewett, who were once again happy to be on the same team, along with Richard, Theodore, Gryffindor Chaser Catriona McCormack, and reserve Gryffindor Beater Roy Reeves. Poppy, Pomona, and Nathan were all pleased to not have to play. Even though the stakes were low, everyone took the game seriously. While Oliver's team had the most experienced players, Rolanda's had an interesting mix that provided an unexpected challenge for them. Prewett commanded the Bludger with vigor, and Catriona and Roy were naturally skilled at the game in ways that helped them match the experience of their opponents. Rolanda, of course, was unstoppable as always in front of the goalposts. It was a close game, and when Minerva finally caught the Snitch, her team won by only fifty points.
After the game, Oliver and his dormmates went upstairs to shower. Minerva whispered something in Oliver's ear before he left that made him give her a wide-eyed look. She smirked at him in response, her heart pounding. She waited nervously in the common room as Donnie, then Theodore, and finally Richard came back downstairs. As soon as Richard passed her on his way out the portrait hole, Minerva stood and made her way up the stairs to the sixth-year boys' dormitory. Oliver wasn't in the bedroom, which was empty, when she arrived, so she made her way to the bathroom, her hands shaking slightly. She was both nervous and excited. She knocked. Oliver opened the door, holding a towel around his waist. Minerva's eyes darted down his chest appreciatively and lingered on the loosely held towel.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
He blinked at her, disbelieving even though she'd instructed him to shower last. Pointlessly, he said, "I'm about to shower…"
For some reason, this obvious statement relaxed Minerva, and she rolled her eyes with an amused smile on her face, "I know."
His face colored, but he grinned and stepped aside, opening the door for her. Once the door shut behind them, Minerva locked it and said, "I was hoping I could join you."
Oliver stared at her, licking his lips. He nodded slowly, and then said, "Yes."
Minerva gave him a small smile, and then began to undress. He watched her fingers work as she removed her Quidditch robes and kicked them away, and then as she discarded her bra and knickers. She turned away from him to walk towards the shower, taking calming breaths. That feeling you're feeling is excitement, she reminded herself. She stood under the shower alone, wetting her hair and eyeing his products. She'd forgotten about this part, the part about actually getting clean from the sweaty Quidditch match they'd just had. Just as she was resigning herself that they would have to do, she felt Oliver come up behind her, first simply sensing the warmth of his presence, and then feeling his hand gently touching her bum. She held her breath as his hands danced over her hips and across her body. When his lips found her neck, Minerva leaned against him happily, relaxing at the familiar sensations he elicited.
Being in the shower added a new layer of excitement to the exploration they'd been enjoying for the past week and a half. It thrilled her. Between washing each other and then kissing deeply, heatedly under the spray, Minerva had half a mind to forgo waiting the twenty-eight days for the Contraceptive Potion to be fully effective. She wanted him, and she knew he wanted her.
But Minerva McGonagall had never been able to completely turn off her rationality, so she decided to explore satisfying him in a different way. She enjoyed watching the expressions dance across his face as she worked; it made her feel powerful.
Once she'd achieved her mission, she pulled away from him, leaving him to lean limply against the shower wall, processing all of the things he was feeling. Minerva smirked smugly to herself and decided to take the opportunity to use his soap to wash her hair. Oliver watched her lather her hair and said, "I love you."
A short laugh escaped her lips and, smiling, she returned, "I love you, too."
"That was incredible."
"Happy birthday," she responded with a wink. He laughed lightly, and reached for his soap to wash his own hair. They smiled stupidly at each other as they finished getting clean, and then moved to Oliver's bed to cuddle once they'd dried themselves with magic.
Saturday, 16 January 1943
The next morning, Minerva, Oliver, Donnie, Richard, and Theodore met Rolanda, Pomona, Poppy, and Nathan in a hallway off the Entrance Hall after breakfast. Minerva and Pomona took a seat together on a large ledge of an east-facing window, where the sun was warming the stone despite the cold outside. The rest of their friends either sat or leaned against the wall, close together. They were waiting for their professors to reorganize the Great Hall, now that breakfast was over and all of the students had cleared out. It was the first day of Apparition lessons, and the sixth-years were excited. The freedom of being able to disappear and reappear wherever they wanted was tantalizing to them, and they couldn't wait to get started on their lessons.
It wasn't too long before Dumbledore stepped out of the Great Hall and called for the sixth-years to enter. Minerva and her friends exchanged excited looks and walked swiftly to the Great Hall. The tables had been moved to the sides of the room, and dozens of hoops rested in rows on the flagstone, with a lot of space between them.
"Welcome, everyone! Please, find a hoop and stand in front of it!" called an unfamiliar voice from the front of the room. Minerva searched for the source and found a thin, pale, platinum-blond-haired wizard standing at the front of the room who she'd never seen before. There was a certain fragility in his appearance that made her think that he might fall over if she simply breathed on him a little too strong. She couldn't help but wonder if that was what happened to a person who Disapparated too many times.
Professors Slughorn, Merrythought, and Gibson were also present, presumably in their capacity as Heads of House, and they were helping students find empty hoops and making sure everyone who paid for the course was present. Minerva, Rolanda, Pomona, and Poppy chose hoops in a square, and Oliver, Richard, and Nathan chose the hoops directly next to their girlfriends. Theodore was prevented from taking the hoop next to Pomona by one of her dormmates, Ethel, who obliviously took the hoop next to Pomona before he could reach it, and so Theodore took a hoop near his best friend, Richard, instead.
Once everyone had chosen a hoop, the wizard at the front of the class began, "Welcome to your Apparition lessons! I am Professor Twycross, and I shall be your Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. Your professors are here to aid me should anything go wrong. A few splinchings are to be expected in a beginner's Apparition course, but not to worry! Your professors and I are prepared for that inevitability."
The students looked around at each other, feeling worried despite his assurances. A few Muggle-borns leaned over and whispered to their neighbors, asking what splinching was. Pomona, though, had been raised around Poppy's family, and already knew about the unfortunate side effect of a bad Apparition despite her parentage.
"Headmaster Dippet has lowered the anti-Apparition wards within the Great Hall for the duration of our lesson, but a warning: do not attempt to Apparate out. The Headmaster has merely altered the wards to allow you to Apparate within the Great Hall. Anyone who attempts to Apparate out will be unsuccessful – and very unhappy." Twycross then clapped his hands together, his demeanor shifting completely from graveness to positivity, "Apparition lessons will mostly be about practice, for all you need to know to be successful are the three D's: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. You need to picture your destination clearly in your mind, focus on it with the determination to succeed, and move, not with haste, but with deliberation. Once you have it, you simply spin –" now, Twycross spun on the spot, and reappeared with a pop on the other side of the Great Hall. Everyone turned to see him, and he raised his hands with a flourish, "– and you should be at your destination, if you did everything right." He Disapparated again, back to the front of the Great Hall. "Now, let me see you try!"
Minerva felt very foolish scowling at her hoop, trying to concentrate, and spinning in place with no results. At least, she reasoned, she looked no more foolish than everyone else around her. The Great Hall was filled with sixth-years spinning in front of their hoops and losing their balance every now and then. Twycross walked among the students, talking to them, trying to coach them, and reassuring them that he'd never seen a successful Apparition during the first lesson. She glanced over at Oliver beside her and laughed softly to herself at the disgruntled expression on his face. She felt better seeing that he was clearly as frustrated as she was. He glanced over at her and smiled to see her watching him with amusement. He stuck his tongue out at her before turning back to his hoop.
Nearly the whole hour passed this way, until in the last ten minutes a loud crack echoed in the Great Hall. The sound made Minerva jump, as it came from directly beside her, and she snapped her head in Pomona's direction. A split second later, the crack was followed by a terrible scream. Minerva gasped as she watched Pomona lose her balance and fall into her hoop, her right leg left behind just a few feet away from her. Professor Gibson, Pomona's Head of House, immediately Apparated to her side as gasps and cries of alarm spread throughout the Hall. For many of the students assembled, this was their first experience with splinching. Dumbledore Apparated over to Pomona as well, and he helped Gibson roll Pomona onto her back so she could reattach Pomona's leg. Minerva's trembling hand came up to cover her mouth at the sight of the blood, and the observation that Pomona had fainted.
Twycross tried to maintain calm, "Not to worry! This was bound to happen. As you can see, your professors are quite capable of fixing a simple splinching." Indeed, Pomona's leg was already reattached, although she was still unconscious. "We only have five minutes left of the class, and I doubt any of you have the proper determination to successfully Apparate now, so I will end the class early. Remember the three D's! Recite them in your head, and practice holding a destination in your mind until our next lesson."
Once dismissed, Minerva, Rolanda, and Poppy rushed towards their friend. Poppy had her wand out, and Minerva noticed she was waving it and muttering something under her breath. Gibson smiled at her, "She's alright, Miss Nadson. She just had a bit of a shock. Professor Dumbledore and I will safely see her to the Hospital Wing for observation, but I'm sure she will be sleeping in her own bed tonight." Poppy lowered her wand and shut her mouth, but she still looked pale-faced and worried for her best friend. Minerva put an arm around her shoulders as Gibson levitated Pomona. Dumbledore gave her a small, reassuring smile before walking ahead of Gibson and Pomona, clearing the way.
Pomona was released from the Hospital Wing not even an hour later, slightly embarrassed but otherwise alright. Her friends walked beside her out of the ward, insisting that she should not be embarrassed.
"You were the only one who was able to do it!" Rolanda reminded her. "No one else could do anything! And you nearly got your whole body in the hoop!"
"Nearly," Pomona repeated darkly, a wry smile curling at her lips.
Poppy rolled her eyes, "You did better than anyone could have reasonably expected of us. You should be proud."
"And I might've fainted if I left my leg behind," Minerva added. "Just seeing it happen to you didn't make me feel quite right. And I'm a bloody Gryffindor."
Pomona smiled at her and laughed softly through her nose. Her friends grinned to see the Hufflepuff's mood improving.
They turned the corner and found Oliver, Richard, Nathan, Theodore, Donnie, and Augusta waiting for them in the Entrance Hall. They all smiled to see Pomona walking beside her friends, and greeted her warmly. Pomona ducked her head bashfully, feeling slightly embarrassed again, but she was smiling, too.
"How are you feeling?" Theodore asked.
Pomona looked up at him and blinked, looking slightly surprised. "I'm right as rain."
He smiled, "I'm glad. You made as all look like Squibs in there."
Pomona blushed for a different reason and grinned stupidly at him, "You all just need the determination of a Hufflepuff." They all laughed.
Their group then moved like a pack towards the library, where they'd decided yesterday afternoon they'd spend their day. It may only be January, but their professors were showing them no mercy. They had several essays to write, all more than two feet long. Augusta, especially, was feeling the pressure, now that she was in the second half of her O.W.L. year. They grabbed a long table in the main aisle of the library and spread their books out, taking up the entire table even though they didn't use all of the seats. Minerva had an essay to write for Transfiguration, and lately she'd been feeling pressure to deliver work that was more than Outstanding – she wanted to give Dumbledore apprentice-quality work. Although she would not outright say so to him so far from her graduation, that was her biggest hope for her life post-graduation: that Dumbledore would be the Transfiguration Master she studied under after Hogwarts. She would be disappointed to settle with anyone else. Consequently, she felt she needed to prove herself to him, that she could deliver stellar work while also tutoring other students. She wouldn't dare say any of this out loud, though; she wouldn't want Rolanda to call her a Slytherin.
Minerva was telling herself that her ambition was bravery.
Minerva became completely engrossed in her work, with three textbooks open in front of her with pieces of parchment slid between pages to mark useful points she wanted to reference. She paid no attention to her friends around her. Not even Oliver could distract her as the world faded around her, and nothing else existed but her three textbooks, her parchment, her quill and ink, and all the beauty and intricacy of Transfiguration. She had to write an essay arguing whether using verbal or nonverbal magic had an impact on Human Transfiguration. The topic excited her. She loved nonverbal magic, because it made her feel like she had a stronger grasp on her own magic to be able to direct it without the help of words. The idea, though, that not saying the word aloud might take something away from the spell, even in the strongest of wizards, was an intriguing one, and it was one that no Hogwarts student could be absolutely sure of from experience. They needed to rely on the writings of others in order to write their essays. Minerva thought, though, that it was likely that Dumbledore was among the few who could disprove the theory that nonverbal Transfiguration was weaker, and unfortunately for her, he had not written on the subject. As she flipped through her reference books, she wondered if she might find helpful information in a biography of a famous Transfiguration Master, and decided it was worth searching that section of the library.
Without a word, Minerva stood and walked off in the direction of the biography section, which was closer to the back, just past the history section and before the Restricted Section. As she walked closer to her destination, she began to hear noises that were out-of-place in a library. At first, they were so quiet that she thought she was imagining things, but soon she could distinctly hear the sounds of kissing and moaning. Minerva slowed her walk and peered around the corner of the aisle she thought the noises were coming from, curious. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened wide as she realized that the embracing couple was Pomona and Theodore. Pomona was leaning against the little shelf that served as a table with her arms wrapped around Theodore, one of her hands buried into his hair. Theodore's hands were sliding up and down Pomona's back as he snogged her thoroughly, looking rather like he was trying to eat her face.
Minerva quickly straightened, covering her mouth with her hand to suppress her giggles and pressing her back against the wall between the aisles. She couldn't believe it. Well, she could, but still, she was positively giddy about this development. That kiss was far from the innocent one Minerva and Pomona had witnessed Poppy sharing with Nathan just outside the library not too long ago. She briefly wondered if they'd kissed before, but she reminded herself that Pomona had been surprised by Theodore asking after her wellbeing, and – more compelling – Pomona was terrible at keeping secrets. She would've been a blushing mess the moment she saw her friends after kissing Theodore for the first time. Minerva's eyebrows raised, amused and vaguely impressed as she realized that this must be the first time they'd kissed.
She quietly snuck past their aisle – although she really didn't need to, as they were completely wrapped up in each other – and tried searching the biography aisle for a helpful book. It was hard to concentrate, now, because she was eager to return to her friends and share what she'd witnessed. She grabbed two books that might be promising but probably wouldn't help, and walked quickly but quietly back to her table, grinning.
Oliver looked up first as she set her books down and returned to her seat. He smiled once he noticed she was grinning, "What's gotten into you?"
Everyone looked up. They were all there, except, of course, Pomona and Theodore. Minerva looked around at them all, making sure they were all paying attention, before crowing, "I just saw Pomona and Theodore snogging."
Oliver and Nathan's eyes widened. Rolanda and Augusta's jaws dropped. Poppy grinned broadly. Donnie and Richard sniggered, which made giddy laughter spread throughout the teens.
"D'you mean really snogging, or –?" Rolanda asked.
"I mean really snogging," Minerva replied, emphasizing her point with a huge grin, wide eyes, and nodding. Rolanda and Poppy exchanged pleased grins.
"Scandalous," Donnie joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Some of their group craned their necks in the direction Minerva came from, as if hoping to see the couple. After a few minutes passed without Pomona and Theodore returning, everyone turned back to their work.
Not too long later, though, a red-faced Pomona Collins walked through the aisles clutching a book to her chest, her curly red hair looking a little disheveled. Theodore followed her, a book swinging in his hand, and Minerva swore there was an extra spring in his step that she wasn't just imagining because she knew what they'd been up to. Everyone at the table exchanged knowing smirks.
"Thank you, Theodore, for making sure our dear friend Pomona feels better after being splinched this morning," Rolanda said in an innocent tone, looking up at them with a light smile playing at her lips.
Pomona's face turned so red she was nearly purple and ducked her head. Theodore grinned and glanced over at her. Light laughter bubbled up in the throats of all the people sitting at the table again, and Pomona glanced around at them, perhaps searching their faces to see if they were making fun of her. Poppy, Minerva, and Rolanda each smiled happily at their friend as she searched their expressions in turn. Rolanda gave her a big wink. Pomona finally smiled, albeit bashfully, and started giggling. Mr. Havisham, the librarian, peeked out of an aisle to shush them, and they all silenced at once, pressing their lips together firmly and looking around at each other, their eyes still glittering with mirth. They brought their hands to cover their mouths, and their shoulders started shaking with silent laughter as they all tried to return to their schoolwork.