A Beacon of Positivity

Saturday, 3 April 1943

The first Saturday in April found all but two of the residents of Hogwarts confined inside the castle, under strict orders from Professor Marsh. She and Pomona were doing the last repotting for the Mandrakes, and at this stage, their fatal cries were loudest. The sound shouldn't leave Greenhouse Three, but Marsh insisted everyone stay inside as a precaution. Her cautiousness made Pomona's friends anxious, though, and so that was how Minerva, Rolanda, and Poppy found themselves sitting in a large windowsill near the Entrance Hall with the doors in sight. Poppy had claimed the spot where she could lean against the wall of the alcove and face the door. Minerva sat opposite her, and Rolanda sat between them, leaning against the window.

"How much truth do you think there is to what Pomona said about wrestling the Mandrakes?" Rolanda asked.

"What?" Minerva replied, startled. Poppy looked perplexed, too, and a little concerned.

"Remember when she first told us about her helping Marsh? She said she wants to do thinks like 'wrestle Mandrakes,' or something like that," Rolanda elaborated.

Poppy sat back, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, looking much more relaxed now, "Oh, I'm sure she was exaggerating."

"But how big are they now? I remember when we repotted the babies in second year, they did fight with us," Rolanda countered, frowning.

"She said they were teenage Mandrakes," Minerva replied, anxious for her friend, too. "That sounds like they would be harder to manage than the babies, to me."

Poppy scowled at them, and opened her mouth to retort, but Rolanda cut her off, "Yes, exactly! What if one of them knocks off her earmuffs—"

"That's enough!" Poppy snapped. Her arms were crossed protectively, and her eyes glanced towards the doors again. "Professor Marsh has done this before. I'm sure they have taken precautions to make sure that doesn't happen. Now, can we please talk about something else? Anything else?"

Rolanda sighed, giving Poppy a long, hard look. She turned to Minerva instead, though, and said, "Alright, then. I've been meaning to ask you how you and Oliver are. It's been almost two weeks since you took the leaf out."

Minerva raised her eyebrows and glanced down at her knees. She started fiddling with her robes there, and said, "Things are good."

"Have you talked about the way his attitude made you feel?" Poppy asked.

"Ah, no," Minerva replied, still looking pointedly at her knees.

"Why not?" Poppy asked.

Minerva shrugged, "I…I don't know how to bring it up. I feel like we exhausted the topic while it was happening and got nowhere—"

"—which is why you wanted to talk about it again," Rolanda reminded her sternly.

Minerva grimaced at her knees, "Right. But things did improve towards the end, and so now I feel like it's a moot point to bring up, and perhaps even hurtful. I simply can't see the conversation going well."

"Do you feel like he made it up to you without you having to have that conversation, then?" Poppy asked.

She shrugged again, "A little. Like I said, our relationship improved."

"So, you're having sex again," Rolanda supplied bluntly.

Minerva laughed nervously at that. She glanced at the students passing by, but none of them paid any attention to her and her friends, wrapped up as they were in their own conversations.

"Minerva?" Rolanda prodded. "Minerva, look at me."

Reluctantly, Minerva turned to face Rolanda.

"Are you alright?" Rolanda asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Yes, of course," she sighed. She averted her gaze again, running her fingers through her hair. "It's—" Her face flushed, "We are. Having sex. But…" she shook her head, and glanced at the passing students again. Finally, she looked hesitantly up at Rolanda and said, almost too quietly for Rolanda to hear and certainly too quietly for Poppy to hear, "I'm not enjoying it as much."

"What did she say?" Poppy asked, leaning forward.

"He's not giving you orgasms anymore?" Rolanda clarified, loud enough for Poppy to hear.

Minerva's and Poppy's faces both turned red. Poppy directed her gaze downward into her hands. Minerva glanced anxiously at the people passing by.

"No one's listening to us, they've got their own problems," Rolanda said dismissively. "Look, Minerva, if he's not making you orgasm, part of the problem is that you're not communicating. You need to tell him."

Minerva put her elbow on her knee and rested her head in her hand, concealing her red face from passerby, "But I don't want to have to tell him, I want him to notice."

Rolanda sighed. Minerva noticed that her eyes moved like she'd almost rolled her eyes, but stopped herself. "I understand," Rolanda said. "I wish Richard could read my mind, too. But they can't, and we can't expect them to."

Minerva scratched her fingers against her scalp, still tilting her head away from the corridor. She muttered, "I feel like he should notice that I don't – that it doesn't, er, sound the same."

Rolanda laughed out loud at that. Poppy's eyes went wide, still staring into her hands. Rolanda grinned at Minerva and said, "Oh? And what does Minerva McGonagall sound like when she orgasms?"

Minerva gave her a sharp, red-faced look in response.

"Alright, fine," Rolanda laughed, throwing up her hands. "But just so you know, I would've done mine for you."

"I think Poppy would prefer it if neither of us did that," Minerva remarked, looking sympathetically across at their silent friend. Poppy finally glanced up from her hands and gave Minerva a sheepish smile. Minerva shook her head and released a nervous, breathy laugh, "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

"Oh, I can," Poppy said with a grimace.

Rolanda laughed. "Oh, we're not that bad, are we?"

Poppy raised her eyebrows pointedly at Rolanda, which just made the Slytherin laugh more. Minerva couldn't help but laugh too.

"You can participate, you know," Rolanda replied, not cowed. "Don't you want to talk about Nathan?"

Poppy laughed nervously, averting her eyes again. She shrugged, twisting her hands together. "We snog. That's it."

"But where do you snog?" Rolanda asked, leaning forward and putting her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling.

Poppy's face reddened. She tilted her head up and shook her head.

"Do you snog in his bed?" Rolanda asked leadingly. Minerva thought the smile on her face was almost predatory.

Poppy scoffed, but she covered her face.

"That's a yes!" Rolanda crowed.

Minerva reached forward and batted at Rolanda's arm gently, "Alright, that's enough, she's clearly uncomfortable."

Rolanda sighed, "I'll stop. But I want to say, first, that I'm not doing it to make fun of you. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I'm happy for you, is all."

Poppy looked up at her and gave her a small smile. Rolanda smiled back. Then, shaking herself a little, Poppy took a deep breath and turned to Minerva, deciding to take the conversation into her own hands. "How's your project coming? How much longer do you have with the spell?"

"It's going well! I have at least two and a half weeks left reciting the spell at sunrise and sunset, and at that point I have to wait for a lightning storm while keeping up with it. The spell has been interesting, though. I'm certain that it feels stronger now than it did the first day," Minerva replied enthusiastically.

"Stronger? What do you mean?" Poppy asked.

"It gives me this warm feeling on the inside, all throughout my body. It was like a shadow of warmth at the beginning, but now I feel it more," Minerva explained.

"That is interesting," Poppy said, leaning forward with genuine interest. "I wonder if that means it's doing something to you, you know, making your body ready for the transformation."

"Or beginning to transform you," Rolanda supplied.

"A little bit of both, yes," Minerva said with a grin.

"So, does that mean you have a form?" Rolanda asked.

Minerva's smile faltered, "No, unfortunately there's no way to know until I attempt the transformation. Perhaps, though, once I'm done, Dumbledore and I will be better able to compare both of our experiences. I've started keeping a journal of how I'm feeling throughout the process, and he's agreed to write down what he remembers of his experience. Once I'm done, and hopefully successful, we'll compare notes and see if there was any hint of what the outcome would be."

"Wait," Rolanda said, holding up a hand. "You never said…Dumbledore can't become an Animagus?"

Minerva grimaced, "Oh, yes, he doesn't have a form."

Poppy pouted, "That's so sad. He's always been such an enthusiastic teacher. I can tell he really loves Transfiguration."

Minerva rubbed her legs nervously, "He thinks I have a good chance, though. He said," she smiled a little more genuinely, and there was a little laughter in her voice as she remembered their conversation, "it would perhaps be against 'the very laws of nature' if I didn't have an Animagus form."

Poppy and Rolanda both laughed lightly at that, exchanging a look. Poppy then persisted, "But what about him? Why does he think you're different?"

"Oh, because he doesn't think his magic is naturally attuned to Transfiguration like mine is. He says he's better at offensive magic," Minerva elaborated.

Her friends' eyebrows shot up at that. Rolanda remarked, frowning thoughtfully, "Interesting."

At that moment, Poppy leaned over, watching something happening behind Minerva. Minerva twisted her neck around the corner of the windowsill, and Rolanda leaned forward to see what Poppy was looking at. They were both hoping it was Pomona. They didn't see their redheaded friend, though, and Poppy explained, "The Great Hall doors are open again."

"Is it lunchtime already?" Minerva asked, checking her watch.

"My stomach thinks so," Rolanda joked, standing.

Poppy remained seated, hesitant, "Pomona's been a while…"

"And she'll probably be a little while more. They have a lot of big Mandrakes to repot. It took them a few hours in February, remember?" Rolanda replied.

"I guess," Poppy sighed, standing. Minerva stood too, and the three of them made their way into the Great Hall for lunch. They went their separate ways to sit at their own house tables. They were among the first in the Great Hall, though, so their friends in their own houses hadn't arrived yet. Minerva did see some of her dormmates, though, and decided to sit with them.

Clarisse, Thalia, and Marjorie looked up as Minerva sat down. Minerva couldn't help but notice the way Clarisse's mouth shut abruptly, her face turning down to her plate. She blinked in surprise at this reaction, but her attention was drawn away from Clarisse by Marjorie, who greeted her warmly, "Hi, Minerva! Did you see Pomona?" Thalia's and Clarisse's eyes met across the table as Marjorie said "Pomona."

Minerva blinked, "What? No, did you?"

"Oh, no, I didn't, but I saw you, Rolanda, and Poppy in the corridor outside and I thought you all were waiting for her," Marjorie replied.

"Yes, we were, but we decided to have some lunch since we don't know how much longer she'll be," Minerva explained. She glanced awkwardly over at Clarisse, a little paranoid that she'd just interrupted a conversation about herself and feeling a little unwelcome. She knew she wasn't particularly close to her own dormmates, but she thought they got on well enough.

An awkward silence descended between the four Gryffindor sixth-years as Minerva made a plate for herself, determined to not move no matter how tense the table grew. In her peripheral vision, she saw Thalia and Clarisse having a silent conversation, while Marjorie stared into her plate determinedly. As Minerva speared one of her brussels sprouts on the end of her fork, she looked up and met Clarisse's eyes across the table, raising her eyebrows. Clarisse had the grace to blush when their eyes met, and then glanced back over at Thalia.

A moment later, Clarisse folded her hands on the table and said, "Minerva…" Minerva looked up at her again. "What…happened, between Pomona and Theodore?"

Minerva blinked. This was not what she'd expected at all. "What do you mean?"

"Why did they break up?" Clarisse elaborated.

Not sure why Clarisse was interested in this information, Minerva hesitantly replied, "They weren't well-suited. They didn't have a lot in common."

"That's all?" Clarisse pressed.

"Yes, why?" Minerva asked, frowning.

Clarisse met Thalia's eyes, then Marjorie's. Her face was pink. She scratched her nose uncomfortably before turning back to Minerva and saying, "Well…Theodore and I have been flirting, I think, so I wanted to know if there was anything I should know."

"Oh!" Minerva replied, her eyebrows shooting up. She considered Clarisse's question, and continued, "Pomona had only good things to say about Theodore. The only bad thing was that neither of them particularly wanted that relationship to last. I suppose my only advice about Theodore, in that case, is that you make sure you both are clear about what you want before you start a relationship with him. I don't know if it was just Pomona, or if he's simply not interested in long-term relationships right now."

Clarisse nodded thoughtfully, "Thank you, that's very helpful information. And, er, thank you for not…being awkward about me asking about your friend's ex."

Minerva actually laughed at that, "Oh, Pomona doesn't care. That's why she broke up with him."

"She broke up with him?" Thalia asked, surprised. Minerva nodded. Thalia grimaced comically, "Oops, I thought it was the other way round."

"Shh, they're coming," Clarisse said warningly.

Minerva looked down the table and saw Richard and Theodore approaching them. Theodore definitely only had eyes for Clarisse; he didn't even notice Minerva sitting there until he'd sat down next to Clarisse. He blinked in surprise, and his face flushed a little. "Oh – er – hi, Minerva."

She smiled at him, trying to convey that it was alright, that it didn't have to be awkward if he wanted to date again already, "Hi, Theodore."

Marjorie giggled into her goblet. Thalia snorted over her plate. Clarisse shot them both sour looks, but this behavior only made Theodore grin down at his own plate. Richard grinned broadly at his friend across the table. Theodore and Clarisse met each other's eyes shyly. Minerva averted her gaze, bringing her goblet to her lips to cover her amusement.

Once she set her drink down, she asked, "Have you boys seen Oliver and Donnie today?"

"Not since this morning, but they did say they had something to write for Care of Magical Creatures," Richard replied. Minerva gave him a dubious look at that, which made Richard laugh, "I know, I know. I'm simply relaying what they said."

Theodore said to Clarisse, "You're in that class, aren't you? Is there an assignment?"

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean they're doing it," Clarisse laughed. The others laughed, too.

"It looks like you'll be able to ask them yourself," Richard said, jerking his head in the direction of the doors.

Minerva looked up and met her boyfriend's eyes as he neared with his best friend. He smiled when their eyes met. Once he reached her, he leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips before sitting beside her.

"What have you been up to?" she asked casually.

"You'll be proud to know that Donnie and I have spent the morning in the library," he informed her loftily.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at him, her mouth twisting with amusement, "Oh?"

"Yes, we felt very responsible," he said, grinning at her.

"I'm so proud," she murmured teasingly, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Oi, I'm trying to eat over here," Donnie remarked, pointing his fork at them. Oliver threw a brussels sprout at him. Donnie tried to catch it in his mouth, but he missed. When he made a sound of disappointment, Oliver picked up another one. Donnie opened his mouth, and Oliver threw it. Donnie caught it in his mouth and threw his hands into the air triumphantly. Minerva rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Trying out for Chaser, Oliver?" Minerva asked, quirking a brow.

He laughed, "Who knows, maybe I want to switch things up?"

"I'm sure our Chasers would love that," she replied drily.

Oliver grinned at her. The rest of lunch passed much the same, talking and laughing with her housemates as more people joined them. Eventually, though, Poppy caught her eye walking out of the Great Hall, so Minerva said goodbye to her friends and followed the Ravenclaw. Rolanda joined them soon after, and they retook their spots where Poppy could watch the door. Minerva filled them in on the development between Clarisse and Theodore, and asked Poppy, "You don't think Pomona will care, do you?"

Poppy shook her head, "No, I don't think so."

"That's what I thought," Minerva said, nodding.

"Well, you know, Pomona – Pomona!" Poppy exclaimed, standing. Minerva and Rolanda craned their necks, getting to their feet as well. Pomona and Marsh were walking through the front doors of the castle, covered in dirt. Poppy led the way as the three sixth-years rushed to meet their friend.

Pomona smiled tiredly at her friends, but her eyes shined happily. She held up her arms and said proudly, "It's done!"

"I'm so glad you're alright," Poppy laughed.

"Oh, I wasn't worried about Collins," Marsh said with a tired smile of her own. "She handled those Mandrakes like a pro."

Pomona beamed, her dirt-stained face flushing with pride.

Rolanda looked her up and down, leaning away with a look of wary amusement, "I'm sure you'd like a bath."

Pomona laughed, "I would, but," she glanced over at Marsh, "I was actually hoping that since I'm already filthy, Poppy and I could show Minerva and Rolanda our Herbology project."

Marsh raised her eyebrows, but gestured back towards the doors, "Be my guest. You know your way around."

"Thank you!" Pomona replied happily.

"No – thank you," Marsh returned. She patted Pomona on the shoulder, making some of the dirt on her robes come loose, "I'm very grateful for your help." She glanced around at the other three girls and said, "I hope you ladies have a good rest of your day. I, for one, will be spending the rest of my Saturday relaxing in my private chambers."

With that, she left them. Pomona turned excitedly to her friends and asked, "Well? Will you come to the greenhouses?"

They couldn't say no to the clear excitement in Pomona's eyes. She was on a Herbology high, and she wasn't ready to come down yet. Pomona was practically skipping as she led the way back out of the Entrance Hall, leaving a little trail of dirt in her wake.

"So how was it, really?" Poppy asked.

"It was so much fun, honestly!" Pomona replied with laughter in her voice. "I mean, yes it grew exhausting after a while, but still, it was fun. Maybe that's how you two feel about Quidditch?" she glanced over her shoulder at Rolanda and Minerva, who were following behind her and Poppy.

"I think that's a fair comparison," Rolanda allowed. "Not one that I would've thought of, certainly." She grinned over at Minerva with laughter in her yellow eyes at that. Minerva suppressed a smile.

Pomona laughed, "Well, it was fun. The Mandrakes put up a fight, with dirt flying everywhere and pots breaking, and once, two of them tried to fight each other. But Marsh and I managed. We laughed a lot. Well, obviously we couldn't hear each other's laughter, but you know laughter when you see it."

"Of course," Poppy agreed.

"It certainly sounds interesting," Minerva remarked.

"Honestly, it does sound kind of fun," Rolanda said with a small smile. "Except for the dirt part."

Whirling around to face Rolanda, Pomona laughed again. She walked backwards a bit and said, "See, Herbology can be fun! I'm glad you're coming around."

"I didn't say that," Rolanda laughed.

Pomona sighed dramatically and turned back around just as they reached the greenhouses. "We're going to Greenhouse Four!" She led the way between the greenhouses, passing the door to Greenhouse Three with its warning sign to wear earmuffs when entering, and to the door of Greenhouse Four. As they entered, Pomona cautioned, "Alright, its teething, so be careful."

Minerva and Rolanda exchanged wide-eyed looks. Pomona and Poppy led the way to what was unmistakably a Venomous Tentacula. Pomona gestured proudly to the spiky green plant and said, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Pomona's proud smile was infectious; Minerva and Rolanda couldn't help but smile back. Rolanda replied, "It sure is something."

Minerva shot her a sharp look, but Pomona didn't notice. She turned back to the plant that was reaching for her threateningly and picked up a pruning knife. She gently batted its tendrils away and started pruning it lovingly. Minerva raised her eyebrows at Poppy and asked, "Have you helped with this project at all?"

Poppy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, "Of course I have!" Rolanda raised her eyebrows dubiously. Poppy rolled her eyes, "I would help more, but Pomona doesn't let me."

"The truth comes out," Rolanda laughed.

"Venomous Tentaculas are incredibly hard to raise," Pomona remarked as she pruned, either not listening or choosing to ignore the conversation happening around her. She gently, almost lovingly, pushed a reaching tendril away from her and continued pruning. "But the leaves are highly valuable potions ingredients."

"Because few people are crazy enough to raise something that wants to kill them?" Rolanda asked, eyeing the tendrils warily. She stepped away as one moved closer to her.

Pomona simply laughed. She batted another tendril away from her and stepped back. She then pulled out her wand and summoned a box. Minerva and Rolanda gagged when she opened it to reveal dead rats. Poppy grimaced at them understandingly, and said, "You might want to step back for this."

Rolanda and Minerva didn't need to be told twice. They took several steps away from the plant. Pomona and Poppy backed up a little, too, and then Poppy used her wand to direct one of the rats from the box and towards the plant. Rolanda and Minerva watched with wide eyes as all of the tendrils snapped together, wrapping tightly around the rat and drawing it into its mouth. Pomona looked over her shoulder at them with a grin, and laughed at their horrified expressions.

Rolanda raised one of her hands to her head and met Minerva's eyes with a wide-eyed expression. "I am so glad we dropped Herbology."

Minerva laughed. Pomona pouted.

"Well," Minerva remarked drily, "I think that plant likes you, Pomona."

Poppy rolled her eyes, nodding behind Pomona's back as Pomona grinned at Minerva.

"Yeah." Rolanda barked a laugh. "It didn't snatch you right up."

"It just wants some love," Pomona said fondly. She levitated a small, chewed-up log from the floor, raising it to the plant's height. The Venomous Tentacula snatched it and started chewing on it. Minerva and Rolanda grimaced.

"I think Minerva and Rolanda have seen enough of your baby, Mona," Poppy said gently.

Pomona put her hands over her heart, "Poppy! Don't you mean our baby?"

"Oh, is it our baby now? Do I get shared custody?" Poppy asked with a grin and a raised brow.

Pomona scoffed and rolled her eyes, following behind as Minerva and Rolanda all-too-happily led the way out of the greenhouse.

Friday, 16 April 1943

The next two weeks passed quickly as schoolwork consumed the sixth-years. They were well into the second half of their first year of N.E.W.T.-level coursework, and were definitely feeling the pressure from their professors to turn in work that was worthy of at least an Exceeds Expectations. Professor Dare had her Charms students studying the Tracking Charm, Avenseguim, and beyond just learning how to use it, she was also making them study the laws around its usage and write an essay arguing the morality, benefits, and drawbacks of the charm. Merrythought terrified her class by setting a live Inferius on them without warning and leaving them to their own devices. Slughorn had them studying Veritaserum left, right, up, and down, all of the different ways it could go wrong and why the ingredients worked together the way they did, all in preparation to brew it when they returned from the Easter holiday. For thankfully, blissfully, the Easter holiday was almost upon them. Soon they would have two weeks off from classes, which was a relief, but their professors were setting them enough schoolwork to keep them from falling too complacent with the time off.

The weekend before the Easter break, there had been another Hogsmeade weekend. While Minerva and Oliver had taken the opportunity to have another date out of the castle, it was not particularly memorable, save for the fact that rain drove them back to the castle early. It rained with depressing regularity for most of the past two weeks, keeping the residents of Hogwarts indoors and a little stir-crazy. That was just one more reason, beyond escaping the looming threat of the mystery attacker, why more students were signing up to go home for the holiday than usual.

Oliver had yet another reason, and as he and Minerva sat together on a ground-floor windowsill watching the pounding rain, he explained it to her.

"I worry about them more and more every day," he said quietly. Minerva squeezed his hand comfortingly. "My brother and sister are so young…I can picture it in my head. The Walpurgisnacht show up at their door…my parents run to grab them, they have to carry them…they can't fight with them in their arms, or they drop their wands…" He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "I want to take as many opportunities to be there as I can. I want to know that I did all I can, in case…" He cleared his throat and clenched his jaw, unable to continue the thought.

Minerva scooted nearer to him, turning away from her view of the rain, and put her arm around him. He leaned into her embrace. She murmured, "I understand. I'm so worried about my family."

He nodded into her shoulder. They sat together in silence for a little bit, just listening to the sound of the rain against the windowpanes and holding each other, seeking comfort. Eventually, though, Oliver cleared his throat again and straightened. He studied her face lovingly and reached up to gently slide his thumb across her cheek. His fingers slid into her hair, and he let his nails scrape across her scalp. Minerva closed her eyes, leaning into the touch happily. He smiled. "You know I'd love to stay here with you."

She opened her eyes and gave him an understanding smile, "I know."

"I can't convince you to come stay with my family?" he asked hopefully.

Minerva laughed lightly. "No." She glanced out the window, "With all the rain we've been having, I want to make sure I'm near Dumbledore the very first day I'm able to attempt the transformation. If there's a lightning storm, I want to take advantage of that opportunity. And since he made me promise to not attempt without him…"

Oliver sighed dramatically, "I suppose."

Minerva gave him a playfully sharp look down the bridge of her nose. He laughed. She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, murmuring, "You don't actually think we'd be having sex with your parents around, do you?"

He raised his eyebrows, "We've done it with Donnie in the same room."

Minerva rolled her eyes, but a small smile played at her lips, "I feel like the threat of your parents walking in is a little different."

"I think it makes it more exciting," he teased.

"No!" Minerva sat up straighter, giving him a wide-eyed look. He laughed.

"There you are!"

Minerva and Oliver turned in the direction of the voice and saw Rolanda and Poppy walking their way. They both had grins on their face. Minerva raised her eyebrows at them, hoping her face didn't look red. She replied, "We've been here for hours. Where have you been?"

Rolanda turned to Poppy, and so Minerva directed her attention to the Ravenclaw. Poppy looked so excited she might burst, but she didn't speak. Rolanda shoved her, "Come on, tell them what you did!"

"Well, I've been really inspired by you and Pomona for going after what you want, working so closely with your professors in your field, and so…I talked to Madam Jenison about an apprenticeship today," Poppy said enthusiastically.

Minerva's eyes widened, and she leaned forward, "And she agreed to take you on after graduation?"

Poppy's smile faltered, but only briefly, "Well, she said maybe, but she seemed very enthusiastic! She was talking to herself a lot, actually, as she was thinking about it, and it seemed she was trying to work out if she could – she only ever has four apprentices at a time—"

"Four? I thought she had two?" Minerva asked, bewildered.

"No, two of them are based at Hogwarts, and two are based at the Resistance, but they switch, sort of – it's complicated. She has a system," Poppy explained. "Anyway, she seemed to have an idea about how I could be her apprentice, but that's only why she said maybe. I think she needs to find out if that idea would work before she can promise me anything."

"That's so exciting, Poppy. Good for you!" Minerva enthused, genuinely happy for her friend. "Did you decide you want to be a mediwitch, then? I knew you'd been talking about the Healer Academy…"

Poppy folded her hands together and looked down at them awkwardly, "Er, well, I've been looking into it, and…I don't think I can afford it." She shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance. "Maybe I can get a job as a mediwitch, and if I still want to be a Healer, I can save up to go to school. And…Nathan and I have been talking about the war a lot, and he's gotten me thinking about how I want to factor into it all. I think I can help more as her apprentice than I would be able to as a Healing student."

Minerva raised her eyebrows, her enthusiastic smile slipping into something softer, more sympathetic. They tended to avoid talking about the war if they could, so she hadn't known that it had been on Poppy's mind more. She glanced at Oliver, and they exchanged a tight, understanding smile. He squeezed her hand.

Poppy sighed and clapped her hands abruptly, trying to lighten the mood, "Where's Pomona? I want to tell her!"

"I haven't seen her since Defense," Minerva replied. "She's probably out with Marsh again, I'm sure she'll be along."

Poppy and Rolanda came to sit with Minerva and Oliver, who scooted closer together to make room for them.

"So, Minerva, what about you? Have you taken my advice?" Rolanda asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Minerva scrunched her brow and tilted her head in confusion, trying to remember what Rolanda was talking about.

Rolanda rolled her eyes, "About asking Dumbledore now if he'll apprentice you when you graduate?"

"Oh," Minerva said, straightening. She looked down at her knees, "Er – no."

"And why not?"

She shrugged, "I feel like it's so soon, and he's been helping me so much. I don't want to push him."

"Oh, Minerva," Rolanda sighed, shaking her head. "You are such a little fool."

Minerva's jaw dropped, "What?"

"You're his favorite student," Rolanda said, rolling her eyes. "Nothing you do is pushing him."

"Well, then what do I have to worry about? Why do I need to ask now?" Minerva asked, flabbergasted.

Rolanda threw her hands up, "I don't know, I've just been trained to be proactive and to not take anything for granted. What do I know?"

Minerva sighed and gave Rolanda a long-suffering look. She opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of the rain getting louder distracted her, drawing her attention to the Entrance Hall doors. They all turned and watched as Pomona and Marsh pushed their way inside, their wands pointed to the sky, and then push the doors quickly shut. From the knee down, their robes were soaking wet. They both directed their wands downward, drying them.

"Pomona!" Poppy exclaimed happily.

Pomona turned and waved. She turned back to Marsh and said something to the Herbology professor, who nodded and patted her on the shoulder before walking away. Pomona walked towards her friends with a smile on her face, announcing, "It's raining cats and dogs out there!"

"We can see that," Rolanda remarked with amusement, jerking her thumb towards the window.

"Pomona, I have something to tell you!" Poppy filled Pomona in on what she'd just told Minerva and Oliver.

"That's wonderful news, Poppy!" Pomona said enthusiastically, hugging Poppy.

"Isn't it? Of course, it's not officially a yes, but it's close!" Poppy beamed.

"I'm sure she'll figure it out," Pomona replied with confidence, patting Poppy's arm affectionately.

"So, you're still working with Marsh, then?" Oliver asked.

Pomona turned to him, "Oh, yes! We're done repotting, but the Mandrakes still need to be tended to. It's been quite the adventure navigating all the puddles of mud out there to get to the greenhouses."

Poppy grimaced at her shoes, "Looks like it."

Pomona lifted her robes and looked down. She scoffed a little, as though implying Poppy's disdain was ridiculous, but she pointed her wand at her boots and cast a quick Scourgify regardless. Once finished, she dropped her robes and looked back up at them all, "What were you lot doing?"

"Nothing, really," Minerva replied.

"Poppy and I were interrupting their quality time," Rolanda added with an amused grin. Oliver laughed and put his arm around Minerva's shoulders. He leaned over and tried to nip her ear, but she leaned away from him, laughing and pushing him away.

"I was thinking about going to the library and working on that Veritaserum essay for Slughorn, so I can enjoy the break more," Poppy suggested.

Her friends grimaced. Pomona sighed, "I suppose that's a good idea. I'll go fetch my bag." Rolanda groaned, but followed her to the staircases.

"Minerva? Are you coming?" Poppy asked.

Minerva sighed and looked over to Oliver, raising her eyebrows questioningly. She murmured persuasively, "If you finish, you'll have more time with your family…"

He sighed, and they stood together. Poppy fell into step beside Minerva as they walked towards the staircases to fetch their bags.

"Are all four of you staying?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," Poppy replied. "Pomona wants to stay to help with the Mandrakes, and, well—" she glanced over at Minerva. The witches made eye contact and shared a grimace, "You know she's Muggle-born, of course?" Oliver nodded. "Her father fights for the British Army on the continent. She says their home feels depressing without him there."

Oliver grimaced, "I'm sorry about her dad, but don't you think," he glanced warily at Minerva, shrugging sheepishly, "she'd be safer at home? You know, being Muggle-born?"

"I suggested the same thing," Poppy sighed. "She won't hear it."

They walked together until Poppy had to part with Minerva and Oliver to go to Ravenclaw Tower while they continued on to Gryffindor. They all ran up to their dorms to grab their belongings. Minerva and Oliver didn't see Poppy again when they left Gryffindor Tower, but continued on their way to the library regardless. Oliver, though, had other plans that he made Minerva aware of about halfway to the library. She gasped as he suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her behind a tapestry that concealed a secret passageway. She laughed as both of his hands came to grasp her hips and his mouth went straight to her neck.

"Oliver…" She placed both of her hands on his face and pulled him away. He gave her an innocent look, his brown eyes wide and endearing. Her pointed look softened, and a smile appeared on his face. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. She mumbled against his mouth between kisses, "Alright – but only – a few – minutes." Then, she opened her mouth to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him enthusiastically.

It was more than only a few minutes by the time they were on their way back to the library, but they both walked with pleased smiles twisting at their mouths.

Later that night, about a half-hour before curfew, Minerva, Rolanda, Poppy, and Pomona descended the stairs together from the seventh floor after spending time together in the Room of Requirement. They walked in silence, until Rolanda, squinting, said, "Is that—?"

"Rolanda!"

"It is," Minerva agreed, amused.

Richard was dashing up the stairs towards them, grinning. "I'm glad I caught you!" She gasped and giggled as he swept her up into his arms as soon as he reached her on the staircase between the sixth and seventh floors. Her friends watched on with amusement as he lifted her off her feet, planting a kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, setting her back onto her feet, she looked exhilarated.

"Did you finish?" she asked eagerly.

He nodded. Their eyes sparkled as they remained locked on each other's like there was a magnetic force keeping them together. It took Minerva's breath away. Rolanda broke the connection by kissing him again, which made Minerva raise her eyebrows and avert her gaze. She met Pomona and Poppy's eyes, and noticed they both looked amused. Poppy cleared her throat pointedly as Rolanda and Richard's kiss went on a little longer than was perhaps socially acceptable for their setting. Rolanda pulled away and turned her exhilarated look on her friends, explaining, "Richard's finished his Charms essay, and if he did, we were hoping to spend some quality time together upstairs before he goes away for two weeks. Pomona, do you—?"

Pomona waved her off, "Go on, have fun."

Rolanda and Richard needed to further encouragement. They turned and ran back up the stairs, both laughing.

Rolanda's friends watched them leave with amused smiles quirking at their lips. Once they were out of sight, Poppy turned to Pomona and asked, "Why was she – oh!"

Pomona sighed, rolling her eyes at the sudden wide-eyed expression on Poppy's face. She turned and started walking down the stairs, saying, "I'll be fine, Poppy, don't worry about it."

"Minerva and I can—"

"We are practically still on the seventh floor. You want to walk down eight flights of stairs and then back up to get to your own common rooms? Don't be ridiculous," Pomona replied.

Poppy glanced behind her after the long-gone couple with pursed lips. When she turned back, she gave Minerva a pointed look that clearly meant for her to speak up. Minerva grimaced at Poppy behind Pomona's back, and said aloud, "Pomona, we'd be happy to walk you to your common room to make sure you arrive safely."

"I don't want you to do that," Pomona maintained. "I'll walk with my wand out. I'll be alert when going around corners. Now please, go to your own common rooms. I'm about to run ahead of you lot because I need to pee so badly and I don't have time for this conversation." Poppy opened her mouth to protest, but Pomona said firmly, "Goodnight." And with that, she started hurrying down the stairs ahead of them, leaving Minerva and Poppy standing uncertainly on the sixth floor.

Poppy released a sound of frustration, shaking her head. She turned a pointed expression on Minerva and said, "I blame you for this self-sacrificing behavior. It's your Gryffindor influence."

A little huff of laughter escaped Minerva's throat. She patted Poppy's arm comfortingly, "And you are displaying the loyalty of a Hufflepuff."

"My sister taught me well," Poppy said with a fond smile, staring at the staircase Pomona had just run down.

Minerva's brow furrowed, "You don't have a – oh, aw." She smiled at Poppy, who met her gaze knowingly, smiling too.

Poppy sighed, "Well, I suppose we should be getting to our dorms. Hufflepuff's orders."

Minerva laughed. The two witches hugged and parted ways for the night.

Saturday, 17 April 1943

The next morning dawned like any other Saturday morning at Hogwarts. Since the sixth-years had one last Apparition lesson that morning, the Hogwarts Express would not be departing for the holiday until the next day. Consequently, the room was still quiet when Minerva woke up at sunrise to cast her Animagus Spell. Like every morning, she put her glasses on and grabbed her book so she could read along with the words as she recited the spell. She was determined to make no mistakes. And, like every morning, the warmth that spread through her body, all the way down to her fingers and toes, brought a smile to her face. She sighed happily as she removed the tip of her wand from over her heart and closed her book.

Usually on Saturdays, she would go back to sleep for a little bit longer before heading to breakfast. That was her plan this morning, but as she m

to put her book, wand, and glasses back on her bedside table, a foreign, bright red object there caught her eye. It was a feather. Perplexed, Minerva reached for the feather, and the strip of parchment beside it. The parchment held a simple message:

Meet me outside the portrait hole.

It was not signed, but it didn't need to be. Even without the phoenix feather, Minerva would recognize that loopy, slanted handwriting anywhere. Heart pounding, Minerva slipped the feather and the parchment inside her Animagus book and grabbed her wand. She summoned her dressing gown as her feet kicked her boots out from under her bed and slipped them on. A thousand bad scenarios raced through Minerva's head about what could have happened to her family. She worked to remain calm as she tied her dressing gown shut and raced out the door without further preamble.

When her eyes fell on Dumbledore's serious expression, her heart dropped to her stomach. Images of members of her family, dead, flashed through her mind.

"Miss—"

"Is my family alright?"

"Yes," he replied quickly. Minerva blinked at him in surprise. Her hand came instinctively to her chest as she felt relief wash over her. Just as soon as she felt that relief, though, her stomach flip-flopped as she reminded herself that he'd asked her down here for a reason. Minerva processed all of this in the seconds it took Dumbledore to take a deep breath and say, "There's been another attack. Miss Collins—"

Minerva didn't hear the rest of what he said. Her blood ran cold and, without even being fully conscious of it, she turned and started running down the hall. She vaguely heard Dumbledore calling after, but she didn't stop. Minerva ran, determined to go to the Hospital Wing as fast as she could for reasons not even she could fully articulate. Logically, she knew there was nothing she could do for Pomona. Still, she needed to see her friend.

She barely made it a few more feet, though, before she found herself frozen in place as the force of a spell hit her from behind. The first, fearful, thing that popped into her mind was that she'd been petrified just like Pomona, but as Dumbledore came around her and her eyes followed his movement, she realized he'd simply cast a Full Body-Bind on her.

"I apologize for trapping you this way, but I have a very important question I need to ask you before you run to see your friend," he said seriously. He raised his wand and cancelled the spell. Minerva relaxed her stance gratefully. "Have you cast your Animagus Spell this morning?"

"Yes," Minerva replied shortly. "Is that all?"

He nodded and stepped out of her way. Minerva hurried down the stairs, though not with as much panic as before. She was more aware of her surroundings, now, and could hear Dumbledore's footsteps behind her, keeping up with her. They moved quickly down the stairs together in silence, all the way to the Hospital Wing. Minerva finally came to a halt, her heart pounding, when she set foot in the Hospital Wing and her eyes landed on the newly-concealed bed in the back corner of the room.

Madam Jenison, who was carrying a steaming potion to a student sitting on one of the beds with his back to them, greeted Minerva, "Good morning, Miss McGonagall. Are you here to see Miss Collins?"

The student Madam Jenison was approaching took the potion from her, and then turned to see the new arrivals to the Hospital Wing. Tom Riddle raised his eyebrows when his eyes met Minerva's, and a small, friendly smile formed on his face. The smile disappeared almost as soon as it was there, though, as his eyes slid past Minerva to Dumbledore behind her. Minerva didn't give Riddle a second thought as she turned her attention to Madam Jenison, "Yes, is she—?"

"—the newest one with the curtains, yes, nearest us," Madam Jenison interjected, gesturing to the bed Minerva had noticed.

Minerva walked briskly over to the indicated bed, barely noticing as Dumbledore asked casually, "Pepper-Up, Mr. Riddle?"

"Yes, sir. All this rain has me feeling a little under the weather," Riddle replied coolly.

"Perhaps some bedrest would do you good. It's a little early to be awake on a Saturday," Dumbledore remarked.

"I couldn't sleep."

Minerva slipped between the curtains around Pomona's bed. Her hand rose to cover her mouth at the sight of her friend lying frozen on the bed, her red curls like a halo around her head. Pomona was holding out her hands, and they were folded together. Minerva walked over and gently touched one of Pomona's cold, stiff hands. Tears sprung to her eyes unexpectedly as the reality of her friend's condition set in. What would she do without Pomona's laughter, without her updates about the Mandrakes, without her assurances about Oliver? Sure, Pomona would be alright eventually, but until then, there would absolutely be a hole in Minerva's heart where Pomona's presence in her life was supposed to be.

Of course, she also felt guilty. She could have been there, if she and Poppy had insisted on coming with Pomona, if they'd followed her when she'd ran off, but they didn't. Minerva's brow crinkled, tears sliding down her cheeks, as that guilt stabbed at her heart. "I'm so sorry, Pomona," she whispered.

A clearing throat behind her made her jump a little. She glanced behind her briefly, trying to do so while concealing the tears on her face, and gathered from the color of the robes that it was Dumbledore. She wiped her face on the sleeve of her dressing gown as he said, "Professor Merrythought found her in the second-floor girls' toilet. The sound of the running faucet drew her attention while she was on patrol. It looks like she was attacked while washing her hands, and her attacker left her exactly as she was."

"That's so bizarre," Minerva whispered. "This is all so bizarre."

Minerva sat heavily on the edge of Pomona's bed. Dumbledore took a step towards her, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Have Poppy and Rolanda been told?" Minerva asked.

"Not yet," Dumbledore replied. "I knew you would be awake at this hour for your project, and so I thought it would be better to catch your attention then, rather than waiting outside the portrait hole giving all of the Gryffindors anxiety until whenever you decided to come down for breakfast."

Minerva nodded, "I understand. They should be informed, though."

"Professor Merrythought plans on waking Miss Nadson soon," Dumbledore informed her, checking his pocket watch. "Actually, right about now. Professor Slughorn claims he knows Miss Robinson to be a late riser, and plans on waiting in the common room for her starting in about an hour and a half. He and I try to avoid—"

"I'm sorry to intrude." Riddle's voice behind Minerva made her turn. He was standing between the curtains. Minerva watched his eyes move from Pomona to meet her eyes as she turned.

Focused on Riddle, Minerva did not notice Dumbledore's mouth open as she said, "It's alright." Dumbledore's mouth snapped shut.

Riddle gave her that small, charming little smile again and said, "Shafiq always rises early to have a cup of tea by the Great Window in Slytherin before breakfast. I could go ask her to wake Robinson."

"Could you?" Minerva asked, a feeling of gratitude fluttering in her heart.

"Of course," he replied smoothly, inclining his head.

"Thank you so much," Minerva said sincerely.

His eyes flickered up to Dumbledore and he added, "I'll make sure to alert Professor Slughorn that he doesn't need to inform Robinson."

Dumbledore nodded, but said nothing. Riddle turned away without another word.

Silence fell between Minerva and Dumbledore for a few minutes after he left. Minerva couldn't take her eyes off of Pomona. She almost didn't look real, lying so stiffly and unnaturally. Minerva reached out and touched Pomona's curls affectionately, the only thing about her that moved and felt real. She took a shaky breath as she rolled one of the curls between her fingers, feeling the texture of Pomona's hair. She thought about what might have happened if she'd been with Pomona when she was attacked. Perhaps she'd have caught the attacker. Perhaps she could have stopped Pomona from ending up like this. Perhaps she could have at least seen how it was done.

Perhaps she could be in the bed next to Pomona's.

Clearing her throat, she turned to face Dumbledore, who was still standing a few paces away with his hands folded in front of him. "You don't have to stay," she said quietly.

He gave her a small, tense smile and replied, "I'd like to ask you, Miss Nadson, and Miss Robinson a few questions once I have you all together, if you don't mind."

"Oh," Minerva said, slightly surprised. "Of course not."

"But I can wait outside, if you'd prefer," he offered, gesturing to the curtains.

Minerva shook her head, "I don't mind if you stay. I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay, though, because I'm here." Their eyes met, and they exchanged a small smile. Minerva raised her wand and conjured a chair, focusing hard to make it look just like the ones in his office, "If you do stay, though, I insist that you sit. Your standing is making me anxious."

Dumbledore chuckled softly and obediently took a seat. They sat together in comfortable silence for a few minutes more before Poppy's voice behind Minerva made her turn. "Pomona." Poppy stood between the curtains with her hands over her mouth. She looked much like Minerva had felt upon first seeing their friend prone on the bed. There were tears in her eyes.

Minerva stood and wrapped Poppy in a hug. Poppy's arms responded loosely, absently, in her surprise at seeing her best friend this way. Over Poppy's shoulder, Minerva saw Merrythought standing off to the side. Their eyes met, and Merrythought mouthed, "Dumbledore?" with a questioning look on her face. Minerva lifted one of her hands from Poppy's back to jerk her thumb towards the curtained space behind her. Once Merrythought nodded, Minerva's hand returned to Poppy's back, joining her other in rubbing soothing circles there.

The arrival of Rolanda, alone, lifted Minerva's head from Poppy's shoulder. Rolanda's eyes found Madam Jenison first, and she said urgently, "Where—?"

Madam Jenison pointed in their direction. Rolanda stopped talking once her eyes found them. Poppy turned, wiping her face, as Rolanda approached. She stepped aside, pointed to Pomona's bed, and said, "Look at her." Minerva blinked at the ferocity of Poppy's tone, jerking her head back in surprise.

Rolanda looked, her face pale and stricken.

"This is your fault," Poppy said roughly. Behind Rolanda, Merrythought's eyebrows shot up.

"Poppy—" Rolanda raised her hands defensively as she attempted to reply.

"I don't want to hear it!" Poppy snapped, her voice higher-pitched than usual. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd been with her! But evidently, there are some things more important to you than—"

"She said it was alright!" Rolanda cried. There was a desperation in her tone and in her expression that made Minerva's heart go out to her.

"Well obviously it wasn't!" Poppy shouted back.

"Poppy," Minerva said in a soothing voice. She placed her hands on Poppy's tense shoulders. "Poppy, she couldn't have known. Neither of them."

Poppy let Minerva draw her into another hug. Her shoulders slumped and she hugged Minerva back. With her face buried into Minerva's shoulder, she said, "But she's Muggle-born."

"I know," Minerva murmured, rubbing the back of Poppy's head soothingly.

"We should have gone with her. We should have insisted," Poppy whispered, tears on her face.

"We don't know if that would have made any difference," Minerva reminded her firmly. "We could have ended up just like her, just like Jason and Eve. They were together, too, remember? And then how would Rolanda feel? Three times worse, I'd say. And she already looks rather guilty to me."

Poppy sniffled against Minerva's shoulder. "She's the best of us. She's always…our beacon of positivity and encouragement. I can't…"

Minerva hugged her tighter, one hand rubbing circles on her back and the other smoothing her hair. "She's going to be alright. She's even," she let out a little laugh, "she's even been working towards her own cure since December. How many people can say that?"

Poppy laughed a little and sniffled again. She finally drew away from Minerva's embrace and turned back to a very contrite looking Rolanda Robinson. Rolanda hesitantly reached out her arms, offering a hug. Poppy gave her a small smile and stepped into the Slytherin's arms. Minerva smiled, relieved, as she watched the two witches hug tightly. She glanced to her right and saw Dumbledore standing again.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted to ask us a few questions. Do you think you're alright to answer them?" Minerva asked.

Rolanda and Poppy drew apart, nodding. Minerva turned back to Dumbledore and gave him a tense smile. He gestured for her to step through the curtains, and as he followed her out of the space around Pomona's bed, he suggested, "Why don't you three take a seat on the bed there?"

They did, and he levitated the chair Minerva had conjured for him, moving it to position it in front of them. Merrythought scoffed when she saw the chair. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her and asked, "What? Do you have a problem with the chair Miss McGonagall conjured for me?"

Merrythought's head jerked, taken aback. Glancing over at Minerva, she repeated, "McGonagall conjured it?" She eyed Minerva and added, "Complex Conjuration is seventh-year coursework."

Minerva flushed and replied, "I've studied all the NEWT-level coursework already."

Merrythought snorted and shook her head, "Well, then, could you conjure one for me?"

Minerva drew her wand and repeated the conjuration, pleased to have the opportunity to showcase her skills.

"So, she's allowed to conjure fluffy chairs for you, but I'm not?" Dumbledore asked in mock-offense.

Merrythought's lips quirked, "I may have wanted to see her prove it." She turned to the students sitting across from them with varying levels of tension in their shoulders and sighed, "But these students are waiting for our questions, so enough of that."

Dumbledore nodded and began, "I gather from the conversation we just overheard that the four of you were, in fact, together last night?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused.

He nodded, "And when was the last time you saw Miss Collins?"

"She left us on the sixth floor about thirty minutes before curfew," Minerva replied quietly.

"Alone?" Merrythought asked sharply.

They nodded, and Poppy murmured guiltily, "Yes, alone."

"I am not trying to accuse you of anything, Miss Nadson," Merrythought assured her. "I simply wanted to clarify. If Miss Collins had gone off with a boy, for example, we would want to know who that boy was and question him as well."

Poppy nodded, though her gaze was downcast.

"So, she left alone. Was she planning on meeting anyone?" Dumbledore asked.

They shook their heads. Dumbledore sighed and glanced over at Merrythought, who grimaced.

Minerva elaborated, "She ran ahead because she desperately needed the loo. And we let her. That's it."

Dumbledore nodded, but Merrythought frowned, "Then why was Miss Robinson singled out in particular as being at fault?"

They glanced at each other. Minerva and Poppy turned a lingering look on Rolanda, who swallowed hard. Poppy looked down at her lap with her lips parted. Minerva's comforting grip around her hand tightened warningly. Poppy looked up at her, and their eyes met briefly before Minerva turned her gaze to her lap.

"I'd already left them," Rolanda replied.

Merrythought raised her eyebrows, "You'd already left?" Rolanda nodded. Her eyes roved over Minerva and Poppy's tense demeanors; they were much worse at hiding things than Rolanda. The other two witches would not look up at her, though, so Merrythought turned back to Rolanda and asked, "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?"

"No, professor," Rolanda replied. If she'd been alone, she wouldn't have looked suspicious at all. As it was, though, this response made Merrythought purse her lips and give Rolanda a hard stare. Rolanda did not waver in her expression of calm, though.

Dumbledore eventually intervened, saying gently, "I'm sure that whatever Miss Robinson was up to that she is declining to reveal has nothing to do with the attack on Miss Collins, and more to do with the detentions she served at the beginning of this term."

Merrythought harrumphed and briefly turned her sharp look on him, nearly missing the way Rolanda's cheeks turned bright red. Minerva's eyes widened into her lap; Poppy actually snorted. Merrythought scoffed and shook her head, muttering, "Merlin help me."

Dumbledore chuckled beside her. He turned his twinkling eyes on the students in front of him and said, "That's all the questions that I have, unless Professor Merrythought has anything to add?"

She raised her eyebrows at him, "We're not punishing Robinson?"

He raised his eyebrows right back, "What for?"

She looked down her nose at him, an impressive feat for someone about a foot and a half shorter than him, "For what you discerned she was doing."

"I have made an implication that has been neither confirmed nor denied," Dumbledore replied, turning to Rolanda.

"Oh, her face confirmed it," Merrythought quipped.

He smiled genially, "Perhaps, perhaps not. In any case, I'm sure that what the Headmaster and I discussed would happen if there was another attack will be punishment enough, and far more effective than detention. I would be happy to discuss those plans with you once we have dismissed these students."

Merrythought frowned at him, but nodded. She glanced over at the three students still seated on the bed in front of them. "You are free to go, but stay vigilant."

They stood hesitantly. Poppy looked over their heads at the curtain concealing Pomona's bed. Rolanda blurted, "Are you closing the school?"

Minerva watched Dumbledore's expression with a pounding heart. He gave Rolanda a tense smile and said, "Not yet, Miss Robinson."

Later that day, Minerva sat in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room curled up against Oliver's side while he ran his fingers through her hair. They hadn't spoken for a while, as they were both lost in thought about the events of the day though trying not to be. Minerva would much rather be enjoying this quiet moment in front of the fireplace on a rainy evening with her boyfriend, wrapped up in a blanket with him, than preoccupied with the thoughts that plagued her. She didn't want to think about how life at Hogwarts would change now that their movement would be more restricted; how they'd only have access to necessary corridors; how they would be escorted from dinner to their common rooms as a group, and would not be permitted to leave until morning; and how, when classes resumed after Easter, they would be escorted between classes as well. She didn't want to think about how hard that would make it for her to spend time with her friends, right when she needed them most. No, she'd much rather be making the most of the time she had left with Oliver before he left for two weeks.

As though he'd read her mind, Oliver murmured, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Minerva sighed, "I'm sure."

"I feel bad leaving you," he pressed. "I feel like…this is when you need me the most, and I'm leaving."

Minerva pulled away and gave him a small, sad smile. "I can't ask you to stay because if there's an attack on your family, I'm going to feel so much worse for having kept you here."

He groaned, letting his face fall against the sofa behind them. When he brought his head back up, he peered at her through squinted eyes and asked, "You want to send me out into potential danger to make you feel better?"

Minerva laughed lightly at that, letting her hand slide up and down his arm, "I have enough self-awareness to know how much of a fucking stupid Gryffindor that makes me."

Oliver laughed, too, and kissed her forehead, "Hey, no one's allowed to call Minerva McGonagall stupid, remember?" Minerva snorted, an amused smile playing at her lips. Oliver continued with a grin, "And if anything, I think that shows how much of a fucking stupid Gryffindor I am, because you know I'd be upset with myself."

"I guess we can be fucking stupid Gryffindors together, then," Minerva murmured, drawing closer to him.

His eyes flickered to her lips, "Just not for the next two weeks."

She pouted, and he captured that lip between his.