AN: Here's another chapter for you. I have several more done, just don't want to write myself into a corner. I'd like to hear any thoughts or suggestions for this little story. Thanks for reading!

Upon reaching her office, she sat down at her desk and flipped through her letters. Most were school business, parent concerns and such, but there, amongst the harmless letters was the letter she was hoping not to find. Opening it, she read through the contents quickly trying to catch any exceptions or flaws in their wording, but there was none. For once, the Ministry had passed a law that wasn't filled with exceptions that allowed friends of the Ministry to do as they please.

She felt helpless as she threw the letter aside. Sitting there alone at her desk, she allowed herself to evaluate her situation. At age 63 she had long since given up any dreams of having a family. There might have been a time before returning to teach at Hogwarts, when she was looking for that special someone to spend her life with, but that never turned out. She did meet a young man whom she thought she loved, but she soon realized that he was wasn't who she thought he was. Kind words and a pretty face were not enough in the end.

Since then, she barely had time to keep up with all of her teaching duties, much less seek out a husband. As the years passed, she made friends with the other staff, became the head of Gryffindor house, and earned the position of Deputy Headmaster. There may have been small bouts of loneliness along the way, but that eventually faded too.

Now she was supposed to sign her life away to some wizard that she probably didn't know, because there was little to no chance of finding anyone who would be at all suitable. She would probably have to resign in order to comply with the law, but in that case there wasn't much holding her here. She may just as well leave for America, or elsewhere.

Minerva would miss it though. Hogwarts had been her home for the majority of her life and the thought of leaving now was worse than being tied to some low life, parasite for the rest of her life.

She would miss all the staff, especially Pomona, Poppy, and Rolanda. Those three witches had been more trouble than all the students combined, but they were good friends, even if they always gave her a hard time. It would be difficult to get by without them, but even worse would be the loss of her best friend.

Albus Dumbledore had been her friend and confidant for longer than she could remember. As a student, she knew him as a teacher and head of house first, but after returning to teach, things changed. It was awkward at the beginning, as she was taking over his job as transfiguration professor, and he had become the new Headmaster. Soon though the old titles were left behind and they found they had similar interests.

They were very intelligent, well read, and very competitive in their own ways. Minerva was always very serious when it came to school business, and very protective towards her students. Albus was…well he appeared to be overly cheery most of the time, but she knew that there was always more to it than that.

Several years after Minerva had started teaching, they had almost progressed their relationship beyond the point of friendship. They shared one kiss and a discussion that ended in a mutual agreement to remain only friends and colleagues. It was a tough decision, but a necessary one. The months and even years following their 'lapse in judgment' as they called it were awkward and difficult. Eventually though, they either forgot those feelings or chose not to remember.

They had lived and worked side by side for longer than she liked to count, so by now they knew more about each other than anyone else did. That's why she was so shocked this morning at his actions. She was disappointed in his omitting pertinent information, not angry. It hurt a little that her closest friend and confidant would purposefully keep her in the dark, when a little extra time could have helped.

It seemed to Minerva that Albus always had a reason for his actions and others' actions as well most of the time, but she couldn't figure out why he would withhold the latest developments involving the Marriage Act. There was no end game, as she could see, no reason to wait, unless he was afraid of her reaction. If Dumbledore had told her before today, she still would have been upset, but not specifically at him. He should know that she wouldn't hold him personally accountable for this mess.

Regardless of his motives, she had to figure out a plan, a plan that preferably did not involve running away from her entire life.

Just as she was starting to feel a little more determined and less helpless, an owl tapped at the window. Opening the window, she let the owl in, and accepted the letter that the owl was carrying. She fed the little guy a treat and he flew back through the opened window.

Seeing the Ministry seal on the envelope, she immediately opened it, hoping to see that the law had been repealed already. No such luck, she thought, as what was in the envelope was a petition from a wizard she had never met. There was little real information provided, only a name and a note that said he was answering the advertisement in the Daily Prophet.

She barely had time to consider how she would repay Rita Skeeter, when another owl came through the still opened window bearing another Ministry sealed envelope. Another petition, but this time it was from Aberforth Dumbledore. He didn't bother with a note, and she was eternally grateful for that.

Soon another owl arrived and another. By the fifth letter, she stopped opening them entirely and went through to her quarters, leaving the letters and the owls do as they please.

As she marked the last essay in her stack, (no time for sulking), she looked at the time. There was half an hour till hunch, leaving her with just enough time to make herself presentable and get to the great hall in time.

Exiting her quarters, she stopped to stare at the letters covering he majority of her desk and floor. The Ministry seal glared at her as she tried to keep hold of her temper. Most if not all of these were bound to be the result of Skeeter's little article. Perhaps she should invite Hermione to her office later for a cup of tea. Maybe she would have an accomplice in paying back skeeter. It would at least be a decent distraction from the real atrocity.

Entering the Great Hall, Minerva noticed that nearly everyone was already there. The students and staff noticed her arrival. Many tried to hide their interest, pretending not to stare, but subtlety is not a skill that many students or staff for that matter, have mastered.

It was obvious that they had heard about the new legislation, and Rita Skeeter's article. She was slightly embarrassed about Rita's article, but the way the students watched her reaction, made Minerva even more resolved to remain as calm and brave as possible. She would be brave and steady for her students, because they need her to be so.

Sitting down to her lunch, she noticed that the room was still very quiet. She turned to Pomona Sprout, beside her, and asked about the new batch of mandrakes. The room seemed to take a breath, and then it returned to normal as Pomona shared the latest progress report for the entirety of the greenhouses.

As the meal progressed, there were still brief glances in her direction, but they tapered off as they realized there wasn't going to be a duel.