Part Twenty One
A/n: Well, here it is. The part you've all been waiting for (or not) and the end. Possibly. I probably should have mentioned that before, infact, I'm fairly sure I have, but after this part, that's it. Maybe. I have yet to make up my mind. One thing's for sure, I intend to take a long break. Not too long though, but long enough for me to get back into the habit of sleeping properly. When I told my friend Laura (hi Lozzy!) I was intending to finish this here, her immediate response was "What, no babies/marriage/snogs?" It took me a few minutes to realise that she probably didn't mean in that order. But...I know that if I put an end to this here I would be leaving alot of issues untackled. I can't say I actually want to tackle them, I rather get the feeling it would be awkward...but after just over six months, I've grown rather attached to this story. I don't want to have to say goodbye forever. So I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to say, go read the fic, and e-mail me ANY idea's you may have that I could use as plot lines at melissa.watt@btinternet.com. And then, when I've got over Christmas and I have slipped back to being an insomniac, I may be very tempted to flip open the lid to my word processor and see what I can come up with...but until then, read, and enjoy!
'Twas New Years eve, although, in Minerva McGonagall's case, it could have been any other night of the year. The only reason tonight was different from all other nights, was because it said so on the desk calendar sat atop her desk.
If it had not said so on the calendar, she wouldn't even have noticed the passing of Christmas, but then, she never normally celebrated Christmas anyway.
As of late though, she hadn't felt much like doing anything. It would have made her immensely happy if people would allow her to spend the days in bed, perhaps with a magic-powered television and some mind rotting muggle soap operas. People were so damn annoying though; they refused to leave her alone. She would have been quite content to spend Christmas day by herself, but Albus was having none of it, and she found herself forced down into the Great Hall to pretend to be having a good time, pulling the occasional cracker half heatedly.
The truth was though, it was all pretend. She just hadn't been able to muster any enthusiasm for the past few weeks. Almost everyone had cleared off for Christmas, but if she was quite truthful, she hadn't even noticed the castle was nearly empty until a few days after the end of term.
In the rare moments when she felt half human, she knew what was wrong with her, but could never quite grasp onto why. She was depressed. Uncontrollably depressed. To the extent that she felt as if the depression was knawing away at her insides, because it was always there, never ceasing, to the point where she wanted to lay down and spend the day sobbing into her pillow.
But why was a mystery.
For a while, when she had first started feeling that way, she had put it down to her recent break up with Severus. But after a week or so, she knew it couldn't be that. Not on its own. Undoubtedly it must have played a role, but she knew deep down that she would never allow herself to become that depressed over a man. She was far too sensible for that.
Sometimes she feared that she was growing insane; afterall, who had ever heard of someone suffering from uncontrollable depression with no reason? Had she felt halfway normal, she would have known that there are many people that feel this way, but she was too caught up in her self loathing to acknowledge facts like this, and the feeling that she was the only one didn't aid her plight at all.
But she wasn't the only one feeling strange as of late. As, for the past few weeks, though he would never acknowledge that something didn't feel right, Severus had undergone some rather dramatic changes.
First of all, he had stopped being depressed. After spending forty-eight solid hours alone in the dungeons, he had suddenly changed his mind about the way he was seeing things. After a short while of wondering if he was going about things in completely the wrong way, he had realised that, without a doubt, he was.
When he had started to reason with himself, his previous behaviour made little sense. Forty-eight miserable hours spent in mourning for the loss of...Minerva McGonagall? It made as much sense to him as it did to Rebecca, who's companionship had proved to be invaluable as of late.
During his change of heart, he had taken up her offer of being there if he needed someone to talk to, and she had helped him see things clearly, in a way that made him sit up and blink.
Had he really just spent almost three months growing closer and closer to Minerva McGonagall? It appeared so. And it had started to puzzle him more and more as to what he had ever seen in her.
He hadn't actually seen that much of her since they had broken up. But from having to spend each and every mealtime sat next to her in the Great Hall, he had gathered that she was more or less a mess. Meal times had become as silent as they used to be, before whatever it was that had drawn them closer together had turned up. And she had stopped smiling again. For a very brief period of time, he had been able to coax a smile out of her on the odd occasion. A few times he had even convinced her to let her hair down. But now everything was back to the way it had been before, and, without realising it, he had stopped caring.
Over the few short weeks they had been separated, his eyes had been opened again, he had realised the ridiculousness of the situation, and any depressed feelings he may have had towards there break up had been quashed.
Throughout this, he rather felt that Rebecca had been the driving force behind him, encouraging him every step of the way. And in a matter of days, he had found solace in her arms, in her kisses, and, before he even realised what was happening, he felt like his old self again.
********
Whilst most of the castle was absent for the Christmas break, New Year's eve at Hogwarts was normally a quiet engagement. Remaining pupils normally stayed together in their houses, permitted to make as much noise as they felt they needed to, with their only rule to have a good time. And even the remaining staff usually found somewhere to go.
But Minerva had never felt the need to do anything out of the ordinary over the Christmas holidays. Even before her sudden bout of depression, Christmas and the New Year had never stood out that much from the rest of the year. She opted to stay at Hogwarts, where it was remotely peaceful, rather than to join the rabble that was the rest of the world.
She had no real family, save a grandmother in Scotland and an aunt somewhere in America. Her mother had died a long time ago, and she had never known her father. She had no siblings, and had grown up a much quieter person for it.
Her aunt wasn't someone she liked to spend prolonged amounts of time with. She had been left in her care after her mother's sudden death when she was thirteen, and wouldn't exactly class the time they spent together as the happier years of her life. Her aunt had done the best she could, but, having no children of her own, had never really understood the attention that teenagers need.
She had often been away, her career as a garish romance novelist meaning she had to make alot of trips to foreign places for promotional events. Minerva knew that she had tried her hardest, and also knew that she regretted the fact she had never really had enough time to take care of her then young niece properly. She knew this because, during the times they now spent together, rare as they were, she would find herself being showered with expensive gifts that were of no use to her what so ever.
But she would smile politely anyway, and make some excuse or another to escape (five minutes in the company of her aunt was enough to leave her feeling queasy). And then afterwards, she would sell whatever it was she had obtained from her aunt during "'this"' visit in the muggle world, and give the ridiculous some to some charity or another.
And then there was her grandmother. Aged one hundred and still going strong by anybody's measure, she was by far the most extraordinary person Minerva had ever had the pleasure to meet.
She lived in Dunfermline in Scotland, and made regular trips to Loch Ness. Not to try and spot the monster, as everybody except the damned tourists knew she was real, but to dive down below the shore in her animagus state of a dolphin and communicate directly with her.
Apparently her grandmother and Nessie were great friends, and although she had tried to introduce Minerva to her on numerous occasions, there was something about the prospect of diving below the banks of Loch Ness that had always seemed incredibly unappealing to her.
And as well as having Nessie as one of her closest friends, her grandmother had the ability to play the best game of poker anyone had ever come across before. How she did it no one knew. But somehow or another, it transpired that she never lost a game.
One rich lord had once challenged her to an all or nothing game, within five minutes; she had won herself a cosy little castle in the highest peaks of Scotland. After a year of living there, she had moved back into her cottage in Dunfermline, handing the castle to Minerva as a birthday present; apparently the lack of any form of life, including ghosts, had been a terrible downside and she had missed the bustle of Dunfermline far to much.
And as much as she adored her grandmother, Minerva always declined her offers of spending Christmas with her, for the fear of interrupting her busy schedule, for she was the most sociable creature she had ever met.
And she had friends of course, despite what people may have thought. She couldn't help but make friends when she was growing up, although sometimes she had wished she hadn't...Her closest two female friends now worked as aurors for the ministry, although apparently it wasn't a job that paid well, despite what people were led to believe. Taking pity on the way their personal and financial lives were in tatters, she had allowed them to move into the castle she had been handed by her grandmother, although she had long since suspected they had ulterior motives for wanting to live so far away from the rest of society. They had always preferred each others company to that of men...And so she chose not to spend the holidays with them either, not wanting to intrude on celebrations that they should be spending together by right.
And it was for all these reasons that nobody found it odd this particular year when all their invitations of places to stay during the holidays were flatly turned down. Minerva was never the most sociable of people, so it came as no great surprise to anyone when she declined. And this only served to add to her misery. No one had noticed her fragile mental state. She was growing to believe no one cared.
**********
It therefore came as quite a shock when, at around half seven, New Years eve, there came a soft tapping on her chamber door. She hadn't been expecting anyone. And, to be quite frank, she really didn't want to see anyone.
But, like it or not, someone was stood outside her chamber, and she was going to have to let them in. However, before she could even start to swing her legs over the side of her bed, the door creaked open slowly, and the over cheerful figure of Remus Lupine entered the room.
Dismayed, for surely now she was going to have to make conversation and pretend to be fine, she sank back onto her bed once more.
"Well, nice to see I'm welcome!" He smiled, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
"What do you want? Why are you here, it's New Years eve, don't you have a party to go to or something?"
"A party? I believe parties are a form of celebration are they not? And I really don't believe this country has all that much to celebrate at the moment..."
He spoke with a reference to the muggle world as well as the magical, and she had to admit she agreed with him.
"Well, maybe so, but again, why are you here?"
"I had nothing better to do."
"Thanks." He had only been teasing her, but was slightly worried by the dejected tone in her voice.
"Hey, come on, what's wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong." She tried to appear cold, hoping he would take the hint and leave her be. Unfortunately, he didn't appear to want to go anywhere.
"You say that but you haven't been yourself recently. I've noticed you know, I think everyone has and-"
"And?" She snapped. "What's it to you what's wrong? And what business have you coming in here and telling me that I haven't been myself as of late?"
"None what so ever, but I couldn't help worrying about you."
"Well don't worry about me. Leave me alone, I'm perfectly fine." She was lying through her teeth and he could tell.
"Minerva, please don't lie to me," he spoke quietly, but there was an edge to his voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I know that something is not right, and I just want to help. Don't turn me away."
"How dare you! You barge in here, quite uninvited, tell me that something is wrong with me, then talk to me so patronisingly it's as if I were a child!"
"With one minor difference."
"And that would be?"
"When something is wrong, children cry. When they're happy they smile. It's only as they grow they try to conceal their emotions. There would be no need to patronise a child, as a child would come straight out and tell you what was wrong." She was now seething with anger, and he could tell.
"Just get out! Go away! I don't want to talk to you or anyone and, and-" She gasped for breath as tears started cascading down her cheeks suddenly. She wrapped her arms around her knees and let her head rest upon them; rocking gently and sobbing in such a way it was heart wrenching.
Completely out of instinct, Remus reached out to her and wrapped his arms around her body. He pulled her close to him and sat quite still as she sobbed into his shoulder.
They sat like that for a long time. When she eventually started to calm down, Remus wondered vaguely just how much time had passed.
"Minerva," he whispered, still holding her close. "Please, just tell me what's wrong." She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes, furious with herself. She pulled away from his grasp, but made no attempt to get up from the bed, for one thing she didn't think she had the energy. "I wish I could," she started gently, her voice strained and tired. "But I really don't know. It's just lately, I've felt so...depressed. And miserable. Like I wish everyone would just go away and leave me alone. Sometimes I just curl up and cry for hours without reason, and when I stop I still feel as miserable as when I started. But I can't help it. It's like there's something inside of me, something that wants to suck away all the happiness from my life and leave me empty. Remus, I have never visited Azkaban, nor do I wish to, but I think lately I have been feeling similar to those imprisoned there with the dementors. And I have no reason for it!" She swallowed heavily. "I just feel so tired and miserable all the time. I've been thinking dangerous thoughts recently. Thoughts that scare me but that wont go away. Like what it would be like if I woke up one day and decided I didn't want to live to see the next. And it's always there, always!" She fought hard to stop the tears spilling down her cheeks once more, but he pulled her close anyway.
"Hush," he whispered. "Hush now. Minerva, how long have you been feeling like this?"
"Weeks," she moaned. "I think it started around a week after Severus revealed to me his unfaithfulness."
"So, around the time of your little cat fight with Rebecca?" He asked, his mind starting to race."
'"Probably, maybe a few days after, not long though."
"Right," he muttered thoughtfully, chewing his lower lip. Something didn't add up. He had spoken with Minerva immediately after her fight with Rebecca, and although she had been tired, and a little upset, she had been in good spirits also, and able to laugh at the ridiculousness of everything that had happened. She certainly hadn't been suicidal.
"Minerva, do you know anything of the way Severus has been behaving recently?" he asked, still thoughtful.
"I don't know really. We don't speak. I think that very possibly he may be sleeping with Rebecca again, but, if you don't mind, I don't want to dwell on it." She tried to force a tiny smile, but failed.
He tried to collect his thoughts. It was pretty clear that Severus and Rebecca definitely had something going on, anyone could see that, but he didn't want to say any more on the subject, at least, not infront of Minerva.
He hadn't thought anything strange about their reunion prior to now, but as he thought further on it, he began to wonder just why it had come about. Snape had definitely reverted to his previous self 100%. No one had noticed at the time, but while he had been with Minerva, he had definitely changed slightly, although it was very hard to see. But now, now it was as if nothing had ever happened. As if he had forgotten completely whatever it was that had forced them into each other's arms. And Minerva seemed almost a different woman. In a matter of weeks, she had become a mere shell of her former self, and it had happened so quickly that no one had noticed it.
Something was definitely not right.
And then it clicked. Everything suddenly seemed to fit into place; everything made sense, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that suddenly slotted together. And there was only one question left in his mind. Was Rebecca Thomlinson really capable of the crime he was almost positive she had committed?
He didn't want to leave it to chance. Very gently, he prised Minerva out of his arms, and laid her down atop her bed.
"Where're you going?" she mummered disinterestedly.
"I have to go and see Dumbledore about something. Stay here."
"Well I wasn't planning on going anywhere. You're going to tell him I'm cracked up aren't you?"
"No, of course not, because you're not cracked up, but I do have to talk to him about you-"
"-So you want to talk about me not to me?" She demanded. "Look, Remus, if you think I'm insane just come out with it. I can take it."
"No, Minerva it's not that at all. Listen, the thing is, I think I know what's happened to you and-"
"-And instead of telling me you're going to go right over my head and go straight to Albus instead?" He sighed gently, and sat back down for he had previously gotten to his feet.
"No, of course not, you have a right to know. But listen, you have to understand I'm putting two and two together and it's very possible I've made five. From where I am it seems to make four, but I could be wrong and I need to get it checked."
"Remus?"
"Yes?"
"Please stop talking about arithmancy and tell me what's wrong with me." He paused for a long time.
"Alright. But I could be wrong."
"I don't care. Out with it."
"I think that you're under the effects of a Bewitchment charm. You and Severus." Before she could comment, he went on. "And I think it was Rebecca that performed the spell. It's one that's quite often used by 'the other woman' if you like, but the usage of it is strictly illegal because of the devastating effects."
"What are they? I'm sure I've heard of it, but everything seems so foggy..."
"That's okay, it's bound to. You see, if I'm right, if there has been a Bewitchment charm used, Severus won't remember anything but bad of the time he spent with you. And you, you will..." His voice faltered.
"I will what?"
"Wither away into nothing. The only known way to break the spell is death. Namely, your death." She stared up at the ceiling as if he'd just told her nothing more than the weather outside.
"Then here is no hope." She whispered softly, and he could see pain in her eyes.
"Don't say that. There is always hope."
"Then why don't you hope? Why don't you run along to Dumbledore and be hopeful there, and leave me in peace to accept things?"
"I will do. And I won't give up hope. And neither should you, but I fear you already have."
"Aye, you're right there at least."
"Maybe you should try and sleep," he suggested as he left the room, but they both knew that was impossible.
*********
In the space of a few short minutes, Remus had rushed down to the corridor, along which Dumbledore's office was situated, pausing only briefly to mutter "Chocolate frogs" in the direction of the stone gargoyles.
Hurrying along, he saw a slat of light coming from under the door to Dumbledore's office, and he pushed the door open, relieved.
As he entered, Dumbledore looked up from his desk, and placed his quill down next to the roll of parchment he had been writing on.
"Albus," Remus started, sinking into a chair in relief. "I was worried you may be out celebrating the New Year."
"Celebrating? I don't believe this country has much to celebrate at the moment, do you? And besides, Misters Fred and George Weasley are promising a display of Fillibuster Fireworks at midnight, not something I care to miss." Remus would have laughed, but the matter he had to discuss was too urgent, and Dumbledore sensed this.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Yes, but, I'm not sure where to start."
"The beginning is usually the best place I think you'll find, take your time."
"You see, the thing is, well, it's-"
"Spit it out!" He smiled kindly, urging Remus on.
"Mainly, it's about Rebecca and-"
"-Am I to assume we are talking about my ancient runes professor, or one of the students?"
"The first one, definitely."
"And what has she done that has got you worked up into such a state you can barely talk?"
"Well, I'll get to that in a minute, but first, when you hired her, did you find anything unusual about her?"
"Unusual? How do you mean?"
"I don't know, sinister?"
"Ah." Dumbledore paused, a look of understanding on his face. "I see you have found out about her background when she was abiding in Poland." The completely blank look on Remus's face told him this was not true. "Oh, well then-"
"What happened in Poland?"
"Well I suppose you have a right to know. While she was living there, she told alot of lies to alot of important people, and made alot of money from it. She was very nearly responsible for the deaths of thousands of dragons as I am to believe."
"And you still hired her?"
"I try not to hold things against the people I hire Remus. She told me she wanted to make a fresh start. I can't say I completely believed her, but I felt that, once given chance to settle in, she may actually do just that. I taught her once, infact, wasn't she in school around the same time as yourself? A year below perhaps?" Now that he thought about it, he remembered her, vaguely.
"Yes, I think she was..."
"Did she ever do anything 'sinister' to make you remember her? Or was it that she was just like everyone else, which is why you didn't realise that you were indeed a year apart at Hogwarts until now?"
"Well it wasn't as if I knew her then, and trust me, I'm not judging, but I think she's done something, and if she has then I don't think she'll have the chance of any more fresh starts." Dumbledore frowned, a little puzzled perhaps.
"Care to share it with me?" And so he told him his theories, and reasons behind them, and when he was finished, the man infront of him looked alot paler than he had done a few minutes ago. He seemed to be most shocked about the fact a member of his own staff had been suffering from such severe depression and he hadn't even noticed it. Or maybe he had, and had tried to ignore it, with the thought it was nothing serious...But, judging from the look on his face, it was in actual fact, worse even than Remus had suspected.
"You understand that that's a very serious allegation to make," he started gravely, but he knew that Remus had been earnest, and he couldn't help admitting that everything he had said made sense. "I think we shall have to go about this directly, no beating about the bush. Remus, if you would be so kind as to bring Minerva down to my office, and I shall seek out the other parties involved."
**********
Around half way through the meeting that had been going on in Dumbledore's office between Remus and himself, Minerva had started to see things in a way that, to her, seemed clear.
The way she was feeling, the way she felt, it was going to be like that forever. There was no way around it. And eventually, she was going to die. Just like that. And there was nothing to be done. Remus had said so himself...the only known way the break the enchantment was with her death.
She wondered if there had been any point in her living to this point, she found it hard to believe that she had been born, just to die alone and miserable. And she knew it didn't have to be like that. It didn't have to drag on. She could stop it, end it now. Then all the miserableness would be gone, and she wouldn't have to sit around waiting for death to come to her.
Thinking about it, everything seemed to make sense. It wouldn't take much doing, and then she would be gone and it would be over. A slight tingle of excitement ran up her spine as she reached for her wand. For a moment she wondered how to do it. She refused to just die, and be gone before anyone knew it. But she knew she didn't have the strength to do anything near as exciting as jump from the astronomy tower, which would have certainly been an interesting way to die.
It didn't worry her that she was sat thinking about interesting ways to kill herself, she was going to die anyway, so she might as well make it dramatic.
After a few minutes hesitation, she pointed her wand at the poker besides the fireplace in the room and muttered "Inatum transforum." and instead of a dark poker, there was a sharp dagger sat by her fire. Another cry of "Accio!" brought it to her side, and she turned it over in her hands. The hilt was encrusted with small rubies, and the point was long and sharp. It would do just fine.
Without a moment's hesitation, she plunged it silently between her ribs, around the place she supposed her heart to be, and fell to the floor silently, before a cry of pain could even leave her lips.
********
In a room in the west wing of the castle, Severus Snape sat up with a jolt. He felt as though a sudden warm feeling had just rushed into his body, and a thousand forgotten memories were dancing before his eyes.
"What's wrong?" the naked figure next to him mummered.
"N-nothing," he managed to push out, for his head was swimming at such a rate he had difficulty thinking straight.
"Then lay down honey, come on, relax..." He found himself being pulled back down beneath the covers of the bed, and had to struggle to remain sitting. Rebecca sat up and pushed the hair out of her eyes, exasperated. "Come on, something's up. Tell me."
"I-it's just...I feel...and...Minerva," He croaked, wondering what was happening to him. Rebecca tutted crossly.
"Come on sweetie, I'm not that bad surely?" She tugged at his arm in an attempt to pull him back down, but the only movement he made was to his feet. He started to pull his robes on absent mindedly, a look of complete bewilderment plastered to his face.
"Sev, sweetheart, now you're just being annoying," Rebecca whined. "Pwease tell me what's wrong," she said in a childish voice, a sulky look on her face. He turned to her, shaking himself slightly and said:
"I don't really know, it's just, all of a sudden, for no reason, I felt warm all over, and all these moments I spent with Minerva came rushing back to me, but I hadn't even realised I'd forgotten them, and now, now I've got this feeling like I really shouldn't be here, like there's somewhere else I should be and-"
"You're babbling sweetie. Come on, you're just tired, and it's not even that late, lay down."
But before he even had a chance to respond, there was a knock at the door, which started to open immediately afterwards.
Rebecca let out a small scream as Albus Dumbledore entered the room, and quickly pulled the bedclothes around her as tightly as they would go.
He did look suitably embarrassed, but there was also a look on his face that was very rarely seen by anyone, and it took Severus a moment to place it. Albus was furious.
He wasted no time apologising for bursting in, but started to speak immediately.
"I need to speak to the both of you if that's alright. Now, in my office."
"Wha-has something happened?" Severus asked, this sudden interruption not helping his confused state.
"Well, yes, and here isn't the place to talk about it, come," he motioned to the door.
"Well, I would do, if you'd go away and let me dress," Rebecca spoke, mild annoyance in her voice. This seemed to aggravate Dumbledore further, and he turned to her suddenly and snapped:
"I know what you have done," with no further explanation. For a moment, Rebecca look shocked, but she hid it well, and changed her expression to that of bewilderment.
"Really? Well I don't! Perhaps you'd like to enlighten me a little?"
"Don't play dumb, a couple of drops of Veritsium and I'll have the truth, but it would save everyone alot of hassle if you'd just come out with it." In all the time he'd known her, Severus had never seen Rebecca looking frightened. She always seemed to have everything under control, everyone wrapped around her little finger. Burt not now. Now she looked terrified. And he was completely lost.
"What's going on?" he asked Albus. Instead of answering his question, Albus said:
"Severus, I need you to be truthful now. Have you felt at all strange recently?" It was as if he was reading his mind. Was it possible that he knew all of what had just happened? He didn't know, but told him of the strange feeling that had just overcome him anyway. When he finished speaking, Dumbledore looked weaker than he had ever seen him look before. He thought he saw his mouth form the words "But that must mean-" although he wasn't sure. After a couple of second hesitation though, he whirled around to the door, barking at Severus not to let Rebecca leave the castle, and set off at a speed he had never seen him assume before.
Utterly confused, he performed a locking charm on the door anyway, and turned around to find Rebecca attempting to climb out of the window. Something told him that there was something going on.
*******
When Remus had stumbled into Minerva's chamber to find her lying on the floor quite still, with a dagger through her chest, he cursed himself silently for leaving her alone, even for a few minutes.
He had dropped to his knees quickly, only to realise that she was neither breathing, nor was her heart beating. Around him, the stone floor was covered with crimson blood, which was still pouring relentlessly from her chest.
Attempting to get over his initial shock, he realised he was going to have to do something, and quickly. Without another thought, he pulled the dagger from her chest and tossed it to one side, then pulled out his wand and closed the wound with a charm he had learnt long ago, and though the floor was still covered in blood, she at least wasn't bleeding any more.
Thinking quickly, he paced over to the fire and, removing the lid of a small pot sat atop it, he took out a blue powder, and threw it into the flames, muttering incoherent words as he did so. Almost immediately, a blonde female head appeared in the flames.
"Which emergency service do you require?" She asked, in a bored voice.
"I need an air ambulance immedialty," he said, rushed.
"Where to? And what is the state of the patient?" She enquired, still sounding disinterested, although he could here her tapping something down.
"Hogwarts. And the patient, she isn't, well I don't think she's.... alive." He finally managed to say. Finally, the woman looked interested. He heard her tapping more down, until, after a second, she looked up and assured him:
"They're on their way. Can you tell me how long the patient has been dead?"
"It can't have been long, only a few minutes." More tapping.
"And what's the cause of death?"
"Suicide, she, uh, stabbed herself." Yet more tapping.
"And in what area has the patient stabbed herself?"
"The chest, around the heart I think." A final bout of tapping was followed by reassurance.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine."
"But she's dead!" He exclaimed, bewildered.
"Yes, but all the staff at St Mungo's are perfectly capable, and as long as her heart didn't stop beating too long ago, and they can get her in before she looses too much blood, then there's a 64 and three quarter percent of a chance she'll be fine."
Remus sat down on the edge of her bed dizzily. This was too much to take in.
"You really think she stands a chance?"
"Look, like I said the St Mungo's staff are all perfectly capable. She couldn't be in better hands."
Then, two things happened. There was the sound of shattering glass at the window as a group of men and women in white coats pushed their way into the room, and the door was pushed open as Albus Dumbledore forced his way into the room.
He blinked furiously, trying to take in what he saw before him, but, Remus noted, he didn't look too shocked. It was like he'd been expecting it. He wished someone had warned him how he would be spending New Years eve.
He watched in silent awe as Minerva's body was strapped to a stretcher in much the same way as that of a person being taken into mental care, they were making sure there was no risk of her falling off. And then, before he knew what was happening, four heavy-set men on broomsticks had taken a corner of the stretcher each, and she was being flown high into the sky and bundled into what he assumed to be an invisible ambulance.
And then they were gone, and there were only three people remaining in the room, himself, Dumbledore, and the head of the woman he had been talking to in the fire place. She was grinning, trying to be reassuring.
"Like I said, there's a good chance she'll be fine. She might be dead right now, but just you wait and see. Isn't it amazing how fast the team got there? Bet ya didn't know they could move that fast huh?" There was something in the preppiness of her voice that was profoundly irritating. He was glad when Dumbledore addressed her, he didn't think he'd have been able to keep his cool.
"So when will we know if she's going to be alright?" He asked her quietly.
"In around ten minutes." She saw the surprised look on Remus's face and said: "Haven't had many dealings with the air ambulance squad before huh? They don't just sit around twiddling their thumbs at St Mungo's you know, it's not like they're under the NHS!" She found this incredibly funny and burst into peals of laughter. "But seriously, if you send someone along to the hospital, give it ten minutes and we'll give you and answer on way or another."
"Thank you, you've been most helpful," Dumbledore told her. He sounded worryingly grave.
"Well that's good to hear, ta ta now!" And then she was gone, and only they remained.
Albus looked older than ever, worn, and tired, and, more than anything, worried.
"Did she say what her chances were?" He asked Remus, addressing him directly for the first time since he had entered the room.
"Sixty four and three quarter percent I think..."
"Then there's a thirty five and a quarter percentage that doesn't look to good." He really didn't look hopeful.
"The woman, in the fire, she seemed to think she'd be fine-"
"I see you have had little dealings with the way of the emergency services Remus. Yes, in theory, there's a good chance she would be fine, were it a simple suicide bid. But when there are charms, curses and bewitchments involved, who can tell? Come, keep your mind off of it for now, there are other matters we must attend to."
*******
Remus later remembered them as the longest ten minutes of his life. While Albus took Severus to one side, and quietly told him of everything that had taken place, Remus himself was left with the job of having Rebecca dealt with.
Locked in a room with a hysterical woman who was desperately trying to escape by any means possible was never going to be fun, but locked in a room with a hysterical woman trying to escape by any means possible, throwing all the curses she could think of at him and attempting to alert the emergency services proved to be downright awkward.
He couldn't help but feel that Dumbledore had handed him this job purposefully to keep his mind off things, but it certainly worked. The first thing he did was quieten Rebecca down, by disarming her, and knocking her out in the process. He then tied her up in the corner just to be on the safe side.
When he turned to the fire and went to the operator, he was dismayed to see a familiar blonde head appear at the other end.
"Hello lovey!" She gushed. "Just can't stay out of trouble can you? What is it now?" He described the situation to her tentatively. She looked a little shocked, but he was glad when she kept her cool.
"Well you'll not just want a control officer then, you'll need someone from St Clarences..."
"St Clarences? Another hospital? I've never heard of it..."
"Well you wouldn't have duckie, it's very hush hush. And no, it's not a hospital, well, I suppose it is in a way but-"
"Look, just tell me what the damn thing is would you?" He snapped, his temper beginning to fray.
"A loony bin lovey. They'll be able to deal with your friend there, just let me get hold of them..."
And so Rebecca had been taken away too, in much the same way as Minerva had, strapped tightly to a stretcher, with the only major difference being that Rebecca was kicking and screaming.
When he eventually emerged from the room, feeling at least twenty years older, he found Albus outside. Severus however, was no where to be seen.
"Went off to St Mungo's the minute he knew which was up," Albus explained. "And well done, you handled that particular situation well."
"Yes well...how long has it been?"
"An hour." Remus was a little shocked, he wasn't aware that such an amount of time had passed.
"Any news?" he asked urgently.
"Well they kept to their word, it only took ten minutes. At which point I received a message via my own fire place..." From the look on Remus's face he saw that he was being willed to get to the point.
"Let's just say we wont have to start looking for a new Transfigurations teacher just yet shall we?" He laughed aloud at the look of relief on Remus's face. Now, it's a quarter to twelve, and there's a firework display I'm rather keen to see. What a way to ring in the new year ay?"
For the first time in hours, Remus laughed aloud.
*******
Meanwhile, at St Mungo's, an equally dramatic scene was taking place. Severus, still numb with shock and without a clue what he was going to do, or say, had managed to talk his way into the ward where he knew Minerva was being kept, despite protests of visiting hours ending almost six hours ago.
The ward sister glared at him disapprovingly, as if she really didn't think he ought to be allowed in the hospital at all, but eventually conceded, and swung the large ward doors open to let him through.
He could see by the light of his wand (even though she had let him in, the ward sister drew the line at turning on any lights for fear of waking the patients) that the room was far from full.
There were a few sleeping bodies, but as he entered, a solitary figure at the far end of the room sat up and returned his gaze steadily. Then burst into uncontrollable tears as he hurried to her bedside and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head over and over again, each time pulling her closer and closer to himself. After a long time, he pulled back ever so slightly, and just gazed at the woman before him.
Her hair was hanging around her shoulders in dark tangled curls and her eyes were tired and heavy, but she was smiling; she was also still crying, but the tears were different to those she had been crying for weeks without reason.
She rubbed at her eyes with her fingertips, and when she moved her hands away her eyes were left red and blotchy, but throughout it all, she didn't once stop smiling.
"Min," he croaked, but it was all he could say. She seemed to understand, and forced her way back into his arms, demanding to be hugged.
"Is it all over?" she whispered eventually.
"I think so...I still can't believe it happened." He found his voice at last.
"It all seems like a dream...or a nightmare. But I don't remember properly. I know I was upset...but I can't remember how it actually felt..."
"Well obviously bad enough for you do drive a knife between your ribs," he commented, casting his eyes downwards to the rough spot where the dagger had entered her chest, although it was now covered by a night dress. He ran a finger in a line across the spot anyway, but couldn't be sure it was the exact spot.
"It just all seems far away." She leant her head to one side and screwed up her mouth, as if trying to remember, but gave up.
"I know what you mean. When Albus told me what had gone on, I just couldn't believe it. I had no idea she was capable of doing something like that..."
"I'm curious to know just how much of it was actually her, and how much of it was us being stubborn and jumping to conclusions."
"Hey, I'm not the one that-" he started, but she put a finger to his lips to silence him.
"Let's not dwell on it okay? Maybe it would be best if we pretend that the past few weeks never happened...and keep quiet the fact that I tried to kill myself because of you..."
"You didn't try, you did, for a couple of minutes at least."
"That's the scary part...I can't actually remember feeling dead though..."
"Well you wouldn't."
"Why? I would have thought I'd remember dying."
"Well maybe you weren't dead for long enough to do anything worth remembering. Your heart only stopped for a couple of minutes after all."
"I guess so. I don't know what I was expecting anyway, maybe a bright light or something..." He laughed at the ridiculousness of the conversation, a real laugh, unlike anything she'd ever heard come from him before.
"You could at least pretend to be sad that I was dead," she said, prodding him in the side.
"Well I didn't find out you'd died until after they'd resuscitated you again, so it didn't actually seem like that big a deal, you know, seeing as how you were alive and all..."
"Thanks."
"You know I didn't mean it like that!"
"Yeah, I do." She rolled her eyes, and smiled at him, and he ran his index finger down the side of her face gently.
"Just don't die again okay?"
"Only if you promise never to take up with an evil she-demon again." Now it was his turn to roll his eyes.
"I don't know about that," he teased, but then said, more seriously: "I promise. I love you Min." A pleasant shiver ran through her body.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I only realised just now, but I do."
"I love you too..." For a second he smiled, although it could have been a trick of the light, but before she had time to try and work out which it was they were kissing gently, and as they pulled apart, she vaguely noticed the clock on the far wall ticking slowly over midnight.