Minerva Mcgonagall woke up, and remembered. Today, the students would arrive at Hogwarts, and there would be a feast. She still had a lot to plan. She still had a lot to do.
Minerva stood up, and quickly got dressed. There was a meeting. . . about Voldemort. It was supposed to be at 9:00 today. She didn't really feel like going. Voldemort was too depressing. But Dumbledore expected her to be there. So off she must go, to the meeting.
Remus would be there. But that was not important. No, what was important was that she keep her eyes from lingering on him. Keep her face from flushing. Keep cool and collected. That was her, cool and collected.
Minerva walked out the door, preparing herself. What time was it? She glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't there. Ah, those clocks like to travel quite a bit. She saw it gleaming golden up ahead. It was 8:46. Maybe she should stop in the kitchen for a bite to eat. . . No, she didn't want to bother herself with those pesky little house elves. . . why did Dumbledore hire them in the first place? Sometimes she thought the man had too big a heart.
"Minny," she heard behind her. No mistaking who that voice belonged too. The voice, heavy with concern, blooming with love, was Remus' voice. Minerva told herself: cool and collected. Cool and collected. She stopped, and turned around to see him walking towards her. He moved with such grace, but she wouldn't allow herself to get into that.
"Hello remus," she said as unformal as possible.
Did his eyes lighten up? Did his eyes get dimmer? No, she was imagining things. Of course, always imagining things.
"Ready for this?" he asked, as if he knew she had been dreading it.
"Not at all," she told him the truth.
He smiled at her. She could feel the tingles. . .
"We better hurry up," Minerva said quickly.
Remus raised his eyebrows. "Get it over with?"
"Yes."
They arrived at the great hall, where the meeting was to be held. She smiled thinly at Remus, as he went to sit next to his long time friend, Sirius Black. The convicted murder. The innocent murder.
Poor man. Sirius hadn't deserved to be put in Azkaban. It was all because of Pettigrew. Everything was because of Peter Pettigrew. Voldemort had come back because of Pettigrew. She remembered how she had felt so sorry for Peter. Since she had heard that he was really the aid of Voldemort, she had been a tad bit nicer to Neville Longbottum, to be on the safe side.
Minerva sighed, and headed over to her spot by Dumbledore, at the head of the table.
"Hello Minerva, how are you this morning?" Dumbledore asked her, smiling.
"How can you smile at a time like this?" she wondered.
"How?" Dumbledore asked, amused.
She hated how he always seemed to be entertained by her. Like she was his dog or something. Like she could roll over and play dead.
"Nevermind. . ." she grumbled.
"My dear, things are never as bad as they seem," Dumbledore told her quietly.
"Yes, Yes, I suppose you are right." Minerva told the headmaster. "Isn't it nine o'clock yet, Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore peered at his watch. "Yes it is," he murmured. "Well. . . as soon as Severus gets here. . ."
Minerva hadn't seen Severus all summer. She knew Dumbledore had constructed a plan involving him, and she figured it had to do with Severus' past as a Death Eater. But she couldn't imagine that Dumbledore'd send him to rejoin Voldemort . . .
"Dumbledore. . . What is your plan with Severus," she asked timidly.
He just waved her off with a flick of his wrist. As if she wasn't important enough to know. So know Severus was second best, was he? She was replaced, was she? She had to get out of here. She had to leave here. Hogwarts was suffocating her. . .
Minerva didn't need any of this. . . she wished she had the freedom to get up and walk away. And see Dumbledore's expression of amusement? No, that's not what she needed. She needed to be cool and collected. . . aw damn it. . . that wasn't going to work.
She felt something. What was it? She didn't feel anything touching her. . . She turned her head to see both Sirius and Remus looking at her. They quickly looked away. Now Minerva was paranoid. They were pitying her, weren't they? She wasn't completely helpless. . .
She stood up. "Dumbledore I'm not feeling up to this, I've got to get out of here," Minerva told the older man.
He looked at her, with a somewhat puzzled expression on his face. "all right Minerva. Off you go then."
Minerva walked out the double doors that revealed the great hall. She could breath again. IT was as if someone had stopped strangling her.
She walked down the hall, not even paying attention to Severus who rushed by her quickly.
"How do you like that? He didn't even acknowledge my presence! A student is more important than a teacher these days."
Minerva felt her whole reputation sliding away, like a raindrop on the side of a rooftop. She was no longer needed. No longer important.
She rushed outside, down to the spot where she and Remus had talked about raspberries. She sat down against the ravine's edge, sobbing.
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Remus Lupin watched Minerva rush out of the great hall.
"Wonder what's up?" he asked Sirius.
"hmm. . ." Sirius grunted.
Remus looked at his best friend. He was not the caring, sensitive man he used to be. Twenty years ago, he would have been rushing after her, to talk to her. Now, he didn't even give a damn.
"God Sirius, Why?" Remus asked.
"What?" Sirius gave him a weird look.
"Nothing. . . Nothing at all." Remus answered.
Just than, Snape came rushing into the Great Hall, his hair messed up, and his cheek bleeding. All the side conversations stopped. Dumbledore calmly stood up, and said, "welcome, Severus."
Snape walked over to his place besides Dumbledore. He sat down, and the two shared a whispered conversation. Than, Dumbledore started to speak.
"As you all know, Severus Snape here, is a reformed Death Eater. He has been plotting against Voldemort day and night, and he can be trusted by each and everyone of you. I trust him completely. For this reason, I have asked him to rejoin the Death Eaters and be a spy . . ." He paused as everyone began to converse excitedly with the person next to them. "Not a word of this to anyone. This is highly confidental, and I trust that it will not leave this room."
Dumbledore smiled at them all.
"He's too trusting," Sirius mumbled.
Remus turned to stare at his friend. "That's why he's still alive today. He knows who he can trust."
"He trusted Pettigrew didn't he?" Sirius said.
Remus didn't know the answer to that.
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Remus Lupin walked back to Hagrid's hut. He had Dumbledore's promise that he would send Harry over as soon as possible. Sirius was staying overnight, but would be returning to Remus' house in Godric's Hollow the next day. He wanted to see Harry also.
Hagrid was in his kitchen when they got there, making some of his infamous rock cakes.
"How fun," Sirius said.
"Yer jus' make yerselfs at home." Hagrid called out to them.
They sat down on the couch in the living room. It was comftable, but you could tell how painfully old it was. Remus realized what a dreadfully hard and lonely life Hagrid must live. He did have that fling with Madame Maxime a while back, but that didn't last.
Harry must be one of the brightest spots in Hagrid's his life, as he was for so many other people. Remus himself liked Harry a lot, and Sirius, Dumbledore. . .
Hagrid came rushing in, a warming grin on his face. "hullo. How're yeh been?"
Remus figured he was talking to Sirius.
"Fine," Sirius said, smiling back. At least he tried to be friendly. "and you?"
"Great." Hagrid replied. "would yeh like a cup o' tea, or some brew?"
"tea would be fine Hagrid. Thank you." Sirius replied.
"Wha' 'bout yeh, Remus?"
"Thank you Hagrid, tea would be delicious."
Hagrid disappeared.
"I hope he didn't accidently poison it. . ." Sirius muttered.
Remus suppressed his laughter. He too had to admit Hagrid was not all that bright. And very clumsy. But he had a good heart, and was happy with his work. He nudged Sirius with his elbow.
Hagrid bustled out the kitchen, with a wooden tray that looked handmade. It had two teacups, and a mug full of a dark substance, that Remus figured was beer. There was also a stack of rockcakes, that looked a few years old, and were a bit burnt.
Remus took a sip of his tea, which was surprisingly good, and took a rockcake, to be kind.
"Thank you Hagrid." He said.
Sirius took the tea, but told Hagrid, "I had too much to eat at the meeting, but the tea is great".
Hagrid just nodded. "So, yeh waitin' fer Harry, are yeh?"
"Yes, I've not seen him for a few months." Sirius answered.
"Me either," Hagrid agreed.
"He's facing a hard year," Remus added.
Just than there was a knock at the door.
"Bet that's 'im know." Hagrid proclaimed.
He got up to answer the door, and there stood Harry, Ron and Hermione.
They came in, smiling and shouting out hellos to Remus and Sirius.
Harry was so grown up. It made Remus smile to see his best friend's son. Harry was a carbon copy of James. His hair was not so messy anymore, he seemed to have some sort of gel holding it down. Caring about his looks, remus guessed. His face was not boyish like it used to be. He had the adult look, the mature look written all over him, in his eyes especially. Harry had faced hard times in his life. And they weren't over yet.
Hermione Granger had grown up into a beautiful lady. Long bushy brown hair, and cinnamon brown eyes. . . he wondered how long it would be before Harry and Hermione got together? Remus was not the only one who noticed the special relationship between the two. Sure, Ron and Hermione were dating right now. . . but after all, Sirius had been dating Lily before she discovered James.
And Ron was defiantly a Weasley, flaming red hair, more freckles than the sky had stars. He was as jovial as ever right now, smiling laughing. Ron was a mixture of all his brothers put together. Remus personally liked Ron the best.
They walked in now, and sat on the couch.
"Hi Sirius, Hi Remus. Why are you here?" harry asked.
"That should be obvious Harry," Remus started.
"Voldemort meeting," Sirius blurted out. There was light in his eye, that was always there when Harry was there. He loved Harry as much as James had, if not more.
"Really? Anything new?" Harry asked.
"Nothing we can tell you," Remus said. Snape had immediately sprang to his mind. He looked over to Sirius, who nodding in agreement.
Harry looked suspicious.
"You can trust us, you know," Hermione said.
"I know we can, but Dumbledore hasn't given us any permission. He may tell you, if it's nessecary. Or he may tell Harry, who will than tell you two," Remus said, smiling.
Harry flushed. "Well, yeah, I guess. I don't tell them everything though. . . I didn't tell them about. . ." he caught himself, and continued. "Well I don't tell them what Dumbledore wants me to keep secret. . ."
Hermione and Ron were now staring at Harry. "What?" Ron exclaimed.
"Well. . . how have you been Sirius?" Harry quickly said.
Sirius grinned good-naturally at Harry. "Fine, Harry. Been hanging round Remus' house, been hanging around Hogwarts."
"Really? Do they have these meetings a lot?" Harry inquired.
"'Bout once a month, maybe more. . ." Sirius said.
"Hmm. . . who goes to these meetings?" Harry asked.
Remus smiled. "We don't want to tell them too much, Sirius."
He could see that Harry was trying to get as much information out of them as possible. Great kid, but too nosy for his own good. Then again, being nosy had lead him to save a lot of lives. He had saved Sirius, and himself in a way.
Harry grinned sheepishly at them.
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Albus Dumbledore stared thoughtfully out at the forbidden forest from his balcony at the top of Hogwarts. It was such a beauty, but full of hate.
He had seen Harry today. It was the happiest thing that had happened for a while.
Harry was growing up so quickly. . . he would have to tell him soon.
Dumbledore hated to have to darken Harry's thoughts by springing everything on him. He was still a very happy child. . . man. Unlike Dumbledore, he still didn't know true evil. Voldemort hadn't shown him everything yet. But Dumbledore knew, he knew in his heart, that harry would not be the same when he left Hogwarts.
What a shame, he'd have to tell him.
A/N is this a cliffhanger? I don't know. But let me tell you this . . . this story is going to drag out. I love stories that drag out. You have to wait and wait for the new part to come. . . and when Remus and Minerva finally get together( oh no, I just spilled the beans) you will be just as happy, because it has taken so long for them to get together. I already know the ending, I just have to work on the middle. Please review if you liked it. You don't have to say much, it's just helpful when I get reviews. It makes me want to write more.
YOU THERE! I'm PISSED! I got 350 hits on a story, but only 19 reviews. IF YOU READ THIS REVIEW!