Well this is the next part. I'm flattered by the people who say this series is really good. One thing, though. I must apologize about Remus apparating. But I'm not going to change that, though I will admit I completely forgot about it(Hermione would be ashamed). But I figure, this is fan fiction; so let's throw all that out the window. It's not like I'm Rowling or anything, right?
Minerva studied the letter she had received earlier from Remus. What should she do?
She heard a knock on her door, so she opened it, and found Hermione and Neville standing there.
"Hello?" Minerva said.
"Professor McGonagall, Snape, that is Professor Snape wouldn't let us practice in the charms classroom. He said it was too unsafe. . ."
"Say no more, I'll speak to him," She took off, sighing. Snape could never let anyone be. But, lately he had seemed to be more . . . he seemed to be more jovial than usual. Minerva suspected it had to do with that new defense against the dark arts professor, Angelie Winaper. She was about his age, an intelligent woman, for sure. Frankly, Minerva thought it was about time he fell in love.
That made her smile. About time she fell in love.
She found Snape in the staff room, conversing with whom else but Winaper. They were laughing, heads close together.
It was always shocking to see Snape smiling like that, and it was even more shocking that it was an attractive smile. She almost felt sorry that she had to break this up, but Neville. . .
"Severus, What this I hear about you not letting Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom practice in the old Charms classroom?" She said sharply.
Snape gave her a mean look, and said, "I just don't think Neville should be anywhere unsupervised. . ."
"What about Miss Granger?"
"What about her?"
"She's as trustworthy as Dumbledore, she wouldn't allow him to do anything that could cause any harm, or personal damage,"
Snape looked at Winaper, and then, most likely to get rid of her, "Well, fine. But if they put one toe out of line. . ."
Minerva glided back to her room, where Hermione was still waiting.
"Where's Neville?"
"He went to his room to get a book he forgot. Everything straightened out now?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes. You may work in the Charms classroom,"
"Thank you," Hermione gratefully exclaimed.
Minerva smiled as Hermione walked out of the room. She walked back to the chair she was sitting in, and picked up the letter. Only now there was another part added on. . .
You should do it.
She immediately recognized the handwriting as Hermione. For a second she panicked, but calmed herself, knowing Hermione wouldn't tell anyone, except for Harry and Ron. And she decided Hermione was right. She should do it.
Dear Remus,
NO, not dear. Sounded too friendly, she was basically admitting her love for him.
Remus,
I have decided to come with you to whatever you have planned, and I'm already regretting it. So this Friday? Maybe I should meet you at Hagrid's, and we can fly to London? I'll bring my own broom of course, and shall I bring one for you? Please let me know soon.
Sincerely
No, Sincerely would have to leave.
Many thanks,
Why should she thank him? That sounded like she was too eager. Maybe just her name would be fine.
Minerva McGonagall
Well, that was that. She headed down to the owlery to ship off her letter with her owl.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"Okay, Neville, this is a very simple spell, it shouldn't take you too long to catch on," Hermione said, wearily. This was much more work than she had thought it would be. Neville was in poor shape. He should have had this spell down a long time ago. It was the summoning charm, the one Harry had used back in their fourth year. They'd had been practicing it for about three hours now, and she was tired, ready for bed.
"Okay, I can do it," Neville said, from the other side of them room, staring hard at the cushion Hermione held in her hand. "Accio Cushion,"
The cushion didn't move, and Neville slumped to the floor.
"I'll never get it," he moaned, his face showing absolute disappointment.
Hermione uneagerly walked over to him, and said, "Yes you will Neville, you wouldn't be here, if you weren't capable of doing this,"
Neville's face brightened. "That is true, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Okay, let's try it again, than," Neville said, a new look of determination spreading across his face.
Hermione got up, and wondered when this would end. She walked to the other end of the room.
"Accio Cushion," Neville shouted, and Hermione watched bug-eyed as the cushion flew across the room, and was grasped by Neville's hands. He stared at it a minute, and then slowly turned his head up, to look at Hermione.
"I did it!" He exclaimed.
Hermione smiled, a few tears coming to her eyes. He looked so proud; it was hard for her not to realize how sentimental of a moment this was.
"Well done," She said, and started to laugh.
Neville joined in, and they both laughed, long and hard, for reasons entirely unknown to either of them.
When they finally got a hold of themselves, which took a long time, Hermione was clutching her stomach, and Neville was spread out on the floor, gasping for air.
"Okay, I think that's enough for tonight, don't you think?" Hermione struggled to say.
"Oh yeah, I'm tired," Neville said, yawning to prove it.
"Well, it's nearly midnight, wow. . . here, try the spell one more time, okay?" she said, holding out the cushion.
"Okay," he said, concentrating on the pillow again, staring at it, and than shouting, "Accio Cushion!"
The Cushion, miraculously flew across the room again, causing a wide grin to appear on Neville face. "I can really do it!"
Hermione laughed, and then said, "Come on, let's go back to Gryffindor tower. . ."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Ron Weasley walked slowly back in forth in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common room.
"Where is Hermione?" he said outloud, a bit worried.
He didn't really think she would cheat on him, but. . . she had always had this thing for Neville, like he was her pet or something. . . it had always seemed like a sisterly love, but they've been gone three hours, and that didn't seem normal.
Ron, shape up! Neville is hopeless at spells, after all. . .
He heard voices, and turned to see Hermione and Neville crawling through the picture opening. Ron sighed.
"Finally!" he couldn't help muttering.
Hermione smiled at him from across the room. Ron waved her over, and Neville followed, with that lost puppy look.
"I did the Summoning Charm!" he said triumphantly.
"The Summoning Charm. . . Great!" Ron said, forcing enthusiasm in his words. . . The Summoning Charm? Didn't they learn that back in their fourth year? Maybe Neville did need help. . .
Hermione smiled at Neville, who yawned. "Hey, I've got to get to bed," he said, sleepily.
"Good Night!" Ron said, brightly.
Hermione looked at him suspiciously, and after Neville left, she smiled and said, "You aren't. . . jealous, are you?"
"What, me Jealous of Longbottom?. . . no way, how offending. . ." Ron scoffed.
"You can't fool me." She said.
"I know. . . well, it's just that Neville's liked you forever," Ron said.
Hermione's smile disappeared. "NO he hasn't, we're just friends. . ."
"That's what you think. He does like you, wether you know it or not. . ."
Hermione's expression turned from puzzled, to upset. . . then, out of nowhere, she delicately wrapped her arms around his neck, and smiled at him.
"You know I love you, Ron, and nothing will ever change that," She said.
Ron's heart pounded, and he grinned, foolishly. Hermione's words comforted him, because he knew she would never lie to him. Never lie to him.
The words repeated in his head as their lips met, and they fell into a deep embrace, breathing in and out, even pace, in and out. . . Never lie to him. . . in and out, heartbeats. . . two hearts melting into one. . . one heartbeat. . .
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Remus Lupin looked up to see an owl flying towards him. His heart lept, his chest heaved up and down, could it be. . .
He quickly took the letter, and opened it, not bothering to pay the owl, who looked offended, and left.
It was her. He recognized the handwriting, it hadn't changed, not one bit.
Bring her own broom? Remus grinned. A little afraid of men, still, is she? Oh well, start out slow. He would teach her, that it's easy to love, and even easier to accept love.
Friday. . . too long. . . too far away, two whole days. Two days of his body wandering around Diagon Alley, his mind wandering in Loveland, heaven, the clouds, they were all the same.
Plenty of time to plan, to plan their evening.
*** *** *** ***
Remus nervously splashed cologne on his cheeks, wondering if it was too much, if it was too little? He stood in front of the mirror, examining his hair, wondering how he could have let it turn that dreadful color. . . but it made him look a bit sophisticated, he thought. . . Well, it didn't matter, not really. All that mattered, was that he'd be with Minerva, his love, his life, for the whole night.
He wondered if she'd keep her hair down? She always looked very elegent like that, and it was always astonishing to see how intensely lovely she was.
Remus had never seen anyone like her, and he knew he never would again. Which was why he was determined to win her heart. Now, before he lost his chance, forever.
She was making it too easy on him, really. Never going out, never making herself up, never showing her beauty. Strict, lonely, depressive Minerva.
He became defensive when he thought of her sitting home alone, night after night. Year after year. Remus could picture her crying, raindrop like tears slipping over the bridge of her nose, and his own eyes watered up. He had always been sensitive.
Remus looked into the mirror once last time, and wandered out into the living room, where Hagrid was stirring his tea, looking out the window, at the forest.
"'Lo Remus," he said, miserably.
"What's wrong?" Remus asked. He had never seen the jovial man this down.
"Oh, Sirius just informed me that buckbeak died this afternoon. . ." Hagrid said, big fat tears dripping in his tea, making a plopping sound.
"Uh. . ."Sure, Remus was sensitive, but he didn't know how to comfort a man. . . he couldn't very well give him a hug and say, it'll be allright. . . Where was Minerva? "A natural death, hopefully?"
Hagrid nodded, the corners of his mouth drooping, as if he were going to start sobbing any minute.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Remus rushed to answer it, realived.
HE opened it, to find Minerva. He stared. She was smiling, a little, and her cheeks were naturally flushed. . . She had on no makeup, but she didn't need it. Her eyes were beaming splendidly, as if it did her no more pleasure then to be here right now. Her hair was gently flowing around her shoulders, the wind. . . she had gotten it cut, most likely. . .
He heard a loud pitiful cry behind him, and figured it must be Hagrid, even though it sounded more like a noise Remus made when he transformed.
Minerva's eyes flashed with confusion. Damn that Hagrid, if he weren't here, he could just stare in her eyes, at her vibrancy. . . Whoa, he was in it deep.
He stepped aside to reveal Hagrid, and Minerva quickly rushed towards him, showing a sensitive side of herself that she hadn't used often around Remus. He started to feel guilty for wanting Hagrid to disappear. It was his house after all. . .
Remus stood by the couch, uncomfortably watching Minerva patting Hagrid on the back, listening, and soothing him. Some date. . . oh, there he went again.
Hagrid was also thin skinned, it took him a bit to calm down. Minerva kept talking to him in a quiet voice, telling him how happy Buckbeak must have been, and how long a life he had lived, for a hippogriff. Remus found the whole thing pretty ridiculous, only Hagrid could get this attached to an animal. . .
Remus impatiently looked at his watch, ignoring the voice in his head that said, "be grateful, this man is letting you stay in his house". They had wasted a half hour.
Finally, it seemed, Hagrid sniffed, and said, "Well, ah 'pose ah'll be ahright now. Go on, an' ave fun," he said, as if fun were something he had never ever had.
Remus grinned. But he quickly removed it, when Hagrid looked his way. "Are you sure?" he asked, delicately.
Hagrid nodded sorrowfully. "She 'elped meh all she can,"
Minerva smiled graciously, "Well, it's the least I can do Hagrid, you know that,"
Hagrid forced a weak smile. "I thank yeh, Minnie, Now, yeh go and 'ave fun,"
Minerva stood up, and walked over to Remus, carefully avoiding all the Kleenex. She smiled at him.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"well, that was exhausting," Minerva said to Remus, as they left hagrid's house. "I never knew a grown man could cry that much,"
Remus grinned his heat-warming smile. "I know exactly what you mean,".
"Hmm. . . So where are we off to?" Minerva asked, grabbing her broom.
Remus grabbed his, and said, "Dance Machine, the hottest club in London. Of course, you may not know any of the music. . . I do, but I grew up with most of it, it's like a flashback night. . ."
A flashback night? Dance Machine? This was the stuff they needed to teach you in school.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"um, yes," She said, quickly muttering a spell under her breath that would leave her hair exactly the way it was now.
They flew quickly through the sky, and Minerva marveled, as she always did, the stars, and the swirling purples and blues, that could only be seen from this far up. Most people didn't know, but the sky wasn't really black, just a mixture of different colors, that blended in as black, from the eye below.
She was almost sad, when they arrived in London, invisible, of course, and landed on top of a very tall building. From here, the sky was black. How depressing.
Remus looked at her, or the area where her broom was floating and said, "We're going to apparate down to the alley below, and we can visibalize there,"
Minerva nodded, and hid her broomstick behind a box like thing made out of metal. Then she apparated, and found herself in the middle of a very dirty alley way, with lots of mush, and newspaper, amoung other garbage.
Remus said, somewhere near her, "Okay, it's safe."
She saw his eyes first, they were searching for her, and they found her, those beautiful gray eyes of his. He smiled at her, and took her hand.
"Welcome, to the Dance Machine," he said, bringing her to the entrance of the building they had landed on.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Dumbledore shifted in his bed. It what a habit of his, it seemed, to trouble himself with thoughts during the middle of the night, instead of in plain daylight. He wished the pensieve would just rid the thoughts from his brain complety, instead of holding a carbon copy.
Some thoughts haunted him forever. Would haunt him forever. Had haunted him. Lord Tom Riddle Voldemort was on his mind at the moment. When would he strike? How would he do it?
The only thing that reassured Dumbledore, was the fact that Harry was an expert as Defense Against the Dark arts, that he knew and understood the Voldemort was after him.
He didn't know why though. Dumbledore still had yet to tell young Harry Potter about his parents, and why they were killed. There was a reason, he had admitted that to Harry. Voldemort didn't kill without a reason. The wisest people didn't.
A/N if you read this, please review, even if all you have to say is nice. Please, if you have any ideas for me, email me at ashleythewriter@hotmail.com, and if you think me story is just awful, please review and tell me why. I'd like to get a few reviews before I write the next part, so I know people are enjoying it. I'm hoping for 15 or so in a week or two. Thank you., oh, I'm also writing a lily/snape fic. . . not original idea, but the story I plan to be original.
HEY YALL! I'm IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AWESOME FIC!!! IF YOU LIKE THIS ONE, THEN THE NEXT ONE I POST YOU WILL LIKE EVEN BETTER . . . IT"S ORIGINAL, ANYHOW.