Chapter 1:
Decisions
Minerva McGonagall looked at the letter, lying in front of her. She had read it more then forty times, but finally it's meaning began to sink in.
She had received the letter two weeks ago, during breakfast, but she hadn't talked about it with anyone. 'I should be glad about this', she thought, 'anybody else would be thrilled with this opportunity'.
'What am I suppose to do?' she thought, looking at the letter again. 'It's an amazing opportunity and Finland is a beautiful country. I will meet and work alongside the greatest wizards of the world. But four years away...'
Away from England, away from Hogwarts and the students, away from her friends, away from... 'I have to tell him', she thought. 'What will he say? What would he want her to do?'
She rose to her feet, took the letter and walked to the Headmasters Office. It was May already, but outside it was raining. "Take it easy!" Minerva warned a couple of fourth year students who were running through the corridors.
'This offer was incredible' she mussed, 'really incredible'. The project had started in January and both Albus and herself had followed it closely. Both of them had been very enthusiastic.
A team of extraordinary talented wizards and witches were working together in order to achieve new, medical discoveries which could be used in their fight against Voldermort.
After she had graduated from Hogwarts, she went to University in France and was involved in Medical Research after Charms and Potions. She knew a lot about it and the project, that had started a few months ago, had interested her from the beginning.
In charge of the project was Shaun Fitzgerald, a famous Medical Professor. She knew him from her time in France, were they had worked closely together. And a fortnight ago she had received an official letter that included an offer to come to Finland for four years and join the project. It was a very good offer. Working together with famous medical wizards and witches, making new discoveries, giving help to people who needed it.
She reached Albus' Office and knocked on the door. She heard him call out and opened the door with a sigh. 'Here we go' she thought.
"Minerva", Albus said, smiling at her. "What can I do for you?"
She sat down and looked hesitantly at the letter in her hand. Then she looked at Albus and handed him the letter. "I need your advice", she said, "here, read it".
Albus read the letter and the words started to spin in front of his eyes. Finland... Four years away... Medical Research Project... Shaun Fitzgerald...
'She can't do this', he thought, 'this can't be true. Would she really do this? Would she take the offer? She knows Shaun Fitzgerald... She can't do this, she can't leave me alone'.
Minerva watched Albus as he read the letter and saw his face grew serious. "What would he say?' she thought anxiously, 'what in the name of Merlin should I do?'
When he finished reading the letter Albus looked at her and cleared his throat. "This is a wonderful opportunity for you. I take it you will accept the offer?"
Minerva tried to hide her surprise. 'He wants me to go', she thought, 'he actually wants me to go. And I hoped that he...'
"I... eh...", she began, "I'm not sure actually". She looked down at her feet and fought to stop herself from crying.
"Why not?" Albus asked, "you told me only last week how wonderful you thought this project was. Why should you not take this change and go?"
'Because I love you, you idiot', she thought 'and I want to stay with you'.
"Four years is such a long time", she said finally, sighing deeply.
"It is", Albus agreed, "a very long time indeed".
It remained silent for a couple of minutes. "When do they want your reply?" Albus asked finally.
"At the end of July", Minerva replied, "I have some time left to think about it. What do you think?" She looked at him, curious after his opinion.
"I can't make this decision for you, Minerva", Albus said. "This is something you should decide for yourself". He tried with all his might to make it sound as indifferent as possible.
"You are right", Minerva answered, rising. "Sorry to have bothered you'. She took the letter from his desk and turned around, intending to leave the Office.
Albus immediately realised how rude he had sounded. "Minerva, wait a minute", he said walking towards her. "Whatever your decision is, you will have my total support. This offer may come only once in your life. You will meet lots of people and make interesting discoveries. Something you can be really proud of".
"But...", he continued, softly grasping her hand, "We will miss you very much".
Minerva smiled and whispered "Thank you". Trying even more not to cry, she added, "I will tell you as soon as possible what I have decided".
Albus nodded and let go of her hand. "Take all the time you need", he said before she left the Office. "And don't take the job...", he added softly once she had closed the door.
*** After a month had passed by, Minerva had made her decision. 'I will go', she thought when she was alone in her office one evening. She had thought this over and over again in the past month, hoping on a little bit more support from Albus, but he seemed to avoid her.
'I can't arrange my whole life around a man who feels nothing more for me then friendship'. She looked around her room. It's just that it would not only Albus she'd miss terribly. She couldn't image her life without Hogwarts.
She looked up startled when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in", she said and smiled when she saw Jane Hooch enter the room, carrying two cups of hot chocolate.
"Hello dear friend", she said laughing, handing her a mug. "Are you reflecting on your sins?"
Minerva laughed. She had told Jane three weeks ago about the offer, feeling the need to talk it through with someone. Jane slumped down in a chair and placed her feet on the table. "Well?" she asked, giving Minerva a piercing look.
"I am going", Minerva replied, trying to smile.
Jane jumped up and hugged her. "That's great", she said excitedly, "only, what will I do without you? I am going to miss you so much!" Minerva hugged her back. "Thank you", she answered softly, "but I'll promise I'll come back every holiday".
"You better be", Jane said, rubbing her own eyes.
*** "So you will go", Albus said, watching her, feeling like someone had just hit him in his face. Hard. Minerva nodded and looked away. The two of them were walking on the Quidditch Pitch.
They walked on, while neither one of them said anything. "I hope", Minerva said, "that you're not angry with me".
"Of course not". Albus answered. "This is a great opportunity for you. You can't let this pass by".
She heard the indifference in his voice again. 'Doesn't he care one bit about it?' she thought angrily. She felt like screaming, but instead of that, she began to cry. Shocked by her outburst, Albus wrapped his arms around her. He'd told himself to avoid her as much as possible to make it easier for her, but now she was crying. He wanted to comfort her, but most of all, he wanted to say, "don't go, stay with me". But he didn't.
"Sshhh...", he whispered softly, holding her and kissing the top of her head. They stayed in each others arms for a couple of minutes. Finally Minerva stopped crying and pulled back a little. "Sorry for breaking down like that", , she said, brushing her tears away with a handkerchief. "Don't be", Albus replied, offering her his arm. With their arms locked they walked back to the castle. In the hall they stopped and looked at each other. "See you at dinner", Minerva said and walked to her Office.
Albus watched her walk away. Never had he felt himself more alone.
Minerva McGonagall looked at the letter, lying in front of her. She had read it more then forty times, but finally it's meaning began to sink in.
She had received the letter two weeks ago, during breakfast, but she hadn't talked about it with anyone. 'I should be glad about this', she thought, 'anybody else would be thrilled with this opportunity'.
'What am I suppose to do?' she thought, looking at the letter again. 'It's an amazing opportunity and Finland is a beautiful country. I will meet and work alongside the greatest wizards of the world. But four years away...'
Away from England, away from Hogwarts and the students, away from her friends, away from... 'I have to tell him', she thought. 'What will he say? What would he want her to do?'
She rose to her feet, took the letter and walked to the Headmasters Office. It was May already, but outside it was raining. "Take it easy!" Minerva warned a couple of fourth year students who were running through the corridors.
'This offer was incredible' she mussed, 'really incredible'. The project had started in January and both Albus and herself had followed it closely. Both of them had been very enthusiastic.
A team of extraordinary talented wizards and witches were working together in order to achieve new, medical discoveries which could be used in their fight against Voldermort.
After she had graduated from Hogwarts, she went to University in France and was involved in Medical Research after Charms and Potions. She knew a lot about it and the project, that had started a few months ago, had interested her from the beginning.
In charge of the project was Shaun Fitzgerald, a famous Medical Professor. She knew him from her time in France, were they had worked closely together. And a fortnight ago she had received an official letter that included an offer to come to Finland for four years and join the project. It was a very good offer. Working together with famous medical wizards and witches, making new discoveries, giving help to people who needed it.
She reached Albus' Office and knocked on the door. She heard him call out and opened the door with a sigh. 'Here we go' she thought.
"Minerva", Albus said, smiling at her. "What can I do for you?"
She sat down and looked hesitantly at the letter in her hand. Then she looked at Albus and handed him the letter. "I need your advice", she said, "here, read it".
Albus read the letter and the words started to spin in front of his eyes. Finland... Four years away... Medical Research Project... Shaun Fitzgerald...
'She can't do this', he thought, 'this can't be true. Would she really do this? Would she take the offer? She knows Shaun Fitzgerald... She can't do this, she can't leave me alone'.
Minerva watched Albus as he read the letter and saw his face grew serious. "What would he say?' she thought anxiously, 'what in the name of Merlin should I do?'
When he finished reading the letter Albus looked at her and cleared his throat. "This is a wonderful opportunity for you. I take it you will accept the offer?"
Minerva tried to hide her surprise. 'He wants me to go', she thought, 'he actually wants me to go. And I hoped that he...'
"I... eh...", she began, "I'm not sure actually". She looked down at her feet and fought to stop herself from crying.
"Why not?" Albus asked, "you told me only last week how wonderful you thought this project was. Why should you not take this change and go?"
'Because I love you, you idiot', she thought 'and I want to stay with you'.
"Four years is such a long time", she said finally, sighing deeply.
"It is", Albus agreed, "a very long time indeed".
It remained silent for a couple of minutes. "When do they want your reply?" Albus asked finally.
"At the end of July", Minerva replied, "I have some time left to think about it. What do you think?" She looked at him, curious after his opinion.
"I can't make this decision for you, Minerva", Albus said. "This is something you should decide for yourself". He tried with all his might to make it sound as indifferent as possible.
"You are right", Minerva answered, rising. "Sorry to have bothered you'. She took the letter from his desk and turned around, intending to leave the Office.
Albus immediately realised how rude he had sounded. "Minerva, wait a minute", he said walking towards her. "Whatever your decision is, you will have my total support. This offer may come only once in your life. You will meet lots of people and make interesting discoveries. Something you can be really proud of".
"But...", he continued, softly grasping her hand, "We will miss you very much".
Minerva smiled and whispered "Thank you". Trying even more not to cry, she added, "I will tell you as soon as possible what I have decided".
Albus nodded and let go of her hand. "Take all the time you need", he said before she left the Office. "And don't take the job...", he added softly once she had closed the door.
*** After a month had passed by, Minerva had made her decision. 'I will go', she thought when she was alone in her office one evening. She had thought this over and over again in the past month, hoping on a little bit more support from Albus, but he seemed to avoid her.
'I can't arrange my whole life around a man who feels nothing more for me then friendship'. She looked around her room. It's just that it would not only Albus she'd miss terribly. She couldn't image her life without Hogwarts.
She looked up startled when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in", she said and smiled when she saw Jane Hooch enter the room, carrying two cups of hot chocolate.
"Hello dear friend", she said laughing, handing her a mug. "Are you reflecting on your sins?"
Minerva laughed. She had told Jane three weeks ago about the offer, feeling the need to talk it through with someone. Jane slumped down in a chair and placed her feet on the table. "Well?" she asked, giving Minerva a piercing look.
"I am going", Minerva replied, trying to smile.
Jane jumped up and hugged her. "That's great", she said excitedly, "only, what will I do without you? I am going to miss you so much!" Minerva hugged her back. "Thank you", she answered softly, "but I'll promise I'll come back every holiday".
"You better be", Jane said, rubbing her own eyes.
*** "So you will go", Albus said, watching her, feeling like someone had just hit him in his face. Hard. Minerva nodded and looked away. The two of them were walking on the Quidditch Pitch.
They walked on, while neither one of them said anything. "I hope", Minerva said, "that you're not angry with me".
"Of course not". Albus answered. "This is a great opportunity for you. You can't let this pass by".
She heard the indifference in his voice again. 'Doesn't he care one bit about it?' she thought angrily. She felt like screaming, but instead of that, she began to cry. Shocked by her outburst, Albus wrapped his arms around her. He'd told himself to avoid her as much as possible to make it easier for her, but now she was crying. He wanted to comfort her, but most of all, he wanted to say, "don't go, stay with me". But he didn't.
"Sshhh...", he whispered softly, holding her and kissing the top of her head. They stayed in each others arms for a couple of minutes. Finally Minerva stopped crying and pulled back a little. "Sorry for breaking down like that", , she said, brushing her tears away with a handkerchief. "Don't be", Albus replied, offering her his arm. With their arms locked they walked back to the castle. In the hall they stopped and looked at each other. "See you at dinner", Minerva said and walked to her Office.
Albus watched her walk away. Never had he felt himself more alone.