Disclaimer in Part 1.
~~~~~
Part 7
By the next week Minerva was even more nervous than Albus or Hanna had ever seen her. Albus had owled Hanna the next day, and she arrived and had been staying there since then.
"The wedding is off." Minerva said walking into the kitchen with tears in her eyes.
"What?! Why?" Albus exclaimed, followed by a similar reaction by Hanna, who had been sitting at the table discussing the wedding.
Minerva threw a letter onto the table. "That's why." She said simply before turning around and running into the bathroom.
Albus stared at the letter before picking it up and reading it out loud so Hanna could hear as well.
~~~~~~
Tut, tut, My Lady. Such a silly woman you are. You are not marring HIM, I forbid it, and I will stop it. I've put up will allowing you two to be together thus far, even considering yourselves engaged, but I'm afraid that if you attempt to be wed, I will have to kill for you, and you know I would. He may be able to protect you, and even himself from me, but he cannot protect your lovely brothers and their families, or your parents either. Do not tempt me, you are mine, and you will not marry him. Remember, I will find out if you do, even if you elope, I have eyes and ears everywhere, and my power is growing as I write this. Soon, my darling, soon I will be able to take you away and truly make you mine, but until then I will allow your silly relationship with that old fool, but when I call for you, you will come. Remember my Lady, you are mine, and always will be, do NOT betray me, or you will suffer the consequences.
LV
~~~~~~
"LV?" Hanna asked.
"Lord Voldemort. MINERVA!" Albus ran to the bathroom to find Minerva on the floor unconscious and an empty bottle of 'The Draught of Living Death' next to her.
"Ohmygod! Why did she do that?!?!" Hanna asked as Albus carried Minerva back to her bedroom.
"She needed to forget. She needed sleep without fearing he'd come and get her, or kill her family." Albus said laying her down.
"How long will she be asleep? I've never heard of someone drinking that much before." Hanna asked nervously.
"A few days, a week maybe. Hanna, you have to stay with her."
"Why, where are you going?"
"I have to talk to some friends in the ministry, and then I'm going to talk with Minerva's parents and brothers, they deserve to know what's going on."
"Alright, I'll stay with her, but hurry, I don't want her waking up without you being here."
"I'll be back as soon as I can, and don't let anyone else into the house unless you know them, or I've sent them." Albus instructed her before kissing Minerva's forehead. "I'll miss you my darling, but everything's going to work out." He stood up and left.
"Minerva don't you dare do this to me ever again." Hanna said before collapsing into a chair and started watching her friend and thinking about how everything could go so wrong.
~~~~~~
A week later Minerva still hadn't woken up, and Albus had yet to return or send any message to Hanna.
"Dammit, hasn't he heard of an owl?!?! He can't just stop for two seconds and ask about her." Hanna looked up from her game of Chess, which by the way was much easier to win when she was playing by herself, at Minerva, who still hadn't shown any signs of waking up soon.
"Hanna!"
Hanna jumped up and ran to the front door, which she had bolted shut with a charm so no one would be able to enter to find Albus waiting outside.
"Well it's about time you got back!"
"Is she awake yet?" He asked rushing past her and towards the bedroom.
"No, and she doesn't seem to want to wake up anytime soon." Hanna said, following him into the bedroom.
Albus sighed, "I can't get any help from the ministry, according to them there is no such person as Lord Voldemort, and they didn't believe me when I said it was Tom Riddle, who by the way has apparently made some friends in high places in the ministry."
"Well at least we know why he said he has eyes and ears everywhere. What about her family?"
"Her parents think it's just a gag. They think it's just a ploy to try and get us to stop the wedding, although they did say they'd put up several more protection charms around their house. Her brothers on the other hand believe me. James thinks it would be best if the wedding was cancelled, at least for now. Michael on the other hand thinks that we should just go on with the wedding despite Tom's threats and he'll worry about protecting Jennifer and himself, as well as his parents."
"So what are you going to do?" Hanna asked quietly.
"Cancel the wedding." Albus said quietly. "There's nothing else I can do. If we do get married and something happens to her family, our marriage will be over, she won't forgive herself. We'll just have to wait until he trips up and we can stop him."
~~~~~~
The word was put out that their wedding was 'postponed until a later date', but only a few people actually knew why it was cancelled. Minerva woke up a few days later and agreed that it was the best solution, but her and Albus' relationship had been strenuous ever since. Despite his efforts to comfort her, she distanced herself from him, and when the school year began, she threw herself completely into her work and the students, leaving little time for Albus.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Minerva, you need to rest more, take a break."
"I'm perfectly fine how I am, thank you." She said without looking up, she didn't need to. For the past two months he had been in there every Saturday at that time trying to get her to stop working.
"No, you're not."
"We've been over this before, Albus, I'm need time, alright? I don't want to go out because he'll see me."
"Time is alright, but you can not lock yourself up like this and stop living! It's like you've already bowed to his wants, you've given in to him already. Do you really care that little about me, about us? Have you given up on us that easily?" He asked quietly. He had wanted to ask her that for months, but always told himself that she just needed a little more time, but he had run out of patience.
"What would you have me do, Albus? You yourself have admitted that he would know if we got married, and we both know he'd go through with his threats."
"Why do you always worry about everyone else? I don't think, in all the time I've known you, that you have put yourself in front of anyone else. For once in your life, Minerva, think about you, what you want, not what other people want or what's best for everyone else." He stood up, "When you've decided, let me know. I'm old, Minerva, so maybe I just don't want to waist whatever time I have left, but I'd rather spend a day happily married to you than to spend 50 years together acting like our relationship is something to be ashamed of." He turned around and walked out of the room before she could respond.
Minerva sat at her desk looking at the ring on her finger, and finally deciding what she had to do.
~~~~
She knocked on his office door, but no one responded.
"If you're looking for Albus, he left."
Minerva turned around to find Armando Dippit looking at her with sad eyes.
"Where is he?"
"Where you going to give that back to him?" Armando asked, looking at the ring she was now holding in her hand instead of wearing it.
"I can't ask him to wait for me, it wouldn't be fair to him." She said sadly, but held her tears back. "Where is he?" She asked again.
"He's gone to Beauxbatons." Armando said simply, but he obviously knew what was going on, because there was a worried look in his eyes.
"What?!?! Oh, no. I have to stop him." She said running away before Armando could stop her, however, not before Hanna could stop her.
"Let me go, I need to stop Albus." Minerva said, trying to struggle her way out of her friends' grasp. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm here to stop you. Albus asked me to make sure you didn't go after him. Listen, I don't know what happened, but I do know he's determined to do whatever it is he set out to do."
"NO!" Minerva screamed with tears in her eyes and tried to push her way past Hanna, "Please, I can't lose him like that, please, Hanna."
Minerva finally broke down in a fit of tears as Hanna held and rocked her when Armando walked up.
"We should get her to her room." He said quietly to Hanna, who nodded and helped Minerva stand up and start walking.
Armando's heart was breaking. He had known Albus since he was a child and the same with Minerva, but he just couldn't understand why someone would try and keep them apart. Come back safely, Albus, Minerva loves you more than anything, including her happiness.
When they finally got her back to her room, Armando made her drink some sleeping potion that would help her fall asleep faster, but wouldn't knock her out for more than a few hours.
"Why did he go?" Hanna finally asked Armando as they walked out of Minerva's bedroom.
Armando sighed, "He loves her too much to see her go through all this pain. He thinks that this way, a definite decision will be made. Either he wins, or Tom wins, but he won't come back until it's settled."
"What do you think will happen?" Hanna asked nervously.
"I don't know." Armando said shaking his head, "I just don't know."
End of Part 7
I'm going to post the next chapter right away, I think they should probably be read together anyway, but it would have been too long to put as one chapter. So, read on!
~~~~~
Part 7
By the next week Minerva was even more nervous than Albus or Hanna had ever seen her. Albus had owled Hanna the next day, and she arrived and had been staying there since then.
"The wedding is off." Minerva said walking into the kitchen with tears in her eyes.
"What?! Why?" Albus exclaimed, followed by a similar reaction by Hanna, who had been sitting at the table discussing the wedding.
Minerva threw a letter onto the table. "That's why." She said simply before turning around and running into the bathroom.
Albus stared at the letter before picking it up and reading it out loud so Hanna could hear as well.
~~~~~~
Tut, tut, My Lady. Such a silly woman you are. You are not marring HIM, I forbid it, and I will stop it. I've put up will allowing you two to be together thus far, even considering yourselves engaged, but I'm afraid that if you attempt to be wed, I will have to kill for you, and you know I would. He may be able to protect you, and even himself from me, but he cannot protect your lovely brothers and their families, or your parents either. Do not tempt me, you are mine, and you will not marry him. Remember, I will find out if you do, even if you elope, I have eyes and ears everywhere, and my power is growing as I write this. Soon, my darling, soon I will be able to take you away and truly make you mine, but until then I will allow your silly relationship with that old fool, but when I call for you, you will come. Remember my Lady, you are mine, and always will be, do NOT betray me, or you will suffer the consequences.
LV
~~~~~~
"LV?" Hanna asked.
"Lord Voldemort. MINERVA!" Albus ran to the bathroom to find Minerva on the floor unconscious and an empty bottle of 'The Draught of Living Death' next to her.
"Ohmygod! Why did she do that?!?!" Hanna asked as Albus carried Minerva back to her bedroom.
"She needed to forget. She needed sleep without fearing he'd come and get her, or kill her family." Albus said laying her down.
"How long will she be asleep? I've never heard of someone drinking that much before." Hanna asked nervously.
"A few days, a week maybe. Hanna, you have to stay with her."
"Why, where are you going?"
"I have to talk to some friends in the ministry, and then I'm going to talk with Minerva's parents and brothers, they deserve to know what's going on."
"Alright, I'll stay with her, but hurry, I don't want her waking up without you being here."
"I'll be back as soon as I can, and don't let anyone else into the house unless you know them, or I've sent them." Albus instructed her before kissing Minerva's forehead. "I'll miss you my darling, but everything's going to work out." He stood up and left.
"Minerva don't you dare do this to me ever again." Hanna said before collapsing into a chair and started watching her friend and thinking about how everything could go so wrong.
~~~~~~
A week later Minerva still hadn't woken up, and Albus had yet to return or send any message to Hanna.
"Dammit, hasn't he heard of an owl?!?! He can't just stop for two seconds and ask about her." Hanna looked up from her game of Chess, which by the way was much easier to win when she was playing by herself, at Minerva, who still hadn't shown any signs of waking up soon.
"Hanna!"
Hanna jumped up and ran to the front door, which she had bolted shut with a charm so no one would be able to enter to find Albus waiting outside.
"Well it's about time you got back!"
"Is she awake yet?" He asked rushing past her and towards the bedroom.
"No, and she doesn't seem to want to wake up anytime soon." Hanna said, following him into the bedroom.
Albus sighed, "I can't get any help from the ministry, according to them there is no such person as Lord Voldemort, and they didn't believe me when I said it was Tom Riddle, who by the way has apparently made some friends in high places in the ministry."
"Well at least we know why he said he has eyes and ears everywhere. What about her family?"
"Her parents think it's just a gag. They think it's just a ploy to try and get us to stop the wedding, although they did say they'd put up several more protection charms around their house. Her brothers on the other hand believe me. James thinks it would be best if the wedding was cancelled, at least for now. Michael on the other hand thinks that we should just go on with the wedding despite Tom's threats and he'll worry about protecting Jennifer and himself, as well as his parents."
"So what are you going to do?" Hanna asked quietly.
"Cancel the wedding." Albus said quietly. "There's nothing else I can do. If we do get married and something happens to her family, our marriage will be over, she won't forgive herself. We'll just have to wait until he trips up and we can stop him."
~~~~~~
The word was put out that their wedding was 'postponed until a later date', but only a few people actually knew why it was cancelled. Minerva woke up a few days later and agreed that it was the best solution, but her and Albus' relationship had been strenuous ever since. Despite his efforts to comfort her, she distanced herself from him, and when the school year began, she threw herself completely into her work and the students, leaving little time for Albus.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Minerva, you need to rest more, take a break."
"I'm perfectly fine how I am, thank you." She said without looking up, she didn't need to. For the past two months he had been in there every Saturday at that time trying to get her to stop working.
"No, you're not."
"We've been over this before, Albus, I'm need time, alright? I don't want to go out because he'll see me."
"Time is alright, but you can not lock yourself up like this and stop living! It's like you've already bowed to his wants, you've given in to him already. Do you really care that little about me, about us? Have you given up on us that easily?" He asked quietly. He had wanted to ask her that for months, but always told himself that she just needed a little more time, but he had run out of patience.
"What would you have me do, Albus? You yourself have admitted that he would know if we got married, and we both know he'd go through with his threats."
"Why do you always worry about everyone else? I don't think, in all the time I've known you, that you have put yourself in front of anyone else. For once in your life, Minerva, think about you, what you want, not what other people want or what's best for everyone else." He stood up, "When you've decided, let me know. I'm old, Minerva, so maybe I just don't want to waist whatever time I have left, but I'd rather spend a day happily married to you than to spend 50 years together acting like our relationship is something to be ashamed of." He turned around and walked out of the room before she could respond.
Minerva sat at her desk looking at the ring on her finger, and finally deciding what she had to do.
~~~~
She knocked on his office door, but no one responded.
"If you're looking for Albus, he left."
Minerva turned around to find Armando Dippit looking at her with sad eyes.
"Where is he?"
"Where you going to give that back to him?" Armando asked, looking at the ring she was now holding in her hand instead of wearing it.
"I can't ask him to wait for me, it wouldn't be fair to him." She said sadly, but held her tears back. "Where is he?" She asked again.
"He's gone to Beauxbatons." Armando said simply, but he obviously knew what was going on, because there was a worried look in his eyes.
"What?!?! Oh, no. I have to stop him." She said running away before Armando could stop her, however, not before Hanna could stop her.
"Let me go, I need to stop Albus." Minerva said, trying to struggle her way out of her friends' grasp. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm here to stop you. Albus asked me to make sure you didn't go after him. Listen, I don't know what happened, but I do know he's determined to do whatever it is he set out to do."
"NO!" Minerva screamed with tears in her eyes and tried to push her way past Hanna, "Please, I can't lose him like that, please, Hanna."
Minerva finally broke down in a fit of tears as Hanna held and rocked her when Armando walked up.
"We should get her to her room." He said quietly to Hanna, who nodded and helped Minerva stand up and start walking.
Armando's heart was breaking. He had known Albus since he was a child and the same with Minerva, but he just couldn't understand why someone would try and keep them apart. Come back safely, Albus, Minerva loves you more than anything, including her happiness.
When they finally got her back to her room, Armando made her drink some sleeping potion that would help her fall asleep faster, but wouldn't knock her out for more than a few hours.
"Why did he go?" Hanna finally asked Armando as they walked out of Minerva's bedroom.
Armando sighed, "He loves her too much to see her go through all this pain. He thinks that this way, a definite decision will be made. Either he wins, or Tom wins, but he won't come back until it's settled."
"What do you think will happen?" Hanna asked nervously.
"I don't know." Armando said shaking his head, "I just don't know."
End of Part 7
I'm going to post the next chapter right away, I think they should probably be read together anyway, but it would have been too long to put as one chapter. So, read on!