By The Lake
Gandalf sighed. The cool mask was back, just as everything had gone so well. It had begun when they had started talking about the squid and how old it was, then about how old Gandalf was. When Minerva had said that he looked younger than he was, he had decided to take a chance and had grasped her hand.
He yearned to know if she felt for him as he felt for her. He wished to know if beneath her coolness there was the same warm feeling of love for him as he had for her. Some of his emotions he let show in his eyes as he looked her in the dark eyes and asked in a voice as firm as he could manage:
'Never mind how old I look. Do you like what you see?'
His question had been a bit direct, but she didn't admonish him for it. Her answer, however, was very reserved. 'I do, why shouldn't I?'
This was so very much like her, that he couldn't help smiling. 'Trust you to find a way to make your answer sound unimportant and my question foolish.'
Was that a spark of mirth in her eye as she answered? 'If you want better answers, ask me better questions.'
Was she actually joining in the little game? He tightened his grip around her hand and his eyes didn't leave hers for a moment. 'As you wish, Lady Minerva.' Boldly, he asked the first question that came to his mind. 'Does your blood tingle like mine does when we are together?'
And knew at once that it had been a mistake. Her eyes lost their warmth and the cool mask she had shed for a short while slipped back onto her face. 'As I don't know how much your blood tingles, I can't safely answer that question.'
He looked into her black eyes, as impenetrable and smooth as ice. She met his gaze steadily, not a muscle in her face twitched as she waited for him to explain himself. Her hand still lay in his, she had not pulled it away from him, which must be a good sign. He raised her hand to his lips and touched the cool knuckles. 'Pardon my bold words, Minerva, I did not think.'
The ice thawed very slightly. 'Yes, you sometimes do that.' A tiny smile curled her lips, 'shall we go inside again?'
He would have agreed to anything she said when confronted with that delicate smile. He smiled down at her and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. 'If it pleases you, Minerva.'
Together they walked along the shore of the lake back inside the castle. The journey passed smoothly, till another fit of pain seized Minerva just as they reached the foot of the stairs leading up to the entrance door. Suddenly her hand on his arm clenched together painfully, making him look down on her in astonishment. When he saw her frown and the way her lips were pressed together in an ever thinner line, he knew the hurt must be excruciating.
Quickly, he helped sit down on the steps in front of them and then grasped her hands to draw some of her pain into himself, but she wrenched her hands away from him, sending him a stern and proud look. Clearly she would not have him feel the pains she went through. Gandalf sighed, the stubborn woman with the black eyes that drew him to her refused to let him help and her obvious pain troubled him.
'I could relieve you of some of your pain, Minerva.'
She shook her head. 'I do not want you to endure the hurt in my place. Believe me, I am well capable of dealing with it. I do appreciate your concern, however.' The pain was already passing again, he could see it by the way her frame relaxed slowly.
'How long till those fits will come no more?' He asked, worried.
'They should stop bothering me in about four days, the healers told me. If not, I must return to St. Mungo's.' Her eyes honest and clear as she met his gaze.
'I hope they will pass sooner. Are you well enough to climb the stairs?'
'Yes. Thank you.' Minerva replied briskly and stood with his help.
Gandalf sighed. The cool mask was back, just as everything had gone so well. It had begun when they had started talking about the squid and how old it was, then about how old Gandalf was. When Minerva had said that he looked younger than he was, he had decided to take a chance and had grasped her hand.
He yearned to know if she felt for him as he felt for her. He wished to know if beneath her coolness there was the same warm feeling of love for him as he had for her. Some of his emotions he let show in his eyes as he looked her in the dark eyes and asked in a voice as firm as he could manage:
'Never mind how old I look. Do you like what you see?'
His question had been a bit direct, but she didn't admonish him for it. Her answer, however, was very reserved. 'I do, why shouldn't I?'
This was so very much like her, that he couldn't help smiling. 'Trust you to find a way to make your answer sound unimportant and my question foolish.'
Was that a spark of mirth in her eye as she answered? 'If you want better answers, ask me better questions.'
Was she actually joining in the little game? He tightened his grip around her hand and his eyes didn't leave hers for a moment. 'As you wish, Lady Minerva.' Boldly, he asked the first question that came to his mind. 'Does your blood tingle like mine does when we are together?'
And knew at once that it had been a mistake. Her eyes lost their warmth and the cool mask she had shed for a short while slipped back onto her face. 'As I don't know how much your blood tingles, I can't safely answer that question.'
He looked into her black eyes, as impenetrable and smooth as ice. She met his gaze steadily, not a muscle in her face twitched as she waited for him to explain himself. Her hand still lay in his, she had not pulled it away from him, which must be a good sign. He raised her hand to his lips and touched the cool knuckles. 'Pardon my bold words, Minerva, I did not think.'
The ice thawed very slightly. 'Yes, you sometimes do that.' A tiny smile curled her lips, 'shall we go inside again?'
He would have agreed to anything she said when confronted with that delicate smile. He smiled down at her and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. 'If it pleases you, Minerva.'
Together they walked along the shore of the lake back inside the castle. The journey passed smoothly, till another fit of pain seized Minerva just as they reached the foot of the stairs leading up to the entrance door. Suddenly her hand on his arm clenched together painfully, making him look down on her in astonishment. When he saw her frown and the way her lips were pressed together in an ever thinner line, he knew the hurt must be excruciating.
Quickly, he helped sit down on the steps in front of them and then grasped her hands to draw some of her pain into himself, but she wrenched her hands away from him, sending him a stern and proud look. Clearly she would not have him feel the pains she went through. Gandalf sighed, the stubborn woman with the black eyes that drew him to her refused to let him help and her obvious pain troubled him.
'I could relieve you of some of your pain, Minerva.'
She shook her head. 'I do not want you to endure the hurt in my place. Believe me, I am well capable of dealing with it. I do appreciate your concern, however.' The pain was already passing again, he could see it by the way her frame relaxed slowly.
'How long till those fits will come no more?' He asked, worried.
'They should stop bothering me in about four days, the healers told me. If not, I must return to St. Mungo's.' Her eyes honest and clear as she met his gaze.
'I hope they will pass sooner. Are you well enough to climb the stairs?'
'Yes. Thank you.' Minerva replied briskly and stood with his help.
