When Albus had made sure that Noctua was alright in her chamber, he returned to his rooms. He did not know what he'd expected to see there, but it was certainly not what he saw. He saw his wife, the strict, in-control Minerva McGonagall.
Her head rested on her arms, her whole body shaking as she softly sobbed. She had obviously not heard him enter again, and he was grateful for that, even though he hated seeing her like this. She was a master in hiding her feelings, he knew, and though he was well-trained to know how she felt just from the expression in her eyes…
"Minerva…" he spoke softly, laying his hand on her shoulder.
She didn't even react- and he realized that this was really serious. So he sat down- knowing that she did not want to be comforted, oh, he knew her very well- and laid his arm around her heavily shaking shoulders.
"I cannot take it anymore."
She had said it calmly, controlled, as a fact, not as a feeling. She had said it in her own very typical way. But that was the person he loved. Her very own typical… she.
She was almost hysterical, he saw, and yet, she had not lost her well-known, strong self-control. Not all of it, at least.
"Minerva, I know. But we have to…"
She nodded.
"I know Albus, we have to. I know."
She sat up, still tears streaming from her face, but she laid her pale hand on his cheek.
"I am not blaming you, Albus. I would never do such a thing. You know."
He nodded and smiled tenderly.
"I know, my dear. I know it. I do."
"But I have always had to be strong. I still have to. When I teach- for I always have to stay strict McGonagall, and also when I fight. When I live. It is too much."
He nodded, and she suddenly changed subject.
"We have to tell- Albus, we have to tell…"
But he stroked her hair and kissed her.
"We have to, dear. But not now."
He stood up and took Minerva's hand.
"You are now going to bed, Minerva. You are going to bed and you are going to sleep. With a cup of hot cocoa. School starts in a week and we simply cannot have a Transfigurations teacher like this."
Minerva managed a smile.
"Okay, darling."
But in her bed, before she felt asleep, she folded her hands and thanked God.
"If I cannot… Thank God I still have Albus."
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Her head rested on her arms, her whole body shaking as she softly sobbed. She had obviously not heard him enter again, and he was grateful for that, even though he hated seeing her like this. She was a master in hiding her feelings, he knew, and though he was well-trained to know how she felt just from the expression in her eyes…
"Minerva…" he spoke softly, laying his hand on her shoulder.
She didn't even react- and he realized that this was really serious. So he sat down- knowing that she did not want to be comforted, oh, he knew her very well- and laid his arm around her heavily shaking shoulders.
"I cannot take it anymore."
She had said it calmly, controlled, as a fact, not as a feeling. She had said it in her own very typical way. But that was the person he loved. Her very own typical… she.
She was almost hysterical, he saw, and yet, she had not lost her well-known, strong self-control. Not all of it, at least.
"Minerva, I know. But we have to…"
She nodded.
"I know Albus, we have to. I know."
She sat up, still tears streaming from her face, but she laid her pale hand on his cheek.
"I am not blaming you, Albus. I would never do such a thing. You know."
He nodded and smiled tenderly.
"I know, my dear. I know it. I do."
"But I have always had to be strong. I still have to. When I teach- for I always have to stay strict McGonagall, and also when I fight. When I live. It is too much."
He nodded, and she suddenly changed subject.
"We have to tell- Albus, we have to tell…"
But he stroked her hair and kissed her.
"We have to, dear. But not now."
He stood up and took Minerva's hand.
"You are now going to bed, Minerva. You are going to bed and you are going to sleep. With a cup of hot cocoa. School starts in a week and we simply cannot have a Transfigurations teacher like this."
Minerva managed a smile.
"Okay, darling."
But in her bed, before she felt asleep, she folded her hands and thanked God.
"If I cannot… Thank God I still have Albus."
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