Disclaimer: Not one tiny shred of the basic plot/characters/etc. is mine. OK? Are you happy now?
(Note: Bits in italics are dreams, *asterisks are thoughts* and #hashes are song lyrics, singing, etc.#)
Chapter 5: Oh. My. God.
To recap: "Professor – I have something to tell you." He said it so quickly it came out as one word. "Iminlovewithyou." He fell silent. She was watching him with an even expression…
… "Sorry? What was that?"
"Um… nothing. Um… well, not quite nothing. I…"
"Harry – it's OK. I know."
"You do?" Secretly he hoped it would be I know… you haven't done your homework. Or I know… what you did last summer. Or something.
"Harry, I know you are in love with me." Oh, shitty doo dah. "But Harry – I'm in a relationship already. Look," she said, flashing a ring on her left hand. It was a huge, sparkling diamond with the tiniest garnet encrusted in the middle. It gleamed in his eyes. "I'm engaged!" she beamed.
*Well, duh. *
"Congratulations," he said, and was immediately reminded of that stupid Cliff Richard song: #Congratulations/and celebrations/I want the world to know how happy I can be…# "When did it happen?" he asked, mentally stabbing that irritating idiot in his head.
"Last night." Her voice brought him back to reality. She smiled. "He took me back to Scotland on a tartan broomstick, proposed – why am I telling you this?" She sighed. "I'm sorry." He had not listened to a word she said. He was watching her chest rise and fall with every breath…
"HARRY!"
"Yes ma'am?"
"About your coursework…"
He didn't talk to Hermione or Ron. He sat by the common room fire, staring into the flames, trying to quash the overwhelming wave of depression. Ron brought him wizard chess – Harry swatted it away. Hermione brought him some Charms homework – he swatted her away. Ginny brought him some butterbeer – he thanked her, drank it and threw the bottle into the fire.
He was restless. He needed to do something. Anything. (Except Charms homework.) He could… learn to play the lute and seduce her. Or he could conjure up a bouquet of flowers and present them to her. Or… he was stuck. How could he make her love him? HOW?
Maybe he could use that charm… maybe he could kill her soul. NO. NO. What was he thinking? If he solved the problem now, I'd not have a fic to write. No. He was in love with her. He couldn't do it. He was in love with her personality, her charm, her grace, and her passion for Transfiguration. He was sort of in love with her looks, although the wrinkles kind of put him off slightly. But her long blonde/gray hair, and her dark blue eyes just made him feel so alive, he couldn't describe it. He wanted her, he needed her, he worshipped the very ground she walked upon. He wouldn't rest until he had her.
He couldn't sleep. He was lying awake going over what McGonagall had said. "Harry, I know you are in love with me." But she hadn't said, "And I love you too…" Which is what he would have wanted her to say. Why oh why… he just wanted her so much. More than the Quidditch Cup this year. More than anything – even more than killing Cliff Richard.
He could hear the shouts of all the Gryffindors in the common room. How he longed to join in their laughter and frolics, and to share jokes about the day's events. But what he had was a fixation for the most ugly teacher ever and some pretty strange dreams to go with it. And he suspected those dreams would carry on until he solved the problem. Or until he saw a therepist.
But eventually he drifted off into a deep sleep…
#The hills are alive, with the sound of mu-u-usi-i-i-c!# McGonagall's voice soared above the mountains, to Heaven and beyond.
#With songs they have sung, for a thousand ye-e-e-ears!# Harry sang back, skipping alongside McGonagall, randomly picking daffodils along the way. When they reached the top of the hill, Harry presented a bouquet of flowers to her with a shy smile. She accepted, and picked the head off one. She closed her eyes and held it to her bosom. Then she spread her palms and watched it drift on the tip of the wind, and she was gone. Suddenly, the sky was overcast and Dumbledore was in front of Harry. He had tears streaming down his face. #Ain't no sunshine when she's gone# he sung mournfully. #Only darkness every day… ain't no sunshine when she's gone and she's always gone too long anytime she goes away…# He finished crooning and looked at Harry with a cold stare.
"Why do you want to ruin my life Harry?" he asked quietly. "You defeat my enemy – which I wanted to do – and you bewitch my fiancée. Why Harry? I've been so good to you… Harry…" he sighed and his long beard fluttered in the wind. He breathed deep and appeared to be meditating. His lips formed the numbers one to ten and finally he opened his eyes.
"To stop me from beating you to a pulp," he explained. "My therapist says I need to control my inner rage."
"Professor – I'm not ruining your life-"
But he was gone.
"SIR! SIR!" Harry cursed and gazed around in desperation. He heard loud sobs coming from his left, and saw a vision of the future… McGonagall was crying over her engagement ring and upon spotting Harry screamed, "YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME!"
But to his right, he saw himself and McGonagall in a passionate embrace, his hands everywhere… eugh! and behind them Dumbledore was doing 'she loves me/she loves me not' with a daffodil. As he peeled off the last petal he burst into tears.
Harry woke with a start. Someone was standing over the top of him.
It was McGonagall.
Without waiting for a response, she kissed him.
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R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R thanks.