Minerva McGonagall had run away, and Poppy Pomfrey's joy literally slid off her face.
"Have I said- something wrong?" she asked, turning towards her colleagues again, in a sudden way more uncertain tone.
Serena stood up as in a dream, with difficulty folding her lips into a strange smile.
"No, you didn't, Poppy, but, well-"
She smiled again that weird smile, then headed towards the door.
"I'll go check up on Minerva. I believe she may be…"
She did not finish her sentence, though, and as soon as she'd closed the door and stood in the empty corridor, she started running. Because Serena Sinistra, probably Minerva McGonagall's best friend, had seen something the others- even Rolanda Hooch with her hawk eyes- had obviously not noticed.
She had noticed the tears in her friend's eyes.
And Minerva McGonagall did not cry- she simply didn't, she never, never ever cried. She fought, yes, and she yelled, raged, but she never cried.
Serena had known Minerva for twenty years- ever since they had come to Hogwarts, and in all those long, turbulent years, she had not known one tear to blur the smooth, emerald surface of her friend's eyes.
She was gasping for breath as she finally reached the door to the Deputy Headmistress's office- which suddenly seemed to be miles away from the lounge. Yet, Sera did not hesitate. With a firm gesture, she balled her fists and then, surprisingly soft, knocked on the ebony-wooden door.
"Minerva?"
A faint muttering from behind the wood told her what she needed to know.
"Minerva, I know you are there, open up the door!"
"No!"
Serena sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
Apparently, Minerva's omnipotent gaze could see through hard, wooden doors as well…
"Minerva, I know your password and I am entering. Clear?"
No answer came, and Serena muttered "Digna est intrare!".
She who is worthy to enter- another one of the little Latin word-jokes which always formed Minerva's passwords. And indeed the door flung open, and the first, and only, thing Serena noticed, entering the room, were her friend's red, puffy, tear-stained eyes.
"Minerva, what is…"
"Nothing." came the quick, obviously absolutely untrue answer, slightly muffled in a large, tartahn handkerchief.
Serena rolled her eyes again, took a chair and placed it right next to Minerva's. Uncomfortably, she started patting her still crying friend's back, yet sternly- in a very Minerva-way, in fact- said
"And now you are going to tell me what is wrong, and no excuses, missy!"
Minerva, through her tears, found herself helplessly laughing.
"Your imitation of me is almost perfect- only I would raise my eyebrows a bit, yes, like that!"
Serena grinned and softly squeezed Minerva's hand.
"That's better… but still, what is the matter with you, Min- and don't give me the "don't call me Min" thing now!" she quickly added, as Minerva opened her mouth.
"Really, Minerva, what has upset you like that? I mean- Poppy's news was rather surprising, but… Was it Poppy's news?"
A short, sad nod, and Minerva lowered her eyes, as to not have her friend read the truth in them.
Sera frowned.
"But what… Wait- is it you who's going to marry the Headmaster?"
Stupid question, she immediately scolded herself. Damn stupid question. Would Minerva be crying, if… And suddenly, as Minerva fiercely shook her head, she saw it.
"No, Sera, no, it's not me!"
Serena let out a weird, hysterical sort of cry, then pinched her friends arm quite hard.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, I see this! You, Minerva Icecube McGonagall, are in love with Dumbledore! Yes, of course you are! Damn, we've gossiped about how this would happen once for years and years and bloody years, yet… But Min, that's fabulous!"
In the range of stupid things to say, this at least came as a close second…
Minerva bowed her head and hid her face in her hands. Her body shook with sobs, and Serena silently embraced her friend.
"I am sorry, Min…" she softly muttered, but Minerva shook her head, hiding her face in Serena's robes.
"Don't bother, Sera… It's I who have been stupid all those years…. I should have grabbed my chance, I should have at least tried, instead of being the damn human ice cube I am… Now, it's- it's too late, Sera, he loves another and he'll marry and be happy and I…"
She pulled back at this, looking sadder than ever, gazing down at her pale, folded hands.
"And I will stay here and become the old spinster I already am… But Sera, who, who for heaven's sake?"
Serena could only embrace her friend and shake her head.
"I don't know, Min. I honestly don't… But does that matter? Won't it hurt you even more to know…"
She was not good at comforting people, and now realized it more than ever.
Minerva pulled back, tears gone but a new, cheerless, firm expression on her face.
"No, it would not. I don't know…" she made a slight, helpless gesture.
"I don't know whether you understand, Sera, but if I know who it is… Perhaps it's someone I know- someone I like, and that would perhaps make it easier to… Do you understand? I would step aside- I will step aside, as long as he is happy. But she needs to be worthy of him! Do you understand, Sera? I cannot… I cannot give him to just any ordinary woman… Do you understand?"
Sera said just one sentence, though- very impressed by her usually so calm friend.
"I do understand you must love him very, very much indeed."
"I do."
Not passionately, not emotionally had Minerva McGonagall spoken those two words- just very, very sincere.
"And that is why I need to know who she is."
"But how?" Serena shrugged her shoulders.
"You are his best friend- you could just ask him, I suppose…?"
It was a weak proposal, Serena knew- and Minerva looked at her friend as if Sera had just grown a third ear.
"No!" She lightly shivered.
"No, there must be another way! Not- that…"
Serena frowned, then sighed and jokingly muttered
"We could break into his office and search for the ring, of course… but I don't think that's such a good idea, now is it…"
But from the very moment the words left her lips, Serena Sinistra knew she'd made a serious mistake. There were moments when Minerva's usually fine sense of humor totally abandoned her… and this was one. A faint smile appeared on Minerva's thin lips, and she shook Serena's hands with both her slender ones, nodding.
"Thank you, Sera- I knew I could count on you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"But…" Serena protested, yet before she could properly react, she found herself being dragged towards the Headmaster's office.
"Have I said- something wrong?" she asked, turning towards her colleagues again, in a sudden way more uncertain tone.
Serena stood up as in a dream, with difficulty folding her lips into a strange smile.
"No, you didn't, Poppy, but, well-"
She smiled again that weird smile, then headed towards the door.
"I'll go check up on Minerva. I believe she may be…"
She did not finish her sentence, though, and as soon as she'd closed the door and stood in the empty corridor, she started running. Because Serena Sinistra, probably Minerva McGonagall's best friend, had seen something the others- even Rolanda Hooch with her hawk eyes- had obviously not noticed.
She had noticed the tears in her friend's eyes.
And Minerva McGonagall did not cry- she simply didn't, she never, never ever cried. She fought, yes, and she yelled, raged, but she never cried.
Serena had known Minerva for twenty years- ever since they had come to Hogwarts, and in all those long, turbulent years, she had not known one tear to blur the smooth, emerald surface of her friend's eyes.
She was gasping for breath as she finally reached the door to the Deputy Headmistress's office- which suddenly seemed to be miles away from the lounge. Yet, Sera did not hesitate. With a firm gesture, she balled her fists and then, surprisingly soft, knocked on the ebony-wooden door.
"Minerva?"
A faint muttering from behind the wood told her what she needed to know.
"Minerva, I know you are there, open up the door!"
"No!"
Serena sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
Apparently, Minerva's omnipotent gaze could see through hard, wooden doors as well…
"Minerva, I know your password and I am entering. Clear?"
No answer came, and Serena muttered "Digna est intrare!".
She who is worthy to enter- another one of the little Latin word-jokes which always formed Minerva's passwords. And indeed the door flung open, and the first, and only, thing Serena noticed, entering the room, were her friend's red, puffy, tear-stained eyes.
"Minerva, what is…"
"Nothing." came the quick, obviously absolutely untrue answer, slightly muffled in a large, tartahn handkerchief.
Serena rolled her eyes again, took a chair and placed it right next to Minerva's. Uncomfortably, she started patting her still crying friend's back, yet sternly- in a very Minerva-way, in fact- said
"And now you are going to tell me what is wrong, and no excuses, missy!"
Minerva, through her tears, found herself helplessly laughing.
"Your imitation of me is almost perfect- only I would raise my eyebrows a bit, yes, like that!"
Serena grinned and softly squeezed Minerva's hand.
"That's better… but still, what is the matter with you, Min- and don't give me the "don't call me Min" thing now!" she quickly added, as Minerva opened her mouth.
"Really, Minerva, what has upset you like that? I mean- Poppy's news was rather surprising, but… Was it Poppy's news?"
A short, sad nod, and Minerva lowered her eyes, as to not have her friend read the truth in them.
Sera frowned.
"But what… Wait- is it you who's going to marry the Headmaster?"
Stupid question, she immediately scolded herself. Damn stupid question. Would Minerva be crying, if… And suddenly, as Minerva fiercely shook her head, she saw it.
"No, Sera, no, it's not me!"
Serena let out a weird, hysterical sort of cry, then pinched her friends arm quite hard.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, I see this! You, Minerva Icecube McGonagall, are in love with Dumbledore! Yes, of course you are! Damn, we've gossiped about how this would happen once for years and years and bloody years, yet… But Min, that's fabulous!"
In the range of stupid things to say, this at least came as a close second…
Minerva bowed her head and hid her face in her hands. Her body shook with sobs, and Serena silently embraced her friend.
"I am sorry, Min…" she softly muttered, but Minerva shook her head, hiding her face in Serena's robes.
"Don't bother, Sera… It's I who have been stupid all those years…. I should have grabbed my chance, I should have at least tried, instead of being the damn human ice cube I am… Now, it's- it's too late, Sera, he loves another and he'll marry and be happy and I…"
She pulled back at this, looking sadder than ever, gazing down at her pale, folded hands.
"And I will stay here and become the old spinster I already am… But Sera, who, who for heaven's sake?"
Serena could only embrace her friend and shake her head.
"I don't know, Min. I honestly don't… But does that matter? Won't it hurt you even more to know…"
She was not good at comforting people, and now realized it more than ever.
Minerva pulled back, tears gone but a new, cheerless, firm expression on her face.
"No, it would not. I don't know…" she made a slight, helpless gesture.
"I don't know whether you understand, Sera, but if I know who it is… Perhaps it's someone I know- someone I like, and that would perhaps make it easier to… Do you understand? I would step aside- I will step aside, as long as he is happy. But she needs to be worthy of him! Do you understand, Sera? I cannot… I cannot give him to just any ordinary woman… Do you understand?"
Sera said just one sentence, though- very impressed by her usually so calm friend.
"I do understand you must love him very, very much indeed."
"I do."
Not passionately, not emotionally had Minerva McGonagall spoken those two words- just very, very sincere.
"And that is why I need to know who she is."
"But how?" Serena shrugged her shoulders.
"You are his best friend- you could just ask him, I suppose…?"
It was a weak proposal, Serena knew- and Minerva looked at her friend as if Sera had just grown a third ear.
"No!" She lightly shivered.
"No, there must be another way! Not- that…"
Serena frowned, then sighed and jokingly muttered
"We could break into his office and search for the ring, of course… but I don't think that's such a good idea, now is it…"
But from the very moment the words left her lips, Serena Sinistra knew she'd made a serious mistake. There were moments when Minerva's usually fine sense of humor totally abandoned her… and this was one. A faint smile appeared on Minerva's thin lips, and she shook Serena's hands with both her slender ones, nodding.
"Thank you, Sera- I knew I could count on you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"But…" Serena protested, yet before she could properly react, she found herself being dragged towards the Headmaster's office.