Chapter 26

The year was finally beginning to wrap up. Final exams were in two months, and quidditch season was coming to an end for Hogwarts. Even winter was slowly beginning to give way to spring, ending its bitter cold reign. But for the little family, things were as they had always been. The two continued as they had always been, laughing and talking behind the backs of their peers and quarrelling and bickering in front of them. They took each day in their stride, learning to compromise with their feelings and to not wallow in the sufferings of unrecruited love.

Each day she looked forward to his visits, no longer spending the late nights patrolling the school halls and corridors in her animagus form, so she may instead stay with her husband and their baby, playing in front of the fire, or simply just curling up on her twin sofa and exchanging stories about themselves, while a sleeping baby rested peacefully between them cloaked in her mother's love and her father's protection, unaware of the happiness she had brought into the lives of two people, not only for being their child, but also for bridging the gap between two stubborn people, and increasing their love for each other by loving them unconditionally,(no matter how oblivious the two are to each other's feelings).

In his presence, Minerva didn't have to be the jaded, reserved person she was to her peers; she could ridicule and she could whine and he won't pass judgment, for wasn't he too like her? For Severus, she released the anger in him, replacing it with compassion and well, just being with her made him happy. Not yet the level where he could smile and be pleasant, but enough to not look at the world with betrayal and disdain. But similarities end here for where she regarded their friendship with love and hope for the future, he regarded with a possessive nature of a fierce mama bear. Where there shall be no compromise, to friends or foe in protecting what belonged to him.

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A/N: doesn't that sound so ominous? (--)…………

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It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, the first warm day since winter had gripped Hogwarts. She was sitting in her snug armchair, and on her lap was Athena. She had just managed to sooth the baby, who still had tear stains on her cheeks. She rocked the baby gently and sang to her softly, hoping that it would lull Athena into a sleep so she was no longer upset by the pain of teething. Just as the little eyelids began to droop, a flash of green burst from her fireplace, causing the baby to jerk up and wail in protest. Minerva was on her feet immediately, trying to calm the crying baby, but her eyes never left the fireplace. The person stepped out and Minerva shot her with a hostile glare, not once stopping her soft cooing. Five minutes later, Athena slowed to hiccupped sobs and finally calmed down.

"Poppy, couldn't you have come in through the door?" she said, trying not to sound agitated, in case it upset her baby. But Poppy wasn't interested in her yet. She was looking at her goddaughter with worried eyes.

"What's wrong with the angel?" she asked. Poppy had taken a fancy to calling Athena angel as she thinks that Athena was a gift from heaven to help two misguided souls.

"She's teething," Minerva answered and began rocking the baby, as she had begun to whimper again. Minerva hated seeing her strong little girl in such a fragile state.

"Teething? Why didn't you tell me?" said Poppy, narrowing her eyes at Minerva. Before Minerva could defend herself, Poppy disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a small cloth that had been scrunched up.

"Open you mouth, angel," she cooed to the whimpering baby. It didn't take much persuasion for at that moment, Athena let out a painful wail. It hurt Minerva also to even listen. Then she stopped. Minerva looked down at the baby and saw her face no longer contorted in pain but relaxed and very much happy to chew the cloth that Poppy had placed in her mouth.

"Poppy, you're a genius! What did you do?" Minerva asked, beaming at her friend. Poppy just shrugged her shoulders.

"Just something I learned out of med school. Simple really. It's a cold cloth, where the cold will numb her gums, so she doesn't feel pain and the cloth provides an excellent chewing toy," explained Poppy.

"For which Severus will be grateful for, I'm sure. He is complaining that he doesn't have anymore robes that don't have chew marks on them," laughed Minerva. But Poppy wasn't laughing. She was looking at Minerva hard.

"What?" Minerva asked, feeling uncomfortable under Poppy's scrutiny.

"We need to talk," said Poppy, her tone solemn. Minerva did not like the sound of that. She motioned for her friend to take a seat and she following suit.

"Poppy, what is it? Why so ominous?" she asked. Has something bad happened? Had there been attacks… maybe he wasn't dead. Poppy must have been able to read her expression for the mediwitch shook her head.

"It's nothing that end of the worldish, it's more about you and Remus, Minerva," she said. Now Minerva was confused. What about her and Remus?

"Me and Remus? What about me and Remus?" she asked. Even Athena was focused on Poppy, gnawing happily on her cloth. Poppy took a deep breath.

"Are you trying to get back at Severus, Minerva?" she asked again. Minerva's eyes widen. Get back at him? For what?

"Poppy, please you're not making sense," she was really confused. Severus? What's wrong with Severus? Is he all right? Her heart cried. Poppy gave her an appraising look, and then decided Minerva really didn't know what she was talking about.

"There are rumors circulating, that you and Remus are spending a lot of after school time together, and that your actions have been… intimate," said Poppy. Minerva gaped at her friend then her eyes narrowed.

"How come I haven't heard anything?" she asked suspiciously. Was Poppy trying to trick her into admitting her feelings to Severus?

"I'm not surprised, you spend your nights here with your daughter and your afternoons walking around school with Remus," said Poppy. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, the two of them laughing and touching each other, no matter how innocently, she would have just ignored the rumors. If what Sirius had told her about Severus's feeling to Minerva was true, he was not going to be reasonable if and when he finds out.

"What the hell? That's not true!!" Minerva cried, obviously angered but the minute the words left her, she saw why such rumors would begin. She had been spending time with Remus, only because there was no one else nearby she could talk to about Athena and her exasperation of bringing up a child amongst other things. Poppy was constantly busy with her patients ever  since quidditch season begun, Sirius wasn't always on school grounds and Severus was constantly in his office, and he was the most irritable person to be with when he's disturb not to mention he was the 'other things'. Albus… she couldn't burden that old man with her tedious problems when he's out there fixing the world. So Remus was the only person she could talk too… and they're friends… good friends. Unofficially the two had made their meetings somewhat a routine and… public by walking on the school grounds, in front of all staffs and students. But to be intimate… she had never and will never.

"Minerva?" Poppy said tentatively. Minerva turned to look at her, her eyes dark with worry.

"For the love of Mary of Scot!" she cursed. Athena looked up at her, her black eyes fixed on Minerva's blue ones. And if she didn't know better, Minerva would think Athena understood what was going on and was reprimanding her for it. She bent down and kissed Athena's cheek.

"Sweetie, mummy loves daddy very much, don't ever doubt that," she said and hugged Athena close.

"Minerva, as sweet as that sounds, you're saying it to the wrong person," said Poppy. Minerva shot her a pained look.

"Has Severus heard any of these rumors?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe not, he hardly mingles in with any of the other teachers, but I think you should speak to him before someone else does," said Poppy. It all sounded logical to Minerva, but…

"First, I'm gonna talk to Remus and tell him we shouldn't meet anymore… well, not every often. Maybe then people will stop talking and Severus will never find out," she said, and nodded. By now common sense had calmed her nerves and made her see that rumors are just silly words that shouldn't be taken seriously. Poppy opened her mouth to say something, but Minerva stopped her.

"Poppy, really, it will be fine. Severus is an intelligent man. Vicious rumors won't threaten him and I am sure he would clarify things with me. He'll probably even laugh at it," she said and smiled. She felt better already, and began bouncing her baby up and down on her lap. Athena chortled happily, not letting go of her cloth for a second. Poppy just sighed.

"Okay Minerva. You probably do know him better," she said.

"And thank you Poppy for telling me, at least I won't be caught off guard just in case it come up," she said smiling at her friend. Poppy smiled back and got up.

"Where are you going?" Minerva asked, standing too.

"Stay, I haven't offended you have I?" she asked again, her eyes darkening again. But Poppy's laugh brushed away the feeling.

"Of course not. I would love to stay. I haven't seen you or angel for so long, but I have to get back to the infirmary," she said apologetically. Minerva understood.

"Quidditch casualties?" she asked. Poppy rolled her eyes.

"What else?" she said dryly.

"The nearer the houses get to the cup, the more casualties end up in my beds," she continued. Minerva just smiled. No matter what Poppy said or how annoyed she sounded, taking care of the students was her life and she enjoyed every minute of it.

"Then you'd best go, remember, Gryffindors get first priority," she said.

"Is that so? And why would that be?" Poppy asked, looking amused.

"Because if they don't, you're visiting privileges will be revoked for a whole week," said Minerva.

"Okay, you win," said Poppy and two ladies laughed. She watched Poppy enter the fireplace.

"Take care, Minerva," Poppy said.

"I will and don't worry, everything will be okay," she said as Poppy threw some floo powder and was gone.

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Let's all hope so…