Title: Follow Her Nightmare
Notes: See Epilogue
Epilogue – Easier Like That When things disappear
Two Months Later
Dear Mum and Dad, Thank you for having me to stay last week. As usual, it was wonderful to see you.
I think I forgot to tell you about my new job . . .
Hermione screwed the letter up and tossed it to the other side of the parlour. She shouldn't tell her parents about her job in a letter. That wasn't the way to do it. She'd have to see them, tell them in person. Maybe at Christmas . . .
She took another sip of her drink and checked the bags under her table. It had taken her long enough to buy everything she needed; she didn't want some Leaky Cauldron patron to come and take them.
"I was told I'd find you here."
Hermione looked up. "Minerva," she said, as she saw the Minister in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to get some thoughts down on paper."
The Minister brought her own drink over to the table. "Did you manage to get your research completed?"
Hermione nodded. "There should be at least two articles published before Christmas. I'm just polishing the others."
"Ginny had her baby. A little girl." The Minister smiled. "She's quite beautiful."
"Oh," Hermione lowered her eyes to the blank parchment in front of her. "That's wonderful."
The Minister looked at her curiously. "Have you heard from Severus?"
Hermione grimaced. "Um, no. I'm not even sure if we're on speaking terms at the moment."
"He'll be back, you know."
"How do you know that?"
McGonagall smiled. "I've known the man since he was eleven years old. He'll go away and think things through, but he'll be back."
"You make him sound like any other guy."
McGonagall finished her drink. "Whatever made you think he wasn't?"
She was looking in the Diagon Alley windows when she saw him coming towards her. She bit on her lip and watched him, wondering why he was still limping, what new injuries he'd gone and gotten. He looked older than she remembered. Older, and more worn and liable to fall down in an exhausted heap at any moment.
The last thing she wanted to do was welcome him.
"You look tired," she said.
"I am tired." She looked at him and realised that any illusions she might have had were broken. He wasn't her savious, he wasn't there to make her life better. He wasn't there to pamper her, or to care for her or to make her feel good about herself. He was, she realised, just a man. And from time to time she hated him.
"Why did we do it?" she said. She wanted a clarification, a justification for the anger and pain that still plagued her and kept her from sleeping.
He bent his head forward. "Because we were asked."
"I don't love you," she said. It was easier if she was blunt about it.
"The sentiment is returned." He frowned as if there was something else he wanted to say.
"What?" She was impatient, frustrated.
Severus shook his head. "Enjoy the last days of your holiday, Professor. I'll see you back at Hogwarts."
He dissaperated before she had the chance to respond, leaving her with a strange empty feeling. For a moment she wondered where he had gone, which hideout he had fled to. Then she decided it was easier not to think.
It was easier to stand, to watch. It was easier to allow Diagon Alley to consume her, for witches and wizerds to walk around her, to walk over the spot where Severus had been standing.
It was just easier like that.
Thank you for playing along
Feedback: linawilsonhotmail.com
Epilogue – Easier Like That When things disappear
Two Months Later
Dear Mum and Dad, Thank you for having me to stay last week. As usual, it was wonderful to see you.
I think I forgot to tell you about my new job . . .
Hermione screwed the letter up and tossed it to the other side of the parlour. She shouldn't tell her parents about her job in a letter. That wasn't the way to do it. She'd have to see them, tell them in person. Maybe at Christmas . . .
She took another sip of her drink and checked the bags under her table. It had taken her long enough to buy everything she needed; she didn't want some Leaky Cauldron patron to come and take them.
"I was told I'd find you here."
Hermione looked up. "Minerva," she said, as she saw the Minister in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to get some thoughts down on paper."
The Minister brought her own drink over to the table. "Did you manage to get your research completed?"
Hermione nodded. "There should be at least two articles published before Christmas. I'm just polishing the others."
"Ginny had her baby. A little girl." The Minister smiled. "She's quite beautiful."
"Oh," Hermione lowered her eyes to the blank parchment in front of her. "That's wonderful."
The Minister looked at her curiously. "Have you heard from Severus?"
Hermione grimaced. "Um, no. I'm not even sure if we're on speaking terms at the moment."
"He'll be back, you know."
"How do you know that?"
McGonagall smiled. "I've known the man since he was eleven years old. He'll go away and think things through, but he'll be back."
"You make him sound like any other guy."
McGonagall finished her drink. "Whatever made you think he wasn't?"
She was looking in the Diagon Alley windows when she saw him coming towards her. She bit on her lip and watched him, wondering why he was still limping, what new injuries he'd gone and gotten. He looked older than she remembered. Older, and more worn and liable to fall down in an exhausted heap at any moment.
The last thing she wanted to do was welcome him.
"You look tired," she said.
"I am tired." She looked at him and realised that any illusions she might have had were broken. He wasn't her savious, he wasn't there to make her life better. He wasn't there to pamper her, or to care for her or to make her feel good about herself. He was, she realised, just a man. And from time to time she hated him.
"Why did we do it?" she said. She wanted a clarification, a justification for the anger and pain that still plagued her and kept her from sleeping.
He bent his head forward. "Because we were asked."
"I don't love you," she said. It was easier if she was blunt about it.
"The sentiment is returned." He frowned as if there was something else he wanted to say.
"What?" She was impatient, frustrated.
Severus shook his head. "Enjoy the last days of your holiday, Professor. I'll see you back at Hogwarts."
He dissaperated before she had the chance to respond, leaving her with a strange empty feeling. For a moment she wondered where he had gone, which hideout he had fled to. Then she decided it was easier not to think.
It was easier to stand, to watch. It was easier to allow Diagon Alley to consume her, for witches and wizerds to walk around her, to walk over the spot where Severus had been standing.
It was just easier like that.
Thank you for playing along
Feedback: linawilsonhotmail.com