How could he do this to her? How *could* he?
That was the only thought in Minerva's mind as she felt fresh tears drip off her cheeks. How could he do this to her? She, who had perhaps suffered more than anyone else had. She had never wanted to admit it- never allowed herself to admit it, but she knew it was true. She had suffered, all those long years- and every time, every single time she had felt happiness, there had also, always, been a feeling of pain.
Bittersweet.
Bittersweet, that her life had been.
But it had been her destiny, hadn't it?
Through long blood lines, generations, era's of the world, this fate had been destined for her.
She knew it. She'd known it since the moment she had had her first History of Magic-lesson. Attentive as she always had been, her strange fascination for the subject of that lesson- the Founders, namely- had immediately lead her to the Library.
There, she had opened a book- an old, shabby book, and she had read.
And she'd looked straight into the eyes of- of her.
She had known it then.
And now he didn't want her to fulfill that destiny? He, who very well knew about it. He, who knew about it- because he was damn part of it…
She leant her head face down on her pillow and just bit it. She bit a pillow so as not to bite her lips. And so as not to bite Albus, in fact, she thought grimly.
It was on that moment the subject of her anger knocked on the door.
Minerva startled and, as she realized whose very typical knock it was, felt her temper rise at an incredibly high speed. Yet, though with the greatest difficulty, she controlled herself and sat down again on her bed, facing the wall opposite the door.
"Come in." she spoke flatly, and as she heard the door open, she closed her eyes. It was him- it had to be him. After more than forty years' marriage, she did recognize her husband's footsteps when she heard them.
"Minerva?"
She felt her hand on her shoulder and shivered.
"Leave me, Albus." Minerva sharply snapped, desperately trying *not* to turn around.
"Don't make things worse."
She heard his light, though not entirely meant chuckle, as he removed his hand.
"Can things than get worse, Minerva?"
His voice was soft- soft and hurt, and despite herself, Minerva slightly sobbed as she answered.
"I don't know."
"I am sorry, Minerva."
He sounded so sincere, so truly- sad… Yet, Minerva remarked- hard, perhaps, but true
"It is easy to say you are sorry, Albus. You will go without me. Have you any idea, Albus, have you just the faintest idea about all the things that happened, all those years ago? I hated and I loved, Albus, and in a way, I still do. And you know that, Albus!"
She felt her voice slip and slowly inhaled before continuing.
"You know that, Albus, and yet you part without me. Don't, Albus. Listen to the plea of a woman who has been through a lot, and don't go. He hates you, Albus, he hates you more than anyone- because of reasons which you very well are aware of. Tom is dangerous, Albus, he has always been- but now he is more than ever. Let me go with you!"
The last words had come out very much like a desperate plea- and that by she-who-never-begged.
Yet Albus shook her head- she couldn't see it, but she felt it, and muttered
"I won't, Minerva."
"Then go."
Her words sounded like lashes… but to her own great frustration, she felt she could never mean them.
He knew that as well.
He knew her far too well.
She heard the bed make a creaking noise as he sat down behind her, she heard his soft, slow breath as he carefully laid his arms around her neck.
"Albus- take me with you…"
She felt herself surrender.
He softly kissed her cheekbone.
"I cannot, Minerva. Hogwarts needs a leader- and… and I cannot risk you."
"Tom will not hurt me."
"How do you know?"
Yes- how did she know?
"I just know." came her stubborn reply, and she heard Albus sigh, still refusing to look him in the eye.
"You cannot know."
But now she did turn around. As Minerva and Albus sat opposite each other on top of the emerald sheets, Minerva hissed
"I do know Tom Marvolo Riddle, Albus. And you cannot stop me to come after you if I want!"
It was a threat, she knew, but she was very surprised indeed when Albus encircled her waist with both his arms, pulled her closer and smiled.
"That is true, Minerva. That I indeed can't. But do understand I need you here, now, at least a few days after our leave. And I can ask you to stay here, because I love you. I can beg you to stay here, but I cannot make you stay."
He leant forward and Minerva slightly smiled as she saw the famous twinkle in the sapphire eyes.
"But don't be angry with me as I go, Minerva. I will not go if you tell me not to. If we have to part on such terms, I'd rather not. Now let us be together just one more time, Minerva. Let us one more time forget the world."
He raised his hands and cupped her face. She felt her lips smile and didn't even scold them.
As her lips met his, she surrendered.
That was the only thought in Minerva's mind as she felt fresh tears drip off her cheeks. How could he do this to her? She, who had perhaps suffered more than anyone else had. She had never wanted to admit it- never allowed herself to admit it, but she knew it was true. She had suffered, all those long years- and every time, every single time she had felt happiness, there had also, always, been a feeling of pain.
Bittersweet.
Bittersweet, that her life had been.
But it had been her destiny, hadn't it?
Through long blood lines, generations, era's of the world, this fate had been destined for her.
She knew it. She'd known it since the moment she had had her first History of Magic-lesson. Attentive as she always had been, her strange fascination for the subject of that lesson- the Founders, namely- had immediately lead her to the Library.
There, she had opened a book- an old, shabby book, and she had read.
And she'd looked straight into the eyes of- of her.
She had known it then.
And now he didn't want her to fulfill that destiny? He, who very well knew about it. He, who knew about it- because he was damn part of it…
She leant her head face down on her pillow and just bit it. She bit a pillow so as not to bite her lips. And so as not to bite Albus, in fact, she thought grimly.
It was on that moment the subject of her anger knocked on the door.
Minerva startled and, as she realized whose very typical knock it was, felt her temper rise at an incredibly high speed. Yet, though with the greatest difficulty, she controlled herself and sat down again on her bed, facing the wall opposite the door.
"Come in." she spoke flatly, and as she heard the door open, she closed her eyes. It was him- it had to be him. After more than forty years' marriage, she did recognize her husband's footsteps when she heard them.
"Minerva?"
She felt her hand on her shoulder and shivered.
"Leave me, Albus." Minerva sharply snapped, desperately trying *not* to turn around.
"Don't make things worse."
She heard his light, though not entirely meant chuckle, as he removed his hand.
"Can things than get worse, Minerva?"
His voice was soft- soft and hurt, and despite herself, Minerva slightly sobbed as she answered.
"I don't know."
"I am sorry, Minerva."
He sounded so sincere, so truly- sad… Yet, Minerva remarked- hard, perhaps, but true
"It is easy to say you are sorry, Albus. You will go without me. Have you any idea, Albus, have you just the faintest idea about all the things that happened, all those years ago? I hated and I loved, Albus, and in a way, I still do. And you know that, Albus!"
She felt her voice slip and slowly inhaled before continuing.
"You know that, Albus, and yet you part without me. Don't, Albus. Listen to the plea of a woman who has been through a lot, and don't go. He hates you, Albus, he hates you more than anyone- because of reasons which you very well are aware of. Tom is dangerous, Albus, he has always been- but now he is more than ever. Let me go with you!"
The last words had come out very much like a desperate plea- and that by she-who-never-begged.
Yet Albus shook her head- she couldn't see it, but she felt it, and muttered
"I won't, Minerva."
"Then go."
Her words sounded like lashes… but to her own great frustration, she felt she could never mean them.
He knew that as well.
He knew her far too well.
She heard the bed make a creaking noise as he sat down behind her, she heard his soft, slow breath as he carefully laid his arms around her neck.
"Albus- take me with you…"
She felt herself surrender.
He softly kissed her cheekbone.
"I cannot, Minerva. Hogwarts needs a leader- and… and I cannot risk you."
"Tom will not hurt me."
"How do you know?"
Yes- how did she know?
"I just know." came her stubborn reply, and she heard Albus sigh, still refusing to look him in the eye.
"You cannot know."
But now she did turn around. As Minerva and Albus sat opposite each other on top of the emerald sheets, Minerva hissed
"I do know Tom Marvolo Riddle, Albus. And you cannot stop me to come after you if I want!"
It was a threat, she knew, but she was very surprised indeed when Albus encircled her waist with both his arms, pulled her closer and smiled.
"That is true, Minerva. That I indeed can't. But do understand I need you here, now, at least a few days after our leave. And I can ask you to stay here, because I love you. I can beg you to stay here, but I cannot make you stay."
He leant forward and Minerva slightly smiled as she saw the famous twinkle in the sapphire eyes.
"But don't be angry with me as I go, Minerva. I will not go if you tell me not to. If we have to part on such terms, I'd rather not. Now let us be together just one more time, Minerva. Let us one more time forget the world."
He raised his hands and cupped her face. She felt her lips smile and didn't even scold them.
As her lips met his, she surrendered.