"Minerva?"
"Mmmh…"
Minerva McGonagall did not even open her eyes as her husband's whispering ear lightly touched her ear. Normally, she'd be up and about in less than a minute, running to the bathroom in order to have some spare time left to correct some extra homework, but not this time. This time, she found herself rolling over in her bed once more, snuggling closer to her husband's chest. She heard him chuckle and felt his arms creep around her waist once more. Contentedly, she slowly inhaled his so familiar scent and smiled. Lemon drops and chocolate. Of course.
She adored lemon drops and chocolate.
Minerva felt the tender grip of his arms around her tighten, yet then, her body suddenly rolled over on the strangely empty bed half beside her. Albus had slid out of bed, and she groaned.
But the phase of half-sleep she still was in soon claimed her again…
====================
Only two hours later the very first ray of a warm, spring sun touched Minerva's cheek, and the vigilant, green eyes immediately fluttered open as she became aware of the still empty spot beside her. She vaguely recalled something about the events of earlier in the morning- but she could as well have dreamt them, actually. An obviously quickly scribbled note on her bedside table proved her wrong, though…
"My love above everything," it began- and Minerva snorted. Flattery had never got him anywhere, and nor would it now. Yet she knew very well how he meant it- and that thought made her smile fondly, despite herself and her somewhat… harsh feelings of lately.
"I am sorry to leave you so soon, but last night, I believed, has proven that there is nothing I value more than you."
It was the very first time a note had made cool, under-control Minerva blush.
"But, my dear, I have got some things yet to arrange with Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione and Ginny, so I unfortunately had to leave you so soon. I should perhaps have told you instead of leaving such an unsatisfactory note, but I imagine you were still asleep for the most part- I am sorry not to wake you, but you looked so beautiful…"
It was the second time a note had made cool, under-control Minerva blush…
"So I decided not to wake you. When you wake up, though, please come and see me in my office. We need you, my Minnie.
Love always,
Albus"
"How he always managed to make me smile is beyond me…" Minerva muttered out loud. She did not even frown at his casual use of that ever-despised childhood nickname of hers… Minnie… Yes, how he always managed to make her smile…?
She grinned, though, as a little voice inside her head remarked
"Perhaps that's why you married him in the first place, you silly!"
Yes, perhaps that was why she'd married him, all those years ago. But a shadow came over her face as she remembered that had not been the only reason. The shadow of the past. For the other reason, the ancient, the foretold- oh, what a thoroughly Sybill Trelawney word to use!- reason was beyond her, or him, or their feelings. The other reason had been there years before she, or even he, had been born.
She had tried to fight it, she recalled. She wasn't the person for prophecies, for "fate", for things one couldn't change. But soon had that younger, more idealistic Minerva McGonagall realized, that she couldn't change her love for her Albus. She could not change love
She could not change "Odi et Amo".
She could not change "I hate and I love".
====================
Less than half an hour later, a fully dressed Minerva, her hair pulled back neatly into the plait she'd become accustomed with, banged her fist and knocked, surprisingly soft, on the dark, ebony wooden door of the Headmaster's office.
"Albus?"
She felt the door magically open under her touch as he recalled
"Come in, Minerva…"
As she obeyed and stepped in, she felt her relaxed features tense again. There stood, fully dressed and all wearing a small bag, the five children who would- who would do the thing she wasn't allowed to. And the strange feeling inside her stomach was not jealousy- oh no certainly it wasn't. Or yes, perhaps it was to a certain degree, but even stronger was her urge to protect her students- her cubs, as she had secretly nicknamed them long ago. And for the first time, also guilt darkened her mind.
It was her fault. Wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
No, it was not.
It was nobody's fault. It was fate's fault.
It was all meant to be.
Even- and that she'd only just realized- the fact that the Death Eaters had not yet used Hagrid's hut for one of their foul purposes. As she had opened one of the oldest books she possessed, she had remembered…
But that did not matter now. With a soft clearing of her throat she looked up to Albus.
"What do you need me for now, Albus?"
And he did explain. Minerva's jaw dropped more and more as he told her what sounded the most like a weak Disney movie for mentally ill puffskeins…
"Wait…"
She managed to keep her voice stable as she raised a hand.
"Are you telling me that you- that you need me to change these four kids into…"
"Into mice, yes, my dear?"
Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Oh yes, and then- wait, what did you say again? Oh yes, then you change into your owl Animagus form, then we shrink their bags all except one, which we bind around your n- actually, do owls have necks? Anyway, then I cast an Invisibility charm and you fly off to Hagrid's hut. Have I understood that correctly?"
She was almost fuming- well, in fact she was. When he nodded, she thought she'd explode.
"Albus Dumbledore, this is life! Hello? Earth to Albus? This is life, not some bloody Disney cartoon! This is not bloody "Mickey and Minnie's Sunday Adventure"!!!"
She should not have said that… He had always liked that strange similarity of names between her and that certain Muggle cartoon figure… The mouse and the cat… Damn, she was stupid.
But to her great surprise he remained serious. The ever-present twinkles in his eyes even faded for a moment. Which, come to think of it, was a pity…
"Minerva," he began, much softer that she'd expected him to.
"please just do it."
He slowly raised his hand and, to the obviously great surprise of the five students present, tenderly stroked a strand of raven black hair away from her face.
"I know it is a stupid idea. I know how foolish it sounds, but I truly cannot think of another way to do it. Help me, Minerva. I need you."
When he bowed over and pressed a last, small kiss on her lips, Minerva could not do anything but nod. Too surprised she was and, in a way, also too happy.
She knew the reasons for which their marriage had always had to be kept a secret- she knew them better than anyone else, in fact!- but somehow, her heart had sometimes screamed to let it all out… because it was so difficult to remain the true, professional sidekick when the object of your sidekick-ness was the man you loved and who loved you.
She literally heard the student's respective jaws drop, and when Ginny Weasley audibly nudged her brother and mouthed "Told you so!", Minerva's smile broke through and she nodded once more.
I need you too, Albus.
"Mmmh…"
Minerva McGonagall did not even open her eyes as her husband's whispering ear lightly touched her ear. Normally, she'd be up and about in less than a minute, running to the bathroom in order to have some spare time left to correct some extra homework, but not this time. This time, she found herself rolling over in her bed once more, snuggling closer to her husband's chest. She heard him chuckle and felt his arms creep around her waist once more. Contentedly, she slowly inhaled his so familiar scent and smiled. Lemon drops and chocolate. Of course.
She adored lemon drops and chocolate.
Minerva felt the tender grip of his arms around her tighten, yet then, her body suddenly rolled over on the strangely empty bed half beside her. Albus had slid out of bed, and she groaned.
But the phase of half-sleep she still was in soon claimed her again…
====================
Only two hours later the very first ray of a warm, spring sun touched Minerva's cheek, and the vigilant, green eyes immediately fluttered open as she became aware of the still empty spot beside her. She vaguely recalled something about the events of earlier in the morning- but she could as well have dreamt them, actually. An obviously quickly scribbled note on her bedside table proved her wrong, though…
"My love above everything," it began- and Minerva snorted. Flattery had never got him anywhere, and nor would it now. Yet she knew very well how he meant it- and that thought made her smile fondly, despite herself and her somewhat… harsh feelings of lately.
"I am sorry to leave you so soon, but last night, I believed, has proven that there is nothing I value more than you."
It was the very first time a note had made cool, under-control Minerva blush.
"But, my dear, I have got some things yet to arrange with Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione and Ginny, so I unfortunately had to leave you so soon. I should perhaps have told you instead of leaving such an unsatisfactory note, but I imagine you were still asleep for the most part- I am sorry not to wake you, but you looked so beautiful…"
It was the second time a note had made cool, under-control Minerva blush…
"So I decided not to wake you. When you wake up, though, please come and see me in my office. We need you, my Minnie.
Love always,
Albus"
"How he always managed to make me smile is beyond me…" Minerva muttered out loud. She did not even frown at his casual use of that ever-despised childhood nickname of hers… Minnie… Yes, how he always managed to make her smile…?
She grinned, though, as a little voice inside her head remarked
"Perhaps that's why you married him in the first place, you silly!"
Yes, perhaps that was why she'd married him, all those years ago. But a shadow came over her face as she remembered that had not been the only reason. The shadow of the past. For the other reason, the ancient, the foretold- oh, what a thoroughly Sybill Trelawney word to use!- reason was beyond her, or him, or their feelings. The other reason had been there years before she, or even he, had been born.
She had tried to fight it, she recalled. She wasn't the person for prophecies, for "fate", for things one couldn't change. But soon had that younger, more idealistic Minerva McGonagall realized, that she couldn't change her love for her Albus. She could not change love
She could not change "Odi et Amo".
She could not change "I hate and I love".
====================
Less than half an hour later, a fully dressed Minerva, her hair pulled back neatly into the plait she'd become accustomed with, banged her fist and knocked, surprisingly soft, on the dark, ebony wooden door of the Headmaster's office.
"Albus?"
She felt the door magically open under her touch as he recalled
"Come in, Minerva…"
As she obeyed and stepped in, she felt her relaxed features tense again. There stood, fully dressed and all wearing a small bag, the five children who would- who would do the thing she wasn't allowed to. And the strange feeling inside her stomach was not jealousy- oh no certainly it wasn't. Or yes, perhaps it was to a certain degree, but even stronger was her urge to protect her students- her cubs, as she had secretly nicknamed them long ago. And for the first time, also guilt darkened her mind.
It was her fault. Wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
No, it was not.
It was nobody's fault. It was fate's fault.
It was all meant to be.
Even- and that she'd only just realized- the fact that the Death Eaters had not yet used Hagrid's hut for one of their foul purposes. As she had opened one of the oldest books she possessed, she had remembered…
But that did not matter now. With a soft clearing of her throat she looked up to Albus.
"What do you need me for now, Albus?"
And he did explain. Minerva's jaw dropped more and more as he told her what sounded the most like a weak Disney movie for mentally ill puffskeins…
"Wait…"
She managed to keep her voice stable as she raised a hand.
"Are you telling me that you- that you need me to change these four kids into…"
"Into mice, yes, my dear?"
Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Oh yes, and then- wait, what did you say again? Oh yes, then you change into your owl Animagus form, then we shrink their bags all except one, which we bind around your n- actually, do owls have necks? Anyway, then I cast an Invisibility charm and you fly off to Hagrid's hut. Have I understood that correctly?"
She was almost fuming- well, in fact she was. When he nodded, she thought she'd explode.
"Albus Dumbledore, this is life! Hello? Earth to Albus? This is life, not some bloody Disney cartoon! This is not bloody "Mickey and Minnie's Sunday Adventure"!!!"
She should not have said that… He had always liked that strange similarity of names between her and that certain Muggle cartoon figure… The mouse and the cat… Damn, she was stupid.
But to her great surprise he remained serious. The ever-present twinkles in his eyes even faded for a moment. Which, come to think of it, was a pity…
"Minerva," he began, much softer that she'd expected him to.
"please just do it."
He slowly raised his hand and, to the obviously great surprise of the five students present, tenderly stroked a strand of raven black hair away from her face.
"I know it is a stupid idea. I know how foolish it sounds, but I truly cannot think of another way to do it. Help me, Minerva. I need you."
When he bowed over and pressed a last, small kiss on her lips, Minerva could not do anything but nod. Too surprised she was and, in a way, also too happy.
She knew the reasons for which their marriage had always had to be kept a secret- she knew them better than anyone else, in fact!- but somehow, her heart had sometimes screamed to let it all out… because it was so difficult to remain the true, professional sidekick when the object of your sidekick-ness was the man you loved and who loved you.
She literally heard the student's respective jaws drop, and when Ginny Weasley audibly nudged her brother and mouthed "Told you so!", Minerva's smile broke through and she nodded once more.
I need you too, Albus.