So Minerva raised her wand and, as her eyes met the begging blue ones of her husband, sighed.
"Muribus Animadverto!"
The spell cast by her mahogany wand hit the five teenagers immediately- natural Transfiguration talent she was- and where the little group had stood nowvcrawled five little mice around both her and the Headmaster's feet. Two of the mice had notably more reddish fur than the others, and despite herself. Minerva faintly smiled. Ever the Weasleys, weren't they?
Oh damn, Molly.
If Molly Weasley ever found out that Minerva had given her permission to Ginny and Ron to do what they were about to do, then Minerva knew she would be one dead woman indeed. But, as she read the eagerness in the small, beady eyes of the largest mouse- which, she presumed, was Ronald Weasley- she sighed and inwardly shrugged her shoulders. It was too late now anyway. And after all, the boy was of age, and Molly herself probably knew very well that one did not lightly refuse something to her only daughter.
Yes, Minerva slowly summarized, more to convince herself than to actually make a point. It was too late anyway.
As the five mice were gathered together and carefully placed into an owl carrier bag, Minerva sighed and slowly closed it behind the tail of the last mouse, a brown one which she assumed to be Hermione. As she took up the bag, her slightly hesitant gaze turned towards the Headmaster, whose slight curled mouth sent her a not-so-reassuring smile.
"Minerva," he began, as she impulsively stepped towards her employer and husband. He obviously expected some kind of last plea, some kind of reproach even, but what he did not at all expect was exactly the thing she did.
Minerva McGonagall opened her mouth, closed it again, then lowered her eyes and stumbled straight into his arms. It was such an out-of-character thing to do for her, but Albus knew better than to ask questions.
He just rested his chin atop of her raven-haired head and closed his eyes as, after some very silent moments, her voice, slightly muffled and half-broken, remarked
"Albus Dumbledore- get yourself killed and I will kill you with my bare hands…"
This was such a very typical, Minerva thing to say, that Albus couldn't oppress a deep, slight chuckle to arise in his throat. Minerva, whose ear rested against his chest, heard it rumble through his chest and smiled, despite the tears that to her great embarrassment had popped into her eyes.
As Albus softly tilted up her head, though, her tears disappeared as if by magic.
"I wouldn't dare, my love. I wouldn't dare."
Minerva smiled as his lips captured hers once more, but as soon as their eyes opened and met again, she couldn't restrain the worry she knew was shining from them.
"Albus, you know what I know." she then began, and he nodded.
"Remember those things, my love."
Pondering for a moment, Minerva paused, then went on.
"I have never been one for Divination, Albus. Never been one for things "meant to be", and never been one to believe what her own eyes couldn't prove to her. When I found out about the prophecy that was to rule my life, I was convinced not to let it."
She sighed as she lowered her eyes and slowly, reluctantly, stepped back from her husband's embrace.
"I have been proven wrong, my love. It is hard to face it, but I have to and I have never been a coward, so I will face it. I have tried to fight it- you know that- but I couldn't. I couldn't, Albus- and this, my love, is then, finally, the great acknowledgment of Minerva Jean McGonagall's life…"
She allowed her voice to trail off for a moment as her deep, emerald eyes caught the radiant blue ones of the man before her.
"Some things are meant to come to pass, Albus. Some things are. I've learnt that. And one cannot change them."
As her husband gravely nodded, Minerva knew the time to go had come.
"Now go, Albus. Go and make something of it."
He nodded once more and then, there, before Minerva McGonagall's eyes, the Headmaster of Hogwarts completed the Transfiguration she'd seen him do so many times before.
When a large, white barn owl with ever-observant, blue-ish eyes sat before her, Minerva allowed herself one more, small smile. With a careful, yet firm gesture, she adjusted the large bag, containing the – already quite impatient, according to the noises! - mice and Albus's wand, around the animal's neck.
As she threw the Invisibility cloak around it and cast a Sticking Charm, she for the first time fully realized what she was doing.
Because, she knew, as the owl who was her husband apparently raised itself high into the air and left through the window, this was it.
The dice was cast now.
And, looking out of the window, eyes searching in vain for the invisible owl, she muttered the words that had become the motto of her life
"No, one cannot change them, Albus. But one can fight them."
"Muribus Animadverto!"
The spell cast by her mahogany wand hit the five teenagers immediately- natural Transfiguration talent she was- and where the little group had stood nowvcrawled five little mice around both her and the Headmaster's feet. Two of the mice had notably more reddish fur than the others, and despite herself. Minerva faintly smiled. Ever the Weasleys, weren't they?
Oh damn, Molly.
If Molly Weasley ever found out that Minerva had given her permission to Ginny and Ron to do what they were about to do, then Minerva knew she would be one dead woman indeed. But, as she read the eagerness in the small, beady eyes of the largest mouse- which, she presumed, was Ronald Weasley- she sighed and inwardly shrugged her shoulders. It was too late now anyway. And after all, the boy was of age, and Molly herself probably knew very well that one did not lightly refuse something to her only daughter.
Yes, Minerva slowly summarized, more to convince herself than to actually make a point. It was too late anyway.
As the five mice were gathered together and carefully placed into an owl carrier bag, Minerva sighed and slowly closed it behind the tail of the last mouse, a brown one which she assumed to be Hermione. As she took up the bag, her slightly hesitant gaze turned towards the Headmaster, whose slight curled mouth sent her a not-so-reassuring smile.
"Minerva," he began, as she impulsively stepped towards her employer and husband. He obviously expected some kind of last plea, some kind of reproach even, but what he did not at all expect was exactly the thing she did.
Minerva McGonagall opened her mouth, closed it again, then lowered her eyes and stumbled straight into his arms. It was such an out-of-character thing to do for her, but Albus knew better than to ask questions.
He just rested his chin atop of her raven-haired head and closed his eyes as, after some very silent moments, her voice, slightly muffled and half-broken, remarked
"Albus Dumbledore- get yourself killed and I will kill you with my bare hands…"
This was such a very typical, Minerva thing to say, that Albus couldn't oppress a deep, slight chuckle to arise in his throat. Minerva, whose ear rested against his chest, heard it rumble through his chest and smiled, despite the tears that to her great embarrassment had popped into her eyes.
As Albus softly tilted up her head, though, her tears disappeared as if by magic.
"I wouldn't dare, my love. I wouldn't dare."
Minerva smiled as his lips captured hers once more, but as soon as their eyes opened and met again, she couldn't restrain the worry she knew was shining from them.
"Albus, you know what I know." she then began, and he nodded.
"Remember those things, my love."
Pondering for a moment, Minerva paused, then went on.
"I have never been one for Divination, Albus. Never been one for things "meant to be", and never been one to believe what her own eyes couldn't prove to her. When I found out about the prophecy that was to rule my life, I was convinced not to let it."
She sighed as she lowered her eyes and slowly, reluctantly, stepped back from her husband's embrace.
"I have been proven wrong, my love. It is hard to face it, but I have to and I have never been a coward, so I will face it. I have tried to fight it- you know that- but I couldn't. I couldn't, Albus- and this, my love, is then, finally, the great acknowledgment of Minerva Jean McGonagall's life…"
She allowed her voice to trail off for a moment as her deep, emerald eyes caught the radiant blue ones of the man before her.
"Some things are meant to come to pass, Albus. Some things are. I've learnt that. And one cannot change them."
As her husband gravely nodded, Minerva knew the time to go had come.
"Now go, Albus. Go and make something of it."
He nodded once more and then, there, before Minerva McGonagall's eyes, the Headmaster of Hogwarts completed the Transfiguration she'd seen him do so many times before.
When a large, white barn owl with ever-observant, blue-ish eyes sat before her, Minerva allowed herself one more, small smile. With a careful, yet firm gesture, she adjusted the large bag, containing the – already quite impatient, according to the noises! - mice and Albus's wand, around the animal's neck.
As she threw the Invisibility cloak around it and cast a Sticking Charm, she for the first time fully realized what she was doing.
Because, she knew, as the owl who was her husband apparently raised itself high into the air and left through the window, this was it.
The dice was cast now.
And, looking out of the window, eyes searching in vain for the invisible owl, she muttered the words that had become the motto of her life
"No, one cannot change them, Albus. But one can fight them."