Kylie looked up from her desk as Minerva walked in. " Well hello there Min. I was wondering where you'd got to." Minerva sat on the edge of Kylie's desk. " Oh nothing. Just James and company again. Had to go to a visit to Dumbledore. Didn't take long... and I've got detetions with Snape. Can you imagine? " Minerva shook her head. " You went to see Dumbledore? Why'd you do that?" she asked suspiciously. Minreva cocked an eyebrow questioningly but anwsered. "Well I was fed up with the fighting and I needed some help with them. Everyone listens to Dumbledore, even Snape."

" Oh." was all Kylie said. Minerva stared out the window. Kylie watched her.

Poppy and Kylie had been watching to see if there was any sparks between Minerva and Albus. They knew there was, but now that the two were older, the sparks were hard to see. After years of living with someone in a dream, you learn that the feelings of the other person only come in the dream, so you hide them better in real life. That was what had happened with Minerva and Dumbledore. Poppy and Kylie had also been trying to get them to realise their feelings but they were both stubborn so their efforts were failing. But Kylie knew. As she watched Minerva stare out the window, with the distant and painful look in her eyes, she knew she was thinking about Dumbledore. Kylie smiled as she remembered the kiss that had never happened in their minds. The only ones to have actully seen it were Kylie and Poppy and they'd never told anyone.

" Hey Min." Kylie said. Minerva didn't anwser, but continued to stare out the window. " Minnnnn" she said a bit louder. Kylie had an idea. She would see if Minerva really was thinking about Dumbledore. Carefully she reached up and caressed Minerva's face once, softly, with her hand. Minerva smiled and leaned into her touch. Kylie tried tremendously to hold in her laughter as she saw Poppy standing in the doorway, laughing silently, doubled over. Kylie stroaked her face again and Minerva placed her hand on Kylie's, eyes closed, smiling. Kylie burst out laughing. She couldn't help it anymore. Poppy fell over and rolled onto the floor laughing. Minerva snapped out of her trance. " What? What happened.... Hey. What did you guys do to me?" Minerva narrowed her eyes and stared accusingly at Poppy and Kylie who were laughing helplessly. Minerva leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms, glaring at the two holligans with her famous McGonagall no - nonsense - your - in - trouble look. It seemed to take mintues for them to calm down. When they finally did, Poppy had tears in her eyes.

Minerva cocked an eyebrow. " Are you two quite finished as to where you could tell me what in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Kylie laughed, then immediatly gripped her stomach in pain but grinned. " Laughing pains. Anyway, your so obvious Minerva. Soooo obvious." Poppy nodded. "Oh you are just that Minerva, more than you know." " What am I soooo obvious about may I inquire?" Minerva scowled at them. Poppy and Kylie exchanged an evil, all-knowing glance, then staring straight at Minerva they said in unison, " Dumbledore." Minerva was glad she didn't blush easily. "I am afraid to say that I have no idea what you two ninny's are talking about." Kylie rolled her eyes. "C'mon Min. We know you like him. It's so obvious. What you just did when you dozed off... well let's just say it's obvious."

Minerva scrunched her nose at them disdainfully. She was prepared to give them a good anwser. "You know what I..." Poppy clapped a hand to Minerva's mouth. Minerva gave angry but muffled cries from beneath Poppy's hand. Kylie spoke to Minerva. " No no Min. Don't try to give us one of your stories to hide your feelings, for we know you have them. It's impossible for you to deny them, let alone bad for you. Why don't you just give in? He likes you, you like him, whats the problem?"

Minerva whipped her wand out of her pocket and with a flick of her wrist, Poppy's hadns were off her and pinned to her sides. Slowly and softly, Minerva told them. " I'm sick of you two harping on me about liking Dumbledore. I regret to inform you two turtledoves that we are merely collegues and friends. Now if this is too hard for you to penatriat into your thick skulls maybe you should leave alone what you know nothing about." Upon saying that she swept out of the room, holding her chin high, reminding them of her superiority and Scottish temper.

Minerva glided down the hallway as if she weer floating. Ahhh she had wanted to do that for so long. She figured that their strange behavior had something to do with their always ongoing suspicions about her being in love with Albus. Oh well. Let them think what they wanted there was nothing between them. In a sudden change of mood, she threw herself into an empty classroom, one of the spare rooms, and shut the door. She fell to the floor gracefully and wept softly into her hands.

Who was she kidding? There was nothing romantic between her and Albus, even if she wanted desperatly for there to be. He invaded her mind constantly, distracting her sometimes to the point of frustration. But her thoughts were a lost cause, wasted on something that only made her heart ache worse everyday.

But she always hoped. That ray of sunshine that seemed to penatrate her mind at the sight of his smile or the precious twinkle in his eyes kept her wishing. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't let him go. Somehow she heard the sound of a farmiliar voice whispering in her mind, telling her to hush, that everything would be fine, that she was safe. It was Albus's voice, she had no doubt. Trust her to think of that. Smiling in comfort at the sound of his soothing voice in her mind, she shook the thoughts from her head and dabbed her eyes on her handkerchief, then stood. It was then that she heard the annoyingly misty voice of Sibyll Trelawnly calling her name. Rolling her eyes in annoyance and disgust, she went back out into the main hallway.

- From the shadowy corners of the room peered the sad blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He looked upon Minerva with heartache. He knew she was under lots of stress with her new postion and the wonderful dealings with James and Company but she had never broken down before. He wanted so much to take her in his arms, hold her tight and whisper softly in her ear that everything would be alright; that he was always there for her. But he knew he couldn't. So he improvised and silently put his words on a breeze that dirfted towards her and in her ear. He saw her smile slightly and his sad eyes softened in compassion. Merlin how he loved Minerva. But he could never tell her. Sighing almost audibly, he reminded himself that he had other buisness to attend to that couldn't be delayed. With that he apparted past his spells without a pop and back to his study where work awaited him.-

" What do you want Sibyll?" Minerva asked cooly. She had totally recovered her McGonagall manner now. And she was going to need it dealing with Sibyll. She really couldn't stand Sibyll. "Would you happen to have seen where the Headmaster is?"

Minerva scruched her nose again. Sibyll's eyes stared at her from behind her extra large glasses making her look like a bug while her long shawls drapped about her shoulders and her long robes made her look like an overgrown... Minerva couldn't even say. " Well I would have thought your powers of divination would be able to show you Sibyll. Besides the fact that I don't know where he is."

Sibyll was a seer with great powers of being able to read tea cups and see the future and all this junk that Minerva didn't have any proof or patience to deal with. She thought that Sibyll was full of fluff about having ' divine powers'. " The sights don't bother me with tiny things Minerva. You as a teacher should know that. " Minerva bristled. " Well Sibyll if your sights weren't smart enough to tell you yet, I'll tell you now. I don't believe your fluff and I don't care what the 'sights' did or did not tell you because there aren't any. So if you wish to see the Headmaster than I suggest that you go look for him physically."

Sibyll's eyes grew wide and her lip trembled. She drew back from Minerva, sheilding her face from Minerva. It was all very acted out and dramatic and if Minerva didn't believe anything about Sibyll save for the fact that she was a fraud, that you would have believed something was trully and horrifically wrong. " The Sights are not happy with you Minerva. You will find that there is death and sorrow of the worst kind in your future. Pain and death shall not seperate for you Minerva. I weep for you." Upon saying this she feld up the hallway, back the way she had come, and Minerva scowled darkly. " What a load of rubbish.' Death and sorrow are in your future...' please." Mimerva said outloud in disgust, then she shook her head and proceeded back to her rooms to plan the lessons for the next day and grade today's papers. Oh the unending schedule of Minerva McGonagall.

To my two reviewers, thanks. Your advice was taken to heart and I'll try to improve my story as much as possible. Thanks and keep reviewing - Alatariel