Chapter six: What happened to Ripper

Just like Buffy, Giles had had trouble falling to sleep, but his reasons were a lot different from hers. In Buffy's mind, there had been a lust to explore – in Giles', there was a lust for something, or someone, else.

When he'd first seen Minerva McGonagall come walking towards him at Hogsmeade, he'd been stunned. It had been a very long time since he'd been interested in a woman more than in a strictly professional manner. Therefore, he had been positively shocked when Minerva's presence had affected him so. It – and she, for that matter – had confused him greatly, but it had also intrigued him. Enticed him. He'd almost felt young again, and for a tired man in his fifties, this wasn't something that happened a lot.

He was fully aware that the professor wasn't exactly gorgeous. She was nothing out of the ordinary: middle-aged, grey-haired with wrinkly skin and a flat chest. But Giles had never been a superficial person. He liked seeing beyond the surface, and he was certain that beneath Minerva McGonagall's unattractive appearance lay a heart of gold and a strong spirit – traits he appreciated, and not just in women. He would've never found himself so intrigued by her if there hadn't been something special about her.

So as he wandered in the halls of the school, she was on his mind constantly, and he found it to be quite a pleasant feeling.

Now, the reason why he'd gone to Hogwarts in the first place had been to get an opportunity to explore the library, which he'd heard to be absolutely marvellous. He had taken into account, of course, that while his two Scooby companions did not share his passion for old books and dusty scrolls, they could still profit from seeing other people – people who didn't belong to their very limited inner circle, and with whom they could be perfectly honest about what they did in Sunnydale, without being considered freaks. And how often do Slayers go on holiday, anyway?

After Minerva had left them in miss Granger's care, he hadn't seen her at all. This could of course have something to do with her having classes and other scholastic responsibilities to take care of, but Giles had still felt a bit hurt that she hadn't sought him out, if only for a small conversation. He realised that it was an absurd notion, because she had never promised him anything. But still… she hadn't even dropped in to say goodnight.

So now, whilst Giles wandered around, he did not only seek the famous library, but also the good professor.

He had begun roaming the halls about two and a half hours ago, and not only was he now getting tired of searching, but his body still hurt from the encounter with the Weasley twins earlier. Every once in a while he let out a small yelp as he felt and heard a cracking sound coming from his back or other parts of his body, and a good twenty times he'd said 'ouch', 'god dammit' and alike. When he'd run into mister Filch, who he understood to be some sort of caretaker, the man had given him a good verbal beating about 'disturbing the peace this late at night' and that he was setting a bad example for the students. He had refrained from telling the man that he'd seen no students whatsoever on his little excursion, and that had probably been for the best.

He had reached one of the staircases again. Everywhere he went, he always ended up by the stairs again, and it made him feel quite uneasy, because it enhanced his general feeling of being totally lost. He didn't want to venture up them, though – he didn't trust them enough to do so.

When he leaned against the stairs for a moment to rest his aching body, he heard a creaking sound coming from many steps above him. He turned his head and glanced upwards, preparing for the worst (which in his state would've been either the Weasley twins or an angry mister Filch).
He felt his heart skip a few beats when he saw Minerva glide down towards him.

"Why, hello, Rupert," she said, her voice gentle and kind. She didn't have her hat on any longer – figures, thought Giles, she has to take it off some time – and wore her hair in a knot at the back of her head.
"Minerva," he answered her, trying not to smile too broadly. After all, he didn't want to seem silly. "May I ask why you're up so late?"
She laughed – a short, dry sort of laughter, sounding as if it hadn't been used in quite a while. "Late, Rupert? Well, I suppose that depends on how you look at things. I would have to say it's early, myself, but that's just my opinion. I was actually looking for someone. And you? Is there any reason in particular you're defying the Sandman?"
"Well, I'm actually… I'm having trouble sleeping. Might have something to do with jetlag, although I seriously doubt it. Maybe it's just my curiosity." He hoped that his explanation hadn't sounded too awkward and lame. Minerva didn't seem to have minded, in any case.
"I'm sorry I didn't have the decency to say goodnight yesterday," she said carefully, as she sat herself down on one of the lower steps. Giles sat down a few steps away from her, but they were still very close to one another. They were both content that way. "I ran into someone I couldn't avoid, and she had a lot to talk about with me."
"Who is she? If I may be so bold as to inquire," he added hurriedly, so as not to be rude. The last thing he wanted was to insult her.
"A girl who has been dead for a long time," McGonagall retorted, seemingly untouched by the subject. "She occupies the old lavatory. I believe the students call her… Moaning Myrtle. Quite cruel, isn't it? But then again, she does moan a lot. Hence the reason why I couldn't seek you out."
"What did she want then?" Giles had no trouble grasping the whole 'talking to the dead' thing. He had seen stranger things than ghosts in his lifetime.
"She's awfully alone. She just wanted to talk to someone who'd listen without teasing or picking on her. Just… listen." While she was talking, she played with singular torn threads on her robe. Almost like a shy schoolgirl on a date, Giles thought furtively. She seems almost as nervous as I am. For God's sake, we're adults, not teenagers! Get a grip, Giles, get a grip on yourself and this situation!
"That's… wonderful, Minerva. Taking care of those in need, that's… you're an astonishing woman."
Her eyes twinkled towards him like stars on a pitch-black sky. Sparks flew – or at least Giles thought so.

"A woman?"
"Yes."
"You know, you're the first person to recognise me as a woman since… well, since I don't know when."
"What do people usually see you as, then?" Giles said softly. He didn't want to spoil the moment by saying the wrong thing.
"As a professor," Minerva smiled. "Or just as a dried-up, bitter old hag."
"They don't know what they're missing out on then," Giles retorted smoothly.
She laughed again. This time, the sound of it rang as sweet as music in Giles' ears. When she suddenly stood up, he followed her example without so much as a moment's thought.

"Would you like to see the library?" she asked him, her smile quite mischievous.
"That would be grand," Giles said, "but wasn't there someone you were looking for?"
Her smile made him warm inside, and the bodily harm the twins had caused him was long since forgotten. The warmth spread out in all his limbs until he felt like he contained boiling lava. As she took his hand in a firm yet soft grasp, he felt happier than he'd been for years.
"I've already found him," the professor said, as she dragged him off into a dark passageway which would eventually lead them to the library.