The way the two people stared at each other in surprise was quite hilarious indeed and, as Poppy later on remarked, as she re-told the story to the whole Teacher's Lounge, would have resulted in many hysterical giggles from the Hooch-corner- but unfortunately that corner was somewhat hindered in its actions by a certain, reddish piece of dusty cloth- and both Nemesis and Poppy were way too curious to so much as smile.

"What's on it, Poppy?"

"Wait and see!"

--

"Do you think we should read it?" Minerva asked after a rather ear-deafening silence. The strange tension had left- and all of a sudden, she had returned to herself, or at least it felt that way. The fog had been chased from her brain and here she was again- practical and not easily frightened, the way she had always been. And he, he who was looking at her, his light blue eyes twinkling, was her only love and damn he should have known that for a long, long time! Fixing his face, she realized she'd rarely been so close to him- if only she reached out her fingers- if only she raised her hand- it would be resting on his cheek, and everything would be alright… Almost biting her lips in concentration, she planned on doing this- until his voice, slightly hoarse and undoubtedly soft, but still rather decided, uttered an answer to her question.

"I do believe it is meant for us, my dear… so perhaps we should."

As Minerva's quite disappointed fingers started slowly unfolding the small piece of parchment, she found it totally impossible to take her gaze off his terribly close face- and as he smiled an incredibly loving smile, she was more than rewarded for her clumsy attempts to open the small letter without looking at is. Finally, she did tear her eyes from the face she loved reading more than any sentence- but as the words on the parchment slowly, slowly, reached her mind, all she could do was gasp.

A fierce blush spread over her cheeks and neck- and her fingers trembled as she folded the piece of paper again- quickly, as if in a vain attempt to keep him from reading it.

How- how- how? That was the sole word echoing through her head as she lowered her eyes in an embarrassed manner as his incredibly soft fingers slowly opened her hand so as to reveal the letter. How- oh goodness. With a brusque movement, she stood up as he did not react on the contents of the parchment- even after a few minutes. Fumbling with the hem of her robe, trying very hard not to cry, a few steps led her to the ebony door she had so very hopefully walked through a few minutes earlier.

"Dear Albus, dear Min, we all know you love each other- make a move!"

His voice sounded strangely loud after the long silence- yet it was… pensive as well, and Minerva's tears rolled freely over her cheeks as he gazed up at her.

"Ah, the ever-subtle Rolanda Hooch. Or Poppy, perhaps- they're equally dangerous, aren't they, Minerva?"

Yet here his tone changed. No longer easygoing and merry, her name reminded him, apparently, of the contents and meaning of the words he had just so bluntly read out loud.

"Minerva?"

And of course she was unable to move. Pinned between the door and his approaching form, nothing more than a mere, soundless gasp escaped Minerva's slightly parted lips.

So this was it. So this was the end of everything- of friendship, of admiration- of every single root of love which had, perhaps, perhaps, ever grown between them. As he came closer and closer, even his almost hypnotic, blue eyes could not keep her from crying.

And yet the sobbing slightly lessened as he came to a stop and to her great surprise simply stood there. No reproaches- no questions- not even any vain explanation of why it could never be.

Her breathing became ragged as she felt, sensed, his eyes scanning every inch of her face- as if they were looking for something.

Her unspoken question was answered on the very next moment as, all of a sudden, his hands cupped her cheeks and everything was fine.

"I looked for love, Minerva. And I have found it."

And as his lips touched hers, as all love and adoration she had felt during all those terrible years was reflected over and over again by his feelings, Minerva knew why she had lived loveless and hesitant for thirty-six years. Why she had never "moved on", why she had never left Hogwarts, why she had never even so much as attempted to meet other men. The answer was so very simple after all.

Because she had always been so terribly and utterly his.

Because his name and his alone was engraved on the doors leading to her heart- like a password, like a bittersweet secret leading to all those places which had never been discovered before- to the depths of where rigid, prudish Minerva McGonagall's feelings could lead after all.

And everything had been worth it. So many times had she doubted herself or even her sanity as she had kept pining after her Professor, even after ending her studies at Hogwarts- after her Professor, who was so many years her senior. She'd thought herself insane and abnormal for most of her life, and perhaps she was.

But as she felt his arms around her waist and his, smiling, face against hers, it all didn't matter anymore.

--

Until on that very moment a dry crack ended the life of one of the firm, wooden closet doors, and with a scream, Rolanda Hooch fell on the cold, stone floor of the Headmaster's quarters…