Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All I own is the plot. Cheers!

A/N: I wanted to say that I really appreciate the reviews I have been getting. I hope you like this chapter as well. There have been a few things I was not sure of, but I hope you find it to your satisfaction. Buh bye.

When Minerva woke the next morning, she noticed something was different. Her bed felt warmer than usual. Then, it registered to her that she wasn't in her own bed. Instead, she was laying on her right side, her back pressed against someone else. A strong arm was wrapped around her waist, soft yet firm at the same time.

Her eyes shot open when she remembered falling asleep in Albus' bed the night before. Could Albus actually be holding her? She mentally slapped herself for even hoping for such a thing. She knew it was foolish of her to think he could have any sort of feelings for her, other than friendship.

She gently lifted his arm from her stomach, regretting every second. She then laid it down on his side, removed the blanket that covered her, and, with a heavy heart, got out of the bed. She smoothed out her night wear and was about to place her hair in her usually tight bun when a voice stopped her.

"You should keep your hair down today, Minerva." Minerva turned slowly to face Albus, who was now propped up on one elbow, staring at her. "It looks nice." Minerva felt a blush creep up from her neck to her cheeks, so she turned away from him quickly.

"Oh, Albus," she said. "You're just saying that, you shameless flatter." She heard Albus chuckle and climb out of his bed. She faced him and laughed at the sight in front of her. There stood the greatest wizard of all time with his beard in a frizzy knot and his hair sticking in all directions.

"Albus, hahaha..." she laughed. "You look simply ridiculous!" Albus looked at his beard and hair and couldn't suppress a chortle as well.

"It seems my hair has gotten to be a little too much for me to handle, my dear," he said. He grabbed a comb and began to brush his beard out.

"I guess I'll leave you to your grooming, Albus," said Minerva. "I promised some of my students I'd see them off at the platform."

"Oh, alright," said Albus. "And Minerva, thank you very much for staying with me last night. It really meant a lot to have a friend of so many years to lean on. I haven't had anyone do that for me in a long time." Minerva smiled.

"You're welcome, Albus. I know you would have done the same for me if you could." With that, she left.

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"Good bye, Professor!" shouted Ginny s she waved.

"I'll miss you, Professor McGonagall!" exclaimed Colin, waving as well. "I'll come back and visit!"

"Good bye, kids! Keep in touch! And be safe!" Minerva waved to the children until the train was almost out of sight. She sighed and bowed her head. Too many times had her students promised to visit and stay in touch and too many times they had let her down. She had stayed in touch with few, and that was because they had joined the Order. And even now, the Order had very few urgent meetings. Since the defeat of Voldemort, hardly anything happened.

She turned and headed for the castle again. She was nearly there when suddenly, she began to feel very lightheaded. Stopping, she felt her body sway slightly. Then her knees gave in and she fell to the floor. Minerva lay on the ground, shaking violently. She tried to scream out for help, but nothing seemed to come out. Seconds passed that seemed like minutes until Minerva felt someone next to her.

Albus had been about to fetch his deputy headmistress for their usual end-of-term meeting when he saw her coming up the hill and nearing the castle. He called her name a few times, but she didn't seem to hear him. Perhaps she is just very distracted, he thought. But his heart, along with everything else around him, stood still when he saw her fall to the ground and began to shake. He ran, quickly closing the distance between them, and fell to his knees beside her.

"Minerva? Minerva! Please, Minerva, come back to me. Speak tome, please!" he begged. He brushed aside a few of her lose hairs, but Minerva's body continued to twitch. Albus didn't know what to do. The woman he loved more than life itself was now sweating and convulsing, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. So he quickly levitated her body and took her to the hospital.

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"Oh gods, Albus! What has happened?" asked Poppy when Albus came through the door with her friend, looking like she had been hit with an Unforgivable Curse.

"I don't know," huffed Albus, placing Minerva on a nearby cot. "She just dropped, suddenly, and hasn't stopped since." Poppy had already checked her pulse and was in the process of checking her eyes.

"Let me do a diagnostics test," she said. She took her wand and cast a number of spells on her friend. After another five minutes, Albus heard Poppy say something he'd never heard her say before. "Bloody Hell!"

"What's wrong, Poppy?" asked Albus, wringing his hands. The medi witch looked at him, scared. She ran to her medicine cupboard and pulled out a vile of glowing pink potion. Albus knew that potion, and it made his heart sink to think Minerva needed it. It was a medicine that was to be used only when someone was extremely ill.

"Poppy, what is wrong?" he asked.

"Albus, she has come down with a rare disease. It is so rare, they haven't come up with a name for it because there have only been two known cases of it in the world. It is a type of cancer that has only one cure, but I don't know what that is. The records had been thrown out because it was so long ago and the disease was thought to be totally eliminated. I don't know how she could've contracted it, for it is not native to England. The only other place I've seen it was in Asia, where I worked for two years before coming here." She injected the potion into Minerva's arm, and almost instantly the twitching stopped. Minerva's eyes closed and she fell asleep.

"I don't understand," frowned Albus. "If it's native to Asia, it's nearly impossible that-," He was cut off when he remembered the words of the mysterious man in his dreams. "It's that man! Whoever wants Hogwarts is attacking those I love!" Poppy looked at him, wide-eyed.

"You love Minerva?" she asked. Albus bit his lower lip and avoided Poppy's gaze. "Albus...."

"That can never be revealed to Minerva, or the rest of the staff," said Albus. "Especially if the man is attacking like he said he would. The attacks would only increase, both in frequency and intensity. I know the kind. He'll make the attacks worse, possibly even killing her. Please, Poppy, don't tell her." Poppy nodded.

"I won't," she said. She came around and touched his arm. "But you should. You'll never know what you can accomplish with words. She'll be fine, once she's had some sleep. At least, I hope she will. I'm not entirely sure of how long she'll have this. Without that cure, I honestly can't say. And when she does wake up in an hour or so, it might be nice to see a friendly face. Perhaps one with blue eyes?" She smiled and walked for the door, telling Albus she would inform the rest of the staff on what had happened.

Albus then looked down at the sleeping figure that lay before him. Yes, he would tell her. As soon as she woke up, he would talk to her.

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Minerva awoke slowly a few hours later, feeling well-rested. But as the events that had occurred earlier filled her mind, horror flowed through her body. She opened her eyes and shot up quickly and looked around.

"Minerva, are you alright?" asked Albus, running to her bed. She looked at him, relieved to see his familiar face. A smile spread across her face.

"Of course I am, Albus," she said. She attempted to climb out of the bed, but Albus forced her down.

"You must rest some more, my dear," he said.

"But Albus, I am sick and tired of resting," protested Minerva. "I have slept well and now I just want to get back up." She tried to force herself back up, but Albus managed to keep her down until she quit fighting him. "Oh, Albus, you are absolutely insufferable," she sighed.

"And you, my dear, are quite possibly the most stubborn woman I've ever met," rebuked Albus. He smiled. "But that is what I admire about you." Minerva blushed.

"Why, erm, thank you, Albus," she managed to breath out, not looking at him. If he hadn't added that last comment, she would've been just fine. But she never thought he admired her. She was brought back from her thoughts when she felt his hand on her own. She looked at their hands, and then at him.

"Minerva, I have something to tell you..."

To be continued...

A/N2: What will happen? Will he tell her? Dun dun dun! You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out! Hehe, aren't I a stinker? Always Hopeful