Her Chance Gone

A/N: Many thanks to my beta reader Ang! I also want to thank all my reviewers. I promise you that Regina will end up with egg on her face but that is all I'm saying. Wouldn't want to give the story away now!

Chapter Ten: Bumping into one another!

It had been two days since Minerva had been forced to endure the painful staff meeting with Albus and Regina and she had successfully managed to stay out of the way of them. She spent all her free time with her friends and didn't mention Albus or Regina once. When she wasn't with her friends, Minerva carried on with her paperwork and other Deputy Headmistress duties. Always the organized one of the faculty, she had drawn up quidditch timetables, Hogsmeade weekends and even pre-booked the Christmas entertainment of yet another ball. In an effort to keep her mind off things, she had even offered to help Hagrid prepare for his lessons. He had been grateful for the assistance she had offered for he wasn't one for planning lessons and he sometimes made them up as he went along.

"What do yer think of Ms. Hardcastle?" Hagrid asked Minerva, as she was color coding his magical creature books.

"I don't really know her Hagrid," answered Minerva. "You need to keep your bookshelf in order. Otherwise you will never know where to find your books. I have colored coded them for the year groups and also placed them in alphabetical order."

"Professor Dumbledore has asked me to be best man," Hagrid told her proudly, as he stood up straight and brushed down his shabby clothes.

"I am sure you will do him proud," said Minerva with a forced smile. Preparations for the wedding had started and she was far from over him. "Do you have a suit?"

"Professor Dumbledore is taking me to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Hagrid answered. She had never seen him look so proud before. She knew that Albus was like the father that Hagrid never had. He had supported Hagrid through his rough patches and had a gained a trusted friend in the half giant.

"What do you think of her Hagrid," asked Minerva?

"She don't speak to me," replied Hagrid. "But I trust Professor Dumbledore and he wouldn't marry her if she wasn't nice. Maybe she's just shy."

Minerva wanted to tell Hagrid that Regina was everything but shy. But she didn't have the heart to shatter his. Hagrid wanted to be liked by everyone. He would seek reassurance from them as well as acceptance and he would often be very downhearted when someone took a dislike to him.

Minerva didn't have the emotional strength to continue talking about Regina and was grateful when Hagrid changed the subject to the possibility of getting a Chimaera. She had to politely tell him that there was only one is existence and that she doubted that the parents of their students would be happy when they found out that their children were coming into contact with a blood thirsty, vicious rare Greek monster with a lion's head, goats body and dragons tail. Minerva left Hagrid to ponder over his thoughts and wandered back into the castle. She had missed dinner again and knew that Poppy would be on the warpath.

"Minerva!" called a voice, as she was about to turn the corner and head up the stone stairs.

"Evening Albus," she replied with a smile as she turned around to greet him. "How are you?"

"I am excellent, thank you my dear," he answered. "May I walk you to your rooms?"

Minerva hesitated before saying yes. She didn't want to offend him outright by saying no to him. She accepted his proposal and they walked up the stairs in an uncomfortable silence. They had never encountered this problem before and both were alarmed by it, though Minerva knew why it was happening.

"May I be frank Minerva?" Albus questioned. He had broken the silence with a question and she would have to answer him.

"Please do!" she replied, hoping that he wasn't going to ask her about Regina or weddings.

"You have been losing weight and at times you haven't looked well at all," he began. "I don't seem to see you as much as before."

"Circumstances change Albus," she answered. "You of all people should know that."

"I can't quite believe I am to be married," he said with a chuckle.

'Nor can I' thought Minerva sadly as she tried to laugh along with him. She wondered what would happen if she had just blurted out all her thoughts concerning the matter to him. How would he react? Would he be angry or would he be thankful? Would she lose his friendship entirely? There were so many cons and they out numbered the pros by a two to one margin.

"But seriously Minerva, are you well" he asked with concern? "You are not yourself."

"I am fine Albus. Thank you for your concern though," she reassured him.

"You would tell me if something was wrong though" he asked, seeking reassurance from her?

"Albus, have I ever kept something from you," she asked?

"No, never," he answered.

"There is your question answered" she pointed out. She hated to lie to him but she had to. She needed to.

Before he could answer, a chilling voice rang through the air, signaling the presence of Regina. A cold shiver danced across Minerva's spine at the sound of her voice and she looked at Albus. Minerva couldn't be one hundred percent certain but she was sure that the color had drained from his face when he heard his fiancée's voice. But maybe she was imagining it.

"Albie," exclaimed Regina breathlessly as she caught up with them " I have been looking for you for an eternity! Where have you been? Have you forgotten we are meeting the minister to go over our vows?"

"I have been talking with Minerva," he answered.

"Yes, I should have known that," she replied through gritted teeth "We need to go now Albus. We don't want to keep him waiting and it's only a few days till our wedding." Regina didn't even give him the chance to bid Minerva goodbye before she pulled him down the corridor, leaving Minerva to wonder why he put up with her.

"Albus, don't you listen to me?" Regina asked coldly.

"I just lost track of time my dear," he answered with a sigh. "No harm done."

"I am not talking about that," she snapped. "Do you remember I asked you not to see Minerva without me being present? Are you trying to make me the laughing stock?"

"Regina, I don't understand why you react this way. Minerva is my best friend. Nothing more. Why must I continue to tell you this over and over again? It is very tiresome. I am marrying you, not Minerva. You have nothing to worry about now."

"Please, Albus just do this for me?" she begged. She knew she was being lied to. She saw the look in his eyes when he looked at Minerva. He had never once looked at her like that.

"Regina, I will not discuss this," he told her firmly. "I do not intend to become a hermit because you say so."

Regina gritted her teeth and frowned. She couldn't let Minerva ruin her only chance of being debt free and adored. She was only seven days away from achieving that goal and everything had to be right. She knew the influence Minerva had on Albus but she was surprised that the Deputy Headmistress hadn't done anything yet to prevent the wedding. Maybe she should move the wedding forward to prevent any unforeseen circumstances ruining her day.

To be continued