Chapter 2!!
Minerva's heart sank. She could only imagine what kind of tradition this… Kathleen… was talking about. And she'd arrive in two days! She would have to meet Albus' love face to face. Minerva didn't know if she could do it but decided to let her stern façade stay in place, even with Albus. She could not let him see her feelings if he was finally happy. She dropped the letter back into his chair and sat down in her own, finding her chess pieces.
"Ah, my dear. Sorry for letting you wait," Albus said when he sat down in his chair after removing the letter. He really did look happier than Minerva had seen him since school started.
The match was won by Minerva, just as usual, after a long fight. Albus had been so close to winning, he had had a smirk on his face for the last ten minutes of the match. Until Minerva pulled a stunt only she could and finally said "checkmate". Then he had cluckled and told her how close he had been to beating her this time. Minerva had only smiled stiffly and gathered her pieces.
"What is the matter, my dear?"
"What do you mean, Albus?" Minerva knew what he meant but she didn't want to answer that question right now.
"You seem so… I don't know… forlorn. So sad. Has something happened?" He really sounded worried. Minerva looked down.
"It's nothing, Albus. I can cope on my own." Her answer only seemed to make him even more worried.
"Minerva, you know you can talk to me, right?" Albus took her hand in both of his. Minerva looked up, pain in her eyes. She pulled her hand back.
"I'm sorry, Albus, but not about this." And with those words she turned and walked out of his office, just as the bell struck midnight.
The next day she hardly spoke to kim. She was afraid she'd blurt out her feelings before it was too late. But it already IS too late. He's in love. And not with me. And that's that. She sighed.
Albus was getting more and more worried. She wouldn't talk to him, she didn't eat and she looked like she hadn't slept much. Rolanda Hooch and Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva's two best friends besides Albus, were worried too. She spoke to them but never more than she had to.
The next morning when Albus woke up, his first thoughts were of Minerva. They had been for years. She was always his first thought when he woke up and his last before he fell asleep. He was worried about her. So extremely worried. But then his thoughts of Minerva were overshadowed by those of Kathleen. He was looking forward to seeing her again. That woman had always had a special place in his heart. She was a bit older than Minerva and a wonderful witch. He was going to pick her up at the Hogsmeade station after lunch and escort her to her temporary chambers.
After another lunch where Minerva only spoke if she absolutely had to and disappeared as soon as it was possible, he walked to Hogsmeade. Just as he reaced the station the Hogwarts Express stopped and out came Kathleen. She saw him and ran towards him, dropping her suitcase. Albus laughed when she threw herself into his arms and he grabbed her around the waist, swinging her around. Her laughter was contagious and soon they were both embracing, laughing like mad.
"I have missed you Albus," Kathleen said, kissing his cheek.
"I've missed you too, Kath. So very much!" He looped her arm around his and they walked like that, arm in arm back to the castle. Kathleen told Albus all about what had happened since the last time thay saw each other and they both startd laughing like mad again.
Unknown to them, a single person followed their path to the castle. A woman stood in her chambers, looking down upon the two persons approaching the castle. Minerva sighed and held her tears at bay when she saw them laugh and Albus pressed a kiss to the woman's forehead. There was a knock on her door. Minerva turned away from the window and told the person to enter.
"Rolanda, Poppy. What are you doing here?"
"We are here to ask you what is going on, Minerva," said Poppy with a stern glance much like Minerva's.
"What do you mean?"
"Min! You hardly talk to us anymore, you're not eating well, nor sleeping. And you look like you're about to burst out in tears!" Rolanda exclaimed.
"Don't call me Min," Minerva muttered, turning away from her friends.
"Min, we care about you. What has happened?" Poppy ignored the fact that Minerva didn't want to be called Min.
"Nothing! Just leave me alone! I can cope!" Minerva was getting angry. But her friends had seen her angry too many times to care.
"Well, Minerva, if nothing happened you wouldn't have to cope so you are contradicting yourself. And no, we won't leave you alone until you have told us what is wrong." Rolanda sounded calm and collected.
"Rolanda, Poppy, please leave me! Please!" It wasn't in Minerva's nature to beg but at the moment she just wanted to be alone.
"Minerva… okay. We'll leave. But remember, you can always come to us. We're here for you, Minerva. We love you." They left and Minerva was alone. She threw herself on her bed and began sobbing. The woman Albus had kissed had been beautiful. From what Minerva had been able to see from her window she was older than herself and much more beautiful. Long wavy blonde hair, she was tall. She was all in all very pretty. Minerva wouldn't admit it to herself but she was jealous. She had never thought herself beautiful, not even pretty. When she was a teenager she'd turned heads but she had never really believed in it. And now Albus, the only one who she wanted to be beautiful for, was in love with a woman Mineva didn't even know.