Disclaimer: Of course, I do not own any of this!
A/N: I just want to say thank you to all those who are reading and reviewing to this story! I lurve you all! So, I would like to thank the following:
ADandMM4eva: I am soooo sorry if you do not like me killing your muse, but you must remember that she is also MY muse, as well. So I feel just as bad about it as you do! I'm sorry! But I do hope that you will continue reading it!
Intelligent Witch: Yeah, that is always great! I love it when someone eavesdrops and gets everything wrong.
Bigkihap: Yes it is very slim. I don't think she'll make it!
Quill of Minerva: She'll tell him… eventually! evil grin
Girl from Iceland: I'm glad that you are breathless and love this story. But please, don't hold your breath too long… I don't want you to keel over before I've finished this story! smiles
TartanLioness: Yes, well, what would you think if you saw YOUR crush hugging someone else? Hehehehe. And like I've said before, she's my muse as well!
Silver Sorceress: I loved the idea as well, and thought it was fun to write! Lol!
Albus paced his private chambers, hands cupped behind his back, his head bent forward. His brow was deeply lined with thought, his mind racing. Were Minerva and Severus really seeing each other? And if they were, how much longer were they planning on keeping it a secret? Severus could not keep it from his wife for too much longer, for sure. Yet, this was so unlike Minerva. In fact, it was not like either of them. Severus seemed to be so much in love with Crystal. And Minerva was definitely not the type of person who seemed to be having a secret affair, especially if the man were married. And Severus Snape, of all people, just was not her type!
He stopped right in the middle of his room, sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his tear ducts. This certainly was a problem. He wasn't sure why, but this bothered him more than it would have if he had discovered it was someone else having the affair. True, it bothered him that Severus was cheating on Crystal, yet it seemed to bother him even more that he was doing so with Minerva. Why was this?
He shook his head. He knew why it bothered him so much. It was because he loved her more than anything else in the world, and he just dreaded the thought that she might be taken. And by Severus Snape? It just didn't make any sense at all.
He sighed. Though he did not like the thought of Minerva and Severus being together, he knew that he would just have to support them. But he would not say anything until she came to him and told him about everything. He didn't want to scare her away by just walking up to her and telling her all that he knew. Not to mention he did not want her to know that he had been listening at the door. That would cause her to grow angry and he would hate for that to happen.
He looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing lunch time and he knew that he should be heading for the Great Hall. He was not looking forward to eating his lunch sitting next to Minerva, who, in turn, would be sitting next to Severus. Boy, every time he thought of the two of them together in her office, he just had to shutter.
But, he also knew that if he didn't show up, Minerva would be the one to come to his bedroom to check on him, and he knew that being alone with her would drive him to say something he would regret. So it would be better if there were others around them, so he could keep himself in check. So, he simply walked out of his bedroom and made his way for the Great Hall.
When he entered the Great Hall, he saw that the other teachers, save for Filius Flitwick and Kitsune Sionnach (the DADA teacher), were there. Filius and his wife were in Ireland and Kitsune went back to Japan to see her family. But Severus, Poppy, Xiomara, and Sylvia were already there… and so was Minerva. His heart beat quicker and he felt his blood racing as he saw what happened next. When Albus had entered, Minerva had looked up at him, a scared look on her face, and then looked quickly down at her plate. The most disturbing part of this was that Albus saw Severus grab her hand and give it a squeeze of reassurance, causing Minerva to look at him and smile.
'Ugh', Albus thought. 'This is going to be harder than I thought!' But, he simply smiled and took his seat in the middle of the table. With just a few words, he started the feast. This seemed rather odd to the teachers, but none of them dared to ask him about it. They just thought that he was having a bad day or something. Instead, they just made idle chat with each other. Then, Minerva whispered to him.
"What's wrong, Albus?" she asked. He just stared blankly at her.
"Erm, nothing," he replied. Minerva knit her brows.
"Come on, Albus, please tell me," she pleaded. Albus looked at his plate.
"I told you, Minerva, that I am fine," he hissed through gritted teeth, pronouncing the word 'fine' with extra emphasis.
"Come on, please tell me, Albus," begged Minerva. "I-," She was cut short when Albus banged his fists on the table, pushed his chair back, and jumped to his feet.
"If YOU are so concerned about what is bothering me, then perhaps I should simply meet with you in your OFFICE!" With that, he stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving the teachers in utter silence. They all had their mouths hanging open, each wondering what had happened. Minerva grew pale in the face, her bottom lip quivering. What had come over Albus? Why had he suddenly grown so angry with her?
"Excuse me," she whispered. She stood and left the rest of the teachers alone with their thoughts.
Minerva knocked on Albus' office softly.
"Go away!" he shouted.
"Albus, I really want to talk to you," she replied. There was a long silence. "Albus please let me in!" She heard him shuffling around, but then all was quiet again. Then, she opened the door, not waiting for him to call out to him. She slammed the door and walked right up to his desk.
"Minerva, I am-," He was cut off when she held her hand up.
"Listen, Albus, I really do not want to hear about how busy you are. I do not know what you meant by that whole 'office' thing, but I really don't think I deserved to be shouted at like that. Now what is wrong with you?" Albus just glared at her, then stood up.
"When were you planning on telling me, Minerva?" he grumbled. Minerva held her breath.
"What do you mean, Albus?" she asked, taken aback. Did he know?
"I heard you talking with Severus in your office, and I heard you talking," he replied. Minerva let out a squeak.
"You were listening on a private conversation?" she cried. "I can't believe you did that, Albus!"
"Well, I'm sorry, but I simply could not help it. I thought something was wrong, and now I can see that I was right. How could you and Severus not tell Crystal about this? And more importantly, why could you not tell me about it?" Albus looked genuinely hurt.
"Well, I know Crystal will be more than a little stunned by the news," said Minerva. "But I'm sure Severus could break it to her more gently than I could. And I was trying to figure out the best way to tell you. But now that you already know about my illness, I see no point in-,"
"Illness?" cried Albus. He looked absolutely shocked.
"Yes, Albus, my illness," said Minerva. "What did you think I was talking about?"
"Aren't you and Severus having an affair?" asked Albus. Minerva's jaw dropped to the ground.
"You think that I am having an affair with Severus Snape?" she hissed. For a second, she wanted to laugh. There was even a glimpse of a smile formulating on her lips. But it immediately faded when she realized that she had let out a bit of the information she was trying to keep from him. And now, she could see the realization dawning on his face.
"Minerva…" he said slowly. She placed her hand over her mouth and turned around.
"I shouldn't have told you that," she said almost inaudibly. She headed for the door.
"Minerva, wait," said Albus, following her. He grabbed her by her wrist just as she had opened the door.
"Albus, please," she said, not looking up at him. Her eyes were beginning to mist. "You weren't supposed to find out about it this way."
"About what, Minerva?" he asked. "Minerva, how sick are you?" She looked sadly into his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but she lost her nerve. Her lips quivered as a few tears dropped.
"I have to go, Albus," she whispered, wrenching her left wrist from him. She fled from his office, flying down the steps, not even daring to turn back; not even when she heard him call her name.
"Minerva!" he cried. But she just couldn't face him. She knew that she would have to tell him sooner than she had planned, and she simply was not prepared for it. She needed more time to think things out and to practice what she had wanted to say to him in her head. But she mentally smacked herself when she realized that it was no good now. He already knew that she was sick. All she had left to do was tell him the type of illness that it was and that she was dying. THAT would be harder than anything else. How do you tell someone that you are dying? It was even harder knowing that she could not tell him of his love; especially now.
For Albus, there were a million and one questions running through his mind. Why hadn't Minerva told him that she was sick? How long had she been sick? How long had she known about it? Was it serious? Had she discovered this fact the night before, when she had fainted? So many questions to ask and he couldn't get Minerva to stand in one spot long enough to ask her. And as he chased her through the halls of Hogwarts, he knew that it had to be very serious. It was serious enough for him to try and avoid him. What was it? And as he turned a corner, he saw her just in time to see her transform into her cat form. He knew it was going to take a bit more to keep up with her in that form.
They passed her rooms, and he felt confused. Where could she be going? Then, it dawned on him. There was only one place Minerva went when she didn't want to speak to anyone. So, he slowed down to catch his breath. He wasn't as fast as he had been before he turned a hundred. And that was nearly sixty years ago. He'd find her. There was only one place to look, and he knew she'd be there for a while…
A/N2: Okay, well, there is that chapter. I know it's slightly longer than the other chapters, but I had a lot I wanted to put in it. Hope you guys liked it a lot. I know I particularly liked to write this chapter. Love you alls! Hope you keep reading this story. I am, as always, your faithful writer… Always Hopeful
