Not again!
Summary: Minerva's mum try's to set her up again, in the hope of finding her a husband. Question is who's the hubby-to-be?
Disclaimer: if only, if only, if only………
Chapter Six: The aftermath
It was the middle of the next day when Minerva awoke with a pounding headache that she couldn't understand the reason for. Looking around she took in the white walls of the infirmary, somewhat bemused. What on earth was she doing in the infirmary, she thought, and why is Albus asleep on the chair next to my bed? She added when she saw the Headmaster slumped down, asleep, in the high backed, cushioned chair that highly resembled the one in his office.
It wasn't until when she felt a slight twinge of pain in her lower back she remembered the night before. She had been going to go talk to Albus while in her preoccupied state; the stairwell had decided to change on her. As she wasn't paying attention, her normally very good balance was thrown of course and she had fallen. That was the last thing she remembered until now.
As much as she wanted answers, she was reluctant to disturb Albus from his slumber. She knew that he must have been really tired to actually fall asleep in a chair, she was the only one out of the two capable of that feat.
Often much to her chagrin she would fall asleep on his lounge after a particularly hard day. And Albus, always the gentleman would remove her shoes, place a blanket over her and this would be how she found herself in the morning. He always used to exclaim that his couch must be particularly comfy if she preferred it to her own bed.
Yet as it turned out however she didn't have to wake Albus after all. He woke himself soon after she had begun her reminiscing of her sleeping habits. She had to admit he looked really cute when he had just woken up.
Albus was looking around without really seeing anything or taking anything in. Suddenly however he jerked into alertness and his gaze slid over her slowly. When it reached her face and eyes though he was up in an instant, leaning over her, it was then that he softly and ever so gently brushed his fingertips over her cheekbones. He absently traced the high, fine boned structure whilst his eyes searched deep into hers.
Albus broke the silence first;
"Minerva I -"
He never got to tell her though because at that moment Poppy came into the enclosed area. He quickly sat back down, even though he suspected Poppy knew that he had feelings for Minerva, he didn't want to flaunt it just in case the perceptive witch didn't know already. Especially when he didn't know how it would work out for the two of them.
Poppy however merely glanced his way before going over and hugging Minerva gently. She chided her friend with a anxious smile for sliding down the banister like a first year. The look that she gave her though clearly said, 'if you ever do something like that again I will kill you, if you don't die first'. Then leaning over once again she hugged Minerva once more.
Not usually someone who accepted all this mollycoddling, Minerva stayed still and didn't refuse Poppy's affection. She knew that Poppy was simply reassuring herself and it was something that she needed to do. And besides Minerva did like to feel loved and appreciated once in while.
"Minerva, I only need to fix up a few more things, I would have done them before but I needed you to tell me where the main points of the problem is and for that you needed to be awake. I would have made you wake by inducing you but I didn't think that it was a good idea, as it would have increased your chances of falling into coma. So if you will excuse us headmaster." she finished with a pointed look at Albus.
Taking the hint Albus left the two witches to get everything sorted out. Perhaps he thought as he made his way back to his chambers it was a good opportunity to sort out his own feelings. Seeing Minerva hurt had scared the living daylights out of him, and he couldn't help but feel guilty.
She would have never lost her balance if she wasn't preoccupied and he knew with out a doubt that he was the one who had preoccupied her thoughts. He also knew that if Minerva ever heard such a thought, she would absolve him of all guilt claiming that she should have never taken all of her awareness from her surroundings. The knowledge of what she would say only lessened the guilt slightly.
Looking his watch, the one that only he could understand with the moving planets, he realised that an hour had already passed.
It was a good thing that it was the weekend, and therefore he was not obligated to go to any of the meals with the student body he thought. As it was he had already missed breakfast and lunch, it was most likely he would miss dinner as well he thought while making his way back down to the infirmary to be once more with Minerva. Maybe they would finally have their talk, the one that should have happened after the kiss last night.
"Okay Minerva I think that's just about it", Poppy said as the last vertebrate slid back into place. As it happened Minerva felt an easing of pain and breathed a sigh of relief.
"So Minerva, are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what Poppy?" was Minerva's cautious reply, until she knew what it was exactly it only served her purpose to warily approach what ever it was Poppy wanted to know.
"About Adian. What happened, did he make passes at you? Is he in love with some one? Is he married?"
It all came out in a rush of words, but Minerva heard them perfectly. She was glad that Poppy wasn't about to question her about Albus, because to be honest she didn't quite know where they were. The rose last night, the look before that had gone straight into her soul, no she couldn't honestly say where they were right now except that they were at a crossroads, a time of change.
"Yes" she replied somewhat tactlessly and it wasn't until she saw Poppy's pained response to her answer she realised how it sounded. In an attempt to rectify her mistake she started again.
"No he didn't make any passes, No he isn't married, but yes he is in love. No wait Poppy hear me out", she added as Poppy had started to get up to leave, "He is in love with you, he told me straight out. We got onto the subject of where the dinner was leading and he told me that it couldn't go further than friendship, as he already loved someone. I asked who and he told me you! Poppy he loves you, no one else, isn't that fantastic?"
The look of soul felt joy that radiated from Poppy's face was all the answer that she needed.
"I guess that I will be going to your family get together tomorrow after all", then she looked shrewdly at Minerva, "Did you ask Albus yet?" she asked.
Minerva hadn't asked Albus yet, it had completely skipped her mind, she could hear exactly what her mother would say about that if she knew!
"No, I well,.. Completely forgot about it."
"Well Minerva, you know that I can't go until you ask Albus. So damn well hurry it up!". Minerva knew full well that Poppy would go tomorrow regardless of if she asked Albus or not because the prospect of once more meeting up with Adian, who she now knew loved her back was too important. This was her way of trying to get Minerva to ask Albus to her family get together.
It was at this moment that a child, whom Minerva recognised as a second year, stumbled into the infirmary limping, and with an arm bleeding heavily. The glistening white bone was protruding from the cut, a testimony of how deep the slice was.
Sighing Poppy got up from the edge of Minerva's bed and with her wand at the ready went to sort out the problem. Damn Broomsticks.
Augusta: its nice to see some one new reviewing thank you so much, and I guess this should explain what happened.
Galadriel Hermione Potter: thanks for the advice, your rite I don't want it taken down, I hadn't even thought about the rating, and if I had I wouldn't have known what to rate it any way. Thanks for the review as well.
AdandMMforever: I could never kill off her! Even though I am partial to the stories that do, I couldn't do it myself at least I don't think I could. I was going to draw out the whole jealous thing with albus but I'm kinda on a dead line with this story. Also I didn't think it would look that great on Adian if he was tagging Minerva along and still loving Poppy at the same time, Seems kinda wrong to me at least.