Disclaimer: Give me a J-K-R-O-W-L-I-N-G-O-W-N-S-I-T-A-L-L! What's that spell? J.K. ROWLING OWNS IT ALL!
Comments
Rosaleen: Albus and Minerva will be able to help Severus, but he'll have to tell them what's wrong first! But they're smart, so they should be able to figure it out!
Q-BriarXJade-Q: You want more Severus? You got it!
ginger newts: Yes, finally, some ADMM! Don't worry, they'll get together once they help Severus out with his problems!
XiaoGui: Don't worry, I've been loads busy, too! That's why it took me so long to post this chapter. Thanks for your review!
Lou. McGonagall: Well, I can't tell you what Minerva's answer is going to be, but you'll find out soon enough (you can probably even guess)! Yeah, the kiss wasn't really a question, but I guess it could be interpreted as, "Minerva, I love you and want to spend my life with you! Do you feel as I do?"
Quill of Minerva: Severus' difficult healing process begins...now! But it will be a little easier because he has Albus and Minerva. Yes, and a "Woohoo!" for Albus and Minerva! Minerva's answer will come in a later chapter (probably Chapter 12)!
ADandMM4eva: Unfortunately, Snape needs more than just a good night's sleep to recover, but Albus and Minerva will be there to help him. Don't worry, there will still be ADMM in this story!
My apologies to all for not posting sooner. I've had loads to do over the past few days. I'll post another chapter today to make up for it, though!
saiyanwizardgurl
Chapter 10: Because He Looked
Minerva McGonagall's eyes fluttered open as bright streams of sunlight flooded into her bedroom. She felt warm and lazy lying under her red and gold blankets. If there was one thing she liked about holidays, it was that she could sleep in a little. Most people believed that she enjoyed getting up at the crack of dawn, but even she liked a good lie in.
The Transfigurations teacher rolled over and closed her eyes. She had had a wonderful dream last night. The memory of Albus kissing her had flashed across her mind countless times, and as she reflected on it each time, a giddy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. At first, she had believed that the memory was a dream, but reality began to sink in, and she knew it had been real. Her greatest dream had come true: Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts and the greatest wizard of the age, loved her.
He said that he would await her answer. McGonagall knew her answer. She wanted to jump into his arms and feel the strength of his embrace, the warmth of his beard, and the beat of his heart. She wanted to hug him and never let go. And, of course, kiss him tenderly as he had done her.
Sighing happily, she rolled out of bed and got dressed. Instead of her usual tartan robes, she put on a set of deep blue ones. Stepping out of her rooms, she strode out of her office to the dungeons, lost in thoughts of Albus.
When she reached the Potions Master's office, she opened the door tentatively. The office was empty, so she tried Snape's rooms. The first thing she saw made her smile. Albus Dumbledore was sleeping peacefully on the couch, covered by a thick blanket. McGonagall strode over to the couch and pulled up a chair. The headmaster looked like he needed a good sleep. He still had dark rings around his eyes, and he looked drained. The Transfigurations teacher brushed a few strands of hair from Dumbledore's face, and he smiled in his sleep, causing her to smile lovingly.
"Why the change in color?"
McGonagall looked up. Severus Snape was staring at her, a troubled expression on his face. How odd; I wonder what's bothering him. The witch stood up and sat on the edge of the Potions Master's bed. "I beg your pardon?"
"Why the change in color?"
"Hmmm. I don't know. I guess I thought there was no need to wear what I usually do during classes."
"It looks…nice…on you."
"Why, thank you, Severus." She smiled at him, and she noticed that he looked a bit glum. "Is there something wrong?"
"What?" he said, shaking himself out of a trance.
"Is there something wrong?" she repeated.
"Oh, nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"It's not important; it doesn't matter," mumbled the Potions Master.
"Of course it matters," said Dumbledore, sitting up on the couch. "Good morning, Severus. Oh, that's a nice color on you, Minerva."
"Oh, thank you," said McGonagall, blushing furiously.
"So as we were just asking," said the headmaster as he sat on the edge of the bed, "what's wrong, Severus?"
"Like I just said, nothing's wrong," said Snape, crossing his arms and shifting his gaze downward. The truth was that there was something. Countless scenes of him being tortured by Potter and Black had flashed across his mind in his dreams, finishing off spectacularly with his worst memory in the Pensieve. He was not about to tell McGonagall and Dumbledore, though.
"Oh, come on Severus, you can't fool us!" said the Transfigurations teacher.
"You can trust us; we won't tell," said the headmaster.
"Look, it's not that I don't trust you two; just drop it, okay?" He lowered his arms and the witch and wizard both saw that the Potions Master's shoulders were shaking.
Glancing at each other, McGonagall and Dumbledore moved closer to Snape. The witch wrapped an arm around the Potions Master and the older wizard put his hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. "Severus," whispered the headmaster, "we wouldn't think of doing such a thing. We care about you too much."
"Albus is right, Severus. You are too important to us."
"I…I…it's…Potter."
"Harry?" said the headmaster.
"Y-yes."
"What about Harry, Severus?" asked McGonagall.
"I told him that he was never to set foot inside my office ever again. I stopped his Occlumency lessons."
Dumbledore felt (surprisingly) no anger towards the Potions Master at his revelation. Instead, he was very curious. "Why did you do that?"
Snape wrapped his arms around his torso. He was still shaking. "Because he looked."
All right, though McGonagall, now I'm really confused. "He looked at what, Severus?"
"At my memory."
"Your memory?"
"Inside my Pensieve?" asked the headmaster.
"Yes."
A though struck the Transfigurations teacher. "He didn't see you – "
"No, it wasn't something from my adult life," he said, bitterly. "Although, I would have preferred that he see something like from when I was a spy in the first war. Anything but what he actually saw."
"What was it then? Something from school?" asked Dumbledore.
"Go see for yourselves. It should still be on my desk."
"Are you sure, Severus?"
"Y-yes. Y-you probably won't k-know what I'm t-talking about if you d-don't see it."
With a tentative look at each other, the witch and wizard rose and strode into the Potions Master's office. Sure enough, the headmaster's Pensieve was sitting on Snape's desk, gentle streams of silver smoke wafting over it. They peered into the shimmering liquid and saw what looked like the Hogwarts grounds. The Transfigurations teacher was slightly nervous about what they would find. She felt Dumbledore wind his fingers in hers, and she smiled slightly at him. Giving her a nod, the headmaster prodded the liquidy substance with his finger.
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