"So, Minerva, do you think you'll manage?"
Minerva carefully nodded, then curled her lips into an amused smile.
"Yes. At least I think so. I can act, you know…"
Her dark green eyes suddenly drifted far away, as she dreamily continued
"I have a Muggle cousin who dreams of becoming an actress once. She must be… Yes, she must be almost eleven by now. It's a long time ago since I've last met little Maggie, though…"
Yet, she then with a smile nodded her head as if to wipe away all thoughts and nodded.
"So I'll quite manage. And when am I supposed to give away this little performance, Sir?"
"Tomorrow. Then, we'll also give you the last instructions."
"Good." Minerva dryly commented, as she took her cloak.
"So do you mind my leaving now? I am sorry, but I as well have to do some preparations…"
Alastor smiled as he stood up and laid his hand on her shoulder.
"Of course, Minerva. And you'll do fine."
"Yes," Nicolas Flamel smiled. "You will do great, Miss McGonagall, I have no doubt."
Minerva nodded and thanked, and then left a room, with a head that felt like exploding. Was it only an hour ago that she'd entered it? Was it only an hour ago that she'd been just an Auror-in-training, just a girl in just a world? But now, she suddenly mattered and she realized she mattered. She realized, for the very first time, her own importance, and it was a frightening thought.
With a sigh, Minerva walked through the corridors of the well-protected mansion in which the last remains of the Ministry were accommodated. But as she crossed one of the many rooms- a room which apparently had once been a living room- she suddenly felt a strangely familiar, cool hand on her arm. With a swish of her long robes, Minerva quickly turned around and found herself gazing into two very light blue eyes.
"Albus." she matter-of-factly, yet flatly stated.
"Minerva." he confirmed.
Neither one of them said anything, until, with a sudden firm gesture, Albus grabbed Minerva's shoulders.
"Don't tell me you've accepted."
Minerva questioningly narrowed her eyes as she answered.
"In fact, I have. And could you please release me- you are crushing my upper arms."
Albus groaned, then bowed his head until he could look straight into her eyes and ostentatiously shook his head.
"No," he sternly spoke- his words were almost a cry. "I won't release you! Why have you accepted, Minerva? Why have you? Has Alastor forced you? Because if he has…"
His usually so merry eyes glimmered dangerously. Minerva straightened her back and exclaimed
"No, he has not! In fact, he's tried to warn me, but I do not want to be warned! I will do this, Albus, and you cannot stop me. No-one can, in fact. If I feel I am capable…"
Suddenly, surprisingly, Albus' eyes softened as his rigid grip on her arms suddenly turned into a soft caress.
"And you are, Minerva. You can do everything. But I…"
His eyes went darker as he continued, louder again.
"I won't let you, Minerva! I won't let you give your life for this! Minerva, you cannot, certainly can't do this. You will fail! You will fail- but not because of lack of ability. Simply because this job is impracticable! It's mad- it's just plain rubbish, Minerva."
The girl was not at all impressed and brought her face with the slightly sharp nose close to the man's face.
"But I will try to make this rubbish work, Albus. And why, I ask you, why should this all bother you?"
Albus once more stroked her arms as he, sadly, smiled.
"Because I love you, Minerva McGonagall. You must know by now that I love you."
But Minerva pulled back as if she had burnt herself, and with her back against the wall, she hissed
"But I do not love you, Albus Dumbledore. And I never will. And I am going."
She rushed towards the door, but she knew he would not follow her. She had noticed his dumbfounded expression. She had noticed the pain in his eyes.
Tears streamed down her face as she stood outside again. Raindrops touched her face as she slowly, slowly closed her eyes.
What she'd said had been cruel, she knew.
And it had been a lie.
Minerva carefully nodded, then curled her lips into an amused smile.
"Yes. At least I think so. I can act, you know…"
Her dark green eyes suddenly drifted far away, as she dreamily continued
"I have a Muggle cousin who dreams of becoming an actress once. She must be… Yes, she must be almost eleven by now. It's a long time ago since I've last met little Maggie, though…"
Yet, she then with a smile nodded her head as if to wipe away all thoughts and nodded.
"So I'll quite manage. And when am I supposed to give away this little performance, Sir?"
"Tomorrow. Then, we'll also give you the last instructions."
"Good." Minerva dryly commented, as she took her cloak.
"So do you mind my leaving now? I am sorry, but I as well have to do some preparations…"
Alastor smiled as he stood up and laid his hand on her shoulder.
"Of course, Minerva. And you'll do fine."
"Yes," Nicolas Flamel smiled. "You will do great, Miss McGonagall, I have no doubt."
Minerva nodded and thanked, and then left a room, with a head that felt like exploding. Was it only an hour ago that she'd entered it? Was it only an hour ago that she'd been just an Auror-in-training, just a girl in just a world? But now, she suddenly mattered and she realized she mattered. She realized, for the very first time, her own importance, and it was a frightening thought.
With a sigh, Minerva walked through the corridors of the well-protected mansion in which the last remains of the Ministry were accommodated. But as she crossed one of the many rooms- a room which apparently had once been a living room- she suddenly felt a strangely familiar, cool hand on her arm. With a swish of her long robes, Minerva quickly turned around and found herself gazing into two very light blue eyes.
"Albus." she matter-of-factly, yet flatly stated.
"Minerva." he confirmed.
Neither one of them said anything, until, with a sudden firm gesture, Albus grabbed Minerva's shoulders.
"Don't tell me you've accepted."
Minerva questioningly narrowed her eyes as she answered.
"In fact, I have. And could you please release me- you are crushing my upper arms."
Albus groaned, then bowed his head until he could look straight into her eyes and ostentatiously shook his head.
"No," he sternly spoke- his words were almost a cry. "I won't release you! Why have you accepted, Minerva? Why have you? Has Alastor forced you? Because if he has…"
His usually so merry eyes glimmered dangerously. Minerva straightened her back and exclaimed
"No, he has not! In fact, he's tried to warn me, but I do not want to be warned! I will do this, Albus, and you cannot stop me. No-one can, in fact. If I feel I am capable…"
Suddenly, surprisingly, Albus' eyes softened as his rigid grip on her arms suddenly turned into a soft caress.
"And you are, Minerva. You can do everything. But I…"
His eyes went darker as he continued, louder again.
"I won't let you, Minerva! I won't let you give your life for this! Minerva, you cannot, certainly can't do this. You will fail! You will fail- but not because of lack of ability. Simply because this job is impracticable! It's mad- it's just plain rubbish, Minerva."
The girl was not at all impressed and brought her face with the slightly sharp nose close to the man's face.
"But I will try to make this rubbish work, Albus. And why, I ask you, why should this all bother you?"
Albus once more stroked her arms as he, sadly, smiled.
"Because I love you, Minerva McGonagall. You must know by now that I love you."
But Minerva pulled back as if she had burnt herself, and with her back against the wall, she hissed
"But I do not love you, Albus Dumbledore. And I never will. And I am going."
She rushed towards the door, but she knew he would not follow her. She had noticed his dumbfounded expression. She had noticed the pain in his eyes.
Tears streamed down her face as she stood outside again. Raindrops touched her face as she slowly, slowly closed her eyes.
What she'd said had been cruel, she knew.
And it had been a lie.
