Chapter Six

For a moment, Albus really didn't know what to say. No matter how well he knew her, no matter how much he'd read her obvious seriousness from her eyes- this was a question he hadn't expected for a single moment. Deep down, his first reflex was to refuse- not because he didn't want to help her with everything and anything, but simply because as she sat there, beautiful and radiant and mature- and yet at the same time, with the moonlight reflecting in her huge, wet green eyes, so terribly vulnerable as well.

Deep down, all he wanted to do was keep her close to him- close to him, where he could watch her and guarantee her safety, so that, despite his incapability to save her people from their undeserved fate, he could at least save this one, wonderful witch whom he loved more than anything in the world from that fate.

And yet, in those very same, vulnerable eyes, he couldn't but see the determination- the strength of her, the strength that her family had, too, and the strength which they most probably needed so desperately at that moment in time. He could read them, see them all, her family members- all pictured together in those big, green eyes of the girl who was, by some twist of fate, chosen among them to be the one to survive.

At that moment, Albus knew he could not say no to her. He could not refuse her his support, no matter how much he feared for her, no matter how strong his urge to protect her was. It wouldn't be fair to her to keep her from doing the only thing she could possibly do to help- not to her, and not to her family.

"I will, Minerva. I most surely will- if you really want to."

It was his love for her that made her add the last five words. If she really wanted to. And deep down- and he was ashamed for those thoughts- he wished she'd refuse- but he knew Minerva McGonagall way too well to ever believe in that possibility.

"I do. It's been my dream ever since this- horrible war started, and now more than ever- ever since… it happened."

The sky was still dark as she turned her gaze towards it again and as Albus, noticing the temperature outside had really dropped by now, gently scooped her up in his arms and started carrying her inside, the young, black-haired woman did not object.

"Care for a cup of hot cocoa?"

Having put Minerva down on the sofa in his living room, Albus handed her said cup- and just for once, she did not object. Pensively drawing meaningless patterns into the dark brown surface of the hot liquor with her spoon, waiting for it to cool down, the young witch looked up at her teacher and friend again, then, faintly, smiled.

"I have been quite a nuisance to you tonight, haven't I, Albus?"

The auburn-haired wizard was quick to assure the girl he loved that no, she was never a nuisance to him- but even quicker was he to gently pull her closer until, finally her head came to a rest against his shoulder and, slowly, he felt her tense muscles relax and her breathing become easier. Tracing silent patterns on Minerva's emerald-clad back with his fingertips, Albus smiled as he watched her eyelids- slowly, gently- drop.

"Everything for you, Minerva." were the last words the Scottish witch heard that night.

"Everything for you."