Chapter Two: The Truth of the Matter

A/N: Thanks to foci, LinZE, Quill of Minerva, Ginger Newts, am4ever, and Silver Sorceress for their reviews. I'll spend however much time I can steal trying to figure out what to do with this fic over the weekend. Till then, here's the next (fluffy) chapter. Oh, and if you have any suggestions, they'd be greatly appreciated as I got sort of stuck.

He had never spoken to her; she had never seen his face. And yet, she knew that he had come. Every night, without fail. Despite the danger and the incredible risk, he had come.

Why?

To watch her sleep. And to leave at her bedside, every morning, a single lemon drop.

To accomplish this one task, he had risked capture every night, and implicit in that capture, the fate of the Resistance. And yet still he had come. Every night, without fail.

It was enough to go to a girl's head.

Enough, Minerva thought firmly, and focused on taking one step, and then another, each bringing her closer and closer to home.

She had just reached the edge of the staircase when angry voices carried down to her. "I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir." Potter, Minerva thought worriedly.

"Put that wand away at once," another familiar voice said curtly. "Ten points from Gryff—"

Potter and Snape was never a good combination. Minerva began to walk faster.

"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hourglass to take away." What? "In that case, Potter, we will simply have to—"

"Add some more?" Minerva interjected smoothly.

"Professor McGonagall!" Severus exclaimed, striding forward. "Out of St. Mungo's, I see!" Though the students at his back missed his sharp analysis of her condition, Minerva did not.

"Yes, Professor Snape. I'm quite as good as new," she said clearly. Diffuse the situation. Minerva shrugged off her traveling cloak. "You two—Crabbe—Goyle—" She beckoned them forward, reigning in her impatience at their torpid, dim-witted manner. "Here," she said, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's, "Take these up to my office for me."

"Right then," Minerva said after the lumbering idiots had gone, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall, "well, I think Potter and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who! What say you, Professor Snape?"

"What?" Severus snapped. "Oh—well—I suppose…"

Minerva resisted the impulse to grin impishly. "So that's fifty each for Potter, the two Weasleys, Longbottom, and Miss Granger," she said, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hourglass as she spoke. I thought that Miss Granger, at least, would have more sense… "Oh—and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose. Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr. Potter, I think, Professor Snape—so there we are…"

Turning to the boys, she said briskly, "Well, Potter, Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this."

Potter practically ran out the doors; Malfoy, deprived of his target, slinked back inside. Minerva shook her head.

As soon as the students were out of sight, Minerva found herself caught in a breath-stealing hug. "It's about time you came back," was all Severus said, and it was enough.

When he released her, Minerva was blinking rapidly. "Thank you for taking me to St. Mungo's," she said softly.

He started. "How did you—"

"Who else?" she replied fondly. The shy smile he gave her in return made her heart swell. Severus extended his arm, and Minerva soon found herself being led towards the castle.

"Gryffindor had no points left?"

"Your Gryffindors were rather poorly behaved in your absence," Severus replied levelly.

"One hundred and twenty-six points worth of misbehavior in ten days?" Minerva asked incredulously.

"They were very poorly behaved."

"Severus!"

The Slytherin shrugged elegantly. "About two days after you…left, the number of pranks suddenly tripled. Oddly, the majority of those were directed at Umbridge, and of course none of the staff felt capable of dealing with them." He paused as Minerva blinked furiously. "I'll never admit to saying this, but your little lions deserved some points for creativity alone." Minerva stumbled at his comment, and only Severus's quick reflexes kept her from falling on her face. "It would have given me the pleasure of taking away those points, too," he added caustically.

"Severus!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Minerva spluttered for a moment and then surrendered the point, laughing. "Oh, Severus…"

He indulged her with tales of the exploits of her young lions, his dry tone and scathing commentary giving her plenty of material to protest, and it was not long before Minerva found herself just outside the Headmaster's office.

"Ginger newts," Severus said clearly. Minerva swallowed as the stone gargoyle sprang back promptly. "Go on," he insisted, gesturing at the staircase. "Merlin knows the man's been driving us all crazy without you."

"Thank you, Severus," Minerva said, giving him a soft smile as she tucked some loose dark hair behind his ear.

He glared at her and ducked his head, turning on his heel to stalk off, muttering about "meddling mother-types" and denouncing women in general. Minerva, laughing gaily, moved up the staircase slowly.

She rapped smartly on the door, but strangely, no one answered. Puzzled, Minerva simply pushed open the door and stepped in, wondering where Albus had gone. Her ears caught a strangled sound; she whirled to face the desk and froze.

"Minerva," Albus breathed. He was on his feet and staring at her dazedly, drinking in the sight of her like winter sunlight.

"Hello, Albus," Minerva said warmly. An answering smile began to creep across his face as he moved towards her, only to freeze when he saw her walking stick. The lightning change that came over him was unlike any Minerva had ever seen.

Her green eyes widened in alarm as Albus suddenly appeared besideher, mere inches away, his hands frozen in the act of reaching out to her. "Minerva, I'm so sorry." The agonized guilt in his voice was painful for her to hear. "I never should have—"

"Albus." Blue eyes looked up at her: dimmed, dark shadows of the shining jewels she loved. "It wasn't your fault," she said gently.

"I—"

"No, Albus." Minerva closed the remaining distance between them, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek and force him to look her in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she repeated firmly, never breaking contact.

Albus closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. He sighed deeply, but when his eyes opened again, they were clear. Albus took her hand reverently and pressed a kiss to her wrist. "I'm so very glad that you're home."

Minerva smiled and kissed him lightly. "Someone needs to keep you in line, old man," she teased.

"As long as you're the one doing it," he replied, rising to his feet before helping Minerva to hers.

"Always, love." With a quick flick of his wand, Albus transfigured the armchair into a couch and gently guided Minerva into a seat. Though her mouth quirked at his overly-solicitous treatment, she said nothing. Albus carefully arranged himself around her and Minerva leaned back into him contentedly. His arms slid around to encircle her waist lightly, and Minerva laid her hands atop his. And so they sat together, the Headmaster and his Deputy, as comfort, strength, and a deep calm flowed between them on a level far deeper than words.

A/N: Couldn't help myself (with the fluff). Reviews are greatly appreciated!