Title: In a Perfect World

Rating: PG

Genre: Tragedy, Angst

Summary: One-shot, HBP spoilers! Minerva watches the stars, thinking about a certain someone. Implied ADMM.

WARNING: THIS CONTAINS MAJOR HALF-BLOOD PRINCE SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK AND DO NOT ENJOY SPOILERS!

A/N: This is my first shot at a Harry Potter story with characters other than Harry Potter and the Golden Trio. This fic was inspired by Simple Plan's "Perfect World." If you know the song, you'll find the lyrics hidden in the story, only because I'm afraid that will delete my story if it has the actual song written down. This is also my opinion about what really went on in the end of book six. I do not believe that Severus Snape is evil. Please read and review, it would be much appreciated.

A lone star streaked across the inky black sky, leaving behind its twinkling and dancing brethren. It was off, heading to who knows where to do who knows what, never to return.

Story of my life, thought Minerva bitterly.

She gazed up at the sky, at the merrily twinkling stars, an unexplainable anger welling up inside of her. They reminded her of her past; that blasted twinkling. Ever present, never fading.

"Gods above, how I miss that twinkle," Minerva murmured, clenching her fists at her side.

"Stop that bloody twinkling!" she shouted at the sky. The stars ignored her, continuing on in their fiery dance.

As if they were mocking me, she thought.

"Stop it! Do you hear me?" she screamed into the night. "What right do you have? To continue on freely, never ceasing for petty things like secret organizations and evil dark lords. It isn't fair that you are able to be so carefree while we here on earth are constantly tormented by death and destruction. Stop twinkling!" she screamed, tears beginning to course down her cheeks in a steady stream. "Just stop," she whispered, sinking to the cold stone floor of the Astronomy tower, her slender frame shaking as she cried.

"Oh Albus," she murmured between sobs. "Why didn't I see this coming? I could have stopped it. Oh, what am I thinking? I never could have seen this coming. It just feels like my world's falling apart.

"Why is everything so hard Albus? I just don't think that I can deal with this. It just won't go away.

"I used to think I was strong Albus. I used to think I could withstand anything. That is, until the day it all went wrong. I think I need a miracle to make it though this.

"I wish more than anything that I could bring you back. I wish that I could turn back time, or use some kind of necromancy. What good is being a witch, being a person who can defy all laws of physics, if I can't bring the dead back to life? I know it's foolish to cling to your memory, but I just need to hold onto you. Without you I just can't find my way.

"I don't know what I should do now. I don't know where I should go. I'm still here waiting for you to walk through the doors with that smile you reserve just for me and those blasted twinkling eyes. I'm lost when you're not around. Don't you understand Albus? I just can't let you go!

"It's times like this where I wish the world were perfect. In a perfect world, this could never happen. In a perfect world, you'd still be her. It just makes no sense. Usually you would be here to pick up the pieces. But to you this means nothing. Nothing at all. You feel nothing at all.

"It's just not fair!" she screamed, slamming her fist onto the stone. The skin on her knuckles split and blood seeped between her fingers and dripped to the floor, but she made no move to stop it.

"I just wish you were her Albus. I wish you weren't so trusting. If that wasn't clouding your judgment, you would have seen Severus for the Death Eater he really is."

"Severus Snape is no more a Death Eater than I am."

Minerva's head snapped up. A look of shock and surprise passed over her face. The transparent, ghostly form of Albus Dumbledore floated in front of her, smiling gently, his see-through eyes twinkling.

"Albus," Minerva gasped, scrambling to her feet.

"Minerva," he regarded her calmly. "How have you been?"

"How have I been?" Minerva asked incredulously. "You're dead and all you can say to me is how have you been?"

"My dear, sweet Minerva. To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

"You say that continuously, but it makes no sense!"

"Of course it does. You must sometimes delve deeper into the truth so that why we think becomes what we know."

Minerva stared at him. "But what does that mean?"

Albus chuckled. "In time you will know."

"But why did you leave me? You promised you would never leave, and now you're gone."

"Minerva, I will only be truly gone from this place when none who remain are loyal to me."

"Albus, quit speaking in riddles," Minerva snapped, her eyes welling with fresh tears. "How can you still trust Severus? After everything that he has done?"

"My dear Minerva, you worry too much," Albus chided gently, looking amused. "It is all part of the plan."

"Plan?" Minerva repeated, confused. "What plan?"

"I needed Severus to remain a spy. The Order needed Sevrus to remain a spy. I knew of the plot to have young Draco kill me. I knew that he would not be able to go through with the task assigned to him, and I did not want him to. Severus was reluctant to help me, but he agreed in the end. He distracted the ambush long enough for the Order to attack, then rushed up the stairs to where Draco and I were. The original plan was for Severus to escape with Draco in tow, and we would pretend that Draco had been killed in the attempt to murder me. There was a hitch in the giddyup, however, when Severus discovered that several other Death Eaters had made a surprise visit.

"Severus was reluctant to kill me, but I knew it had to be done to avoid arousing suspicion. Young Harry, I believe, thought that I was begging Severus to spare my life, when in reality I was begging him to take it. I needed him to remain a spy. So in order to prevent Draco from becoming a killer, Severus was forced to kill me. You must understand, Min, that I did it for the good of the Wizarding world. One life such as mine is a small price to pay for the defeat of the Dark Lord. I have full confidence that Harry can conquer. But he needs to find it within himself to try. And I need you to help him.

"And now, alas, I must be going. Remember, I will always love you Min."

"Albus wait!" But the elderly man had already disappeared. "I love you too," Minerva whispered, then threw herself to the ground with a howl of anguish.

A lone star streaked across the inky black sky, twinkling brighter than the rest.

Fin.