After the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter Three:

The Whole Story

"Are you feeling alright, Minerva?" Albus asked (or rather, the portrait of Albus asked) when she returned to the office.

"Honestly? No." She sighed. "I am still in shock, I think, and sometimes I wonder if it was all just a bad dream, and maybe none of it ever happened? But I know that it's stupid to pretend…"

"It does not due to dwell on dreams, Minerva." He said slowly.

"And forget to live," she finished for him. "But what kind of living is this, Albus? I…I'm not all that sure that I want to live, without you."

"And yet you will," he argued. "You will go on and help the students as be there for them, for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger and the Weasley children and Neville Longbottom, and you will be there for Susan Bones, and the Patil twins and all the new first years, and you will be there for Pansy Parkinson and Gregory Goyle and…stop shaking your head, Minerva…and Marietta Edgecomb and Colin Creevy and Draco Malfoy."

"No. No, not him, not Malfoy."

"He needs you, Minerva."

"He needs to be locked in Azkaban."

Albus shook his head slowly. "Minerva, there is something you have to know. About Draco. And about Severus."

"Do not speak that man's name to me."

"I asked him to kill me, Minerva."

Her eyes filled with tears again and she sank into the chair opposite Dumbledore's portrait.

"You didn't."

"I did. I told him that under no circumstances could he show his true alliances, and the pact he made with Narcissa would not allow him to ,let Draco kill me. I spoke to him before I left with Harry that night, Minerva."

"You…no, Albus. You do not need to cover for him anymore. He is allied with He-who…with Voldemort only."

"I told him I was going, Minerva. I told him what I was about to do."

Suddenly Minerva's distress turned to anger. "You told him you were leaving? So that is why he knew…he knew when to tell them to come."

"He did not. Draco arranged that, quite cleverly too, from what I overhear."

"Then he told Malfoy you would be gone! Albus, please…"

"I know that is what you want to hear, Minerva, but be realistic, please. Do you not think that I, even in such a weakened state, could not have stunned Draco Malfoy or even killed Severus Snape, even without my wand? Minerva… You were there, when I defeated Grindelwald, and that was years ago…"

"You just let yourself leave me?" She asked weakly, all the anger fluttering away and leaving her with a sense of confusion and despair.

"I did not want to, Minerva, but I had to think about the greater good…"

"Harry was the greater good! The students, the rest of them, not just one! What about me, Albus, wasn't I part of the 'greater good?'"

"I love you, Minerva, and I always will. But I am gone now, as much as we both hate it, and you are not. Do me one favour, Minerva?"

"What is it, Albus, love?"

"Stay alive, and strong, and help Harry and watch over the students until Tom is really gone, help rebuild Hogwarts and its reputation until it is the school it once was, until people again have their faith in Hogwarts, until all four houses can be properly united. Keep going on until one day, one night, of old age you die peacefully in your sleep. And before you do, have your portrait done, so that you, former Hogwarts Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, can be settled here right next to me, so that no matter whether we spend our time in this world or the next, we can spend it together. And forgive me for the choices I made."

Minerva nodded, wiping her tears. She stood, and walked slowly to his portrait. She lightly kissed her forefinger, and held it a moment against the canvas, against his cheek.

"I love you, Albus. And I forgive you. Forever."

THE END

Well, I finally finished one that wasn't a one-shot! lolol. I hope you liked it, and whether or not you did, please leave me a review and critique!

Thanks!

AL