A/N: Yup, me is back. With a
chapter, in which Sevvie gets some action as my dear beta-reader so
aptly put it. I'm also still thinking about the 'giving him a run for
his money'-thing. We'll see, what I can come up with. Anyways, here is
another one, with yet another cliffie, though I'm sure I can't top the
last.
Furthermore, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to
TartanPhoenix, whose story "An Enchanted Evening" broke my motivation
block.
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was deadly silent. It was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop. But inside the head of almost every occupant of the vast chamber a cacophony of shock and despair was ringing. McGonagall was dead? It could not be. It must not be!
Suddenly, a thin wail broke the stony silence. It was the first time in 24 hours that Hermione Granger's face showed any expression – anguish. Tears streamed down her face and she was sobbing. Without any preamble she threw herself blindly into the arms of the next person. Ron Weasley, for once without any awkwardness, closed his arms around her and hugged his friend close. The brown locks mixed with red as they embraced and grieved together.
Harry Potter was in a daze. McGonagall was dead. Had committed suicide. It was surreal. Still, tears were running over his cheeks and he didn't care to wipe them away. Harry realized that he didn't stand out anyway. Around him, everybody was in tears.
Students and staff alike were weeping over the news. Even Snape – to Harry's surprise – seemed to be grief-stricken.
The woman – Melina, he remembered – stood motionless and proud in front of the head table. The air around her was cold and mysterious. She didn't seem to grieve for her aunt's death, rather she seemed determined and hateful. Somehow, amidst his despair, Harry couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't more to her than met the eye.
The only other person unperturbed by the news was the new headmaster. Voldemort eyed the woman with a sarcastic grin. His red eyes glowing, he raised his hands, apparently to clap.
Harry felt white-hot anger surge through his veins. How dare he laugh about this tragedy! How dare he soil the grief a whole school felt about the death of one of their own!
Her niece, however, held up her hand, stopping the dark wizard in mid-movement. "Don't worry. I have come to retrieve what belongs to my aunt Minerva. Since she is dead," Melina's voice trembled at the word and she wiped her cheek, "there is no need to fear her or her belongings anymore."
And like her formidable relative, she turned with a swish of her robes and stalked towards the doors. Halfway through the Great Hall, her eyes fell onto a group of teary-eyed teenagers. Melina's features twitched and she gave Harry a short acknowledging nod.
The boy's eyes widened, but the woman had already craned her neck towards the head table and drawled sarcastically: "I will need help with the transport. Certainly, Professor Snape will gladly do his late colleague the honor and lend me a hand." With a swish of her tartan robes, she was out of the door.
---
Two hours later, Severus made his way from the hospital wing to the third floor of the North Tower. He had to admit, he felt like an old man. It was all too much.
Dumbledore had literally run from the Great Hall right after Melina had exited. Nobody had seen him since then. The Dark Lord had left soon after and shut himself in the headmaster's office. What he plotted there, Severus didn't dare think.
Though the staff had attempted to hold regular classes – mindful of Minerva's conviction to provide their charges with their proper education even under the most dire circumstances – it had proven impossible. The students were unable to think of anything but their grief and the teachers themselves could not concentrate.
So, like his colleagues, Severus had not only dismissed his first class early, but cancelled the rest of them as well. Reason dictated that he should prevent disaster resulting from the shock in which students and teachers alike were, though he didn't know how.
He had been on his way to Minerva's former quarters to find answers, when he had been intercepted first by the new headmaster, then by Baldur Nipps and Xiomara Hooch, who dragged him to the infirmary. In the relative safety of Pomfrey's office they had spent the last hour either reminiscing or in tense silence.
Now however, Severus was indeed on his way to the former transfigurations teacher's chambers. The Dark Lord had ordered him to keep an eye on their 'guest' and he fully intended to do so, though for a whole different reason. Just like Nipps, who had whispered his theory to him earlier, Snape believed there was a lot more to the events of the morning than met the eye.
Certainly, his own copy of the Daily Prophet showed the obituary, but something about it just didn't sit right with him. And he fully intended to find out why.
He came to a halt in front of one of the oddest (at least in Snape's mind) paintings in the castle. It was of muggle origin (so the other paintings could not visit) and showed an indistinguishable dark haired woman in a white dress before a Mediterranean landscape. "Ischia!" he muttered, suddenly stopping cold. Had not Dumbledore chosen the same password for his apartment at the ministry?
However, the painting swung aside and the potions master entered. Inside, the chambers looked as if a tornado had happened. Parchment, books, knickknacks and clothes had been pulled out and thrown everywhere in the rooms. All the paintings, which usually adorned the walls, were gone.
Melina stood by the window, but turned when she heard someone enter. Seeing his look, she shrugged and said with a tired smile. "I didn't do this. Hello Severus"
Taking her hand, he made his condolences. "I am very sorry for your loss." He said, but the woman held her hand up to stop him. The nagging feeling in the back of his mind grew. He paused and then, with a deep breath, asked: "So, Minerva really killed herself?"
Melina didn't answer, only gave him a hard look. The seconds of silence ticked by, flooding into each other and suddenly Severus understood.
Inside him a bubble burst, and completely uncharacteristically a genuine smile spread over his face. He squeezed the woman's hand. She looked at him and smiled as well.
Several seconds passed, during which both were completely oblivious to the rest of the world, then Severus became serious again. "Does your family really want to remove their funding for Hogwarts?"
Melina snorted. "Would that surprise you? I thought so. Nevertheless, nothing has been decided yet. But I am certain the family council will reach such a decision. They meet within the next days and then Uncle Dion will announce it."
"Then Hogwarts will close."
"Yes, probably."
"It will look like revenge."
"But my dear Severus, it is." Melina chuckled. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."
His eyes widened and he squeezed her hand harder. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I don't, Severus. But it isn't like I have a choice."
Snape nodded. Giving the witch before him a long, intense look, he raised his free hand and cupped her cheek. "Be careful then."
Her eyes sparkled. "Thank you for your concern, Severus. I appreciate it."
"Those are not idle words, Melina. I really want…"
Her finger on his lips interrupted him. With a husky voice she said: "I know, Severus. But this isn't the time for words." At the same time she leaned forward and before Snape could even comprehend what was happening, their lips met.
At the sudden contact, Severus felt a surge of excitement coursing through his body. He had heard from many sources how a kiss should feel, though his own experiences had never met the apparent standard. But feeling Melina's warm and soft and so utterly sweet mouth on his was like stepping into a whole new world of feeling. It was like coming home. Like everything had clicked into place. And he didn't waste a second to deepen their kiss.
Could a kiss shoot you to heaven? Melina asked herself. Actually, she couldn't believe it. She was kissing Severus Snape. Him, of all people. But this sensual voice was indeed accompanied by similarly sensual lips. If kissing him felt so natural and so right, how could that be wrong? And when she felt Severus' tongue demanding entrance to her mouth, Melina found that she didn't care anymore.
---
Nearing the doors of the Great Hall, Melina McGonagall heaved a weary sigh. Her plan was crazy – downright ridiculous. Actually, it had more holes in it than a fishnet. But…she had come this far and it wasn't like there was any other option. Desperate times demanded desperate measures. She had set the ball in motion and now had to play it.
Melina's mind wandered back to her parting from Severus. It was a good thing, the witch reflected, that her aunt had removed all the paintings during her cleaning spree before the mess had started. Thus, there had been no witnesses to their snog session. Melina shuddered at the thought of what would happen if anybody found out.
She sighed. It was as if their first kiss had opened up all the dams and suddenly everything that made this man attractive screamed in her face. Why had she never realized just how tender and sexy his voice was? And why had she never realized how wonderful it was to drown in his dark, deep eyes? How safe she felt in his strong arms?
All too soon their moment had ended, due to the pressing matters at hand. They had quickly summoned and shrunk all of Minerva's belongings and put them into the knapsack she was carrying. It now contained all of Minerva's belongings, save one. Then they had parted at the chamber door with a last – almost desperate – kiss.
"Melina, I…"
"Shhh, Severus. Don't. There will be a time for words. Maybe, even those." She cupped his cheek and pressed another short kiss to his lips. Melina could only hope that there would indeed be a time. She became serious again. "If anything happens, send an owl."
Severus nodded solemnly. "Good luck then."
She smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
He nodded again and left quickly.
And now, she was at the doors of the Great Hall and could only pray that her plan would work. "Showtime!" she muttered, and with a bang entered the vast hall.
After the open despair of breakfast, the lunch hour was barely controlled grief. Even Dumbledore attended, looking older than he would ever become.
Melina marched straight up to the dais, her tartan robes billowing behind her. At the center of the head table, the Dark Lord sneered at her. "Have you retrieved everything?"
Suddenly, Melina felt the urge to laugh. This monster was afraid. Afraid of what she could have taken – or even more important – of what she could have left. "Almost." She answered enigmatically.
The headmaster was impatient. "What more could you want?"
"A farewell. Something to be remembered by." McGonagall grinned. Then she yelled: "Melisande!"
With a high pitched scream, the large eagle appeared out of nowhere.
In his seat, next to the flying instructor, Baldur Nipps muttered: "That one, I would have called Melisande as well."
The whole school stared mesmerized at the majestic bird, flying in large, lazy circles over the heads of the students. Thus they failed to see the beginnings of the drama about to unfold. And then, it all happened too fast.
Completely unexpectedly, Melina jumped onto the staff table. Surprised by her sudden movement, all the staff including Dumbledore rose from their chairs. This proved to be a mistake. Jumping down from the table and grabbing Dumbledore was one for the ex-auror. With her wand pointing at the old wizard's temple, she backed towards the huge fireplace behind the head table.
"Don't anybody move!"
The whole school was paralysed and stared in shock.
Pushing Dumbledore into the hearth, Melina stepped in as well, pulled a small bag of floo powder out of her robes, upended it and with a muttered "Albany House", green flames burst out and both were gone.
Only the Dark Lord moved, lunging after them, but came too late. He landed with his face in the ashes.
All students and staff stood in a tense silence until a voice piped up: "Wow!"
With that, the Great Hall erupted in excited chatter.
Comments:
Mascaret: Mucho thankos for your multiple reviews and those many nice convos we had lately. But just so you know: A tartan bikini is verrrry right 'winks'
Palanfanaiel: Imperiousing me won't help, I'm afraid. This story is going my way…simply, because I write it. Heheeee
Leviathan: Hello there, I wondered, when I would be seeing you around. If I might say so myself (and clap me on the shoulders, cause nobody is here to do it 'pouts'), this is a barely toppable cliffie. But you need to read on, to find out.
Queerquail(): I never said, it ends here. I'm evil. I'm bad. I'm cruel…uhm, ah well…not that cruel.
Melcat(): Absolutely not. Oh, the heartache. We'll see, how it affects poor Dumbles.
Mathchick92: If you say so. Thanks for the Compliment.
Evilwoman: AD/MM never be happy in this story? But they were…during their vacation. And besides, you'll never know, what will come in the future.
Minerva's Quill: Thanks. But what makes you think, Minerva wouldn't do a completely emotional, despairing thing? Maybe she did. Maybe not.
LinZE: Well, my dearest Dark Angel-turned-Girls-Scout-chaperone (Did you know that they have the chaperones listed in the PoA-end credits?), it seems like it is true…
HogwartsDuo: A trick? Hmmm….
Liz O'Brien: I hope, your tears have dried by now. Still, I dunno, if this isn't turning into a sad story…Maybe…
Jestana: Really now…a fake suicide….tsk, tsk, tsk….'grins'
Dicere: Well, I actually wanted to wait with the update until you've gotten your butt into gear and beta-ed that certain story…But I guess, this story will have turned cold by then 'shakes head'. Indeed, the nagging update-question is kinda odd, but it shows that people wanna read more.. Btw, I hope your questions will be answered in due time…and really this 'Meeting in Heaven'-thing is not to my liking…naaaah. Could it get any more clichéd?
Karlynne: I hope, they didn't need to rush you to the ER yet. Breathe, girl, breathe! Here it is…
Wow…14 reviews for one chapter – seems, like I got you roused…heheeee. Thank you to all of you for reviewing…and thanks to all, who read and don't review (Shame on You!!!). Please, redeem yourself and do so now.