Chapter Two: Not Alone
hey, I'm back! Yay! hehe…the chapter is even semi-long…a true sign that I am here to stay. :)
uhm…late update, I know. That has a perfectly valid explanation however. I was ready to post this last weekend, but it was Thanksgiving for Americans such as me. My family went to Disneyland, California Adventure and Universal Studios over the break. The thought of even LOOKING at this story when I got back just didn't go over well with my exhausted body…so I waited another week. sorry. From now on I'll strive to do 2 week intermissions. :)
okay then…NOTES! (which I got a great number of FABULOUS responses)
kidarock: Well, first off, thanks for the lovely review. Second off, the lake and house descriptions are very fresh in my head. I went to Lake Powell in September and made sure that I soaked up ALL of the magic of the lake. :) The house(s) have been in my imagination for years and years! Ah…and Albus with his age? Well, I believe that it's normal for all men to feel a little bit old and want something that would have been available to them in youth. haha. Well, I sort of avoided that by making our Albus look about 40…that's the way I've always thought about it though; I figure that the magical people ought to be able to live longer, since there's such a shortage of em, yah know?
Tainted Image: I love your name! It's awesome. Anywho, thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy the story. I know I'll enjoy writing it.
gahhMinerva: Thank you dahhhling. I hope this story does turn out fabulous, I love the plot line. If I could write this fic a million times over I would. The plot line is so clear in my mind that I know I'll have you all laughing, crying, screaming "what the heck is wrong w/ you", and sighing of happiness. It'll be great, just stick w/ me. :) thanks for the review again.
BansheeGirl: Well, first off, thank yah much for the review. Next on the list would be my point on what you said in your review. You mentioned that Albus would feel guilty being in a relationship? Well, the way I figure it is that Albus is a guy and EVERYONE needs to be loved at least one point in their lives. I make it my business to have a Dumbledore fall in love with a McGonagall. :) And I try not to make everything OOC…but again, one must take into consideration that this is you know…50 years before the books take place. People change…DRAMATICALLY. I'll lay down a basis to where you could see the path that either of them take over their lives, but they won't fully be what you're used to imagining them. (one choc. chip cookie to you!) Uhm…and Albus being 83 vs. Minerva? Well…I don't honestly know what the REAL age difference is and I don't see why I ought to. …then again, I don't see why I can't change it. I just picked the ages I did because I felt like picking random numbers, I guess. (lol)
Erica Dawn: Thanks, babe! Haven't heard from you in a while. :) I'm glad you thought of Albus as being realistic. I like to think of him comparable to normal people, so I make him normal. He's got all the screws and nails that the rest of us do inside of him. Hope to hear from you again.
HMS Frivolity and Felines: Well, I suppose you also get a chocolate chip cookie:) mm…that sounds really good right now, but you're getting the last one. :) And YES romance is the best part about writing. Making up something that can make you heart melt is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done. And no, Albus does not know Minerva (is there) at this point. Of course they're going to fall in love, that's of course the plot line. I can't always guarantee a happy ending, though I strive for them. Whatever the ending may be (I haven't QUITE decided) it will be absolutely wonderful and we'll all either be smiling or crying (maybe both).
Angeldust-aka-Evilwoman: Haha. The summary? I daresay, that has to be a first. I never thought that I was very good at writing summaries, but you've changed my mind officially. I hope the summary isn't the only interesting thing about this story for you. Remember…my readers have a direct influence on me and what I write! hehe. Well, anywho, here's your update and I hope it does not disappoint you.
SherbetKitty: Thanks for the review! Erg…and uh…well, here's your update! I've spent about 2 weeks editing and making it just right. I truly believe that the second and last chapters are the most important chapters to a story. The first chapter hooks the reader and the second is meant to set the story into place. Of course the last chapter is simply the ending, which no one could live without. So anyway, I'll stop babbling and let you get to reading. hope to hear from you again!
Quill of Minerva: Hey, haven't heard from you in a while either, huh? Well…(hehe) that line was added out of sheer humor. I needed something that could make a few of my readers chuckle. After all, what is a story without some funny lines/scenes? You'll get at least one more pretty funny scene later on, but for now that'll do to at least hook y'all in. This chapter below is fairly informative, but I believe it conveys a massive amount of emotion in the beginning. Hopefully you'll be able to connect, along with the other reviewers!
Hogwarts Duo: hehe. You know me too well. Aye, the romance is to come! For now, we'll be stuck in a "friend-zone", but that won't apply for the entire story. The imagery I tried extremely hard to convey the atmosphere…its one of my goals as a writer to be better at imagery and scene-setting. It just so happened that I was able to connect very well with the lake. (which is very funny, considering I live in the desert!) And I DO hope that this story is grand for you. I'll be putting in much effort towards it. Hope to hear from you again.
TartanPhoenix: Aye, I have been cooking something up in my mind! It just happens to be below these sentences! You know I couldn't live without writing another fluffy romance. I'd just kill over if I were outlawed from it! So here I write…and write…and write…and procrastinate. (lol) I REALLY hope you like this story. I like to think of it as original, but I daresay that's hoping for too much. There has to be something somewhere out there that is similar to this, though I don't believe I've read it. Anywho, it should be a good read if I can keep my head in the story and not get too busy. I'm afraid it lacks as big of a plotline as the last story, but it'll convey all that a story ought to! Can't wait to hear what you think of it!
Underground: Oh thank you! I'm so happy that you liked "The Benefit of Time". I put a lot of effort into it and it is certainly my favorite thus far. You're one of the few people to mention my age and I always smile when I read those notes. The thing is, I may be only sixteen, but I have a mind that likes to dwell on people and things that may or may not happen to them. It's become a habit of mine to try to figure out what other people are thinking. Ever do that? It's fun. Anywho, true, I'm young, but I connect with people in a way that other people my age apparently cannot. I love writing. It's one of my favorite things to do. I only hope that you continue to like what I have to say inside my stories. :)
assassinatorgirl: Hey there! Thanks for the review. It was awesome. And here is your update. I truly hope that you continue to like this story. It's going to have a heck of a lot of romance and will make you laugh, cry, scream (at me) and smile. It ought to fill your craving for whatever you think a story ought to be. If it doesn't, you can always write me and say so! I try to listen…:) Can't wait to see what you have to say!
Chapter Two: Not Alone
A young woman looked onto the lake as it reflected the luminous moon beams from her balcony. She loved the panoramic view; the moon, water, and trees all worked together in perfect harmony to create the epitome of relaxation. There seemed to be no world other than the one which she stared. Merlin, it was beautiful.
Minerva McGonagall looked down at her hand which had been twisting her necklace in the previous seconds. She'd gotten that necklace years before as a present. The sapphire charm had long since lost its sparkle, but she never cared much for the glimmer of things like jewelry. The woman only found pleasure in that moment when it had been presented.
That's all life was, really; a million moments that will either be taken or left well enough alone. The woman knew this fact well after missing hundreds of thousands of moments with anyone for whom she'd ever cared. Often they never knew, whoever they may be, that she loved at all. That was the thing that hurt the most to her. No one had ever known that she thought them so close to her heart.
Her mother didn't know. Minerva regretted that more than anything. Three months it had been since she was laid in the ground and yet there was no peace. No silence could ever keep the woman from thinking about what she should have said and didn't. There had been no words. It was not that she couldn't think of anything to say, it was simply the fact that there was no way to express what she felt at that moment. A stiff statue was what she had been. Even in those last few days, Minerva had nothing for her mother. There had simply been silence; a moment and then another. Eventually the seconds led to nothingness and a very lost woman by the name of McGonagall.
That's why she came to such an unfamiliar place in the dead of summer. Minerva was so very lost. She didn't know herself. Was she happy? Sad? Frightened? Inexplicably, the answer had to be all of the above, but that helped her reach no deduction. There was no place to go, even with the knowledge that she was an emotional time bomb. Her only choice was to go some place and then find what was most certainly lost.
She squeezed her necklace gently between her fingers and then turned herself towards the door.
In she went, to a house which she had never stayed along with a room that her eyes had never seen. Though she had to admit it was similar to how she would have decorated the room, it was too impersonal. Maybe it was the way that the tan comforter hung off the bed, or how there was a lonely painting in the center of a wall. Whatever it was, the room had her a little bit uneasy.
Of course, she supposed that it needed to be quarters which were fit for anyone. The house was passed from one person to the next for more and more money. Minerva hoped to be the last one to hold the house, but word of mouth had been that the place was much too lonely for anyone.
The woman had simply figured that nothing could outdo her desire for human contact. If anything were to end her state of solemnity, then it would be praised for years to come. Maybe she needed the friendless house just as much as it needed her.
She glided across the room and discretely put on her nightgown.
Shaking her head, the woman walked slowly towards the formal bed. It would all look better in the morning, when Minerva could start working on herself and thinking about everything that hadn't been said—what she could and couldn't do.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
A low echo came over the house. The woman blinked slowly to herself, rather dumbstruck at what she thought was heard. Was it…the door?
Minerva walked to her bathroom and grabbed a robe, slightly perturbed. Then she went slowly down the stairs, only to make sure that there was indeed someone there. The woman slid the robe over her nightgown and waited. When a second pair of knocks came, she began opening the door at a disturbingly sluggish rate—quite rightly in fact.
Struck absolutely speechless, her jaw opened and closed when the assumed stranger came into view. Minerva knew the man with whom she was staring. He had red hair and blue eyes. It had been eight years since she'd seen the like of him. The dumbstruck woman swallowed slowly. "Professor Dumbledore?"
He nodded slowly. The man was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him; Minerva could hear that high note in his voice. "Miss McGonagall; I wasn't aware that you owned this house."
She bobbed her head slowly. "I purchased it a month or two ago." The woman's brows arched down in an odd moment. Albus Dumbledore, her favorite teacher, was standing there after a little under ten years. Minerva really couldn't help but ask why. "You…you have a house here?"
The man nodded his head again. "I've had it for nearly thirty years."
Minerva blinked. That was completely unexpected. She folded her arms gently across herself, in some form of disbelief. "Your neighbors didn't mention that you had a residence here."
"I suppose they wouldn't have." He shrugged. A quick silence passed, revealing just enough time for Minerva to take in his tall frame. He, too, seemed to take a little glance at the woman, perhaps becoming reacquainted with the figure. The man pressed on after nearly three seconds of silence. "They never seemed to be around when I was; I can't say that I ever met them at all."
As odd as it was, Minerva was almost enlightened by this idea. How could anyone not realize that Albus Dumbledore was living across the way from them? His name, out of any in the wizarding world, was the one most spoken. No person would knowledgeably give up a home so close to such a great man. Besides that, he had always been one for good conversation. The man knew how to make anyone laugh, may they be child, man, or woman. He had been Minerva's favorite professor for a reason.
"Well then I suppose they've lost out on something." Minerva gave a short smile. "Would you…care to come in, Professor?" Her home was not at all to her liking quite then, but she couldn't very well leave the man out on her front porch. Besides that, he'd always been good to her during her school days; she had no reason to leave him in the night air.
He nodded his head, but didn't take any advancement towards the inside of the impersonal house. "You aren't my student anymore. Call me Albus."
Minerva blinked. "I think that might be a little bit odd for me." He'd always been her professor. Referring to the man by his first name would just be too…strange, if not personal.
The man chuckled. "I hope you're able to get past it then, otherwise I think conversation might be in short supply."
She bobbed her head slowly. He had a point most certainly. And Minerva, always a giver, never a taker, gave in to his wish. "Very well then, Albus. Won't you come in?"
"Certainly, that's very kind of you," he smiled.
Minerva could remember very distinctly that he liked to smile back in her school days. He was the one professor of the lot who would join in on the festivities on April the first. Professor Dumbledore had even managed to get the headmaster once or twice without being caught, a feat no student could ever manage. He'd been loads of fun back then…intelligent to boot on top of it.
She led him to the only settee on the lower level, which held residence next to the empty fireplace. The both of them sat down, but there was an unfamiliar silence in the room. It wasn't that there lacked anything to talk about, but it was more to the effect that, well, they were each slightly caught off guard at meeting up with a lost relationship. Minerva looked at him without trying to seem too curious. However, Albus also looked at her, not hiding his amusement at the scene.
"I really hadn't expected to see you open that door," he said gently. "Out of all the people in all the world, my favorite student was the one to live here."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "I was you favorite student?" Yes, she had always liked his classes, even excelled beyond the normal person, but she'd never considered herself anything special to a teacher. Minerva had been herself when she was in school, meaning dedicated. "I find that rather hard to believe. You've been teaching for as long as I've even been alive."
Albus nodded. "True, but a professor must always have his one important student. You happen to fit the description. You were studious, on time, and had a rather wonderful sense of humor when you stayed back to talk to me. I had been really sad to see you graduate."
Minerva blinked, even more dumbstruck than when she had opened the door. Did he somehow know that she was lonely for someone like him? For in the few sentences that he had spoken, he'd managed to make her feel like smiling. Minerva hadn't willfully smiled in two months for anyone.
"I've missed the school," she admitted quietly. "The entire atmosphere was just…" she looked around to find the right word. The empty fireplace caught her attention, "…magical."
The man bobbed his head slowly. "You're welcome to visit anytime. Though, I did hear something about you working with The Society? There are rumors of you being the youngest in quite some time."
Something of a blush grew on her face, though she couldn't imagine why. She was the youngest to be working in her branch, B.E.T.A.S. (Biological Experimentation for Transfigurative and Associative Sciences), having no less than a sixteen year start on her fellow members. "The Society" was merely the term used to refer to her particular department in the Ministry, specializing in theories and science. It got its name when the scientific big headed men of the century decided they were too intelligent to simply be referred to as 'the department'.
"Yes," she replied softly. "The closest person to my age is sixteen years older than I. They all find it rather offensive, I think, that I've earned a spot next to them."
"Well you've deserved it." He pulled his head down, perhaps in agreement with himself. "I don't believe I've ever met a witch who could change form as early in life as you. You were walking around the school as a cat before your second year. I daresay," he bobbed his head, "that's some definite proof that your powers exceed most others."
She nodded her head slowly. "I suppose so," she glanced at the ground and then back into his eyes. "But every now and then I wish I could be a normal person and wait until I'm thirty-five to join." Her head grew low. Work was one of the many other reasons that she had not been up to her normally headstrong, happy self. Deadlines, people, files all played into her state of loneliness. Minerva lifted her head back up again and tried not to look too sad. "I'd get fewer headaches and more people with whom I could chat."
"You've always got your dear old Transfiguration Professor to talk to." He seemed sincere, perhaps only because it was in his disposition. "You know, I'm lonely most of the year for another intelligent being. It couldn't possibly hurt anything for you to drop in once or twice to keep me company."
She smiled gently. It was a fine offer, but she thought not. He acted lonely, but he always had something to do or someone to see. It had been often when she was a student that he left the school for some ministry work. Nonetheless, she nodded softly and gave him a fake smile. "Perhaps I'll consider it."
A silence fell in on them, slightly less unnerving as the last one. Minerva still stared at him and he still stared at her, but there lacked awkwardness. Maybe that was just what the woman felt like, but she couldn't help but realize that there was something in the quiet which she had never known. No, Minerva didn't know what to say, but for that moment, it seemed quite all right. The lack of sound could almost be considered as comforting.
He had rather blue eyes. They reminded her of the way an ocean looks towards the horizon. Serious, they were, but it was as if they were searching for something. The only strange thing was that they were staring straight at her. What could he be looking for upon her? There was nothing even remotely spectacular about the woman at that moment; she was nowhere near her usual standards.
"Well," he whispered gently, "how long will you be here?"
Minerva blinked. "Two weeks. And you?"
"Three weeks," he nodded. "They're much more lenient on you as time passes. It will be nice to have someone to talk to this year…especially someone I'm already relatively well acquainted with."
The woman allowed the slightest hint of a smile cross her face, only for him. "I think it will be a good change to be seeing you regularly." True it was, she felt the same way as the man. To have someone, anyone to talk to would be heaven. "I understand that it may be awkward at first, but I believe this will be the sort of holiday I've been looking forward to."
He nodded slowly. "Glad to be of service." He stood up from the settee and looked down at her. "Well, anyhow, I believe it's getting late. You were obviously getting ready for bed when I came, so I'll leave you to that. You uh…wouldn't hold an objection to me visiting tomorrow, would you?"
She thought about it for a few seconds—much too many seconds.
Albus began to explain his point, without need. "Well, Minerva, it's just that I think I'll be wanting to see someone somewhere in the near future, I just thought that it might be convenient if it were the person I was living across from for the next few weeks. Whatever you uh…decide," the man shrugged.
"That'll be lovely," she nodded. The woman sat up from her seat and led him to the door. "I don't think it's a crime to have a chat with a neighbor."
The man had a small smile cross his face. "I'll see you in the late morning, Minerva."
She smiled. "I'll be seeing you."
Then he left. Albus Dumbledore took his leave and Minerva was alone again. The woman glanced around the much too impersonal room. The fireplace was filthy; ash from the previous owners still hung inside and rust had begun overtaking the fire tools. There was a mantelpiece directly above the fireplace, wanting to be covered with something even mildly important. Even the settee needed to be cleaned, perhaps even replaced. Under the settee there was a rug, completely covered in dirt and soot.
Minerva shook her head slowly. Then she made her way to the window, not far from the settee. Again, the woman stared outside to the calm water. In the distance, she could see flickering lights inside a home. She sighed.
She'd found someone to talk to over her holiday. He'd be kind and sincere; give her good advice. The man would make her smile and maybe even laugh. He'd show her things, she knew, that she'd never considered before; that's just the type of man he was—or had been anyhow. Albus Dumbledore was exactly what she needed.
well, there it is. hope yah liked it. Review for me? please? you'll put a smile on my face…and I love to smile. Can I offer you some nuts? (that's all I have! It's the holidays and the candy has been…plucked from my reach) :)
