A/N: Liverpool just lost the Champions League, so I'm gutted, but I also suddenly remembered this thing. One day you'll all come back here and wonder whatever happened to me and discover a whole series done and polished...

But it is not this day. For that I'm sorry. But here's something.

-0-

Harry woke up feeling safe but like he'd been trampled by a herd of Hippogriffs. His hand throbbed and he was too hot, but as he blinked awake, he took a deep breath and realised where he was. He sighed and thanked his lucky stars that he'd managed to get to his Máthair without bumping into anyone else.

He could tell by her breath on the back of his neck that she was sleeping and he made sure to stay as still as possible as he remembered how much she did for him the night before. Instead, he looked around and noted Ron sleeping beside them on a chair and Hermione - well he couldn't see her, but no doubt she was here somewhere. As his consciousness grew, he felt Minerva stirring and he took another deep breath to try and help calm her. He winced as his hand moved and chose instead to slide his other hand out and trace his scar. He thought about the love he felt for her, how desperately he wanted to tell her about everything and before long he was crying at the uselessness of it all.

"Tha gaol agam ort [I love you]," Minerva whispered, her arms tightening around him. "I love you, sweetheart. Keep sleeping."

He closed his eyes and snuggled back into her body but sleep wouldn't come. He sniffled, his hand hurt and his mind hurt and everything felt so hopeless. He needed to get out of there so he could cry without an audience.

"When the darkness grows, mo chiall [my darling]," she whispered, her arms pulling him closer where he had been shifting out of bed. "Other dark forces come into their own. It isn't fair, it isn't right, but it is a fact. When you turn off the lights, other things that are afraid of the light move to the surface."

"I have to go back," he whispered, shivering at the thought.

"You do," she murmured. "But I will be with you," she pressed her hand over his heart. "In here."

"She's evil. She infects everything. I," he frowned. "The other night, last week. She touched me and -"

"And what leanabh [baby]?" Minerva encouraged him to roll over, and smoothed his hair back. "And what?"

"My scar reacts to her. My head. She touched my hand and I," he shuddered and she pulled him close again.

"She is not a Death Eater," Minerva said quietly, chuckling. "She does not work for him, they wouldn't have her. But she is possibly even more dangerous than any Death Eater. She believes so strongly in her cause that she will do anything to prevent its derailment."

"Her cause?" Harry asked, looking up at her.

"The Ministry being in control of Hogwarts," Hermione's voice joined in quietly. "Fudge wants to control the information. He wants to retain his power and usurp Albus. Especially as he knows Voldemort is back, even if he won't admit it. The best information comes from Albus."

Harry felt a sharp spike of something in his gut as he thought of Albus but Minerva soothed him.

"Easy mo mhac [my son]," she smiled down at him. "For now you are safe. And I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm sorry I was mean yesterday."

"Shh, it is of no matter," Minerva said, rolling onto her back and pulling him with her. She smiled when Hermione laid her head on her shoulder and turned to kiss her hair.

"I was! I said -"

"I was not in possession of all the facts," Minerva muttered, her thumb rubbing his cheek. "I should have done more."

"You couldn't," Harry sighed, wrapping his good arm around her and Hermione, then resting his head on her chest. "I see now. Reckon we can just run away?" Harry whispered. Minerva kissed his hair and sighed.

"You know we cannot. There are smaller people than us that we must protect."

"Why," Harry moaned, though he understood.

"Harry," Hermione said disapprovingly.

"I know," he said quickly, stopping Minerva from speaking. "I know. I just," he sighed deeply. "Why is it always us? I just want to be normal."

She let the statement hang in the air as they lay quietly together.

"What do we do?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Do you remember asking me if you can stay for the rest of the week?" He shrugged.

"I don't remember much of last night," he admitted.

"You three are staying with me until Monday. But we have to do it very carefully. We," she looked down at him. "We think Minister Fudge will increase her powers as she is prevented from doing various things," she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "She is not a new figure in history. But for now, we have a little wiggle room. If she is given the power that we," she hesitated and looked at him. "That I think she will be given, I do not hold out much hope of us being able to meet outside of class."

His face fell as he understood the horror of how much of his life was being infected by Umbridge.

"Tonight," she continued, soothing his worries for a moment. "Hermione is going to go to the Muggle Studies classroom. You are going to leave dinner before Ron, okay?" Hermione nodded. "I will collect you from there. Ron will go to Filius. I will speak to him and he will bring him here as well." She blinked away a tear. "Mo mhac, I will come and get you the moment you exit that room."

"You shouldn't," he mumbled. "She'll be there. She watches when I leave."

"Then where should I meet you?"

He thought about it, considering all the possibilities.

"By the statue on the second floor? I can get down the stairs near her room. I'll meet you there."

"I'll be there," she nodded. "Or someone will."

"And you'll be with me?"

"As much as I can be," she smiled. "We've not tried this before. I will need to be able to take your pain but not be drawn to you. I will have help though."

"Mornin'," Ron said, getting up suddenly and leaving the room.

Minerva chuckled and kissed the two kids practically lying on top of her.

"Up we get then. Let's get ready for breakfast and get down there. Tonight, we will be extra careful. If something feels wrong, or you are spooked. Leave. Go back to your dormitories and we'll try again."

"Love you," he mumbled, getting up. He looked down at himself and noticed that he was only wearing his boxers. Blushing, he looked up in confusion.

"I'm sorry, love," she sighed. "We had to get you out of them. There are spare ones next door, aren't there?"

"Think so," he shrugged. "I'll look."

He left, rubbing his forearm to disrupt the uncomfortable feeling in his hand and hoping that now that his Máthair knew, everything would be alright.

-0-

Hermione didn't move, she took a wobbly breath and allowed Minerva to tap her chin gently and catch her eyes.

"What you did last night was more than I should have asked you to do," Minerva whispered, turning over and running her hand over Hermione's face. She loved it when Minerva did that. "And you did so with such maturity and calm that I was reminded of myself when I was a little older than you."

"I touched your wand. That's like a bad thing," she looked up from under her eyelashes. "Isn't it?"

She rubbed her hand where she'd done so and Minerva sat up.

"Sit up, look at me for a minute?"

"It felt -"

"Odd?" Minerva said, crossing her legs, Hermione mirrored her, rubbing the palms of her hands on her pyjamas.

"Yeah, but not as bad as I thought," Hermione winced. "What does that mean?"

"Touching someone else's wand is not always as uncomfortable as it's made out to be," Minerva smiled. "I think it first depends on the relationship, but also the wand and how it's been used. For instance," she smiled, taking Hermione's hands and rubbing the palms with her thumbs. "I have not ever used Albus' wand. There is something about it that makes me recoil and yet," she smiled. "I love him with all of my heart and cannot think of a single instance I know about where he has done magic that procured evil results," she chuckled. "Yes, I love him, even now." She stalled Hermione from asking a question, placing her finger on her lips gently. "Though I don't know nearly enough about WandLore as I'd like, I do know that it is not uncommon for a child to use their parent's wand in a time of crisis."

"But my parents -"

"No," Minerva soothed, squeezing Hermione's hands. Hermione watched as Minerva rubbed her thumbs inside her palms again, where the tingling remained. "But parent is a term that is used to indicate the adults around you that love and care for you. That cherish you."

"Like you," Hermione whispered.

"Yes," Minerva smiled indulgently. "Like me."

"I love you, Min."

"Oh my piseag [kitten], I love you too." Minerva took a deep breath and Hermione watched as her face clouded over. "Darling, I need you to do something for me," she swallowed and met Hermione's eyes. "I need to see you, just you, with the book that we share. That you have in your possession. Can you do that?"

"When?" Hermione frowned. "Why?"

"I can't explain right now, but soon," Minerva nodded. "This weekend. It is an incredibly big secret that only you and I can know. Nobody else. Not even Albus and not the boys." The look Minerva gave Hermione chilled her to her bones. "Hermione, I cannot implore you enough. Nobody can know about this."

"I promise," Hermione said, smiling as she offered her little finger.

"I don't understand."

"It's a pinky promise. The most sacred of muggle promises. I'm trying to tell you that I absolutely won't tell but I'm also trying to make that look in your eye go away too."

Minerva held her finger up and Hermione wrapped hers around it and shook it.

"I promise."

Minerva pulled her hand closer and kissed the back, dropping them to her lap while Hermione thought for a while. She could bring the book tomorrow night and leave it here so that nobody else would find it, but they had to find a time where they could be alone.

"Do they have a quidditch game this weekend?" she mused. Minerva nodded her head. "Oh," she grimaced. "But then you'll be there too. We could do it after? If they win, they'll party?"

"Yes," Minerva smiled. "And if not? We'll find some time while they are doing their homework perhaps. Don't say anything Hermione, to anyone. This is," she frowned. "This is important."

"I won't, I already promised." She suddenly had a thought. "Wait," she looked shocked. "You're not -"

"No," Minerva laughed, that look finally leaving her. Hermione felt a bit stupid. "No love," she blushed. "Not that."

"But you are" she winced with the connotation of the word. "Talking again?" Hermione looked at her awkwardly. She didn't really want to know, but she needed to know for Harry. She'd noticed Albus' absence and she thought maybe it would be better if he wasn't gone. "I mean -"

"What Albus and I do, darling is up to us. All you need to know is that Albus will not be visiting while you three are here."

"But that -"

"Go and get ready please mo chiall [my darling]," Minerva said, heading off any more questions. Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Minerva's finger on her lips kept her silent. "Darling, I know you wish to know everything, but there are things that are none of your business. And this is one of them."

"I," Hermione frowned, wishing she could convey what it was she needed to. "That's not what I was going to ask, but I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I know it comes from a place of love. But you need to go and get dressed so that we can get you three out into the halls without anyone knowing."

She nodded and left Minerva laying in bed, and got ready in her bathroom. She brushed her teeth and decided that she'd have a shower because she felt so very tired after the night they'd had. Her hands shook as she remembered the power in Minerva's wand, and what she had almost done with it. She'd send a hex at Professor Dumbledore!

The twenty points would be nice, but she knew there were darker things coming. If Minerva was keeping secrets from Harry and Dumbledore, then it had to be a big deal. Except, with all the things she was already trying to keep straight in her head, Hermione wasn't sure whether she could keep many more things quiet.