To anyone else, they were just two women, curled up together on a bench in the cold, but to Hermione, it was the culmination of so many wishes and dreams. She cast a warming charm over both of them and settled back against the table so she could hold Minerva for as long as she would allow it.
"What did you mean that I had more furniture than you?" the older woman asked after a time.
Hermione's insides squirmed.
"My," she sighed, knowing there was no way around it. "Parents. Packed up and moved."
Minerva went very still and then sat up and stared at Hermione.
"Your parents."
"It's okay."
"No! I -"
Hermione had never seen such a look on Minerva's face and she made a silent promise to herself to make sure she never had to see it again.
"Min? It's okay."
"It absolutely is not!" Minerva thundered. "I am -" Her hands were shaking as she tried to speak but the words kept getting stuck in her throat. "Her -"
"Min, sit down. It's okay."
"Are they -"
"They're okay," she smiled sadly. "I tried to get them to leave so many times. In the end, I forced them to go."
"I know that look," Minerva whispered. "What did you do?"
"I removed myself from their memories. And sent them to Australia."
Minerva stared at her for the longest time and it was only after a few beats that Hermione realised she was trying not to cry.
"It's not your fault," Hermione said gently as she cupped Minerva's face. A lone tear ran down her cheek and she caught it with her thumb. "Min, it really is okay."
"I failed you," she whispered. "You, of all people."
"No you didn't," Hermione soothed. "You didn't. You had so much going on and Professor Dumbledore and -"
Minerva stood suddenly and backed away.
"Min, wait."
"No, I don't deserve -"
"Minerva!" Hermione practically yelled. "Stop." She did as she was told and Hermione made note of the fact that she was tensed and ready to go. "Minerva, please. Stay with me?" Minerva stared at her with all the heartbreak she was drowning in shining out of her eyes. "I want you to stay." She tried again, hoping that it would drive home the fact that she genuinely did not hold Minerva responsible. "Min? I want you to stay with me. please," Hermione said gently. "Please hear me. I dealt with it, in the best way I knew how. And it's okay that I did. And it's okay that you didn't realise. I did this, not you. For all your beautiful brilliance, there was no way you were going to get them to budge," she stepped slowly closer and reached out to take Minerva's hand. At the very least, she couldn't leave without her now. "If I couldn't, then you couldn't have either. If anything had you gone there and told them about everything we were facing they would have pulled me from the school and forbade me from going back."
"Hermione," she whispered.
"It's okay," Hermione sighed, finally stepping close enough to rest her forehead against Minerva's temple. "I promise. It hurts, even now. And it hurt when I did it but I love them. I want them to be in this world even if I cannot have them. I'm okay with what happened."
"I am disgusted with myself. With our actions. I didn't spare a thought to any of the Muggle Parents. I didn't -"
"So change it now you have the opportunity. You're the headmistress. I will help if you like, Dennis' parents will as well." At the mention of the Creaveys Minerva's face crumpled.
"Oh Minerva," Hermione said, fighting her own tears.
She pulled Minerva in and held her close, sliding her fingers into her hair and breathing out against her shoulder.
"You are not responsible for their deaths," Hermione whispered, her voice cracking as she did so. "You aren't -" she insisted as Minerva picked her head up to argue. "You didn't," she stopped herself from continuing. "You did so much to protect us, Min. So much. All of you did. You fought Voldemort," she said exasperatedly. "You are magnificent."
Minerva scoffed and moved away, leaning against the fence overlooking the sea. The spray was whipping up with the wind and Hermione let her enjoy it a little before stepping beside her.
"You are not responsible, Minerva," she said firmly. "Mourn them. But do not feel guilty about their deaths."
"Oh darling, if only you knew just how much guilt I carry with me every day."
"Why," Hermione asked. "What purpose does it serve? No matter why you have guilt. It is doing nothing but hurting you. Let it go, Min. Just," she smiled when Minerva looked at her. "Let it go."
"My parents died in the first war. My youngest brother not long after. He believed he could be as good as me," she sighed. "I had a group of friends, not dissimilar to your group. Doing small missions and the like. Rab didn't like working with other people. He thought it beneath him."
"That is not your fault," Hermione shrugged. "It is sad and awful and truly frustrating but it isn't your fault."
"But -"
"Min," Hermione groaned. "Did you tell him to stop being stupid? Did you warn him?"
"Of course!" She looked scandalised that Hermione would suggest otherwise.
"Did you do everything you could short of imprisoning him?" Minerva snorted and smirked at Hermione, letting some of the desolation go. "I know you did because I know you."
"He did it anyway." Minerva sighed. "And I know what you're doing."
"Well then maybe you should listen to me," Hermione quipped.
"Hermione, I -" Hermione waited as Minerva fought with herself before turning to face Hermione properly. "You can't want this," she frowned. "Me, I mean. I am nothing but an old -"
"Minerva," Hermione chuckled. "You're not old."
"But I am," she said, frustration making her tone clipped. "And beyond that," she said seriously. "Beyond all the obvious things that say this shouldn't work," she shook her head. "That this can't work, everyone I love dies, Hermione. Everyone. Everything I touch turns away from me."
"I won't," Hermione said easily, with a shrug. "I'm not."
"You will," she whispered.
"Trust me not to."
"I have trusted others, Hermione."
"I know," she said genuinely, taking the scrutiny when it came. "I know you have. And I'm not naive, Min. I'm not gonna be the first person to ever fall in love with you," she smiled. "But I might like to be the last?"
Minerva stared at her like she'd never seen her before and Hermione didn't know what else to do but let her. She stroked Minerva's hand and ran her other up to Minerva's neck, pressing their foreheads together.
"We've been through so much, Min. So much has happened to make us who we are. Imagine all the things we can do now we're free," Hermione whispered. "Then imagine sharing them with someone who thinks you're the most incredible woman she's ever met. The most beautiful. Who values you above all else but who respects your need for privacy and solitude and good whisky." Minerva snorted but she didn't look as sad anymore.
"Hermione -"
"It's okay if that's not with me," Hermione whispered, knowing that it would break her heart but needing Minerva to know the depth of her love. "It is. All I really want is for you to be happy. The happiest you've ever been and if you can't love me, I mean. I will always love you. But -"
"Don't be ridiculous," Minerva muttered, her hand gripping the back of Hermione's neck as she joined their lips together. Hermione squeaked in shock but didn't let go. "Hermione," Minerva whispered. "I have never felt as much guilt as I do right now and I do not know if all the rest of it is love. I have never been as discombobulated as I am in this moment." Their lips ghosted together as she spoke. "But," she said, kissing Hermione chastely and pulling away a little to take her in. "I daresay it won't take me long to work it out."
Hermione beamed at her and leaned forward to press a kiss to both cheeks, her forehead, which required her to stand on her tiptoes, and with a giggle, her lips.
"I'm looking forward to helping you figure that out."
"Hermione," she said cautiously. "I don't," she sighed. "I'm not -"
"What?"
"I haven't had many," she winced. "Lovers in my life. I'm not -"
"How many do you think I've had?" Hermione asked her softly. Minerva baulked and stepped back.
"I don't -" she frowned. "I don't know."
"Two. Although only one proper," Hermione chuckled. "And I kissed Ron, but we won't speak of that. In fact, the less spoken of that the better."
Minerva bit her lip and tried desperately not to laugh and Hermione grinned at her while she struggled.
"I'm sorry," Minerva snorted, covering her mouth. "I'm not laughing at you."
"You can," Hermione laughed. "I would deserve it, for that. But no. Her name was Ellie. She lived up the road from my parents. She was -" She felt a blush creep up her cheeks and she saw Minerva take note of it. "She was a school friend's mother."
"Hermione Granger!" Minerva squeaked. "Did," she blinked. "Did your parents know?"
"No, god no," Hermione laughed. "I went round there a few times in the holidays and more so after my parents left," she shrugged. "We chatted. It was nice and then," she shrugged. "We did other things."
"I'm not hearing this," Minerva groaned, covering her face. She peered out from beneath her fingers as Hermione grinned sheepishly.
"I was of age," she clarified. "But, well, I'm not naive, remember." Minerva laughed and then paused before she laughed again.
"What am I going to do with you?" She spoke affectionately and brushed back an errant curl that had come loose on the wind.
"You could try loving me and we can see how it goes."
"An excellent plan, I think," Minerva nodded.
Hermione was just about to suggest they get back to their picnic table and order some pizza when Minerva's hand tightened on her sleeve and drew them back together.
"Shall we see how it goes right now?"
It was corny, and it deserved the little snort Hermione gave, but Minerva's eyes looked light for the first time since she'd opened the door to her quarters and Hermione rejoiced in that alone.
She felt Minerva's breath on her lips and glanced down at them before looking searchingly up into Minerva's eyes.
"You sure?"
"No," Minerva admitted. "But then there is nothing so sure right now and I do care for you. Don't ever doubt that."
"I'll take it," Hermione grinned.
Minerva took a deep breath and let it go again before she leant forward again. Hermione was waiting, this time, and she captured Minerva's lips with her own in a kiss that outshone every other kiss Hermione had ever received or given.
Minerva tasted of coffee and spices that she couldn't name. Her hands were gripping Minerva's shoulders but when she realised that Minerva's had slid up into her hair, she moved hers around the woman's tiny waist, pulling her as close as she could. The feeling of Minerva's body against hers was doing strange things to her stomach but it was Minerva's kiss that was rocking her whole world.
"You are so precious to me, Hermione. I do not wish to ruin this."
"We are Minerva McGonagall and Hermione Granger," Hermione said, trying not to sound as out of breath as she felt. "How can we fail, together?"
Minerva laughed once more and ran her thumb over Hermione's cheek before stepping back.
"We're going to be okay, Min," Hermione promised. "No matter what happens, you and me? We're going to be okay."
They stood in silence for a long time until Minerva nodded to herself and turned back to Hermione.
"I seem to recall someone promising me a pizza?"
Hermione stepped forward and searched Minerva's face for signs that she had closed herself off but found only cautious openness.
"Minerva McGonagall, I would give you the world," she whispered, tracing the very pretty blush that appeared on Minerva's cheek. "So a pizza you shall have."