Chapter 14

Harry and Minerva spent the next few weeks enjoying their children. They were infatuated with their children and spent most of their time together as a family. The couple learned how to balance between work and family. They also discovered it was important to spend time together as a couple and were grateful for Hermione who would happily watch the children so they could have a date night.

Minerva, Hermione and Harry had carefully crafted several new proposals to put through the Wizengamot at the next session which started today. Each had spoken with various trusted contacts regarding the proposals in hopes of gaining votes so that the bills would pass. The first proposal they decided to try would outlaw anyone wanting to marry anything closer than third cousins. Their hope was to put a stop to so much interbreeding between pureblood families and hopefully lower the number of squibs being born. Hermione had researched the numbers and drilled the information into Harry over the past week. Harry felt he was ready to present the proposal and hoped it would pass.

"I have to be going if I am to make it on time," Harry said as he pulled his wife to him and kissed her gently.

Minerva smiled at the tenderness before acknowledging him, "I know. I will miss you dreadfully."

"I will be back tomorrow evening," he responded. "I will be back before you know."

Minerva raised her eyebrow in doubt. "I seriously doubt that," she said in her matter-of-fact way.

"I love you," Harry said and pulled his wife to him for reassurance. Tonight would be the first night they would spend apart since their first night together. He knew his wife was upset by the mere thought. "It will be fine," his whispered softly hoping to reassure his wife.

"Daddy," a tiny voice shouted before he felt hands tugging on his dress robes. He smiled before picking up his daughters.

"Hello my girls," he said while smothering each girl with kisses on their faces. The girls giggled at their dad before hugging him.

Hermione walked into the study with a baby in each arm. "I believe the boys wanted to tell you bye as well," she said as she handed the boys to their mother.

Harry grinned before placing kisses on his sons' foreheads. "Be good my boys," he said gently.

He turned back to Minerva before pressing another kiss to her lips. "I love you," he said honestly. "Take care of our family."

"Always," she whispered as she watched as he disappeared through the floo. Tears welled up in her eyes but she held them at bay. She refused to let the children see how upset she really was. "Who wants to go on a picnic," she asked and smiled as the girls shouted excitedly. Minerva looked at Hermione before asking, "You accompanying us?" Hermione merely nodded her head yes.

Minerva woke with a start. Sweat covered and heart racing, she tried to steady herself. The nightmares she dreaded had finally found her. Images from her nightmare filtered through her mind and tears fell from her face. She sobbed into Harry's pillow as she attempted to banish the images from her mind.

She had never spoken of the abuse she suffered to anyone besides Harry and Hermione. Those two had a way of getting under a witch's skin. She had suffered greatly but always silently. She guessed she never fully dealt with her emotions. Wiping the tears away with the back of her hands, she moved off of the bed and went to gaze out the window.

"You are a grown witch Minerva," she reprimanded herself. "There is no reason to run from silly nightmares."

"I doubt they are silly," a feminine voice she hadn't heard in decades whispered. She turned quickly and stared in disbelief. A transparent figure with a golden hue stood before her. There was no doubt in her mind as to who she was seeing or that she was really in front of her somehow.

"Máthair," she said shakily as she brought a trembling hand up to her mouth. "I do not understand."

Isobel McGonagall smiled at her daughter before embracing her in her arms. Minerva gasped as her mother's familiar embrace cocooned her. "Do not fret my wee one," she whispered. "I am here for you."

"How," Minerva asked after several minutes. "How can someone that has been dead decades be able to embrace me?"

Isobel smiled mischievously before answering, "Magic." Minerva rolled her eyes at her mother. "It's quite complicated but I will try to answer the best I can."

Minerva moved over to the bed and climbed back in. She patted beside of her and waited until Isobel settled down beside of her. As soon as possible she scooted as close to her mother as she could and breathed in her scent. Scottish heather with a dash of lavender invaded her nostrils and she sighed in comfort. A witch never forgot the scent of her mother.

"Did you know that I was betrothed to a wizard on the day I met your father?" Isobel asked.

Minerva's eyes widened in surprise as she shook her head no as she responded, "I did not."

Isobel smiled slightly before admitting, "He was a handsome French wizard from a pureblood family and I was smitten with him from the start. I was actually out shopping for my wedding robes when I literally bumped into your father and fell. He grasped my hand to help me up and then something happened that still puzzles me. I had a vision of sorts."

"You are no Seerer Máthair," Minerva commented dryly.

Isobel shot her daughter a look. "I said it still puzzles me," she responded with the same tone her daughter frequently uses. "I saw my future with the French wizard and then I saw my future with your father. The future with the French wizard was filled with love and magic but there was something lacking. In that future, there was just one child that was groomed to be an aristocrat. In the other future, I realized there would be no magic for me but I saw your brothers and then you. I knew my choice in that moment."

"You gave up magic for us," Minerva asked amazed at her mother's decision.

"Your brothers and you were my greatest joy," Isobel answered fiercely. "Doing magic did not seem as important when flashes of you three were floating through my mind."

"I still do not understand how you are here," Minerva said after several long moments of silence.

Isobel pulled her daughter closer in her embrace. "That is a strange tale as well," she said before telling her tale. "The night before my wedding to your father I had another vision of sorts. I saw flashes of the life you had to live in order to strengthen you. Oh how I dreaded the day you would get your Hogwarts letter! I knew that was ultimately the day your pain would start. I wished I could have saved you from all of the heartache my babe," Isobel sobbed but continued on. "I then saw flashes of your accomplishments and the happy moments up to the end of the last war. I saw flashes about the soul bond and was quite amused of the sense of humor Fate has."

Minerva snorted at this. "Sense of humor my arse," she retorted.

Isobel grinned before resuming her tale. "I realized Fate was showing me what needed to happen. I needed to instill a strong sense of right from wrong in you and a need to protect others. I somehow felt you were destined to help change the wizarding world for the better and in ways that will be lasting. I decided that night I would do anything to ensure you became the witch you were meant to be. For my willingness to give up my magic, Fate has granted me moments to help you when and where I can."

Minerva's brow creased as her confusion showed on her face. "I do not understand Máthair. Harry is the one in a position to change the Wizarding World, not me. Why am I granted this time with you when Harry is the important one?" Minerva asked.

"Fate realized Harry would not be able to achieve his full ability without you and the Soul Bond," Isobel answered then added. "Fate granted me moments of time with you and the children as an apology of what all you had to go through to become the witch you are. Without your experiences, you wouldn't be able to help Harry be the wizard he is destined to be."

"It still seems unfair I get this time with you whereas Harry gets nothing," Minerva said softly. She had already had so much time with her mother yet Harry had so little with both his parents.

Isobel smiled at her daughter before responding, "Oh Minerva, Fate has rewarded Lily's sacrifice as well. Do you not find it ironic Harry's very best friend in the world is a muggle-born witch that shares his mother's beliefs and magical power? Lily's sacrifice was required and unfortunate but Fate made sure her child had someone to help him form the beliefs Lily would have instilled into him if she had been given the opportunity to do so."

"I had not considered that," Minerva admitted. "Hermione reminds me of Lily quite a bit."

Minerva snuggled closer to her mother and inhaled deeply. "I am glad you are here with me Máthair. I admit this pregnancy excites and scares me at the same time. I am grateful you will be with me through this. I cannot wait to hold my daughter. She will complete our family."

Isobel laughed before gathering her babe closer to her. It had been so long since they had shared a moment like this one. "I'm afraid she will not complete your family," Isobel uttered. "This is merely your first pregnancy. You have several more to go."

"Several," Minerva repeated in disbelief.

"You are destined for a full house of children running about Potter Estate. I daresay you will give birth to more children than any Weasley woman has," Isobel said with a smile on her lips. "I have seen images of your life including all of those wonderful children. You are destined for great things my babe including being the most wonderful mother. I will be here to help when I can. I am afraid these moments will have to remain to those in the immediate family though."

Minerva merely nodded her approval then let out a yawn. "Go to sleep my dear. I will chase the nightmares away." Quickly, Minerva fell asleep in the arms of her mother. Dreams of Harry and their children filled her mind.