Good news, folks. I'm NOT dead. I am sincerity sorry I haven't been posting much. Life through me a hell of a curve ball and it's taken a bit for me to find the emotional ability to do more than just go through the motions. To Lost Founder fans, I am looking over where I'm at with that one and hoping to pick it back up soon. Watch for updates! Meanwhile, please enjoy a new installment for Bucket List.
9. Don't let the Quad kill Minerva McGonagall.
For the two weeks following Hermione's birthday, the young Slytherin had held her chin high in hopes that Minerva's ire over their shared kisses would pass. With no sign of the hatred even beginning to dim, Hermione had lowered her eyes, taken a deep breath, and hoped that submissiveness would show the older witch this was not a game to her. By mid October, Hermione had done what no one would have ever believed she would do, and dropped Transfiguration outright, citing to the Headmaster that she wanted to focus her attention on other subjects, though even he seemed to understand that the truth was pure and simple; she couldn't stand having to sit in that classroom and watch Minerva's poor attempts at pretending civility existed between them.
"I could speak with Minerva about…" Dumbledore had started to offer.
"No," she'd cut him off at once. "Please sir, just let this go. I've always favored Charms and I need to start focusing on…" Not her, she'd thought as a tear rolled down her cheek. "On my future."
Hermione had hoped that would be that, but eight of the Quad League had taken personal offence to the way Minerva's foul temper was impacting their de facto leader. Harry and Draco were the only ones of the group who knew the full extent of what had transpired, and only Harry knew her deepest fears of rejection and why, and just how much of a nightmare she was now living. If Minerva McGonagall had never endured hell on earth, she certainly was going to now, because her friends were out for vengeance. Harry had been appointed the ringleader as she fell deeper and deeper into depression, as the rest of the crew seemed to understand that he knew more than the others regarding why she was completely falling to pieces, not to mention that everyone already saw him as Hermione's second in command. As Harry had been her own, Draco rose to become the Gryffindor teen's lieutenant.
Their pranks weren't funny. They weren't really cruel, either; Harry's sense of honor would never have allowed for that, but with Draco at his side, their torture of Minerva was rather calculated, and executed in a manner Hermione might have been proud of if it had been aimed at anyone else. Despite Minerva's hatred of her, Hermione still loved the older woman, and pitied her beloved's present and impending torment. By the beginning of November, the magnum opus of the insurrection was planned and ready to begin, with no one but the Quad League being aware of the fact. Hermione imagined that the Headmaster and her dad knew something was happening, but neither had any real clue what. Minerva was too lost in her anger to see anything coming, much less this.
At the present, Hermione was being dragged down the corridor by Luna, who had invited her to witness as Harry, Neville, Draco, and Pansy put their plan into action. They stopped at the door to the Transfiguration Classroom just as the sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin class was beginning to file out.
"Misters Potter, Longbottom, Duncan, and Miss Parkinson," Minerva called. "Please remain behind a moment."
Two of the four complied, though rather than looking concerned or guilty as the Transfiguration Professor probably thought they should, they looked determined. Pansy and Neville both glared at Minerva and promptly exited the room, and with a nod to Hermione, Luna joined them as they continued down the corridor. She, of course, remained behind, curious about how Minerva would react to firstly, the refusal to remain as asked from Pansy and Neville, and secondly, how she'd handle the ultimatum that Harry and Draco were about to present their teacher.
Minerva appeared baffled that two students would just ignore her like that, but she pressed her lips together and turned to address the two remaining boys. "None of the four of you handed in your homework today. You have until the weekend to get it to me or I will deduct twenty points from each of your houses."
"We will not be turning in the homework," Draco stated crisply. "Not myself or Pansy Parkinson, who stand for Slytherin. Not Harry here, or Neville Longbottom, who stand for Gryffindor. Not Luna Lovegood or Paul Duncan, who stand for Ravenclaw. Not Natalie Traylor or Oscar Maynes, who stand for Hufflepuff."
Minerva looked startled.
"United," Harry continued their planned speech, "we stand for Hermione Granger. We stand as one house, one purpose, and for one reason. We stand for Hermione and the hurts you have inflicted on her, and we stand together in our resolve to never turn homework into you for the rest of our time at Hogwarts, unless you make amends to her."
Minerva looked annoyed.
"We will attend classes, but we will not participate," Draco went on. "We will take the exams you give us, and it is based on those that you will grade us, and grade us fairly."
"This may be the first year in history that there is no house cup to present, because if you go through with this, gentlemen," Minerva sneered. "I will deduct every point from every house. Your unity will be your undoing."
Harry glared at his Head of House, who backed down slightly at the sight of her celebrity student looking the part of full grown man as he pulled his wand and reared on her. "You can take all the points you like, McGonagall," he spat. "Because our unity is going to bring about an era of peace. We are stronger than our parents and grandparents because we choose to see past social expectation and into a future in which no witch or wizard will ever feel the pain of living during a war. What Hermione has done is bigger than Hogwarts. She is the leader of our generation, and you've hurt her, and by extension, you've hurt the future we have all worked hard to make."
"Detention, both of you!" Minerva barked, drawing her own wand. "I will not be bullied by a couple of…"
"We know you kissed Hermione," Draco said softly, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder, silently urging him to reign in his temper. "If you take points, or give us detention, or cause any further hurt to Hermione, we will go to the board of Governors and report you. Your career will be over."
Like a switch, Minerva went white, backing down like a small animal that had just been stricken harshly by a heavy hand. "Blackmail?" she whispered in disbelief. "You've stooped to blackmail and you have the nerve to call yourself better than me?"
Hermione's gut lurched at the look of pain on Minerva's face, but she resisted the urge to rush in and comfort the older witch. She held back because she knew how important a moment this was. The Quad League was in the process of becoming more than just a school gang. They were becoming the better future of the Wizarding World. Her feelings, Minerva's feelings… all of that was secondary.
"Not blackmail, McGonagall," Harry said in a far gentler tone than before. "Justice. Justice for our friend, who has done nothing wrong, but you punish at every turn. We've put up with it till now because you were only taking points. This time, you took her heart, and then you broke it. You went too far, and this is the consequence."
"You have three options, Professor," Draco remarked pointedly. "First, you can be made a fool for allowing eight students to get away with what we're certain breaks about a hundred school rules. Others will notice and before long, it won't just be eight of us. Second, you can punish us to maintain control of your classroom, and we will go to the Ministry and ensure the end of your career. You'll be a disgrace. Third, you could shelf your pride, face up to the fact that you're just as in love with Hermione as she is with you, and be happy."
"So what will it be?" Harry asked. "Are you a fool, disgraced, or are you going to let yourself be happy?"
Minerva's lips pressed tightly together before speaking. "I'm not sure how you can possibly say that Hermione has done nothing wrong. If you got the full story, you already know she kissed me first. She made an blatant advance on my person, despite the fact that I asked her not to as soon as I saw it coming."
Harry and Draco knew all of this. "That doesn't negate that the second kiss was initiated by yourself, Professor," the Slytherin teen stated. "And the Board of Governors will see her as a misguided teen and you as a pedophile who'd been leading her on for years. It's legendary how you two are so hot and cold."
"Have your little revolution then," Minerva said softly, teeth clenched and tears obviously threatening to fall from her eyes. "I agree to your terms regarding the homework for the two from each house that you've stated. I will not be lenient with any other student. I will also not be giving house points to anyone at all for the duration of the year, though I will not deduct either. The students, all of you, will have to rely on other professors in your annual house cup battle."
"Geeze, McGonagall!" Harry groaned. "What have you got against being happy? You're not just a fool to walk away from Hermione. You're a coward!"
"Because for as certain as she seems to be about how she feels, I am anything but," Minerva replied. "Because one broken heart is enough for a lifetime, and I believe it more foolish to risk my heart on a woman decades my junior than it is foolish to walk away from a chance for love. And, at the end of the day, for as admirable as your group's efforts at unity are, and how well that may turn out in helping the political climate in years to come, in the here and now I am Gryffindor, she is Slytherin, and unlike her, I have a lifetime of believing that it is highly unlikely that members of two opposing houses would work out on a romantic level. Now, gentlemen, have we an accord?"
Draco nodded, even if Harry was silently fuming at what he obviously felt was a flimsy set of excuses. "We do. Though if you change your mind… this agreement can be nullified. If Hermione gets her chance at happiness, all debts are forgiven."
"Including back homework," Harry added with a rush. "You don't get to go after her later and then tell us we have to give you a pile of homework."
Draco smirked. "Hate to break it to you Harry, but the Head of Gryffindor is not likely to be Slytherin enough to have even thought of doing that. You on the other hand…"
"Oh, sod off," Harry grumped.
Minerva rolled her eyes. "Get out of my classroom. Now."
The dangerous look in Minerva's eye certainly got the two boys to get a step on, and Hermione hurried away from her hiding spot near the door to the classroom, intent on going to her dad's. There, she could cry in peace.
Unknown to Hermione, as soon as the door to her classroom closed, Minerva's tears began to fall. For hours, she wept at her desk, missing dinner just like Hermione, in favor of dwelling on the heart wrenching question plaguing their respective minds; was this what love was supposed to feel like, and if it was, how did something so wonderful hurt this deeply?
10. Survive.
Harry Potter refused to say another word to his Head of House for the remainder of their sixth year at Hogwarts. Over the summer, the Quad League members met up several times to discuss the situation, and eventually agreed to continue the battle when they returned to school. Harry still refused to speak to the Scottish witch. Draco, having ended up in the Hospital Wing per being beaten up by a fellow Slytherin - Gregory Goyle - for not standing by the Pureblood supremacy attitude they'd both been raised with was equally unable to manage the task at hand, so Paul and Natalie ended up drawing the short straw and informed Minerva that the eight of them would continue not handing in homework and so forth.
Minerva had fumed, and attempted to intimidate the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff into a change of heart. Paul had calmly stated that it was illogical to change tactics when their current plan of attack was already proving sound. While the Transfiguration Professor was not moving toward a romance with Hermione, she at least was doing her best to avoid the young Slytherin, which was giving the broken hearted brunette some small bit of peace. If Paul's response hadn't been infuriating enough to the Deputy Head, her attempt to argue Paul's point of logic resulted in getting laughed at - loudly - by his Hufflepuff companion.
"What in the name of Merlin is so funny, Miss Traylor?"
The Kenyan girl smirked. "I simply find it amusing that you'd try to threaten us when we are the ones with all the power. It's like watching a mouse try to fight a cat who already has it by the tail."
Minerva's self control had slipped in the moment that followed, and Paul and Natalie ended up spending the evening in the Hospital Wing keeping Draco company, per a need for a burn salve to treat a handful of powerful stinging hexes. Madam Pomfrey had wanted to know how the injuries had occurred, but neither of the seventh years were willing to say. Getting McGonagall in trouble wouldn't help Hermione.
Of course, Hermione finding out that Minerva had injured her friends certainly didn't help the Professor, and that much was unavoidable after the teenager had come to visit Draco and found the other two. Hermione had left in a huff, and half an hour later Minerva had also sulked into the Hospital Wing seeking burn salve.
That had been day one back at Hogwarts.
By the end of the first week, Hermione and Minerva had each been to the hospital wing three times for injuries they refused to report an attacker for. By the time October arrived, Prefects were warning the younger students to get out of the way if they ever saw Hermione Granger and Minerva McGonagall within five yards of one another. By Halloween, the Headmaster had sat down with both women, separately mind you, and ordered them to cease their mini war. Unfortunately for Dumbledore and the rest of the student and teacher population, Minerva knew Albus wouldn't fire her, and Hermione knew the Headmaster wouldn't expel her. The worst either of them had to deal with as consequence to the battle of the hexes was a verbal lashing from Severus Snape, and even that wasn't enough to make them stop.
Hermione had been ordered home for Christmas by her surrogate father, so the holiday brought a bit of peace. Both she and Minerva spent the hols drinking themselves into oblivion, and were both suffering hangovers when they crossed paths not an hour after Hermione returned to the school.
"Ugh!" Hermione groaned, raising her wand as soon as she saw Minerva come around the corner. She couldn't seem to get any peace.
Minerva made to raise her own wand, and then let out a ragged breath and put it away again. "I'm not doing this today, Hermione," she whispered. "I'm too tired."
"I'm not exactly sure why we're doing it at all," Hermione mumbled in reply, secretly grateful that her existing headache was not about to be compounded by Merlin knew what Minerva had up her sleeve spell wise. "Do you know how many times I've let you hex me because I feel guilty about hexing you previously? This is getting ridiculous! I hate how much I've hurt you!"
"Well at least you're not trying to snog me," Minerva growled.
"I'd rather be doing that."
"You've a funny way of showing it."
Hermione kicked the wall she was standing by. "I did show you. You told me to bugger off, remember? If you'd rather be kissed than cursed, by all means I'd gladly comply."
The older woman snorted. "You? Comply? That would be a first. Why did you kiss me?"
Hermione stared at Minerva, dumbfounded. "A bloody year after the fact, and now you're wondering? For fuck's sake!"
Her back pressed against the cool wall, and she slid down to the ground. After a moment, Minerva walked over and sat down beside the Slytherin. "I've been wondering since the moment it happened. To be honest, I'm terrified of the answer and it's taken me this long to work up the nerve to inquire."
"It isn't a game," Hermione said softly after a moment, referencing the brief, heated discussion from the previous September. "It never was. I've thought a lot about it and given how we've always been around each other, I guess I can see why you'd think that. I used to think that because you know the truth about me - you know, that I'm muggleborn - I never had to pretend around you, but the fact is that I've pretended the most around you. I egged you on because I liked you, and I wanted you to notice me… not because I wanted to get on your nerves for the sake of it."
"Do I even know the real you?" Minerva asked.
"I'm in love with you," the younger woman said calmly, resignation clearly in her posture and voice. "Is that real enough to answer your question?"
Minerva sucked in a harsh breath. "Damn," she muttered. "Why, for the love of Merlin?"
"In a nutshell?" Hermione croaked out, fighting back a wave of tears. "Because you're strong where I'm weak. Because you make me want to be a better person. Because you challenge me in a way no one else does. Because while you've had every reason to betray my trust and tell the whole school my secret, you haven't. And because when you look at me, I can feel you touching my soul, even if you never meant to do it."
The pair sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione posed her own question.
"How do you feel about me?"
The older witch didn't hesitate in her answer, and it was far more succinct than her companion's had been. "Like you're the air I breathe, in a world I didn't know I'd been looking for all my life."
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