A/N: To those of you who are reading this (Lucero, you are excluded, I know you are reading ), could you please review? I do believe I've enacted anonymous reviews… Anyway, I'm finding little motivation to continue this with any sort of urgency without knowing that people are actually reading this and caring what happens. So anyway, that's my rant. Here's the next chapter- whoever you are…

xxxxx

Kingsley marched around his office with an air of disdain and anger, and it all pointed back to that woman.

He couldn't believe, that after everything that Dumbledore had been through, that she would be so stubbornly persistent at doing things her way.

Well of course, they had been married. She probably had been backing him the whole time.

Now he was wondering she hadn't been the one planning it the whole time.

Whatever the case, he knew that he was going to have to use up some resources to watch her every move. With her being at Hogwarts instead of her home, it was going to prove more difficult. The last time he had tried to listen in, she had discovered it within hours.

He didn't doubt that the house elves were bound to her as well. And getting around them was going to be just as hard as getting around her.

She had cut off her Floo network to her office after the incident in her house, so just a discrete spy there was out of the question.

Grabbing a piece of parchment from behind his desk, he summoned his auror division for a quick meeting.

Xxxxxx

Minerva exited her office, trying her hardest to forget the pain that was sprouting in her hip and thigh. She knew she wasn't the woman of her twenties, but damn, one fight shouldn't make her feel like she'd been attacked by a pack of hippogriffs.

She hadn't made an appearance at a Great Hall breakfast in a few days, and she knew that some of the more observant students had begun asking questions. They weren't totally naïve as to the professor's or the Headmistress' temperature.

She walked down the staircase, long fingers gently grazing the banister to keep her balance. Her leg ached in protest, and she made a decision to make a quick stop by the infirmary.

Poppy would be making her morning rounds anyway.

At the landing she made a right and walked down the bright corridor towards Poppy's office.

At the door, she raised her hand to knock, but before her knuckles rapped the worn wood, the door swung open.

"I knew you'd be here this morning." Poppy stated simply.

For some reason, the remark made Minerva more irritated than soothed. "And why, may I ask, do you just KNOW where I am going to be in the morning hours?" She quickly moved her hand down to her side, nose rising up in defiance.

"Oh come off it, Minerva, I knew you had been in a fight and I knew you'd need something to get you through the day. I know how you were in the days and weeks following the attack during the War."

Minerva rolled her eyes and smiled in gentle defeat. "Alright, you win."

From within a pocket in her robe, Poppy withdrew two small, square vials. "One is a pain potion, one is a pepper up potion. Come by tonight and I'll give you another pain one before you go to bed."

Minerva took the small bottles and smiled. "I am old, aren't I?" She asked gently.

The small nurse raised her hand and pressed it against Minerva's cheek. "Definitely."

The two women exchanged a smile and went their separate ways.

Minerva's heels clicked against the staircase. Down another two flights and she arrived at the Great Hall. She glanced behind her at the clock. Noting that she was still, thankfully, just a tad early, she drew a deep, cleansing breath and entered.

Scanning the head table, she noted who was there. Filius, of course; Pomona… Her heart stopped when she looked at where Rolanda used to sit.

She didn't ever think that she would get used to not having her dearest friend at the table.

Several heads turned as Minerva walked to her seat. The few students that lingered sat near the front of their tables; some gave a slight smile to their Headmistress.

"How are you, dear?" Pomona asked gently.

Minerva tried her best to be upbeat but not overly so. "Quite well, thank you."

"And your home? Your person? There are rumors…."

Yes, Minerva had heard the rumors. That her house had been blown to pieces and she was on the verge of death. She wondered who exactly had started that load of nonsense.

"As you can see, I am here and I look… well, normal, and I am not using glamour charms. My home is still standing with new windows and pillars. And I am here." She gave what she hoped was a sincere smile.

Pomona returned it. "Good, glad to hear."

Minerva nodded and turned to her plate. It filled with a delicious-smelling ham and cheese omelet. Perfect.

Her cup filled with caramel and vanilla coffee. Obviously the elves were keen to her tastes this morning.

Minerva made small talk with a few of the professors and then made her way back to her room.

Tessa was still fast asleep- no surprise there.

Esmerele was curled up with a book by the fire; Percival was messing about with some vials or another by the westerly window.

Both children mumbled a greeting as their mother entered. She reciprocated and then sat down as her desk to begin devising a plan to lure Donal to Hogwarts.

Her first thought was to communicate with him outright. But any sort of owl sent out would be intercepted by the ministry- that she knew. No doubt her Floo network, though closed, was still being closely monitored. She really did not want to involve a middle-man to relay messages…

She looked at the left of her desk and realized there was a huge pile of unfinished paperwork to be done. She inwardly groaned, knowing that she had been neglecting her basic Headmistress duties.

"Lucy!" She called. A small house elf appeared at her side. "Yes ma'am?"

Minerva lifted the top half of the stack of papers and handed them to the elf. Thinking about it twice, she grabbed the other half and added them too. "Give this to Professor Flitwick and tell him that this is on the job training for when he takes over my position."

The house elf nodded and disappeared with a small pop.

Chucking at her cleverness, she started to retreat to her private study when a knock came at her door, followed by it swinging open to reveal a red Filius Flitwick.

"Minerva! What is the meaning of this? These are budget things… Teacher salaries… Department budgets… Truly MUGGLE things to be concerned with!"

"Yes, but as you are Deputy, you are required to take some duties away from the Headmistress. I'm sure you can figure it out. Ask Elizabeth Whitehall."

"The Ravenclaw girl?"

"Yes, she is quite intelligent, no doubt she will love to help you."

Filius kept sputtering out incoherent words.

"If that's all you can go." She said sweetly.

With a final defiant roll of his eyes, he walked out the door.

Xxxxx

A/N: A short chapter, but I needed a break from the action!