Disclaimer: I own nothing and I hope that you all know that by now!
A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter, especially since I am ignoring my homework to do it! LOL! Here it is. And here are your personal reviews, as well! I'm sorry, I can't give you all your personal reviews, but here are the bulk of them.
DamesFan: Yeah, I know it was a cruel point to leave it at, but what can I say? I live to annoy! Hehe! J.K. (not Rowling). But there it is, and now it is the next chapter! Read long and prosper!
Lady Loraine: I am glad that you think it is still going well. Here is the next chapter.
SherbetKitty: Severus smiling is a sight, I have to admit. And it is one which we have yet to see, I might add. How can I stop there, you ask? I just do. Hehe, LOL! Okay, so I'm not that mean, which is why I am updating!
Emutet: Roberta? A whore? What would lead you to that conclusion? Just kidding. Yes, she is, and you will see that even more in this chapter! And as to Roberta needing to be run over with something sharp and heavy… I suppose you're not the only one to think of that. Honestly!
Mollisk: I'm glad that you are my #1 fan! It's kewl! Yes, it is kind of hard for me to write Severus, especially a NICE Severus, but my theory is that Albus was actually pleading with Severus in book number six to… do that evil thing that he did! (sniff sniff). You see, this way, Draco won't have to kill someone. Since Severus has already killed before, and considering his dark past, it wouldn't much matter. Also, this would keep to the illusion that he is still on Voldemort's side, even though he may not be. But that is just the theory that my friends and I stick to! And yes, everyone loves Lenora! I love second graders, so that is why I might teach them. And don't worry, if I teach English in high school or something, I promise I won't end up like your teacher! LOL! And yes, my name really is Mayleene! It's Japanese for "butterfly". I'm sometimes called "mariposa". Though, I'm not wholly sure that's how it's spelled. LOL!
HMS Frivolity and Felines: Si, that is the whole point of Roberta! You love to hate her! Tee hee! Don't worry, her memory… might… come back. LOL!
Lady Epur: Tee hee! Yes, I thought that "Horizontal Mambo" bit was funny! Go ahead, you can use it! I'd be honored if you used it, and offended if you didn't. Just kidding, maybe not offended! But good luck with that story of yours. Send me the link once you've used it! LOL! And I'm glad you like how I portrayed Sevvie!
East of the Sun: Yeah, it's so interesting to see Min so innocent. She's like a small child, almost! No worries about the short review! Lol! I understand!
Leta McGotor: Who wouldn't try to avoid Roberta? Hehe! Perhaps Min will ask someone about her relationship with Albus? Who knows?
Joelpup62: Yes, something has got to be obvious if even dear old Sevvie is noticing it! And I'll do anything to make our ship kewler! And I'm glad that you liked my "dun dun dun dun's". LOL! Hope you like this chapter!
Chapter Nine: A Day With Severus: Part Two…
Having Roberta so close to her made Minerva want to shiver. It was a mystery to her that she had managed to control the urge to do so. She still didn't know what it was about her, but there was something that she did not trust; and the smile upon her face made Minerva just hate her even more. It was more of a smirk, really. It was a smirk which could challenge Severus even on his best day. But Minerva simply grit her teeth and smiled, deciding that she should not say a word about her gut feeling until she had some facts.
"Oh, nothing," she said. "Severus and I were just having a discussion about children, that's all." That insufferable smirk of Roberta's never left her face as her eyebrow quirked.
"Oh, how delightful," she said, linking her fingers behind her back. "It is such a pity that you never had any children of your own, Minerva. Is there a particular reason why that is?" 'The nerve of this woman,' Minerva thought.
"Well, I do not know, and that is what I am trying to find out," said Minerva, trying with all her might not to smack this woman right across her porcelain face.
"Oh, dear, I hope there is nothing wrong," she said, leaning on her elbow on the counter. "I'm not saying that there is something wrong with you, Min dear, but perhaps there is something in your medical history that has stopped you from having children. Perhaps I should talk with Madam Pomfrey and discuss with her your history." Minerva could feel herself losing her grip. She was very surprised when Severus came to her defense.
"I highly doubt that Minerva not having children is due to any medical complications," he said, giving her an equally grand smirk. "I have known Minerva for quite some time and I happen to know that she is a very strong woman indeed. I know you might recall a few years ago when Dolores Umbridge was covering our Defense Against the Dark Arts position. She attacked Minerva, or rather, she had four men attack her. I highly doubt that anyone in poor medical condition could handle four stunners to the chest, Roberta." Roberta's smile faltered a bit, but never left her face.
Stunners? What were stunners? But whatever they were, Minerva could only conclude that they were not good. Perhaps those were what had caused her to gain those nasty scars that she had on her chest. She'd have to ask someone about it later.
"Well, if it is not medical, perhaps there is another factor involved," continued Roberta, turning back to Minerva. "I know you are not married, but surely you must have some sort of social life. You don't have any recollection of your previous life?" Minerva clenched her fists.
"No, none whatsoever," she said through gritted teeth. Roberta could see that she was getting to Minerva, and sneered.
"Oh, what a pity," she said, though it was clear that there was no remorse evident in her voice. "Well, perhaps you could help us, Severus." She turned to where Severus sat, his arms crossed over his chest. "Tell me, what was Minerva's social life like?" Severus shifted in his seat.
"Well, Minerva did, indeed, have her share of friends, that is for sure," he said. He was about to go on, but Roberta interrupted him.
"No, I mean how was her sex life?" Severus, who had been somewhat reclining, nearly fell out of his chair and Minerva stood up. She had had it!
"Look, Ms. Kingston, I must admit that I do not know the nature of your relationship with Albus, but I do not appreciate you discussing my romantic life in such a manner."
"No need to be on the offense," smiled Roberta, her voice sickening sweet, her hands raised. "I am merely trying to figure out why you don't have any children, and at the same time, try and help you regain your memory." Minerva could feel her anger rise. Severus saw this and decided that she had better get either Minerva or Roberta out of there, before Roberta ended up six feet below. He quickly stood, though he was still a little shaky from Roberta's question, and went to Minerva's side.
"Well, thank you Roberta, but I don't think you are helping her, so if you'll excuse us, there is still much I must show Minerva. The reasoning behind not having children will just have to wait." He took Minerva by the elbow and led her out of the kitchen.
"Alright," called out Roberta. "Well, if you happen to see my child, would you please send her to me straight away?" Severus waved an uncaring hand at her and continued to walk out the door with Minerva next to him, literally fuming.
Ooooooooooo
Neither Severus nor Minerva said anything until they were outside, near the lake. It was clear that Minerva was about to explode, and Severus did not want to be the one set her off. If she was going to unleash her Scottish temper on someone, he wanted it to be the one who deserved it the most… Roberta Kingston! And although Severus would do anything to place blame on anyone else but himself, this time he was certain that it was Roberta who deserved it. When they reached the edge of the lake, Minerva walked back and forth a few times before asking her questions.
"Where does she come off asking me such questions?" Her Scottish accent was becoming more and more pronounced with each word, to the point where Severus could barely understand what she was saying. "I mean, the nerve of that woman! She just can't waltz right in here and make insinuations about my personal life; especially when I don't have the memories to defend myself." She stopped and looked into the water. The reflection she saw there caused her anger to transform into depression. "Perhaps there is something wrong with me."
"Minerva…" whispered Severus. He could not believe what he was hearing. The woman in front of him was not the woman he had known for so many years, and it scared him. One could even say that it pained him to see her the way she was, broken and scared. But what he heard next scared him even more.
"Severus, what is wrong with me?" she asked.
"What do you mean, Minerva?" he asked.
"You know perfectly well what I mean, Severus," she replied, not even looking at him. "There must be something wrong with me if I don't have children. And it's not just the lack of a child in my life that has me worried. I have no husband, or even a boyfriend or fiancée, and as we both know, I am not getting any younger. I am not quite sure about my age, but I know that I am not a spring chicken." She sighed and wiped away a tear. "Perhaps I don't deserve a husband." She bent her head in defeat. Severus frowned and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Look at me, Minerva," he commanded softly. She did, but only because she didn't feel like fighting him. "Now, I have known you for too many years to count, and not once in all that time have I ever heard you talk about yourself in such a manner. In fact, you've never talked about anyone in such a manner. You've always had more faith in people than anyone I've ever known. Now, I know you and I have never really gotten along in the past, but that is simple house rivalry. You have a great capacity for love and anyone who knows you well can see that." Minerva smiled, and for reasons that passed her understanding, she wanted to hug him…and she did. She didn't know why, but talking with him made her feel better.
Severus was shocked by this, but this made him feel a whole lot better than seeing her cry. So, he hugged her back, though rather rigidly. It wasn't often he hugged another human, especially Minerva McGonagall. But he thought, given the circumstances, he would make an exception. When they pulled back, he smiled at her, and she thanked him for his kindness.
"Think nothing of it, Minerva," he said. "And don't mind Roberta. She's just upset because you have a special relationship with Albus that no one else has. You are his best friend, and she wishes that she could have even a small fraction of what you two have."
"Severus, what exactly is Roberta's place in Albus' life?" Minerva was surprised herself by her sudden urge to ask that question, but she had to know. Severus was slightly taken aback, but figured that she was going to ask that question. Scratching his head, he sighed.
"I suppose you have the right to know," he said. "Shall we have a seat?" He conjured up a bench and they sat down. Minerva could tell this was going to be a long story, so she sat back and prepared herself for an explanation. "First off, you must understand that Roberta Kingston is part of one of the wealthiest wizarding families in London. Everyone knows of their family. They're known for their great business sense and trading styles with foreign wizard communities. And you must also realize that Roberta's parents were very strict, and raised her with a strict code of rules. They were very old fashioned. They even arranged her marriage for her at the tender age of five to a man who was not just a Russian wizard, but also the soon to be czar. He also happened to be fifty years Roberta's senior.
"Now, for some people, age is no factor. But Roberta didn't like the idea of marrying someone so much older than herself. She hated how her parents were forcing her to marry someone she did not like. So, it came as no surprise to anyone when she began having an affair with another wizard, a struggling artist from Nepal. It seemed everyone knew about it except her parents. Her parents were so naive that they still thought Roberta was a virgin, though that hadn't been true since she was sixteen. So, it was no great shock when she woke up one day and found herself three weeks pregnant with the artist's baby. So now, she's in her late thirties, pregnant, and unmarried. And what's worse is her intended also had had an affair, only he was caught in the act. So not only has all this other stuff happened, but she can't even keep up the image of it being born within wedlock.
"Now, Roberta isn't all bad. Oh no. She knew the affect her recklessness would have on her family name. She knew she couldn't disgrace her family that way, but since she was unmarried, she felt she should do the next best thing. She would simply make it appear as if the baby was the son of someone important. Then, she remembered Albus. She had met him a few years before at a ministry party. You were not there, for you had come down with a nasty bout of the flu. The good thing was that she knew another ministry party was coming up, so that would be the perfect time to set him up. Once again, you were not there, for reasons I cannot remember at the moment. She simply placed a strong potion within his drink and when he woke up the next morning, he was lying next to her, their robes completely discarded upon the floor, and Roberta lying in his arms.
"Needless to say, he was mortified with himself. He apologized repeatedly for what he had done, and offered to do whatever it took to make up for it. At first, she said it was quite alright and that she did not hold it against him. However, she came to him a week later and told him that she was pregnant with his child. So, naturally, with Albus being the gentleman and always wanting to do the gentlemanly thing, offered to marry her. This all fit into Roberta's plan quite nicely. She accepted, and they planned to make their wedding three months later.
"However, the war with Voldemort flared, and Harry Potter in need, even though he had just barely started school. So, Albus told her it was not a good time to be getting married. This, of course, did not sit well with Roberta. She grew angry with him, shouted at him, and let it slip that he was not the baby's father. Well, when Albus found this out, he grew angry at her for deceiving him in such a way, and told her that he would never forgive her for doing so. But, of course, Albus is too much a gentleman to just leave her that way. He offered to help her financially if she ever needed it, but he would never marry her. He told her as long as he helped her she was not to come near him again.
"The baby came several months later, and Albus kept his promise. This arrangement has been working well for the past seven years. But now, she has shown up again, though none of us know why."
There was an awkward silence as Minerva digested all that had been told to her. It was all so complicated, and yet all so simple at the same time. Was Roberta really that devious? This sent shivers up and down Minerva's back, despite the warm weather. Seeing this, Severus placed a hand on her arm.
"Minerva, are you okay?" he asked. That was a stupid question, he knew, but he didn't know what to say. She looked down at her hands.
"Well, right now I don't know what I feel," she whispered. "After all, I feel great sympathy for Albus for being dragged into that situation, and yet I also feel such anger like I've never felt before at Ms. Kingston for fooling him in such a disgraceful manner."
"Of course you feel that way," replied Severus. "Like I've said before, you are the closest person to Albus. You know him like the back of your hand. You were the one who has been there for him for more than forty years, and you were there when Roberta pulled her little stunt. He has never forgotten that, and he always says that he will try and repay you for all that you have done for him." Minerva smiled.
"Is that why he has been so kind to me lately?" she asked. Severus shrugged.
"I don't know," he replied. "I would think he would be helping you no matter what. You are his most trusted friend." Minerva sighed, and then placed her hand over her stomach.
"If all we are is friends, then why do I feel a sudden urge of jealousy whenever I see or think of him with Roberta?" she asked. Severus smiled a real smiled. This was it. He would have to tell her.
"Well, Minerva, you see… you have been in love with Albus for as long as anyone can remember. In fact, the whole staff knows. Well, everyone with the exception of Albus himself." Minerva blushed furiously when she heard this.
"The whole staff knows? Am I so obvious?" she asked. Severus snickered.
"Well, apparently not so obvious that Albus cannot see," he replied.
"Then why have I never told him?" she asked. Severus chuckled.
"Always so straight forward, aren't you Minerva? Well, you and Albus have a special friendship. I'm guessing you don't want to strain your fragile friendship. That would be my fear if I were in your position." Minerva nodded.
"I wish I knew what Albus felt for me," she said, more to herself than to Severus. Severus grimaced. He would definitely be crossing the line if he continued.
"Well, I don't know about that," replied Severus. "You'd have to take that up with him if you want to find out more."
"Oh, no, I don't think I could do that," she replied. "I wouldn't want to put him in an awkward position." Severus nodded.
"Well, that is your decision," he said, standing up and stretching. "But might I offer you some advice?" Minerva stood and nodded. "You should tell him. Probably not right now, but in a little while, when you are more comfortable with your surroundings and more comfortable with everyone around you. You might be surprised with what you might find." With that, he nodded for her to follow him back to the castle, where it was almost time for dinner. And as Minerva looked up at the setting sun, she knew that this was going to be a whole lot more difficult than she originally thought.
A/N2: Well, there is another chapter. I am sorry it took so long with everything, but then I'm so flippin' busy. I hope you like this chapter, and I am wondering if this plot isn't too complicated? Did anyone get all confused about it at all? I hope not! LOL! Talk to you later! Always Hopeful