A/N: It took a little longer than I thought, but here's the long update, specially dedicated to Ms. McGonagall-Snape. Don't be too cruel with me, I tried to do a lot of new and complicated things for me in this chapter and I am pretty sure it's full of mistakes.
Still at your side - 7
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SS - POV
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"So?" the Headmaster asked me when I came back from the Malfoy's manor, and I guess he read on my look that I wasn't bringing exactly good news, because he just sat back on the armchair near the fire with a worried expression on his face.
"Pettigrew said the Dark Lord dismissed her hours ago," I explained, "she's just gone," I clenched my fist at the impotence of not knowing what to do, "I don't understand."
"It's your fault," Dumbledore said standing up and walking to me with a scary glare behind his glasses, "It's because of you that she has the Dark Mark on her arm! Who knows what barbaric things Voldemort has asked her to perform tonight!" I don't think I'd ever had the Headmaster that close to me, neither had I ever seen him so angry with anyone before, for a moment, I even thought he was about to punch me in the face, "You are the reason that she's gone!"
"You, Sir, have no right to blame me," I replied, "because it was you who asked me to go back! I told you I had a family now, that I didn't want them to have anything to do with-"
"What's going on?" Poppy came out of Ross' bedroom and walked straight to us, "the boy's sleeping, could you please stop shouting?"
"Minerva wasn't in the Malfoy's manor," I told her, "something must have happened to her, she wouldn't just disappear..."
"Don't be silly," she said, "Minerva knows how to take care of herself, I'm sure she'll be back soon," she smiled at me and put her hand on my shoulder, "she might just need some time to herself."
"Do you think so?"
"Of course! I wouldn't worry yet," she added, "you say the Malfoy's house is in London, right? Then, I'm sure she just went for a walk, to clear her mind of whatever happened before coming back."
"You are right," I said, "you're absolutely right!" and I walked to the closet to grab my cloak, "Do you mind staying a little longer with Ross? We'll be back soon, I know where to find Minerva!" after that I left.
Never had anything been as much difficult to me to say, as it had been asking Minerva to attend the Dark Lord's call on her own. It had felt to me like asking her to step into hell itself.
I had dismissed my class with the intention of spending the rest of the evening on my own in my office, emptier now that it only served me to work. But my solitude didn't last long.
"Isn't Minerva with you?" Poppy had asked when I'd opened the door to her and my little Robert Ross, who extended his little arms to come with me.
"She had to leave," I had responded as she gave me the baby.
"Unexpectedly and in the middle of the week?" she had questioned, "Alright, Severus, what's going on?"
Maybe it was to satisfy my own need for a confidant, maybe because I felt she deserved to know, anyhow, I explained the school nurse everything about our wedding plans.
"But it's not like they're going to torture her, right?" she had asked after learning the current whereabouts of her friend.
"No, but that's easier to endure that whatever they'll make her do..." I'd answer and I guess that she felt my reluctance to go through details, because she didn't made any other questions.
...*...
More than six hours had Minerva been gone when I decided to ask Poppy to put the baby to sleep in our private rooms while I went to speak to the Headmaster.
I had tried to avoid that because I was beginning to get tired of having him involved in our private lives. If it hadn't been for him and his damn Order of the Phoenix, Minerva and I would be peacefully living in her little cottage in Scotland, miles away from the Dark Lord; and not trying to grow up a family in between the two sides of the war.
I'm not sure what upsetted him the most, if Minerva being summoned by Lord Voldemort on her own, or if me not telling him before. Anyway, when I told her how long it had been since she'd left the castle he suggested I should go to check on her.
That's how I ended up in the Malfoy's manor after midnight, but Minerva wasn't there.
... MM - POV ...
I didn't know what time it was, all I knew was that it was past midnight and that the dark clouds that had seemed to be following me after I left the Malfoy's manor, where about to completely cover the beautiful full moon of that night.
I couldn't go back home.
Not yet.
I had been wondering the streets of London until dusk, when I suddenly found myself in front of the enormous building of St. Mungo's Hospital. The telephone box at the other side of the street was occupied by an old woman with a colorful dress. I waited for her to finish her call and entered the small cabin. It was cozy, familiar... I began to cry.
In my attempt to sit down on the small thirty square inches space, I transfigured myself into my cat form and watched how it began raining outside.
SS - POV
It was raining when I apparated at the corner of the lonely and dark street of St. Mungo Hospital. I put on the hood of my cloak and walked down the street looking everywhere for Minerva. I was starting to think that maybe I'd been wrong, that Minerva hadn't come here and I'd just been a fool for thinking that... when I saw it, two twinkling eyes inside the telephone box.
She watched me approach the cabin and when I opened the door, she transfigured back into her human form.
Time froze as I gazed at her, both happy to see she was fine and angry because she'd been gone. Her eyes were red of crying and filled with tears as she avoided my eyes.
I took off my hood and caressed her chin making her look at me. I couldn't get mad at her, she looked so vulnerable and fragile that it was almost painful to stand there not able to just draw a smile on her face.
The same moment our eyes met she broke down into tears and I pulled her into my embrace.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I couldn't come home, I didn't wanted you to see me like this..."
"It's alright," I whispered on her ear, "but don't do it anymore," I broke our embrace, although there wasn't much space for the both of us in the telephone box, "I was worried, I thought something had happened to you..." I brushed a flock of her hair behind her ear, "I'm glad you're ok."
We hugged again, and though she stopped crying I could still feel the fast beating of her heart.
"You won't have to go again," I said, "this is wrong, Minerva, we tried, but it's wrong. I want you to take Ross and leave as far as you can tonight."
"What?" she pushed me apart and stepped outside into the rain, I followed her and grabbed her arm to make her stop and look at me. "How can you ask me to leave?" she said before I could speak, her tears mixing with the rain, "I didn't do what I just..." her sobs didn't let her continue, "I won't leave!" she yelled, "I told you I'd stay at your side, and that's what I am going to do, like it or not!"
"Minerva..." her name came out of my mouth like a sigh as I pulled her closer, "I don't want us to be apart but, I don't like seeing you like this. It breaks my heart."
"Well, that's why I didn't go home earlier," she said, "I wanted to tell you everything had gone fine with a smile on my face but," she bite her lips while she tried not to cry anymore, "It's so hard..."
"Minerva, two years ago, in this very right spot I said I loved you after spending the most wonderful, yet frightening months of my life with you. You don't need to be always brave around me and you know it, I wasn't expecting you to come back home the same way you left..." I confessed while getting soaked by the rain, "I'm not asking you to explain me everything, but if you need to talk about what happened, I need you to know that I'm here and that I love you, no matter what."
MM - POV
I told Severus everything. I told him how lonely I felt when I stood in front of the Malfoy's door on my own and how fear invaded my body as I followed Peter Pettigrew down the halls of the enormous house. I also told him about the dark room, that one where I could see nothing but I could hear somebody's breathe. I explained him how long it had taken to my eyes to get used to the strong light that suddenly illuminated the room, that large room with white floors and white walls with a middle-aged woman curled up in the center. I described him the blonde woman with tearful blue eyes, thin lips and an arched nose with so many details that I bet he had been able to picture her in his mind, like I did in mine. Then I told him about the voice, that deep, dark and echoing voice that spoke to me suddenly:
"Minerva McGonagall, this woman you see is a mudblood. Her parents were muggles and she's married to another mudblood as-well. Ask her where is her husband."
I could see in the way his look change that Severus already know what happened afterwards, but now that I was saying it out loud, I couldn't stop, I needed to take it out, so I continued. I told Severus that I didn't panic, that I walked towards the woman with sounding steps, convinced that I was able to endure that and any task I would be asked.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Marilyn Burns," she responded with so much confidence that it surprised me.
"Marilyn," I bended down to be at the level of her eyes, "I need you to tell me where is your husband," I said, "because if not, I will have to hurt you."
So I had to explain Severus that, not receiving an answer from the woman, I took my wand out from the pocket of my dress, moved a few steps backwards, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, opened them again, looked at Marilyn, pointed her with my wand and whispered "Crucio."
I told Severus how hard had it been to keep my arm straight and firm while all that power came out from my wand, seeing that poor woman twisting of pain in front of me, hearing her screams and pleads...
When I though it had been enough to content whoever was watching us, I stopped.
"Marilyn, I know you are willing to die to protect your husband, and I am willing to kill you, but I don't think he would like to learn that you are dead." It's what I said, and I let it sinked into her mind, standing in front of her, having to watch her tortured body shivering, cold, in pain.
"Bristol," she muttered, "he is in Bristol with his family, I was supposed to go in two days," the woman broke down into tears, and I left with sounding steps.
Severus hadn't said a word yet, and I wondered if maybe I had done something he didn't expect, if maybe I had disappointed him and now he loved me less that when I left. So, maybe not to think on this, I talked to him about what happened after I exit the dark room, that one where I had just coldly tortured an innocent woman. I told Severus that Lord Voldemort himself, that tall inhumanly-shaped man with red eyes, was awaiting for me outside.
"You didn't kill her," he said.
"She answered the question, Sir," I replied.
"But you could have killed her," he insisted, "I want to know why you didn't," his eyes were staring at me.
"Because you never asked, My Lord." that was my answer, and I think it amused him.
"Very well," was his reply. He turned around, and as he walked away, he added, "You'll be a good servant, Miss. McGonagall, or shall I say, Mrs. Snape."
... * ...
I had a deep breath and raised my face to the sky letting the water fall on my skin and wash away the memories of that afternoon from my mind.
Then I felt the warm of Severus' body around me and I allowed myself to feel the safety of his arms as he kissed my lips.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too," I replied"
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TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: OK, there are a few things I'd like to say at this point.
- First of all, this chapter is related to the original story AT YOUR SIDE when Severus tells Minerva he loves her under the rain after being in that same telephone box.
- Secondly, I hope the last MM-POV wasn't too confusing, but I had no idea of how to go through the Minerva-torturing-an-innocent-woman part. I needed it to be moving, and you all know how bad I am to express these things in English, I lack vocabulary (and grammar - I know). So I hope it was at least, fine.
- Thirdly, and don't kill me, I wanted to end the story here... because I don't want it to be a long fic, I never intended it to be so and I have no ideas for it to continue... but I won't. I will add 1 more part, only, which I can't tell if it will be a long update or a short one, or when I will post it (soon, I hope) but I already have an idea of the POV and what is going to happen, and I think you'll like it.
Now that things are clear, I hope you enjoyed this part, and rather if you did or not, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me a comment and tell me your ideas.