Minerva blinked her memories away, back to the hospital wing.
"You see" Minerva heard from the far side of Bill's hospital bed "she still wants to marry him even though she's been bitten" Tonks' voice was clear, stronger than it had been in a long while. everyone turned to look at her as she spoke. Minerva looked to Lupin.
"It's different" He said, his shabby clothes rippling as he shifted from one foot to the other. his face contorted, and he liked his lips, to enable himself to speak "Bill will not be a full werewolf, the cases are completely-"
"But I don't care" Tonk's cried, and rounded the hospital bed to face Lupin, seizing his robes. "I don't care. I've told you a million times!"
Minerva smiled at this declaration of love, but then her lips wobbled, her heart faltered as it was painfully similar to that which she had declared to Albus all those years ago. She abandoned the present company in all but being, and though it was Lupin's voice she heard it was Albus she saw as he rejected her advances.
"Dumbledore is dead..." Lupin said weakly, and Minerva's mind snapped back to reality. She looked straight at him as so none of the meaning was lost
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think there was a little more love in the world." her eyes then swept the room, making contact with Arthur and Molly who nodded accordingly, and almost smiled when the kids caught on that they were missing something. Poppy, who had appeared behind Minerva, with another potion for Bill, started sobbing quietly behind her.
Minerva turned as the doors of the hospital wing opened, and Hagrid appeared. the little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears.
"I've moved him." he choked out, and then went on to explain what the other members of staff were doing. Minerva's mind glazed over with fresh tears, which she hastily blinked away. Poppy patted her back, and gave her arm a squeeze.
"it's ok to cry" she whispered, so that just Minerva could hear her, but Minerva shook her head.
"duty before love Pop, I can mourn him later." she spoke out of the corner of her mouth, before addressing Hagrid and the others.
"Thank you Hagrid" she said, and as fresh tears collected she took a moment to breathe before continuing. she then looked at Harry, not with her 'teacher look, but one of a friend; "I'd like a quick word with you, Harry. If you would come with me" She turned on her heel and walked out of the hospital wing, Harry following her closely.
They walked to the room shrouded by the gargoyle, and without a password, merely a blink and a murmured "Ma'am" the gargoyle began to swivel. Harry felt uneasy- would the room be in mourning of its former tenant? He knew it was an obscure thought, but the wizarding world never ceased to surprise him. The room, however, seemed exactly the same. Save for a new portrait which now held Dumbledore's sleeping self. Tears came to his eyes as he saw his former headmaster, his friend, sleeping in the frame, rather than splayed at the base of the astronomy tower. He looked at peace, and without trouble, something Harry had never seen Dumbledore looking. He glanced at McGonagall, whose face had considerably softened, and her eyes held a look of unadulterated love.
She looked at her husband's portrait, and remembered the last time she had seen him look like that: The three of them were curled up in bed together, the night before the start of another year at Hogwarts. Albus had conveniently slept through both their son's crying bouts- and she was tired. She brought her son into her bed, and placed him between her and his father. Nathaniel giggled as Albus' beard ticked his face, but the giggles slowed, and eventually their son was asleep, his hand holding fast onto her husband's whispery beard. She simply sat there, studying her husband and her son as they slept, feeling exhausted, but utterly content. She snuggled down, stroking her son's cheek, her forehead lightly touching her husband's. Content, she realised wasn't the right word. She felt utterly, and totally complete, and sleep greeted her with a smile on her lips.
Her face hinted the beginnings of a shaky smile, and Harry was immediately curious as to the memory that she was reliving. Minerva however, feeling Harry's eyes on her, she quickly resumed her steely expression, and with her face taut and lined, she turned to face Harry.
"I would like to know what you and- Professor Dumbledore- were doing this evening when you left the school." This was both for curiosity and for official purposes. Albus had told her enough of his suspicions for her to know, but wanted to hear it from Harry. Albus had said that it was very important for Harry to tell her. Dumbledore understood Harry's insecurity with people talking about him, not to him.
"I can't tell you that professor"
Harry Potter, it seemed, was as stubborn, and as loyal as his father. she breathed slowly, exasperated with him. She knew goddamn it, but she couldn't tell him she knew. She used every avenue of reasoning she could, as from past experience (arguments with two generations of Potter senior, and her beloved) she knew that logic tended to sink in eventually. But no; not with this particular Potter.
She fazed out, remembering how she and her husband had spent the night before- playing chess, as they had so often done, and talking about their lives. she had known, ofcourse what he had planned to happen tonight, and how he was going to let snape kill him, to forsake Draco, but before the curse became too powerful again. killing, as it were, three birds with one stone- dying for the greater good. Damn him. she thought. Damn that man, always thinking about the long game, rather than about himself, and his wife.
Knowledge did not soften the heavy blow, she mused, as through her reminiscing she felt the ache of emptiness in her heart. She then paused, stray words from Harry slowly seeping through to her
"Rosmata?" she said, and blinked, trying to process whatever he had said about her that she had missed. "imperius curse?" she muttered, but before she could continue, the heads of houses proceeded through the door behind Harry and she, cutting her off as they both turned to acknowledge their arrival.