Chapter 5

"Any last requests?" Minerva hissed into Rolanda Hooch's ear.

Rolanda gasped and choked on the breath as if a knife was as good as already placed to her throat. She, her eyes large and glossy with fear, whirled around to face Minerva. Rolanda had known that the time would come when she would confront her, and she hadn't even tried to fool herself into believing that Minerva would be the least bit relenting.

"Before you do anything rash, Minerva, please let me explain," she begged, backing herself into a corner of the wall.

"How could you?" she snapped, her Scottish brogue thick with uncontrolled emotion. "You can't begin to imagine the trouble and embarrassment you've caused me!"

"That wasn't my intention!" Rolanda exclaimed, holding her hands up between them as if this could keep Minerva away.

"Ah, then pray tell what was your intention, Rolanda?"

Her voice was loud and crackling with fury.

"I only wanted to help!" she insisted, wincing as Minerva took another threatening step toward her.

"How did you possibly think that leading me to believe that you tricked Albus into drinking a love potion would help? A slug has more sense than that!"

"Well... Well, it worked didn't it?" she offered, though she regretted her words as soon as they had slipped from her tongue.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WORKED?" she shouted, infuriated that Rolanda could suggest such a thing. It was a wonder that Albus would even speak to Minerva at all after the irrational way she had acted towards him.

Rolanda shrugged slightly and gave a small, trembling smile.

"He admitted it, didn't he? That he loves you?"

Minerva's jaw slackened, and Rolanda knew she had won.

"I'm trying to give you the chance you deserve," she explained. "Take it. Now you know how he really feels, so don't let him get away."

Minerva opened her mouth but closed it again without a word.

"Why did you make me think it was a love potion?" she asked, her voice now quiet and worn from shouting.

Rolanda grinned, her courage having returned now that she was more certain she would not be murdered.

"How else could I make you really see how much he loves you? I knew that if you expected him to act amorous towards you, you would be able to more objectively see the signs."

Minerva nodded slowly.

"I have to go explain this to Albus," she said with a sigh.

"He'll understand," Rolanda assured her.

"I should hope so... or you're dead."

Rolanda laughed, obviously unconcerned.

"One more thing..." Minerva said, her eyes narrowing curiously at Rolanda. "How did you convince Severus to go along with this?"

Rolanda blushed slightly.

"Oh, well... I have my ways."

Minerva laughed softly as she turned to head back to her room, where Albus was still waiting for her.

"I'll bet you do..."

To be continued...