A Trip to St. Mungo's
Sybill came to rather quickly. She felt as though she'd had the wind knocked out of her, and breathed slowly, rubbing her chest. She almost couldn't believe it. Had Minerva done this – had Dumbledore? She knew that what she was now remembering was real; she felt it profoundly in her heart. She was a little shocked at herself for having been so forward when it came to Minerva. Sybill wasn't known for being assertive. As the memories pressed down on her, she got to her feet and looked outside. There was Minerva, laying some fifty or so feet away, not moving. Sybill threw her angry thoughts and confused thoughts and sad thoughts aside temporarily and ran to Minerva's side as fast as she could, almost tripping on her shawl more than once on the way there.
She practically fell down beside Minerva, hands quivering. She pressed two fingers to her wrist, and breathed again once she felt a beat. She shook violently for a minute and then conjured a stretcher. She began to direct it towards the headmaster's office, but then remembered he was gone. The toad was in charge – she was responsible for this. She wanted to slap her. She didn't have time for that now. Minerva needed help.
Poppy. She needed to go to Poppy.
Sybill sat in the tea room at St. Mungo's for hours. She was considering leaving. After all, Minerva didn't want her there – didn't want her at all. But she shouldn't be alone. She couldn't bear to leave Minerva alone there, even if it did pose some threat to her being kept there, at least according to the older woman. She adjusted herself, trying not to look too odd as someone entered the room.
"Sybill. No surprise to see you here."
She looked up to see Professor Dumbledore himself looking at her, his eyes twinkling.
"Headmaster. How - ?"
"I am in disguise, Sybill. No one knows my true identity here, except for you and one very loyal member of the Order who also happens to be a Healer. They all seem to think I am a kindly, though a little portly, gentleman here to visit his aunt, who just happens to be in the same room as Minerva's." He smiled a little at her. "Just to be safe, though, you ought to refer to me as George."
"George?"
"Yes. One of the Weasley twin's names. I thought it most appropriate, given the send-off they gave the school. Not to mention, a very common name, and therefore, easily overlooked as to being connected to the school."
Sybill nodded. "Erm, George – "
"How is it that I knew you were here?"
Sybill nodded again.
"Well, I didn't. I do not possess the Sight that runs in your family. I don't blame you for not Seeing that I would be here, you have no doubt had your mind – clouded – due to Minerva's present state," Dumbledore added before Sybill could protest. "By mere luck, I was informed that I should wait upstairs in the tea room, as my aunt's condition was currently unstable and that perhaps I would run into one of her old friends." He winked at Sybill, and took the seat opposite from her.
"How are you, Sybill?"
"I – I am fine, Hea-George."
"Now I may not possess the Sight, but I believe you are not being altogether truthful with me. Though, given all that you may be feeling right now, I do not blame you for this. Would you like to try again? Or perhaps I should let you be alone?"
"Please don't. I do not wish to be alone now." Dumbledore smiled. "No, I did not think you would." Sybill sighed in a very Minerva-ish way. "I am confused D-George. When the Stunning spells hit Minerva, I felt them, as though they were hitting me as well. And what's more, I remembered something – something impossible."
"You remembered that Minerva had acted towards you in a way that is very unlike Minerva, yes?" Sybill nodded slowly. "How did you know?" Dumbledore chuckled softly. "You have known me for sixteen years, Sybill. Have you not yet figured out that I have my own ways of learning things? Not to mention that Minerva gave it away herself. That is not to say," he added at Sybill's wide-eyed expression, "that he told me. Rather, it was what she didn't say that gave it away. Even Minerva doesn't always act in the way that is best. We all make mistakes. Even I have been guilty of that on occasion," he gave her his charming smile and waited.
"So you know. I guess it must be true then," she finally conceded. "What do I do now? I cannot let things return to how they were, knowing what they almost were. And yet, I cannot pursue anything, since it would be obvious that Minerva does not want that, or she would have done so."
"You must do whatever you feel in your heart is best. And as for Minerva, I would not be so certain about what she wants. Sometimes, one acts against one's own feelings." Dumbledore stood. "I rather feel like some tea, and we are, after all, in the tea room. Would you care to join me?"
Minerva dreamt in her state of unconsciousness, a vault of memories running through her from a night more than ten years ago.
The sounds of the faculty Christmas party lingered in the halls as the woman swept her robes away from it.
"Mi-Minerva?"
She stopped at the sound of Sybill's voice, sighed, and turned around rapidly. "Yes?"
"I-I know we do not get along, you find me and my Sight to be r-ridiculous. We have never been friends, not since I – but I still know you. And I do see. My Inner Eye – it Sees what cannot be seen fr –"
"Sybill, dear, please do get on with it. It's late."
The woman rummaged through a bag she was wearing over her shoulder and drew out a package wrapped in lovely Christmas paper.
"Thank you, Sybill." She was unsure whether to be nervous or grateful, really, but graciousness – she could give her that.
The woman looked at her eagerly. "O-open it."
"I'd really rather do that back in my office, Sybill. As I said, it is late."
"Please?"
Merlin's beard, it must be bad, she's too excited. However, she obliged her colleague, and opened the gift unsteadily. It was worse than she thought. A beautiful emerald and sapphire crocheted plaid scarf sat inside the box. "Did – did you make this, Sybill?" The woman nodded. "It's not my style, but I Saw –" She looked at her, feeling immensely guilty. "I-it's lovely, thank you. I-I'm afraid I don't have a gift for you, Sybill, other than the chocolates I send you every year." It was an easy fix, since she'd never known her well enough to know what to get her, and assumed she would not get many presents, with no family or friends outside the castle. "Quite – quite all right… I-I do not want anything, anyway."
There was something in her tone. Minerva had not been a teacher for so long without learning how to detect a lie. Sybill's eyes glanced upward and back down again so quickly, Minerva almost didn't catch it. She looked at the ceiling, and hanging right above, naturally, was mistletoe. Surely the woman didn't think she – ?
Her eyes gave her away. Sybill? In love with her? It wasn't possible – she had never given the woman any idea that she might ever feel that way towards her. True, she did prefer women, but Sybill was – well, Sybill. She tried to look apologetic, and attempted to leave, but some unfamiliar kind of magic rooted her to the spot. Sybill was looking into her eyes, and, for a moment, she believed that she could See, and knew that the woman was Seeing into her soul. The magic pulled her close to her, and she kissed her quietly on the lips. The woman leaned against the back wall, and grasped her elbows. It was slightly awkward, and yet, slightly wonderful. When she pulled away, she felt slightly horrified. What had she done? It was completely unprofessional of her, not to mention bizarre. Sybill grasped her shoulders. "I can See into your heart, and I See what you want," she said in a misty voice. Minerva regained her composure and scoffed. "You don't." She walked away from her, the echo of what she said to her the first night they met booming in her ears.
"You will find what you want someday. What your heart seeks lies somewhere unexpected."