A/N – Holy Cow I am so sorry! It's been a really really long time since I updated this and that is completely unacceptable I know. Forgive me please. I promise this story has not been forgotten and left to rot. Don't know how many people pay attention to my profile but as I stated on there, updates are going to be slow on all of my stories due to major personal problems that have all decided to happen at the same time. I need to address real life for a little while so this will probably be the last update for anything for a while. Sorry my friends. as stated in previous chapters, I do not own these characters (except Izzy) I am just playing with their lives.
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Hermione walked slowly towards the tabby that stood just a few meters from where Isabella and their group of friends were. She nodded towards an abandoned alley way, indicating that the older witch should follow her so that they could speak privately. As she walked she could only wonder as to what her former professor wanted from her. Hadn't the older witch crushed her enough before, when they were still on the platform? Why come here now? After 4 years? What was the point?
They stopped behind a large dumpster and Minerva suddenly stood before her. Hermione noted that the love of her life hadn't changed much in the years she had been away. She regarded the older witch cautiously, knowing from experience that this woman could crush her to pieces with only a few carefully chosen words.
"Hermione." Minerva breathed out her name like it was the softest of prayers.
"Minerva." The brunette answered shortly. "I thought you would have gone back to Scotland by now."
"I wanted to talk to you after the conference the other day but you had left by the time I got off stage. I stayed to find you so that we could have the chance to speak." The older witch was surprised by the sharpness in Hermione's tone. Never before had the young witch taken such an attitude with her.
"So, speak. What did you want to say?" Hermione was forcing herself to take a very defensive attitude towards the older witch. She refused to allow her feelings towards the animagus to rule her good sense. She wouldn't allow this woman to break her again. Not after Izzy had fought so hard to put her back together.
"I-Well first I wanted to apologize for what I said that day on the platform. I realize now that I was a bit too hasty in what I said. I should have thought about your possible reaction to my words before I said them. I never meant for you to turn your back on everyone in your life." Minerva felt very awkward trying to explain what she was feeling to a woman so much younger than her.
"Apology accepted. Was there anything else? I have to catch a plane tomorrow and really should get back to my hotel so that I can get some sleep." Hermione whispered.
"I wanted to ask if you are seeing that woman? I was hoping that, if you weren't, you would be willing to come back with me. Or even if you are, perhaps you would be willing to still come back with her. There are people back in England and Scotland that care about you Hermione, myself included." Minerva felt her jealousy rising again and attempted to stamp down hard on it and failed miserably.
"What business is it of yours if I am? In case you forgot McGonagall, you turned me down 4 years ago. And now suddenly, out of the blue you think you have the right to show up in my life again saying that you care and trying to convince me to come back? Who do you think you are?" Hermione snapped. All the pent up hurt and anger from the last 4 years spilling out in a sudden rush.
"I think I am the one who watched all of your friends fall to pieces after the Ministry and the Prophet declared you dead. I think I am the one who spoke at your funeral. I am the one who went to tell your parents that you had vanished and been pronounced dead-"
"I know." Hermione cut her off. "I was there. For my funeral, for Harry's wedding when he told most of the wizarding world that the one thing he wanted most for a wedding gift was for me to be there. I was there when you told my parents that I was dead. Right after you left their house I went in and told them I wasn't, that I was hiding from you. I admitted to them that I am in love with you. And every time you and I were in the same room, I know that you could sell me, I know you knew I was there, or you chalked it up to your own imagination. Answer me this McGonagall, Harry gave up. Ron gave up. The entire Weasley family gave up. The Ministry gave up. Why didn't you? Why did you continue to try and hunt me down when the rest of the world thinks I am dead?" Hermione was so angry by now that she couldn't draw enough breath to scream. Her voice was a very quiet whisper. One that Minerva almost had to strain to hear.
"Because after you left I realized that I was an idiot. I realized that I couldn't lose you. I didn't want to have a life that you weren't a part of. Hermione, you were and still are everything to me. I regret the way I treated you that day on the platform. Please. Please, come home." Minerva knew she was begging.
"I can't. I won't risk my heart a second time. You could crush me so easily, and I won't let you hurt me again. Not like that." Hermione whispered.
"I wouldn't. I swear to you. Give me a chance. Please just one chance."
"I did!" she screamed. "I gave you that chance already and you wrote it off hero worship. How can I trust you with my heart again when you have already stomped all over it once? No, no not again." Hermione ran, hard and fast away from Minerva, away from Isabella, from their group of friends that they had been talking to before the professor had shown up. As she ran, she knew she was running from her only chance at love. Running from the only person she could ever imagine building a life with. Running from her greatest fear.
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A/N – There you have it Ladies and Gentleman. As previously stated I have absolutely no idea when I am going to be able to update anything again. Today is a decent down day for me so I am going to try and update as many stories as possible. After today though, it's going to be a while.