A/N – Sorry about the long wait. Things have calmed down a bit and I should be able to post with more regularity. Thank you for being so patient with me. That being said, let's get on with the story.
-O-O-
Hermione ran as if her life depended on it and in her eyes it did. In her eyes, if she let Minerva in, there was no way she could survive letting her go again when the older witch decided she didn't want it anymore. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't really care. All she knew was that she had to get away and stay away, at least until morning when her flight was due to leave. She knew that Izzy would grab her things for her, that wasn't a big deal. All she needed was to stay low for a little while and she would be fine. Yeah, she would be ok if she just stayed away from Minerva McGonagall.
She slowed to a stop and glanced around. She knew where she was. If she kept walking up this road she would start up the mountain where the statue of Christ the Redeemer stood. It was one of her favorite places to visit and she had been up there more than a few times during their stay here. So she kept going. Izzy knew her well enough that if she needed to find her she would know where to look, and really, that was the only person that she wanted to even think about finding her at that particular moment.
-O-O-
Isabella watched her friend jet out of the alley where she had walked with the love of her life, who had surprisingly stayed in Rio to look for the brunette. She shook her head. She knew why Hermione was running from Minerva. It really did make sense logically, but love wasn't logical. There was no mathematical equation that Hermione could use to figure out this part of her future. That's what Isabella couldn't quite get the woman to understand. There was no logic to what she was feeling.
She watched a black and grey tabby cat slink out of the alley, whiskers drooped and ears flat against her head. Her tail dragged the ground. The picture of dejection Minerva McGonagall slowly made her way up the street away from Isabella and their friends. Izzy couldn't help but feel the sharp pain in her chest at the older witch's sorrow. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her best friend in a vat of ice water and force her to wake up and smell the roses. Love wasn't perfect. It was messy and painful and hard. But it was also joy and laughter and completeness. She was giving up more than she realized by turning Minerva down like this.
-O-O-
Minerva watched the woman she craved run from the alley. Her heart shattered. She knew Hermione was scared. She also knew that she deserved every second of the younger woman's scorn for walking back into her life like this after what she had done that day on the platform. She had no reason to believe that Hermione would take her back but she had to try. Now she knew that despite all her hopes and dreams Hermione didn't want her anymore.
Replaying their conversation in her head she froze. She was wrong. The younger witch did want her. "I admitted to them that I am in love with you." Minerva grinned Hermione had said "I am in love with you." Not I was in love with you. Maybe she still had a chance. If she could just convince her that she would do whatever it took to be what the younger woman needed then maybe she had a chance. She had to win over Hermione's trust again though.
There was just one problem with her plan. Hermione was catching a flight tomorrow. A flight to another country that Minerva didn't know. This was her last shot to convince the younger witch and she blew it. Hermione was leaving again, and the older witch knew that she wouldn't find her again. The girl was too good at covering her tracks to be found.
A deep rooted hollow feeling sank itself deep into her heart and took hold. Her Hermione was gone. The young woman she wanted so badly had run off and was nowhere to be found. She knew in her soul that if she ever saw the young woman again, it would be a miracle. She shifted into her animagus form and slinked away back towards her hotel. She needed to pack, and try and move on with her life and forget the best thing that had ever happened to her.
-O-O-
A/N – So what do you think? Let me know. Lots of love to everyone who has followed/reviewed/favorited this story. Means the world to me!