A/N Thanks again M.
Apologies in advance for the cliffy, but I just can't help myself. The beta checked copy of the next chapter is sitting in my inbox so the next update shouldn't be too long.
"""""""""""""""
Looking up from the parchment she was grading, Minerva was surprised to find the castle's caretaker to be the one standing in her doorway causing the hesitant knocking.
Shifting the coverlet to better cover herself, she inquired of him with a single word. "Argus?"
His knocking wasn't the only thing hesitant about him. He was quiet so long that Minerva was trying to decide if she found the situation irritating or amusing. When Filch finally plunged ahead with what he had to say, she wished more than anything to go back to that silence.
"There is something that I need to tell you. I know you'll think differently of me after what I have to say, but I feel that you have a right to know. Just try not to think too poorly of me after I'm done."
Minerva cringed. Poppy had been right about Filch. She spoke quickly to keep him from continuing. "Please don't say it. I think I'd rather not think differently of you."
Realizing how awful that sounded, Minerva tried again. "So many things have happened over the past few months, things that have made me think very differently of certain people. I think for now that I would prefer to just continue thinking about you as I already think about you."
She paused a moment before asking, "Would that be all right with you?"
Argus took a moment to consider, but then he nodded. Minerva was slightly surprised to see he seemed almost relieved at getting out of her rooms without having to make his confession.
""""""""""""""""
Albus didn't know what to do. He had tried the past few days to get back in to see Minerva, but Poppy had refused him entrance - no doubt on Minerva's orders. He had finally resolved to write her a letter, but what was there for him to say? All he had to offer was that he had been attacked by Death Eaters, but the attack itself was incidental. He could tell her that he hadn't returned sooner because he had been unconscious for three days, but that had nothing to do with the real problem - that he had left in the first place. He knew he had been angry with Minerva over her deception, but he hadn't realized just how angry he was – he couldn't fathom the idea that he had actually left Minerva alone in the Hospital Wing struggling for their child's life, but he had.
Albus didn't know what to do about the situation with Minerva…so he headed off to deal with the situation with Filch.
Argus had owled requesting a meeting. He claimed to have something 'incredibly important' to discuss with Albus. Wondering why the other man had sent an owl instead of just coming to his office in person, but willing to play along, Albus had owled back inviting Argus to his office. Argus had refused. He wrote back practically demanding Albus come to the Staff room.
He had briefly pondered insisting Argus meet him in his office. Albus had taken to avoiding the Staff room as much as was feasible. Recent events had not left him in high regard amongst many of his staff. Even the castle's elves who were bound to him by a magic older and more powerful than Albus himself had turned against him as best they could; his evening 'hot' cocoa was now delivered lukewarm. He had thought about insisting, but he knew that he deserved whatever malevolence his staff might have to offer.
Entering, Albus was surprised to see so many people milling around. True, classes were out for the day, but he would have hoped that people would have better places to be. But no, it appeared that congregating in the Staff room to give him angry glares was all of the fulfillment that some people needed.
Wanting to get this assignation over with as quickly as possible, he made his way straight towards the castle's caretaker. "Argus, what is it you wished to see me about?"
Filch drew himself up to his full height – which still only put him at the height of Albus's shoulders - before solemnly stating, "This is my letter of resignation."
Albus had been expecting Filch's 'incredibly important' something to discuss to be yet another request to ban Fizzing Whizbees or the playing of Exploding Snaps or further talk of the kneazle roaming the castle. Argus's response caught him off guard. "Why…"
More to have something to do than anything, Albus looked down at the sheaf of parchments that Argus had just handed him – a sheaf that seemed far too bulky to be a simple letter of resignation. "Why did you sign Kettleburn's name on your letter of resignation?"
"Oh!" Argus took the papers and shuffled them before thrusting them back at Albus. "He was the last to sign."
"The last?" Flipping through the pages Albus found a letter from every member of his staff. It wasn't signed, but Argus had even filled one out for Binns. "You're all resigning?"
"If you insist on continuing to hound that poor woman for her resignation, then yes, you'll have to take all of ours as well! And good luck trying to replace the entire staff mid-year!"
Minerva would no doubt be touched by this outpouring of support. If only Albus could get close enough to tell her. While it struck Albus as odd that Argus of all people would decide to organize such a protest, he had other, more pressing things on his mind. As for his earlier idea – the one that involved getting Minerva to agree to resign and go into hiding - that was currently the furthest thing from his mind. Right now he was concerned with getting her to agree to speak with him again or at the very least to agree to remain at Hogwarts.
"I assure you, I have no more desire for Minerva to leave than you do."
Argus squinted at him. "Well you sure have a funny way of showing it."
Albus hadn't an answer for that – not that he would have gotten the chance.
Poppy burst into the room, gushing. "That had to be the most beautiful, the most romantic thing that I have ever seen!"
Poppy was too excited to wait for him, or anyone else in the room, to ask what it was that she was going on about. She came right out with it. "Alastor Moody just asked Minerva to marry him!"