Poppy was determined to make sure that there would not be another scene like the last one between the Headmaster and her patient. While Poppy hadn't yet been able to coax out of Minerva what it was exactly that the Headmaster had said to her, Poppy did know that whatever it was had left Minerva inconsolable. The poor thing had continued crying for hours after his departure. That sort of stress was good for neither Minerva nor the little beastie growing in side her.

To prevent a reappearance by that certain unwanted, but persistent would be visitor, and the better to monitor her two most important patients – and truth be told only patients - Poppy had all but taken up residence in Minerva's sitting room.

As such, she was in a perfect position to listen in on what ordinarily should have been a very private moment.

Entering the room, Alastor didn't waste any time. Approaching Minerva, he removed a small jewel box from his pocket. Opening it and getting on one knee, he held it out to her. "This ring belonged to my mother and my father's mother before her. I would be honored if you would consent to wearing it."

Giving a gasp, Minerva looked aghast. "Alastor – no!"

Still on one knee, he stopped her. "Minerva, hear me out. You know that I care about you. I have for some time. This has been such an incredibly difficult year for you. So many horrible things have happened. I can't pretend to know, or even to be able to imagine, what its been like for you, but I can't stand to keep seeing you go through it all alone. I want to be there for you. I want to help you get through this. A child needs a father. I want to help you care for and raise this child. If you will allow me the chance, I promise I will love this baby as if it were my own."

Poppy had already seen a tear come from Minerva's eyes, but the beauty of the man's words was bringing one to hers as well.

"I know that right now you don't feel for me what I feel for you and I don't mind. If you married me, I would never pressure you to…to – well, to anything, but I wonder if maybe, in time, when you're ready, those kind of feelings might begin to develop. And if they did, maybe we could add a few more children to our family. And if those kind of feelings should never begin, then I would be content with just the companionship of you and the child we would already have."

The tears had begun flowing more freely for both women. Alastor reached into another pocket to retrieve a handkerchief. Minerva took it gratefully, unlike the ring still in his outstretched hand, which remained untouched.

She sounded incredibly regretful. "Alastor, I could never hope to find a more wonderful or caring man than you. If only my baby's father was half the man that you are –" Understandably, at this point Minerva broke off. "Alastor, I wish that I could say yes, but I cannot marry you."

Alastor nodded and stood - not that Minerva, who had turned to face the wall as she continued crying, noticed.

"If you should change your mind or if you need anything - if the newspapers are bothering you, or the Ministry or the school's governors are, or if you need help fixing your cottage back up - if you need anything, anything at all, just let me know and I'll take care of it."

He put the ring back into his cloak pocket before quietly departing.

Listening to Poppy tell the story, Albus's heart was in his throat. "But she said no. You said that she said no."

Poppy smiled knowingly. "She said no then, but…"

Poppy's heart broke watching the auror head out the door. Seeing that Minerva was still facing in the other direction, still crying, Poppy slipped out after him.

"Alastor, wait!"

The hope in the auror's eyes as he turned again tugged at her heart. "Did Minerva send you? Did she change her mind?"

"No," Poppy admitted. "But the things you said, they were so beautiful. I'd like to help you try to change her mind."

Poppy smirked while declaring, "Alastor wants to marry her and I'm going to help him!"

Kettleburn made a face. "Has anyone told Alastor about the baby's… father?"

Poppy crossed her arms. "He knows!"

Kettleburn looked positively ill. "And that what, excites him?"

"He's being noble!" Poppy snapped. "Which is far more than I can say for any of you!"

Kettleburn snorted at Poppy. "What, you want one of us to marry her?"

Poppy was growing positively cross. "It would be the honorable thing to do!"

Seeing honor had no draw for Kettleburn, Poppy tried another tack. "You know…pregnant women have a greatly increased sex drive."

Kettleburn wasn't biting. "Fat girls don't do it for me."

"On behalf of all the fat girls," Sprout declared, "Thank Merlin!"

When Kettleburn held up his newspaper, effectively ending his part of the conversation, Poppy turned her gaze on the others in the room. "And what's your excuse, Filius?"

Filius's gaze darted around the room at the other assembled ladies, as if one of them would come to his rescue and prevent him from having to answer. Finally giving up that hope, he slouched into his seat and mumbled into his teacup. "I'm allergic to cats."

While Poppy glared at the diminutive Charms professor, Albus spoke quietly. "I would marry her."

Poppy quickly dismissed that idea. "Don't be ridiculous, Albus. I wasn't referring to you. You're what, eighty years her senior? As adolescent as you can behave at times, I think Minerva would appreciate someone a bit closer to her own age. Someone a bit more spry to play games and do things with the child. Besides, Alastor is in love with her."

Not listening to Poppy's words, Albus left the room.

Without Poppy playing sentinel, Albus was finally able to get an audience with Minerva. The few days that had passed since he saw her last seemed to have subdued her anger. Now she just seemed sad. At least, that was the impression he received once she changed out of her animagus form.

Perhaps because he didn't quite know how to say what he really wanted to say, the first thing out of his mouth was not the apology that he had been intending to deliver.

"Why were you in your animagus form?" Both times he had managed to get in to see her, she had been in her animagus form.

Minerva looked startled by the question. Perhaps because it caught her off guard, she answered rather than just send him from the room. "Poppy recommended it. She thought it best for the baby."

The words were out before he thought them through. "Poppy thinks the baby's half-kneazle. You know better."

He could tell by the rapid changes in her expression, from sad to embarrassed and then to angry, that her emotional state of late had not lent itself to the most rational of thinking.

Realizing that pointing out the flaw in her reasoning was not the best way to start off his apology, Albus quickly changed the topic. "Thank you for not saying yes to Moody."

Back to that weary sadness. "It had nothing to do with you, Albus. Alastor is a good, decent man. Not for all the galleons in Gringotts would I involve him in this debacle that I have created."

"Minerva, I'm-"

She didn't even bother to look in his direction as she interrupted him. "Go away."

"Minerva –"

"Just leave. You're very good at that."

Albus accepted the rebuke. "Minerva, there are so many things that I want, that I need to say to you – I don't know where to start."

Finally looking at him, she cut him off. "Then don't. Are you going to leave or do I?"

He wanted to stay – to explain and defend himself for his earlier actions, but what was there for him to say? And Albus knew that if she were to leave, it would be more than just the room.

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A/N Hopefully the use of italics in the chapter was helpful rather than confusing. The regular text happened in the present, while the events in italics occurred moments earlier in Minerva's rooms.

Thanks again Maria for beta checking this.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.