For the Tiggerific Times Challenge on the Golden Snitch.
Prompt: Minerva McGonagall (5 points)
Beauxbatons, Barbegazi.
Word Count: 531 words
"Malcolm," Minerva says warmly, embracing her brother. "Why does it seem to take so long between our visits? I
"Because you, dear sister, are an important professor who is always busy preparing young minds for the world," he says lightly, and there's no mistaking how forced his teasing tone is.
Minerva immediately feels her mouth go dry. Malcolm is always so carefree and joking. She doesn't know how to react to the subtle tension in his jaw, the tightness in his voice.
"What's happened?" she asks dryly. "It isn't Iris, is it?"
Her heart wrenches. It must be something serious of Malcolm has decided to forego letter and appear to her in person.
"Your niece is still quite healthy and happy," her brother assures her.
Minerva makes a gesture with her hand, silently urging him to continue.
Malcolm takes her by the hands, a sad smile on his lips. "Minnie, my sweet Minnie," he sighs, pulling her closer. "Perhaps you should sit down."
Minerva bites back a groan. "I'm fine!" she says, the words sharper than she had intended. "Just tell me!"
He pulls his lips into a hard, thin line before nodding. With a sigh, he steeples his fingers beneath his chin, as though he's pondering how best to phrase whatever it is.
"There was an attack in the village," her brother says at last. "Death Eaters."
"Death Eaters?" she echoes. "In our village? Is our mother okay? Has she been hurt?"
"It was a Muggle home. Must have been a random attack because Mum is the only witch there," he says, and Minerva doesn't like his tone.
As kids, Malcolm like to try and hide things from her. She called him a liar; he insisted that it wasn't lying, merely omission. Now, decades later, she can easily detect that subtle change in his voice that heralds an omission.
"What aren't you telling me?"
"Perhaps I should show you the house that was attacked."
…
The field they appear in may not seem important to anyone else. Even those in the village would be unlikely to give it a second glance as they pass along the dirt road that runs beside it. It's just another farm.
But Minerva recognizes it in an instant. This is the McGregor farm. It was on that dirt road where she first met Dougal, and in this very field where she fell in love with him.
"No," she whispers, falling.
Malcolm catches her before she crashes onto the ground. She turns her head, burying her face in her brother's chest, her body trembling as she sobs. "I'm sorry, Minnie," he murmurs, rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry."
She pulls away, wiping furiously at her eyes, but it's no use. The tears continue to flow freely.
"I could have protected him," she says. "If I'd married him, maybe it wouldn't have been like with Mum and Dad. I should have… I could have…"
"You couldn't have prevented this. It was a random attack. There was no way to know," he insists.
And Minerva knows that he's right. It's illogical to blame herself. But as her heart breaks, for once, Minerva doesn't give a damn about logic.