A/N: Here is the next update I promised! Told you it'd be quick, huh? ;)

Enjoy!

Albus leans back in his chair and covers his face with his hands with a tired sigh. Being the Deputy Headmaster was never an easy job by any means, but the attack on Olivia Green only seemed to mount the pressure the job automatically comes with. Not that Albus was particularly surprised; he didn't recall anything like this happening at Hogwarts before, apart from the occasional prank gone wrong or vengeful statue curse. Everyone wanted answers to what happened to Miss Green. The students were frightened, though Albus was relieved to see that finally starting to level off a bit.

The Ministry was constantly asking for updates, but Armando didn't have anything new to tell them. Thankfully, the Ministry seemed to agree with the Headmaster's thought that it would be best to keep it quiet for now. Hogwarts was supposed to be one of the safest places in the Wizarding World; hearing about an unsolved attack on a student would only cause panic. Albus felt the worst for Olivia's parents. They were perhaps the only ones besides the staff that knew the full story, but that is wholly inadequate when you can't tell them why their daughter was attacked, nor how or when she'll be well again.

Albus rubs his face as he leans back up in his chair. There is plenty of work to do on his desk, but he doesn't have the slightest desire to do any of it. He finally decides to get up, thinking that maybe stretching his legs will give him the break he needs.

He looks out the window as he passes it, but pauses when he sees Minerva McGonagall sitting under a tree by the Black Lake. Her knees are pulled up to her chest and she has her arms rested on top of them. Even though he can't quite see her face, Albus can tell she must be deep in thought. He's noticed that every time Minerva gets lost in thought she becomes almost like a statue, and she doesn't move again until you startle her out of her thoughts or she pulls herself out of them.

He watches her for a few moments, and he recalls the difference he's seen in her the last few weeks. Since she found Olivia Green that night by the Hufflepuff common room, she's been tense, almost unnerved. Something about that night rattled her in a way Albus hasn't seen before. In a way Albus counted himself lucky that he was the first to find her that night, because he was able to give her as much comfort as she would allow in those moments before she had to pull herself back together again when Armando arrived. Albus knows her well enough to know that one of the things Minerva hates the most is to appear weak, so he wasn't surprised when in the days following the attack she built up her defense mechanisms with a vengeance.

As he watches her, Albus makes a split second decision and turns away from his window to make his way out the door. Maybe Minerva is as much in need of a break as he is.

When Albus gets outside a few minutes later, he walks closer to the tree he saw Minerva sitting under to find that she is just getting up. When she looks over and sees him coming toward her, she gives him a small smile.

"Hello, Albus,"

"Afternoon, Minerva." He falls into step beside her as she continues her walk along the lake.

"How are you?" She asks him after a few moments of silence.

Albus gives her a small smile of his own, "Alright, I suppose. I feel like I've been cooped up in my office for days. I had to get out for a bit, if I stayed in that room for another moment I just knew I would go crazy."

Minerva nods, for a moment seeming far away again, "I know the feeling." She admits quietly.

She can feel Albus watching her, but she turns her face away from him in favor of the lake.

"How are you doing?" Albus finally asks.

"I'm fine." Minerva says the words far too quickly to be believable, and Albus has a feeling she probably knows it.

He sighs, coming to a halt. "Minerva." He puts a hand on her arm, making her stop too, and she looks at him but she doesn't move her arm away from his hand.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't wish to, but you can."

Minerva's bright green eyes almost burn into him as she looks at him, but Albus doesn't look away from her. He can almost sense the wheels turning in her head, and finally she gives him another small smile.

"I know, Albus."

Every time she says these words, Albus can tell immediately that Minerva doesn't really believe them. There's something different about this time, though. He can see her eyes soften slightly, and he understands that at the very least, she's trying to believe that he's telling the truth.

Albus smiles back. It's the smallest bit of progress in her learning to trust him, but it's obvious to him that her life has taught her not to trust easily, so he knows any progress is a huge step for her. Besides, it's much more than what he could have expected just a couple of weeks ago.

"How about a chess game after dinner tonight, Minerva? I think it would be a welcome distraction for both of us."

He notices Minerva's smile falter slightly and she hesitates. Before Albus can ask her what's wrong, though, he sees her nod.

"I would like that very much, Albus."

"Excellent! I'll come to your rooms after dinner, then."

Minerva nods in agreement, and a moment later Albus and Minerva continue their walk along the Black Lake together in a comfortable silence.

Later, I sit by my fireplace waiting for Albus to arrive for our chess game. I did in fact go to dinner tonight; I didn't particularly want to, but I knew that if I didn't go Pipsy would have found out. I doubt the house elves in the castle get regular updates on which professors show up to meals, but I know that Pipsy would have checked. She's obviously been checking regularly for months, otherwise how would she have known I wasn't at lunch? Besides, I did promise the elf, and after everything she did for me earlier today the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint her. Aside from that, the image of Pipsy finding out that I kept my promise warms my heart and brings a smile to my face. I imagine she was quite pleased.

When Albus found me earlier by the lake, I wasn't entirely surprised. He always seems to show up at the right time, even if it doesn't always feel like it. When he offered tonight's chess game, I could tell he could see the hesitation on my face. Although my mood had vastly improved by the time Albus arrived, I wasn't sure I wanted company tonight at all. The memory of my nightmare doesn't frighten me anymore like it did when I woke up; now it's just a gnawing sadness if I think about it too much. I knew that rejecting Albus's offer would have disappointed him, and I didn't particularly want to see the disappointment on his face.

After we parted, though, I realized that wasn't the reason why I accepted his offer. I know that Albus would have understood and respected my wish to be alone if I had asked for it. Really, I think some part of me wanted the company; otherwise I would probably be spending my night wallowing in the memory of my nightmare and my turbulent relationship with my sister. I have enough to worry about right now without thinking about that, too. Albus's suggestion will indeed provide a good distraction for me, and I know that no matter how I'm feeling about the situation with Olivia Green, spending time with friends is a much healthier choice than spending all of my time alone. Besides, only a few years ago I wouldn't have even had the option, so I may as well take advantage of it.

Albus's soft knock on my door pulls me from my thoughts, and I get up to let him in. While Albus sets up the chessboard, I make us both tea like usual. I even remember to add the ridiculous amount of sugar to Albus's tea. When I get back into my living room Albus is already sitting on one side of the chessboard, and I smile at him as I give him his cup.

"Thank you, my dear." He smiles back as he takes a drink, looking very satisfied with it.

I roll my eyes, "Albus, you eat way too much sugar for a man your age."

Albus gasps, trying very hard to look offended even though I can tell he wants to laugh, "Are you calling me old?"

I huff, "Not at all, if anything you remind me of a teenager most of the time."

This time when Albus smiles, it's almost giddy, and he doesn't try to hide his laughter.

"Well thank you, Minerva, I accept the compliment!"

I roll my eyes again, but I smile at him anyway. "You're welcome, Albus."

We play the game in silence for a while, but eventually Albus asks me if I've been to visit Miss Green in the hospital wing recently, and I can't help but flinch. Almost immediately Albus looks apologetic.

"I'm sorry Minerva, I shouldn't have brought it up."

I sigh, "No, it's alright Albus. It's not like I can avoid the subject forever. But to answer your question, no I haven't been to see her. Her friends are almost always sitting with her since Armando allowed them to visit. I'm glad for it, but I would feel out of place. Besides, I don't need to give the students anything else to gossip about."

"Ah, yes. I heard the students were giving you a bit of a hard time since they discovered what happened that night."

"Not a hard time, exactly," I tell him as I move my piece, "But it's certainly made them more curious. They asked me questions for weeks, but I finally told them I wouldn't tolerate being asked any more questions about it. It just… It feels disrespectful to Miss Green and her parents to talk about her like that, especially as one of her professors."

Albus nods, "What about the other professors? Are they asking you questions too?"

A part of me knows he's asking because if my answer is yes, he's going to immediately put a stop to it. Luckily, this time I don't have to lie to him.

"No, everyone seems almost afraid to talk about it. They've all been very nice about it thank Merlin. It was briefly mentioned in the staffroom today, but that's about it. Galatea mentioned that John Ambrose asked her about the attack this week."

"Ah, yes. I've heard he's a rather curious young lad. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"No, I don't think so either. He's a sweet boy."

I watch Albus make his next move silently, but after I move mine in return I notice he doesn't immediately go to move his pieces.

"Albus?"

I look up at him to find him watching me again. He looks slightly troubled.

"Albus? What's wrong?"

"Oh," Albus shakes his head, "Nothing, my dear. I just…"

"What?" I can tell he wants to ask me something, but he seems hesitant. "I don't bite, Albus."

The troubled look on his face lessens a little at my joke, "No, of course not. I just don't wish to upset you."

"I'm sure whatever you want to ask is a reasonable question given recent events, so go ahead."

"I just want to make sure you're alright. I know you've been having a hard time since you found Miss Green, and I just want you to know you have friends here that want to help."

The sincerity he puts behind the statement throws me for a second, but I sigh.

"Oh, how did I know you were going to say that?" I smile at him a bit. "How can you be so predictable yet so unpredictable at the same time?"

Albus smiles too, but he still looks uncertain, so I decide to give him a straight answer.

"I'm alright, Albus. Yes, you're right, the attack on Olivia Green has had some unfortunate unforeseen consequences, but I'm working through them. Granted, sometimes I'm more alright than others, but I'm sure everything will work out in time."

I pause, and after a moment I reach a hand out and grab his on top of the table. It always seems to reassure him that I'm telling the truth.

"And yes, I am aware that I have…" I hesitate to use the word for a second, "friends that are willing to help should I need it. I don't have much experience with having friends, so I'm trying to learn. You'll be happy to know that I've been spending more time with Poppy and Rolanda recently."

To Albus's credit, he does make an attempt to hide the shock on his face, but he fails miserably and it makes me laugh. It occurs to me that this might be the first time Albus has ever heard me refer to either of them by their first names.

"I do appreciate it very much, you know. Having people around when I need them is a welcome change, especially on days like today." I release his hand now.

Albus looks at me, curiosity replacing the surprise on his face. "What happened today?"

I realized what I'd said about three seconds after it came out of my mouth, but I still wince minutely at his question. If Albus notices, he doesn't point it out.

Oh, well…" I sigh, "Remember how I said Olivia Green was mentioned in the staffroom today?" Albus nods.

"Well, I… I had an unexpected response to the subject."

Albus looks confused now, and no doubt he's trying to remember if one of the professors came to him at any point today mentioning that I'd freaked out in the staffroom.

"Don't worry, I doubt it's anything you or the Headmaster would have heard about. I just left rather abruptly. But I fell asleep sometime before lunch and… well, let's just say my dreams were not pleasant ones."

When I look at him, I expect to see sympathy in his eyes, but to my surprise he's just giving me a compassionate smile. I can tell he wants to ask, but he doesn't. Instead, he gives me an easy out of the conversation by finally making his next move on the chessboard.

We return to the game for a few minutes, but I can't help thinking that I should have told him more. It goes against every inclination I've ever had, so I'm not sure where this sudden thought is coming from. But I remember Albus's words from earlier by the lake, and the sincere look on his face when he said them. He seemed to be telling the truth about me being able to talk to him if I wanted to, and he's never lied to me before.

So, I make a split second decision and I take a deep breath before I speak.

"It was about my sister."

Albus's blue eyes instantly dart from the chessboard back to me. "Nessarose?"

I'm shocked, but also oddly happy that Albus remembered her name. I only told him Nessa's name once, and that was months ago.

"Yes, exactly. Nessarose. Or, well, at first it was about Olivia Green, but then suddenly it was Nessa."

Albus looks almost as confused as I felt in my nightmare. "Why would it be both of them?"

"I didn't understand it at first either. But I was here at Hogwarts, and it was like I was finding Olivia again, but I was aware that it didn't make any sense. I looked away for a moment, but by the time I turned back around she was replaced by Nessarose."

It's almost like Albus can sense that the worst part is yet to come, because this time it's him that grabs my hand on the table. For just a moment, I consider pulling away from him and not continuing, but I don't. I've already gotten this far; I may as well make it to the end.

"At first, I was so shocked I couldn't even breathe, but the look on her face…"

"Minerva?"

"She looked absolutely terrified, Albus. I'd never seen that look on her face before in my life. I… did not react well. I never saw her after she died, but the look on her face made me wonder if fear was the last thing she registered before it happened."

Now Albus squeezes my hand to comfort me, reminding me instantly of Pipsy and I manage to smile gratefully at him.

"I only looked away from her for a second, but when I looked back, she had disappeared, too. There was no trace of Olivia or Nessarose anywhere. I panicked; but when I tried to pull myself out, all I could see was both Miss Green's and Nessarose's faces. I suppose something about finding the girl like that makes me link her to Nessa."

I take another deep breath, shaking the memory out of my head before I look back up at Albus.

"I'm so sorry, Minerva."

It's probably the most sincere thing I've ever heard come out of his mouth, and that's saying something. This time, I do see sympathy in his eyes when I look at them, but not in a pitying way. He just looks genuinely apologetic, though I'm not sure if it's because of my nightmare or the death of my sister.

"It's okay, Albus. I'm alright now, really. It was just a bit of a difficult afternoon. That's why you found me at the lake; I was trying to work through it."

Albus nods, understanding immediately.

"Thank you, by the way, for suggesting this game. I know we've gotten distracted for a few minutes, but things like this do give me something else to focus on, so I genuinely appreciate it."

Now he smiles at me, "I'm glad Minerva." He squeezes my hand one more time before releasing it and picking up his cup to take a drink.

"Oh," I speak again after a few moments, "Speaking of things I need to thank you for, I really should thank you for introducing me to Pipsy."

Albus pauses just as he's about to make his next move and looks at me again, "What? Pipsy?"

I nod, almost laughing again at the expression on his face. "Yes. She visited me today. Actually, she happened to visit not long after I'd woken myself up. I was in quite a state, to be honest, but Pipsy was so caring and gentle with me. She just sat with me while I calmed myself down. It was really quite touching, and I can't tell you how much it helped me."

Albus smiled at her, touched himself by her story. Albus made a mental note to do something nice for the sweet little elf one day soon.

"I'm very happy to hear that, Minerva."

"I thought you would be. So again, thank you so much for introducing her to me, Albus, despite my many protests."

He laughs, "It was my pleasure."

I smile at him again as I make my move, "Oh, Albus, I'm afraid there's one more thing I forgot to mention."

"Yes, my dear?"

I look at him, and for the first time since this morning I feel genuinely happy.

"Checkmate."

Albus's attention snaps down to the board just in time to see his King getting smashed to bits. This time, the look on Albus's face as he stares at the chessboard in disbelief is simply too funny for me not to laugh out loud.

Ta-da! Two updates in one night, a new personal record. I hope everyone enjoyed them, and thanks to FallenWolf82, I already have part of the next chapter mapped out. Hopefully that will help make the next update quicker than usual, too!

Of course, please review! I really enjoy reading them.

Take care and stay well, everyone!

Until next time...

~Neve