A/N: It never rains but it pours - huge line of storms disrupted our evening this night so tomorrow the fam is going to go and buy lottery tickets cos we really must be due a win at this point lol Love to you all!
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The next morning, Minerva woke up feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the day threw at her. It was the first morning she could say that she felt 'good' in a long time. She flexed her hand for a while and wondered why she felt the need until it all came rushing back.
Before she showered, she sat on the bed looking at her hand and inspecting her ankle. There was nothing untoward about it and she wondered if she ought to see Poppy before she remembered how her last visit had gone. As far as she could tell, she was perfectly healed. Her good sleep and clear mind helped her see her day she was appalled at herself for her behaviour. As her class before lunch left, she marched up to the Hospital Wing to see Poppy. They had talked, quietly, over a private lunch. It culminated in Minerva apologising profusely and Poppy placating Minerva's grumblings with tomato soup and sourdough bread while her limbs were checked over.
They were as right as rain again.
She had done nearly all of her marking and replied to most of Albus' mail when the man himself had sent a small message to say that he had been waylaid and to not expect him back for another week. She had sighed but understood. Hermione did not seek to meet her, nor did Minerva reissue her offer for tea. Between them, they seemed to be waiting for the other, but Minerva was honestly too busy to spend much time on it.
By the time the weekend rolled around again, Minerva was elbow deep in a pile of fifth-year essays. After her meeting with Scrimgeor had surfaced and the tale of her misdeeds in the forest, Poppy had let herself into Minerva's sitting room most nights since and would only end their evenings when Will was on his way home or it was too late for company. Despite her arguments that she did not need a babysitter, it had helped the emptiness in Minerva's stomach immensely to just have some company.
They both looked up when someone knocked on her Portrait.
"Michael?"
There was no answer so she got up and waved Poppy down with a quiet hand and poked her head around the frame.
"What on earth?"
Hermione was there, a rather ugly carpet bag in hand and a bouquet of -
"Are those," she peered closer. "Bluebells? With Glow bugs in them?"
"Yes," Hermione laughed. "I thought you might like them. I recently found them in the, um," she hesitated. "The Forest." Minerva winced at the memory, but Hermione continued. "They made me laugh so -" she shrugged.
"I -" Minerva frowned.
"Or not," Hermione shrugged. Her actions conveyed aloofness but Minerva was learning that Hermione's eyes were where the truth lay. And the eyes that Minerva stared into now, were disappointed. "It's fine."
"No," Minerva nodded, almost snatching the small bouquet off her. "No, that's," she giggled as the Glowbugs sent her a rather rude message after being disturbed. "Let me put them in some water."
"I can surely do that for you," Poppy grinned as she pulled open the portrait. "Hello, Hermione, darling."
"Hey," she chuckled. "How are you?"
"Fine, thank you, love. What's the plan tonight then?"
"Excuse me," Minerva said, looking over her shoulder at her sister-in-law. "Hermione, where is Michael?" It only occurred to her after she spoke that Hermione surely would not know, although she answered without hesitation, confusing her more.
"He's in the North Tower with the pretty lass he met while he was," Hermione made a face that Minerva could not read. "Away."
"I am understandably confused. How, I mean. Did we," Minerva swallowed as she felt Poppy pause at the door so she could listen in. "Were we supposed to -"
"No," Hermione smiled. "I know you've been busy with everything, seeing as Albus is away." She glanced up at Poppy but seemed to think it was fine to discuss anything in front of her. "And I know I've apologised for my behaviour, but I wanted to make it up to you. I didn't know Poppy was here, otherwise, I would have, I mean, I thought I'd -" She held up the carpet bag with a shrug. "Invite you to a picnic?"
Minerva blinked and looked between hopeful eyes and the carpet bag and really, really struggled with the hidden meaning. Poppy pinched her side and she jumped a little, falling out of the portrait with a yell as Hermione dropped the bag and caught her.
"Sorry," she whispered, trying not to stare. "Someone," she hissed as Poppy stood at her door with a smile. "Startled me."
"It's fine," Hermione said softly. "I wouldn't have let you fall."
"Darlings, I expect you home by midnight. No flying while inebriated, do not eat anything past its used-by date and definitely avoid eating anything that sings. Don't eat too much cheese. Love to you both."
Minerva gaped as Poppy closed her Portrait and then! Locked it.
"Why the little -"
"Min," Hermione chuckled. "It's alright. If you don't want to go, I'll just -"
"No," Minerva said, grabbing her arm. "I don't -"
It was then that she noticed the carpet bag just floating in mid-air and she looked at it and then at Hermione.
"Are you doing that?"
"I am getting better at it, yes," she chuckled.
"Hermione -"
She was so close to her that she felt the little shudder the younger woman gave as she said her name and stood, shocked at the reaction. She wasn't quite sure what to do - did she apologise? Did she do it again? Her own hands, now, were trembling and it wasn't until Hermione's warm ones covered hers that she finally felt like she could breathe again.
"It's alright," Hermione whispered sadly. "I'll go. I should have picked something else, I'm sorry, Minerva, for not -"
"I would love to."
She blurted it out, almost all at once and Hermione paused and looked at her carefully.
"You would?"
"Yes."
Hermione blinked and then, to Minerva's delight, beamed.
"Alright then," she grinned.
They walked towards the centre of the castle, where Hermione opened the door to the steps and waved her on with a flourish.
"Hermione," she muttered. "This is -"
"We're going to the Astronomy tower. I happened to know that Professor Sinistra is away tonight and I asked her if I could borrow it for a while. She agreed.
"Where on Earth is Aurora?" Minerva blinked. She had no notice that a member of staff would be away for the evening.
"That was part of the deal," Hermione chuckled. "And I will not break that confidence."
"Bloody hell," Minerva mumbled as they continued to climb. "My own staff turning against me. Why are there so many bloody stairs?"
Hermione stopped her and looked down at the steps.
"Minerva, I'm so sorry. You've just hurt your leg and I'm -"
"No," Minerva said quickly. "No, I -" She smiled. "My leg is fine." Hermione didn't look particularly convinced but Minerva touched her arm and repeated it. "Truly. You healed it, I have no pain and have had none since. I was merely complaining," she chuckled. "It has been a long while since I have had to climb the Towers."
Hermione stared at her for a beat longer and switched the bag into her other hand, offering her arm to Minerva with a hopeful glance.
"If you wish," she chuckled.
Minerva rolled her eyes and hooked her arm under Hermione's, pulling up her robes with her free hand.
"I -" Hermione looked over sharply and Minerva couldn't help but think it was because she was daring to start a conversation. "I don't want to talk about the Forest," she whispered. Hermione nodded. "But I did want to thank you for the other night and by extension, the Forest as well. You were clearly right, that things can always go wrong. I should not have met the Minister on my own. I should have summoned Filius or Severus. And," she sighed. "I should not have gone into the Forest after dark and even more should not have ignored Firenze's warning."
"I was glad to," Hermione muttered. "I would like to apologise for my behaviour again, both on that night and the next one we spent together. I am not an animal," she whispered. "Though sometimes, I can act like one and I do not mean to."
"I know," Minerva muttered.
"You do?" Hermione asked.
Minerva paused, in part to catch her breath and in part to turn and look at the hope literally shining from Hermione's eyes. They stood and stared in silence before Minerva nodded.
"I do."
The smile she received seemed to warm her from within and she smiled back as she continued to climb. On and on they went until Hermione unlocked the door with a flourish and Minerva gasped.
"Oh, Hermione!"
"Do you like it?"
"Like it," she laughed. "I adore it! How did you do this?"
"Professor Sprout helped," she chuckled. "There's something over there that I probably wouldn't touch but she insisted."
Minerva's breath caught in her throat at the thought of yet another person knowing.
"She knows -"
"No," Hermione smiled. "I told her I was researching the effect that full moons have on magical plants so I've carried them up here for the evening. I may actually have to take notes, knowing her though."
Minerva's laughter rang out across the night and though she noticed Hermione staring, she did not care to care. It had been so long since she'd properly laughed, she couldn't help it. As Minerva calmed, she looked over at Hermione and saw her staring until she shook herself, physically, and summoned a picnic blanket out of her ugly carpet bag. With Filius' words echoing in her ears, Minerva watched for a while then stepped forward to help.
"It's not much," Hermione said as she gave Minerva the final piece to set down. "But I thought it might be fun for a while."
"This is beautiful," Minerva nodded genuinely. "Thank you for inviting me."
"I -" Hermione paused. "You're welcome."
Minerva didn't really want to wonder what Hermione had been about to say but she sat demurely on the rug and waited for Hermione to join her.
"I have most of your favourites," Hermione grinned as she reached into the bag again. "Scotch eggs, corned beef sandwiches and," she blushed. "Poppy helped me -"
"She did what?" Minerva squeaked. "She knew?"
"Kind of," Hermione admitted. "I asked her what your favourite sandwich was a little while ago. She told me that yours is the same as your brother's. Banana and -"
"Brown sugar!" Minerva's eyes widened. "She told you that?"
"Yes," Hermione chuckled. "I made it myself. Will wrote down the best way to do it."
"He did not."
"He did," Hermione giggled. "I'm sorry to involve them but I wanted it to be special."
"Oh, Hermione," Minerva laughed, her face in her hands. "This is," she squeezed Hermione's hand without thinking. "Wonderful. Thank you."
They ate quietly, remarking here and there about something that they'd seen or heard throughout the week.
"Have you heard from Albus?" Hermione asked as she chewed thoughtfully on a piece of cucumber.
"I have, actually," she muttered. In truth, she had expected more information by now but as ever, he was shrouded in mystery. "He sent a small missive to say he would be gone another week. I am not quite worried yet. Nicolas is old and sometimes forgetful. But it is unusual to have been gone this long and only write a short note."
"I bet," Hermione winced. "Perhaps he has found us some answers or been delayed following a snippet of information. He also would not want a note to fall into enemy hands." Minerva nodded as she mused that. "How has your week been otherwise?"
"Sorry?"
"You, your week, how has it been?"
"Oh, it's -" Minerva blinked as she realised that she had been about to wave it off. The tiny glint of disappointment shining from Hermione's eyes had made her pause. They had answered this question for each other so many times and Minerva wondered at how many other instances that Hermione had tried to return to the past but had been thwarted by Minerva's stubbornness. "It has been busy," Minerva said slowly. "I have been struggling to find time to mark my classwork, to be honest. It is not that Albus necessarily has much to do, but with his added responsibilities on mine, it is a constant juggling act."
"And your wrist? I know you said your ankle was fine, but you are healed?"
"All healed," Minerva nodded gratefully. "Nary a twinge."
Hermione cracked another smile and Minerva's breath caught in her throat.
"I'm glad," Hermione whispered. There was a small pause and it was only as Hermione continued to speak that Minerva realised that she should have reciprocated the question. "Well," Hermione muttered. "My week has been slightly less stressful at times, purely because I am once again ahead in my classes. Ron is feeling better, at least. And Harry. I can't believe he cracked his skull." Minerva blinked. In the wake of everything, she'd forgotten to even check up on him. "If you need any help, I'd be glad to. I have," she paused. "Before."
There was a stiffness in the way they were speaking to each other. Minerva couldn't seem to shake it and she could see that they were both aware it was there. Despite everything, she was upset that they could not find a way past it, even though it was likely her own fault. Was it any wonder that Hermione was being cautious with her?
Not that Minerva was prepared for anything else.
"How is Harry getting on? You said he is well again, but, with the other -" She winced as she recalled Hermione's harsh words from before.
"I'm unsure, to be honest. He is spending a lot of time obsessing over Draco, who is up to something." Minerva almost asked if it was related to how she felt about Severus before she remembered how that conversation had ended. She kept her mouth shut instead. "I had already planned on reminding him that he has a more important mission to achieve before anything else."
"That boy and Malfoy," Minerva groaned. "There will always be one pair that end up at each other's throats, it seems to be the way of things."
"Anyway," Hermione muttered. "They'll figure it out, I've got my eye on them. What, um," she paused. Minerva suddenly felt so sad that they could not simply talk as they used to.
"We will get better at this," she said without thinking. Hermione looked up at her sharply and Minerva met her eyes. "We will," she insisted. In for a penny, in for a pound. "I know that, that I have not been." She wished she had Albus' gift for speaking. "I know that my behaviour has been -"
"Min, no," Hermione interrupted. "It's okay."
"It is not. I have been abominable to be around and while I am not, in any way, comfortable with this." Minerva took a very deep breath and let it go slowly, looking around at the veritable oasis that Hermione had created just for her. "I do," she swallowed. "Miss you, as a friend."
"Oh Min," Hermione whispered sadly. "I told you, I will always be your friend."
"But surely it demands -"
"No, Min. I don't care. If all I can ever have is this, then this will be enough."
"Hermione." The woman was frustrating at best. "That is no way to live."
"That's not any of your business," Hermione shrugged. "This is my choice. This will always be my choice. You, in whatever capacity that choice needs to take. I," she smiled sadly. "I'm going to say something that you may not want to hear but I want to say it to you, okay?"
Minerva looked at her carefully for a while and then rolled her eyes.
"Fine."
"I think you and I, together, could be one of the greatest relationships in history. Not for fame or whatever, but real. I don't know how to explain it to you Minerva. If we took this chance, it could be -"
"Fire," Minerva whispered.
"What?" Hermione blinked. "What did you say?'
Minerva groaned and put her face in her hands. She stayed there for so long that Hermione touched her knee to check she was alright.
"I'm fine," Minerva said. "Overwhelmed." Hermione rubbed her arm gently and she sighed as the feelings eased a little. "Filius came to me on Monday. He was a friendly face but he had ulterior motives."
"He knows -"
"He knows a lot more than he let on, Hermione."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"How much more?"
"He," she sighed. "Sees things. Reading between the lines, I would have said that he can see magical auras, though I have not really ever put much stock in that, it is -"
"Too woolly," Hermione chuckled, in time with Minerva. She rolled her eyes and managed a laugh.
"Quite. Well, he," she looked at Hermione and hoped that this didn't make her angry. "He knows, about," she winced. "Whatever this is."
"How?" Hermione squeaked.
"These things, he said he sees. He said that our," she cleared her throat. "Bond is," another pause. "Was fire."
"Whoa," Hermione chuckled. "That explains so much. I wonder why he didn't tell Albus."
"Most likely out of respect for me," Minerva muttered.
Hermione hummed and after gathering the detritus up, she lay back on the blanket and looked up at the stars.
"I know you trust him, and I do too. Perhaps he could help?"
"I would prefer not involving him."
Hermione shrugged.
"What else did he say?"
"Nothing that concerns you." She said it quite sharply but couldn't bring herself to take it back. Hermione bit her lip and nodded, looking up at the sky. Minerva watched as Hermione steadfastly refused to look at her. Minerva's throat felt like it was closing.
"I apologise for snapping."
Hermione nodded. The silence lengthened and Minerva spent a large portion of it staring at a loose thread on the picnic blanket.
"You don't have to," Hermione's voice startled her. "But if you want to stay, I have it on good authority there's a meteor shower tonight."
"You, I mean, did you hear, I -"
"I did," Hermione nodded. "Apparently we're just doomed to snap at each other until we're not. That was just today's instalment."
"Hermione!"
"I don't think we've had one proper conversation without us devolving into chaos," she mused. "So it's fine."
Minerva crossed her arms petulantly and Hermione chuckled.
"Are you staying or going?"
Minerva blinked and looked at her before remembering what she'd said about meteors.
"Did you pick this -"
"No," Hermione chuckled. "Happy accident. If I was to be totally honest, I'd find a way to rope the moon for you, but I can't control the meteor fragments falling into our atmosphere."
Minerva snorted in good humour and the creeping tension broke as she threw her own rubbish into the bag and lay back with a sigh. She cushioned the floor after a moment and Hermione chuckled and thanked her quietly.
"I used to do this with my brothers," Minerva whispered as they looked up into the universe. "And my Da, before we came to Hogwarts. We'd lay out on the heath, the heather and the lavender were so strong some years. Meh Da knew every constellation in the Scottish skies and quite a few from the English ones too. I was excited to come to Hogwarts to do Astrology, but my teacher, at the time, was rather uninspiring. I learned so much more from me old Dad, when I went back home to him"
"I did not mean to stir up old memories?"
"Hermione," Minerva whispered. "I am old. I have lost, so much in my long life and you have -"
"Let's not," Hermione sighed. "I know all this. We've been over it time and time again. You know my answer to it all. You know what I plan on doing about it. Just," she sighed and crossed her arms. "You spend a lot of time trying to change my mind when my mind is already made up."
Minerva groaned.
"I do not necessarily mean to," she muttered. "I struggle to express myself when I'm feeling," she wiped away a stray tear. "Overwhelmed."
"I know," Hermione whispered as she turned. "But you don't have to be overwhelmed with me, okay?" Minerva had her jaw clenched so hard that she could not reply so she nodded, choppily and then jumped when Hermione reached out and brushed away another tear that had escaped her iron will. "I know you don't quite believe me yet, Min," Hermione whispered in her ear as she got closer. "But I promise you, it will be alright."
Minerva's whole body felt like it had been zapped as Hermione's lips pressed a short kiss to her temple. She held perfectly still as Hermione lay back and it was only when she put her hands behind her head and sighed sadly that Minerva felt she could move. She didn't like hurting Hermione. She didn't want to, but apparently, she would continue to do so, no matter what. Her heart hurt at the thought.
As they lay there, looking at the stars, she realised that perhaps she could extend her trust just a little ways. Ironically, though it had started poorly and had ended up in disaster, Filius' visit and then her argument with Hermione followed by the encounter in the Forest seemed to have settled something within her. Even though she would continue to insist that she could have defended herself, she knew in her heart of hearts that she could not have done so at that moment. And had Hermione truly left her, like Minerva had been demanding for so long, she might well have lost her life. Or become a shell of her former self, all because of her stubborn streak. It seemed as though falling on her backside and nearly being kicked in the head had dislodged a little of that iron will.
For now, she would choose to believe Hermione when she said she would not ask anything of her. She glanced over, as they lay in the dark. Her eyesight was fairly good in the night and Hermione's face was a picture of peace, aside from the tears that ran down her face unabashed. Minerva closed her eyes in defeat. Poppy had been right. She was selfish. Her own thoughts and feelings had been first and foremost and she realised now what Poppy and even Albus and Filius had been trying to tell her. Hermione was not the cause of this and as she was feeling like this, Hermione too was thrust into this situation just as awkwardly.
"I'm sorry," she finally whispered.
Hermione sat up and wiped away her tears, rolling to look at Minerva carefully.
"What?"
"I apologise, for thinking only of myself, in this." She winced. "Again. You are struggling just as much, no doubt. I have spared little thought as to how this has changed your life as well, and I'm," she took a shuddering breath. "I'm just sorry."
Hermione smiled, beamed and reached over and slid her hands into hers.
"It's alright," she whispered as she squeezed Minerva's hand. "I'm tough," she chuckled. "I can take it."
"But you shouldn't have to."
"No," she conceded. "But it's okay if I do for a while. We're in a weird situation and we have no information on it and know nothing about it. We are learning as we go and I know you hate that at the best of times, so it stands to reason it's not going to go well. Especially when it is as big as this is. Hopefully, when Albus comes home, he'll have more information."
Minerva hummed as she looked up and finally saw a constellation she recognised.
"That is Pegasus," she said softly, using their joined hands to point. "Beauxbatons has winged horses but they say the true Pegasus was something grander than even them."
Hermione shuffled a little closer and followed their hands to see the sky.
"Beautiful."
"Ah, yes, the Big Dipper and," she looked carefully at a few of the remaining clusters that tugged on her memory. "Leo? I think."
A shooting star streaked through the sky and Hermione chuckled.
"I don't know if your family had the same tradition, but we Grangers wish upon fallen stars."
Minerva knew of it and as she spoke the hope of her heart in her head, she felt Hermione's fingers sliding in hers, in a way that was reminiscent of the way their magic joined that day on the sofa. She watched carefully as Hermione got that look in her eye that meant she was onto something and she flipped her hand in Minerva's so she was in the front and Minerva's was curled over the back.
"Deep breath," Hermione whispered.
Minerva was about to ask, but at that moment two things happened. Her arm warmed and tingled up to her armpit and she almost groaned at the heat in it. She breathed shakily as Hermione moved her arm around in a motion Minerva did not know and in a single moment, all the plants closest to them seemed to take a deep breath and stand up tall. They exploded into colour and vibrancy as they flowered.
"Wow," Hermione chuckled as she looked around. "I wasn't sure if that was what was going to happen, I just felt like it might."
Minerva could not speak, though her arm tingled still, even when Hermione let go the rest of her body was feeling something that she was incredibly uncomfortable with. The light in Hermione's eyes, even in the dark, was so alluring but Minerva was not ready to listen to what her heart was telling her. She had no idea of the time, but she wanted to leave. To go back to her rooms where she would be safe and not feel any of this confusion but then Hermione made another noise and pointed.
"Look," Hermione whispered. Her hand slid into Minerva's again and those tingles intensified. "It's starting."
Minerva did look and was arrested as hundreds of streaks flew across the sky. It was beautiful and she did stay and watch. Because deep down, truly, it was where she wanted to be.