A/N: This is some catching up on things that I had not accounted for previously so just roll with it, alright? It's all going to be fine ;)
-0-
Soft fingers tracing a pattern on her bare belly brought Minerva out of sleep with a giggle.
"I had no idea you were so ticklish." Hermione's sleepy voice husked in her ear and caused a shiver that meant Minerva could do nothing to protest.
Minerva smiled, though still somnolent, and stretched. That warm hand travelled slowly down to her thigh, then back up over her hip and her side to rest back against her stomach where it had woken her.
"Wha' time is it?" she mumbled.
"Early," Hermione whispered.
The arm under her neck curled around and rested comfortably on her chest and Hermione pressed the pads of her fingers against Minerva's skin like she was playing a slow tune on the piano.
"There is something incredibly lovely about how warm you are," Minerva sighed as she tangled her fingers in the hand on her stomach and pressed it against her. Even in the warmth of the covers, Hermione's hand was hotter. "You're like a warm bath."
Hermione chuffed in her ear and snuggled closer. Minerva tingled with how much skin was pressed against her where her shirt had ridden up.
"Is it Monday?
"It is," Hermione said regretfully. She sounded much more awake than Minerva felt.
"Did you not sleep?"
"I did, but only for a while," she chuckled, kissing Minerva's shoulder. "I admit that I watched you sleep for a time, though. Hope that's not too creepy."
Minerva chuckled and turned. Hermione pulled her arms back as she reached up to pull her hair from where it was trapped between them but when she looked down at the shirt she was wearing, she laughed.
"It was the only thing I could think of while I was half asleep," Hermione grinned. "I'm not sorry."
"I hardly think you would be," Minerva smirked as she pulled the rather short Weird Sisters t-shirt back down over her stomach and Hermione's hand when it was placed back there. "It has been a long while since I slept in such a thing."
"I am all for you trying new things," Hermione teased as that same hand smoothed down over the top of Minerva's bare thigh.
"Trouble."
They fell silent as the weight of the world fell back onto them. Monday meant a return to class for the both of them and Minerva spent a little time worrying her lip about Hermione's new lessons with Albus. He was undoubtedly a great teacher - he had taught her everything she needed to know to become the Professor she was today but he was not always as effective when he was otherwise occupied.
And when was he not preoccupied with other things these days?
Hermione's head resting on her shoulder made her stomach flop as she adjusted her arms so she could hold the younger woman where she lay. She blinked a tear away and cleared her throat.
"You have your test today?"
"Oh," Hermione chuckled. "Yes, I do actually."
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, I think I've got it down." She pressed a kiss against Minerva's shoulder and sighed. "I really hope Ron passes though."
"Do you think he will?"
"No," Hermione snorted. "But I hope he does. It would make things a little easier if he did, don't you think, seeing as Harry and Gin can't?"
"Another Weasley that can come and go as he pleases?" Minerva chuckled. She smiled as she saw Hermione's beautiful eyes shining up at her. "That is all we need."
Hermione leaned up and kissed her softly, but Minerva didn't want soft if she was to go back to being the aloof and demure Professor McGonagall. She wanted something she would remember later as she struggled to teach a class of First Years who, even after a year, were still so terrified of her. She pulled Hermione impossibly closer and moaned as Hermione did as she secretly wanted. She got up so Minerva was beneath her while their kiss became something more. Hermione's hand wandered over her skin and she groaned around Hermione's tongue as a hand slid around her thigh and squeezed it. Following unspoken instructions, Minerva wrapped it around Hermione's hip in desperation, using it to pull her closer. Minerva keened as she pressed upwards. Hermione traced her side and then moved up to her breast.
Hermione's thumb traced the underside of it and made Minerva pull away as she realised what they were doing.
"Wait," she gasped as a hot hand slid around her ribs. "Wait, I -"
"I know," Hermione muttered as she pulled away. They lay where they were; their foreheads rested against one another and their eyes were locked breathing each other's air. "I know."
Hermione shifted back to Minerva's side and rested her head on her hand while Minerva caught her breath.
"I'm sorry, I don't -"
"Stop apologising," Hermione soothed. "There does not need to be a reason to stop. You are beautiful and I cannot get enough of you and I understand. I understand the why, even if I just said you don't need one."
Minerva didn't move, but she reached up over her shoulder and cupped Hermione's chin. She was so turned on she needed just a moment and Hermione gave her that.
"Do you -" Hermione waited her out. Sometimes she wished the younger woman wouldn't make her speak her thoughts but, as she often reasoned with herself in these moments, if it was anyone but Hermione, she would have to anyway. "Do you feel," she swallowed. "My -"
"Can I tell you're turned on?" Hermione grinned. "Do you want me to answer that?"
Minerva stared at the ceiling, hyper-aware of Hermione by her side and even more so that if Hermione had to ask, then the answer was already known. She cleared her throat.
"No," she muttered.
"Hey," Hermione whispered as she settled closer. "You're not the only one."
Minerva laughed through her nose and finally rolled over to stare at her young love.
"You are far too good to me, darling," she said, her voice low to match the sombre mood creeping in on them.
"Do you know what I'm looking forward to?" Hermione asked suddenly. Minerva blinked at her and shrugged. "I'm looking forward to all the dreams I'm going to have of you, this week."
She burst out laughing and Hermione followed her. She was pulled bodily into Hermione's arms and she laughed against her shoulder until she realised she was crying.
"It's going to be okay, Min. I promise it's going to be okay."
"I cannot go around pining for you! I shouldn't be missing you before you have even left," she protested. "I equally don't want to be thinking about every single inch of your skin while I am teaching. I need to be able to concentrate on teaching how to Transfigure a pincushion into a hedgehog."
"That would sound so much better if it were a porcupine," Hermione mused and the stupidity of it broke Minerva's tears.
"It used to be," Minerva chuckled. She didn't bother attempting to wipe her eyes as Hermione did it for her. "Do you know they can climb?" Hermione blinked at her. "No, neither did we."
Hermione laughed this time and Minerva joined in until they naturally came to a pause and they sighed in time with each other.
"I need to go now so that nobody sees me coming back from Minerva McGonagall's quarters wearing my weekend clothes," Hermione huffed.
"You should just Floo to Poppy's," Minerva muttered darkly. "Let her have the rumours for once."
"You'd be fine if it suddenly ripped around the school that I was sleeping with her?"
Minerva had no idea what possessed her but she sank her teeth into Hermione's shoulder.
"OW!"
She pulled away and kissed it in apology but didn't offer one otherwise. In fact, she felt rather smug as Hermione craned her neck to see it.
"Is that some sort of Animagus thing?"
"No," Minerva mused. "That," she punctuated. "Is a purely Minerva thing."
Hermione laughed again and rolled back on top of her.
"We're going to have so much fun, love."
"And I'm going to enjoy Poppy's rosy red cheeks at dinner once she's heard exactly what you were supposedly doing with her over the weekend. Doubly so, when I know that you were with me."
"You are so wicked," Hermione mused, kissing her heart. "I like this side of you."
Minerva pondered that as Hermione kissed a little path up to her shoulder and sucked hard on the skin. Her eyes rolled in her head and she arched just a fraction at the pain. Hermione, too, left a kiss on the mark and then looked at her regretfully.
"I know," Minerva sighed. "I know."
"Will you promise me that if you start getting thoughts that don't match this moment right here, that you'll get Michael to come and get me?"
Minerva looked at her.
"I don't understand what you mean?"
"I don't want you to wake up tomorrow, or any day after we've been too busy to meet for a while and let those dark thoughts ruin this. I don't want that to make you regret this weekend," Hermione whispered.
Despite her decision that she wanted this with Hermione, the pain of the past few months was still very very visceral and she pulled Hermione into her arms.
"I promise," she whispered. "I do not know if I have actually said this yet," she swallowed. "But again, I am making a conscious effort to tell you the truth of my feelings." Hermione nodded. "I want this with you. I have -" She shuddered. "So many feelings still about everything, but underneath, getting stronger every day, I want this." She ran her fingertips up Hermione's bare back; she was wearing a pair of shorts and a sports bra and Minerva knew she would dream of the way those muscles bunched under her skin as she arched around them. "As much as a rather loud part of me keeps screaming about how I shouldn't be. I want this," she paused and looked up at Hermione as she held her breath. "With you."
Hermione beamed in a way she had not done since before their mission went awry and Minerva pulled her into one final kiss. It petered out, ending in endless tiny kisses until she nudged Hermione's shoulders and the younger woman pushed off her and stood.
"I love you, Minerva," Hermione whispered while she looked at her from the end of the bed. "I love you with a fierceness that scares me as much as it scares you."
Minerva smiled a watery smile and Hermione winked and left. She left the door open and Minerva rolled her eyes at her. She knew Minerva hated that and knew it would make her rise instead of laying and feeling sorry for herself, so she did just that. She walked over to close it before she went to get ready for breakfast and paused at the door.
Michael and Hermione were talking quietly in the living room and it occurred to Minerva that she really should have noticed something was awry with how they acted long before they'd told her. All the thoughts that they had put on hold overnight came flooding back and she chewed on her thumb while she held onto the door and listened to her guardian - she paused for a moment and grinned - her two guardians, chatting. She heard Hermione give her goodbyes and the Floo flared.
Minerva chuckled evilly and went for a shower.
-0-
Hermione had fun making her way quite obviously out of the Hospital Wing that morning, knowing why Minerva wanted her to do so. Poppy had looked at her like she'd grown an extra head and Hermione had grinned and sauntered out of her office. She had already made note that Minerva and Poppy were so very feisty together that they would probably always be at each other's throats for the rest of their lives. She just had to keep out of it, where possible. She had a sudden vision of her sitting at a kitchen table with Will, drinking short glasses of dark amber liquid while a battle of wills raged around them. She chuckled and messed her hair a little more as she heard a few of the fifth years coming down the corridor.
The rumour mill of Hogwarts was not something she enjoyed but she would do anything for her love and so she played it up a little. They'd take it further than was appropriate anyway so she might as well have fun with it.
She made a mental note to discuss putting Poppy and Will and their kids under her protection as well but realised in the same moment that there wasn't quite as much urgency. Poppy was right. She had told Minerva that nobody noticed the healers and for the most part, through history, Hermione knew this to be true. Voldemort might have been particularly nasty, but he was no more than any other asshole that was hell-bent on world domination.
It didn't make him easier to beat, it just meant that in his current form, he was slightly more predictable than he perhaps wished he was.
She showered and changed, regretting washing the smell of Minerva off her as soon as she'd done it. She shrugged into her uniform and regretted it even more. She would need to carry a notebook with all her thoughts on it at this rate. She wanted to ask Albus about taking her N.E.W.T.s early and officially leaving school. Even if she then stayed at the Castle. It would solve all the issues that she knew still plagued Minerva's mind.
"Hey!"
She smiled at Ginny as she came in and watched as her eyes roamed her body.
"You look alive anyway."
"I did mean to send you a note," she apologised. "And then I got busy."
"Do we need to go downstairs later?"
"Oh yeah," Hermione laughed. "Absolutely."
Ginny smiled and suddenly wrapped her arms around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione just about kept her feet and held Ginny tightly.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked quietly.
"I missed you," she laughed. "And I'm happy you're happy and -" She shrugged. "Harry is -" She shrugged again and Hermione nodded.
"You guys got training tonight?"
"Yep."
"Guess we'll meet before? Or after?"
"I dunno how long Angelina will have us for, so, maybe after dinner? She has to stop for dinner, surely."
"I dunno, Gin," Hermione joked. "You Quidditch people seem to think food comes after Quidditch."
Ginny nudged her with her hip and Hermione grinned as her left arm wrapped around Ginny's shoulder while they went downstairs.
"Hey," she greeted the boys as they came downstairs. "You look tired," she remarked when she saw Harry's eyes.
"I was watching the map," he muttered.
"Harry -"
"I did what I was asked," he huffed. "Now I get to do what nobody else is doing."
Hermione took that on the chin and waved off Ginny's protests. As she had told Minerva, she'd not, not, been keeping an eye on Draco, but she had not kept the same vigil on him that Harry would have.
They went down to breakfast and after, Harry was feeling much better and his mood passed.
She didn't look at Minerva, but she could feel her. Even through the crowds of emotions that had assaulted her as soon as she'd entered the Hall, she could feel Minerva's sadness, but also her contentment. She smiled into her goblet of orange juice as she thought about how their weekend had gone and caught Ginny's eye over the top of it.
"Maybe you and I can catch up at lunch," she teased.
"Maybe we should," Hermione quipped back and watched Ginny's cheeks fire. Hermione held her eyes so she wouldn't turn and look at Minerva and Ginny seemed to understand that. She shook her head and ate her toast instead.
"That's my girl," Ginny grinned.
Hermione laughed at the cheek and finished her breakfast.
Despite missing Minerva at every second of the day, Hermione's passed as it always did. It was only when Ginny and her met for lunch in the Second-Floor bathroom that she realised that she had her Apparition exam directly following. She let them down into the tunnels and settled in the little alcove by the entrance on the beanbags and stared at her friend.
"So," Ginny said cheekily. "How was your weekend?"
Hermione snorted and threw a grape at her. She picked up the salad that the Elves had made her and took a big bite of it before she answered.
"We didn't do much," she shrugged. "Went for a walk, met a dying dragon. Read its mind." She contemplated telling Ginny about the Founders but decided to keep that tidbit quiet for the moment. "Came home, snogged my Transfiguration teacher. Slept in the same bed. You know, normal kinda weekend."
Ginny roared with laughter and fell out of the beanbag as she did so.
"Tell me!" Ginny grinned. Hermione went to, but Ginny changed her mind rather quickly. "WAIT!" she squeaked. "About the dragon and the walk. Maybe not the other stuff."
Hermione smirked at her and explained how her weekend had gone and by the end of it, Ginny just stared at her.
"Do you think you'll ever have a normal day in your life?"
"Now?" Hermione exclaimed. "No. Although before this not really either so I guess there's consistency, right?" Ginny shook her head. "So what's going on with you then? What's Harry done?"
"Nothing except watch that stupid map," Ginny groaned. "All weekend. I tried to get him to come for a walk with me, or play chess but he just stared at it. He said something about Crabbe and Goyle not being there or something? It's like he's losing his mind."
"I'll check on him."
"I just -"
"I know. I really do know."
"Hey, did I hear something about you and Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny suddenly asked. "I think I just assumed it was stupid because," she shrugged. "Well, I know, but -"
Hermione laughed and nodded.
"Min asked me to Floo there and leave from the Hospital Wing rather than her quarters. They had a falling out recently and I think it was punishment," Hermione grinned evilly. "Was it bad?"
"Graphic," Ginny giggled. "They heard your screams from the 6th-floor bathroom. You were limping."
Hermione cackled.
"I believe she has now been suitably punished."
"What on earth could Madam Pomfrey have done to McG though?"
"Oh. It was so bad. Betrayed her trust, I guess. Poppy was helping her with all this and told her husband."
"Didn't you say that -"
"Yup," Hermione chuckled. "Her husband is Min's brother. But! Min is so very, very, private that she viewed that as a betrayal and now they're not talking."
"Oh my god, it's like the Dorm," Ginny blinked.
Hermione smiled as she found the comparison to be quite true and laughed when she realised just how true it was.
The bells disturbed their revelry and Hermione stood.
"I gotta go, I have my Apparition test. Come on."
"I have Transfiguration," Ginny grinned.
"Gin -"
"I won't say anything, come on. I'm not Ron."
"Just go easy on her. We had a really great weekend, she was so -" She sighed. "It was so good, Gin."
"I'll take care of her," Ginny promised. "Don't worry."
Hermione didn't dare react as she raced up the stairs and they stood watching as the sinks slid back into place.
"Keep an eye on things, Myrtle," Hermione called. She could tell the ghost was somewhere close, even if she couldn't see her. She heard a huff from her and grinned as they left in a hurry.
"Good luck," Ginny called as she went the other way.
Hermione turned and was lost in thought as she made her way back to the main part of the castle and almost crashed into someone. She stepped to the side by reflex only to avoid bowling them over.
"Oh," she blinked as she came face to face with Professor Snape. "My apologies, Professor."
He looked at her carefully but she kept her face neutral. They stared at each other for a long time before Hermione knew she needed to go. She allowed just a little expansion to check what Snape was feeling and found nothing. She groaned inwardly when she remembered just how accomplished he was at Occlumency.
"I have to go, sir, I have an exam."
"I do not see anyone keeping you?"
She didn't reply but she nodded her head, with a little respect, and left. As she turned the corner, she turned back to look and found Draco had joined him. They were bent together in the normally abandoned corridor whispering fiercely. She allowed her senses to widen then and was almost bowled over by how much fear they both had. She shook her head and left them to it while she made a mental note to go back to thinking about it later.
It would not do to be late for an exam, after all.