chapter eight

July 2002

The relationship between Minerva and Athena was tense these days, because of Minerva's decision to wean Athena after her second birthday, and make her get used to sleeping in her own room, and of course that did not satisfy Athena in any way.

It's been two weeks since Minerva's decision, and Athena is still asking her mother to breastfeed her and let her sleep next to her at night. Minerva's heart breaks every time she sees her daughter crying to breastfeed her or let her sleep next to her, but she knew that it was for her own good and that thought gave her a little strength.

Minerva was cleaning the house using her magic wand during her daughter's nap, and she was thinking, "August is approaching, what should I do? I have to go back to work. My vacation lasted two years now. The school council did not agree to continue the vacation any longer, and I also miss work."

These thoughts were filling Minerva's mind while she was cleaning.

Last year, Minerva asked to extend her leave for another year, arguing that his health was not good, because Athena was young and needed her, but now she should have returned to her work or resigned from it, but the idea of resignation was inappropriate.

As for Minerva, yes, she loved her daughter more than anything in this life, but she needed her work and they could not depend on her savings forever, Athena still had a long way to go and she did not want her to suffer from lack of money, and this is a main reason for her return to work,

She must secure a good future for her daughter, so that she does not need anything.

But how will she tell her friends and colleagues about Athena, what will she say about her kinship with Athena, and why should she care about her? Will she tell the truth or make up a new lie?

Minerva sat on one of the chairs and let out a long breath. She was tired of thinking a lot, and she had no time left when she should have responded to the school council soon.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her daughter's voice as she entered the living room holding her favorite cat doll and rubbing her eyes while she yawned and said, "Mama, I'm hungry, can I get some biscuits?" Athena looked at her mother, that innocent look that Minerva knows she can't resist, and Minerva replied, "Okay." My kitty, I will get you some biscuits and a glass of milk." "Thank you, Mama," Athena quickly replied, smiling.

Minerva stood up and went to the kitchen, but on her way she heard a knocking on the door of the house. Minerva thought about who might be the knocker while she was on her way to the door, but she excluded Catherine who was on vacation with her family in Spain, so who?

She opened the door and was shocked, and she felt a coldness crawling through her body and surrounding her heart. She was not yet ready to tell him.

Her brother Malcolm and his wife Mary were standing in front of her.

Malcolm gave her a long hug. "Are you kidding, Minerva, all this time? Why didn't you tell me you were off work and you also left your house in Hogsmeade? ، Do you know how much we worried about you, you didn't mention all of that in the letters, and why are you staying here, Minerva, did something happen? , Are you well ? Is your health well?"

"Minerva," said Mary, "thank God, you look fine. We were so worried about you when we learned that you were on leave for your health."

Minerva stood like a statue, not knowing what to do or what to say, she kept staring at them, and nothing got her out of this freezing situation except for the voice of her little daughter, as she said from behind her in her childish voice, "Mama."

She took a deep breath and tried to regain control of herself and looked at Malcolm and his wife who were surprised by that child and her calling Minerva Mama.

Minerva told Malcolm and his wife to enter the house and that there was something she wanted to tell them, and she carried Athena , and when they were in the living room, Minerva intended to put Athena in her room until she finished telling her brother and his wife, but Malcolm did not give her this opportunity, as he shouted Immediately, "This is your daughter, isn't it? She looks like you. When did you give birth to her? How, and who is her father?" His face was red with anger. His wife tried to put her hand on his arm to calm down, but he removed her hand from him and kept looking at Minerva.

Minerva replied, "She does not have a father, Malcolm," and Malcolm shouted at her angrily, "What do you mean, she does not have a father, how does that happen, or do you mean that she is an illegitimate daughter?"

Athena was attached to her mother's leg and she was trembling with fear, for there was a man in the living room with a woman, a man and a woman whom she had never seen before, and the man was shouting at her mother and was beginning to be very angry.

Minerva did not reply, she just looked at her feet, and that was enough to confirm Malcolm's belief, who shouted at her, "How dare you do this heinous act, do you know how old you are, don't you care about your social status in the magical world, how do you make such a ridiculous mistake in this age ، my sister"

Here Athena had had enough, she started screaming and crying out of fear and pulling her mother's clothes to carry her, and her face was red from crying and became covered in tears.

Minerva bore her, and immediately Athena buried his face in her mother's neck and wrapped her arms around her.

Mary said, "Malcolm, calm down. You're hiding the child. You shouldn't fight with Minerva like that in front of her daughter."

Minerva came out of the living room, carrying Athena, who was clinging to her, and went to her room. She remained next to her daughter until she calmed down and fell asleep from crying so much. She kissed her face, which was wet with tears, and wiped her fiery red hair. Then she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Minerva was on her way to the living room, and she was blazing with anger at how Malcolm spoke in such a sharp tone in front of a little girl, especially that this child was her daughter.

She entered the room and put a spell to prevent their voices from reaching outside the rooms, then she directed her magic wand at her brother and said angrily, "Don't talk this way to me again, Malcolm, especially in the presence of Athena , If this happens again, the punishment will be severe, and don't forget that I am your big sister , You don't have the right to treat me like this."

Malcolm looked at her and said sarcastically, "Do older sisters give birth illegitimate children these days?"

Minerva was about to curse her brother when Mary intervened to calm down the siblings and said,"Why don't we all calm down and put our wands aside and talk quietly as adults?"

They calmed down and settled in their seats. Malcolm asked Minerva, trying to make his voice calm, "Tell us the story from the beginning, Minerva."

And so Minerva told Malcolm and Mary what happened without any mention of the identity of the father of her daughter, Arthur.

Malcolm said, "I still don't understand why you didn't tell the baby's father. Wait, you know his identity, don't you, Minerva?" He asked her, terrified at the idea of his older sister spending a night with someone she didn't know.

Minerva replied to her brother, after she had uttered some insults at him in her Scottish accent, and said, "Do you think that I am a prostitute,

Malcolm?

Yes, Malcolm, I know the father's identity very well."

Malcolm quickly replied, " he refused to acknowledge the child and marry you, wouldn't he?" And anger began to possess him again, but this time the anger was directed at the father of Minerva's daughter.

Minerva replied, "No, Malcolm. He doesn't know, and I don't plan on telling him. Please respect my wish."

Malcolm let out a long breath. In the end, he knew no one could make Minerva do something she never wanted.

Minerva convinced her brother and his wife that they could not recognize Athena now, after all this screaming, and promised them that she would arrange another meeting with them so that Athena would get to know her uncle, his wife, and their children.

After they left the house, Minerva went to her room, and there

She found Athena asleep, and the cat played , moving beside her like a real cat.

She went to her and hugged her, and she repeated the events of the whole day in her mind .

She did not expect to tell Malcolm in this way, but telling the truth made her feel comfortable, and she decided to go back to work and tell her colleagues and friends in August. But she will keep it confidential for a longer period of time from the school council.

November 2002

Minerva was sitting in her office at Hogwarts, finishing some paperwork, and next to her, in the distance, her daughter, Athena, was sitting on the couch with a book of children's stories in her hands. It was a magical book in which the pictures move.

Reading stories and books was one of Athena's favorite hobbies (which she mostly inherited from her mother) in addition to Quidditch.

Minerva knew that her daughter loved flying with a broom a lot, and her broom was her favorite toy besides the cat doll.

but Athena fell in love with Quidditch from the first match.

The first Quidditch game was at Hogwarts last month, and Minerva had taken Athena with her to the game to watch it, and Athena loved Quidditch so much that she and her mother would talk about it all night.

Two months have passed since the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, and Minerva has not yet forgotten the shocked and amazed looks on the faces of her classmates and friends when she told them about Athena for the first time last August.

Some of them accepted Minerva and her daughter and welcomed them among them, and some of them avoided dealing with them, but all of them respected Minerva, because in the end she is the director of Hogwarts .

Minerva interrupted her work, the sound of the picture of Severus Snape saying, "Minerva, make your daughter stop bothering us." Athena was practicing her hobby of asking pictures of the former managers in her mother's office about everything.

Athena was a very smart girl for her young age, full of activity and vitality, and she was also very curious.

Minerva said with a laugh, "Don't bother Professor Snape, Athena." Athena replied in her childish voice, "I don't bother him, Mom. I like to ask the previous directors because Hogwarts directors are smart and know a lot." And she smiled at her mother, one of her smiles, which made Minerva's heart full of happiness.

Minerva said, "So you think I'm smart," Athena quickly said, "Mama, you are the smartest and the best person in the world," and she went to her mother, who picked her up and sat her on her lap, and minerva replied, "Then let's make the pictures rest a little and ask me what you want, my kitty ." And so the evening continued.

Minerva returned to Hogwarts with her daughter and her life was more or less stable.

It saddens me that there are no comments on the chapters of this story, although I try to make it interesting and enjoyable .

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