QLFC: Season 11, Round 7
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Chaser 1, Captain
Prompt: Ron Weasley: (trope) mutual pining
Additional Prompts:
(plot point) making a deal
(action) dancing
(emotion) trepidation
The Houses Competition: Year 11, Round 1
House: Slytherin
Class: History of Magic
Category: Standard
Prompts chosen:
[Dialogue] "I do not say..."
(Restriction) Only takes place in one location
Word Count: 1392
Warnings: mild early 20th century typical homophobia (in the no one can know type way), like swearing (1 use of the h word)
Notes: It's an AU! Why? Because I wanted to write my favorite lesbians at a ball… that's it… that's the whole reason.
Minerva stared out across the ballroom floor, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew why Albus had sent her. It may have been years since she had been at school with Poppy, but he knew they had been close, even if he didn't know how close they had been. Poppy was beautiful. She stood so confidently, her shoulders back and her chin lifted. She was quickly becoming known as one of the best healers in the country, and she carried herself as she knew it. Not in a prideful way; no, Poppy had never been prideful. She had always been kind, gentle, and caring, always trying to see the best in people and helping them see the best in themselves. She was wonderful, perfect even. Minerva looked away as her throat began to ache with unexpressed emotions. They were over now; they had been for years. Clearly, Dumbledore didn't know everything that had happened between the two of them. If he had, he wouldn't have sent her.
She tried to breathe deeply to clear her head, but it didn't seem to be working. Dumbledore had placed so much confidence in her, she couldn't let him down. Whatever it took she would convince Poppy to come work at Hogwarts. She forced her shoulders to relax and began navigating the room.
Poppy swore under her breath as Minerva began walking across the room towards her, a sharp feeling of trepidation flooding her. She couldn't do this, not again. It had been so long since they'd fallen apart, but still, every time she saw Minerva, every feeling she'd ever had towards her came crashing back; she couldn't imagine what talking to her would do.
"You look upset."
Poppy jumped and turned towards her brother. "Don't do that, Paxton!" she said. "And I'm fine." She looked back towards Minerva, who was getting closer. This would be fine. Maybe she wasn't coming to talk to her.
"Maybe if you talk to her about whatever broke up your friendship, you won't be bothered by it anymore," Paxton said.
Poppy glared at him. He didn't understand; of course he didn't. Nothing had happened to break them up, it had just happened. She couldn't make him understand either; to do that she would have to tell him that they had been in love, and that she was still in love with Minerva. Instead she shook her head and held out her hand.
"Dance with me," she said.
Paxton scoffed. "Why? You know I hate dancing."
Why did he always have to be such a pain? Poppy grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. "Because If we're dancing, she can't talk to me."
Paxton rolled his eyes, but went along with it, leading Poppy into the center of the dance floor. She kept her eyes on Minerva, ignoring his attempt at making conversation. Why would Minerva even be here? She was a teacher now, wasn't she? *And* coming to the Potter's Yule ball seemed a bit outside of the type thing Minerva was interested in. Not that Poppy knew much about what Minerva was interested in anymore.
"You're a horrible dance partner," Paxton said, his voice lighthearted.
Minerva watched Poppy and her brother dance, almost mesmerized by the way Poppy's dress swished around her as Paxton spun her. The aching in her chest only seemed to grow the more she watched, the more she waited. She needed to get this over with. She looked around the room again, then back at Poppy. To hell with it! Minerva had never been one for decorum anyway; why start now? She began to cross the dance floor, weaving between couples. She and Poppy had danced together many times when they were at school, and no one had batted an eyelid at them then, so why would they now? She reached over and tapped Paxton on the shoulder.
"May I steal your partner?" she asked.
Poppy turned to Paxton with a look in her eyes practically begging him to say no, but Paxton simply glanced at Poppy with a mischievous look before turning to Minerva. "Of course," he said. "Enjoy your dance."
"Thank you," Minerva said. She turned towards Poppy and held out her hand. For a long time, it seemed that Poppy was about to refuse, but eventually, she placed her right hand on Minerva's and her left hand on Minerva's shoulder.
"People will stare," Poppy said as Minerva placed her hand gently on her back.
"And since when have you cared what people think?" Minerva said.
Poppy glared at her again, and the look felt like a stab in the heart. Did Poppy really hate her that much? "I'm not like you, Minerva," Poppy said. "I know what society would do to us if they found out."
Minerva rolled her eyes. "They're not going to find out because we danced together one time," she said.
"Right," Poppy said, her voice even and almost unfeeling, "because, as you always say, who would ever think someone like you would be with someone like me?"
Minerva scoffed indignantly. "I do not say…"
"You don't need to!" Poppy snapped back. "Your actions say it loud enough." She huffed and looked away from Minerva. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be spending Christmas with your husband?"
Her husband. Of course, Poppy would have heard about that. "Elphinstone is dead," Minerva said. "And besides, I never loved him anyway."
That seemed to give Poppy pause. "So why did you marry him?" she asked, finally meeting Minerva's eyes again.
Minerva was the one to look away this time. "This isn't what I came here to discuss," she said. She could see Poppy rolling her eyes. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Poppy again. "Dumbledore sent me."
"You can't avoid the question forever," Poppy said, a playful, cunning look in her eyes that Minerva had missed dearly. "How about this? Let's make a deal. I hear Dumbledore's offer, and you tell me why you married what's-his-name."
"That hardly seems like a fair trade," Minerva said.
Poppy shrugged. "Then we're done here." She began pulling away, but without even thinking, Minerva pulled her closer.
Minerva's heart was pounding in her chest, and she hoped to Merlin that Poppy couldn't hear it. "Wait," she said. "I…" What was she trying to say? This was stupid. She was the one who had ruined their relationship; there was no chance Poppy would ever take her back. "I'll tell you, I promise."
Poppy seemed to take a moment to gather her thoughts and slow her breathing ever so slightly. "Alright," she said, still sounding a bit breathless. "I'll listen."
"I married him because I was afraid, I didn't know what else to do," Minerva said. "He was kind, charming, a little old, but I thought that if I married him it would distract me from…" you.
"From your injury." Poppy sounded disappointed, and at that moment, Minerva couldn't imagine a worse sound.
"No! No, not from that. I… not playing quidditch is hard, but I was hoping he could distract me from you."
"Did you really need to be distracted from me?" Poppy asked.
Minerva tried to piece her thoughts together as fast as she could. "No. I mean, yes! I mean…" she took another deep breath. She was really putting her foot in her mouth this time. "Come to Hogwarts." It was the first thing she could think of to say. "That's why Dumbledore sent me; he wants you to be the school healer. Poppy, please, if you come, we will be there together. We could… we could try again."
The music ended, and Minerva watched Poppy's face hopefully. Had she been too direct? Had she said too much? She had nothing to lose, but the thought of Poppy hating her even more was unbearable.
"Do you really mean it?" Poppy asked. "About trying again?"
Minerva nodded. "It's all I've wanted since I realized just how much I'd lost."
Poppy was silent for what seemed like an eternity. "Then I'd be happy to be Hogwarts' new healer." She reached out her hand for a handshake, and Minerva took it. It felt like she was handing her heart to Poppy, but she wasn't scared.
Or she was. She was scared that she'd lose Poppy again.