A/N: Been a long time since an update…so sorry for the delay! I hope people had nice holidays and are looking forward to a new year! Will be back to regular updates soon…hope everyone is still interested in this

And so evening teas had unexpectedly become a monthly engagement with the Deputy. It was a monthly engagement that Barty not only hated, but had proved to be the most challenging task of them all. In the course of gaining back his friendship with McGonagall, however, Barty had learned a great deal about her and her relationship with Albus. The right hand was sometimes the most useful part of someone.

The night before the third task closed in, Barty sat with McGonagall once more, this time in her rooms. She'd poured them both a glass of whiskey for which he was thankful. Irritating as she was, the Scot knew her alcohol. "What exactly are they going to face in the task tomorrow?" she asked, breaking a bought of silence that fell over them after a mundane discussion of grades and students.

"That I do not know."

"You must have some idea, Alastor. I know you're here for the students' protection. Surely, Albus gave you some indication of what they're facing."

"Min," he said, taking a sip, still uncomfortable using her nickname. "When have I lied to you?"

"There was that one time when I was working at the ministry," she said, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

Panic washed over Barty as it always did in these sorts of situations. For months, he'd been careful to avoid any topics to deep into their friendship, tactfully being able to stick to the things he knew about her time working in the Order. "No clue what you're talking about," he said, half-heartedly, hoping she would see his confusion as playful.

"Come on, Alastor. You knew I had put in my letter to return to Hogwarts, and you came over to my desk to deliver and told me that Albus had not only given me the position, but asked me out for a romantic dinner to discuss other arrangements."

Laughing, Barty finished off his drink with a swig. "If my memory serves me right, you believed me."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "I was young and naïve." She finished her drink as well and added, "And thought Albus played for a different team than he did."

"Did you ever have a crush?"

Pouring another glass, her cheeks turned slightly pink as she chuckled. "Some things I won't even tell you, Alastor."

He laughed. "All the things you've done for that man, there had to be some sort of attachment…perhaps at first?"

Her face suddenly grew serious. Barty eyed her closely; she had her usual look when she was carefully thinking about what her next words were. He'd grown to read her well. "I've done a great many things for Albus Dumbledore, and it was not for any schoolgirl crush."

Barty leaned forward, gripping the arm of the chair. "Then what was it for?"

"Loyalty?"

"Gryffindors," he muttered.

"You know my loyalty to Albus…it will not waiver…much like yours."

"But, you question his choices?"

"Do you not?"

"I do," he said hesitantly.

"This tournament…the other schools coming…I knew nothing about it."

"Leaving Minerva McGonagall in the dark isn't going to bode well for him."

She shifted in her seat, holding her glass to her lips, looking deep in thought for a moment. "I like to think that there's a reason."

"The greater good?" Barty scuffed, having heard Snape and McGonagall mutter about Albus's justifications with the greater good.

"I'll drink to that," she laughed, taking another sip.

Silence fell between them again until Barty spoke up. "Would you join the order this time?"

"Excuse me?"

"You never did formally join the Order in the last war."

"You're implying we're approaching war?" she asked cautiously.

"We both know it's coming."

"Severus's dark mark has been burning…" she said quietly. Barty immediately looked up at her. It was the first time she'd volunteered any information about Snape, and he held back a smile at the trust he'd finally gained from her. Her guards were down.

Feeling his own mark moving beneath his jacket, Barty shifted forward. "Hm," he hummed. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Albus intends on using him when The Dark Lord returns."

"As a spy?"

"Ay," she said, her Scottish brogue seeping into her words. That slip usually meant the witch was growing more intoxicated as the evening went.

"You've become soft in your old age, Min?"

She chuckled. "You could say that."

"You know my feelings towards him."

"Still not an ounce of trust?"

"The things he's done…"

"The things we've done!" she exclaimed, slamming her glass down. "We both have blood on our hands." She narrowed her eyes at him. Barty suddenly knew what his students met by the McGonagall stare that would leave them chattering after leaving her classroom. "I killed a man by your side, Alastor."

"For the right reasons. You're never going to change my mind about him. I don't like him. I don't trust him. He's a murderer."

Minerva rubbed her temples, and Barty knew that he had to make some sort of amend. Awkward as it was, he reached out and rubbed her shoulder. "I want you happy. You love him…"

"I'm tired…and I suspect this is only going to make me more tired."

"Has he hurt you?"

"Not a hand on me, Alastor. Never."

"Be careful."

"I always am."

"Now that's a lie," Barty said, relaxing once more into his role.

She smiled slightly. "We're never going to agree on Severus."

"No."

"Do me a favor?"

"Anything for you."

"Keep it civil with Severus at Order meetings."

He threw his hands up. "I will give it an honest, Gryffindor effort."

"Good enough for me," she sighed, finishing off her drink.

"You retiring for the evening?"

She pushed her glass towards him. "One more?"

Barty smiled and poured her another glass, holding his to her once it was full. "To the Hogwarts champions?"

McGonagall clinked her glass with his. "To our champions!"