A/N: The final part of my Minerva three - shot for the One Character challenge. Any other prompts and challenges etc are at the bottom of the fic.

Aftermath

She was never going to be able to put her heart back together.

It had never healed, not after her husband, her mentor, so many lost in both wars. Now she was sure, it was broken beyond repair.

When Hagrid had brought the limp and broken body of Harry, Harry who she had failed to protect so many times, Minerva felt herself shatter.

The battle had raged on, curses flying. Poppy's robes had long been covered in blood and wherever they were, this war zone, the cemetery she found herself running through certainly wasn't Hogwarts.

It was Death's playground.

After fighting him for years, she had lost.

Harry came to find her in July, with a baby in his arms.

The cottage which she'd bought in the Highlands so many years ago had never really meant to become her home. She'd had her Hogwarts quarters as well as her home in Hogsmeade.

Then the war had ended and finally Minerva let herself escape. She had done what was right — she had gone to every funeral for all of the fallen students; she used copious amounts of school funding on mental health programmes; she had met the eyes of parents had failed for as long as she could.

Harry now breaking her self-imposed exile felt much too soon.

"Mr Potter."

"I think after everything we've been through, you should really call me Harry, Professor."

Even after everything he had been through, Harry had ducked his head, muttering with a soft smile that had reminded her so strongly of his eleven year old self; she had to take in a deep breath.

"Minerva."

"I - what?"

"Really Harry, after all these years, you should know my name."

His cheeks darkened slightly, although it was difficult to tell with his skin colouring. As she stepped aside to let Harry in, Teddy wriggled and reached an arm up for Harry's glasses. Minerva smiled and after a few more moments of small talk, which Minerva dragged out — well aware how awkward Harry must be feeling, she offered to make him a cup of tea and took Teddy into her arms. He blinked, his hair turned jet black with grey streaks through it, a not so subtle reminder of how much she'd aged recently. She was feeling every year of it.

"I wanted to come because… because I value your council," Harry began quietly, "and I also wanted to say that I understand Prof - Minerva."

"Understand?" She heard her voice as she said the word, sharp, unforgiving and yet it didn't garner the same effect it normally did in the classroom. Instead, Harry met her gaze and nodded.

"I can't imagine what you've been through. If it wasn't for Teddy, I would have gone travelling and not come back for quite some time."

Minerva stared down at the young boy who blinked sleepily at her. Harry explained that Teddy was due a nap soon, that he'd come to visit on something of a whim and she conjured a bassinette with one hand, cradling the baby in the other arm.

Harry carried on talking as she made tea and put a plate of ginger biscuits on the kitchen table, her gaze on Teddy who was lying in a conjured bassinette, covered in a blanket her grandmother had wrapped her in when she was a baby — according to family legend. Harry spoke about how he hadn't even been sure he wanted to come back to the world of the living, he talked about how he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life… he sounded lost, adrift, and Minerva was at a loss for words. How could she possibly give him advice, after all that had happened.

"Harry I.… After everything I let happen, I don't think I can give you much advice," she admitted. At that Harry's head snapped up, looking furious. She instantly recalled how he'd cursed Amycus (?) in the Ravenclaw Common Room and defended her. She held a finger up and tried to slowly explain to herself — not that it seemed to do much good.

She could see it in Lily's eyes, in James' gesticulations as he countered every statement she made. She could see it in Harry himself, how he believed in her more than she did right now. It made her want to be the person he thought she was, the Head of House and long term mentor she'd tried to be. Perhaps she hadn't failed as much as she assumed.

As though Harry was reading her mind, he took a biscuit and stared out it for a long moment.

"Do you remember the time Professor Umbridge sent me to speak with you and you gave me a biscuit?"

She did. She could remember the exact instant he walked through the door, furious and with a note clutched in hand. All she had wanted to do in that instant was try to explain to him how the world works, that he couldn't fight everyone on his own and yet that was what he had ended up doing.

"You've always been there for me, whether you believe or not. You were there when the troll attacked Hermione, when we went to run and tell someone about the Philosopher's Stone being in danger, you were there and helped Hermione with the Time Turner, with Umbridge… Whatever you decide to do Minerva, it should be because it's what you want to do. You've always made me feel like as long as I was confident and knew I was doing the right thing, that it would be okay."

Harry sighed and his gaze rested on Teddy who was smiling in his sleep.

"If you want to not come back to Hogwarts, I'll fully support you. But I know that the school would be happy to have you, that people are full of uncertainty and scared right now."

He didn't say any more, he didn't try to guilt trip her. In fact, he looked tired. She filled their mugs of tea up again and then reached out, putting her hand on top of his.

"Thank you Harry. I've lost so much and I'm worried that going back to school… how can I be Headmistress after Albus, after Severus and everything that happened last year."

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "But if anyone can do it, you can. Everyone wants you to and I'll support you. I was thinking actually, well, Hermione and I were wondering if we could come back to study our NEWTs. The Auror Programme have invited me and Ron, I think he's going to take it but I think I need to focus on the future, I don't want to keep fighting or get a free pass."

Harry ended up staying for dinner, Teddy's hair changing vibrantly even in his sleep and particularly through a tantrum after being changed. When he left, Minerva caught a shadow in the corner of her eye. She turned to face it head on, thoughts drifting back to Death, back to the life that she'd led.

There was nothing there. Only two mugs on the kitchen table, the warmth of friendship in her heart and ideas of the future running through her mind once more.

A/N: One Character Optional Prompt: 'Your character must be injured in some way'.

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