Title: Reactions

Summary: Set after HBP. Albus DID not die, but went into hiding. But both his wife and his daughter doesn't know…

A/N: Slightly AU. My first foray into the Harry Potter universe… Please review!

"NO!" A yell was heard echoing down the astronomy tower. The members of the order who are free ran all the way up, not expecting what they saw. Albus Dumbledore, dead, and Minerva McGonagall, one of the most composed women they ever knew, bent over the window sill, sobbing her eyes out.

Harry Potter was puzzled, to say the very least. Professor Dumbledore is dead, well its sad, but why is his head of house over reacting?

Minerva McGonagall watched in horror as Albus died. Her husband of 40 years, her marriage had been kept a secret under her insistence. She watched again as Severus killed him. How dare he? That bastard. She wanted to kill him, but he had taken Draco and disapparated away.

Minerva numbly pulled herself up and walked back to the rooms she and Albus shared. Nothing would change, she silently vowed. Albus would be avenged.

The members of the order just watched in shock as their usually calm teacher just burst into tears and slowly went out of the tower. Finally Ron voiced out what had been going through their minds.

"Bloody hell."

Next Day

Minerva woke up to find a cold bed. Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought of what day is today. The day of the funeral. Of course. She smiled bitterly. A great man, and a loving husband. She could not ask for more. She wondered how her daughter is taking this. She's a second year in Gryffindor but her surname have been changed to O'Brien so as to avoid suspicions.

A knock on the door brought her out of her daydream. Frowning, she pulled open the door….

Only to find Rolando hooch standing at the doorway wearing black.

"Minerva, It's time to go." She said in the gentlest tone of voice she could muster. Minerva nodded mutely and went to change.

A few minutes later, she emerged, wearing a stunning black dress robe. Rolanda gaped as she walked with Minerva down to the grounds.

The eulogy was already starting as she walked in. She felt eyes on her back as she walked past many of the guests. Looking around for her daughter, she finally spotted her sitting beside Colin Creevy, silently sobbing into her handkerchief.

She settled down beside Harry, and listened to the new minister of magic talk about Albus. She felt strangely calm though, as she watched the funeral. She smiled as she thought of what Albus would feel if he's standing here. He would be scoffing at the words the minister is using to describe him. Minerva thought back to the strange assortment of words that Albus used, 'nit-wit,' being one of them. Suddenly reality crashed down on her as she realized he is dead.

Harry Potter never felt sadder this day. His mentor and the head of school just died. And the weird thing is that Professor McGonagall is smiling, albeit slightly. But what surprises him most is that right after that, she began crying. He reached over and gripped her hand and comforted her. Finally, when they were allowed to leave, he saw her run over to the girl seated next to Colin Creevy, Aurora O'Brien, and hugged her.

2 months later

It's two months after the whole incident and Minerva McGonagall could not get over it. His body lying cold and still. She sighed again. As the headmistress now, she has a lot of stuff to do. Not to mention daily naggings from the minister of magic to let Harry be their poster boy.

She got out of her office and went down for a stroll at the lake. It has always calmed her down.

Harry Potter was looking from his dormitory window when he saw McGonagall exiting. Curious, he put on his invisibility cloak and follow her.

Minerva was just sitting by the lake, playing with the giant squid, when a large hand touched her back and a familiar lemon scent greeted her. Turning around she saw…

"Albus!" She shrieked and started beating his chest, sobbing hysterically all the while.

"How dare you leave me! How dare you. Aurora was sobbing her eyes out. And you were not there…."

Harry Potter was stunned. Dumbledore is still alive.

Albus Dumbledore just held his wife as she continued her attack on his chest.

"It's okay, love. I'm so sorry for having done this to you." He murmured into her ear when she finally stopped moving.

Minerva just turned and started kissing him. Breaking off, she said "I so happy to be with you again, gràdh."

"And me too. I'm so sorry, dear. If I had not 'died', Harry would not have the skills to kill Voldemort. I told Severus to kill me, but when he is about to do the spell, I transfigured myself into a fly and left an image of myself dying. Severus made a unbreakable vow to Narissca that he would help kill me when Draco could not. "

"So it's true then?" Minerva asked quietly.

By then almost all the students and staff were gathered at the school grounds, where they could get a nice, unobstructed view. Their attention was drawn again by a loud shriek of

"DAD! I missed you."

Everyone turned, only to see the person was none other than Aurora O'Brien, who is hugging both her parent tightly and sobbing hard.

Only the staff , knowing all along that he is married, were not surprised.

The students just gaped in shock as Aurora went running past them and into the embrace of her parents.

"Excuse us, please." Dumbledore said as he pushed through the crowd. Turning around, Minerva turned to look at Harry, who is still covered by the invisibility cloak.

"Surprising, is it?" She commented.

"What?" Aurora asked her mom.

"Nothing," Minerva replied, laughing. She turned back and look at Severus Snape, who is beside Rolanda Hooch, her best friend.

"Thanks for watching over Aurora for us Sev. I would have died if not for you two."

Everyone gasped again.

Snape smiled slightly and replied "Well, you better take care of ours when they come…"

Minerva smiled slightly and lead Albus and Aurora back to their rooms.

When the trio reached their rooms, Aurora immediately went to her room, while Minerva and Albus stood uncertainly in their rooms.

"Will you forgive me, Minerva?" Albus asked softly.

Minerva smiled and pressed her lips against Albus's and was immediately granted access.

Moaning slightly, both of them settled on the bed for a sleepless night.