Disclaimer: I own nothing 'sept for the wild imagination and the plot.

Special hello to SylviaDragon, because I know she'd R&R this. Thanks for being ever so kind.

Read & Review please.

-TAKE MY HAND AGAIN-

Gray, after many many years of courting Minerva and being there at her beck and call, not that she call at all, wanted to have something solid to hold on to, So one day he made a trip to Hogwarts on warm summer day when the corridors are empty of student.

Outside in a lovely garden, near the maze, Minerva stood, her eyes on the stone steps on the ground, behind her, Gray Thomas sat on a stone bench.

Minerva: I'm sorry Gray. I can't… you're just a friend.

Not so far from them Albus roamed the grounds looming over how he broke Frida's heart earlier telling her that things between them won't work.

Gray: Of course you never loved me, not would you ever love other wizards. Your heart always belonged to one, and hi had always been yours. You think I don't see the sparks in your eyes everytime you'd see each other?

Minerva dared not to look back.
Albus froze in his tracks, hidden behind an enchanted rose bush, he heard Mr. Thomas's words and the truth cut some old wounds in his hearts with a new retribution. His heart ached and swell. Minerva still loved him as much as he loves her.
Gray continued.
Gray: Minerva, you may never have loved me, but I always did and will always love you. Please make yourself happy and stop being so bloody stubborn. If ever you'd run again, promise me you'd run back to his arms.

*SWISH*
and with that, Gray Thomas dissapparated.

Minerva's knees weakened so she sat on the bench. She tried upturning her face in an indignant way, trying to lift her chin to stop the tears from falling, but her head seems heavy that she has to look down to her entwined fingers on her lap.

Tears dangerously threatened to fall.
Albus slowly walked to get closer to Minerva.
Her tears started to roll, all her well kept anguish, all the pain, the longing and the love for one man bottled in her thick stern mask slowly crumbled.

Albus stood beside her.
Albus: It had always been hard to make it look easy.

He whispered as he handed her a handkerchief.

She froze and just let her tears fall, her head still bent. She took the cloth and just held it in her lap, twisting it nervously.
She looked up to him and for the first time, saw tears in those pair of beautiful eyes.

HE lent his hand to her.

Albus: take my hand..again. I beg of you.

Minerva shakily took his offered hand and she felt like she's home at long last.
he pulled her in an embrace of the souls that has been in the shadows and now free at last.

Minerva: IT was hard.

She sobbed.

Albus just nodded and kissed her forhead.

Albus: I know my love..

END.