Ch.13
This chapter is dedicated to Jordan, for getting so intresting in her silly friends fanfiction. Thank you everyone for reviewing, and especially Shebertkitty for being there from the start. This chapter is really just a fill in, because I have already written later cahpters and needed this middle passage. You know how it goes, were all writers and readers here.
Minerva McGonagall had to admit that she was acting pretty childish. For the first and last time in Minerva's career she was calling upon the aid of a substitute teacher. Young silly Professor Grubby, who flirted ostentatiously with all of the male staff members and was in her youth nothing but pure nuisance. She was at least three years older than McGonagall but Minerva considered her by far an inferior. Still the thought of facing her class room, or the school itself was so unthinkable that Minerva had called upon the silly woman to sub. The transfigruation students were shocked and delighted by her absence, taking full advantage of the opportunity to…do absolutely nothing. The staff was also surprised, for Minerva had never missed a class or as far as they could remember any thing of slight importance. She was always there, a constant pillar of structure and punctuality. However now she not only didn't go to classes, but neither did she go to any meals, or staff meetings. The door to her rooms never opened, and everyone was fearing the worst, especially Albus Dumbledore.
A week had passed and still no Minerva, and the staff's constant whispers turned for genuine concern to pure annoyance and frustration. No one liked having to put up with Grubby, and frankly the professors of Hogwarts thought Minerva cruel to inflict her upon them for so long a period. What could possibly be wrong with her, was it Bella? Was Bella ill,or for that matter was Minerva ill? And after that week, when the door to her quarters still did not budge, the teachers new that something must be done.
"I say we blast open the door and drag her out, it would certainly ease our troubles." Slughorn said seriously one evening in the staff room, as he lounged lazily in a plump armchair. Flitwick shifted uneasily in his own, his little legs barely touching the end of his seat cushion.
"Drag her out! Minerva McGonagall!" Flitwick shuddered at the thought, " I would hate to be on the receiving end of the spell she'd conjure, if we were to pull a stunt like that." Flitwick said moodily at Slughorn, as if the very idea of being in the room with someone so horribly dim was torture itself.
"Oho! Well, obviously you couldn't help if you wanted to, could you Flitwick, you couldn't drag an empty sack." Said Slughorn testily. Madame Lewis sighed in frustration.
"I know for a fact that Minerva has a very good and just cause for not attending the meetings and her classes. Do not fret, you will see." The divination professor said absently staring off into space to add to the effect of her words.
"Well just cause or not, I think I should go and check on her, I mean suppose she is seriously ill, or little Bella…I couldn't bare the thought that while Minerva suffered I did nothing." Poppy said standing as she did. The other staff, for whatever reason all concurred, and Poppy decided that she would go that very night.
"And don't leave that door, until you've got answers!" Slughorn bellowed as Poppy exited, to lazy to get up.
If the staff was antsy then Dumbledore was a discombobulated basket case, pacing the floors of his office, completely unsure of what to do. He had surely gone to far, and now Minerva could never face him again. Oh how could he have been so selfish and so stupid, she had trusted him, and he had betrayed that trust. But oh how could he have helped himself, she was so perfect, so deliciously refreshing, an intellectual and an unknowing sense of comedy spread around her that was intoxicating. She was perfect, had he already thought that. And then another wave of guilt would succumb him back into anger, and he would be amazed at his extremely teenage persona, of course he could have helped himself. His giving into his own boyish whims was proving nothing, but a serious lack of respect for Minerva.
As Dumbledore paced his office, the eyes of the paintings on the walls, and the eyes of a curious fawks followed him. What an eccentric wonder, they thought to themselves, and whispered to others as Dumbledore's incoherent babbling made its way to their ears.
Poppy arrived at Minerva's door right at eight that evening, and gathering her strength knocked. For a moment there was nothing, and then Poppy heard the shuffling of feet ever so lightly behind the door and she beamed. At least Minerva was well enough that she could walk, but why was she hiding, and not answering the door?
"Minerva?…Its Poppy darling, and I've been worried about you…we all have…please open the door Minerva, I don't understand…" It seemed as though eons passed before the door opened. And in that interval Poppy had been most disheartened, as long as Minerva could stand straight, Poppy knew that she would make every effort to be where she needed to be. Not that she agreed with this philosophy, but perhaps that Minerva was not abiding it worried Poppy more than if she was indeed ill. And at last when she felt for sure that she would actually break down the opposing door with pure animosity, it cracked open slowly on its own, emerald eyes peering at her from behind the newly formed slit.
"Minerva McGonagall, I swear that if you don't open that door all the way right this second I will personally make sure that it is." Poppy said, not sure if she was serious or it was in fact an empty threat. Even in the poor lighting of the few floating candles down the hall Poppy could see Minerva's lips thin in annoyance.
"Oh for goodness sake Poppy, there is no need for this, I am perfectly fine." She said indignantly.
"I shall be the one to decide that Minerva, after all I am the medi-witch at this school." Poppy said refusing to budge.
"Co-medi-witch." Minerva corrected with a smirk. Poppy shuffled her feet circumvented.
"Oh….just let me in…" the corners of Minerva's mouth turned down and she lifted her chin slightly. "Please..?" Poppy offered meekly. The two looked at each other for a moment more, before Minerva sighed slightly and steped aside.
"All right, but only for a moment, and only so you won't be hovering at my door like a confounded ghost." Poppy worked to conceal a grin, she had actually triumphed over Minerva McGonagall! She hadn't really expected this.
But despite what Poppy might think, she hadn't really triumphed over her in any such way, for Minerva was just as desperate to see an outsider as Poppy was to see her. In short Minerva was afraid, terrified actually, and to have just a simple distraction from the turmoil of her own elaborate and torturous thoughts was a God send. Or perhaps even though Minerva would never admit it, even to herself, she needed someone to confide in, someone who might understand, and since Dumbledore wasn't really an option, what she needed most was a friend.
The sitting room, Poppy noticed was extremely unorganized, with papers and other odds and ends lying precariously all over the place. Poppy was stunned for a moment, for one simple organization charm would no doubt take care of the whole mess in an instant. So the fact that perfectionist Minerva hadn't even bothered to attempt this was completely mind boggling, and then the sudden realization: something terrible must really have happened.
"Minerva?" She began gently, "Please tell me, is-is Bella all right?" Her voice quivered slightly, and she hoped against hope that the little beauty was just sound asleep and that she wasn't…that she wasn't un well.
Minerva paused where she stood, closing the door, confusion evident on her face, and then just as swiftly she understood. For the first time in a week Minerva smiled, reassuring her friend, "Yes, yes, Bella is fine, she's just asleep in her room at the moment, if you would like to see her I can-"
"-Oh no no no, that's quite alright, I won't have you wakening the little angel up just for me, I..no no sorry Minerva.." Minerva smiled again and then remembering her manners offered,
"Would you like anything to drink, some tea perhaps, tea and bisquets?"
"That would be lovely, and if you want I can… tidy up a bit for you…I mean only if you wanted I-I don't have to." Minerva narrowed her eyes,
"Monjure! Poppy your certainly a stuttering old fool tonight aren't you? Well yes tidy up if you like, it makes no difference to me." And with that Minerva swiftly vanished into the kitchen, her emerald robes billowing in her wake, along with her long strands of ebony. As soon as she was out of sight Poppy scanned her surroundings, it was a pleasant enough sitting room, with deep red loveseats, and a hard oak coffee table and matching end tables. There was a large stone fireplace with a wide hearth, and warm portraits on the walls. Red and gold lightly accented the room, but not gaudy enough that it took away from its own elegance. There were shelves and shelves of books, giving a spectacular finishing touch, and stacks of books both small and large covered the end tables and coffee tables. Now if it just wasn't such a mess, it would be very becoming, thought Poppy sternly, and she immediately unsheathed her wand, and cast the appropriate spell. Her curiosity was booming now, and she was determined not to leave here without answers no matter what lengths she had to resort to.
By the time Minerva re-entered the room, carrying a brass tray with fine china, and a whole plate of little bisquets, Poppy had already gotten a roaring fire in the hearth, and pulled back the soft golden drapes on the windows to reveal a startling full moon, and a glassy lake beneath it. Minerva smiled pleasantly and sat down the tray on the coffee table, pushing a few books aside as she did. It was Poppy who spoke first…
"Minerva what is wrong, why haven't you been coming to work?" It was bold, and straight forward, and immediately Poppy regretted asking it, for fear that she had indeed gone to far.
"Why Poppy what makes you think anything is wrong, has it not occurred to you that perhaps I simply wanted a break? Sugar?"
"Oh uh yes please," Poppy said miffed at being thrown off and then, "Come, come Minerva," And she instantly felt foolish for being afraid of this girl who sat beside her, imposing as she may be, she was a terrible liar. "Please don't treat me like I am stupid, we all know very well that you wouldn't just take a break, unless there was an unavoidable reason for doing it. What I want to know is why you are hiding it from me?" Minerva turned her cat like eyes on her sharply, and lips went thin again, even in her young age Poppy could see small lines forming around her mouth from doing this particular expression all to often. And she was about to comment on her skins condition when Minerva spoke suddenly,
"Well Poppy, for someone who doesn't want to be treated like their stupid, you sure are acting the part. Hypothetically if you were right and I was hiding something from you, and all the rest of the castle, what makes you think that by barging in here I would simply hand them over, just like that." And she lifted the delicate tea cup to her lips, and Poppy saw that it had the White Cliffs of Dover printed on it, with roaring waves and moving fluffy clouds.
It was Poppy's turn to frown, and then shook herself slightly flustered. "oooh, well if you won't confide in me, fine! Don't come out of hiding, stay up here and let that sickening Grubby woman turn your class into a bunch of dim witted baboons! But just so you know, I'm not the only one who cares that you've suddenly cast yourself into exile, nor your students that you don't give a rat about! But Dumbledore has been in a right state since you took to locking yourself in your room, he's gone to muttering to himself down the corridors and staring vacantly off into space, if your not careful you may just lose your job! So you might want to at least think up some plausible explanation as to why you've suddenly turned into a immature child of 10 locking yourself in your room, like you were a rebellious girl! And what about your own daughter! Keeping her in this animal pin, while her mother slips into madness, I am ashamed of you Minerva McGonagall, scandalized, disgusted, sickened, appalled, and simply fed up with you!" Poppy wasn't sure quite how, but she was standing, her face red as a beat, and her fists clinched into balls at her sides. Her mousy hair was coming out of her pony tail, and was sticking out in all sorts of mad directions making her look slightly insane. Her little speech had satisfied her, and she had never been more proud of her bravery than now.
Minerva on the other hand hadn't heard half of it, as soon as Dumbledore's name was mentioned her eyes had wandered to the window and to the glassy lake bellow, her mind gone to a chess game of a week ago, and to an auburn haired man who had stolen a kiss. Then when silence reached her ears, it was like an alarm pulling her back to the present, back to the glaring Poppy standing in front of her. She knew she was waiting for her to say something, but for the life of her she couldn't think of a proper response and so she said the one thing her mind could conjure.
"What about Dumbledore?" Her voice was soft, softer than usual, and Poppy sighed with relief taking it as a sign of feeling guilty.
"He has taken to walking around absently muttering to himself, Staying hidden away in his own office, staring at your empty seat at meals, he hasn't really smiled in days. And I have an inkling as to what it might be that's got him all fussed. He is in a right state, ever since he discovered you had gotten a sub, and hadn't left your rooms. I know he is worried sick about you, God knows why though, with the way you care. If I didn't know better I'd say he was in love with you."
"That will be all Poppy, you can go now." Minerva said taking the cup of barely touched tea out of her friends hand.
"What? Your excusing me?"
"Yes, I'm tired and honestly I want to be alone, but don't fret, I shall be at breakfast tomorrow and at class, prepared to teach." Minerva sat the cup on the tray and stood up, waiting to escort Poppy to the door." Poppy's mouth was open in a clear gape, and she was caught between exasperation at being excused and contentment at hearing that Minerva would be leaving exile. And so she stood up but before heading towards the door pressed,
"So-so you-your really going to go back to class, just like..that."
"Good gracious, Poppy would you quit stumbling all over your sentences, Its not becoming at all, I said I would didn't I and I meant it." And then for a reason that Poppy would never fully comprehend, a reason that Poppy would not even remember in a days time, she asked, or more she stated…
"You love him." Minerva's eyes widened and she could feel the blush rushing up her neck and her face, receding into her hair line, Her knees suddenly felt weak, and her mouth parched.
"Wha-" And then she blinked, compose yourself woman, for the love of God compose your self! Her mind screamed. She started again,
"Who? Poppy I don't know what your talking about." Praying that her look of confusion passed, that her blush wasn't to bright, and that Poppy couldn't see her shaking. It wouldn't do to have her think….when she herself didn't even know if she…
"I-never mind, goodnight Minerva, sorry If I bothered you, and thank you very much for the refreshments." But at the door, Poppy paused, and her eyes found Minerva's, she stared hard, serching, her brow knitted in concentration. At last she looked away, and Minerva felt herself relax. "Minerva, I would feel...responsible, if you or Bella were to get hurt, and-and well what I'm trying to say is, with your enemies watching your ever move, it might not be wise to...dig your own grave." Poppy touched her shoulder for a moment, and gave her one last meaningful glance, before slipping out of the door.
When the door closed, Minerva was left alone, to her own private musings. With a tray of cold tea, a dying fire, and a moonlit window.