Post by TartanPhoenix on Jul 11, 2005 21:35:16 GMT -5
Disclaimer: They aren’t mine. I know it comes as a shock, but there’s this lady, maybe you’ve heard of her. Goes by J.K.Rowling. They’re hers. I know I’m disappointed too.
Rating: Grandmother friendly.
She did say he could ask any question. Enjoy.
Searching
Albus made his way down the vast green slopes of the castle’s grounds, and to say he was an unhappy man would have been an understatement if the small explosions emanating from his fingertips was any indication. His usually tranquil eyes were blazing, and his breath was coming out in small puffs as it met with the cooler air surrounding him. The sun was just beginning to set around them, casting the castle in an orange glow, but he could still make out the lone slender figure standing beside the lake. Her back was to him, and if he had been calmer he would have noticed the oh so slight trembling in her normally proud shoulders. As it was, he didn’t, and quickly changed his direction to meet her.
She never even bothered to turn around as he approached, she could smell him long before he arrived. It was that same mix of mint and old books that followed him. She knew he would come, but he arrived sooner than she had expected. She lifted a single finger to wipe away the stray tear sliding down her cheek before he could see it. Even after the years and everything they had been through she wouldn’t let him see her cry. “Hello Albus,” she said quietly when a twig snapped under his purple boots, never removing her eyes from the lake as the fading light danced off the gentle waves.
Her quiet greeting did something that only she had ever accomplished; she left him speechless. He stood there, looking remarkably like a fish out of water as he struggled to understand the strange situation he found himself in. When no other explanation was offered, however, he let his emotions take over, and he moved to stand beside her. His left hand came to rest directly under her nose even as he leaned into her, blatantly invading her personal space. “Minerva McGonagall, what...is the meaning..of..this?” His words, though spoken softly, contained such raw despair and confusion, that she could only bring herself to stare at his fist. It was clutched so tightly around the parchment that his knuckles were white and shaking.
“I thought it was fairly clear Albus; it’s my resignation letter. I will be off of the grounds by first light tomorrow, but I just wanted to watch one more sunset. They never seem as beautiful anywhere else as they do here.” All of this was said so calmly that Albus’ hand dropped to his side. This movement caught Minerva’s attention, and she watched silently as the parchment drifted from his hand through the air to land at their feet. A gust of wind blew around them and carried it into the lake, creating tiny ripples as it landed.
“Why Minerva,” he asked quietly, “what could be so horrible that you would want to leave the school? Is it one of the students, the other staff? Have I done something to hurt you?” Minerva just shook her head, drawing her arms around herself. “It’s nothing like that Albus. I love my job; I always have. This is just one thing that you can’t help me with Albus. No one can help me,” she whispered more to herself than the man next to her.
With that one quietly spoken sentence, all of the rage that had built up within the great wizard erupted, and, for the first time in their twenty year acquittance, Albus Dumbledore yelled at his deputy. “So that’s it ? You just expect me to let my best friend walk out without so much as an explanation or reason. Do you expect me to sit back and watch as you just leave everything you hold dear and not try to change your mind. Is this what you think of me Minerva? Do I really mean that little to you that you would think I don’t care?” By the end of his tirade, Albus had his hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.
“Albus please,” she said trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened.
“Why Minerva? Just tell me why.” His voice had dropped to barely a whisper, but the emotion held behind them spoke of a pain that no mortal man should have to endure. Something inside of her just snapped.
“I just can’t do this anymore Albus. I just can’t do it.” His grip loosened as the confusion became plain on his face. “You can’t do what Minerva? Please, what ever it is, let me help.”
An almost hysterical laugh slipped out as she broke out of his grip with a force that surprised them both. “Don’t you understand,” she yelled, her own control slipping, “I can’t be around you anymore. I’ve stood by for almost twenty years hoping, waiting for any indication that could..that somehow you would..” but her voice trailed off as another tear made its way down her cheek. She turned quickly away from him, and tried to hide it, but he noticed.
“That I would what Minerva?”
“Don’t Albus,” she pleaded, her voice beginning to quake, “ask me any question but that.”
He stared at her profile for a moment as her words sank in, and that single tear allowed him to hope as never before. “Alright,” he murmured against her ear, a hand coming to rest along her waist. “Do you love me?” Her eyes snapped to his in shock, searching his for any answer, and all she saw was need, desperation, and the one thing she never thought possible shining back at her; love. Before she truly understood what was happening her hands were resting against his velvet clad chest, and she nodded her head. The lips beneath his snow white beard quirked ever so slightly as his forehead pressed against her own. “Then you may run as far and as long as you wish my dear, but know I will always find you.” He never had to look again.
Rating: Grandmother friendly.
She did say he could ask any question. Enjoy.
Searching
Albus made his way down the vast green slopes of the castle’s grounds, and to say he was an unhappy man would have been an understatement if the small explosions emanating from his fingertips was any indication. His usually tranquil eyes were blazing, and his breath was coming out in small puffs as it met with the cooler air surrounding him. The sun was just beginning to set around them, casting the castle in an orange glow, but he could still make out the lone slender figure standing beside the lake. Her back was to him, and if he had been calmer he would have noticed the oh so slight trembling in her normally proud shoulders. As it was, he didn’t, and quickly changed his direction to meet her.
She never even bothered to turn around as he approached, she could smell him long before he arrived. It was that same mix of mint and old books that followed him. She knew he would come, but he arrived sooner than she had expected. She lifted a single finger to wipe away the stray tear sliding down her cheek before he could see it. Even after the years and everything they had been through she wouldn’t let him see her cry. “Hello Albus,” she said quietly when a twig snapped under his purple boots, never removing her eyes from the lake as the fading light danced off the gentle waves.
Her quiet greeting did something that only she had ever accomplished; she left him speechless. He stood there, looking remarkably like a fish out of water as he struggled to understand the strange situation he found himself in. When no other explanation was offered, however, he let his emotions take over, and he moved to stand beside her. His left hand came to rest directly under her nose even as he leaned into her, blatantly invading her personal space. “Minerva McGonagall, what...is the meaning..of..this?” His words, though spoken softly, contained such raw despair and confusion, that she could only bring herself to stare at his fist. It was clutched so tightly around the parchment that his knuckles were white and shaking.
“I thought it was fairly clear Albus; it’s my resignation letter. I will be off of the grounds by first light tomorrow, but I just wanted to watch one more sunset. They never seem as beautiful anywhere else as they do here.” All of this was said so calmly that Albus’ hand dropped to his side. This movement caught Minerva’s attention, and she watched silently as the parchment drifted from his hand through the air to land at their feet. A gust of wind blew around them and carried it into the lake, creating tiny ripples as it landed.
“Why Minerva,” he asked quietly, “what could be so horrible that you would want to leave the school? Is it one of the students, the other staff? Have I done something to hurt you?” Minerva just shook her head, drawing her arms around herself. “It’s nothing like that Albus. I love my job; I always have. This is just one thing that you can’t help me with Albus. No one can help me,” she whispered more to herself than the man next to her.
With that one quietly spoken sentence, all of the rage that had built up within the great wizard erupted, and, for the first time in their twenty year acquittance, Albus Dumbledore yelled at his deputy. “So that’s it ? You just expect me to let my best friend walk out without so much as an explanation or reason. Do you expect me to sit back and watch as you just leave everything you hold dear and not try to change your mind. Is this what you think of me Minerva? Do I really mean that little to you that you would think I don’t care?” By the end of his tirade, Albus had his hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.
“Albus please,” she said trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened.
“Why Minerva? Just tell me why.” His voice had dropped to barely a whisper, but the emotion held behind them spoke of a pain that no mortal man should have to endure. Something inside of her just snapped.
“I just can’t do this anymore Albus. I just can’t do it.” His grip loosened as the confusion became plain on his face. “You can’t do what Minerva? Please, what ever it is, let me help.”
An almost hysterical laugh slipped out as she broke out of his grip with a force that surprised them both. “Don’t you understand,” she yelled, her own control slipping, “I can’t be around you anymore. I’ve stood by for almost twenty years hoping, waiting for any indication that could..that somehow you would..” but her voice trailed off as another tear made its way down her cheek. She turned quickly away from him, and tried to hide it, but he noticed.
“That I would what Minerva?”
“Don’t Albus,” she pleaded, her voice beginning to quake, “ask me any question but that.”
He stared at her profile for a moment as her words sank in, and that single tear allowed him to hope as never before. “Alright,” he murmured against her ear, a hand coming to rest along her waist. “Do you love me?” Her eyes snapped to his in shock, searching his for any answer, and all she saw was need, desperation, and the one thing she never thought possible shining back at her; love. Before she truly understood what was happening her hands were resting against his velvet clad chest, and she nodded her head. The lips beneath his snow white beard quirked ever so slightly as his forehead pressed against her own. “Then you may run as far and as long as you wish my dear, but know I will always find you.” He never had to look again.
