Post by Jestana on Aug 20, 2004 16:41:28 GMT -5
Allergic to What?!
"That was a rather nice party, wasn't it?" Albus Dumbledore asked of his deputy as they walked along the winding drive from the gates of Hogwarts to the castle proper.
Minerva McGonagall nodded, her arm tucked in his. "Yes. That was the happiest I've seen Harry in a long time."
"Yes, since the beginning of his fourth year, wouldn't you say?" Albus commented, feeling a pang of guilt that he was part of the reason.
Minerva nodded again, glancing up at him. "Albus, you're doing it again."
"Doing what again?" he asked, looking down at her curiously.
"Blaming yourself for everything," she replied, her gaze stern.
He looked away in time to steer them around a loose stone. "I suppose you're right."
"Albus Dumbledore, you share some blame for what happened this past year, yes, but not all." Minerva's voice was as stern as her gaze. "Cornelius, Dolores, and V-Voldemort all share some blame as well."
Albus quirked an eyebrow at her, amused, "You said his name with barely a flinch."
"I've been working on that," she answered primly, preceding him into the castle.
He pulled the doors closed behind him. "I thank you for it."
"There's no need to thank me, Albus," she replied, her brow creasing slightly.
He opened his mouth to reply just as she put a hand to her temple and swayed dangerously. "Minerva!" He caught her before she fell. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I don't know what's wrong with me," she replied, shaking her head as if to clear it.
He steadied her, but she swayed again moments after he released her. Catching her again, he scooped her up into his arms. "Perhaps you should see Poppy."
"I assure you, Albus, I'm fine, just dizzy." Minerva had automatically grabbed onto his shoulders to steady her as he made his way through the castle.
He shook his head. "You're still recovering from those stunners, Minerva. I don't want to take chances." He looked down at her. "I need my Deputy more than ever now."
Their eyes locked and they stood there for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat and continued to the Hospital Wing. It was empty when they reached it, but not for long. Poppy appeared from her office. "Albus, Minerva, what brings you here?"
"Minerva has complained that she's feeling dizzy," Albus explained even as Poppy cast a Diagnostic spell over the Deputy Headmistress. "She couldn't even maintain her balance for more than a few seconds."
Minerva glared at Albus. "I think Poppy gets the picture, Albus."
"Hush, Minerva," Poppy told her longtime friend before turning to Albus. "I need to examine Minerva in private, Albus. Would you mind going out into the corridor for a bit?"
Albus shook his head. "Not at all, Poppy." Bowing to both women, he withdrew and immediately began pacing.
"Albus?" Alastor Moody's voice caused Albus to stop and turn.
The retired auror stood at the end of the corridor, leaning on his gnarled walking stick, the magical eye moving restlessly. "Hello, Alastor. What did you think of Harry and Neville's birthday party?"
"Not bad, though the 'pizza' was rather greasy," Alastor answered, his voice gruff as he made his way to Albus' side. "Why are you out here?"
Albus nodded to the door of the hospital wing. "Minerva suddenly felt dizzy, so I brought her to Poppy."
"Dizzy?" Alastor asked, his magical eye swiveling to look through the door to the hospital wing. Moments later, it swiveled away, his face turning red. "Should have known better than that."
Albus frowned, studying his friend. "Alastor?"
"I'm guessing you're out here because Poppy's examining Minerva?" Alastor asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Albus nodded, glancing at the door. "Yes, she is." Comprehension suddenly dawned. "Minerva wasn't wearing her robes, was she?"
Alastor cleared his throat. "Right."
"Ah, I see." Albus fell silent, wondering at the feelings that surged up inside him at this information. Alastor was married to Poppy for several decades and had obviously been discomfited by the brief glimpse he'd gotten of Minerva with little or no clothes on. Shaking his head at himself, Albus resumed his pacing. Alastor conjured up a chair for himself and sat down with a sigh, stretching his wooden leg out in front of him with a relieved sigh.
After several more minutes, the door to the hospital wing opened again. "Alastor!"
"Hello, Poppy." Alastor stood in time to catch Poppy in his arms.
Albus waited patiently as husband and wife shared a warm kiss. "I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't mean to ignore you."
"Quite all right, Poppy," Albus replied. "What of Minerva?"
Poppy gestured to the open doors. "You may see her."
"Thank you, Poppy." Albus swept past them into the hospital wing.
Minerva sat on the bed, a bemused look on her face. "Hello, Albus. Is Alastor here?"
"Yes, he is," Albus replied, sitting beside her on the bed. "What did Poppy have to say?"
Minerva wordlessly pushed up the sleeve of her green outer robe, and then the sleeve of the black dress she wore underneath. On the skin of her lower arm were quite a few spots resembling the pepperoni that had topped one of the 'pizzas' available for consumption at the birthday party. "Apparently, I'm allergic to pepperoni. I didn't notice the spots until Poppy's examination."
"You only had the one slice, though," Albus pointed out, gently turning Minerva's arm to look more closely at the spots.
Minerva sighed. "I know. It would seem my reaction is particularly violent. Standing makes me dizzy, so I'm stuck in the hospital wing until this passes."
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your rooms?" Albus inquired, looking at her over the tops of his spectacles, unaware that he was still holding her arm.
Minerva nodded. "Yes, I would, but Poppy doesn't want me to walk anywhere when I can't even stand without falling over."
"I see." Without another word, Albus scooped Minerva up into his arms once more and headed for the door.
Alastor had resumed his seat, this time with Poppy sitting on his good knee. They'd been talking in quiet voices when Minerva's voice startled them. "Albus Dumbledore! What are you doing?"
"Taking you to your rooms, of course," Albus answered mildly just as he emerged from the hospital wing, Minerva in his arms.
Alastor and Poppy could only stare as Albus nodded to them and disappeared in the direction of her rooms. "He carried her here, too."
"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," Alastor replied. "I thought for sure he'd tell her after she'd been hit by the Stunners."
Poppy sighed, leaning into his embrace. "Give them time, cher coeur."
"Albus, there's really no need for you to carry me everywhere," Minerva told him, even as he gave the password to the portrait guarding her rooms.
He didn't answer until they'd entered and she was seated on the sofa. "I want to do this for you, Minerva."
"Why?" she asked and immediately wished she hadn't when he looked down at her.
He stared at her for so long that she wondered if he would reply. When he did, his voice was soft. "Because I love you, Minerva."
"You...love me?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
His eyes shuttered and her rose. "Forgive me, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Albus, wait," she caught his hand before he could move away. "You just caught me by surprise."
He remained standing, but his eyes were on her. "What do you mean?"
"I love you, too, Albus." His eyes widened before a smile appeared on his face.
Sitting down beside her, he pulled her to him for the first of many kisses.
"That was a rather nice party, wasn't it?" Albus Dumbledore asked of his deputy as they walked along the winding drive from the gates of Hogwarts to the castle proper.
Minerva McGonagall nodded, her arm tucked in his. "Yes. That was the happiest I've seen Harry in a long time."
"Yes, since the beginning of his fourth year, wouldn't you say?" Albus commented, feeling a pang of guilt that he was part of the reason.
Minerva nodded again, glancing up at him. "Albus, you're doing it again."
"Doing what again?" he asked, looking down at her curiously.
"Blaming yourself for everything," she replied, her gaze stern.
He looked away in time to steer them around a loose stone. "I suppose you're right."
"Albus Dumbledore, you share some blame for what happened this past year, yes, but not all." Minerva's voice was as stern as her gaze. "Cornelius, Dolores, and V-Voldemort all share some blame as well."
Albus quirked an eyebrow at her, amused, "You said his name with barely a flinch."
"I've been working on that," she answered primly, preceding him into the castle.
He pulled the doors closed behind him. "I thank you for it."
"There's no need to thank me, Albus," she replied, her brow creasing slightly.
He opened his mouth to reply just as she put a hand to her temple and swayed dangerously. "Minerva!" He caught her before she fell. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I don't know what's wrong with me," she replied, shaking her head as if to clear it.
He steadied her, but she swayed again moments after he released her. Catching her again, he scooped her up into his arms. "Perhaps you should see Poppy."
"I assure you, Albus, I'm fine, just dizzy." Minerva had automatically grabbed onto his shoulders to steady her as he made his way through the castle.
He shook his head. "You're still recovering from those stunners, Minerva. I don't want to take chances." He looked down at her. "I need my Deputy more than ever now."
Their eyes locked and they stood there for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat and continued to the Hospital Wing. It was empty when they reached it, but not for long. Poppy appeared from her office. "Albus, Minerva, what brings you here?"
"Minerva has complained that she's feeling dizzy," Albus explained even as Poppy cast a Diagnostic spell over the Deputy Headmistress. "She couldn't even maintain her balance for more than a few seconds."
Minerva glared at Albus. "I think Poppy gets the picture, Albus."
"Hush, Minerva," Poppy told her longtime friend before turning to Albus. "I need to examine Minerva in private, Albus. Would you mind going out into the corridor for a bit?"
Albus shook his head. "Not at all, Poppy." Bowing to both women, he withdrew and immediately began pacing.
"Albus?" Alastor Moody's voice caused Albus to stop and turn.
The retired auror stood at the end of the corridor, leaning on his gnarled walking stick, the magical eye moving restlessly. "Hello, Alastor. What did you think of Harry and Neville's birthday party?"
"Not bad, though the 'pizza' was rather greasy," Alastor answered, his voice gruff as he made his way to Albus' side. "Why are you out here?"
Albus nodded to the door of the hospital wing. "Minerva suddenly felt dizzy, so I brought her to Poppy."
"Dizzy?" Alastor asked, his magical eye swiveling to look through the door to the hospital wing. Moments later, it swiveled away, his face turning red. "Should have known better than that."
Albus frowned, studying his friend. "Alastor?"
"I'm guessing you're out here because Poppy's examining Minerva?" Alastor asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Albus nodded, glancing at the door. "Yes, she is." Comprehension suddenly dawned. "Minerva wasn't wearing her robes, was she?"
Alastor cleared his throat. "Right."
"Ah, I see." Albus fell silent, wondering at the feelings that surged up inside him at this information. Alastor was married to Poppy for several decades and had obviously been discomfited by the brief glimpse he'd gotten of Minerva with little or no clothes on. Shaking his head at himself, Albus resumed his pacing. Alastor conjured up a chair for himself and sat down with a sigh, stretching his wooden leg out in front of him with a relieved sigh.
After several more minutes, the door to the hospital wing opened again. "Alastor!"
"Hello, Poppy." Alastor stood in time to catch Poppy in his arms.
Albus waited patiently as husband and wife shared a warm kiss. "I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't mean to ignore you."
"Quite all right, Poppy," Albus replied. "What of Minerva?"
Poppy gestured to the open doors. "You may see her."
"Thank you, Poppy." Albus swept past them into the hospital wing.
Minerva sat on the bed, a bemused look on her face. "Hello, Albus. Is Alastor here?"
"Yes, he is," Albus replied, sitting beside her on the bed. "What did Poppy have to say?"
Minerva wordlessly pushed up the sleeve of her green outer robe, and then the sleeve of the black dress she wore underneath. On the skin of her lower arm were quite a few spots resembling the pepperoni that had topped one of the 'pizzas' available for consumption at the birthday party. "Apparently, I'm allergic to pepperoni. I didn't notice the spots until Poppy's examination."
"You only had the one slice, though," Albus pointed out, gently turning Minerva's arm to look more closely at the spots.
Minerva sighed. "I know. It would seem my reaction is particularly violent. Standing makes me dizzy, so I'm stuck in the hospital wing until this passes."
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your rooms?" Albus inquired, looking at her over the tops of his spectacles, unaware that he was still holding her arm.
Minerva nodded. "Yes, I would, but Poppy doesn't want me to walk anywhere when I can't even stand without falling over."
"I see." Without another word, Albus scooped Minerva up into his arms once more and headed for the door.
* * *
Alastor had resumed his seat, this time with Poppy sitting on his good knee. They'd been talking in quiet voices when Minerva's voice startled them. "Albus Dumbledore! What are you doing?"
"Taking you to your rooms, of course," Albus answered mildly just as he emerged from the hospital wing, Minerva in his arms.
Alastor and Poppy could only stare as Albus nodded to them and disappeared in the direction of her rooms. "He carried her here, too."
"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," Alastor replied. "I thought for sure he'd tell her after she'd been hit by the Stunners."
Poppy sighed, leaning into his embrace. "Give them time, cher coeur."
* * *
"Albus, there's really no need for you to carry me everywhere," Minerva told him, even as he gave the password to the portrait guarding her rooms.
He didn't answer until they'd entered and she was seated on the sofa. "I want to do this for you, Minerva."
"Why?" she asked and immediately wished she hadn't when he looked down at her.
He stared at her for so long that she wondered if he would reply. When he did, his voice was soft. "Because I love you, Minerva."
"You...love me?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
His eyes shuttered and her rose. "Forgive me, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Albus, wait," she caught his hand before he could move away. "You just caught me by surprise."
He remained standing, but his eyes were on her. "What do you mean?"
"I love you, too, Albus." His eyes widened before a smile appeared on his face.
Sitting down beside her, he pulled her to him for the first of many kisses.
Finite
brava!
