Post by EloquentPhoenix on Mar 19, 2006 18:52:25 GMT -5
Do not touch, or else…
‘Miner-’
‘Shush!’
‘Don’t Min, it says “Do not touch, or else!’
‘Honestly, Poppy, shush will you. Nothing’s going to happen. Besides, I’m curious, it comes with the territory,’ Minerva hissed, slowly picking up the bottle.
Xiomara laughed along with Minerva, she knew everything would be fine, nothing could happen at Hogwarts. She wondered what had gotten into Minerva though, she was always stuck to the rules and never did anything wrong. This was certainly reckless and uncaring for Minerva. But she’d seen it in her eyes, there was something different there, something Minerva naturally tried to hide, but Xiomara had seen it. Someone else had seen it too. The owner of the bottle had.
The difference in Minerva came down to one simple thing. She was hurting. She’d always been closed off to people, and they thought she didn’t care, she didn’t hurt, she didn’t feel. But they were wrong. They hated her, and she knew it. And she did care, and it did hurt, and she did feel it. Every second that she had time to think, she felt it, like a knife twisting through her. It wasn’t like she didn’t have friends, more that she had less friends than she had enemies. Not that it mattered, because it didn’t, she would tell herself. Oh, but it did. It always did.
So it was that which had brought her here today. The feeling of desperate loneliness in a crowd of people, all because it took longer for her to trust. She’d overheard a conversation a week ago, one involving certain members of staff talking about her. And since then she’d locked herself away in work, and cried herself to sleep every night. Then the bottle appeared, and every member of staff was intrigued by it.
Minerva laughed out loud, nothing had happened when she’d picked the bottle up!
‘See, Poppy, so much for “or else”’ Minerva commented.
It was at that moment that she disappeared! A second or two later she reappeared in Albus Dumbledore’s private quarters, face to face with none other than Albus himself. He stared at her quite seriously, the usual twinkle nowhere to be seen. There was an unaccustomed sadness there. He took one look at her and sighed quietly.
‘What on earth am I doing here, Albus?’ Minerva asked. “Or else? Or else you’ll lock me in a room with you, surely you must know by now that although you’re crazy I wouldn’t mind that much?’
I ghost of a smile touched his lips and he led her to a couch before a roaring fire. She would still joke despite the pain; she must know he could see through it by now. They sat for a time, Minerva happy for the first time all week to sit and think. She always felt happier around Albus.
‘Are you going to tell me why we’re here yet?’ she requested, looking at him over the rim of her glasses.
He smiled briefly in answer and nodded. He took her hands in his, ignoring the racings of his heart and not noticing hers.
‘I can see it in your eyes,’ was all he said.
And in that moment when he said it, his eyes boring into hers, she broke down the newly formed barrier that she had hidden behind for a week. A choked sob escaped her as he pulled her to him, holding her close and kissing the top of her head as she cried. Not a single word was spoken for an unknown amount of time as she cried every single bit of hurt into his chest.
She pulled away gently and gave him a weak smile in response to his questioning look.
‘Not even I can deal with being hated, Albus, as much as I’d like to be able to,” she said.
The surprise on his face said everything, and she allowed herself to be pulled back into his arms. This time the closeness registered. She was feeling better and could feel herself become breathless and flustered.
‘They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you,’ he replied.
She gave another sad smile and nodded, ‘Perhaps.’ There was nothing he could say to change things or make it better, only be there and be normal for her.
‘But I suppose you’re wondering about the bottle?’ he asked.
‘Well, actually, I am.’
‘I told you I could see it in your eyes, Min. And I knew that when it got to much and you snapped you’d do something reckless, I wanted this to be it so I could be here for you.’
Tears filled her eyes again. And she hugged him back.
‘Thank you for always caring,’ she whispered.
He looked down at her tear-stained face, messy bun and clouded eyes. He didn’t even think before kissing her. Nor she before kissing him back. All they both knew was that this was perfect; this was everything they’d ever hoped it to be. A desperate longing kiss washing away not only Minerva’s recent pain, but also years of longing for the other.
‘I love you, Min, and I won’t let anyone hurt you by hating you, they aren’t worth your tears,’ Albus said.
‘Thank you for loving me, and I love you too.’
No one ever did find out anything more about that bottle, and no one ever knew if there was ever something in it and it was never seen again. Minerva was found sneaking away from Albus’ rooms the morning after, and was thoroughly grilled by Xiomara and Poppy. Though to no avail. Although it had hurt, Minerva stopped thinking about it. It is perhaps true then, and at least in this case, love conquers all.
A/N: It’s of no real merit, I know. But I’m feeling rather like Minerva was, and I ended up torturing her with it. And it helped me not to care. It’s rather a rushed entry, I’d been planning to write one and the deadline sneaked up on me. Anyway, it seemed to fit for Albus putting the bottle there for Minerva, and doing something nice for her. I'd say constructive criticism, but I think this was more a form of therapy than creative output. In a day or two I probably will apprieciate constuctive critism so if you don't mind...
‘Miner-’
‘Shush!’
‘Don’t Min, it says “Do not touch, or else!’
‘Honestly, Poppy, shush will you. Nothing’s going to happen. Besides, I’m curious, it comes with the territory,’ Minerva hissed, slowly picking up the bottle.
Xiomara laughed along with Minerva, she knew everything would be fine, nothing could happen at Hogwarts. She wondered what had gotten into Minerva though, she was always stuck to the rules and never did anything wrong. This was certainly reckless and uncaring for Minerva. But she’d seen it in her eyes, there was something different there, something Minerva naturally tried to hide, but Xiomara had seen it. Someone else had seen it too. The owner of the bottle had.
The difference in Minerva came down to one simple thing. She was hurting. She’d always been closed off to people, and they thought she didn’t care, she didn’t hurt, she didn’t feel. But they were wrong. They hated her, and she knew it. And she did care, and it did hurt, and she did feel it. Every second that she had time to think, she felt it, like a knife twisting through her. It wasn’t like she didn’t have friends, more that she had less friends than she had enemies. Not that it mattered, because it didn’t, she would tell herself. Oh, but it did. It always did.
So it was that which had brought her here today. The feeling of desperate loneliness in a crowd of people, all because it took longer for her to trust. She’d overheard a conversation a week ago, one involving certain members of staff talking about her. And since then she’d locked herself away in work, and cried herself to sleep every night. Then the bottle appeared, and every member of staff was intrigued by it.
Minerva laughed out loud, nothing had happened when she’d picked the bottle up!
‘See, Poppy, so much for “or else”’ Minerva commented.
It was at that moment that she disappeared! A second or two later she reappeared in Albus Dumbledore’s private quarters, face to face with none other than Albus himself. He stared at her quite seriously, the usual twinkle nowhere to be seen. There was an unaccustomed sadness there. He took one look at her and sighed quietly.
‘What on earth am I doing here, Albus?’ Minerva asked. “Or else? Or else you’ll lock me in a room with you, surely you must know by now that although you’re crazy I wouldn’t mind that much?’
I ghost of a smile touched his lips and he led her to a couch before a roaring fire. She would still joke despite the pain; she must know he could see through it by now. They sat for a time, Minerva happy for the first time all week to sit and think. She always felt happier around Albus.
‘Are you going to tell me why we’re here yet?’ she requested, looking at him over the rim of her glasses.
He smiled briefly in answer and nodded. He took her hands in his, ignoring the racings of his heart and not noticing hers.
‘I can see it in your eyes,’ was all he said.
And in that moment when he said it, his eyes boring into hers, she broke down the newly formed barrier that she had hidden behind for a week. A choked sob escaped her as he pulled her to him, holding her close and kissing the top of her head as she cried. Not a single word was spoken for an unknown amount of time as she cried every single bit of hurt into his chest.
She pulled away gently and gave him a weak smile in response to his questioning look.
‘Not even I can deal with being hated, Albus, as much as I’d like to be able to,” she said.
The surprise on his face said everything, and she allowed herself to be pulled back into his arms. This time the closeness registered. She was feeling better and could feel herself become breathless and flustered.
‘They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you,’ he replied.
She gave another sad smile and nodded, ‘Perhaps.’ There was nothing he could say to change things or make it better, only be there and be normal for her.
‘But I suppose you’re wondering about the bottle?’ he asked.
‘Well, actually, I am.’
‘I told you I could see it in your eyes, Min. And I knew that when it got to much and you snapped you’d do something reckless, I wanted this to be it so I could be here for you.’
Tears filled her eyes again. And she hugged him back.
‘Thank you for always caring,’ she whispered.
He looked down at her tear-stained face, messy bun and clouded eyes. He didn’t even think before kissing her. Nor she before kissing him back. All they both knew was that this was perfect; this was everything they’d ever hoped it to be. A desperate longing kiss washing away not only Minerva’s recent pain, but also years of longing for the other.
‘I love you, Min, and I won’t let anyone hurt you by hating you, they aren’t worth your tears,’ Albus said.
‘Thank you for loving me, and I love you too.’
No one ever did find out anything more about that bottle, and no one ever knew if there was ever something in it and it was never seen again. Minerva was found sneaking away from Albus’ rooms the morning after, and was thoroughly grilled by Xiomara and Poppy. Though to no avail. Although it had hurt, Minerva stopped thinking about it. It is perhaps true then, and at least in this case, love conquers all.
A/N: It’s of no real merit, I know. But I’m feeling rather like Minerva was, and I ended up torturing her with it. And it helped me not to care. It’s rather a rushed entry, I’d been planning to write one and the deadline sneaked up on me. Anyway, it seemed to fit for Albus putting the bottle there for Minerva, and doing something nice for her. I'd say constructive criticism, but I think this was more a form of therapy than creative output. In a day or two I probably will apprieciate constuctive critism so if you don't mind...
I cannot criticize it... constuctively or not. Great response
