Post by Hogwarts Duo on Feb 24, 2005 12:57:37 GMT -5
Few people knew of the full impact that four stunners to the chest had on Minerva, except of course for her best friend and Hogwarts’ resident medi-witch, Poppy Pomfrey. On the outside, Minerva still seemed to be in complete control of her surroundings and her attitude was still one of seriousness and duty. She had insisted on being released from St. Mungo’s earlier than her doctors would have wished and only once back at Hogwarts and after the students had gone for the summer did she reluctantly admit that she was less than her usual self.
Poppy had watched Minerva since she had set foot back onto the castle grounds. She could tell that while her friend was playing the part she had made all her own, there was something different about her. Her sarcastic wit was seriously lacking its’ trademark bite, her barbs with Severus were almost extinct and she seemed rather withdrawn even around Albus. Several times, Poppy had mentioned the change of attitude to Minerva but she quickly brushed it aside, saying that she was just concerned about other matters or was extremely busy, too busy in fact to discuss such trivial matters.
In truth, Minerva was facing her own demons and trying to do so without burdening anyone else. The incident with the stunners had taught her one thing, one painfully startling thing. She was alone. In a castle full of students, colleagues, magical creatures, and ghosts, she was by herself at the end of each day. She knew that her cubs respected her and that they had missed her guidance during her absence. The other staff members had made sure to welcome her back happily and tell her how much they had wished she was back among them. Even Albus had said that things just weren’t the same without her near. But for all of their good intentions, that only made her feel worse. It only drove home the idea of her situation and left her feeling melancholy and tired.
With summer’s official arrival and the students packed up and sent safely home, the castle seemed cold and dreary, despite the warm sunshine outside. Some of the staff had opted to take vacations or work on research projects away from the school. The faculty that did remain had their own plans for the summer and Albus was always occupied with first one thing and then another. Unfortunately, he had very little time for chess matches, long walks, or even the frequent trips to London or Hogsmeade, which had been the highlights of her previous summers.
She tried to occupy her mind with books, lesson plans, quidditch schedules and any number of other things but she just lacked the motivation to finish what she started. It wasn’t until Madame Pomfrey questioned her about her lesson plans and received a half-hearted answer did the medi-witch fully understand the depths of Minerva’s sadness. Unsure of what to do or how to handle the situation, she decided to discreetly mention it to Albus in the hopes that he could draw Minerva out of her rapidly closing shell.
At first, Albus was surprised that he hadn’t noticed the serious change in Minerva’s behavior. But as he sat in front of the open window and watched her from the privacy of his office, he could tell by her gait that things were not as they should be. He watched in stunned silence, motionless, as she crossed the lawn and settled on the lush grass beneath a large tree near the lake. A knot formed in his stomach as he came to understand that despite all his attempts to help those around him, he had once again failed miserably yet this time he still had time to change things for the better.
As she sat on the grass and stared out at the lake, the giant squid came up to acknowledge Minerva’s presence, something of a rarity for the creature. It was almost as if she sensed the overwhelming sorrow that had filled Minerva’s heart and was trying to offer some sort of comfort in her own special way. Soft words fell from the depressed woman’s lips as she reached out her hand to lightly touch the tentacle of the squid before it disappeared once again to the depths of the water.
With slumped shoulders and her head propped up on her hand, Minerva stared at the water, watching the ripples dance lazily across the lake. She smirked at the ironic meaning of the ripple effect and how one action always causes tiny shock waves in the lives of others. Thinking back over the events of the previous months, she felt herself sinking further into her unhappy thoughts, unaware that someone else could feel her pain, even from his office high in the tower.
Dinner that night passed much like all the others since the students left. The small group that chose to dine at the school would meet at the appointed time and settle around a circular table, much like a large family. Instead of diving into the delicious food and commenting on the new recipes the house elves chose to try, Minerva merely picked at her food and spoke only when a question or comment was directed specifically towards her. Even when Albus tried to tease her or engage her in a spirited discussion, she lacked her normal enthusiasm. And after his earlier chat with Poppy and keenly observing for himself the changes in her behavior, he realized that he might be the only one capable of bringing back the woman they all respected and loved.
The night sky outside was crystal clear. The black velvety darkness was spotted with tiny points of brilliant light, all winking at her as she looked out the large window in her bedroom. The shining stars reminded her of Albus’ eyes and how they twinkled, even in the most stressful circumstances and always when he looked at her. But it seemed like ages since she had peered into the calming blue of his eyes and felt something other than pity or concern. It pained her to know that their friendship had been damaged because of Umbridge and her cowardly tactics.
In part, Minerva believed that Albus was disappointed in her and perhaps ashamed of her actions. Since her arrival back at the school, he had spent very little time alone with her and even when he did, his conversations centered around her health or Order business. Gone were the chess matches and outings, which seemed to provide her with a sense of hope and happiness for the future. Now she found it difficult to be around him and yet she longed to have things back to the way they were before everything around her began to crumble.
She sighed heavily and sorrowfully as she pulled the thick drapes across the window to hide the happy world from her troubled eyes. Her new routine had become one of loneliness, filled with early nights, lots of rest and seemingly no one with whom she could share her deepest thoughts. No, she had lost that confidant the minute she felt Albus slipping away into his own world filled with optimism, determination, and work.
Sitting in his office, Albus was troubled to see the way Minerva was acting. He had, once again, done what he felt was best and it had backfired. When she first returned from the hospital, he had not wanted to overburden her with work and he certainly didn’t want her to think he must be entertained, either by chess games or his company. He had tried to give her time to heal and the space in which to do it but apparently his actions had been misguided and misunderstood. Suddenly he remembered how he had felt with his near death experience after defeating Grindelwald and it all made sense.
In those early days after he regained consciousness, Albus had felt horrible. He wasn’t in physical pain but nearly dying had taken a toll on his mind. It wasn’t a comforting feeling to know that he had so many things he still wanted to do and yet he had almost lost the chance to do them. But most of all, he had wanted someone to share them with and as he looked around him, all he saw were Ministry officials, colleagues, and friends who were already married or had significant others. He, too, had slumped into a feeling of despair and uneasiness around those who were closest to him and as all this came crashing back into his mind, he felt a sudden wave of the old feelings pass through his body. Finally, he completely understood Minerva’s actions and he came to the realization that she longed for the same things he did. Only this time, he knew perfectly well with whom he wanted to share all the wonderful things of life.
Just as she was about to slip into her comfortable bed, Minerva heard a light tapping at her window. Curious about the noise, she grabbed her wand and muttered “lumos” and eased back the curtains, fully expecting to see an owl with a letter addressed to her. Instead, she was greeted with a warm smile and an extended hand. Carefully opening the window, she stared into the blue eyes of the one person she least expected to see this evening, especially hovering right outside her bedroom window several stories above the ground.
“Come flying with me Minerva,” was Albus’ simple yet sincere request as he reached for her hand.
“No, it’s late and I’m ready for bed. It’s been a long day and surely you have more important things to do.” Minerva’s voice was filled with a sadness that stabbed at his heart.
“I can think of nothing more important than taking you on a magical blanket ride on this warm summer evening. Please, say you’ll come with me.”
She hadn’t noticed it before but Albus was not seated on a broom. Instead, he had obviously charmed their favorite tartan picnic blanket so that it resembled the fairy tale magic carpets described in muggle books. The emerald green blanket hovered mere inches from her window and Albus looked completely relaxed as he continued to hold out his hand to her, hoping she’d take him up on his offer.
Poppy had watched Minerva since she had set foot back onto the castle grounds. She could tell that while her friend was playing the part she had made all her own, there was something different about her. Her sarcastic wit was seriously lacking its’ trademark bite, her barbs with Severus were almost extinct and she seemed rather withdrawn even around Albus. Several times, Poppy had mentioned the change of attitude to Minerva but she quickly brushed it aside, saying that she was just concerned about other matters or was extremely busy, too busy in fact to discuss such trivial matters.
In truth, Minerva was facing her own demons and trying to do so without burdening anyone else. The incident with the stunners had taught her one thing, one painfully startling thing. She was alone. In a castle full of students, colleagues, magical creatures, and ghosts, she was by herself at the end of each day. She knew that her cubs respected her and that they had missed her guidance during her absence. The other staff members had made sure to welcome her back happily and tell her how much they had wished she was back among them. Even Albus had said that things just weren’t the same without her near. But for all of their good intentions, that only made her feel worse. It only drove home the idea of her situation and left her feeling melancholy and tired.
With summer’s official arrival and the students packed up and sent safely home, the castle seemed cold and dreary, despite the warm sunshine outside. Some of the staff had opted to take vacations or work on research projects away from the school. The faculty that did remain had their own plans for the summer and Albus was always occupied with first one thing and then another. Unfortunately, he had very little time for chess matches, long walks, or even the frequent trips to London or Hogsmeade, which had been the highlights of her previous summers.
She tried to occupy her mind with books, lesson plans, quidditch schedules and any number of other things but she just lacked the motivation to finish what she started. It wasn’t until Madame Pomfrey questioned her about her lesson plans and received a half-hearted answer did the medi-witch fully understand the depths of Minerva’s sadness. Unsure of what to do or how to handle the situation, she decided to discreetly mention it to Albus in the hopes that he could draw Minerva out of her rapidly closing shell.
At first, Albus was surprised that he hadn’t noticed the serious change in Minerva’s behavior. But as he sat in front of the open window and watched her from the privacy of his office, he could tell by her gait that things were not as they should be. He watched in stunned silence, motionless, as she crossed the lawn and settled on the lush grass beneath a large tree near the lake. A knot formed in his stomach as he came to understand that despite all his attempts to help those around him, he had once again failed miserably yet this time he still had time to change things for the better.
As she sat on the grass and stared out at the lake, the giant squid came up to acknowledge Minerva’s presence, something of a rarity for the creature. It was almost as if she sensed the overwhelming sorrow that had filled Minerva’s heart and was trying to offer some sort of comfort in her own special way. Soft words fell from the depressed woman’s lips as she reached out her hand to lightly touch the tentacle of the squid before it disappeared once again to the depths of the water.
With slumped shoulders and her head propped up on her hand, Minerva stared at the water, watching the ripples dance lazily across the lake. She smirked at the ironic meaning of the ripple effect and how one action always causes tiny shock waves in the lives of others. Thinking back over the events of the previous months, she felt herself sinking further into her unhappy thoughts, unaware that someone else could feel her pain, even from his office high in the tower.
Dinner that night passed much like all the others since the students left. The small group that chose to dine at the school would meet at the appointed time and settle around a circular table, much like a large family. Instead of diving into the delicious food and commenting on the new recipes the house elves chose to try, Minerva merely picked at her food and spoke only when a question or comment was directed specifically towards her. Even when Albus tried to tease her or engage her in a spirited discussion, she lacked her normal enthusiasm. And after his earlier chat with Poppy and keenly observing for himself the changes in her behavior, he realized that he might be the only one capable of bringing back the woman they all respected and loved.
The night sky outside was crystal clear. The black velvety darkness was spotted with tiny points of brilliant light, all winking at her as she looked out the large window in her bedroom. The shining stars reminded her of Albus’ eyes and how they twinkled, even in the most stressful circumstances and always when he looked at her. But it seemed like ages since she had peered into the calming blue of his eyes and felt something other than pity or concern. It pained her to know that their friendship had been damaged because of Umbridge and her cowardly tactics.
In part, Minerva believed that Albus was disappointed in her and perhaps ashamed of her actions. Since her arrival back at the school, he had spent very little time alone with her and even when he did, his conversations centered around her health or Order business. Gone were the chess matches and outings, which seemed to provide her with a sense of hope and happiness for the future. Now she found it difficult to be around him and yet she longed to have things back to the way they were before everything around her began to crumble.
She sighed heavily and sorrowfully as she pulled the thick drapes across the window to hide the happy world from her troubled eyes. Her new routine had become one of loneliness, filled with early nights, lots of rest and seemingly no one with whom she could share her deepest thoughts. No, she had lost that confidant the minute she felt Albus slipping away into his own world filled with optimism, determination, and work.
Sitting in his office, Albus was troubled to see the way Minerva was acting. He had, once again, done what he felt was best and it had backfired. When she first returned from the hospital, he had not wanted to overburden her with work and he certainly didn’t want her to think he must be entertained, either by chess games or his company. He had tried to give her time to heal and the space in which to do it but apparently his actions had been misguided and misunderstood. Suddenly he remembered how he had felt with his near death experience after defeating Grindelwald and it all made sense.
In those early days after he regained consciousness, Albus had felt horrible. He wasn’t in physical pain but nearly dying had taken a toll on his mind. It wasn’t a comforting feeling to know that he had so many things he still wanted to do and yet he had almost lost the chance to do them. But most of all, he had wanted someone to share them with and as he looked around him, all he saw were Ministry officials, colleagues, and friends who were already married or had significant others. He, too, had slumped into a feeling of despair and uneasiness around those who were closest to him and as all this came crashing back into his mind, he felt a sudden wave of the old feelings pass through his body. Finally, he completely understood Minerva’s actions and he came to the realization that she longed for the same things he did. Only this time, he knew perfectly well with whom he wanted to share all the wonderful things of life.
Just as she was about to slip into her comfortable bed, Minerva heard a light tapping at her window. Curious about the noise, she grabbed her wand and muttered “lumos” and eased back the curtains, fully expecting to see an owl with a letter addressed to her. Instead, she was greeted with a warm smile and an extended hand. Carefully opening the window, she stared into the blue eyes of the one person she least expected to see this evening, especially hovering right outside her bedroom window several stories above the ground.
“Come flying with me Minerva,” was Albus’ simple yet sincere request as he reached for her hand.
“No, it’s late and I’m ready for bed. It’s been a long day and surely you have more important things to do.” Minerva’s voice was filled with a sadness that stabbed at his heart.
“I can think of nothing more important than taking you on a magical blanket ride on this warm summer evening. Please, say you’ll come with me.”
She hadn’t noticed it before but Albus was not seated on a broom. Instead, he had obviously charmed their favorite tartan picnic blanket so that it resembled the fairy tale magic carpets described in muggle books. The emerald green blanket hovered mere inches from her window and Albus looked completely relaxed as he continued to hold out his hand to her, hoping she’d take him up on his offer.
