It's A Damn Cold Night

[Nerweniel]

Chapter 1: www.fanfiction.net/s/1966919/1/
Chapter 2: www.fanfiction.net/s/1966919/2/
Chapter 3: www.fanfiction.net/s/1966919/3/
Chapter 4: www.fanfiction.net/s/1966919/4/

And here is Chapter 5 ...

Searching For A Face

“I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?”

Albus Dumbledore ran quicker than his feet could carry him, and he stumbled through the corridors. Inwardly he could not suppress a well meant curse- a curse at Armando, his friend and employer who had- despite his repeated pleas!- told his favourite pupil about her mother’s death himself.
It wasn’t that Armando wasn’t tactful or nice, but Albus knew, felt, that she would have wanted him to tell her. Because Armando, despite having been Headmaster of Hogwarts for decades and decades, still hadn’t got a clue about how other people’s minds worked. He still hadn’t understood that Minerva McGonagall, despite her strong and impeccable façade was actually a highly vulnerable girl.
Perhaps that had exactly been the reason for the façade in the first place- fear for her own weaknesses. She couldn’t understand how anyone could ever like her through those weaknesses, but it was exactly her façade that kept her from making friends easily.
Not, Albus admitted, that life hadn’t been hard on her. Life- or her fellow students. She’d always been kind of an outsider, being intelligent and older than expected for her actual age. Her grades were always the best, even though she was perhaps not even the most studious of her class. Such a girl simply had to make enemies easily- even though she was a dear in every possible way.
For that she was, and therefore he ran. The figures on the paintings he passed muttered silent curses at him- “running through the corridors” and that “for a Head of House”- but he did not care.
He had a feeling- an undeniable feeling, that she, that beautiful, intelligent, wonderful girl with her radiant green eyes and her long, soft, black waves or hair, always so rigidly pulled back into a braid or bun.
He saw trough the bun, through the thin, pressed together lips, through the mask of flawless, noble bravery. She was brave, yes. Braver than any person he knew.
But ever bravery has its borders, he knew, and therefore he ran.

[AthenaDumbledore]

Aaaaaw, again. ;D Another wonderful chapter for this wonderful story. I love you angst stories. You're fantastic at writing sad things.

Until the next!

Sara.

[Jestana]

I knew it! I knew the reason she thought he didn't tell her was wrong! Hurry Albus! Hurry!

[TabbyForever]

eeeekkkk Hurry albus!!!

[punurple]

Ack! What is going to happen?!?!?! I love the story, and obviously I'm eager to see what happens!

punpun

[Sensiblyquirky]

This is so very well written, but Albus needs to pick the pace up a little bit

Can't wait for more,

Christy

[Nerweniel]

Nothing's Going Right[/b]

“‘Cause nothing’s going right.
And everything’s a mess.
And no-one likes to be alone.”

The sound of his leather-clad boots against the stone floor echoed through the emptiness of the Astronomy Tower. Inwardly, he cursed his own slowness- one didn’t get much sports exercise as a Transfiguration teacher- and yet he hardly felt his own fatigue. Albus ran and kept running.
The only thing he could think of was her pale, pretty face with the delicate, Scottish features and the rather thin lips- with the big, dark green eyes. The face of by far his favourite student- by far his favourite person at Hogwarts. The face of the sweetest, prettiest, smartest, overall best girl, young woman, he had ever met.
The suspicion, no, the knowledge that exactly this young girl, who had every single quality to not lead a useless life, would ever want to end her life, pained him. It pained him like nothing had ever pained him before.
As he finally reached the top of the Tower, Albus was entirely out of breath- but as if he cared.
He stared and stared as he finally came to a stop, and yet all his light blue eyes registered was that tall, slender figure with the long, black hair, whose mere back expressed more sadness than any human being could possibly carry on its own. This, she, was the epitome of crying without even shedding one single tear.
She was standing on the low, stone wall which marked the edge of the roof- and the enormous depth next to it.
Her lithe figure was barely lit by the faint, milky moonlight, but her arms wide open called him, and it was a call he could never, not possibly, ignore.
“Minerva…”

[Sensiblyquirky]

Excellent, but such a harsh place to stop! Anxiously awaiting the next chapter!

Good job,

Christy

[TabbyForever]

Whoooooooooo ooooooooooo
we have an update!!!!heheheh
What are you trying to do to me girl....give me a heart attack!!!hehehehe
Yeah good update...bit short but good none the less!!!
Hurry up and write more!!!hehehehe
Bad cheeky jem!!!
Jems

[Catwoman99]

You stopped there!! You cruel woman. You have to update soon....or...I'll...I'll just keep pestering you!

:-)
April

[griseldalafey]

I *can't* believe you've stopped there...
What's going to happen? What, what what?
Great chapter btw.

[Lady Lavendar]

You stoped right when it was getting really good! How could you do this to me! (jk) This is a really great story!

Lady Lavendar

[Nerweniel]

It’s A Damn Cold Night[/u]

“Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life.”

“Minerva…” he repeated, and she heard him, but didn’t turn around. Her only perceptible reaction was the slight shaking of her shoulders as a pale, slender hand pulled her cloak a bit closer around them. Inside of her head, though, thoughts whirled through her mind. It was his voice, of that she was sure. His voice, the voice she’d drank during so many years of too sporadic classes, the only liquid she desperately, frantically wanted to be drunk with, the only melody that could ever touch her heart.
It was him, he who she’d loved for years, he whose smiles and frowns had made and unmade her world, he whom she’d believed in, always believed in, through everything, even through her own so often praised common sense. Until some hours earlier…
“Minerva.” he now uttered a second time, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was a loose hand, though- did he then really trust her with what she was about to throw away- with her own life? Or did he simply not care? She felt her own spirits, raised for such a short, blissful moment at the sound of his voice, sink again and, through her dark eyelashes, she found herself staring into the tempting darkness before her. Now was the moment, she knew as she, instinctively, stepped a bit closer to the misty abyss. Now it was life or death and, though his hand was on her shoulder, it was her choice to make. It was so easy… so very, very easy… so easy…
“Minerva, please… please…”
It was all he said, but he didn’t tighten his grip and she was grateful for that. The sadness in his voice was enough to break her heart- but wasn’t it already broken? Hadn’t he- or better, his absence- broken it sheer hours earlier?
On that very moment, with that very question, Minerva McGonagall made a decision, the decision, which would change her life.
She turned around.
She turned around and faced him, him who she’d loved, even though ever sensible fibre of her being knew it was wrong, it was forbidden by all laws of men and nature…
His blue eyes shone as they, finally, finally, linked with her emerald ones- after what felt like an eternity. They read the sadness- she could feel it. They read the pain… and they responded. With kindness, comfort and… and something else. Something she, even she, with all her so-called brains and intelligence, could not define. Not yet… not now…
“Professor…” Minerva muttered, in a voice which sounded hardly sure that it was still alive… It should have been over now. It should have…
But as soon as his arms went around her, she knew that jumping wasn’t her fate. Had never been her fate. He lifted her up- she felt it, even though her eyes were closed. He lifted her up in his arms, she felt his staggering breath on her face and didn’t even try to suppress a soft sigh from escaping her lips.
“Don’t...”
His voice sounded strangely hoarse- almost as if he was crying.
“Don’t do that ever again! Do you hear me, Minerva? Don’t throw your life away- never. Please!”
His arms around her pressed her slender body against his more muscular one, and as her cheek came to rest against his, she realized her previous feeling hadn’t been an impression. He was crying.
“Professor…”
“Albus.”
“A-Albus, why do you cry? Why do you give a damn about… what I do… why do you? Why?”
The last bit had come out as a half-muffled, hysterical shriek, but deep down, they both knew it was a rational question. She did, honestly, wonder why he cared so much, why he shed tears over her.
And deep down, they both knew the answer.
“Because I love you, Minerva. Because I give more than a damn about you. And I am sorry because of it. I know it is wr-“
His sentence was muffled, though, after this strange- almost guilty- confession of love.
It was muffled by her face on his.

“Won't you, take me by the hand, take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are but I, I'm with you
I'm with you.”

[Sensiblyquirky]

OH, that was excellent!!! Please say there is at least one more chapter, please.

Well written!

Christy

[TartanPhoenix]

That was great. I'm so glad he got there in time, and admitted everything. Minerva had me a little worried there for a minute. I hope there's another chapter coming.

[griseldalafey]

Phew... (and mind you, I've been holding that breath for a long time)
Great chapter. I'm glad he has admitted what he felt for her.
I love the song, it's very fitting.

[Nerweniel]

Out Of My Mind[/u]
“Why is everything so confusing
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Yeah.”

So this was how kissing a student felt, Albus vaguely recollected as he gently tightened his grip around her slim waist. But for him, she wasn’t “a student” anymore- she’d never been “just a student” to him, that tall girl with her radiant, intelligent green eyes and her thick, black hair.
She was a miracle, every inch a miracle, of that, too, he was convinced.
Her sweet wet little face felt like paradise on his, and as her tongue suddenly found its way into his mouth, he felt dizzy like he’d never felt dizzy before. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, though- quite the contrary, actually…
He could hardly hide his disappointment as, after what felt like a sheer moment, he felt her lips stiffen under his, and then it happened. She pulled back from his arms and turned away. It didn’t take him very long to find out she was crying. Her slender shoulders shook uncontrollably beneath her thin cloak, her head bowed in apparent defeat.
“I- I am sorry…” he muttered, all of a sudden feeling very guilty. What if she didn’t love him back? What if he’d jumped on conclusions, because- after all, how could a young, beautiful girl like her ever fall in love with him, her Professor, boring and, in her eyes, ancient? It was a dream- the kiss had been a dream, and that it would always stay. With nothing more than a short, suppressed sigh as a token of his unhappiness, Albus took a step towards Minerva, careful not to touch her. He’d probably hurt her more than enough already…
“Minerva, I am sorry. I know I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you, I really do. We’ll go downstairs and never speak about it again, I am sorry, I’ll leave you alone from now on, it’s just…”
He could not possibly say he didn’t feel anything for her. The words simply wouldn’t leave his lips. It would be a lie, more than a lie even. Not acknowledging his feelings for her wouldn’t destroy them. It would destroy him, but never his feelings… never.
At these words, she turned to him, though, and he couldn’t but feel surprised as she fell into his arms and clung to him as if she was never going to let go.
“Don’t go!” were her muffled words, as she hid her face in his robes.
“Don”t go! Don’t go away! Don’t leave me!”
She was almost hysterical, he knew, and as two dark green eyes filled with sadness locked with his, he tenderly stroked her long, black tresses and nodded.
“I’ll never leave you, Minerva, if you don’t want me to…”
She closed her eyes as her cheek came to rest against his, then muttered, her hoarse voice shaking
“People who I love always leave. In the end, they do. They really do. Mom did, dad did, Maia did. Even… even Ro…”
Albus pulled her a bit closer to him as she cried in his beard.
“Rolanda Hooch hasn’t forgotten you. The news of your mother’s death has just reached her. She’s written three letters to you already, they’re waiting for you, and she’s coming over tomorrow. And as for me…”
“Yes?”
“Do you mean what you just said?”
They both knew what he was talking about- “people who I love”, and his inclusion in that statement- and they both knew, unconsciously, what her answer would be.
“Yes. I do. With all my heart.”
“Do you- can you ever… can you ever love me?”
And all of a sudden, the old Minerva, with her wit, her sarcasm, her courage, was back. With a sudden, unique smile and a tender pat on his cheek, she mouthed
“Albus Dumbledore, you know very well that I have loved you since I was fourteen…”
When their lips met again in a gentle kiss, they both knew it was forever and for always, this time, and when she, again, pulled back, it wasn’t but for a few millimetres. She was still smiling, but her eyes shone seriously as her breath, slowly, touched his face and made him shiver.
“It’s a damn cold night, Albus, to try and figure out your life. I’m asking you this… please…”
She hesitated for a second, but as his wrinkled hand tenderly touched her flustered cheek, the question came- the question that would change both their lives.
“Won’t you take me by the hand, Albus… please… take me somewhere new. I know you don’t even know me that well, I know you can’t possibly answer this right now, but I’m asking you…”
As a smile broke through on the Transfiguration Professor’s lips, though, Minerva knew she couldn’t finish her sentence, and when his lips, briefly, softly, touched hers again, she knew it- she knew this was paradise, and she knew this was him…
“Minerva, I know enough to respond with all my heart indeed. You are my heart. And perhaps- perhaps I don’t know who you are, but I know one thing…”
She blinked, a silent question in her emerald eyes, but as his mouth met hers, she honestly, sincerely knew what he was about to say.
“I’m with you.”

[griseldalafey]

I already said after the next chapter that I loved the way you've used the song.
Now I think you've used it briliantly (is this even a word, ah well, you know what I mean)
From now on, I won't be able to hear that song without thinking about AD/MM. Which is of course never a bad thing.

It's over now, isn't it? Another one of your babies has grown up.

But you did a great job with it.

[TartanPhoenix]

That was awesome. The song fit them so well, and I love how you used it. The ending was just perfect. I loved, "Albus Dumbledore, you know very well that I have loved you since I was fourteen…” It was just so sweet.

[amandahleigh]

This was really, really wonderful. I love the song, and I've never thought of it as relating to suicide (or to ADMM-lol) before, but it's a wicked interesting interpretation, and it fit in the fic so well! *happy sigh*

AL

[Jessabelle]

Very good .. very sad, too .. kinda hit close to home in some ways ..

[babyj001]

awesome! i loved it...it was a good stories...angst stories always have the bestest endings. keep up the good work!

rock it on!
--jessie xx

[gingerkitten]

What a great song to put this fic to. Good Job!

[Alexannah]

*sniffs*

*cries*

*sobs hysterically*

That's sooooooooo lovely, and the song really fitted. It's gone straight on my faves on ffnet.

[nemi]

That was adorable! I loved the way you used the song, it fitted the story perfectly and you included it in the actual text nicely. Fantastic job *sniffs*

[Mandy McGonagall-Dumbledore]

Amazing!!! Lovely!!! I love it!!! *~*