Post by TartanPhoenix on Sept 27, 2004 11:44:41 GMT -5
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the socks on my feet.
This is something I wrote awhile ago, but I don't know how good it is. i've been trying to come up with a sequel for it as well so comments are sooo appericated. I felt so bad writing this, I had to take a fluff break after I was done.
Promises
Minerva shuttered as the ever-present scent of disinfectant surrounded her and assaulted her senses. It was that uniquely hospital smell that filled every child’s dreams with fear. She made her way briskly through the doors of St. Mungo’s and tried to ignore the blurs of green and people milling around, trying to get the flighty Welcome Witch’s attention.
Keeping her eyes forward and her back straight, she didn’t bother stopping for directions; she didn’t need to. She had made the same trek everyday, without fail, for the last six months. She entered the small hallway and only nodded as each portrait that lined the bright corridor bowed their heads in silent respect. It was still fairly early, so Minerva met with no one else as she pushed open the door leading to the spiraling staircase.
It was a day of contrasts for the tired witch. It had been six months to the day since
Voldemort and his followers had been defeated outside the mighty gates of Hogwarts, and for most of their world, it was a day of celebration. The end hadn’t come without a price however.
So many lives had been lost and families destroyed. Harry himself had barley survived the encounter, and was still recovering at the Burrow with the remaining Weasley family.
It was one casualty though that drew her from the castle every morning without fail. As
Minerva stepped out of the stairway and onto the landing of the forth floor, she remembered the first time she ever saw him. The sun was beginning to set behind him in a sea of red, and he seemed able to rival its beauty with the kindness of his smile. His eyes, the color of the dawn, twinkled down on them from behind his half moon spectacles as he led them to be sorted. Even then she had been fascinated with him. Their friendship grew as time went on and her feelings had morphed into something different, deeper. It was the winter break of her final year that the illicit affair between the responsible Deputy Headmaster and the beloved Head Girl began.
Minerva couldn’t hold back the smile at the term. She would have been the last person anyone would ever consider to engage in anything illicit. Their wedding a year later had been a day not unlike today. He had been so handsome standing on the hill in his midnight blue robes surrounded by their friends. She could still taste his warm kiss and his scent surrounded her.
The births and special days of their two daughters came next as all the laughter and loving words beat against her ears.
A tear slid down her cheek as she saw his eyes the day they lost them, their sweet
children. It had been not long ago, only a few years, and the pain seared across his face was still
burned in her memory as if it were yesterday. They had been killed by a group of Death Eaters
as they were shopping together in the village. Their marriage and their children had been a
secret from everyone but their families, so public grief had been impossible for them both, but in
solitude they wept.
Through their years together, their world had looked to him for strength and guidance,
and he never shied away from, what he considered, his responsibility. In turn he leaned on her
but no one, not even she, had realized just how large a strain that the weight would be on his aging
shoulders. Thousands of lives beat down on him without a second thought, and when it was
finally over, their assault finally brought the proud man to his knees.
Minerva stopped before a large reception desk and looked at the young woman, Emily
Dillworth, shifting rolls of parchment across her desk. Clearing her throat slightly, Minerva almost grinned as Emily jumped before settling her eyes on Minerva. A familiar smile tugged at the young woman’s lips as she stood. “Good morning professor. That time again I see.”
“Hello Emily, how are you this morning?”
“I’m fine professor, but it looks like you could use more sleep.”
“I’m fine,” Minerva replied shortly. Her voice softened as she looked back at the door to her right. “How is he?”
Emily’s eyes looked sad for a moment. “He’s the same professor, but he’s always better after your visit. I think he looks forward to them. I like to think he knows you’re there.”
Minerva nodded her head and turned toward the forbidding door. “Thank you Emily,” she whispered before stepping away.
As with every visit Minerva stopped in front of his door as her heart began to pound against the reality of their situation. Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door and her eyes fell upon him. He had been moved to a chair that faced the window so he could watch the sunrise. He had always loved the way the light changed early in the morning and so she had requested he be given a room where it could always be seen.
Even after six months the sight of him wrenched at her heart. The once tall, proud man she had married now sat slumped in an oversized chair, staring out into nothing. His blue eyes that had once twinkled with life and love stared blankly, only flashing for a second as she came into view. It was that flash that always gave her hope. The biggest blow to his image however was the removal of his beard. When he was admitted the healers insisted on trimming off his beard and long hair. They thought it was too dangerous incase he choked in his sleep. Since then she made it quite clear that she was the only one to do it.
Minerva pulled her wand and summoned a chair from across the room and settled in next to him. She reached out and grasped his hand, watching as his eyes followed her movements with slight interest. His withered hand was warm in hers as she rubbed a thumb across his palm.
“Hello love. Isn’t the sunrise beautiful this morning?” When her words elicited no other response Minerva sighed, defeated.
His eyes traveled up and locked with hers, and for an instant, he was hers again. “I miss you so much Albus. Come back to me please. I just don’t work without you by my side. I don’t know if you can hear me, but I promise I will keep coming until you leave with me. You have to fight, for me.”
They sat in silence, watching the sunrise. All too soon she had to leave. Running her hair through his closely trimmed hair, she brushed a kiss against his forehead. “I love you Albus; now and always.” She turned and fled the room without a look back.
She never saw the single tear that streaked down his weathered cheek or the squeeze of his hand against the arm of his chair as the sun burst over the horizon. ‘Oh Minerva, I’m sorry.
How could I have allowed this to happen, my dearest Tabby? How could I let you down? I’m trying, but you must hold on. I can hear you and your voice gives me strength as nothing else could. I love you my perfect rose, and we will be together again. I promise.’
This is something I wrote awhile ago, but I don't know how good it is. i've been trying to come up with a sequel for it as well so comments are sooo appericated. I felt so bad writing this, I had to take a fluff break after I was done.
Promises
Minerva shuttered as the ever-present scent of disinfectant surrounded her and assaulted her senses. It was that uniquely hospital smell that filled every child’s dreams with fear. She made her way briskly through the doors of St. Mungo’s and tried to ignore the blurs of green and people milling around, trying to get the flighty Welcome Witch’s attention.
Keeping her eyes forward and her back straight, she didn’t bother stopping for directions; she didn’t need to. She had made the same trek everyday, without fail, for the last six months. She entered the small hallway and only nodded as each portrait that lined the bright corridor bowed their heads in silent respect. It was still fairly early, so Minerva met with no one else as she pushed open the door leading to the spiraling staircase.
It was a day of contrasts for the tired witch. It had been six months to the day since
Voldemort and his followers had been defeated outside the mighty gates of Hogwarts, and for most of their world, it was a day of celebration. The end hadn’t come without a price however.
So many lives had been lost and families destroyed. Harry himself had barley survived the encounter, and was still recovering at the Burrow with the remaining Weasley family.
It was one casualty though that drew her from the castle every morning without fail. As
Minerva stepped out of the stairway and onto the landing of the forth floor, she remembered the first time she ever saw him. The sun was beginning to set behind him in a sea of red, and he seemed able to rival its beauty with the kindness of his smile. His eyes, the color of the dawn, twinkled down on them from behind his half moon spectacles as he led them to be sorted. Even then she had been fascinated with him. Their friendship grew as time went on and her feelings had morphed into something different, deeper. It was the winter break of her final year that the illicit affair between the responsible Deputy Headmaster and the beloved Head Girl began.
Minerva couldn’t hold back the smile at the term. She would have been the last person anyone would ever consider to engage in anything illicit. Their wedding a year later had been a day not unlike today. He had been so handsome standing on the hill in his midnight blue robes surrounded by their friends. She could still taste his warm kiss and his scent surrounded her.
The births and special days of their two daughters came next as all the laughter and loving words beat against her ears.
A tear slid down her cheek as she saw his eyes the day they lost them, their sweet
children. It had been not long ago, only a few years, and the pain seared across his face was still
burned in her memory as if it were yesterday. They had been killed by a group of Death Eaters
as they were shopping together in the village. Their marriage and their children had been a
secret from everyone but their families, so public grief had been impossible for them both, but in
solitude they wept.
Through their years together, their world had looked to him for strength and guidance,
and he never shied away from, what he considered, his responsibility. In turn he leaned on her
but no one, not even she, had realized just how large a strain that the weight would be on his aging
shoulders. Thousands of lives beat down on him without a second thought, and when it was
finally over, their assault finally brought the proud man to his knees.
Minerva stopped before a large reception desk and looked at the young woman, Emily
Dillworth, shifting rolls of parchment across her desk. Clearing her throat slightly, Minerva almost grinned as Emily jumped before settling her eyes on Minerva. A familiar smile tugged at the young woman’s lips as she stood. “Good morning professor. That time again I see.”
“Hello Emily, how are you this morning?”
“I’m fine professor, but it looks like you could use more sleep.”
“I’m fine,” Minerva replied shortly. Her voice softened as she looked back at the door to her right. “How is he?”
Emily’s eyes looked sad for a moment. “He’s the same professor, but he’s always better after your visit. I think he looks forward to them. I like to think he knows you’re there.”
Minerva nodded her head and turned toward the forbidding door. “Thank you Emily,” she whispered before stepping away.
As with every visit Minerva stopped in front of his door as her heart began to pound against the reality of their situation. Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door and her eyes fell upon him. He had been moved to a chair that faced the window so he could watch the sunrise. He had always loved the way the light changed early in the morning and so she had requested he be given a room where it could always be seen.
Even after six months the sight of him wrenched at her heart. The once tall, proud man she had married now sat slumped in an oversized chair, staring out into nothing. His blue eyes that had once twinkled with life and love stared blankly, only flashing for a second as she came into view. It was that flash that always gave her hope. The biggest blow to his image however was the removal of his beard. When he was admitted the healers insisted on trimming off his beard and long hair. They thought it was too dangerous incase he choked in his sleep. Since then she made it quite clear that she was the only one to do it.
Minerva pulled her wand and summoned a chair from across the room and settled in next to him. She reached out and grasped his hand, watching as his eyes followed her movements with slight interest. His withered hand was warm in hers as she rubbed a thumb across his palm.
“Hello love. Isn’t the sunrise beautiful this morning?” When her words elicited no other response Minerva sighed, defeated.
His eyes traveled up and locked with hers, and for an instant, he was hers again. “I miss you so much Albus. Come back to me please. I just don’t work without you by my side. I don’t know if you can hear me, but I promise I will keep coming until you leave with me. You have to fight, for me.”
They sat in silence, watching the sunrise. All too soon she had to leave. Running her hair through his closely trimmed hair, she brushed a kiss against his forehead. “I love you Albus; now and always.” She turned and fled the room without a look back.
She never saw the single tear that streaked down his weathered cheek or the squeeze of his hand against the arm of his chair as the sun burst over the horizon. ‘Oh Minerva, I’m sorry.
How could I have allowed this to happen, my dearest Tabby? How could I let you down? I’m trying, but you must hold on. I can hear you and your voice gives me strength as nothing else could. I love you my perfect rose, and we will be together again. I promise.’
Please write a sequel and make it all better. 
