Love For Too Many

Chapter 53

Minerva

"Poppy." I call out into her office with the door slightly open.

"Yes?" I walk in and close the door behind me. "Hi my love," she scans my worried face. "What's wrong? Come here." She stands up and I walk to her.

I fall into her arms as she hugs me tight. I lay my head on her shoulders as she comforts me. "What's wrong Minerva?" She pulls away a little and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"Everything is going downhill and the war is coming. I'm so scared for Severus and Y/n they have so much trauma in their collective lives. They both deserve so much in life but they don't believe it themselves so they refuse to accept anything better than trash. Severus has oblivated himself Poppy. He no longer remembers Y/n. I don't know how to help him anymore."

Poppy stroked my head gently trying to comfort me. "Oh goodness." She whispers into my hair quietly. "The only thing you can do is prepare for the war at this point and give Severus as much positive experience he can get. If he goes completely dark again, he will truly give his devotion to the dark lord. Y/n and Wendy brought so much light and joy into his life in these past few months and with it completely stripped from him, his mental state will disintegrate into darkness."

"I know, but he doesn't remember the times with her at all so it's all blotchy. He won't understand that he used to be happy and if he remembers being happy he doesn't fully know why."

"It will be okay, everything will work out in the end. I can just feel it." Poppy reassures.

"I don't know how Albus expects me to train the students and to help Severus, and to prepare the staff - oh and he gives you his best."

"Same to him. But that's not your responsibility, yes you probably need to help prepare people but Albus is the Headmaster not you."

A single tear slipped from my eye for my dear friend. "He doesn't think he'll live much longer. The death eaters are on his case and he's sure that the dark lord will remove him from the equation before the war."

"Oh dear." Worry now etched its way onto her face and despair settled into my guts.

"No, I didn't mean for you to be worried as well. I'm sorry dear." I caress her cheek gently and bring her face down to mine so I could press a soft kiss to her lips. The best person in my life, my wife.

"I'm just worried about you. If Albus dies, doesn't that make you headmaster? That's a lot of pressure and added work on your plate."

"I would be headmaster, wouldn't I." Stress made my bones ache and I grabbed her hand and walked over to her sofa. She sat besides me and held me in her arms.

I relaxed against her and laid my head on her chest. "It'll be okay. No matter what happens at the end of this year, next year will come and pass as always and everything will be okay. Plus you get to boss Severus around even more than normal."

"True." I said with a laugh. "He hates when I boss him around but it's too funny."

"Exactly, you just have to keep that mindset my dear." I looked up at her from her chest and took in her beautiful face. She's so angelic, I'm so glad she's in my life.

"I love you." I say with a smile. She smirks and tells me she loves me more. She runs her fingers up and down the side of my face and we just admire each other. As the war gets closer and our duties increase we get fewer and fewer minutes together. So now every passing moment is cherished.

If I lost Poppy in the war, I wouldn't have anything left. She's my whole world, my other half. I can't wait for summer to come so I can spend my spare days in her little cottage by the seaside where we get to snuggle up with a book together and foster kittens until the new school year begins.

"Madame Pomfrey!" A voice called from the door in a weaker smaller voice and we both sit up. "My friend fell off his broom."

Poppy leaps from the couch with a lecture about being on a broom this late at night already on the tip of her tongue. She runs from her office leaving me in the comforting silence.

I lay on the couch by myself just soaking in her scent. It's one of the few things that calms my nerves. But duty calls and I have to finish wrapping things up around the castle before bed.

Dumbledore better stay alive until the end of the school year.