Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter 54 - Family

Minerva was patrolling the halls in her animagus form. When Albus had asked her not to attend tonight's meeting she'd been willing to agree. Suspicious as to why he wanted her to stay behind but willing. She knew both his plan and theirs after all, and listening to everyone cast their opinion in a large shouting rabble was more than she could deal with tonight. It had been a bad day. One of her fourth year Ravenclaws instead of transforming his inkwell into a kettle had decided to transfigure his classmate. It had been nothing short of miraculous permanent damage hadn't been done. Then the Slytherin, Gryffindor 7th year class had descended into snarling again. She'd lost her cool a bit there and slapped the whole lot of them into detention. The wide-eyed shock from both sides of the room had given her a petty flash of triumph and instantly silenced them all, but now she had nearly thirty detentions to oversee. Well, less since she was sending her lions to scrub whatever Argus could think of. As for the Slytherins, she'd come up with something for the ambitious little twits to do. Subtle, pah, they were as subtle as an African bush viper on a chalkboard.

A clattering of racing feet on stairs drew her attention, and she trotted forward to the end of the corridor to the staircase that led up to the sixth and seventh floors. Ron Weasley, red-faced and dishevelled was making his way angrily down the stairs stomping heavily on each one as if it had personally insulted him. Minerva wondered if she was going to find some equally angered Slytherin student somewhere, or worse, Severus would and she'd have to endure another rant about how her lions were nothing more than bullying ingrates. The rants she could deal with, she was hardly innocent of them herself, but the sulking afterwards wore on her. Severus had bigger things to worry about than what the students did to each other in the corridors, but it was always those things he overreacted about.

She transformed and stayed in the shadow of the hallway. Mr Weasley continued to make his way towards her, and just as he was about to descend onto the staircase to the fourth floor she called out to him

"Mr Weasley, a word, if you please."

His reaction was comic. He stopped dead, foot hovering in mid-air, angry muttering instantly silenced. He lowered the foot and turned slowly to face the direction her voice had come from. She stepped from the corridor on to the landing.

"Yes, Professor?" he asked.

"Is there a particular reason you are impersonating a Troll in both manner and dress? You do recall that you are a Prefect, and thus expected to set an example to the student body, including in the ways one comport oneself around the castle?"

Interestingly Mr Weasley's face darkened with anger for a moment before he jerked his robes straight. He ignored his tie but met her eyes with a blaze of defiance she had come to recognise as a Weasley temper on full boil.

"Sorry Professor," he said, his tone bordering on hostile.

Her curiosity was piqued. Normally she'd let him go with a warning for future behaviour, but, perhaps on this occasion that wasn't the best solution. Maybe student problems would be easier to solve than her own.

"Come with me Mr Weasley." She turned and started back to her office. It was only a pause of half a beat before she heard the resigned feet of her student start-up behind her. She led him to the office and called for an elf which she dispatched to bring refreshments. The elf brought tea and butterbeer, Minerva raised an eyebrow at the choice but selected the tea waving the overly sweet drink at the student sat opposite her. Mr Weasley responded with happy surprise at being offered the drink and accepted it readily.

"So Mr Weasley, the reason for your impressive troll impersonation."

Ron stared down into the drink, and she watched the emotions chase across his face. Merlin, she was glad her teenage years were behind her, they looked exhausting.