Belonging

Apart from my Heart -Minerva McGonagall and Madelyn Watson-

-Minerva McGonagall-

The walk to school gates and the apparition barrier had never seemed so long in all Minerva's life. The sounds of kisses to her left was making her want to crawl out of her skin in discomfort.

They had barely left the castle when Miss Watson had started weeping. Minerva was not without sympathy, leaving one's mate for the first time was difficult. She remembered when she had left Poppy for the first time there had been tears and kisses too, oaths of returning soon, and all together too many moments of passionate embrace for what was going to be a short trip. The memory did not stop Minerva from wishing she was not bearing witness to Severus' first parting.

Severus had picked up his crying partner and Madelyn had wrapped her legs around the man's waist and now this crying, carrying, kissing combination the whole of the way down to the gates was untenable. Watson was her student, he was her colleague. As much as she knew they were together it did not do to witness the proof of it.

She looked the other direction of course, tried to enjoy the scenery, but the tearful smooching was unignorable. Worse, the softly spoken encouragement contained a veritable heap of pet names that made Minerva want to turn into a cat and run the rest of the way ahead of them.

"It's all going to be alright, petal. You'll be back before you even miss me," Severus crooned. Minerva's eyes rolled dangerously close to falling out of her head.

"Not possible, I miss you already," his mate cried.

"Almost there!" Minerva announced loudly. "Right, I am going to stand and face this direction with a muffling charm around me for a count of twenty and when I turn back, I expect decorum to be restored. One..." Minerva turned toward the village, and counted to thirty, giving them an extra ten seconds to be separate when she turned around.

They still had not made the deadline, yet it was sweet enough when she turned to see Severus holding Madelyn and smiling at her. Minerva reminded herself to be grateful her friend had a reason to smile now, affording an occasion where she saw his teeth that was not a snarl.

"Alright Watson, stiff upper lip. Let's go." Minerva took her hand and with a final wave to her mate, they popped out of the world they usually occupied and appeared down Watson's muggle street in a cops of tree at the local park.

Madelyn fell down on their arrival. "Ugh... that was awful..." she was kneeling on the grass breathing like she might lose her lunch.

"First time apparating was it, Miss Watson?"

"Yes... so... squishy... so dizzy..." she panted.

"Sorry, we should have broken it into smaller trips. That was thoughtless of me." Minerva apologized as the girl vomited into the grass. Minerva vanished the sick quickly, to reduce the likelihood of a second addition. She used her wand to blow cold air into Miss Watson's face. "Any better?"

"Settling now... oh my God. I'm so happy Severus wasn't here for that."

Minerva conjured a gold glass challis filled with water for Watson to rinse her mouth with. "You'll find it easier with time," she promised. She observed the girl carefully. "Anything more coming? I'd rather be prepared." The girl looked like there might be another round of upset stomach.

"I'm not sure, one second," she panted.

"Poppy sent you this nerve tonic. You can have it, when you can assure me it isn't going to come right back up." Minerva pulled the small green glass vial from her robe pocket.

"My thanks to your mate," Madelyn answered, taking the vial and holding it in her hands rather than immediately downing it. Her eyes looked down the lane to where her parent's home lay.