A Cat's Tail: Minerva McGonagall Fan Fiction

Chapter 18

A/N: I'm sorry this part took a while, I was watching England thrash Columbia! It's a little shorter for the same reason. I'm so flipping happy! Please can England win...we haven't one since 1966!!!! Harry Kane, thank you so much!!!!

Minerva woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She scrambled aimlessly for her glasses, craving the confirmation that her world was real. Her hand whacked someone.

"Ow!" Exclaimed a French accent.

"Minnie are you awake?" Asked a more English one. Minerva just whimpered in return. 

"It's ok, it was just a dream!" She felt a hand on her forehead, stroking her hair out of her eyes. Minerva whimpered again.

"Glasses," she whispered hoarsely, barely able to speak. She felt her glasses being pressed into her hand. As her vision cleared she saw Ria stroking her head, Affrodille rubbing her arm and Iris and Ivy drowning down at her.

"What happened?" Ivy asked, frowning sympathetically. Minerva just shook her head. "You were screaming," Ivy bit her lip. Minerva was thinking of Tom's threat and didn't want things getting any worse.

"I was falling, you know, the normal nightmare stuff," None of her friends looked very convinced. "Let's just go get a bite to eat!" Minerva smiled weakly, her voice still hoarse. As she was walking to the Great Hall she heard a cold voice.

"Sleep well?" Tom pushed past her, whispering it in her ear. She stumbled, toppling into Ria.

"Sorry! Still a little bit light-headed," she grinned again, but all her friends could see it was a false one. Her eyes didn't crinkle at the corners like they did when she was genuinely happy, but they put it down to the nightmare.

Minerva tried to get involved with the conversation at the table, but ended up stuck in a loop of Tom's "sleep well?" He couldn't get inside her head...could he? Suddenly the pin dropped.#

"I need to go to the library!" She blurted, leaping up from the table. She rushed to the library and scrambled for the book she'd been reading the other day. "Leglimency, leglimency...leglimency!" Minerva murmured as she flicked through the book, finally finding the page she needed. "Dreams and leglimency...an individual can penetrate the mind...complex spell...create dreams...known usage is among dark wizards for blackmail..." Minerva felt a shock of horror go through her. Tom was inside her head. And what could she do about it? 

Her hands shook as she took out the book, rushing to her next class with seconds to spare. 

"Sorry I'm late," She muttered, and Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. The knowledge she'd just found out was rushing through her head. She needed to find some way of shutting him out...there was no way of asking anyone though. Dumbledore was looking concernedly at her, and Minerva had the slightest inkling that he knew exactly what was going on.

The nightmares continued, getting worse and worse. They weren't every night though, which Minerva was eternally thankful for. However, she was getting paler, more tired and much more scared by the day. Christmas was approaching, and Minerva was sure he couldn't project dreams between countries.

"Little miss Gryffindor. I hear you aren't staying this Christmas. What a shame," Tom's sneer was sickening and his voice sent shivers down Minerva's spine. Minerva tried to push past him, but he gripped her shoulder. Minerva tried to push past him, but his grip was strong; his fingers ice cold. "We hit it off so well at half term. How well are you sleeping, you look a little...fatigued," Minerva wanted to slap him in the face but didn't trust her thirteen-year-old strength.

"I'm sleeping very well, thank you very much," She retorted, wincing as his grip tightened. 

"You don't look it," He said, laughing cruelly as he pushed Minerva backwards, making her smash her head on the wall. She looked around for a witness but the corridor was completely empty.

"Thanks," She muttered.

"It's nearly Christmas!" Ria yelled. Ria, Affrodille, Pomona Minerva and Hagrid were all outside in the bitter cold air, sitting under a tree. Minerva laughed.

"Two and a half weeks till we break up. Three till Christmas day. Nearly isn't exactly my choice of words," Pomona grinned mischievously.

"Since we are talking about Christmas..." She glanced at Affrodille. "Mistletoe!" She eyed Minerva and Hagrid. "Oh look! It's above Minerva and Hagrid! What a coincidence! I guess they'll have to kiss..." Minerva and Hagrid were both turning red.

"Wha..."

"But..."

"You..." Minerva awkwardly looked at Hagrid. 

"Come on!" Pomona giggled. "Kiss! Kiss!" Ria and Affrodille joined in too.

"Kiss! Kiss!" Minerva looked at her shoes.

"Fine, on the cheek," She mumbled. She leaned up and pecked Hagrid on the cheek. Affrodille got her camera and took a picture which Minerva didn't see her doing. "As FRIENDS," She blushed as she caught Hagrid's eye. 

"Now 'Agrid 'as to do it too!" Hagrid went even redder. He opened his mouth to complain, but Ria interrupted him.

"She kissed you!" Hagrid bit his lip, then leant down and kissed Minerva on the cheek. Affrodille took a picture again, but the others still didn't notice. Hagrid smiled sheepishly at Minerva.

"If you were just friends, why are you both blushing?" Pomona raised her eyebrows at them both, but neither had a comeback.

"It's..."

"Well..."

"Um..."

"Ooh!" The girls chanted.

"Shut up," Minerva flicked Ria's head. Hagrid rubbed his nose and went a little redder. "We're just friends!" Minerva caught Hagrid's eye as she said this, and went a little redder.

"Just friends," Hagrid smiled at Minerva.