A Cat's Tail: Minerva McGonagall Fan Fiction

Chapter 34

A/N: I had exams...and a school play...and a bunch of other stuff...sorry for not writing? I drafted this in December...now it's March! Life, am I right?

The weeks turned into months, and before Minerva knew it, it was nearly Christmas. The whole term had flashed by in a whirlwind of exams, Quidditch, friends and (sadly) Tom Riddle. The occulamency lessons from Dumbledore helped a lot though, but Tom was strong so sometimes the dreams penetrated her defences. And there was Hagrid, of course. It wasn't serious, but every time he smiled, she felt like smiling too. The prospects of a happy Christmas loomed.

"May I go to the toilet professor?" It was the third time that day, and Minerva frowned at Hagrid.

"Are you OK?" Minerva whispered. Professor Slughorn was looking at him strangely too.

"Haven't you asked me this at the exact same time for the past three lessons in a row?" Hagrid shrugged, still ignoring Minerva. "Fine, be quick," As Slughorn continued his lesson, Minerva stared after Hagrid. 

"Head in the clouds, lovebird?" Affie poked her in the back and Minerva looked away. They didn't see Hagrid for the rest of the lesson. 

As the Christmas holidays approached, Hagrid became more and more distant. It was almost as though he was avoiding Minerva, and when she asked him about it, he just said he'd been 'busy'. 

"Hagrid!" Minerva caught a glimpsed of him going around a corner, and she ran after him. "Hagrid!" She said breathlessly. "Are you coming to mine this Christmas?" She'd been looking forward to this all year. Hagrid looked away awkwardly.

"I um..." He paused. "I'm staying here, at school, erm..." He watched Minerva's face fall and felt a pang in his chest. "Sorry," He turned half walked, half ran off. Minerva turned on her heel and strode off. 

Minerva was almost silent on the train ride home. Even Malcolm was having a better time than her, in an in-depth conversation with Amelie, who, she noticed, made Malcolm laugh. A lot. Too much. 

"Hey, Minerva...can I talk to you?" Minerva looked up to see Pomona at the door, and she shrugged. "Listen, Minnie, I know something's going on with you and Hagrid but..." She paused and pulled her into an empty compartment. "Look, I'm here for you OK? Always. Whatever is mine is yours," Pomona held out her arms for a hug.

"There's nothing-"

"Shut up and hug me!" As Pomona wrapped her in a warm embrace, a tear trickled down Minerva's cheek. "Are you-"

"No," Minerva said bluntly, and Pomona left the matter, but all in all, Minerva was grateful for something as simple as a hug. 

"Minerva Isla McGonagall come back here right this second!" Her mother screeched.

"What's the point! We're hardly even family anymore!" The tears she had held back earlier streamed down her face. 

"At least your family didn't abandon and disown you!"

"I'd much rather that than this mess you've made!" Minerva screamed as she looked back at her mother's scarlet face, mirroring her own. "I wish you weren't my mother!" All the colour drained from Isobel's face as Minerva stormed up the stairs and slammed the door beneath her. Minerva threw herself at her bed as fresh tears streamed down her face. Once the house was still and oddly silent again, a timid knock came at the door.

"Minnie?" A childish face peeked around the corner of the door. "Malcolm said I should leave you alone but...why are you upset?" Minerva peered into her brother's freckled face and wondered how she could have been so oblivious. She drank in his sandy blond hair ("a great aunt's") his sky-blue eyes ("a cousin's") and frail frame, so unlike his the lanky, dark-haired, green-eyed siblings.

"Oh, Robbie," She hugged him tightly, breathing in the soft scent of his shampoo and nustling her face in his soft curls. "I'll always love you, remember that, OK? You'll always be my little brother," Robert pushed her away. 

"You've gone crazy!" He grinned, revealing a gap-toothed smile.

"You'll understand one day," As he crept out the room, she wished she understood. How could her mother do such a thing? How could she betray the family she thought she loved? Her head thumped on the pillows as she tried to erase the events from her memory.

Minerva had been eating dinner with her family, except her dad was giving a sermon at the church. Isobel had got to up to answer the door. Minerva wished she'd never got up, but at the sound of raised voices, she had. 

"I want to see my son!" A balding, middle age man yelled. His thick, bushy eyebrows were knitted together and his mouth, glittering gold and rotten teeth, was pulled tight in an ugly scowl. Minerva could see muscles squirming under his shirt. 

"He's not your son!" Minerva's heart was racing, her palms sweating, her fingers shaking.

"He's blond. He is the picture of my mother! The eyes, the hair, the frame. HE'S MY SON!" With a jolt, Minerva had realised they were talking about Robert, small, innocent Robert. Robert named after her father...her mother couldn't have..."

"So? He's MY son, and my husband's son if he so chooses!" Minerva's jaw dropped. Her mother wouldn't name a son she'd conceived with another man after husband, would she? She wasn't like that...was she?

"A full year I was with you, and suddenly gone, poof, without a trace. I will not have my son raised in a muggle household!" Their voices continued but Minerva couldn't distinguish the words. Her mother, a cheater? Her little brother, her dad...weren't related? Bile crept up her throat. This wasn't possible. The door slammed, and suddenly Minerva had been jerked back to reality.

Minerva lay on her bed, processing the events of that day. Her dad was talking downstairs. She'd never look him in the eye again. If she told him...he'd be heartbroken. If she didn't...her mother would continue to deceive her way through life. She had no one to turn to. Hagrid was ignoring her, her friends were busy with their own - happy - families. With a sudden frenzy, she grabbed a quill from her desk, a piece of scrap paper and began to write like her life depended on it.

Professor Dumbledore,

I'm sorry to spoil your holidays, but I urgently need your advice, and I have no one else to talk to. You see, I just found out my mother cheated on my father, and that my little brother isn't his son. If I tell him, I'll ruin my parent's marriage, and my existence has done enough of that already. If I don't, my mother gets away with her actions and feel like a terrible person and am forced to stoop to her level lie through my teeth to the world. I am so sorry for burdening you this way, but you are the wisest person I know, and unlike certain people, aren't ignoring me.

Minerva McGonagall

Albus surveyed the letter (with an interesting fragment of an essay about the uses of dragon blood) thoughtfully, sucking the tip of his quill. As he surveyed the masses of paper on his desk, contemplating an answer, there was a knock at his door.

"Sorry to disturb yer professor, bu' I wanted to ask yer abou' the school's beast policy?" A suspicious looking Hagrid poked his head around the door. 

"Well, let me just say that in your current predicament, you would be breaking the rules, however, rules are made to be broken," Hagrid smiled sheepishly. "One last thing, though, Rubeus, remember, friends, and girlfriends," Dumbledore winked as Hagrid turned a deep shade of red. "Are precious, and you must work for them not to be lost," 

Dear Minerva,

Life has a curious way of making some grow up much faster, while others a left to crawl. A man  in a pub once said that a man's reactions to bad situations speak miles about their character, though he turned out to be a mass murder who wanted word dominion, so it might not be the best advice. All I can say is honesty is the best policy, and that you should try and see through both your mother and your father's eyes. Please remember, though, whatever happens, you are not at fault. Your father by know more than you think.

Professor Dumbledore.

Headteacher at Hogwarts School of Whichcraft and Wizardry