Harry Potter McGonagall x Dumbledore

Chapter #6

Minerva pov

After Poppy and I took our seats at the staff table I had to endure the most uncomfortable dinner since my sorting ceromony years ago. I was greatful for Albus' concern but I knew that my having cancer would kill him almost as much as it will me and I couldn't stand that thought. I knew he'd find out sooner or later but I was trying my best to put it off for as long as posibble.

After I'd finshed eating I left the table, I had just reached the door when Albus stopped me. "Minerva?" He spoke "We need to talk, please?" He asked with a pleading look in his eyes "I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you but can we talk about it. I hate it when your mad at me." He added when I didn't say anything "We can have a game of chess?" He suggested "Fine Albus, but can it be quick. I'm tired and looking foward to an early night." I answered, the look of joy on his face nearly broke me and thats when I relised I'd have to break his heart.

He loved me to much to let me go, witch I loved about him, but if I wanted to save him the pain of watching me get sick and die I'd have to break his heart, avoiding him and being quiet wasn't going to be enough.

Together we walked up to his office, he went to sit at the chess board but I stopped him. "Albus, we need to talk." I spoke, he stopped in his tracks at my somber tone "Minerva whats wrong?" He asked that look of concern and worry all to clear on his face "I can't keep doing this." I spoke trying to hold in the tears. "If this is about how I handled your fall I'm sorry, I knew you'd hate the students seeing you like that and I shouldn't have run into the Hall carrying you like that but I panicked because I love you." He spoke and I could see he was near breaking point. "It's nnot that Albus." I spoke before I could stop myself, why couldn't I just say I was mad and needed time.

I couldn't say anymore before he spoke again "Then what Minerva? Please I love you if I've done something wrong let me fix it Minerva." He was near tears no, I could see it in his eyes "You can't fix it Albus, I--I jst don't love you." I choaked out. I knew that would kill him, it nearly did me to. "Y- you don't?" He asked shocked "I'm sorry Albus but I don't love you." I said and turned to leave before he could see the tears streaming doing my face.

I ran to my rooms and flung myself on the bed with a mixture between sadness and a coughing fit that left me unable to breathe. As it got harder to breathe I tried calling out for help but with no breath nothing came out. I pulled myself over to the hall for my bedroom where there was a botton to call for a house elf. I pushed the botton and a house elf appeared in front of me "Oh Professor McGonagall?" The house elf said iin shock at my appearance "Poppy." I rasped out "Get Madam Pomfrey." I managed and the elf disappered. By the time Poppy got to my room I couldn't breathe at all and black out in her arms.

Poppy pov.

I was working in my office when a house elf appeared infront of my desk "Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall need help." The elf spoke "Where is she?" Iasked worried "Her room." The elf answered and I set off running to Minerva's rooms.

When I got there I saw Minerva on her bed weezing. When she saw me she brought her hand to her chest as if to tell me she couldn't breathe. "I got you Min." I spoke but relised that she'd black out in my arms. "Oh Minerva." I spoke and lifted her up. I carried Minerva out of her rooms and to the hosptal wing checking around every corner for students and staff. "Poppy?" I heard a voice behind me "Severus." I ansered and turned around "Minerva." He spoke worried rushing over "Is she ok?" He asked "She'll be fine Severus, I just need to get her to the hospital wing." I answered and Severus helped me carry Minerva's limp form to the hospital wing.

When we got there we layed Minerva on a bed and pulled a curtain around it. "What happened her?" Severus asked "I-um" Severus was a friend but Minerva didn't want anyone to know about her cancer "I can't tell you." I answered "Why not?" He asked "She asked me not to tell anyone Severus, I can't defy her. Just turst me please." I explained and he seemed to drop it "I trust you. Does the headmaster know?" He asked "No, Minerva rsfuses to let me tell him or anybody else and she resfuses to do so herself." I answered

"I saw them walk off together after dinner, towards the headmaster's rooms." Severus spoke "He might know what happened." He added "I'll ask him about it later, when she's awake. No point scareing him." I answered. Severus so left and I was alone with Minerva's sleeping form for another half hour before she woke.

"Minerva? Can you hear me?" I asked as she started coming around "Yes Poppy." She answered "What happened?" I asked her as she sat up slowly "I had a cooughing fit and black out." She answered "I meant before that, I know about the coughing and black out. What caused them and what happened at Albus'" I asked again "Albus', how did you know about that?" She asked "Severus saw me carrying you here and told me he'd seen you and ALbus walking to his rooms." I answered "Now what happened?" I asked her again.

"I broke up with Albus." She answered "Then ran away crying. I think the running caused the coughing and breathelessness and then thw black out." She explained with tears starting to run down her checks. "Oh Min, I'm sorry." I cried as we hugged. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours before we heard footsteps. "Poppy?" A voice called. "In here Severus." I answered.

I stood up and went around the curtain, Severus was standing a few feet away looking concered "How is she?" He asked "She's awake. She'll be fine Severus." I amswered "Can I see her?" He asked "Of course, I'm sure she sick of my face by now." I smiled. Severus followed me back behind the curtain to where Minerva was setting up in bed, her eyes dried with a sad smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked her "I'm fine Severus." She answered "I know theres something going on." He replied and I saw Minerva shoot draggers my way "I didn't tell him anything." I protested "She's right, I guessed something was wrong. In all the years I've known you I've never seen or heard of you falling or being found hurt and it's happened twice in the space of a week." He explained "I have cancer." I heard Minerva annouce, she looked as serprised as I did that she'd said it. "I have lung cancer." She repeated more sure of herself this time. Snape was silent not that he talked much anyway but it seemed more of a shocked silence then his normal kind of silence "Why won't you tell anybody?" He asked "I can't watch them all fall apart worrying about me. I don't want to be treated like a patient for how ever long I have left. Severus please don't tell anyone." She begged, Minerva McGonagall never begged. "I won't tell anybody but secrets rarely stay that way for long at Hogwarts and I know the headmaster would like to hear it from you as would the rest of the staff." Snape answered

"I'm not sure Albus would ever want to speak to me again." She muttered under her breath but Severus heard her. "Why wouldn't he?" He asked confused "I told him I didn't love him last night." She answered and I saw a tear roll down her check. "Ok Severus I think Minerva needs some rest." I said usshering Severus away.

When we were no longer within eyeshot of Minerva he spoke "I can't believe it." He muttered "It's killing her inside to hurt him but she thinks that hurting him now will lesson the hurt when she passes and she doesn't want to watch as a part of him withers away with worry her cancer will cause him." I explained "Her passing will kill him no matter what, he loves her to much for it to hurt any less." He replied, I knew he was talking from experince. I was one of the few who knew about Snape's love for Lily Potter but we never spoke about it, her chosing Potter and her death was just to hard on him.