Christmas Is With You

25

Today's song: Auld Lang Syne https://open.spotify.com/track/2NYD7cAMsPSLx7CZeNPNgD?si=myxCxFp1RJO_gOYv30ITGw
This story is especially dedicated to my dear friend Mandy! Love you lots!
Merry Christmas everyone and thank you all for reading 💕✨🎄

The castle was quiet. Much too quiet without the students. The corridors were dark and empty, even the portraits were either asleep or absent. It was late. Almost quarter to twelve. Outside, snow was falling and it was windy.
Minerva walked through the empty corridors, her steps sounding much louder than they actually were. In moments like this, she felt like the only soul alive here.
Minerva had known the castle almost all of her life. Every room, every staircase held precious memories from days gone by. How she and her friends had sat on their desks, learning everything there was to know, how they had studied until late in the library, practiced on the quidditch pitch and sat in the common room long after their official bedtime.
Then her triumphant return as a teacher, when she had only been in her mid-twenties but had already achieved more than most people would in their lifetime. She had won several awards for her contributions in the field of transfiguration and one in charms, she had been one of the youngest, yet most cunning aurors in the history of the force, had filled cells in Azkaban like no other. Everybody knew her name. Teaching had come naturally to her, the students loved her because she was strict, yet fair and utterly brilliant. Her colleagues respected and appreciated her despite her youth.
Minerva sighed. Yes, on paper it had all been wonderful. Perfect. A success, the halfblood girl who had made it.
But not everything had been perfect, well, not until He had stepped into her life. And at the same time, He had been the reason her life was so complicated these days. She thought back, it must've been at least 35 years.

The day that had changed her whole life had started like every other day in her life. She'd been a little late for her review with Professor Dumbledore because one of her students had spoken to her after class. Professor Albus Dumbledore. A man like no other, that was for sure. He was gentle, wise and rather handsome. Yes. Handsome. It had taken Minerva long enough to admit it. She had developed a crush on her boss, she actually found his eccentricities rather charming, his jokes always made her laugh and the way he looked at her with those clear blue eyes made her feel queasy and weak in the knees.
Dumbledore hadn't been upset by her late arrival, he'd barely noticed her. Something had been on his mind that day, their meeting had been rather unproductive. Until she had challenged him. One thing had lead to another. The good old days. Things had been different back then. Lighter. Easier. Nothing seemed serious, life felt like an eternal summer, with long, starry nights and dancing on dewy grass in the moonlight.
They had been companions for a while, in every way imaginable. Inseparable, he'd been hers and she had been his.
Had it been love? She didn't even know. They had parted ways after a while, waking up from this dreamlike state of bliss had been one of the most painful experiences in Mina's life. But she'd persevered.
They had continued on a platonic level, as much as it pained her. They had collaborated, fought side by side, laughed and cried together. Their partnership had always been an equal one, maybe because deep down, even the great Albus Dumbledore had felt that Mina was his only true equal or maybe even more than that. Just extraordinary.
Yes, and sometimes in the past thirtysomething years, they had returned to being, well, more than friends, for old time's sake, or so theytold themselves. They couldn't live with each other, but they definitely couldn't be without each other either. It had been a dreadful rollercoaster of ups and downs, each high more thrilling, each low more devastating than the last.
Mina laughed a little when she remembered how they had tried to be subtle, their youthful follies. They still didn't act their age when they were together, even though that didn't happen a lot these days. Being with Albus made Mina feel young, special and beautiful.
If only... well if only what? It had been clear from the beginning that there was no future for them, it had been unthinkable, considering who they were and the world they lived in. Albus had never promised her anything, he had been honest with her from the start, as much as it had pained him.
Their affair (or companionship, Minerva much more preferred the latter term, it suited them much better) had been doomed from the start. Yet, it made her feel alive in a way that nothing else could.

And now? Minerva was still wandering the castle in the middle of the night. She had no idea what exactly she was looking for, but she knew that couldn't be alone in her apartment that night, that it was better to wander the castle than to sit in empty rooms full of memories that would never come back. Why was this particular night so difficult for her, it was no different from any other... oh no. Now Mina knew what was wrong. It was New Year's Eve. She had not realised, but this day always made her feel very uneasy. Back in the day, she'd spent the day with Albus, they had welcomed the new year together, toasted to their health and to a better future.
The future. Would there be one? They were old now. Would Albus even see the next year? Would she? All she knew that time was running out and her chances at being happy, with or without him, were slipping through her fingers. She had to make decisions but not tonight. Tonight she would go up the highest tower and sit in the darkness. It was where she and Albus had used to spend the evening, high up above the school and all its mundane problems. Up there it had just been them, no pretence, no roles to fill. "Just be" as Albus had once put it. Maybe she could pretend it was like it used to be.

She had climbed the tower but up at their spot, she realized that she hadn't been the only one with the desire to "just be". Albus was standing there, looking timeless as always, his hair had gone grey over the years, but his smile was still the same.
"Professor McGonagall. I'm surprised to see you and yet I'm not. I should have expected you, especially on a night like this. It's lovely to see you, my dear, as always." He sounded polite as always but Mina thought there was a hint of sadness in his voice. As she came closer she noticed how tired he looked.
"Professor Dumbledore, the pleasure is all mine."
The moon was shining bright that night, so they could see each other well. Albus noticed that the cold made her shiver, so he wrapped his cloak around her shoulder. They stood next to each other in silence, but after knowing each other for so long, they didn't need words.

Then the bells from the tower started ringing. It was twelve. Midnight. A new year had begun.
Mina felt a tuck on her sleeve and then Albus warm hand taking her ice cold hand. She looked up and looked into his smiling face.
"Happy New Year, my dearest." He gently cupped her cheek.
"Happy New Year, Albus." Mina knew how to read his signs and so she stood on her toes and gave him a short kiss on the lips. "May this year bring happiness."
"To both of us." He added, the way he looked at her was electrifying, more sincere than usual. What did he mean, what did he want?
"We should toast to that."
"Indeed. My office?" Mina agreed and they went downstairs, where he poured them both a glass or champagne. The alcohol loosened their tongues and they actually talked until the sun rose. When Minerva finally wanted to leave, Albus took her hand.
"Mina. Dearest Mina. I had time to think. A lot of time. I don't want to deny you the happiness you deserve. I... if it's your wish, I will set you free, I love you so much, always have, always will, that's why." He kissed her hand. That's why he had looked so sad.
"Albus. I appreciate this. All of your words. But I don't want to be free from you, quite the opposite. You set me free when I am with you, when will you understand, you silly old man." Now he laughed, he loved the way she scolded him for missing the obvious.
"Then stay, my dear. My Love. Not just for old time's sake, but always."
And she did. Life was light again. Summer had returned and even though they were way past their perceived prime, they had never been happier and never would be.