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When Nothing Leads To Something & Everything	By : McGonagall Category: Harry Potter > FemSlash - Female/Female Views: 8810 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series by any means, and I wish that I made any money of this. I don't.

Chapter List
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The wind passed by fleetingly, occasionally whooshing by in a breeze, and the sun happily shone, its rays meeting the soil and warming the green Scottish highlands where Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was located. On this particularly good weathered Saturday afternoon, most pupils had relocated themselves from their usual spots in their respective Common Rooms to having fun with house companions onto the green grass surrounding the Castle, enjoying an afternoon without any lessons and without being forced to remain inside because of the usually bad weather in Scotland. Some were having a battle of Wizard's chess. Others were reading non-educational books. And some even hid in lesser used corridors to steal a few heated kisses from their beloveds. On this beautiful Saturday afternoon, no pupil actually thought about finishing assignments, even though the due time might have been close. No pupil even considered reading a chapter ahead. Some professors of course required that their pupils read the pages accompanying their lessons as homework. Professor Binns for instance was not that type of professor and had the tendency to give little to no homework. However, when he choose to do so, he always made up for this with the work load being heavy and testing. On the other hand, he usually announced these things quite in time. Like yesterday, he had asked a paper of two feet about the Founders to be due in two weeks. For most seventh year pupils that meant time enough to scribble something down on parchment – enlarging their handwriting quite a bit while doing so – a day or two before it was to be handed in.

It didn't for Hermione Granger, though. While others pondered about how to fill two feet of parchment with the most known facts, Hermione Granger wondered how anyone would ever be able to contain all essential matters in only two feet. She thought it unreasonable of Professor Binns to give such as a guideline – especially for pupils in their seventh year, who were taking N.E.W.T.S. in just a few months' time! No, she would integrate the most necessary facts – the ones which she deemed essential – of all the books that said something about the Founders in the paper and see about possible shortening later…

So Hermione left the library with her whole school bag packed with books of which she thought were the most necessary, and the less necessary but seemingly interesting and valuable regardless of that fact she carried in a pile in her arms. She could barely see anything over the book lying on top and was forced to depend on her recollections about the corridors and stairs she had gathered over the years to reach the Common Room, where she would be able to work in all calm for once. Even Ginny was by the lake not doing anything productive at all with Luna… Oh, they had asked her to come… but she had said no, like any other responsible seventh year should have done.

She uneasily continued in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, the weight of the pile of books in her arms slowing her down immensely. Upon reaching the top of the stairs to the fifth floor, Hermione barely saw a familiar tall figure leaning against the wall nearby, which she easily recognized as the woman that had once been her Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House and had lead the rebuilding of the school, of which she now was the Headmistress. Hermione's eyebrow quirked, wondering what the Headmistress might be doing there. She was usually to be found in her office all day, with exception of meal times with the pupils and staff in the Great Hall.

"Professor?" She whispered. Professor McGonagall's eyes were closed and her face contorted in something, Hermione noticed, that resembled pain quite a lot, upon nearing.

Professor McGonagall's reaction told Hermione that she hadn't heard her approach. Maybe she hadn't really expected to run into any pupils at all with the rare good weather causing the majority to take the rare opportunity and move beyond the confines of the castle? She immediately froze upon hearing the younger witch's voice, not having anticipated to be caught in that position. The elder woman left the support of the wall and forced her eyes open to look at her former pupil. "Miss Granger," she acknowledged, one hand secretly having come to rest on her lower back to support it.

Hermione's earlier lines of worry grew deeper upon hearing how uncharacteristically weak her professor sounded. She hadn't missed the move of the elder woman's hand either, no matter how subtle it had been. "Professor, are you…?" She began, trying awkwardly to balance the pile of books on one arm and searching about in her robe pocket for her wand. It took a few long seconds until her fingers finally wrapped around the thin wooden object, and she managed to retrieve her wand and levitate the pile of books. The relief was immense. Why hadn't she thought about this before?

Hermione kept the pile of books levitated while eyeing her professor up and down slowly. She intuitively neared her Professor, as she momentarily appeared to sway on her feet and winced almost inaudibly. The younger witch had still heard it, though. Professor McGonagall slowly stretched her hand to keep the other woman at a distance, but the motion was shaky. "I'm fine, Miss Granger," she said.

"Professor," Hermione replied, rather unsurprised to have gotten the reply she had, "with all due respect… You don't look very fine," she said.

"For Merlin's sodden sake, I'm fine!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, gasping with the effort it had taken to maintain her usual final tone. The books Hermione had been levitating fell to the flagstones with a thud as she reached for the wall again with one hand, while keeping the other firmly cradling her lower back. She was now inhaling and exhaling rather heavily. Hermione didn't fail to notice this. Minerva internally winced as that realization dawned upon her as well. She hated to be looked at as weak. She hated to show herself in this situation and most particularly… to a pupil. "I'm sorry," she said somewhat softer upon taking in Hermione's shocked expression. "I didn't mean to raise my voice against you. I know you must mean well, but…"

"Would you like me to accompany you to your rooms?" Hermione suggested calmly, swallowing her momentary shock away.

Minerva's eyes closed for a second, in which she nodded. The elder woman's eyes were watery when she opened them again. She easily waved her wand at the pile of books that had fallen down on the flagstones partially due to her fault and Hermione's bag, banishing all to her bedroom in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione's mouth opened in question. "Your bedroom," Minerva replied, watching Hermione's slight nod and allowing her to accompany the elder woman to the Headmistress Tower – a trip that effectively took twice as long as was usual for the Headmistress alone in normal circumstances.

"Professor…?" Hermione began, watching worriedly as her usually authoritarian Head of House settled better on her couch under a wince. She quietly eyed the older woman conjure what appeared to be a large heat pad and carefully tucked it between her lower back and the couch in which she sat. That gave the younger witch an idea of what could have caused her to encounter Minerva the way she had. Back pain wasn't something insurmountable – especially not as a woman.

"I'll be fine," Minerva McGonagall said. "I'll be fine again in the morning."

Hermione looked skeptical for a second, then nodded. "I… I'll leave you alone now…" she said, and made for the door.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione came to a halt and turned. "Thank you… for accompanying me here," Minerva whispered, her natural Scottish lilt affecting her tone more than usual for no obvious reason. "I just…" She then shook her head in a very 'never mind' fashion and sighed, casting her eyes downward while leaning her head in one hand.

Hermione merely nodded. "You're welcome, Professor. Is there… anything else I could do for you?" Minerva slowly looked up again and eyed the younger witch as if truly pondering how to answer instead of immediately shaking her head and denying. Eventually, she decided on slowly shaking her head. "Are you sure?" Hermione asked, not having failed to notice the professor's hesitation. "I mean... maybe I could massage..." Hermione fell silent, realizing her mistake just as the words left her mouth. By pure force of will, she didn't reach up with one hand to clasp it over her mouth.

Minerva looked at her intently, eyebrow quirked. "I'll be fine, Miss Granger. I can assure you that this isn't the first time that I have got a little back pain, nor will it be the last either." Hermione merely nodded. "I'm an old woman," Minerva elucidated. "I'm fairly used to it. It'll already be less painful come morning, and I'll be entirely fine again in a couple of days." That last bit was accompanied by a wince and Minerva uncomfortably resettling in the couch. "Thank you for the offer, though."

"You're not old," Hermione whispered, somewhat taken aback that Professor McGonagall had just shared that bit of personal information with her without her having to ask after it in any way.

"Yes, I am," Minerva countered. "And a lot more things that I once upon a time wasn't. I'm not young like you anymore." Hermione snorted.
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When Nothing Leads To Something & Everything