It took a long time to get here. A very long time but for Poppy the wait was worth it. Because Minnie was worth everything and she was going to do this right.
"Yes? Oh, Poppy dear come on in."
Isobel let Poppy with the warm smile she remembered from her childhood visits to Minnie's home.
"Tea, my dear?" Poppy nodded, happily following Isobel to avoid standing awkwardly in the hallway. "It's been an age my dear, we've miss seeing you around the place. Haven't we Robert?" Isobel called up the stairs to her husband who didn't answer.
It really had been, it had been fifteen years, fifteen years in which Poppy graduated, trained and became a healer then traded it all for a job back at Hogwarts reunited with the love of her life and dated her for two years. And now this...
"I have um question to ask you."
"Oh, so this isn't just a casual pop in?" Isobel teased placing two cups of tea down on the coffee table and motioning for Poppy to take a seat, which she did gratefully, her legs already shaking from nerves.
"No, I'm sorry I do promise to come here more often if you two will have me."
"Of course we will, you were always our favourite of Minerva's friends."
"Ah yes about that may I speak with both of you?"
"Of course, whatever you need my dear, let me get Robert."
Isobel gave Poppy a warm smile and disappeared up the stairs. Usually such a warm reception would have given Poppy hope but knowing from Minnie's stories and her own experiences Isobel McGonagall could switch tempers at the drop of a hat.
"Yes, yes darling whatever is the matter this time? I'm co... Oh Poppy is that you?"
Part of Poppy was ecstatic that both of Minnie's parents recognised her even after all these years. But Poppy was worried she was about to crumble this warm happy welcome by her news.
"Please continue my dear." Isobel smiled at Poppy as she pulled Robert down into a chair next to her.
"So before I ask the question I would like to tell you something I - we - have been keeping from you. Me and Minnie are dating." Poppy didn't dare look at their faces she needed to get this out before they reacted or she'd never finish. "I loved her for a long time when we were in school together but I never admitted my feelings to anyone not even myself for a while. I thought that I was wrong that how I felt was wrong but then when I took the job at Hogwarts and I saw Minnie again I realised I couldn't hide my feelings any longer and she felt the same way. We both wasted far too many years hiding from the truth about ourselves and we have been making up for lost time for the pasted two years. I know Minnie got divorced four years ago and I know you weren't expecting this question again especially not from me but both me and Minnie are tired out hiding. May I have your daughter's hand in marriage Mr and Mrs McGonagall?"
There was silence for a long time, so long Poppy looked up and saw them both staring dumbstruck at her. Eyes darting between both Minnie's parents she decided to meet Robert's eyes in a silent plead knowing he and Minnie had always been closer. Perhaps being a Muggle he would have more acceptance of their relationship. However his eyes were cold and stony when Poppy met them and she had to look away.
"My dear we are happy that you two fou..." Isobel started taking Poppy's hand in her's before Robert spoke over her.
"No."
"Robert," Isobel spoke sternly at her husband, clearly used to him allowing her to make the decision. "Poppy loves out daughter and clearly makes her happy. So what right do we have to oppose their union?"
"The fact that this is wrong, Minerva was married to a man! A man, a perfectly lovely respectable man, Isobel. Just like we always wanted for her. She is not going to be disgraced by marrying a woman." Robert turned to Poppy anger in his eyes burning like a flame. "I don't know what you did to my perfectly normal daughter to make her... One of you. But you are no longer welcome her and you can let your Minnie know that if she goes through with this neither is she."
Poppy scrambled up from the arm chair her head spinning and with one last glance at Isobel, who gave her one last pitying look before turning to her husband, Poppy fled the house she had come to think of as her home away from home to never again enter it.
***
"Poppy?" Minnie found her fiancée curled up in her favourite arm chair when she came back from the supermarket. She knew Poppy had been to see her parents today because she had insisted on asking them and Minnie had a feeling I wouldn't go very well but seeing Poppy like this only confirmed her worst fears.
"Oh Poppy!" Minnie dropped her bags on the floor and rushed over to Poppy instantly dropping down onto the floor in front of her weeping fiancée.
"He... he said..." Poppy's voice shook with sobs and Minnie pulled her girl into her arms
"Hush, it's all okay. No matter what happened we don't need them. All I need is you, my love."
Poppy nodded into Minnie's soft warn Gryfindor jumper and let Minnie stroke her back while she wept.
"Are you sure?" Poppy asked when she'd recovered. "I love you Minnie but they are your parents and it's not wrong for you wanting to have them in your life."
"Of course I want them in my life." Poppy looked away like Minnie was about to reject her but Minnie gently put her hand under her chin and made her meet her eyes again. "But they won't be in my life. I would love if they would be in my life but it wouldn't be my life if you weren't in it."
Poppy eyes as grey as a rainy day met Minnie's brown as warm as a sunny day and Poppy realised that that Minnie was right. There was no Poppy without Minnie just like there was no Minnie without Poppy. Being together wasn't easy and it wasn't a fairytale but they belonged together. They were two sides of the same coin, two peas in a pod and all that ciche rubbish because their truly was no one without the other. Minnie was here to stay just like Poppy was.
"Are you really willing to run away with me?"
"I would do anything for you, my love."