When there couldn’t be more snow on the ground
January 2nd, 1973
Minerva doesn’t think thoughts. only facts. Like a monologue inside her head detailing all the facts of the stimuli around her. There might be a quiet piano sound playing delicately in the back of her mind on a thoughtful winter day. She thinks of her brother. The man who died today, a few years ago. She thinks of his grave, surrounded by the flurries of snow that were now falling.
Minerva thinks of the first years, seeing the snow and getting excited. She thinks of the boy, Peter Pettigrew with a round face and dirty blond hair. She thinks of Sirius Black, a boy whose hair matches his name and compliments the snow that falls onto it. She thinks of Remus Lupin, A boy bundled in a red and gold scarf smiling at his friends around him. James Potter. Minnie hates to have favorite students, worrying it affects her grading but she knows he is her favorite. There’s something about him today so that he’s reflecting off the snow like the sun. He’s always been the sun. Everyone else is rotating around him and yet he is gentle to those circling, only increasing the gravity that draws them closer to him.
All of these boys. They’re only children. She thinks all of the students will always be children. She thinks she is a child. Sometimes she still wishes for her mother. Her dear mother. Her mother who cursed her own and Minnie’s magic. Minnie doesn’t mind it. She loves it. She loves her mother. She’s let her go. It’ll be alright she knows and it’s just that date that makes today long.
She looks back to the group of four boys. She looks to Peter. Same face as Robert. Uncanny. Same lines across the forehead. Same shallow cupids bow, the same deep, yet bright eyes that reflect shades of hazel and few tints of green in the outer circle of his eyes. Minnie even thinks the green sits in the same spots.
The boys in the snow. The grave in the snow.
Minerva looks away from the window she’s been watching the students out of. She smiles and let out a breath as she sits and knows the students will criticize her if she doesn’t have their papers graded by the upcoming week.
Minnie’s taught Transfigurations for years and never gets bored of grading papers of the same topic. Each and every student has their unique information, unique way of describing the same concepts that Minnie doesn’t think there is a better way to get to know a student. She imagines herself as though she knows nothing about the topic and is reading about it for the first time. She knows Poppy would call her a nerd but it makes Minnie excited, reading it all again for the first time.
~~~
“Merlin!”
A common expression among wizards all over Europe, especially in the British Isles makes itself prominent and well heard by everyone through the courtyard.
A few kids laugh a little.
The ice. Maybe a child slipped. Probable. Maybe a joke. Also very probable.
A prank.
More probable now than the years before a certain four boys came to Hogwarts.
Minnie didn’t look up. If she did she would have to deal with the consequences. Get the whole courtyard to calm down on a snowy Sunday. Impossible.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
She hears the heavy mahogany door to her classroom open.
She doesn’t look up. She doesn’t want to see a child or another professor looking for help. She always wants to help but it can’t be too serious? can it? Can she not have some level of tranquility on a beautiful Sunday?
She listens to the footsteps. Hurried, yet soft. Soft-soled flats pitter from the door to the front of the classroom to where Minnie’s desk sits.
Minnie only wishes she had a student who was as eager to come to the front of the class as whoever this was.
Minerva tilts her head up, and tosses her hair that has fallen to cover her eyes to the side.
Creamy, light hazel eyes as though the eyes are reflecting sunlight stare back at her.
“Poppy. Hello.”
Minerva sits up, straightening her posture and taking a breath as it hitches.
Fuck- is she ok?
Why doesn’t she feel…
normal?
She doesn’t feel sick but fuck what’s happening.
she starts to worry after remembering that clatter of children just a minute ago.
Has she forgotten about that already? Maybe she is beginning to feel unwell.
“Did something happen?”
“Oh god yes, Minnie horrible,”
Minerva’s heart stops. Which child? How bad? How? Why? Please not James, she couldn’t tell Effie.
“Wha-“ Minnie begins to softly get out.
“-Dumbledore saw that James there some snow at Snape,”
Minnie breathes better. What could have happened from snow?
“And I happened to be there, so you know Albus, never wanting to deal with anything himself, and I knew nothing bad would come of it they’re just kids, Minnie!” Poppy began laughing a little. “So I needed to get out of sight before he did make me deal with it.” Poppy breathed in drastically after talking to fast.
Minerva breathed just after her.
“Thank Merlin!” She exasperated
“I was worried someone was hurt!” She laughs.
“Oh bloody well, then you definitely would have to deal with something then, wouldn’t you.” Minerva chuckles.
Poppy Smiles back at her.
Her curly, golden hair shines.
There couldn’t be more snow on the ground yet it suddenly felt like summer in the classroom.
She felt so much good she forgot about Robert. She felt guilty about forgetting about him. Even for that one second. She knows that one day it will be longer than a second. She dreads that day but thankfully that day will not be today. That’s all the can be thankful for. Well more too. But she smiles.
Poppy smiles back.
She got the warmth of summer and beauty of winter.