Finally the plates cleared; the teachers gathered themselves up and took to their own devices. Dumbledore followed Snape out of the hall, presumably back to the dungeons to talk about something that looked rather urgent. Hagrid slowly ambled out by himself, a whimsical smile hiding beneath his bushy beard.

Minerva sent Gwen a conspiratorial grin and the young woman followed her happily up several flights of stairs to her office. When they arrived she shut the door conspicuously peering out to ensure that no one would hear their conversation. She seated herself by one of the great armed chairs by the fireplace and waited for Gwen to join her.

Gwen recognized that look on her face, she had seen it often at slumber parties when giggly girls were about to play truth or dare. She sat, a slowly spreading grin working its way onto her face. She gave her godmother an imperious look and waited.

�Oh.� The older woman sighed. �There�s so much to tell I don�t even know where to begin.�

�I�m not leaving until I hear the whole thing.� She said firmly.

Minerva giggled. Gwen could hardly believe her ears. �What is it?� She exclaimed.

�I have only you to thank for all of this.�

�Me?�

�Yes, you.� Minerva said. �When we spoke about my marriage to John I realized how much I really missed him. You know I wrote him a letter.�

�Yes, did he respond?�

�I received the letter just before you left. We made plans to visit and have been seeing each other all summer.�

Gwen felt her jaw drop. She tried to restore it, but to no avail. Finally she brought her hand to her chin and pushed up. Her jaw closed, she listened as Minerva gushed on for nearly three hours about all the visits she and John had had over the summer.

�I wanted to tell you sooner.� She said. �But I didn�t think it was right with everything you had on your mind. Oh, Guenivere, it�s like nothing�s changed between us, but everything�s changed. It�s so hard to describe.� Gwen smiled. If anyone deserved good fortune, it was decidedly Minerva McGonagall.

To be Continued in Episode Sixty Seven