"I wish I could go to the hospital wing..." Annie whispered to herself while she walked through the halls. Her legs didn't stop moving towards her destiny while she focused on her own thoughts. "I really want to..." she cried. She quickly pulled a lemon drop out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth. "As papa always says... Lemon drops can make us feel better." Her eyes quickly turned glassy.
Finally she sighed and sadly kept walking towards the kitchens. Once she arrived, she saw a little house elf going out with two plates of food on a little trolley.
"Oh hello, miss Annie!" He said happily.
"Hi, Tim..." she replied. "How are you?"
"Tim is okay, miss Annie. Tim has to deliver this food to the sir headmaster and his wife" he replied with a smile. Annie's eyes widened.
"Oh?" She said. The elf nodded. "Hmm..."
"It's great to talk with you, miss Annie, but Tim has to go now..."
"No, wait!" She squeaked. The elf turned around and stared at her with his big brown eyes. "I want to do it, Tim..." she said quickly. The elf frowned. "Please... I want to deliver their food."
"But... Tim cannot..."
"Tim, please, help me..."
"But Tim has to do it himself..."
"I know, Tim, I know..." She cried "But I want to go and see papa and granny... not for so long... I just..." Tears were falling down her cheeks now. The elf sighed "Please..."
"Aw... alright. Tim will let miss Annie to do it just for once..."
"THANK YOU TIM!!"
"Tim is glad to help..." He whispered. He seriously didn't want to let her go, but he couldn't deny he wanted Annie to be happy. The elf specifically knew that Albus and Minerva weren't well and that visitors were forbidden for them. Their situation were delicate; but still he couldn't say no to Annie's begging eyes.
"I'll be careful, Tim..." She said before he could ask for it. The elf nodded and extended the little trolley to her. "I'm just going to visit them quickly, I promise..."
"Alright..." he whispered. The kid tried to smile still with tears in her eyes "But miss Annie must remember to not disturb them..." she nodded "Very well then... good luck."
• • •
"You look stunning, my dear..." Annie heard Albus' voice as soon as she arrived to the entrance. She hid herself and just paid attention to her papa's voice.
"I'm in a dressing gown, Albus..." Minerva laughed. Annie smiled and poked her head out of the door. Her eyes turned glassy when she saw her grandmother in a wheelchair. Albus was knelt in front of his wife smiling tenderly.
"You look beautiful anyway." He whispered. He approached to her face and kissed her forehead. Minerva smiled. "Would you like to dance with me, my dear?" She sighed.
"I would love to... But... Seems like now I can't do that with you anymore..." She whispered to then look down to her legs. Albus sighed and shook his head.
"Don't worry" he took her hand softly. Minerva looked at his eyes. "I can help with that..."
He quickly got up and bent himself. Minerva gasped when he took her into his arms, he kissed her nose to made her calm down.
"You're save with me... don't be afraid." Minerva clung to his chest.
"I'm okay... Just be careful" she whispered. Albus chuckled. "Don't laugh silly!" Annie chuckled as well from afar while she cried.
"Don't worry... You'll be okay." Softly he put her feet on his own. Once she felt her weight her knees become jelly, but Albus caught her in his arms quickly. "Just follow me" he whispered. Minerva nodded and put her arms slowly around him. He never released her.
Suddenly, a sweet melody started playing. Minerva gasped again and looked at Albus' eyes. He chuckled.
"I know, yes..." He whispered. Minerva smiled.
"Charlie..." Albus nodded "Wh-Why are you...?"
"Because I love you, my darling." He kissed her. Minerva smiled. "And I want you to enjoy that memory again..."
"Mabel is not in it though..."
"True huh..." Albus looked at her with his eyes half-closed. Minerva chuckled."
"Don't worry. I love you too, silly." He smiled. Annie sobbed.
They kept 'dancing' and enjoying themselves for a while. Albus grabbed her hand and just kept swinging with her, talking about old memories and making her laugh or turn red. Although Minerva was on his feet she still was shorter than him, but the fact never represented a problem for Albus, who kissed her lips and her cheeks occasionally. Minerva didn't paid attention to anything else but him. She found herself lost in his eyes and his voice.
"I think I'm ready..." Minerva whispered to him. He looked down at her.
"Are you really?" She nodded. "Then I guess I am too..."
"It's been a pleasure to share my life with you, old coot" she whispered with tears in her eyes. Albus' eyes turned glassy as well. She tried to stand on her tiptoes to approach to his face but couldn't make it, so Albus quickly bent a little and kissed her nose. She stared at his blue eyes smiling while tears fell off her eyes.
"The pleasure has been only mine, gorgeous" Minerva chuckled. Now both were crying, still looking at each other's eyes tenderly like they've done for almost sixty years by now.
"But our goodbye won't be forever."
"NO YOU CAN'T GO! DON'T SAY GOODBYE" Annie cried entering abruptly into the hospital wing. Minerva's eyes widened due the impression and lost her balance. Albus quickly tried to grab her again but he lost his posture as well, so finally they both fell off to the floor.
"Well... at least I caught you, my darling" Albus chuckled a bit hurt while he stared at Minerva, whose body had ended on his and wrapped protectively in his arms.
"A-Annie..." she whispered. The girl run towards them squeaking.
"GRANNY! PAPA! I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO..."
"It's okay, my dear Annie, it's okay" Albus whispered weakly. Minerva quickly tried to turn around to see his face.
"Albus, are you alright?" He kissed her head softly. Minerva started crying again "ALBUS!"
"Don't worry, dear..." He smiled weakly. "I'm okay..." Minerva kissed all his face and tried to rolled off him. Once she was on the floor she felt his hand grabbing hers. She quickly clung to him and sobbed on his chest.
Annie watched them with tears in her eyes.
"Annelisse, dear, what are you doing here?" Albus asked softly. The girl sobbed.
"I wanted to see you, papa, I wanted to come a-and spend time with you" Albus sighed and smiled while he cleaned Minerva's tears. "I di-din't want to disturb you... I-I am sorry papa, I-I..."
"It's okay, my Annie..." he whispered. Minerva sobbed again. "Min I'm alright, please, you're breaking my heart."
"B-But..."
"Don't worry" he kissed her head. Minerva sighed sadly. "So Annie dear, you want to spend time with us?" The girl nodded still crying "don't cry, my love, come here..." she nodded and approached quickly. Her grandparents were still on the floor and cuddled up with each other, so Annie decided to sat right next to them, on the floor, in the middle of the hospital wing.
"I've missed you two so much..." she whispered. Albus smiled. Minerva looked at her broken.
"We have missed you too, Annie, we have missed you too..." The girl smiled. "Now, do you want to come or what?"
"B-But... I'm already here."
"Yes, but don't you want to lay in here with us?"
"Oh... ca-can I?"
"Don't be silly, come here!" She smiled and carefully entered in the odd hug. Albus looked at Minerva and gave her a wink. They both remembered their time as parents, when they used to do the same with Mabel and Charlie "Now, let's start story time, shall we?"
"Are you going to tell me a story?"
"Why not?" Minerva chuckled. "We have hundreds of stories to tell..."
To Be Continued.
~Paula. 🐼