Prologue
When Minerva found out that she was pregnant, she was elated and surprised. It wasn’t unheard of witches her age becoming pregnant, but it wasn’t a common occurrence either. The lifespan of wizards and witches was almost twice of a muggle, allowing them the ability to have children for longer as well. As a Transfiguration teacher, she knew enough Biology to know that pregnancy was a possibility, but she never thought it was going to happen. She had still taken her potions, but they weren’t infallible, as she could now attest.
She lovingly caressed her flat belly. She had dedicated a huge part of her life to the children of Hogwarts, and now it was time to take care of her own.
Minerva let herself enjoy the feeling for half an hour before reality crashed down on her. They were in the middle of the war. She couldn't fathom what would happen if Voldemort ever discovered the existence ofher child. Albus's child.
She sighed. There was no avoiding it. She'd have to go into hiding. After that, she didn't know. She couldn't bring herself to think about it.
She told Albus that same night. The conflict in his eyes was evident. Minerva knew he wanted this baby as much as she did, but he recognized the risks. Her heart bled at the prospect of having to give her child up when it was born.
For the next month, they planned her hideout. She would go to a little village in Scotland. At that moment, only the two of them knew about the child. There were spies everywhere and, although they didn't want to risk telling anyone, they would have to. Minerva couldn't spend five months waiting alone for their child to be born. There were witches on the Order that would be happy to help, but they didn't have anyone to spare. They were weak since the last attack.
A few weeks before she planned on leaving, they found the person they were looking for.
Arabella Figg was a squib, and she lived alone in muggle London. She had helped them on a few occasions with Order business, but not everyone knew about her. They knew she was trustworthy--she’d proved her loyalty more than once.
When they asked her for help, she didn’t even hesitate. As Minerva and Arabella were making arrangements, Albus kept silent. Minerva could tell that he was thinking hard about something. Before she could question him, someone flooed right into his office.
"Headmaster! I need your help!"
"What is the matter, Severus?"
He looked warily at the women, questioning Dumbledore with his eyes. The Headmaster nodded at him to continue, and Severus spoke.
"The Dark Lord is ordering his Death Eaters to find all pregnant witches that will give birth in July. It’s something about a prophecy."
"What has he asked you to do?"
"He knows about the Potters, and he thought I’d like this assignment. Until the child is born, I’ll have time. He wants a full report about the family of all the parents. He designated one person to each couple. For the next few months I’ll have to send him all the information about Lily and James I can get my hands on."
"Do you know who was assigned to the Longbottoms?"
"Bellatrix."
Dumbledore closed his eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange was one of the cruelest of Voldemort’s followers. He was afraid for Alice and Frank.
"How often do you have to report to him, Severus?"
"Every other week. He wants as much research done as possible."
"Good. We’ll give you the reports you’ll need. In the meantime, I want to ask for your help in a personal matter."
Minerva looked sharply at Albus. She knew he trusted Severus, and for the most part she did, too. There was a part of her, though, that didn’t trust this situation to almost anyone, especially a spy. She searched Albus’s eyes, looking for reassurance, and she found it when he looked at her.
As Albus told Severus what they needed from him and why, Minerva could see the shocked expression that he was unable to conceal. She also saw understanding.
"Of course, Headmaster. When should we leave?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath and, for a moment, seemed to relax. "We’re planning the final details. I think everything will be ready in three weeks at most."
"I’ll be ready by then." He turned to leave, but Albus stopped him by putting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.
"Thank you, Severus."
Severus nodded at Albus, and left.
*************************************
For one thing, Minerva was very grateful that her pregnancy wasn’t giving her any trouble. Ever since the very beginning, she hadn't experienced morning sickness or anything that most pregnant women went through. Severus kept guard over them, only leaving their side when he had to report to Voldemort. Since Albus was giving him enough information about the Potters to keep Voldemort from suspecting, they weren’t having any trouble. She spent most of the time inside the house. The fewer people who saw her, the better.
She was at the same time longing for and dreading the birth of her child. Her arms were aching to hold her baby, but the mere idea of giving it up was killing her inside. If she could, she would have kept it inside of her until the world was safe again.
When the time came, Arabella helped to deliver Minerva’s child. It was almost fourteen hours of labor that left both of them exhausted and Severus terrified. It was one of those rare times when it was possible to see some emotion in the man’s eyes.
Her baby was wailing in Arabella’s hand, and she wanted nothing more than to hold it close.
"It’s a girl, Minerva."
"A girl?" She half laughed, half cried.
"Yes."
"Let me hold her."
Arabella brought the squealing baby into Minerva’s arms and, as she looked at her daughter for the first time, she knew she would do anything to keep her safe. Even let someone else raise her.
*************************************
For almost eleven years, there wasn't a single day that Minerva hadn't felt the loss of her daughter. After the Dark Lord was defeated and the wizarding world reconstructed, she had wanted to bring her child back, but she couldn't. Not after so much time had passed, and with Albus’s suspicion that Voldemort wasn’t really gone. Some of his followers tried to continue his work during a few months, but soon lost their power. Many of them claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse, and were set free.
She contented herself with the updates and pictures she received from the adoptive parents once a year, knowing that she'd see her daughter again when she began attending Hogwarts. As hard as it would be to pretend she was only another student,Minerva couldn't help but long for the day they would see each other again.
Albus didn't talk about their daughter, but she could see the sadness in his eyes, and she knew he was hurting every bit as much as she. She was grateful that the few people that had helped them at the time never spoke of it again.
Minerva was brought out of her reverie when Madam Pomfrey entered the Staff Room.
"Minerva, the First Years will be here in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Poppy. I'll be there shortly."
When Madam Pomfrey left, Minerva stood on shaky legs, and was about to leave the room when Albus opened the door. Without a word, he gathered her in his arms.
"It's going to be fine," he said softly, and she felt tears in her eyes.
"I can't wait to see her again. Do you think I'll be able to...?"
"We will. We have to, Minerva. For her. We are doing it for our daughter."
She nodded, and stepped away from him. "I have to meet the First Years."
"Go. We’ll talk more later."
Minerva walked on shaky legs to the Entrance Hall, and waited for Hagrid’s knock.
She heard the noise of the children approaching, and the knock on the door. She steeled herself for the next moment. Her hands trembled slightly when she reached out to turn the knob.
"The Firs’ Years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
As she opened the door wider, her eyes scanned all the faces before her. When her eyes finally fell on her daughter, she felt an indescribable emotion. It hadn’t changed; the love she felt when she first held her baby was intact.
She felt happy for the first time in years.
A.N. Many thanks to Kedavra77 and Thalia Chaunacy. Your suggestions and beta work helped a lot.