- 02 Jul 2018, 12:04
#12146
As much as they frustrated her when they obstructed her young pupils' minds, Minerva knew that matters of the heart were not to be diminished. Everything that mattered hurt and it seemed that for teenagers, matters of the heart often mattered most.
Matters of the heart were however not a topic Minerva often discussed. Being a private person herself, she rarely discussed them or even allowed herself to indulge in maudlin thoughts. She remained silent for a bit, using the preparation of her cup of tea as an excuse to reflect on the boy's question and more importantly how she would address it. James had been far too upset for her to find the strength to dismiss it, but finding the courage to step out of her comfort zone was almost as much of a struggle.
Could she draw from her own experience? She thought of Dougal, her first love, the man she had eventually refused for fear that her marrying a muggle would hinder on her career. Not to mention that she had seen the strain that marrying a muggle had caused on her mother. She had learned of Dougal's death in a gruesome anti-muggle attack a few years prior. Minerva had come to accept that she would always love Dougal despite the great pain she felt whenever she thought about him. Would she have been able to save him had she chosen to marry him?
Then there was Elphinstone, relentless in his love for her despite her constant refusal to openly reciprocate. She loved him too, but it would never be the same as the love she felt for Dougal.
"It is." She finally admitted after a sip of tea. "However, I do think the feeling is always quite unique. It finds its colors in the relationship between the people who share it. "