Years later, people talked about "That Day," the day Albus Dumbledore fled Hogwarts. It was the day people could no longer ignore the rifts separating Dumbledore's faction and those in the Ministry who opposed Voldemort. With Dumbledore's departure, the rifts burst into full and horrifying view. In the eyes of many, "That Day" was the day the Second Voldemort War began.
To Minerva and Severus, however, it carried a much deeper connotation. Because for them, after That Day, came That Night.
That Night, Severus came to her. He walked silently into her bed chamber. As their eyes met, she silently pulled down the sheet from the corner of the bed.
They had together enjoyed sex before, at first awkwardly and then with increasing comfort and enjoyment. But it had always been sex; physically satisfying, yes. But with no emotional resonance.
But not That Night. That Night, they made love for the first time.
::heaves satisfied sigh:: What a gorgeous ending to an all around wonderfully told tale, Mystery Author! Every emotion, every reaction between the two of them rings so true to what we expect from these characters in canon. I love that, in spite of their pragmatic intentions toward one another, they cannot stay emotionally distant, that each hides the impractical, inconvenient feelings which have evolved for the other until circumstances (and Filius! <3) make it possible for them to see that they aren't in this alone. Oh, and Brava for the revelation that, in spite of him leaving his Deputy in the dark much of the time, Min still knows Albus enough to be able to read him so well and to understand that his omniscience is more facade than truth. Thank you for a delightful read!