After a few inquiries about Severus' (amazing) family, Minerva sat back in her chair, hands up and fingers steepled before her, studying her old friend. It was true, his time away from the school had improved Severus, much as Minerva hated to admit it. He appeared calmer, more centered and generally satisfied than he ever did during his many years teaching, even after Voldemort's defeat.
Still, she had missed his counsel, the way Severus could cut to the very heart of an issue with unflinching precision. While she didn't miss the rows over house points and treatment of students, she did, on occasion, regret the lack of debate and the sense of camaraderie his keen mind had always provided. With the room still empty, Minerva let slip a concern she'd once thought unthinkable - and that she would never express to the Order at-large.
"Severus, what if this is permanent? What if magic itself is changing?"