We Can't Change Ourselves
It was beautiful and romantic and everything she ever dreamt of. The night sky was lit with golden flocks all over, shining and providing them a moment away from the ever-prying village eyes by shining just enough light so she could see his face in dark, so handsome and sincere. So in love.
Dougal, the son of the local farmer, was her first love, the kind you only read in Jane Austen novels. His humor went wonderfully with hers, his intelligence challenged hers every day. The perfect face, the fine, strong body tanned from the hours in the field and the deep brown eyes captured her heart from the very first moment when she saw him at the Presbyterian Church where her father preached.
That was why, when he kneeled down in the ploughed field and asked her to marry him...she said yes. Minerva McGonagall accepted a marriage proposal at the age of eighteen (finally, her mother would say) and found herself imagining her future with Dougal, brown-eyed little children running around the farm and all.
They did not make love that night - maybe they shouldhave, maybe it would change everything - because even though engaged, they silently decided to subdue to what was the proper order of things in society in the 20s (Minerva always liked order; Dougal did not press her).
Passionate kisses were shared and future was being imagined. That last kiss (even though she didn't know it at that time) would linger on her lips all her life, reminding her or everything she gave up that night.
(that night, lying in her bed, she did not sleep at all. All she could think of was how she would be giving up her magical identity for the handsome muggle boy, how her wand would be hidden under her bed just like her mother's had been, how the cute brown-eyed children would have to lie to their own father about magic...)
No, she could not imagine her life without magic.
xxxxx
"I apologize for my behaviour last night. My head was in the clouds, I did not think about the consequences. I beg you to forgive me one day, Mr McGregor," the young lady said, setting the golden ring down to the kitchen table in the McGregor's house.
"Minerva, I do not understand. Have your love for me dissapered with the moon this morning?" he asked, hurt visible in his voice.
"As the moon never meets the sun, our love is not meant to be. What we had was beauitful and I am thankful for that but...I can't. I am so sorry, my decision was made after taking into consideration that..." Minerva bit her lips to stop the words that were forming in her throat ("I am a witch, Dougal, a witch!").
"Please, do continue, my love."
"It is not meant to be. Goodbye, Mr McGregor."
With those word, she run out of the house and even though the farmer boy chased after her, she was no where to be found. She couldn't have dissapeared into the thin air...could she?
xxxxx
Ministry of Magic was supposed to be the best place to work - and working there was what most of the young wizards and witches dreamt of. Minerva felt ungreatful for hating her work, then. Still wondering whether she had made the right choice, leaving Dougal behind, and not being completely satisfied with the way her collueges treated Muggles ("Oh come on, Minerva, it's just a bit of harmless fun, don't be such a prude," Evellyn Grieger told her after being offended by her paper: Tired of pets? Buy a Muggle.), she considered quitting. However, wherewould she go? Ministery was her only work experience and even though her curriculum vitae was to be envied, she would not take just any job offer. Truth be told, she did not even think there was a job she could apply for - if Ministry of Magic did not satisfy her, what possibly could?
She pushed that thought away, losing herself in the newest paper on transfiguring matter to dust.
xxxxx
At first Minerva did not want to go. But Evellyn insisted and begged her for so long that she agreed, already dreading the hours spent with the woman. She was too ignorant, too shallow to satisfy Minerva's need of conversation (she was so dreadfully boring as well).
"It's the Harpies playing - aren't you just so excited, Minerva? Did you know they are the only all-female quidditch team in the whole world? Curious, isn't it?" the tall, broad-shouldered blonde said when they were finding their seats at the Maroon Quidditch Stadium in London.
"Oh, don't say," Minerva automatically replied, knowing the information already but not being in the mood to explain to Evellyn that she indeed knew about the Harpies - after all, she was a Captain of Gryffindor Quidditch team at Hogwarts and kept up with the news regulary.
"Yes - and they have a new captain. The word is she is phenomenal on the broom," Evellyn leaned closer to the brown-haired witch "and in the bed."
"Evellyn!" Minerva exclaimed, quite shocked to hear such rumours from her well-mannered friend (she decided to call her a friend, for she did not have many at work). The blonde just shrugged (she looked quite unlady-like doing it) and pointed at the players who were just flying in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you...the Harpies!"
And there she was - Rolanda Hooch, the new Captain of the Harpies, flying all over the place, showing off with spins and turns and all kinds of dangerous moves on the broom that glued Minerva to the edge of her seat.
"Show off," the witch rolled her eyes when the young, short-haired talent flew directly towards their seats just to stop a few inches from them and blew a kiss in their (or as she later discovered, her) direction.
Still, she could not take her eyes off of her the entire game.
xxxxx
Of course Evellyn would have backstage passes from the Minister. When she wanted something, the woman usually got it, and meeting the winners of the World Cup was definitely on her list.
"Captain Hooch! I am so delighted to meet you in person, you were...simply...aaah!"
The tall Captain turned around, a towel over her shoulder, and grinned at the Ministry employees. Minerva observed her with her nose slightly up, lips forming a thin line. From her face it was obvious that she did not approve of the Quidditch player's style of flying at all.
"Aaah is the reaction I usually get from the ladies," Captain Hooch said, just then noticing Minerva. Evellyn quickly introduced them, going on and on about the game and what it meant for the feminist movement that a World Cup was won by an all-women team.
"Minerva McGonagall," Hooch said, the name rolling off her lips in a strange, sexy manner. It was as if she was tasting the words, trying to find out what is hidden behind them.
"Pleased to meet you, Captain Hooch and I believe congratulations are in order."
"I know that name. It was you who wrote the paper on the perception of trolls in today's magical society, was it not?"
"Yes. Have you read it?" she did her best to hide the suprise in her voice.
"Of course not, sounded boring as hell. If I wanted to know about society's opinion on trolls I would choose one as my prom date," Hooch said with that ever present grin and Evellyn giggled, completely smitten with the Captain.
"Well that is if he agreed to your proposal," Minerva shot back, causing Evellyn to start a long apologetic speech.
"No, it's alright, I deserved that one," Hooch said and winked at Minerva who stared back with an ice-gold gaze. "Miss Grieger, Miss McGonagall - if you excuse me now, I have a fine fine bottle of firewhisky and a liver to ruin waiting for me."
The next gesture was so unexpected that even the up-tight witch had no time to stop it: Hooch leaned forward, took her hand and placed a small kiss on her milky skin, lips actually touching it (which was so, so rude). Waving to Evellyn, she disappeared into the crowd of people celebrating their victory.
"I am never taking you to another event again!" Evellyn threated Minerva. Sounded good enough.
AN: I might or might not continue this one. I had it on my computer for a long time, the plot bunny attacking me after I read all the information about McGonagall on Pottermore. Hope you enjoyed this one at least.