Romantic Thoughts
Chapter One
Minerva McGonagall looked over the top of her paper; she saw Severus Snape sat in the far corner. She watched him marking test papers; his reading glasses perched on the end of his crooked nose. Despite his personality, McGonagall could not help but be attracted to him; at least he did not love himself like Gilderoy Lockhart. All right, compared to Lockhart, Snape was ugly but she preferred brains to good looks and fame any day.
She looked back to the front of the Daily Prophet' the headline caught her eye:
FLYING CAR MYSTIFIES MUGGLES!
She read on, the article was about a flying Ford Anglia that had been seen flying over London.
"Severus." She called; he would love to read this. He looked up at her.
"Yes?" He enquired.
"Have a look at this article." She passed it to him and he read it. He laughed and handed it back.
"I would hate to think what the ministry will do to whoever's responsible!" McGonagall felt suddenly transfixed by his deep voice. She found his accent somewhatshe thought for a moment, what did she findhis accent? Somewhatsexy. That was what she had been searching her brain for.
Albus Dumbledore arrived in the staff room.
"Minerva, Severus. The train has arrived." The three teachers left the room, two of whom still chuckling about the article in the Daily Prophet'
* * *
Professor Albus Dumbledore made his usual beginning-of-term announcements and then the feast began. The feasts at Hogwarts were always delicious; all the food you could possibly like was there.
"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley aren't here." Minerva McGonagall commented to Dumbledore.
"Oh they'll be somewhere about." Dumbledore replied.
Severus Snape looked out at the sea of students sat round four tables..
"Pass me the salt." Lockhart said in a very cheery voice, Snape did so. "Ah, that's a rather handsome wrist-watch! Where did you get it? Was it a present? Of course it was a present, what am I thinking? Expensive those, aren't they?"
"Yes." Snape replied he did not want to be dragged into a conversation with this idiot. His sharp ears suddenly caught something, a sound like a crash and the muffled thump, thump of something. He thought back to the article he had read earlier that evening. Suddenly he knew what that crash could have been.
"Headmaster," Snape asked Dumbledore. "Could you excuse me?"
"Of course, next time go before the feast." Dumbledore replied.
"I will." Snape hurried out of the Great Hall.
He stood in the deserted entrance hall, where could that crash have come from? The school grounds was an obvious place to look, but where abouts? He cautiously pulled open the great oak doors; he caught sight of two dark figures moving slowly towards the castle. He walked silently out of the doors into the cold night air, always keeping several paces behind the two figures.
They reached a window; He moved closer to hear what they were saying.
"Hang on" He heard Harry murmur to his Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff tableWhere's Snape?"
"Maybe he's ill!" Ron replied he sounded hopeful.
"Maybe he's left." (Charming thought Snape). "Because he's missed out on the Defence Against Dark Arts again." (Never wanted it in the first place!)
"Or he might have been sacked." Ron said enthusiastically. "I mean everyone hates him -." (That is it!)
"Or maybe." Snape said in very cold voice. "He's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train." He noticed Potter and Weasley looked worried. "Follow me!"
* * *
Professor Minerva McGonagall sat at the staff table, brooding of how to ask Severus Snape out. He's bound to say no she miserably said to herself. I am nearly fourty years his senior!
"Severus has been a long time." Lockhart said shattering her thoughts.
"Why Gilderoy you do have a talent for stating the rather obvious." Dumbledore said in mock surprise.
"Why thank you." Lockhart replied, obviously thinking that was a compliment. The teachers roared with laugher, and so did several pupils sitting near the staff table. Lockhart went a bright shade of magenta and joined in with their laughter.
McGonagall went back to her thoughts. They were shattered once more by the man himself, Severus Snape.
"I havefound your missing students." Whispered Snape in her ear, she noticed the happiness in his voice.
"Where are they?" she asked angrily.
"In my office, awaiting your attention," said Snape slyly. She got up and she followed him out of the room.
They excused themselves from the Great Hall. The pupils stared at the two professors, leaving the Hall. By this time, Professor Dumbledore was getting rather annoyed with the teachers leaving the room.
"Severus has been before, hasn't he?" Lockhart stated the obvious once more, this time the teachers just groaned.
* * *
Later that week Professor's McGonagall and Snape were sitting alone in the staff room once more. This time Snape was marking fourth year homework, while McGonagall was marking second year homework.
"Hermione Granger, is doing remarkably well." She commented.
"Ja." Snape replied McGonagall knew that was yes' in Dutch. Snape suddenly got a feeling that McGonagall was in some way attracted to him. No, it can't be he said to himself. Who would in their right mind fancy me? However, he had to be sure.
* * *
Severus Snape stood outside the Transfiguration room, five minutes before the bell. He had to be sure about the feeling he had got from McGonagall. The bell went, and students flooded out of the door like a heard of wilder-beasts. He took a deep breath and walked in.
"Hello Severus." McGonagall said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" She's being nice to me for a change. Snape thought. He got the feeling once more, this time it was definite.
"Er" He had forgotten what he was going to say. "I've broken my quill."
"Oh." McGonagall replied. "Why have you come to me?" Good question he thought. "Go and ask Professor Dumbledore." She noticed the blank look on his face she sighed. "You are left handed, I am right handed, Dumbledore is also left handed. He'll have a spear left handed quill."
"Oh yes." Snape replied he left the room, slightly happier than when he had gone in.
* * *
Minerva McGonagall was about to pour herself a drink of tea; Severus Snape leaned over and took the teapot from her.
"Thank you." She felt herself going red. He poured her the drink, as she sat sipping it the staff room emptied of teachers and they were left alone once more.
She decided that this was a good as time as any to tell him how she felt.
"Severus" She began, but at that moment, Dumbledore walked in and she fell silent.
* * *
Harry Potter had started to notice that Snape was spending a lot of his free time with Professor McGonagall, during and after their transfiguration lessons. Something was defiantly going on.
* * *
That evening Harry got out his fathers old invisibility cloak he had decided to follow Snape.
He reached the marble staircase and saw to his amazement Snape going into McGonagall's office. He hurried down the stairs and managed to get into the office before Snape closed the door.
Snape sat down in front of McGonagall.
"What did you want to tell me?"
"Oh." McGonagall shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "What I wanted to say is that I think I love you." Harry gasped, hoping that no one heard. "It's sounds silly I know."
"Not at all." Snape replied. "As a matter of fact I think you're quite good looking." That was a compliment coming from Snape.
"Oh." McGonagall blushed and giggled.
"No, I mean it. Would you care to join me for a drink?"
"Of course." From where Harry was crouched, he saw Snape smile, but not his usual twisted smile. "I have to go now." He kissed her hand. "I'll be thinking of you." He pulled open the door and walked out, Harry followed quickly.
Minerva McGonagall sank further into her chair, oh what joy! The man she had fallen in love with had returned her love! She would feel a lot happier the next morning; in fact, she could hardly wait for the next night.
* * *
As soon as Harry reached his dormitory he was toyed between two possibilities, should he tell Ron and Hermione now or wait until morning? He'll tell them in the morning.
* * *
"Ron, Hermione, you'll never guess what!" Harry said excitedly sitting down next to his two best friends at the breakfast table.
"What?" They asked together. Harry told them about what he had heard last night. Ron and Hermione listened with their mouths hanging open. Unknown to any of them Draco Malfoy had stopped to listen.
"McGonagall and Snape." Ron laughed.
"Of all the people." Hermione added.
* * *
That day everywhere Severus Snape or Minerva McGonagall went people stared and talked in hushed whispers. Neither had any idea what was going on, until lunchtime.
"Ah here come the two lovers!" Gilderoy Lockhart said happily as Snape and McGonagall sat down at the staff table.
"How the hell do you know!?" Snape demanded.
"The whole school's talking about it." Snape and McGonagall both went red.
For the rest of the day, they kept their distance, hoping to clear the air.
* * *
That evening Minerva McGonagall knocked on Snape's office door. Why his office was in the dungeons, she'll never know.
"Come in." He called she entered. He immediately stood up. "Professor McGonagall." He said in surprise.
"Are we still on for tonight?" She asked him. "I know the whole school's talking about it, but if were careful no one will ever no."
"I can't see why not." He took his cloak from the back of the door and they left the castle together.
In the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry Potter was gazing out of the window; he saw two figures hand in hand walking down a soil path that led to the village. He recognised them; it was Snape and McGonagall. He grinned, no matter how much he hated Snape he could not tell Ron and Hermione for a second time. After what had happened the first time, he didn't want to hurt Snape's feelings, if he had any.
* * *
Albus Dumbledore sat alone in his office. Gilderoy Lockhart had reported that Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall were spending a lot of free time together. Dumbledore didn't really care, as long as they were happy he did not care one bit.
"Severus finally got himself another woman and Minerva has finally got herself another man." He said aloud to Fawkes, his phoenix. As long as no one else suspected they were going out, or if they did kept their mouths shut, they were safe.