Not again!

Summary: Minerva's mum try's to set her up again, in the hope of finding her a husband. Question is who's the hubby-to-be?

Disclaimer: if only, if only, if only………

Chapter one: Not again

Damn, Damn, DAMN!

Bloody Hell! Not again, why me? Why must it always be me?

Throwing the piece of parchment from her in disgust, Minerva McGonagall answered her own question.

Because all my other sisters are married.

Oh damn them all she thought as she picked up her bitter tirade against her family again.

The abandoned letter from her mother started glowing, illuminating the sickly green loopy handwriting belonging to her mother.

My Dearest Minnie

How are you lately? Still enjoying teaching, I'm sure that you are. You have wanted to be a teacher since you were about 8 and very eager to go to Hogwarts yourself just like your big brother's had. Oh your antics were so funny to watch although sometimes you did take yourself a little too far. It was never until Daretor told you that they would not take you if you were a naughty girl that you behaved yourself.

We miss you here at home. Your father and I both wish that you would come home to visit more often. I am sure that the new headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, would allow you time on weekends to visit us if only you would ask. Please I don't need to hear that rubbish that you are too busy. You have always been a very organised girl, you can most certainty make time for your own family. If not then you must need to prioritise your time better. Must I remind you that you promised me that you would be at the family get together this weekend.

Speaking of the family get together, I don't suppose you remember your old school friend Adian? Well I ran into him the other day in Diagon ally. He remembers you quite well despite the length of time that both of you have been out of school. I took the liberty of inviting him to our family get together. You know I really don't know why we persist calling it a family get together when it has not just been family for a very long time now. I must say that Adian is a very good-looking young man, also from what I hear a ladies man. Yet he doesn't seem to have found the right woman for him though, as he is still unmarried and better yet, single.

Now my dear I know the last one didn't work out, but who is making the prediction that this one also will not work out? You never know. Maybe in a few years from now you will be married and most thankful to me for my efforts.

All being said and done, I must suggest that you take up his offer of dinner which undoubtedly will be coming very soon as I told him that we were talking about him only the other day. If I am not mistaken I think he was quite taken with the idea you were thinking and talking about him.

Oh my look at how much I have rambled. I simply must be going Minnie.

Best wishes, and all my love

Mum

The memory of the last time still stood clear in her minds eye.

Ivan was quite handsome, or as her students would say 'hot', yet most unfortunately it would appear that he stood in the sex appeal line twice, and completely missed out on intelligence, wit and integrity. How could some one who held such an esteemed and high position at Grigots be so ignorant of everything, was beyond her comprehension. He understood nothing of how the world worked even though he lived smack bang in the middle of it. Not to mention the fact he didn't realise that women were not expected to not work and only breed up children anymore. Society thank god now accepted that women could hold jobs and were not to be subjected to the controlling desires of men. Yet Ivan was and still is stuck in a time warp, he believed that when he would come home his dinner would be a perfect home cooked, hot meal, ready for his consumption. It had only been his mother doubting her capability to cook that started the alarm bells ringing in her head. Although she did have something to base her concerns upon. Minerva could not cook what so ever!

Just because all her sisters and even her brothers were married did not, I repeat DID NOT mean that she had to be as well, Minerva thought as her anger gained grip over her emotions again.

Honestly did her mother not think her capable of finding a Husband by herself?

She only wants you to be happy, the voice of reason suggested in her tumult of thoughts. Whoa where the hell did that come from, what side are you on thought?

Damn it even her own thoughts were against her.

"Bugger, I really am insane, just like Poppy is always telling me. I am arguing with my own thoughts!" she muttered audibly.

Oh this always happens when she does this to me. I swear to god she knows exactly what she is doing as well. Mum knows that I can't just tell them that I don't want to see them, or discuss possible relationships with them. Whenever I do all I can think about is the one relationship that a truly want. Albus was all I could ever want or need and so much more, but he is my best friend and I must not entertain those thoughts. It is very wrong of me, she concluded.

There is no way possible that Albus could ever feel anything other than friendship for me. Honestly even if he did, it would go against work ethics, and the councilors would never condone such behavior. But that doesn't stop me from wanting him, nothing in all these years has and most likely nothing ever will. No I must stop this Minerva thought mentally berating herself for her line of thought. How many times have I been through this. It is driving me up the walls! Honestly by the time I'm 100 I'll most likely in all probability, be insane.

No! NO! She repeated more forcefully;

This will not do. From now on I will not think like this, I must not, and therefore I will not. I will do my best to get on with my life because pinning away after Albus is not getting me anywhere. Why not take this chance that my mother has given me.

I remember Adian, tall and blond, always had time for some one else. You know this could work out after all…..

Her train of thought was stopped suddenly as a large black owl swooped through her window. It landed smoothing onto her desk, where she had first sat down after seeing the white family owl, Snowy fly into her room.

The unfamiliar black owl stood patiently, but looked at her with expectation. It obviously was anticipating some kind of reaction from her, not the frozen look it was receiving now.

With stiff fingers, Minerva, untied the letter from the owl. This must have been the one that her mother mentioned from Adian. Well here goes, regardless of what it says I am going to suggest dinner even if he doesn't, like Mum believes.

Opening up the letter somewhat slowly, she calmed her nerves and read.

Minerva

Wow it really has been a long time since I have seen you last. The last time I think was at the Ministry dinner/dance night. You looked really stunning if my memory serves me correctly. How are you lately? Your mother told me that you were teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts, are you enjoying it much? You always seemed to like transfiguration when we were at school. I most unfortunately was not all that great at it.

I must get to the point of this letter before I make it too long and need another roll of parchment.

If your not too busy with all your responsibilities would you care for dinner sometime? Just name a time and place and I will be able to be there. At the moment my calendar is extremely flexible, or in other words free so it doesn't matter what date.

I wait for your reply.

Adian

P.S Send it back with Hermes, I told him to stay so he should still be there.

Looking up at the black owl with interest, which still stood patiently on her desk, she pulled out a spare piece of parchment. Hermes, interesting..

The Greek Olympian messenger God, a good choice of name she mused silently.

On the piece of parchment she wrote:

Dear Adian

Does tomorrow night sound good to you? As it's a Friday it is very easy to get away from my responsibilities here at Hogwarts.

My mother told me that she invited you to our family get together, you didn't mention if you were going or not in your letter, so are you? I can understand if you don't want to go, honestly I'm not sure even I want to go. But I promised my mother I would, so there you have it.

To be honest I'm not really sure where we should go, so why don't we meet up somewhere and go from there?

Minerva.

She tied the piece of parchment to the stone still, black owl's leg. He seemed to want to create the image of being the epitome of a post owl. He's succeeding very well Minerva mused, wishing that Shadow her own midnight coloured owl would behave the same way or at least similar.

Watching Hermes fly back out her window, Minerva thought back to only yesterday when her highly-strung owl had bit Serverus on the nose for making a rude comment about her punctuality. He was absolutely livid. It had been quite amusing, well she corrected, it would have been if he hadn't tried to hex Shadow into the next millennium.

Shadow was currently down at Hagrid's and being nursed back to health, much to the poor owl's dislike. She didn't get along with Fang very well, but then very few animals got on well with the large, over enthusiastic boarhound.

Picking up her Mother and Adian's letters to show Poppy. Minerva started to get ready for breakfast because Albus would be there soon to escort her. A tradition, which had started many years ago.

As Minerva completed the last few remaining tasks, she resolved to go and find out if she would be able to keep Shadow in her rooms and nurse the poor owl back into health herself.

To be continued…….

P.S If anyone is wondering about TD, I have so many chapters written but my stupid, frustrating comp is currently dead and I refuse to give it the satisfaction of me typing it out again.