Minerva laughed as she hung the garland over Rowena Ravenclaw's painting.
"Just a little to the left, dear, so it's exactly centered." Said the painting. Minerva ignored it and left the hook where it was.
"Professor, you are possibly the only person in this entire school who understands this." She said. Professor Albus Dumbledore laughed heartily as he leaned on the ladder Minerva stood atop.
"Miss McGonagall, I agree with you completely. Hanging garland by hand simply makes it look better. I find that when using my wand, it looks more like a silver weed climbing that a decoration."
"I'm sure it isn't that bad, sir."
"I'm sure it is." Said Dumbledore. Minerva rolled her eyes and reached to attach the garland further over. She stood on one foot's tiptoe, the other held up for balance. Even as she stretched, Minerva was very happy she had forgone the traditional skirt and wore pants. Still, the ladder shaking beneath her was not encouraging.
"Be careful, Miss McGonagall." Said Dumbledore, his arms instinctively reaching up to steady the Minerva's feet on the ladder.
"I'm fine, Professor. Just a little shorter than I wished." She said with a smile. Just then, her foot slipped off the step and Minerva came crashing down to land on her professor. Both fell to the stone floor, Minerva almost entirely on top of Dumbledore. As she landed, her lips happened to graze those of her professor's. It was like… chocolate. Chocolate on a sunny day beneath the willow tree. It was warm tea on a cold winter's night. It was happiness, wrapped into a little packet of sheer bliss passed between two lips. His lips themselves were rough, no doubt from the constant contact with his lengthy beard. Minerva couldn't repress the smile that seemed to spring from every particle of her body. Her magical core felt like it was blazing white beneath her shirt, shining like a star. Without even protesting, Minerva felt herself give into the ecstasy and pass out of consciousness.
Rowena Ravenclaw gasped as she watched a golden light surround the fallen pair, two white lines blazing in the center. As she watched with wide eyes, the two lines seemed to separate farther apart slowly, then rushed at each other to become one slash of white burning even brighter. The light seemed to slowly die away until the two people were visible, wrapped in each other's arms. Rowena surreptitiously wiped a tear from her blue eyes. It had been years since she'd seen this, not since her own time when Salazar had captured her heart. Rowena hurried to the Headmaster's office to inform Headmaster Dippet of the night's wonders.