Minerva McGonagall sat on the train rereading the letter from her parents with shaking hands.
Our Dearest Minerva,
Your father and I are thrilled that you have decided to visit for the summer! We can't wait until you arrive at the end of this term with your girlfriend. We are very excited to finally meet the girl who's made our baby so happy these years.
As excited as we are, we thought we should lay down the ground rules now so that we can make your stay a comfortable, enjoyable time for all of us.
Rule One: No Lesbian Sex.
Rule Two: No lesbian girlfriends in your room after hours and the door must be left open.
Rule Three: Should you manage to sneak your lesbian girlfriend into your room unsupervised, No Lesbian Sex.
Rule Four: In case we forgot to mention, No Lesbian Sex.
We are anxiously awaiting your arrival at the station.
Love, Mum and Dad.
Minerva reread the letter again before looking up at her girlfriend, Xiomara Hooch. She smiled as she watched Xiomara pacing around the small compartment on the train. Then Minerva began to read the letter again, not as a comfort, but as a reminder.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Xiomara asked herself, for what seemed like the millionth time, as she paced. She stopped again to gaze at her Minerva, who was once again reading the letter from her parents. "Why did I agree to meet her parents?" Xiomara asked herself again. Then, Minerva looked up and smiled weakly in an attempt to reassure Xiomara.
The train pulled to a stop far too soon as the young lovers prepared to face their doom.
"Minnie!" they both heard a voice screech. Minerva was then engulfed in a bear hug by both of her parents as Xiomara was hastily shoved out of the way.
"Mum! Dad! It's so great to see you," Minerva managed to gasp out. Minerva pulled herself from the grasp of her parents and clutched at Xiomara's hand. "I want you to meet my girlfriend, Xiomara Hooch."
"Of course, dear. Now then, shall we apparate to the house?" Minerva's mother quickly changed the subject.
"Minerva, I can't apparate to a place I've never seen!" Xiomara whispered harshly.
"We'll use sidelong apparation, Snuggle Bunny," Minerva whispered back, calmly. Then she followed her parents to a more secluded area to apparate from.
Moments later, the group was in the McGonagall's spacious kitchen.
"Are you girls ready to eat? I can't imagine that you had anything nutritious on that awful train," Minerva's mother said.
It was Minerva's father that answered, though. "I think we should let the girls get settled in. Minerva, show your friend where your brother's room is since that's where's she'll be sleeping."
Minerva nodded and grabbed her lover's hand and led her away.
"What's this?" Xiomara asked her girlfriend when they reached Minerva's younger brother's room.
"What's what?" Minerva asked confused.
"This!" Xiomara exclaimed, picking up a pamphlet that had been lying on the bedside table as she sat down on the bed. "No lesbian sex?" Xiomara asked, surprised. "Are these rules for while I'm here?"
Minerva scowled. "My parents…" she muttered, putting her head into her hands.
Xiomara's eyes scanned over the rest of the rules. "I may have found a loophole, but I'll tell you later," Xiomara said smiling. "For now, what do you say we toe the line for the rules?"
Minerva looked at her girlfriend questioningly. Xiomara stretched and grabbed her lover's hand to pull her to the bed.
Minerva landed gracefully next to her and leaned in for a kiss.
"Girls! Are you ready for dinner now?" Minerva's mother yelled from the stairs.
Xiomara looked pleadingly at her girlfriend as if to say, "Can't we be a little late?"
"Later," Minerva promised, getting from the bed and extending her hand to pull Xiomara with her. Xiomara rolled her eyes, took Minerva's hand, and allowed herself to be dragged to her feet. "Coming, mother!" Minerva yelled toward the door.
The lovers walked through the house holding hands until they reached the room before dining room. Then, Minerva disengaged.
"What?" Xiomara asked confusedly.
"I just don't think it would be best to be overly affectionate in front of my parents."
"We're not snogging," Xiomara began loudly before she was harshly quieted by Minrva. "And we're not making love in front of them!" Xiomara continued in an overly dramatic stage whisper. "We were just holding hands!"
"I know, Snuggle Bunny, but I'd really rather not push my parents' buttons in any way. We can be affectionate when we leave the house and when they're not in the room."
Xiomara sighed, "Alright."
"Thank you," Minerva said, leaning over slightly to kiss her girlfriend on the nose.
They entered the dining room and sat down.
Xiomara's eyes widened as she looked at the table. "Look at the placemats!" she hissed. Minerva looked down and, sure enough, she found "No Lesbian Sex" in addition to the rest of the rules.
"Please, just ignore it," Minerva whispered back. Yet, Minerva couldn't manage to draw her eyes away from the placemat. She found that, everywhere she looked in her home, she found her parent's rules plastered.
Astonishingly, Minerva's parents ate in silence with the daughter they rarely got to see and this new stranger in their lives.
"Okay, since no one's saying anything, I'll talk!" Xiomara exclaimed, breaking the deafening silence. "Mister and Misses McGonagall, may I have Minerva's hand in marriage?" Xiomara asked as she took out a small ring box.
"Oh!" Minerva's mother gasped out while Mister McGonagall' cleared his throat to avoid the question he had just heard voiced.
"Snuggly Bunny!" Minerva screeched as she stood and rushed to Xiomara's seat. Xiomara opened the box. "It's beautiful!"
"Not as beautiful as you, Min," Xiomara said seriously.
"I would love to marry you!" Minerva squealed, which really proved her excitement since she never squealed, as she hugged Xiomara. When Minerva pulled out of the hug, she had tears in her eyes. "I love you," Minerva said and then she completely disregarded her own rules by leaning in and kissing Xiomara firmly on the lips.
"I love you," Xiomara echoed before leaning back in and kissing Minerva again. Then Xiomara took the engagement band out of the box and slipped it onto Minerva's finger. "It looks even more beautiful on your delicate finger, and look! It's a perfect fit! Meant to be."
"Like us!" Minerva gushed.
Minerva's father cleared his throat again causing both girls to look at him.
"Sorry, mum. Dad." Minerva said embarrassed as she stood and made her way back to her chair with her eyes downcast.
"Sorry?" Xiomara echoed incredulously in a whisper.