Minerva McGonagall was confused and for the sixth year Gryffindor prefect that was never a good thing. Confusion just wasn't something the girl was used to. She usually caught onto everything put before her immediately, part of growing up a McGonagall. But Harry Potter was a conundrum she didn't think even she could solve. She watched the black haired teen laugh, slapping Fleamont Potter, his supposed "brother" on the back. "Never heard of Fleamont having a brother" came the soft reply of the of Augusta Carver, soon to be Longbottom. There was a wistful look on her face as she watched the young man.
"Augusta!", Minerva said aghast. "You are going to be married in less than two months when the term ends" she chastised. "It simply isn't respectful to ogle another man" she said but couldn't help but bite back the deep thoughts within her own mind. Harry Potter was possibly the most handsome man she had ever met. She shook her head, brushing the thoughts away and turning back to the knowingly smiling Augusta. "Ohh relax Minerva. There is not a single problem with me looking, just as long as I'm not touching" she teased, patting her friend on the shoulder. "As for you though, you're unattached. Why don't you go for , and by that I mean the one not engaged to Euphenia Crawford" she teased, having a feeling that Minerva already liked the new addition to the Potter family.
"After all, YOU'VE been ogling him this entire meal like he was the sexiest man on the face of the Earth" she added, making sure to nudge Minerva in the side teasingly. Minerva just frowned, her face contorting her beautiful face into a tight disapproval. "Firstly, I was not ogling him. I am concerned for Fleamont. He is my friend after all. His brother, supposedly educated at Durmstrang for the past six years, coming home just now to finish his education. You realize Grindelwald is still around correct? What if he's a dark wizard who's tricked the Potters?" She asked, casting another dark glance towards the two boys, laughing and enjoying themselves openly.
Augusta simply arches an eyebrow. "Ohh yes Minerva. The man who looks exactly like every other Potter is really a dark wizard. His plan is to make Fleamont laugh himself to death. Honestly I've never seen Fleamont have so much fun in his entire life. He's always been so serious. Harry is good for him. Doesn't exactly square up to your theory that he's a dark wizard with the intent of killing his supposed brother" she says before smirking. "Unless you're just anti-fun Minerva" she says as if she was daring her best friend, a knowing smirk on her face as she inspected her nails. Minerva just frowned more. "I'm not anti-fun Augusta. I just happen to want to focus on my education. Something you should do with more dedication yourself" she says, once more lecturing her friend.
Augusta didn't take the bait however, and simply smiled once more. "Ten galleons says you won't ask Harry Potter to Hogsmeade" she says simply, reaching down to grasp her goblet of pumpkin juice. Minerva was thrown for a loop."What? Augie you can't be serious!" she exclaimed, using her nickname for her best friend. "Why not? Sharing a drink in Hogsmeade and holding hands is the perfect way to get a bloke to tell you if he's a dark wizard. Aside from that, you haven't been on a date since you went out with that prat Abraxas Malfoy" she said, her hand gently going to her friend's shoulder, knowing how deep of a scar that Abraxas had left. Minerva scowled at her friend before relaxing and soothing herself. She had to acknowledge that Augusta had a point.
If she wanted to learn about what Harry was up to, she would have to get close to him. Plus, she'd be winning ten galleons out of the whole thing, and what was one Hogsmeade weekend anyway?
She downed the rest of her pumpkin juice and stood, looking at her friend. "You're on Augusta. Be ready to lose ten galleons" she said before walking over towards where Harry was sitting, her robes almost billowing out behind her. Augusta just smirked from her position at the table and continued to eat. "Minerva Potter, head of house Gryffindor? Sounds like Sybil Trelawney owes me five knuts" she said with a laugh.
"Harry, you're mad mate. Bleeding mad" came the booming voice of one Fleamont Potter, seventh year Gryffindor. Harry just smirked, his hand going to the goblet of pumpkin juice. "Not mad, but quite sane. Durmstrang is going to win the cup this year. I know every single member of the team. Even if YOU somehow get chosen to be the champion, we'll still lose" Harry said in a faux mocking voice.
Fleamont just rolled his eyes and returned to his meal. "Whatever Harry" he said with a smirk, knowing it wasn't worth it to be baited by his older brother. Come to think of it, Fleamont never had many memories of his older brother. Of course they were there, but not like normal memories. No fights or Christmases spent together, just….foggy reminisces. Regardless though he was ecstatic to have his brother here now. He'd never laughed quite so much in his life and with his upcoming marriage to Euphenia, well, he was just happy to have his brother on hand. Harry must've noticed how deep in thought his brother was and he smiled, shaking Fleamont out of his thoughts.
"Thinking about Euphenia again, eh Fleamont?" He asked, his eyes pointedly moving to the blonde haired girl sitting down the table, eating with her friends. She really was pretty, with a cute nose and Quidditch toned frame. "I think maybe it's a good thing they let girls play quidditch. Does wonders for their bodies. But then again you know that already don't you Flea?" Harry asked, ruffling the palm of his hand into his brothers hair. "Ahh come on Harry" came the protests as his face lit up like a Christmas tree light.
"Uhh hmm, excuse me?" Came a soft feminine voice from just behind the two and Harry immediately let his brother go to turn and meet the interruption. Standing before him was probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. Her long brown hair was done up into a bun, while her face was drawn into a nervous smile, her eyes focused solely on Harry, those eyes being of the most penetrating brown. Her accent, certainly Scottish , was also a enhancing effect. "Hello Fleamont," she said, casually sparing a glance towards her friend before looking back at Harry. A smile split his face as he stood, slowly, his hand going to take hers as he bowed and pressed a gently and lingering kiss to her knuckles. "Hello Ms. I am Harry Potter. I have not had the opportunity to be introduced to you quite yet" he said to which the girl simply blushed, the smile going from her face in a bit of nervousness.
"Minerva, Minerva McGonagall" she said simply, the smile and be returning to her face instantly. "It is a pleasure to meet you . Fleamont has spoken so highly of you" she said, almost distracted as said brother quirked an eye at the two and smiled. "Yes, I have Harry" he said teasingly, seeing an opportunity to get even with his older brother. Harry simply ignored him, his eyes focused still on Minerva's as he smiled. "Please, call me Harry" he said, nervously letting go of Minerva's hand as he realized it was still in his own. "Then I insist you call me Minerva" she says, causing Fleamont to laugh. "Just call her Minnie Harry, everyone winds up calling our residential bookworm that anyway" he says turning away from the strange acting duo to continue cutting at his steak.
Said bookworm casts a withering glare at the back of his head before blushing and turning back Harry. "yes, well friends call me Minnie" she says as way of explanation. "If that is so I hope you will count me as one of your friends" says Harry, still acting in a courtly manner he learned at Durmstrang. Minerva just continued to blush and look on, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Well I'm sure you will Harry" she said before casting her eyes to the goblet, sitting in the middle of the hall. "Did you enter your name into the goblet Harry?" She asked as a way of starting a conversation.
Harry smiles and nods. "Yes I did. How about you Minerva? From what I've heard you are the ahlest witch of our generation. Hogwarts would be honored to be represented by you" he says which causes Fleamont to quirk his eyebrow, taking his attention away from his meal, a usually impossible task. Was his brother…..flirting?
If he was it was working. Minerva blushes and shakes her head. "No, I didn't. Much to busy with my work as a prefect. And while the rules may have changed, attitudes have not. Many would not be happy about the idea of a woman representing Hogwarts" she said by way of explanation. "That's a shame" Harry added, "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons both have women entries. However, it is not up to society to change for you Minerva. It is up to you to change society" Harry said gently, hoping he would not offend.
She wasn't offended. Instead quite the opposite. "Fleamont, you didn't tell me your brother was a philosopher" she said teasingly, her eyes remaining on the piercing emerald green of Harry's. "I didn't know I did either" he says with a strange look in his brothers direction. Minerva smiled once more, bracing herself for her question. "Harry, I was perhaps hoping you could accompany me to Hogsmeade this weekend. It might be good for someone to show you around and it would be nice to have company that may possibly help with Prefect duties" she asked. Minerva wanted to slap herself in the forehead. Of course she would phrase a date as work. 'Very suave Minerva' she chided herself mentally as Harry smiled at her. "I'd love to Minerva. Fleamont has not yet had the opportunity to show me much aside from where he routinely loses on the Quidditch pitch" he says, causing Minerva to giggle and Fleamont to shout out a quick protest of "hey" .
"Great. Meet you in the common room tomorrow morning?" She asked, trying to be nonchalant. "It's a date" Harry said with a smile, making Minerva go weak in the knees. She smiled nervously, letting out a quick laugh before moving back to her seat next to a beaming Augusta, who slips her something under the table.
Fleamont looks from the blushing and giggling Minerva to the still smiling Harry. "If I didn't know both of you better I'd say you two were already in love. Was I speaking to a future ?" He asked Harry who just responded in the negative. "It's just a Hogsmeade weekend Fleamont. Nothing but a little welcome wagon I would assume" Harry said with a smile, still thinking about Minerva. "Right...welcome wagon come in usual beautiful packages like Minerva McGonagall". Harry just smiled again. "Shut up Flea".
While Harry and Fleamont laughed and Augusta and Minerva giggled one more set of eyes watched one Harry Potter, both with very similar mixes of affection and hunger. Ingrid Greyback was not amused with how close the English girl got to Harry. Her heightened sense of smell certainly didn't help hide the fact that Harry happened to like her too. She almost growled, her fangs close enough to protruding from her jaw at the very thought of Harry touching another woman. Kissing her hand. The other Durmstrang students seated near her backed off, knowing about the beautiful black haired girls secret status as a werewolf. In any event she needed to calm down. Now was not the time to assault a woman over touching her mate, well her soon to be mate anyway. That's why she came to compete. She would win and show Harry just how superior she was to any English tart that threw herself at him.
She smiled tightly and turned back to her meal, eating the steak sprayed out on her plate. She remembered first meeting Harry, years previously during her second year. He'd been the only one to volunteer to be her potions partner. The scared and long werewolf latched onto this show of friendship with all her might, intending to never let him go. Even when she had her time of the month, where the moon would be full and she would turn into the monster she hated, he would be there despite the headmaster's dislike. In fact, even in her werewolf form she had an affinity for her friend. She would lick his hand through the cage and how if he wasn't there. He would usually sleep on a cot next to her cell to keep her relaxed.
She never forgot these kindnesses and made sure the young englishman felt safe and at home in the unforgiving forests of Romania and in the cold halls of Durmstrang. She even had him meet her family, letting his spend the holidays at her family's ancestral home in Wallachia. They too loved him, accepting him as one of their sons. It was soon after that she realized she loved him. For werewolves love was not something to be be scoffed at. In fact, the mere feeling of it is enough to create a bond between two magical beings. She hadn't been able to tell Harry before he left but she had followed him and soon, that would be enough. She would tell him about his newfound obligations to her. She sipped from the strange goblet of what the English called pumpkin juice, resisted the urge to spit it out.
She'd be much happier once they were both back in Romania, sharing a home and a bed. She blushed to herself as she thought this over. How happy her parents would be at the thought of the two of them finally being one. Then her thoughts drifted to the thought of children. Messy haired and rambunctious. Piercing emerald eyes. Of course they'd be werewolves. Then again so would Harry. She would have to turn him. It was only natural and maybe...he would even ask her. She would have to prove it first. Prove that she was an alpha female and worthy of his attention. So far he didn't even know that she was here, at Hogwarts. But that was all about to change and little prefect would be smart to keep her hands off of her mate.