Twinkle Toes

It was just a couple of weeks before Christmas, and classes had finished some hours before. Harry thrust his hands deep into his pockets, as he strolled along the corridor near the Headmaster's study, and wondered where his friends were.

Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in astonishment, for just a few feet from him, Professor McGonagall leant against the wall, groaning and clutching her forehead.

For a few seconds Harry hovered uncertainly, wondering what to do. "Professor, are you all right?" He asked at last.

His Professor's head shot upwards, fierce green eyes bored into him, as the tall figure drew herself upright. "Potter, whatever you do, never ask Professor Dumbledore why he is doing something! You will regret it if you do!"

"Professor?"

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have a headache, yes Potter a headache, as a direct result of giving into curiosity. Even I am not infallible... never give into foolish curiosity Potter, particularly where the Headmaster is concerned! Good night Potter."

Before Harry could say anything, Professor McGonagall had turned and strode off down the passage, leaving him gaping after her in bewilderment. Briefly he wondered if she had gone bonkers, before his mind turned back to Quidditch.

As Minerva strode down the corridor, she tried to forget all about crazy annoying old fools who constantly talked nonsence, and focus on soothing thoughts like warm mint tea, and ginger newts. By the time she got to her chambers she had almost forgotten about what had happened earlier that evening, as she sat in the Headmaster's study, trying to discuss work with him.

Flashback

The surface of the polished desk shone in the glow of firelight, that warmed Albus' study. On one side of the vast desk sat Minerva, a giant sheaf of papers in her hands, across from her Albus lounged comfortably. They had been discussing school business for over an hour now, at least Minerva had, while Albus did everything except pay attention.

The sheaf of papers in Minerva's hand twitched irately, as she tried to ignore the antics of the man opposite her. For the last twenty minutes she had been trying to discuss the next day's lessons with Albus, while he had seemed distracted with peering at his vivid purple slippers in a mournful manner. Several times she had reminded him tersely that they had work to do, and still he could not even look at her, let alone listen to what she was saying.

"Albus what on earth are you doing?" Minerva exploded in exasperation, as Albus began to wave his long boney legs in the air, like an over active grasshopper, staring intently at his feet as he did so. The papers slammed on the desk in frustration. "We have work to do you know!"

The loud thud of papers crashing into his desk, seemed to jolt Albus out of his fascination with his toes, as he blinked mildly at Minerva, from behind his half moon glasses, like an owl caught in sudden daylight. "I think I have weird feet Minerva, or maybe it's my eyes that are strange..."

Minerva groaned despairingly, "Albus please..."

"I never thought about this before Minerva, but my eyes are doing what my feet are meant to..."

"Don't be ridiculous Albus, last time I looked you did not walk on your eyes!" Minerva interrupted irately. 'How did she always get drawn into these utterly absurd conversations?! Why on earth didn't she tell him firmly to shut up, or better yet, leave him to his foolishness, and seek the sensible sanctuary of her chambers?'

"Poppy said..." Albus began forlornly.

"I am going to kill Poppy!" Minerva growled.

"Poppy was teaching me to dance, and she said that I wasn't a twinkle toes because I can't dance, and she's right. I think my eyes got all my twinkles! That must be why I'm such a bad dancer." Albus said sadly.

"Don't be absurd Albus!"

"You're a wonderful dancer and your eyes don't twinkle Minerva..."

"My eyes are far too sensible for such nonsence."

"Precisely," Albus said sadly, "And yet, your toes do twinkle. Everything doing exactly what it's meant to..."

"How dare you!" Minerva snapped, "I assure you that my toes are far too well behaved to twinkle!" Suddenly she realised what she'd just said, and her vivd green eyes flashed angrily at him. "Albus, how dare you make me talk such nonsence! Toes twinkling really, the very idea!" Minerva rose and strode towards the door. "I have had quite enough of your nonsence for one day. Good night Albus!"

"But what about my non twinkling toes?" Albus asked despairingly.

"So, you want your toes to twinkle, do you Albus?" Minerva asked dangerously, as her eyes glinted behind her square rimmed glasses. Minerva's wand swished through the air, and instantly Albus' feet were surrounded by brightly twinkling lights that constantly changed colour. These lights danced merrily round his toes, like some kind of crazy christmas display, that constantly flashed on and off.

"Oh how pretty!" Albus said happily, as he gazed at his brightly sparkling toes in delight.

"Oh, they make a noise when I wriggle them! What fun!" Albus said even more happily, a few moments later. And indeed they did, for even the slightest movement made his feet jingle like merrily ringing bells.

The next few minutes were spent waving his feet around in the air, and watching the colours change. Albus clapped his hands in delight every time his feet rang like tiny chiming bells. He was having so much fun that he didn't even notice that Minerva had left.

"Jingle toes, Jingle toes!" He sang happily, "Oh what fun it is to wave my feet around, and ..."

Albus spent the next several minutes running his fingers through his long beard, and trying to come up with more foot related lyrics for his song.

End Flashback

By now Albus had decided that a lemon drop would help him think, and discovering that his pockets were devoid of candy, he got up too fetch some.

There were none in his normal stash, and Albus began to worry, had the unforeseeable happened? Had he run out of lemon drops?! He must have some somewhere, if only he could remember where.

The jingling of his toes was beginning to become an unwelcome distraction, as he searched for his sweets. Every step he took his feet rang, and the ringing seemed to be getting louder too. Albus shot an irritated glare at his feet. "I am trying to think! I do wish you'd be quiet!" Was it just his imagination, that his feet rang even louder in response?

At last, much to his relief, he found a large tin of lemon drops, and settled down comfortably in his favourite chintz armchair. For a few moments all was peaceful as Albus sucked blissfully on his lemon drop, letting the flavours run round his mouth. 'Ah, such delight.' Albus stretched his legs out happily, then nearly jumped out of his skin as his feet rang loudly.

The next several minutes passed interminably slowly, as Albus did his best to sit absolutely still. Something he soon found utterly impossible. Even the slightest twitch of his legs would make his toes ring, and every time they rang it got louder and louder, until the sound was reverberating round his study, and Albus was quite worn out, from constantly jumping every time his wretched toes jingled.

He had tried every spell he could think of to silence his feet, and nothing worked. Albus could only admire Minerva's skill in hexes. Of course, she had had a great deal of practise over the years, most of them directed at him, but this was certainly one of her most inventive.

At last the poor man could stand no more, and left his study to seek Minerva, and plead with her to undo her hex.

As Albus stood outside Minerva's study, he formed his features into what he hoped was a suitably penitent expression, then spent a few more moments practising what he hoped were pleading little boy eyes. Such things had worked well on Minerva in the past, and he hoped they might again.

Albus stepped lightly forward, and knocked softly on the door. "Ah, Minerva, my dear, I came to apologise for my rudeness earlier..." He murmured as the door swung open. After some thought albus had decided to go with the guilty little boy look, and so he kept his gaze fixed on the stone floor, as though ashamed to even look at Minerva.

" And doubtless you now hope that I will remove my hex." Minerva's arms were resolutely folded, and her green eyes glinted at him in a determined fashion.

Albus stifled a groan, she didn't seem at all inclined to be merciful, perhaps it was time to turn on the charm, and hope that worked. Albus glanced almost shyly up, caught Minerva's gaze in his for the briefest of moments, and then dropped his eyes to the floor again. "This twinkling and jingling is quite delightful, but I do fear, that should it continue, that I would be unable to concentrate on my work my dear. It is, after all a little distracting."

"Hmph!" Green eyes flashed at him dangerously. "If you had concentrated on your work earlier, you would not be in this predicament Albus!"

"Yes dear, I do apologise my dear." Albus said in his most penitent tone, as he gave another half glance up at Minerva.

Those bright blue eyes of his sparkled at her from under bushy white eyebrows, and Minerva could feel herself being swept away by his charm. Determined not to give in so easily, she steeled herself to remain impervious to his wiles. "Why would you suddenly want to learn to dance anyway?!" Minerva growled, as she tried her best to glare fiercely at Albus.

There was a brief hesitation from Albus, and then he answered softly, "The Yule Ball is only a few weeks away, and I didn't want to let you down again Minerva. You look so beautiful when you glide across the floor, as though you're floating on air, so effortless... and there's me tripping over my toes, or treading on yours. You deserve a perfect partner my dear, so I asked Poppy to teach me, so I could surprise you."

There was a note of sincerity in Albus' voice that let Minerva know that this was no attempt to charm her, but the simple truth, and she couldn't help but be touched by it.

"But Poppy has been trying so hard, and I'm not getting any better at all," Albus muttered mournfully, "I don't understand it, after all I love music, so I should be able to dance well..."

"Oh, you silly old coot, surely you must know that I love dancing with you..." Minerva said tenderly.

"I don't think my feet hear the music as well as my ears do... if my ears were my feet I'm sure I'd be a much better dancer..." Albus muttered sadly.

Hexing his feet might not have stopped Albus from talking nonsence, but there was one sure fire way to silence him. Before Albus could say anything else, Minerva had drawn him into her arms, and kissed him long and hard on the lips.

When the kiss was over she drew him even closer against her, and her breath wafting against his ear like a warm breeze, whispered, "Albus, you are my perfect partner, you are the only one I will ever want to dance with. I still remember our first dance, and how happy I felt... I feel that same happiness whenever we dance."

Soft white whiskers brushed lightly against her face, as Albus kissed her. "Thank you, my dear, you have made an silly old coot feel much better." A swift flick of his wand, and soft violin music filled the room. Bright blue eyes twinkled brightly at her, as Albus said softly, "Shall we, my dear?"

"We shall." Minerva said firmly, and within moments the two of them were waltzing lightly round the room, arms wrapped tightly round each other, their bodies close together.

Author's Notes

My first completed story in several months! This took weeks to finish due to getting sick and lack of time! I so much wanted to write several Christmas stories, but it just didn't happen.

Merry Christmas everyone, and have a wonderful new year! :) I hope to be back to writing regularly in 2015, so look out for several stories being completed, and a ton of new stories too hopefully. ;)