Who Kissed Her?
This is not a sequel to the original, but merely an alternate ending. There are three of these, but you don't need to read any one of them to understand the others.
Disclaimer: I don't own HP
Minerva McGonagall stood before her class after lunch when the Stealth Sensing Spell in her private quarters went off for only her to sense. She frowned, "I shall be back. No one move."
Leaving her class bewildered, Minerva swept from her classroom, drawing her wand. She reached the portrait guarding her chambers and asked, "Who did you let in?"
"No one," the portrait replied, confused.
Minerva frowned again and gave the password. She entered and was surprised to find Albus Dumbledore standing by her fire. She asked, "Albus? What are you doing here?"
He opened his mouth before closing it again. He looked into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak again, but no sound came out. He closed his eyes, sighed, and walked over to her. Minerva was absolutely puzzled; she had never known Albus to be so speechless. He was now standing in front of her, and she stared up at him with puzzled eyes.
Then, quite suddenly, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Minerva was positively shocked. She had loved her employer since she her seventh year as his student, and she was positive then that it wasn't some silly schoolgirl crush. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that he would feel the same – she would always be his former student, a child compared to him. But here he was, kissing her.
Albus took Minerva's stunned silence as rejection and rushed to leave her chambers through her fire. He felt stupid and heartbroken. Why did I do that? he thought to himself. He had probably destroyed their friendship in one action, and she was probably disgusted with him. He would always be her teacher and mentor, a father figure...until now, of course. There was no probable way he was still a father figure to her; he had ruined that. He entered his office and collapsed into one of the chairs, his face in his hands. What would she think of him now?
Minerva slowly backed out of her office, not bothering to turn around. She still wore the same shocked expression as she thought about what had just happened. She stepped backwards over the threshold of her chambers and closed the portrait door behind her. She finally turned around and leant absentmindedly against the portrait, earning some complaints from its occupant. She vaguely touched her fingers to her lips for a few seconds before smiling against her fingers.
Minerva's eyes had been averted to the floor, and so she looked up to see Rolanda Hooch staring at her. Rolanda exclaimed, "What was that?"
Minerva shook her head, unable to speak. Rolanda persisted, "Did someone just kiss you?" Minerva nodded, and Rolanda started jumping up and down, "Ooh, who?"
Minerva shook her head again; she wasn't going to tell anyone. She started walking back to her classroom, but Rolanda followed her, "Now, Minerva; who was that?"
Minerva didn't answer, and just entered her classroom, closing the door behind her, blocking out Rolanda. But the flying instructor wasn't giving up. She opened the door and followed Minerva in, "Minerva, as your best friend, I believe I have the right to know the answer to my question. Who the hell was in your private chambers?"
Minerva ignored her and began to teach the class again. Some students glanced at Rolanda from time to time, until she finally sighed and threw up her hands, "If you won't tell me who was in there, I'm getting Aurora and Septima in here. I would call Pomona and Poppy, but Pomona's got a class in the greenhouses right now and Poppy won't leave that Hospital Wing of hers. You know what, I'll just tell Poppy in case. Pomona too," she added as an afterthought.
She waved her wand and four hawk Patronuses burst from the end of her wand and flew off to Aurora Sinistra, Septima Vector, Pomona Sprout, and Poppy Pomfrey. Minerva glared at Rolanda and returned to teaching.
Meanwhile, four women had just received a Patronus message. Pomona's class stared as the hawk spoke in Rolanda' voice, "Big news, some bloke kissed Minerva, but she won't tell me who it was. I'm currently in her classroom, trying to get the information out of her." Pomona gaped, and the students who knew that Professor McGonagall's first name was Minerva were mimicking her, not believing that someone would kiss such a stiff person.
Pomona whined uncharacteristically, "Ugh! I want to know who!"
Poppy hesitantly gazed around her empty Hospital Wing before sighing in defeat and hurrying out the door to Minerva's classroom. Aurora and Septima left the staffroom without hesitation, arriving at Minerva's classroom first. Poppy arrived shortly afterwards. Rolanda smiled at her, "Poppy, so glad you could make it."
Septima walked straight up to Minerva's desk, behind which she was now sitting, and demanded, "Minerva McGonagall, you better spill the beans right now if you know what's good for you!"
Minerva ignored her, thinking again about what happened. All four women watching Minerva frowned at the sudden horrified look that crossed her face. Poppy asked, "Minerva, what's wrong?"
Minerva shot a glance at her class, all of who were listening attentively. They all looked down at their work, and all four women were now in front of her desk. She whispered miserably, "He thinks I rejected him."
"Did you?" Aurora asked. Minerva shook her head.
Septima pointed her wand at the door and muttered something inaudible. After a minute or two, the door flew open and her Pensieve flew through the door. She and Albus were the only two with one in the school. It landed on Minerva's desk and Septima instructed to Rolanda, "Put your memory of the event in here."
Rolanda excitedly pointed her wand to her temple and slowly pulled it away, a silvery wisp of smoke on the tip now. She put the memory in the Pensieve and Aurora grinned, "I know a spell to make it so the whole room can see!"
Rolanda, Septima, and Aurora were grinning evilly while Poppy eyed her friend, concerned. Minerva said quietly, "I don't want my students to be aware of my personal life. Anyway, how long were you standing there, Rolanda?"
"I passed by in time to see you backing out of your rooms," Rolanda answered.
"He already left," Minerva mumbled miserably.
"So? You're students might be interested in seeing you act like a teenage girl," Rolanda grinned. The students listening – all of them – didn't believe a word of that.
"Minerva McGonagall, act like a teenage girl? I don't believe it," Poppy shook her head, voicing the students' thoughts
"Minerva, either you tell us who it was that kissed you," at this point, the students' jaws dropped, "or we show your students Rolanda's memory," Aurora threatened.
Minerva put her face in her hands, and Aurora sighed. She activated the memory in the Pensieve and used the spell to project it into the air. The students watched as Minerva backed out of her private chambers, leant against the portrait, put her fingers to her lips, and smiled. They watched as Rolanda questioned her, and they gaped as she nodded when Rolanda asked her if she was kissed.
Minerva endured stares the entirety of the day. She was anticipating dinner; she needed to clear things up with Albus. But what if he didn't show up? He's a Gryffindor; he's not going to run away from his problems, even when he doesn't have them – although he didn't know that.
It was her break, and she realized with a jolt that she could visit him now. She stood up and left her office, headed for Albus's office. She muttered the password to the stone gargoyle and stood on the revolving staircase. She knocked on the door, and she heard nothing behind the door for a while. She considered knocking again, but finally heard a resigned, "Enter," finally come from the other side of the door.
She entered his office and found him behind his desk, looking up at her with sad eyes, "Minerva, I –," he started, but she didn't let him finish.
"Albus Dumbledore, if you apologize I swear I will turn into my Animagus form and claw your eyes out," she said sternly. He remained silent, "I don't want you to apologize."
"I understand," he said quietly, a little thankfully. "You want to forget the whole thing happened, I can–."
"No, you don't understand," she sighed, coming up to his desk. "I love you."
It was his turn to be surprised, "Wh-what?"
She smiled slightly, "I love you, Albus. I don't want you to apologize for something that made me happy."
He just stared at her in disbelief. A little amused and a little exasperated, Minerva came behind the desk. Albus turned his head to face her, and she bent down and kissed him. It was more than a little brush against the lips this time, for Minerva wanted to prove a point.
Once he got over his shock, Albus returned the kiss. He placed his hands at her waist and gently pulled her onto his lap, where she snaked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They separated for air, breathing heavily, their foreheads touching. Albus, once his breathing had calmed down, murmured, "I love you too, Minerva."
She smiled, "Then I am a very happy woman."
"And I am a very happy man," he grinned.
It was just before dinner, and Minerva was sitting in the staffroom at the request of Rolanda. The staff was betting on who kissed her, and they wanted to see her reaction to each man named. Unluckily for them, she was excellent at keeping a straight face. They had ruled out all of the men on staff, except for Albus, since they were present.
"How about that barman at the Hog's Head?" suggested Septima, "What's his name…he never says…?"
Horace Slughorn, the Potions Master, raised an eyebrow at her, "Didn't you say Minerva wasn't rejecting him?"
"Yeah, and since when have you been in the Hog's Head?" Pomona asked.
"Once or twice," said an amused voice from the doorway. Minerva looked up to see Albus standing in the doorway. She gave him a small smile, and Albus winked at her before continuing, "I see her in there from time to time."
"What are you doing in there, Headmaster?" asked Poppy.
"I go there out of respect of the barman," he said dismissively. "What are you all doing?"
"Betting on who kissed Minerva," Rolanda answered, eyeing him suspiciously. "I bet twenty Galleons on you."
He raised his eyebrows, "Kissed Minerva? Someone kissed Minerva?"
"You haven't heard?" asked Minerva dryly. "Rolanda, Aurora, and Septima have been spreading it around the school, along with my students at that time of day. Poppy had the decency of giving me privacy."
Rolanda's face fell, "So…it wasn't you?"
"I believe the man who kissed me is still under the impression I rejected him, so he wouldn't be as happy as Albus is at the moment. Wouldn't you agree?" Minerva asked Rolanda.
"I suppose," she sighed, "But, no one saw him from the moment you were kissed to your break! You could've visited him during your break and explained…," she trailed off desperately.
That's exactly what happened, thought Minerva. She sighed, "If I tell you who it was, will you swear not to tell anyone and not bother me – or him – about it? You must swear not to tell anyone, all of you."
They all nodded, and she sighed, standing up. She put her left hand to her forehead as she walked towards Albus. Once she reached him, she turned around and faced her colleagues, removing her hand from her face. She looked directly at Rolanda as Albus's hand reached for hers, "Rolanda, that's exactly what happened."
Rolanda beamed, "Yes! You all owe me twenty galleons each!" Grumbling, the staff members handed her the coins, but were secretly happy that the two Heads-of-School had gotten together. The one word running through all of their heads was: Finally!