A Very Harry Summer

A/N: This is my first try at a HP fic, so be nice. Plus I think it'll be cute. There's mild Albus/Minerva fluff ahead, so be ready.

Ch. 1

Minerva McGonagall strode through the hallway, with a stern look on her face that meant business. She walked briskly up to the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's Office. "Acid Pop," she said impatiently, tapping her foot. When after seemingly forever, the gargoyles had moved completely out of the way, and Minerva had not wasted a second, as she hurried up into the office. She paused, for a mere second, catching her breath. It was just yesterday when she cast away the use of that dratted cane, after all.

"Albus, we need to talk!"

Albus Dumbledore looked up from his desk, setting a magnifying glass down. It looked like he was trying to repair one of the silver instruments Harry had literally destroyed. Ever since that night, Albus had lost that familiar twinkle in his eye, and Minerva had wanted to know what happened in the office to make Harry so angry. The thing that bothered her the most was that Albus had told her simply that he got what he deserved from Harry, and had closed the topic for discussion.

"Hello Minerva, what seems to be troubling you?" He motioned to a chintz chair by his desk. "I'm sure you'd like to sit down," he smiled. He knew her all too well for her own liking.

"You know why I'm here, Albus, I want to take Harry for the summer." The words came out more rapidly than she would have liked, but she couldn't hold it back any longer. She had to say it.

"You know he has to stay at his Aunt and Uncle's house for the protective spells I put on his relative's house to be renewed each year. He must stay there for a while every year for it to be renewed," Albus said, sighing heavily. "I knew you'd come and ask to take him, but the only question was when."

"I've wanted to take him since he first came, and you knew that, but this year's occurrences made up my mind," Minerva said, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger. She fidgeted in her seat, anxious to hear what Albus had to say.

"Well Minerva, you know I can't stop you from taking him..."

Minerva fidgeted some more.

"...but I'd rather you wait three weeks before picking him up."

"Absolutely not," Minerva raged. "I won't have him stay there in that abominable house any longer!"

Albus raised a hand for silence, and when she settled down to catch her breath, he continued. "I know your feelings about this, but it doesn't change the fact that he must stay there every summer. You should wait at least two weeks before picking him up. Three weeks would be safer, but I know how you are about these things, and when you set your mind to something, you are by far the most stubborn person I've ever had the privilege to meet."

Minerva blushed crimson, and hid her extremely small smile behind her hand. Albus knew her better than anyone, and sometimes she hated how he used that to his advantage to successfully woo her.

"Thank you, Albus," she croaked. Her voice had gone hoarse. Albus smiled, and he leaned closer to her.

"Minerva, I know you want to take him right now more than anything, but please, wait at least two weeks." He leaned back from her and calmly waited for the tantrum. She was easy to predict once you got to know her, and she could throw a fit that would rattle the furniture.

What she did next, however, surprised him utterly beyond belief.

She smiled at him, and spoke calmly. "I understand, Albus, and I know how right you always are." She got up slowly, and with the gait of a woman still recovering yet stubborn, she walked out of his office and closed the door behind her without a word. Albus sat there for a few moments, wondering why she acted so differently, then got back to his work.

Down the stairs, through the silent, empty, and student-free halls, and up to her bedroom during the year, she walked, not noticing a single thing, just walking and thinking deeply at the same time. When she went into her room, she sat down on her creaky little bed and tried to devise a plan. She couldn't defy Albus, so she would have to wait those dratted two weeks. After a few minutes of careful thinking, she had it all planned out. On the morning of the beginning of the third week, she would show up at the door, and demand for those filthy muggles to release Harry. She could just scare them if they resisted with an impressive transformation, but then, she might just be able to take him without using any force.

Lying down, she thought about how great it would be to have him at last, and promptly fell asleep, still smiling to herself.

The next morning, she got up, and did her normal routine. Grading exams. Oh, how she hated to grade exams. If she was lucky, she could get a whole year done today. She then eagerly got to work at that thought.

At lunchtime, she went down to the table with the other teachers that were left. Professor Sprout, Flitwick, Snape, and Hagrid of course were the only ones still here, along with Albus. Obviously Sibyl would stay all year, due to the fact that she had nowhere else to go, and Firenze, because he was no longer welcome in the forest, but they chose not to dine with the rest of them. They all waited politely for Albus to come down, and only when he took his seat did they begin eating. Only when all the students were gone did Albus sit in a normal chair instead of the large headmaster's chair he usually did. He had said once that he didn't like sitting up so high from his plate, and that it hurt too much to sit in.

She knew he was lying about that, because she had once sat in it for a minute when no one was around. It felt like a cloud, because it was stuffed with only the most delicate of feathers. Still, it was nice that they had a headmaster who didn't consider himself better than everyone else.

She looked at the table and realized how hungry she was. Obeying her stomach, she shoveled the corn, mashed potatoes, and chicken onto her plate. In roughly one minute, it was all gone. Her colleagues looked at her curiously.

"Er… are you alright Minerva?" Professor Sprout looked over at her inquiringly.

"Yes, I'm quite alright, just anxious to get some of these exams graded." She replied, scooping second helpings onto her plate. In an even shorter space of time, she had everything but licked her plate clean.

"Minerva, you seem a little preoccupied today, is there something wrong?" Albus asked, his eyes showing that knowing look. He knew she was thinking about Harry, and he was playing with her. Did he want everyone else to find out what she was up to? Or was he just teasing her?

"No, Albus, I'm perfectly fine," she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

Hagrid leaned over and looked at her closely. "Yeah, Professor, ya look kinda…. pale, if yeh know wha' I mean." Albus nodded in agreement. Then the rest of the staff turned back around to look at her and peered at her face.

"I dun think yeh'd say no ter a glass of firewhiskey, now would yeh?" Hagrid chortled.

Blushing crimson, she shook her head politely, and got up, pushing in her chair. Everyone was still looking at her. "I'm perfectly fine, all of you," she snapped, getting up from the table. She held her head high, and walked quickly out of the hall.

She wasn't acting weird, was she? Feeling her forehead, she felt a little warm, so she went upstairs to lie down for a while.

As it turned out, she did have a rather bad cold, and was in bed for a few days, not even being able to grade papers. Though when finally prompted by Albus, she took some of that foul tasting Pepperup Potion that was left behind in Poppy's office, and felt better almost immediately.

It took over a week to finish up all the papers, and when she finally did, it was the last night on the second week. 'So I wouldn't even have been able to take Harry if I tried, because I couldn't leave all this work.' She thought miserably.

Putting all the papers in one stack the next day, she began to pack her things. Albus insisted on walking with her out of the grounds, as though she were to be jumped the moment she left the castle.

"I'm perfectly all right Albus," she snapped, for about the hundredth time.

"Of course you are Minerva," he sighed, looking at her with rather hurt eyes. "You are so stubborn that you heal all too quickly, and are more determined than ever to have your way." At this, he looked down at one of the few scars left from the unfortunate stunning incident, and traced it lightly with his finger. She shivered slightly, and looked up at him in mock anger. His finger traced the scar from just above her bosom and trailed it until it stopped slightly above her collarbone.

"I'll be fine, Albus." She said softly. They had been friends for many years, and their friendship, possibly even love, grew into an unbreakable bond. She knew it could never be broken, as it had been put to the test by countless arguments.

He pulled her into a tight embrace that lasted only a few moments. "Do be careful Minerva," he whispered softly. They broke apart, and she gave him a soft look.

"I'll be fine," she whispered, before moving down the path a little ways, before grabbing her trunk and apparating with a small crack to her manor.

A/N: Done! Took me a few days to do (limited computer access) but I feel good about this. Muahaha. That means it's good for me and bad for you, because it involves cliffies along the way!