There was a knock on the solid oak door.
"Come in, Potter!" Minerva sighed as the door swung open and a boy with untidy black hair came in, a small smirk on his face.
She gestured to the chair in front of her and the untidy lad settled down in it, tussling up his hair absentmindedly as his glasses flashed at her, the hazel eyes behind them were fixed on her. She carried on finishing the essay she was marking. James Potter didn't dare make a sound, he sat silently listening to the scratching sound of her quill as she moved it intently across the page, scribbling notes and making small deliberate marks across the piece of parchment. Her green eyes were fixed on the page as she sat stiffly over her desk focused. The age around her face was older but her determination to do her best to teach the children was still as fresh as when she was a young witch. She finished marking the essay and rolled it up, placed it neatly onto the pile on her right hand side and then set down her quill. She turned her penetrating gaze towards the boy in front of her.
"Now, Mr Potter, I understand that you know why you're here."
"Umm… I'm not entirely sure, no…" his glasses flashed again. "Why don't you spell it out to me?"
His grin was saucy and Minerva shot him a look which would wipe the smile off of any student here. But there it stayed, as doleful and cheeky as anything; Minerva only knew two pupils who could stand to look at her even after the glare and that was Sirius Black and the boy right in front of her. Inwardly, she was admiring the boy's nerve but externally, she showed no change in expression. Her voice was as even and sharp as ever.
"I am referring to the incident with Mr Ackerley of Ravenclaw."
"Incident, Professor?"
He looked at her innocently, his hazel eyes widened in a feint of ignorance. Minerva's expression was unfaltering.
"Yes, Mr Ackerley was indeed locked inside a broom cupboard and seems to be under the impression that it was you that locked him in there."
"But, Professor, how would I-"
"Honestly, Potter!" Minerva snapped over him. "Do you honestly believe that Ackerley would lie about this? He's a prefect! And why do you think he'd blame you if he didn't know who did it?"
"Well… maybe…" James stretched his arms out in a fake yawn. "…maybe he feels threatened by me!"
"This is not a joking matter, Mr Potter!"
James' grin turned to a grimace.
"Now, could you please explain why you did this? Have you two been in a conflict? Was it revenge? Or just another idiot so-called 'prank' of yours and Black's? Perhaps Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew were involved too" Minerva questioned him.
"I don't see what Sirius has got to do with anything! And Remus is responsible, you know, Professor! And Peter wouldn't do something to get in trouble with a prefect!" James loyally defended his friends.
"So it was just you, then?"
James sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Why… why, Potter, did you do it?"
"You've only got Ackerley's word for it… and he's been shut in a cupboard for three days so he's probably disorientated and delusional. It's not like you've got another witness or any evidence!" James protested.
"Well, Miss Evans seemed distinctly annoyed at you earlier," Minerva saw James freeze and then shrug.
"So what? She's always annoyed at me," James shrugged casually, with the air of one commenting on the weather.
"And I do believe that she and Mr Ackerley are… oh, what is it you say now… 'dating'?" she pressed.
James shrugged again looking a little more uncomfortable.
"I'm afraid that locking someone up isn't a good way to impress a girl, Mr Potter."
James shrugged again.
"I believe it only angers her further… and even though I do realise that you are… fond of Miss Evans, to pursue it in such a way is not acceptable behaviour!" Minerva found it distinctly hard to phrase.
James nodded stiffly before suddenly groaning and throwing his hands up in the air.
"I just don't understand why she hates me, Professor!" he moaned.
"Well I believe locking her friend in a broom cupboard may be an example…" but James wasn't listening to her properly anymore.
"I've wound her up in the past, yeah, sure, but even when I'm nice to her she still throws me these looks! And everyone says 'oh but James, don't worry, you'll be fine, just be yourself the big-quidditch-star and she'll come falling over to you like all the other girls!' but then I am myself and she seems to hate me more!" he complained. "All she does is hang out with that Snivellus! I've tried doing everything, being straight and serious with her, being jokey, but nothing works! God, I'm seriously thinking of giving up! It's no use!"
He threw his face into his hands and groaned loudly in frustration. Minerva looked in surprise at him, astonished at the outburst from the usually calm and easy-going quidditch player. Despite him being a trouble maker, Minerva did have a soft spot for the boy… he was after all, a fantastic player, and despite being a dunderhead a lot of the time she'd seem him display kindness to others, not just those of his close friends. Speaking of friends she saw him as deeply and fiercely loyal and when he worked in class, he had a way with transfiguration. However, so astonished that his usual composition had slipped away as fast as the smirk on his face she couldn't think of any way to comfort the obviously frustrated and upset boy; instead, all she managed to do was splutter out a single question.
"You really do like her, don't you?"
"More than anything…" he mumbled. "Not that it matters… god… I should have listened to Moony ages ago… its way to late now. I'm giving up."
"No you will not!" Minerva burst out.
James looked up slightly dazed. "What?"
"You, James, you are not going to give up on her!"
James looked at his Head of House in complete amazement, his mouth making silent Os as he gaped at her.
"I want you to pester her! Annoy her! You are going to make her want to tear her hair out with frustration over how annoying you are!"
"But, Professor…?"
"I'm sure you've already made her want to do that but you have to try, Potter! Don't you dare give up!" she pointed a finger sternly at him.
"But I've already been annoying her, everything I do annoys her!"
"Well, you've just got to keep up the very good streak then!"
"What, so she'll kill me?"
"I'm being serious, James!"
"So am I!" James leapt up. "Have you gone completely mad? Do you even realise what she was doing earlier this afternoon? It's getting bloody dangerous to annoy her now! You know how talented a witch she is! And I'm sorry, Professor, but you're not making sense, you're making it sound like I have to shut all her friends and future boyfriends and… and… and her up a broom cupboard!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Minerva rolled her eyes at him.
"Professor, I really don't understand…" James shook his head at her.
"Potter, you'll do as I say or…" Minerva was being deadly serious. "…you're off the Quidditch team!"
"You can't do that, Professor!" James banged his fist on the table.
"Oh yes I most certainly can!" she answered back sharply.
"That's it, I'm getting Madame Pomfrey!" he turned to leave.
"No… no… listen, James…" Minerva sighed. "Lily… Miss Evans… she doesn't want you to stop… well, actually, right now, she does, you have to persevere! She doesn't realise it yet but she likes the pestering and yelling at you and telling you off for being ridiculous, she's just not ready yet."
Minerva slowed down and took a pause, realising she was talking mostly about herself now.
"She just needs some closure, something to get through before she realises that all the little things that used to anger her so much and the ideas that she thought were ridiculous and idiotic are really what she's wanted all along. And then she won't want you to stop annoying her, and she'll realise that she'll miss the annoying questions and little… little…"
James saw his Professor go out of focus for a moment before shaking herself and looking him dead in the eye.
"Patience, Potter. What I mean is, don't give up on your dreams, Miss Evans just needs time. Do you understand now?"
James nodded slowly, "I think so…"
"So annoy her, ask her to… 'go steady' with you or whatever it is! Pester her about dates to Hogsmeade and the like! Let her know that you're still there and that you've not given up!" Minerva gave James a small smile. "But, please, refrain from doing anything desperately rash or against school rules?"
"I'll try, Professor," James nodded, but they both knew that he was lying.
"You may go now," Minerva nodded towards the door.
James turned away and made to leave the room. As he reached the door she spoke again.
"And Potter, I withdraw what I said about Quidditch, I really do need you on the team so we can beat Slytherin!"
James's saucy grin appeared again. "Aye, aye, Captain!"
He winked and opened the door and disappeared along the corridor. It was only when he reached the end of it that he stopped and looked back, the realisation dawning on him. Not only had he gotten off without a single detention or point being taken off Gryffindor… but what the hell had just happened? He stood staring down the Transfiguration corridor for an age, trying to comprehend what McGonagall had said to him, and why she had said it… it definitely wasn't like a teacher to listen properly to a student's rant on their love life, but to answer back and encourage him to pester her? And McGonagall out of all the teachers was the one he'd least expect that sort of behaviour from. He turned and started to walk back to Gryffindor Tower, slightly elevated that one person wished for him to carry on pursuing what seemed like a failed and impossible chance to get a date from Lily Evans.
Minerva sighed and looked about her room, uncharacteristically dreamy as she spotted the half opened letter on her desk, sitting on top of a book. It was addressed to "Dear my dearest Minnie," and she went to pick it up and stroke the side lovingly.
"Please don't give up on me, Urquart," she whispered softly. "I just need some more time…"