Hi, this idea popped into my head and refused to go. So I am writing it. Hope nobody minds the pairing. Hahaha.

The Boy and The Girl

She was his special one.

The first time he saw her, she was eleven. He was eleven too. There he was, waiting to be sorted

into his house, and since her name came up first, she was sorted faster than him. Her long hair

flowing like water, she went up and took her place on the sorting hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!" howled the hat.

He was not surprised. She had looked like the sort who had a lot of courage, and, it seemed, was

able to use her courage to help others in need. Alas, he thought, as he saw Dunderbore, or

Dumbledore, or whatever dore, raise his eyebrows and smile at her, he rather thought he might be

seeing less of her from now on. For, he had already made up his mind on his house.

"SLYTHERIN!" yelled the hat. He took it off, walked to his table, and their eyes met. A nod, and there was nothing else.

The second time he looked into her eyes, it was during the time on the train, a whole six years later. He had received a letter from Hogwarts, informing him that he had been chosen to be Head Boy. He had wondered, for the holidays, whether she would be his partner.

Oh yes she was. She was Head Girl. Her long hair flowed again behind her, catching the wind blowing through the train, as they both explained to the new prefects about their new duties. Her eyes shone as she took on the new responsibilities that came with this prestigious status. Again, after all the new ones had left, they looked into each other's eyes again. With a start, he realized, the girl he had been attracted—no, correction. Desired, was different. Older, more mature, and somehow, she seemed more willing to take on the responsibility of the world, and carry it around, in those eyes of hers. The vivacious eleven year old was no more. He watched the figure turn and go out of the carriage…

The third time he looked into her eyes, they were 28. She was now a flower in full blossom, her hair tied up, in a ponytail, and with a more mature, beautiful look about her. However, he had finally given up all hope of ever marrying, especially with this new face…he was married to his horcruxes, and his power, and fame. Nothing else could come between them. He had never regretted it.

Until tonight.

They were standing outside the stone gargoyle, the place where they had stood a million times before as students, especially in their fifth year, the year where every single prefect was swept off their feet by the ever increasing threat of Slytherin's successor. Everyone except him. She, too, had nothing to worry about , since she was pure-blood. They, like all others, reported to Dippet, the Headmaster, about the newest happenings in Hogwarts.

Now, Dippet was gone. Dumbledore was in place, as the new Head, relinquishing his Tranfiguration teacher post in the meantime. He was rather worried about his chance to be a teacher, even though there were 2 posts that year, with Merrythought's death as well. Well, the brats could all go to rot, what he really needed was people who could help him. And a place for his horcrux. However, he felt she had a much better chance than him.

"I decided to take Transfiguration, you see."

"ohh, I hope I can be the DADA teacher."

"Hope we can be colleagues. And what's happened to your face?"

"Umm, accident…" he trawled off. He did not want her to know about him, funnily enough. However, in time, he knew the inevitable would come. She would one day find out all about him. Particularly after she came out of the office beaming and with these words

"I am Professor McGonagall when the new term starts!"

Now, nearly 35 years later since that last encounter, where Dumbledore refused his request to become her colleague, he found himself facing her eyes again. But now, everything had changed. Her eyes no longer looked at him beaming; instead, it was cold, hard, and steely, with an ounce of determination to-wipe him out?-. Her hair was no longer flowing, but it was tied with a bun. Her face was covered with bruises and cuts-results of the many fights tonight. And the fact that she cared more than Harry Potter than him…well, it had been hard to stomach. But one thing was sure, that was the first time he had ever heard her shriek.

Now they faced each other across the small patch, a small one on one, shooting curses and jinxes into each other's faces, conjuring up defensive magic against each other's many different spells.

He sighed.

" I guess we were total opposites, I was head boy, you were head girl, I Hated Dumbledore's guts, he disliked me, but you have risen from his favorite student to his friend and partner. How different are we, exactly?"

"one more thing you forgot" she whispered.

"you chose the dark. I chose the light. Our choices shaped our fates from the start."

"Minerva…" he murmured, " I guess you are right. But tonight, we duel. And I will not show mercy."

She was no longer his special one. She was Dumbledore's stooge, and nothing, he reflected, would change that. With a swipe of his wand, he began to duel her.

*END*

Well, we all know what happened next. Kingsley and Slughorn-another of Voldermort's special ones, joined the furore. And an hour later, Tom was dead.

I just thought of this idea when someone mentioned that You-Know-Who might be acquainted with Minerva McGonagall, cos when Dumbledore became Head, he can't be teacher, and Minerva McGonagall took his place. Then Lord Voldermort came in and demanded his dark arts job. So she can't have been a few years younger or older than him. Then for story's sake I decided to make them the same year. Hope no one minds.