Birthday Surprises.
Professor Minerva McGonagall was feeling rather smug.
Why? Because it was her birthday, and for once she had managed to have a nice, quiet, relaxing day.
Sure, it was cold, rainy and generally horrible outside; but here curled up by the hearth with her whiskers gently burning from the heat of the fire, she was warm, smug and extremely contented.
Minerva was so out it, in fact, that she didn't hear the knock at the door.
"Minerva? Min, are you OK?" Came a caring voice from the other side of the oaken door.
Cautiously peeking around the door, which was disguised a portrait to the unknowing, Albus Dumbledore smiled with relief to find Minerva asleep by the fire.
He quietly closed the door, and after placing the flowers, chocolates and wrapped present on the table, he bent down next to Minerva.
"Hey, Tabby?" He asked, gently stroking her sleek fur.
He got a sleepy purr in response to his touch, but no more.
Chuckling softly to himself, he sat down by her, leaning against the sofa. Acting purely on a whim, stretching his legs in-front of him, he reached over and carefully picked up the dozing cat and placed her on his lap.
She purred and snuggled closer to him, rubbing her head against his stomach.
Albus chuckled again, and petted her head and neck. He looked at her in his lap, so contented and relaxed, and he couldn't help but love her even more. She was so gentle, so beautiful...
He stopped the 'massage' he was giving her and just lay his hand over her back, with his fingers stretching around to her side.
He could feel her purring, the reverberations going through her ribs.
He sighed, grinning madly at the thought that it was the physical contact between them that was causing Minerva to purr.
Her ear twitched, and Albus had to bite back a laugh. He was very ticklish.
Both her ears twitched, and she rubbed her head against Albus's tummy again. Minerva then sat up, and blearily opened her eyes.
She had stopped purring when she woke up, and now meowed in confusion at being further away from the fire. She stood up, and walked then length of Albus's legs, trying to figure out where she was, and back. Upon realising she was sitting _on_ someone, she looked up. A slightly blurry human face looked back.
Praying whoever it was wouldn't mind, she stood up and placed her front paws on their stomach.
Looking back at her, with amusement twinkling in his eyes, was the kindly face of Albus Dumbledore.
"Hello Minerva." He smiled, noticing the familiar markings of her glasses were missing. "Nice sleep?" He asked, not unkindly.
Minerva gawked. The headmaster? She had slept on _the headmaster_?
In her confusion and embarrassment, Minerva lost the thread of concentration it took to keep her in her animagi form. With a rush of air, she was human again.
Much to her deep embarrassment, Minerva was kneeling on the headmaster's legs, with her hands against his chest.
She looked at her hands, as still as mouse(or student) caught by her own deathly glare, then up at Albus's face.
His head was slightly to one side, and there was a twinkle to his blue eyes that she couldn't quite decipher.
What really made her catch her breath; was his smile. It was so peaceful, so serene, so contented. Had he been looking at any other woman, Minerva would have called it a 'loving' smile.
Reality crashed upon her with the thunder outside, and she realised she was still on him.
With a confused and apologetic smile, she removed her hands from his chest, but Albus caught them in his own, warmer, stronger hands.
Meeting his eyes, Minerva saw a longing, and a... If she didn't know any better, she'd say a deep love.
"Minerva," He said, not having the courage to continue.
He sighed, and looked at their hands. He squeezed hers gently, and then looked up at her from underneath raised eyebrows.
"Minerva," He whispered. He shook his head and smiled sadly, "I love you." He confessed quietly.
Minerva looked at him. He couldn't be telling the truth, could he? He was just joking, he had to be!
As he silently implored her to say something with his eyes and soul, something clicked inside Minerva.
She shot up and turned from him, placing a hand over her racing heart.
Albus too stood up, worried. What was she thinking? Was she accepting? Annoyed...? Had he hurt her with his words? Would she banish him from her life...?
With her back turned to him, Minerva attempted to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, and sobs that were collecting in the back of her throat.
Albus placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to see round her. "Min? I... I didn't..."
Minerva span around, and revealed her teary eyes.
Albus's shoulders drooped, and his eyes seemed duller somehow.
"Oh, Albus!" She mumbled through a mouthful of unshod tears.
He looked back up, hope burning feverishly upon his expressive face.
Minerva held onto Albus's arms, just below his shoulders.
"Do you really mean it?" She asked.
"Of course." He put his hands on her shoulders, and slowly slid his hands down till he reached her hands. He fed his fingers through hers, and bit his lip, holding her hands close to his heart. "Minerva, darling, do you think you could ever love me back?"
She watched him, struggling to ask. Self-conscious and embarrassed, he struggled to meet her eyes.
She removed one of her hands from his, and placed it on the side of his face. Gently, she forced him to look at her, and lent forward, answering his question with a timid kiss.
Albus nearly melted in her arms. After years of dreaming...
Bringing himself back to reality, he smiled inwardly as he kissed Minerva back.
He shivered as she ran her hands over his back, and much to his disappointment, they had to separate to breath.
Still holding onto him, Minerva put her head in the crook of his neck.
He sighed, contented. He turned his head to look at her, and couldn't resist.
He began to place soft, feathery kisses upon Minerva's neck. He couldn't help it.
Much to his surprise, and Minerva's, she started purring.
Confused, he leant back and looked at her. She was purring! But... In her human form...
He stroked her neck with a ringed hand, and smiled as the purr grew with his touch.
"Albus..." Minerva whispered huskily, placing her hands on his shoulders.
She looked into his eyes, and found it. The love, adoration, devotion.
It was so deep, so strong, that it made Minerva blush and look away.
"Tabby." Albus replied, a hand stroking her cheek.
She looked at him, and saw a mischievous grin that had been known to make even Peeves think twice.
Then, one by one, her hairpins began to float out of her hair, and onto the arm of sofa.
She didn't say anything, but simply leaned back slightly, arching her back; revelling in the feeling of her hair unwinding after a long day in a tight bun.
Albus then stepped around her, and after the last pin had gone, he begun to gently massage her head.
Minerva was in heaven. She brought her shoulders forward, and head back, mouth open in complete bliss.
They stayed there for a while, Minerva relaxed and falling asleep on her feet; Albus perfectly happy to stay there forever.
Her hair was so soft, so – 'liquid velvet' he thought, teasing her hair, watching it falling in long, tousled waves.
"Oh Albus." She practically purred. She turned around to face him, eyes dark with desire, and put her arms around his neck and simply held him.
Albus sighed, smiling. Surely it should be impossible to be this happy.
"Come on, Tabby," He said, leading her to the sofa, "I have a present I want you to open."
She stopped short, "Present?" An eyebrow raised on her smiling face.
"Well, it is your birthday." He defended himself, holding out a gold-wrapped gift.
"But... I'd thought everyone had forgot.." She replied, taking it with a bemused grin.
"Not everyone," He replied, stroking her face, as they sat down on the settee.
Minerva smiled, the edges of her smile turning down as she tried to hold back the inevitable tears. 'He remembered. He actually remembered.'
She held his hand against her cheek, then let go and went to opening the neatly wrapped gift.
He to, took his hand away, and waited, unsure, to see if Minerva liked her present.
She gasped, and stood up, holding it to her body.
"Oh, Albus! It's... beautiful!" She exclaimed, twirling around to see how it looked against her.
In the mirror she saw herself, a beaming woman with waving hair as dark as night, with milky pale skin, and a smile that reached her deep green eyes for once. Held to her body was an emerald green dress, enhancing her eyes, with long flared sleeves, and flowing skirts. It was corseted, and Minerva smiled again at the thought of how it would feel to wear clothes that would reveal her slim waist, rather than her usual clothes that hid it.
Albus came up behind her, and smiled at the reflection. "You like it?"
"Like it?" Minerva repeated. She turned to face him, laying the dress over her arm while doing so, "Albus, I love it!"
She went over to her sofa and carefully folded the dress, then placed it upon the back of the seat.
She then ran over the Albus and hugged him tightly, and kissing him passionately.
"I'd hoped as much." He told her. He took hold of her arms, and held her slightly back so her could look at her properly. "As soon as I saw it, I thought of you. I'm so glad you like it!"
Minerva laughed and kissed him again, "How could I not?"
They sat back on the seat, and Minerva levitated the dress to her room.
Albus then presented her with a box of chocolates, which spurred her to hug him again (being careful not to squish the chocolates!).
As the night grew on, they were snuggled against each other, Albus had his legs up on the sofa, and Minerva was laying; head on his shoulder; in-between the sofa back and Albus's body.
It was a comfortable silence, filled with loving glances and shared smiled. Albus put his arm around Minerva, and she snuggled up closer to him.
The chocolates, Minerva discovered, which were in a nondescript round purple box, kept refilling themselves with the eaters favourites.
Albus, when Minerva gave him a questioning glance, simply smiled; eyes twinkling like stars.
"Happy birthday, love." He whispered.
Well, that's it for Chapter one! Please review, and give any pointers that you see to be necessary!
Thanks, Kimmy!