Disclaimer. I own three ferrets, two Oscars, a cat fish and my original characters., the credit card people own the rest. JK owns the rights to the Harry Potter World. (Thanks for letting us play in your sand box!)
Whilst Petals Fall Through Rose Colored Glasses.
(The challenge to write a romantic interlude between Albus and Minerva for Valentines day…)
Chapter One. February 13.
Minerva McGonagall adjusted her witch's hat as she left her classroom She carried the test for her class and her destination was the Headmasters office. While there were no spells that were to be said between the hallways, a stray ghost or children rushing by, or even Peeves could have her hat slip from her head and tumble to the floor. She couldn't have that as she had something- in her hat that she wanted to get through the halls of Hogwarts with out anyone knowing it. While she could have transfigured it smaller to carry in a pocket, what she was doing required the utmost timing and silence.
She went to the hall where the stone griffin was for the staircase, and followed the steps up. She knew the headmaster was in the gardens speaking to Prof Sprout about the new crop of Periwinkle. The door to the office opened and she looked around to see the portraits sleeping. She knew there habits, and knew even the Sorting Hat was snoozing by his snore.
Minerva's hand slipped under her hat and placed a small object on his desk that twinkled in the afternoon sun. She smiled and then snuck out of the office with the papers still in her hand. To leave them would have let him know whom the object was from, but if anyone would have asked, it gave her reason to be there.
She went down to the head table before the students arrived for dinner and placed a second small object on his chair behind his cushion. She looked around and then she went to her office to grade papers and closed the door. Her classes were done, and if she hurried she could be in the dining room just as he sat down to feign surprise. Because she had dismissed class and had skipped her afternoon walk she had just the proper amount of time before she was expected back in her office. She was a creature of habit, and the delight was not in the gift, but in the mystery… She grimaced. Some of the students handwriting when they were trying to stretch the length of the parchment was abysmal She knew she had to have these graded before the following day.
Albus Dumbledore waited along the path where Minerva would take her after noon walk with a single rose that he had begged from Prof Sprout that afternoon. She had been adamant about his choice of days, and warned him of the consequences if his decision was wrong. He frowned. Minerva was never late with her walk, and he was running late with his appointments before dinnertime.
He took a breath and then went up to where her quarters were in the Gryffindor tower was and making sure no one saw him he laid the rose upon her pillow, and then went down to the main hall where he met the minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge who insisted on taking him to the ministry to look at the information that they had on furthering the education of muggle born witches and wizards.
The dinner bell rang and Minerva rubbed her eyes. She pushed the papers away. She would have to spend more time than she had anticipated and she wanted to be there when Albus discovered her surprise.. She went to the great hall and to her surprise Albus wasn't there. Drawing a breath she walked as if nothing was wrong. She arrived at the table to find his pillow had been moved, and the package she had left for him was missing. She didn't want to seem frantic; she sat down and was very careful to look around to see if there was any explanation as to where the package went. Surely he would have know who this was from. She took a breath.
Unless the feelings that the object evoked in him wasn't one of one he would admit. She tried not to wince, or to think about what would be said about the other gift. She knew it would be too late to retrieve it from his office. She ate, with out tasting and before After's she excused herself and went back to grading her papers in her office. She couldn't bear to go to the common room, or to her bedroom, she needed to bury herself in her work to forget how foolish she felt right then. She continued to make corrections on the paper until well into the morning and then giving up, pulled a coverlet over her legs and leaned back and fell asleep on her office sofa.
Albus arrived back at the castle quite late and exhausted he went straight to bed not bothering to undress, just laid on top of the covers. He wondered how Minerva liked her rose. With that as his last thought, he fell asleep.
February 14th.Dawn came. Albus woke with a start his eyes snapping open and focused on something that lay on his nightstand. He regarded it with then rolled out of bed and went to the showers and then headed down to the great hall for breakfast. He found Minerva sitting quietly moving her spoon in her untouched porridge The fact that she didn't acknowledge him beyond a polite hello, and that she seemed put our sent warning signals to his brain. He couldn't bring himself to ask her why she had returned his gift. She excused herself and went to her classroom to finish grading the papers with out a word to him.
He saw the young couples billing and cooing and after a silent meal he made his way up to his office. He strode across the room and was going to go up to the astronomy portal when something caught his eye. It glittered in the light and took his breath away.
It was a crystal Phoenix paperweight that moved and shook its feathers and glowed with an inner fire and as he held it in his hands, he could see a part of the base was missing. The portraits didn't have a clue whom had been in his office. He looked at the sorting hat
" I suppose you were having your nap too?" The hat shrugged as best as he could with out shoulders. "Whom ever gave it to you wanted it to be a secret. "
Prof Sprout walked from the potions classroom to the hospital wing taking orders for the next planting. Her steps took her past Minerva's classroom where she saw her intent on reviewing the tests, and by her expression it looked like she was due for a good cry. Sprout stepped in the classroom and closed the door and pulled out a surprisingly clean handkerchief with her grubby hand.
"Blow your nose and take a wipe afore you flood the papers." She said pragmatically.
Minerva took the cloth and blew her nose. She looked at the herb logy teacher as if for the first time and then hung her head.
"He hates me." She said softly. " – Nothing more or less, and after all of the work that I am doing for this school. – For him… and I am nothing to him."
She placed her hands over her face. "I feel like such a fool." Prof Sprout squared her shoulders and then patting Minerva's said "No. Men just are dense."
It was a bit later when she could get away that she went up to the head masters office and thundered "What the bloody 'ell did you do to Minerva? She's bawling her eyes out and thinking of leaving the school for good. If you didn't give that thing to her, who did you give it to so I can claw their eyes out for her. How could you knowing what was at stake?"
Dumbledore said stiffly. "If she chooses to reject my favors, there is nothing more I can do and it is her choice to stay, or leave.
"Well, if you feel that way, then I will be going with her, and I know Madam Hooch and Poppy will feel the same way too if you can't be bothered to find out the truth that is in her heart. You owe that to her in the very least. You owe that to every teacher here when they are that distressed. And you owe a lot more that can never be repaid because of the decision that you made." With out a further word Sprout strutted out of his office and went back down to the classroom where she found Minerva's classroom empty. Groaning Sprout climbed the steps to the Gryffindor tower and looked at the fat lady who was looking back at her. "Password Please?"
"Move your fat ars out of the way before I move it for you!" snapped Prof Sprout. The fat lady blinked "Close enough" she said opening the portal for her. Sprout saw the tower was set up much like her own, and using common sense found Minerva's room She was sitting on the floor with something in her hand. Prof Sprout went to her and saw it was a playful tabby crystal cat that curled around something, but it looked like it was missing. Minerva looked shattered.
"Tell me what this is all about, and maybe I can help."
Minerva was silent Prof Sprout sat down on the floor by her and tilted her chin up. "Sister - listen to me. I have been to see Albus, and informed him that if he lets you go, we all go, Madam Hooch, Poppy – and I feel sure some of the others will leave as well. Please tell me what this is all about?"
Minerva sniffed, and then wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She held up the crystal-charmed cat and said softly.
"I had hidden this on his chair for him to find at dinner, and when I arrived it was gone, and left on my end table. I dare say he had the nerve to keep the other half of it, but rejected the part that represented… me."
"Well why didn't you just give it to him on your walk when he gave you the rose?" asked Prof Sprout confused.
Minerva regarded her, puzzled. "I didn't go on my walk yesterday. I placed the one part on his desk, and the other on his chair, knowing he would find the one before the other, and then I graded papers. I know nothing about a rose. What rose?"
Prof Sprout thought for a moment "if she has chosen to reject- My giddy aunt-" She struggled to her feet and grabbed Minerva's hand "Come along Sister, we have something to do before it's too late and bring your pussy along."
She pulled Minerva up to her feet and then dragged her out of the room down the hall and it wasn't until she saw the Griffin that Minerva balked. "Oh no I couldn't possibly go there…" Sprout dragged her forward
"You can. And you will. Now stop wasting time! You have to see him! Before it is too late!"
Minerva was shaking head to toe by the time they reached the office. She saw Albus look at her with such – trouble on his face she wanted to run away – apparate if she could.
"Prof Sprout? What is this about?"
"Albus, didn't you say the other day you took on a new house elf?" Albus nodded.
" Figgie's, yes, came from a household of an old friend."
"Who was quite forgetful?" Albus nodded.
"Do you have it still?" Albus looked even more puzzled.
"What on earth does a house elf have to do with – this?" asked Minerva. Not fully understanding what was going on.
"Where is it- there still is time – don't dawdle! There is still time until the last petal falls! Get it!" Snapped Prof Sprout.
Albus went down to where his room was and came up with something that made Minerva step back. He held in his hands a rose that at one time had been beautiful. Now the petals were withered and dry and falling off. It looked quite dead.
Sprout went to the corner of the office and picked up one of the air hoses and spoke into it. "Please send Figgie to the head masters quarters right away." There was a small pop behind her. Figgie was old as house elves go, but his eyes showed a keen mind and sharp wit. He bowed and smiled at the site of the crystal cat, and then saw the state of the rose and his shoulders slumped. "You called?" he asked holding his hands together. Prof Sprout nodded "Figgie, have you seen this before?" she asked pointing to the crystal cat Figgie nodded.
"Saw Miss McGonagall forget it behind chair. Went to her room to put it away for her and found Master Headmaster forgets rose in her room. Took it back to him so he won't lose it."
Prof Sprout took the house elf by the chin. "Figgie, The headmaster and Miss McGonagall do not forget where they leave things. Thank you Figgie, you may return to your duties." Figgie bowed then snapped his fingers and disappeared. She turned and saw that Minerva had walked to the desk and placed the crystal cat next to the crystal phoenix. The two creatures entwined and then connected with the cat purring and the phoenix singing with joy. Albus went to her, the rose still in his hand.
"I waited for you on the path, to give you – this, but you never came and then I put it on your pillow to find but – when I awoke it had been returned to my room" he saw such sternness on her face.
"You would think that just a single, rose would be enough to say – what?" She asked.
"Well, it's not – just a rose. It's been enchanted to reflect what is in the heart between two people." Said Prof Sprout as she edged to the door "you two can only keep it alive –well, it's very rare This was the only one that I have ever seen in all my years of growing things - and it was extremely difficult for Albus to raise. Once the first blossom is picked the parent plant withers and dies." she said pausing "It's up to you now…." She said pointedly to Albus as she went out the door.
Albus watched her go, then looked down at the cat and the phoenix. It took a second, and then he looked at her. "It seems, the two of them are, quite enjoined." He saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "They are." She took a breath to steady herself. " When I saw that it was gone, and you had said nothing, that, you were not speaking to me I thought I had over stepped the boundaries of expressing what I would feel our relationship could become. "
"And I when finding the rose on my bed table thought that you knew what the rose meant and were rejecting me…Minerva, I have always loved you, you know…"
She nodded. "I know." She stepped closer to him as his arms went about her thin waist. He tipped her head up and lowered his mouth to hers drinking in her sweetness.
Minerva could have sworn she heard music play when their lips meet for the first time. Violins, chamber music- something. When their lips parted she realized that her foot had popped. She opened her eyes and saw that the whole room had taken on a golden pink hue- or was it just her spectacles that made everything look that way? She saw he still held the rose in his hand, and that time was reversing for the flower, that the old rose petals were becoming young and supple, and that they were reforming into a beautiful rose that was radiating its own light.
Minerva kissed the hollow of his neck and then leaned in for a hug from him. Albus kissed her again and then placed the rose into a planter that he conjured up from a mug. She watched him place the rose in the planter, and then saw the rose blossom on his desk and continue to grow, and flourish.
Albus regarded the crystal paperweight for a moment. The two crystals were joined in an unmistakable way and there was – bliss as the two wrapped in each other's embrace. He saw the Cat raise it's head and say an unmistakable "Woo Hoo!" before returning to a snog session. He had never seen such clever transfiguration before in inanimate objects before. Turning back to where Minerva was he noticed that her gaze had followed the direction of his. She saw his look and the faint blush had returned to her cheeks at his raised eyebrows.
" Well, I, should be getting back to grading papers…" she said lowering her eyes from his piercing gaze. His hand caught hers and pulled her a step closer.
"Had you not kissed the hollow of my neck beneath my beard I would believe that would be your first concern…The papers can wait. Classes are done for today and the students are at Hogsmeade" She swallowed blushing deeper as he stepped back drawing her back under the steps to where his private study was. He waved a hand charming the door to lock behind them. She looked around- there were pillows tossed aside and a small loveseat with an end table that held a jar of muggle sweets. His hands cupped her face, then moved down to her green robe.
Her eyes flashed with understanding of his intent, and why he had brought her there "Albus we- we've only kissed once!" She saw delight in his eyes.
"That is easy to remedy." He murmured bringing his mouth down to hers to give her a kiss that made her tremble with expectations as he lowered her to the floor.
February 16th.
Minerva McGonagall spoke the password to the fat lady and made her way to her chambers. None of the students would be up at this hour to see their Head of house come in with her hair out of her bun and her green outer robe over her arm. Even her normaly buttoned to the chin dress was undone to just cover her chest. She demurely went to her chambers and placed the large flowering rose bush on the floor by the window to get the morning light. She heard a noise in her room and saw Prof Sprout sitting by the fireplace with a comforter over her legs. She was wide-awake and her mouth held an O of surprise.
She closed her mouth to try to contain her smile.
"Well, I had every faith in Albus that he could keep the rose alive- but- this- exceeds every herbologist's dream- What on earth did you do to make it grow like this?"
Minerva said nothing. The outline of asmall markshowed on hershoulder as she moved to place her robe on her bed. She saw the flash of understanding on Prof Sprouts face, then the look of concern followed by a blush.
"What is it?" Minerva spoke at last.
Sprout fidgeted. "Well, I had hoped to write a paper on this particular rose study, and the outcome but, in light of the- um, development of the rose overnight, it would be difficult to put into words, and you realize of course that what ever you did to make it grow like this, well, you will have to repeat every week, at least, to keep it in bloom"
Minerva shot a glance over at the rose bush then back to Prof Sprout.
"Well, what did Albus do to raise the rose?"
"He, spoke to it, told it how much he loved you and it flourished. While that might work, well, I am not – sure…" Sprout dared to look her friend in the eye. "Will there be difficulties keeping it alive you naughty girl?"
Minerva let out a soft sigh of contentment "None that I know of. Thank you, for everything."
Sprout nodded "Your welcome - Right. Well, I will just be going now. You have about two hours before class to catch up on sleep you know."
Minerva watched her friend go and close the door and turned her attention to the rosebush that held many tiny buds on it. She made her way to her private shower with a large fluffyrobe to wrap her up in when she was done. Somehow she wasn't surprised to find Albus waiting for her wrapped in his ownrobe leaning against her shower stall.
She went to him and pinned him against the wall with herhands "Prof Sprout informed me that we have to repeat what we did to make the plant grow every week to keep it alive…"
He took a hold of herrobe and pulled her closer."Are you suggesting, we, continue - our daily, chess match, to keep the rose growing?" she asked as her hands moved down to the corner of his towel.
His mouth kissed down her lips. "Something like that, or am I in error in the game you would rather play?"
"Not at all" she murmured making the first move that took him by surprise "Queen takes Kings rook.." Shesaid softly.
"King takes Queen" he groaned into her ear.
She was the teacher, She could be late for class all she wanted…or skip it all together
Inside her room the rose gave a shake as it began to grow as the two continued their private chess match.