As the sun was setting on the high street students where filing back into the castle after a long day in Hogsmeade. It was the first of the two day weekend and everyone, as usual, spent the day running in and out of Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, eating there fill of sweets and drinking poor Rosmerta out of Butterbeer. The 'holiday' of sorts was something everyone of age looked forward to. Even the younger students enjoyed Hogsmeade weekends because they had the castle to themselves and they could usually find a way to bribe a few of the older students to bring them back a few sweets.
When the clock chimed ten and the halls were finally clearing a light flickered inside a classroom on the third floor. Minerva McGonagall yawned from behind her desk stacked high with the transfiguration homework of her second year class. Snow was falling outside her window a few flakes faintly visible in the dull lamp light shining through the pane.
A soft knock fell against the oak door and Minerva jumper slightly in her seat. "uh- come in." she called her voice faded in her throat. The door opened slightly and a familiar face could be seen peaking in through the gap. His long white beard and half moon spectacles being a dead giveaway.
"Oh, Albus, its only you." she sighed.
"Only?" questioned Albus as he moved fully into the room sliding the door shut behind him. His eyebrow was raised in a high arc above his glasses. "Where you expecting someone else?"
Minerva shook her head closing a folder of papers and sliding it across the desk into her 'finished' pile. "No, no" she sighed. "I was just a little shocked, its well past..." she glanced at her watch. "Oh Merlin its past ten." she gasped. Albus hummed and nodded slightly in agreement. "I was surprised to have someone at my door so late." her voice was thick with exhaustion. Her slender arms stretched out in front of her as another small yawn escaped her lips.
Albus crossed the room slowly his hands behind his back as Minerva spoke. His silver beard twitched as a small smile touched his lips for only a moment "I was only checking in." he informed her stepping behind her chair his hands finding there way to her shoulders. "You weren't at dinner." he kissed the top her raven hair twisted tightly into a bun.
"I have to finish these before Monday." she sighed. "I have once again out done myself in the homework department."
A wide grin broke out across Albus' face. Minerva did have a certain talent for over thinking her work load. Not to mention O.W.L's where coming up and she had students staying after classes for an extra hand with this or that. By the look of her desk she had about thirty rolls of parchment left to go over.
Being Professor of Transfiguration, head of Gryffindor house, and deputy headmistress was a lot for such an already busy woman. Minerva's need for perfection sometimes added more stress to her day than most would deem acceptable; yet she handled it quiet well. Late nights where not an uncommon occurrence and having always been an early riser she was up before the sun to start the new days work over again.
"Minerva?"
"Hmm?" she hummed as she reached across the desk for another stack of parchment. Her fingers flipped through the stack frantically sorting them into their own groups.
Albus squeezed her shoulders a little tighter as he watched her slumping back over her work. Her glasses had slid down her nose as she occasionally looked over the tops of them to see other than the task immediately in front of her. She looked rather dignified as a pout took hold of her lips. Her firm concentration often showed evident through that pout and was usually accompanied by a furrowed brow.
Albus could never hold back his smile when this look overtook her, it was almost impossible for him to look away from her. When she gazed over her glasses at him, her emerald eyes a blaze, it never failed to leave him in a pool of dissolution. The eyes that could burn into a person and see every part of a soul. The golden flecks he had tried to count so many times before seemed to be left behind to linger in your mind and haunt you long after her gaze had left. Those where the eyes he loved so much, no other could or would ever compare to those of Minerva McGonagall's.
"Its late, and you need rest." he whispered trying his best not to push at her nerves. Minerva's animagus had a habit of coming out with her anger, it was not uncommon for someone to come out with a few scratches or hurt pride. It was what you would call a 'cat fight'; literally. Minerva's animagus, or animal form, was indeed a tabby cat. She used her claws in more instances than one and under completely different circumstances. Albus never minded much all though he preferred her claws be used in one type of circumstance more than the latter.
"I really must finish, I have morning rounds tomorrow, and I wont have much time left after getting the students off to Hogsmeade." her quill sought out the nearly empty bottle of ink at the corner of the, very small but none the less evident, empty space left on the desk. Dumbledore's hands began to move softly against the material of her emerald teaching robes in attempt to ease some of the stress residing in her stiff shoulders.
He watched her hand move at a steady pace over the parchment below, her quill scratching frantically followed by the tinkling sound of the tip entering the glass ink pot. Her thin fingers occasionally tensing and stretching to relieve some of the strain of long hours of revision.
Sliding the parchment away she sighed and rolled her neck slightly side to side. She had been leaned over her desk for hours now and the cramp in her neck was becoming more and more noticeable as time dragged on. Albus could feel the muscles under his fingers tighten and he inched a little higher to knead at her neck.
After a few silent moments his hands moved up to her hair, pulling the pins holing her tight bun in place free from her tresses. Minerva sighed again, more deeply this time, at the relief of pressure that the pins had posed on her after the long day. Sometimes she got a little carried away with pining her hair up just right and by the end of the day she had a splitting headache; today was one of those days.
As the twist in her hair loosened Albus pulled away the last pin allowing her long raven hair to cascade down her back. The strong sent of peppermint filled the air and Albus bent to kiss the top of her head inhaling the sent deeply through his nose. He let out a moan of delight and gripped her shoulders again. He brushed away the hair covering her neck allowing him access to the small amount of pale skin above her robes.
His fingers brushed softly against her neck and Minerva shivered. For a moment he played with her silken hair pulling it to fall in one long sheet down her back and leaving her neck exposed. Bending slightly he allowed his lips to meet the warm flesh of her neck peppering a few light kisses there before moving a little higher to just below her ear.
"Minerva." he whispered again. "I would believe you to be growing a bit peckish after missing dinner."
Minerva reached up to her collar unbuttoning her robes top button allowing air to cool her now burning flesh. The heat in the room seamed to be rising steadily and she was unsure if it was the magically burning fire producing more heat or if it was Albus' close proximity.
"I assure you i'm fine." her quill again began to scratch at the parchment in her direct view. Dumbledore found his nose once again buried in her peppermint scented hair and he inhaled.
"You smell delightful my dear. Peppermint suites you." Minerva laughed inwardly as she slid another stack of parchment into the 'finished' pile. Her eyes where growing heavy now and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to stare at the same essay. Albus' hands on her shoulders and his lips on her skin were making her more and more tired by the moment. Yet she forced herself to move on and keep working, if she finished now the sooner she could go to bed and relax.
After finishing what felt like her millionth essay on the difference between Transfiguration and alteration Minerva leaned back in her chair letting out a long sigh of exhaustion. Her head rested against Albus' abdomen and her eyes shut upon their own accord. Albus smiled and smoothed his hands over her shoulders to the front of her robes. Her neck was burning a shade of red that seemed to be creeping its way higher. He unfastened the two buttons below the one she herself had already undone to revel the slightest glimpse of the crest of her cleavage.
His hands slid back to her shoulders and began to rub a slow path from her neck and down over her collar bones. Minerva began to purr as the cool air flooded her burning flesh. She had no doubt that Albus had used a cooling charm on his own hands before touching her hot skin, and she was grateful for the relief.
The sound of her deep purring stirred a fire inside of Albus and he leaned down to kiss Minerva's forehead softly. The sound was amplified at closer proximity and his lips twitched against her. The sound he loved to hear, and never ceased to stir a desire deep inside of him. It was heavenly.
"Im starting to get hungry." Minerva whispered barley audible.
Albus laughed as her purring continued. "Its a good thing I had the house-elves bring you a tray to my office isn't it?" Minerva smiled and Albus stood to his full height. "Come Tabby, I will assist you with the remainder of your work tomorrow."
Opening her eyes Minerva exhaled through her nose and sat up straight in her chair. "If I must." she sighed. She waved her open palm over the candles on her desk seeming to pull the flame up into her hand and extinguishing their light. Albus held out his hand and she took it lacing her fingers with his as she too stood from her chair.
As the two made their way to the oak door Minerva Extinguished the few lamps still burning along with the fire across the room. Albus opened the door to the corridor and led Minerva out ahead of him. Well after eleven, and well past curfew, the halls where empty and Albus found it safe to wrap his arm around Minerva's waist as they moved down the hall to the Griffin marked entrance to his office.