Author's Note: Written for…
Weekly Elimination Weird Prompt Competition.
The Dog House
Minerva sighed to herself, opening the secret passage that led to her private living quarters, imagining a quiet evening alone with her husband. It had been an exhausting day with first-years accidentally transfiguring themselves into newts, and a fourth-year deciding she wanted to become an animagus. The last thing Minerva wanted to deal with was-
SQUEAK.
She looked down at her boot and the bright pink plastic mouse that was wedged under it. She bent and picked up the toy, frowning at it. She'd never found much humor in the cat toys Sirius found eternal pleasure in buying her. She tossed it aside as she wandered deeper into the disaster area that looked suspiciously like her living room.
"Sirius?" she called, shaking her head at the couch cushions strewn on the floor along with the overturned lamp. "Sirius Black, get out here now!"
She moved into the bedroom when there was no answer, expecting to find him passed out. The blankets were wrinkled and smelled badly of wet dog, but there was no sign of the culprit.
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered, floating the disgusting bedsheets into the hamper.
It wasn't hard to find him after that. Normally there were a million and one places Sirius liked to hide when he had the time, but recently he'd been enjoying spending time at Hagrid's.
The barking was unmistakable, even from across the grounds.
"What's he done this time?" Remus asked as she stormed passed the picnic he was sharing with Tonks.
"Too much to get into."
She found the black dog being chased across the lawn by the hippogriff he'd been captivated with for months.
The dog shifted suddenly becoming the man she'd married, albeit regretfully.
He was shirtless, the dog collar Remus had bought him as a joke glinted in the sunlight as he petted and talked to the creature.
Minerva moved slowly across the lawn until she was standing directly behind him.
"You're such a clever hippogriff, yes you are!" he cooed. Minerva rolled her eyes and finally reached out to tap his shoulder.
The man jumped, whirling around wide-eyed. He relaxed when he saw her, but still kept his distance.
"Don't sneak up on me like that! I'm going to have to put a bell on you or something."
"Do you really think now's the time to joke?"
"It's always the right time to joke. Speaking of which, am I in the dog house?"
"You have no idea." Buckbeak wandered up to her, nudging her hand.
"I think he likes you," Sirius told her, pulling the creature back by its lead.
"I don't suppose you know why our home looks like a dog kennel, do you?"
Sirius frowned. "I told Kreacher to clean up…"
"He didn't."
"We really should just kill that house elf. It's too old to do its job anymore."
Minerva headed back to the castle. Sirius jogged after her.
"Look, I'm sorry, I'll clean it up!"
"I just wanted tonight to go well. One night when I didn't have to worry about grading papers or keeping you out of trouble."
He ran ahead of her, getting in her way. "What makes today so special?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Sirius, if you tell me you've forgotten-"
"Our anniversary?" he finished, smiling. He pulled a small pink box from his pocket and tried to hand it to her. "Of course I haven't."
"Open it," she ordered.
"Excuse me?"
"I told you to open it." She crossed her arms, waiting, hating that she knew him so well.
He scowled, opening the box and dumping the contents in his hand: a red ribbon and little golden bell.
She shook her head at him. "Is your middle name really Orion?" she asked suddenly.
"Of course. Yeah, why?"
"Well, I suppose that's fitting, since it makes your initials S O B…"
Minerva stormed off. Sirius dropped the dumb gift and ran after her again.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" He tried to grab her wrist but she pulled away.
"If being married is such an inconvenience, you're welcome to go," she said coldly, looking around for any sign of students lurking about. The last thing she need was for one of the children to spread it all over the school that her marriage was on the rocks.
Sirius looked wounded. "Is that what you want? You want me to leave?"
She sighed. "Of course not, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I always think you'll leave for someone…"
"Younger?" he guessed, tentatively stepping closer. "Does the age difference really bother you that much?"
"Sometimes," she admitted quietly. "Mostly I just worry you'll grow tired with me."
"Minerva Isobel McGonagall, I married you because I love you. I can't imagine that changing anytime soon." He told her, pulling a second box from his pocket and put it into her hands.
She hesitated in opening it, but he held onto her until she did, revealing the crystal hairpin inside.
"Happy anniversary, love," he said, grinning. "Am I still in the dog house, by the way?"