Minerva lay before the fire reading through her transfiguration notes, idly
watching her fellow Gryffindors out of the corner of her eyes. She had been
about to mark a passage for further reading when someone fell to the floor
beside her, knocking her arm. "Oops, sorry Minnie!" Apologized the boy
beside her. "Lucky for you there's only a few blots on my notes otherwise
you wouldn't be alive to tell the tale and for the last time Nicodemus,
don't call me Minnie! I detest pet names of any sort." She responded,
glaring at him before she began to put her things away. "I'm sorry, you
don't have to go. Maybe we could study together?" Nicodemus said hastily,
grabbing her hand as she made to stand. She stopped and looked at him for a
moment, her lips twitching into a slight smile. "You wish to study with me?
You've never studied a day in your life." Minerva responded. At this
Nicodemus looked positively affronted. "You wound me, Minerva. I've studied
a time or two. Not that you'd care to know." He said huffily and getting to
his feet. "Look, I'm a little nervous about the N.E.W.T.s next week and I'm
not in the mood for fun and games. If you want to study with me that's
fine, just don't expect me to be good company." She said in a softer voice,
thinking to herself that she'd never been very good with apologies.
"Thanks. You won't be sorry. Let me get my things." Nicodemus said
brightly, bounding away. "Let's hope not." Minerva couldn't help muttering
to herself.
A little while later Minerva closed her book, a small yawn escaping her lips. "I think that's enough for one night. I must say this was actually very productive." She said, placing the rest of her things in her bag. "Told you that you'd not be sorry. I'm as good as my word." Nicodemus remarked, a smirk on his face. "Yes, yes, you don't need to rub it in. I'll try not to doubt you in the future all right? Goodnight." She said getting to her feet and walking up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. "Goodnight fair and sweet Minnie!" He called up after her. "Don't call me Minnie!" She called back down to him, sighing. She heard him laugh and decided to just ignore him, something she did well most of the time.
Once in the dormitory, she set her bag down by her bed and donned her nightgown. Before she lay down however, she paused by the open window, her long auburn hair flowing slightly in the breeze. Why was it that she could never quite fit in with her classmates? She remembered her mother once telling her that she was seventeen going on thirty. Was that the case here? Was it because she was far more mature than her fellow classmates? Why was it that the only time she felt truly happy in herself was when she spent time with Professor Dumbledore, her transfiguration teacher?
With that last thought she pictured him and his twinkling blue eyes, behind those half moon spectacles she'd grown so fond of, saving a wink or two just for her. She remembered the day of her O.W.L. exams and how he had come to watch her. He hadn't come for any of the other students in the other houses, but he had come for her. Not to be outdone, she'd learned how to knit by hand as well as by magic so that she could knit him many pairs of socks throughout the year since she knew him to have a fondness for them as well as a few muggle sweets, namely Lemon Drops. She recalled giving him a bag of these sweets for Christmas the past year, much to his delight.
It was strange that he was older than her grandfather, yet she knew she was in love with him. She knew he loved her also. It was strange indeed and she often wondered about it. It was something that transcended anything physical or romantic. All she knew was that she simply wanted to be by his side forever. She loved him in ways that others knew naught of. It was a meeting of the minds and of the soul. It was something that would last forever.
She remembered also, a beautiful clear winters evening in the Great Hall. Long after the other professors and three other students who remained for the holidays had left he had come to sit beside her. Conjuring two goblets of pumpkin juice for the two of them, he toasted to the future, their future. He told her what she knew, and her heart had soared. "I wish you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll come back and teach here. Promise me we'll be together again. Promise me that you'll be by my side once again." He asked of her. "Yes, of course Professor. You needn't have asked. I have made that promise to you already." She had replied, her heart and soul gleaming in her eyes. "Such a wonderful spirit you have, Miss Minerva McGonagall." He'd smiled, his own heart and soul mirrored in his brilliant blue eyes, and then presented her with her Christmas gift, a lovely ring bearing their initials, "I wish you to have this and remember. I have one also." Minerva remembered taking it from him with tears in her eyes. "I'll wear it always and remember forever this night." She recalled saying as she took it and placed it on a necklace to wear about her neck.
He'd also had tears in his eyes, as they both walked away from the table hand in hand. They had paused on the way out right inside the entrance to the Great Hall, not knowing why. It was as if a force had stopped them. It was then that Minerva had looked up and seen the mistletoe hanging above them. Pausing, they had looked deep into each other's eyes and he had taken her hand in his, kissing it softly and looking intently in her eyes. This was infinitely more beautiful and promising than a real kiss, she'd felt. It was more a kiss of the soul. She remembered her whole life and her whole being were wrapped up in that moment, in that beautiful kiss.
Now as Minerva finally lay down to bed, she thought of that evening those many months ago. She could still feel his lips on her hand and could still feel her heart beating with life and love. She curled up onto her side and wondered when she might be able to fulfill that promise.
A little while later Minerva closed her book, a small yawn escaping her lips. "I think that's enough for one night. I must say this was actually very productive." She said, placing the rest of her things in her bag. "Told you that you'd not be sorry. I'm as good as my word." Nicodemus remarked, a smirk on his face. "Yes, yes, you don't need to rub it in. I'll try not to doubt you in the future all right? Goodnight." She said getting to her feet and walking up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. "Goodnight fair and sweet Minnie!" He called up after her. "Don't call me Minnie!" She called back down to him, sighing. She heard him laugh and decided to just ignore him, something she did well most of the time.
Once in the dormitory, she set her bag down by her bed and donned her nightgown. Before she lay down however, she paused by the open window, her long auburn hair flowing slightly in the breeze. Why was it that she could never quite fit in with her classmates? She remembered her mother once telling her that she was seventeen going on thirty. Was that the case here? Was it because she was far more mature than her fellow classmates? Why was it that the only time she felt truly happy in herself was when she spent time with Professor Dumbledore, her transfiguration teacher?
With that last thought she pictured him and his twinkling blue eyes, behind those half moon spectacles she'd grown so fond of, saving a wink or two just for her. She remembered the day of her O.W.L. exams and how he had come to watch her. He hadn't come for any of the other students in the other houses, but he had come for her. Not to be outdone, she'd learned how to knit by hand as well as by magic so that she could knit him many pairs of socks throughout the year since she knew him to have a fondness for them as well as a few muggle sweets, namely Lemon Drops. She recalled giving him a bag of these sweets for Christmas the past year, much to his delight.
It was strange that he was older than her grandfather, yet she knew she was in love with him. She knew he loved her also. It was strange indeed and she often wondered about it. It was something that transcended anything physical or romantic. All she knew was that she simply wanted to be by his side forever. She loved him in ways that others knew naught of. It was a meeting of the minds and of the soul. It was something that would last forever.
She remembered also, a beautiful clear winters evening in the Great Hall. Long after the other professors and three other students who remained for the holidays had left he had come to sit beside her. Conjuring two goblets of pumpkin juice for the two of them, he toasted to the future, their future. He told her what she knew, and her heart had soared. "I wish you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll come back and teach here. Promise me we'll be together again. Promise me that you'll be by my side once again." He asked of her. "Yes, of course Professor. You needn't have asked. I have made that promise to you already." She had replied, her heart and soul gleaming in her eyes. "Such a wonderful spirit you have, Miss Minerva McGonagall." He'd smiled, his own heart and soul mirrored in his brilliant blue eyes, and then presented her with her Christmas gift, a lovely ring bearing their initials, "I wish you to have this and remember. I have one also." Minerva remembered taking it from him with tears in her eyes. "I'll wear it always and remember forever this night." She recalled saying as she took it and placed it on a necklace to wear about her neck.
He'd also had tears in his eyes, as they both walked away from the table hand in hand. They had paused on the way out right inside the entrance to the Great Hall, not knowing why. It was as if a force had stopped them. It was then that Minerva had looked up and seen the mistletoe hanging above them. Pausing, they had looked deep into each other's eyes and he had taken her hand in his, kissing it softly and looking intently in her eyes. This was infinitely more beautiful and promising than a real kiss, she'd felt. It was more a kiss of the soul. She remembered her whole life and her whole being were wrapped up in that moment, in that beautiful kiss.
Now as Minerva finally lay down to bed, she thought of that evening those many months ago. She could still feel his lips on her hand and could still feel her heart beating with life and love. She curled up onto her side and wondered when she might be able to fulfill that promise.