Clean up
"Sorry Minerva but is Alastor here?" Poppy Pomfrey-Moody asked as she poked her head into her best friend's room.
"No, but I heard Albus talking about chess so I think they might be in the Headmaster's study." Minerva answered looking up from the book she was reading.
"I'll go look there then." She sighed.
"Hang on I'll go with you." Minerva said and stood up.
They headed toward the stone gargoyle that stood before the headmaster's study.
"marshmallow sandwiches" the gargoyle stood aside.
"What on earth is that?"
"I have no idea but another muggle sweet I guess." Said Minerva, climbing the spiraling stairs.
When they entered the Headmaster's study it was strewn with empty candy wrappers books, chess pieces, and empty bottles.
"That is my husband's work I believe." Poppy said indicating the empty bottles.
"And that is mine." Minerva said gesturing toward the candy wrappers.
They went further through the office to the living room that only a select few knew about. There on the sofa sat Albus Dumbledore, staring at the chess board in utter concentration, in his hand was a jar of lemon drops. Alastor Moody was sitting across from him he was holding a firewhiskey bottle looking rather triumphant.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore" Minerva said loudly. Her husband jumped and looked toward her.
"Alastor Craizus Gabriel Dorian Moody what in Merlin's name have you done here?" Poppy asked her husband.
"We were playing chess and we moved the game here because it's so much more comfortable here." Albus said looking at his wife sheepishly.
"And did you expect us to clean up?" His wife asked him in an 'I don't think so' sort of voice.
"Our parents gave us bloody long names." Alastor muttered.
"You're right about that my friend." Albus said smiling.
"Well?" Minerva chided him. But before he could answer a voice floated toward them.
"What on earth happened here?" It was a female voice. Soon a deeper male voice answered.
"I suspect Albus and Alastor had a chess match complete with candy and firewhiskey." It said sarcasticly.
The door opened and a woman in her mid-twenties came in.
"Yes and I think they're just about to pay for it. Hello everyone!" she said trying to contain her laughter.
"Oh that's a sight I would love to see." drawled the man behind her.
"Hermione what can we do for you?" Albus asked kindly.
"Oh the most amazing thing happened" she gushed as she entered the room. Severus Snape was a step or so behind.
"Madeline pulled herself up!" exclaimed the excited mother.
"Really?" Poppy and Minerva said looking at Hermione.
"She pulled herself up! On her own! Standing!"
The elderly woman looked at the younger woman in a motherly way. Her husband was already sitting down on the other empty sofa, their 8 month old daughter on his knee.
"That's amazing. Madeline!" Albus said to the little girl.
"Good job little girl Snape" Alastor said gruffly.
Madeline smiled and giggled as her father placed her on the floor.
"It was so amazing. She was playing with Severus as she usually does and Severus called me. I came into the sitting room to see what all the fuss was about, just as she pulled herself up on her tiny feet." Hermione said proudly. "I took a picture I'll send it to you later."
Severus and Hermione's parents already passed away so Albus, Minerva, Alastor and, Poppy were the little girl's grandparents.
"That's wonderful dear." Poppy said smiling
"I know and she's accomplished it so early too." Hermione seemed unable to keep the smile off her face. Her husband looked amused while trying to keep their daughter from getting into trouble.
"All the books I've read said around 9~10 months and she just turned 8 months!"
"And that must be quite a number of books." Severus said smirking. Hermione ignored him crouching down by her daughter she said "Sweetie can you show your Grandma and Grandpa what you did?"
Madeline giggled and said "daddy" burying her face in his robes.
"I guess she's not up to it. Or maybe she only wants to show it to me." Severus smirked again.
Hermione laughed and said
"Of course you want to show mummy, right sweetie?"
Severus ruffled her hair. She looked at her mother and father and pulled herself up using her father's leg for support. Hermione squeled and hugged her daughter.
"Did you see that!" the young mother said exstaticly.
"Madeline that was amazing, would you like a lemon drop?" Albus said.
"Albus, we said no candy until she's at least 3!" Hermione protested.
"Oh Madeline you're such a big girl." Poppy crooned.
"Yes Madeline you're SUCH a big girl" said Minerva "as for you two. What do you plan to do with this?" She turned to the two men again.
"Don't think you can get away with it." She said sternly.
Poppy sighed. "Hermione, how do you keep Severus so neat and tidy? We could use some pointers."
"Um…" Hermione blushed. Severus smirked and said
"What are you talking about Poppy? She's the messy one."
"Really I'd have thought it was the other way around. She was so neat during her school days." Minerva said.
"And I was not?" Severus said.
"Well living with Albus, you'd think men naturally liked mess."
Severus laughed and said to his daughter,
"Princess, I think we're going to have a lot of fun watching your Grandpas clean up the mess."
The end