A/N - So I've been off the scene for awhile and found writing rather difficult but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head! It's set during POA after the DADA exam but before Harry and Hermione rescue Sirius. Hopefully you like it! =)

P.S as if you can't tell by my abysmal writing (some of us just do it to get the ideas out of our head in the hope others may enjoy) I am not Jo and therefore own zilch.

Minerva Mcgonagall had just arrived in the Great Hall for dinner. As she began loading her plate with an assortment of food, three of her charges entering the hall caught her eye. She had been keeping a close eye on Miss Granger recently, the girl was working far too hard and needed to be monitored. Minerva watched as Hermione Granger, looking pale and dishevelled, scanned the staff table. Minerva was at a loss when Hermione caught her eye before turning hurriedly away turning a bright shade of red. She watched the other members of the Golden Trio look in her direction and smirk at each other before taking their seats next to Hermione.

Minerva considered this behaviour a little unnerving. Normally Miss Granger would smile or wave but she wouldn't look at her at all tonight. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Remus Lupin.

"Evening Minerva, do you mind..." he trailed off indicating to the empty seat next to her.

Minerva raised her eyebrows as she responded sharply, "Don't be ridiculous Remus, of course I don't." He hadn't been her student for 15 odd years, and yet still seeked her approval. They had been colleagues for a whole year now. "I must have been awful to you at school if after all this time, and our work together with the order, you still need to ask" she quipped.

Lupin took a seat next to her, "funny you should mention traumatising your students Minerva, I had a very...interesting result during the exams today."

Minerva turned to face Remus full on "traumatised," She asked puzzled, "Who was traumatised? And by whom?"

Lupin laughed "You, Minerva! Apparently Severus isn't the only staff member who is their students worst nightmare."

Minerva was really confused now. Sure she was strict on her students, Transfiguration can go incredibly wrong when not concentrating, but their worst nightmare? Surely that was taking it a bit far. "I cannot fathom what you are talking about Remus"

"Lets just say, Severus wasn't the only boggart staff member that appeared today."

Minerva almost choked on the pumpkin juice she had been sipping. "What?" she spluttered "someone's boggart was...me?" she didn't know whether to laugh or not. The absurdness of her being one of her students fears was rather funny however if they were too terrified to approach her that wasn't so good.

Remus smiled as he loaded potato onto his plate "Yes and a rather unusual student as well"

Minerva couldn't eat any more, she wanted full details. Remus would get nothing short of an interrogation about the incident. "Who was it?" she had a fair idea, judging by the earlier scene regarding Miss Granger, Mr Weasley and Mr Potter, but it couldn't be, Miss Granger was a delightful student. Minerva had the utmost respect for such an inquiring mind...

Finishing his mouthful, Remus looked around the hall then back at Minerva "It seems Miss Granger is rather terrified of you, or at least your perception of her. It took me half an hour to calm her down enough to explain what exactly her boggart was"

Minerva was getting impatient "Which was?"

"It seems her worst fear is that she would fail everything and you would consider her a failure" despite the previous taunting and mocking, Remus turned suddenly serious "I think you may need to have a word with her Minerva, as utterly ridiculous as it is that Miss Granger would fail anything, I'm concerned that her self esteem and personal sense of satisfaction rely so heavily on what others think of her. I'm sure it's not just what you think of her of course, it probably stems from her parents and other sources as well"

Minerva had lost all sense of the funny side of the situation. Remus was right, She needed to be approachable as a head of house to all her students. Her being linked to their worst fear would not be help this cause. "I have taken everything you said into consideration Remus, I will talk with her tomorrow." Minerva grinned as she saw Severus approaching the table and added quietly, "she didn't force me into Augusta Longbottom's awful hat did she?"

A/N – so im thinking one more chapter of the actual chat...or is this enough? Maybe I can just end it here. I'll see how I feel over the next few days...