A Fool's Indulgence
Albus paced the corridors of the castle, far too alert for the hour his timepiece professed it to be. He was a natural insomniac, but consuming an entire package of sherbet lemons certainly hadn't helped. Alas, Honeydukes had yet to invent a sweet that was just as delicious as it was sugar-free.
The moon was high and bright in the sky, a silver sickle against a backdrop of stars. He'd love to capture the way the moonbeams shone through the battlements of the castle to splash pale and eerie against the stone, but rather felt a portrait, even one imbued with magic, would not do it justice.
He made his way up the Astronomy Tower, bemoaning his aching bones and tired joints. A good night's sleep would do him well, but tonight he was certain it was not to be.
Still, it seemed he was not the only person suffering from habitual sleeplessness.
As he crested the top of the stairs, he smiled at the cat curled upon the windowsill, a prime spot from where to watch both the grounds below and the sun rise high.
"Hello Minerva," he said genially. The cat blinked drowsy eyes at him before settling her head back upon her paws. Albus joined her looking out over the lake and the forest beyond.
"A pleasant night for stroll, is it not?" he said cheerfully. She did not respond, but he was unperturbed. In her Animagus form, Minerva was often restful and not prone to expressing her opinions as she might as a witch.
"I confess, I overindulged in Sherbet Lemons, my dear. A rather foolish mistake, for the sugar has kept me awake, even for the little amount of time that I might normally sleep."
Minerva twitched her ears and Albus took that as indication to continue on.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have consumed then entire package," he mused, then chuckled. "Still, they were quite delightful."
He gazed once more toward the stars, not counting the minutes that passed them in silence. Again, he marvelled at the sky above and all it's wondrous glory. Astronomy had never been his forte, although his intelligence permitted him a passable understanding of it.
"Mars is bright, tonight," Albus said, echoing the words Ronan and Bane had spoken to Hagrid and young Harry the night before. He sighed.
"I fear, Minerva, that there is danger afoot, and it is closer than I care. We must watch over Harry; he has a rather unusual propensity for finding himself right in the middle of whatever trouble comes along."
He thought upon the antics of James Potter and knew that Minerva would be too. "Perhaps not so unusual for a Potter," he admitted.
On the horizon, the sky was growing light. "Another day begins," Albus murmured. "Shall we take breakfast together?"
"Meow," Minerva said. Her whiskers twitched and she jumped from the windowsill to the floor in a single, fluid leap. She then licked her paw, purring, and began to groom her face.
"Ah," Albus said after a pause. "It seems that I have made a grievous error." He observed the cat for a moment longer. "You're just a cat," he concluded.
He smiled to himself. "Thank you for listening," he told the cat, who continued to ignore him, as presumably it had been all this time. He chuckled and began his way back down the staircase, ready to face the day.
Word Count: 569
Assignment # 2 Philosophy Task 3: Write about someone facing negative consequences for overindulgence.
Insane House Competition 19. (character) Albus Dumbledore
Character Appreciation 19. Era: Trio
Disney Challenge (Themes) 1. Write about a platonic male/female friendship
Ami's Audio Admirations 6. Write a fic where the main theme is not romantic
Em's Emporium 5. Write a fic set in Hogwarts
Bex's Bazar (Other Elephants) 5. Write a fic in the friendship genre