Disclaimer: Events and Characters of this first chapter are my own property except those of Minerva who belongs to J. .

A/N. Alright, I know I've already got one story starting in an orphanage, but I liked the idea for this one. Always was a romantic, and it seems fitting that MacGonagall should have some sort of love life. She was young once you know?

The Orphanage

The little blonde haired girl looked up from the swing and across the yard to where the new viewer stood beside the headmistress. With a sullen scrunch of her nose she kicked herself forcefully into the air, and let the swing rock to and fro rapidly, pumping her feet until she nearly overswung the branch. She blinked her eyes, one blue, one more of a hazel, and turned her thoughts inward, to the idea of having a family. She'd hated it every time a couple came and took away one of her friends..and not her. So many had seen her as a freak, or unusual, and left her in the care of the headmistress.

Each time she swung the swing creaked, and slipped against a lower branch. One such knocking of rope on branch resulted in a sudden jar that caused her to fall to the ground below. It was a minor injury, but the woman who'd come in with the headmistress ran to her aid, lifting her from the ground where she lay, now surrounded by other children.

The Headmistress

As I looked over to the woman who'd come to view our children, I was cautious. She seemed unique..unlikely to be the sort I'd have expected to adopt a child, but I could find no fault in her application papers. As she ran to the aid of little Sreana, I could not help but hide my surprise. None of the viewers had ever even seemed to see the girl. I followed quickly behind, but before I could stoop to examine the child, Minerva had lifted her into her arms, and was cradling the crying toddler against her thin body.

Minerva looked at the headmistress, her eyes welling with a look of concern, and hidden deep within a look of happiness. She had found the child she would adopt...it seemed that she had known. As if she had come here searching for a specific child. This little blond haired Sreana snuggled against her as Minerva caressed the girl's side, wiping from her garb the remnants of sand and leaves from under the swing. She was so like Minerva had imagined her daughter to be, though she did not possess the brown curls, or the deep blue eyes of her father, as Minnie had expected.

As I saw her expressions shift, I spoke. "Where is the intended father today?" For it was customary for the husband to come along in this process...but Minerva's eyes clouded, and the words she would have spoken seemed choked back for a moment before she finally answered me. I was slightly disappointed to learn that he was home, doing little more than last minute preparations. This was the most important moment of this child's life. I remained silent though, as we went through the final processes, and little Sreana was allowed to say farewell to her friends here at the orphanage.

Sreana clung to Minerva, her new mother. She had an odd feeling about her new parents. Where was her new daddy? Would he be as gentle and caring as Minerva seemed to be? As she was cradled in the young woman's arms, she was carried out to a waiting carriage, and lifted into the seat, warmly wrapped with two fleecey blankets, and one heavy quilt, and Minerva took up the reigns, sending the horses into a soft gallop.