Chapter 2

Minerva took her usual place in between Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape on the staff table for breakfast the next morning. She was a bit annoyed that Severus didn't even bother to wake her up resulting in her slight tardiness by 2 minutes. She would have been even more late if she stuck to her usual daily routine without taking a few shortcuts. For example; scourgifying herself, bypassing the hairpins, transfiguring her bathrobe into teaching robes, and pulling her hair into a loose chignon instead of her traditional strict bun. She would have been right on time or even earlier if she didn't take much time to put on a spot of make-up.

"Severus, shall we play spot the difference this wonderful morning?" Albus asked teasing while his eyes twinkled madly in Minerva's direction. He automatically received the most revered McGonagall glare but Severus pounced on the opportunity to tease.

"Why yes, Albus! We shall," Minerva turned her glare towards Severus but he continued. "Professor McGonagall has a nice set of teaching robes on. Nothing like her normal robes right, Albus?"

"Yes I believe so, Severus. It appears to be a little more revealing than usual. "

Minerva quickly looked down and noticed that the V-neck was a tad lower than her usual wear and the robes fit her a bit more snugly. Which wasn't really that bad, knowing that she's quite slim.

"Her hair is rather off today," Severus noted further.

"Minerva, you're looking rather blooming today!" exclaimed Poppy Pompfrey, the mediwitch of the school, as she passed by to take her seat.

"Thank…you, Poppy!" Minerva replied with uncertainty.

"Yes! That's another thing. You look very beautiful today, Minerva," Albus said as he took her hand and placing a light kiss on it and patting it before placing it back down on the armrest.

Meanwhile, Severus sullenly watched this exchange and wondered why he just couldn't do such a thing in front of all these people and Dumbledore can. He was brought out of his reverie when Minerva's hand landed on his under the table as she spoke.

"Why didn't you wake me up this morning?" she asked in hushed tones.

"You looked so magnificent asleep that I couldn't disrupt it. Plus the fact that you had a very long day and you needed your sleep."

Minerva just nodded and turned her attention to her eggs and toast. Severus, on the other hand, went back to thinking of ways to show his affection for Minerva in public without alarming the students or possibly even offending them. It wasn't until after most of the staff finished their breakfast that Filius engaged in a heated debate with Severus about the various complications of a new healing ointment that has recently come into the market.

"What if it develops an infection?" Filius asked.

"It was formulated to heal. An infection should be highly undevelopable in such cases as minor cuts and burns unless the makers want to risk a law suit against them and their manufactured product," Severus replied exasperated by the little wizard's inquisitive mind.

"Then what are the differences between that ointment and the ointment of another maker and the ones that Poppy uses in the Hospital Wing?" Filius inquired.

At this point, Severus knew he would need a lot of strength to carry on with this discussion so he placed his hand gently on Minerva's knee and stroked his thumb over it lightly. Minerva's breath caught in her throat at the unsuspected action by the person seated on her right but nevertheless, she continued her talk with Albus. One that concerned the Ministry of Magic and the endless inquiries of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister himself, as to how he should run the ministry or what to do in specific situations. Minerva placed her hand over Severus' and briefly squeezed it. Severus then took this opportunity to turn over his hand under Minerva's so that he could entwine their fingers together, inadvertently holding hands under the table. 'Well, this is a good start. But I will never do what the muggles call "footsy" in my entire life. I draw the line at that," thought Severus.

"Hey, George! Is it just me or is Snape smiling?" Fred asked his twin right next to him on the Gryffindor house table.

"Bloody hell! It's not just you, Fred. I see it too. It's not like a massive smile but it's still a smile nonetheless."

"What do you reckon he's thinking of? Do you think he has some brilliant plan of finally getting rid of us?" Fred said.

"By the looks of it, I would have to agree with you. Maybe it's all going down during double Potions today. We'd better on our toes, Fred. I don't want to get kicked out or worse… have a Potions accident that would ruin my devilishly handsome face," George said in all seriousness.

"Ey! What are you two goin' on about?" Ron Weasley asked.

"None of your business!" the two elder brothers chorused making Ron annoyed at the fact that they have a secret they are unwilling to share with their own flesh and blood.

Ron then turned his attention back to his best friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, saying,

"I hate being the youngest boy! All the older siblings pick on you but no they won't even dare try upsetting Ginny because she's a goddamn girl!"

*SMACK*

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron asked.

"That was for being mean to Ginny," Hermione replied.

"But she's not even here!"

"Well then, I'm a girl too and I'm not 'goddamned' besides, you pick on Ginny a lot so you can't use the fact that she's a girl as an excuse for your rotten luck," and with an air of finality Hermione got up and stormed out of the Great Hall grabbing her books from the bench.

"Girls!" Ron and Harry said simultaneously.

The professors were now filing out of the Great Hall to proceed to their respective classrooms to prepare everything for their students before they arrived. Albus pulled out Minerva's chair as always and offered her his arm but this time she refused. Offering him an excuse that she had to pick up a few things for her class therefore she would not be passing the same hallways as he would. Dumbledore nevertheless gave her a smile of understanding and a kiss on the cheek before leaving in different directions.

"You know I hate it when he does that to you," Severus whispered into her ear making her gasp in surprise.

"And whose fault is it that he is doing such things?" she countered knowing that he can never blame her for something like this.

"I wasn't saying that it was anyone's fault. I was just saying that I don't like it."

"Well maybe if you were to do such things then we wouldn't have a problem now would we?" Minerva said feigning innocence.

"My darling, I already do more things to you than that of anything that the Headmaster could only dream of doing and I have never heard you complain. But if you were to complain then I would counter it by saying 'I have spent a lot of time and emotion into you so you should just suck it up, woman!' and then I shall take my leave," he said triumphantly knowing that he had the upper hand now.

"And I shall counter you by saying 'No more SEX!' how's that?" Minerva said cheekily.

Severus groaned for having lost yet another one of their spats. He could never stand a chance again the "no sex" card that she plays when she has nothing else to play. Which is hardly ever but when she does, it's effects are monumental to Severus Snape's pride.

"You are insufferable!"

"You wouldn't have me any other way, Severus."

This caused him to smile and put his hand on her lower back guiding her through the halls and corridors of the castle. He thought it was safe since almost all the students were still enjoying their breakfast and they had half an hour before the students would leave the Great Hall so Severus savored this moment of quiet. Once they arrived at the entrance to Minerva's Transfiguration classroom, Severus kissed her lips chastely and cupped her face before pulling away.

"I'll see you at noon for lunch?"

To this Minerva nodded and pulled Severus back down to her and kissed him a bit more passionately than their kiss moments ago. When they pulled back they bid each other goodbye with promises of meeting once their lessons were over before proceeding to the Great Hall once more for lunch. Minerva watched him walk away for a few seconds before opening the door to her classroom and stepping over the threshold.

On the other side of the castle, Fred and George waited for Snape to get to the dungeons. They thought that if they were way too early then they could probably sidetrack Snape's plan of getting rid of them. They heard footsteps a few feet from them and Severus Snape emerged from the corner.

"He still smiling?" asked George too distressed to even look up to see for himself anymore.

"Yes. Even bigger than before. We're goners, George. I knew ye well."