Minerva had no sooner made it back into the castle before she was confronted; first by Filius Flitwick. "Minerva, there you are." The diminutive professor shot a look around, checking that the coast was clear – even so he lowered his voice. "Is Hermione alright?"

"What makes you think that was where I was?" If she had currently been in cat form the Headmistress would have had the fur on her neck bristled, as the question had certainly raised her hackles.

"Minerva, personal emergencies do not happen with you. Which leads me to believe that the urgency was not of your making and so I ask my earlier question again. Is she alright?"

"She is fine Filius, I went to visit her yesterday and she had a terrible migraine. I could not just leave her alone."

"You really care about her." It wasn't a question but it still prompted Minerva to glare at him. "You aren't on duty this weekend. Why don't the two of you come to dinner with Pomona and me? I'm on duty but I can excuse myself long enough for a meal."

"Can I let you know once I have spoken to Hermione?"

"Surely." He rested a hand on her arm for a moment before leaving.

Minerva continued to make her way to the office, wanting to change before starting her day. She had only gone down two corridors before she heard another voice. "Well, well Minerva. Aren't those the same robes that you were wearing yesterday? You dirty stop-out."

"Wasn't like that Hooch."

"You're kidding me right? You are dating the sexiest woman ever to grace these halls and you did what... talk?"

"She was not well."

The flying instructors' demeanour instantly changed, "Is she ok?"

"Yes she's fine." There was a tenderness in Minerva's voice as she relayed the information.

Hooch tilted her head, "This isn't just about sex is it? You really like her."

"Why does everybody keep asking me that today?"

"Because to those who know you well; you wear your heart on your sleeve Minerva, you always have..."

That weekend

Hermione was lying in the centre of an absolutely sumptuous bed, although the sheets were crumpled from their earlier... activities it was still comfortable and elegant. While Minerva's office and sitting room were dominated by Gryffindor red and gold; her bedroom was where the woman herself was evident in the decoration. The walls were neutral, cream and stone, with teal and brown touches.

The young witch could see very little of that at the moment. The only light in the room came from the sitting area adjacent to it where a lamp had been left burning. It was perhaps the fourth time that she had been in Minerva's private quarters at Hogwarts and she really enjoyed spending time with the older woman here.

Dinner with Filius and Pomona had been somewhat stilted at first, but once they had all gotten used to the new dynamic everyone had relaxed. The evening had turned into a very enjoyable one. The other couple had been extremely welcoming and it was also wonderful to spend time in Minerva's company along with other people who knew them – making Hermione feel as though they were a real couple rather than a dirty secret.

Upon returning to Minerva's rooms they had fallen into bed together, making love for hours before falling asleep in each others arms. Sometime later frantic knocking had awoken them and the Headmistress had left to deal with some emergency. Hermione lay awake waiting for her return.

Some time passed and the door opened wider. "Oh Hermione, you did not have to stay awake waiting for me."

"I wanted to."

Minerva came to sit on the side of the bed and brushed her fingers lightly over Hermione's cheek, leaving tingles on the soft skin. "You could turn a girls head, saying things like that."

"I thought I already had." Their eyes locked together in a warm contact.

"Yes."

"So what was so urgent?"

"They had some issues with Slytherin, I am unsure why they felt unable to cope with it without me."

"Well, in the meantime something has arisen here."

"Oh really?" Elegant brows arched and the emerald gaze turned playful.

"Yes." Hermione grasped Minerva's hand and drew it under the sheets, "Something that requires your expert touch." With that she pushed the hand between her parted thighs.

The older woman moaned, not only at the gesture but also due to the wetness that she discovered therein. Her fingers began to move, brushing lightly over an erect hardened pearl. She grinned when Hermione's back arched violently, testament to the very high level of her arousal. "Have you been playing during my absence?"

"Maybe a little."

"Aaaah, I see. Naughty, randy witch." She slid three fingers into the hot wetness that she had found and used her other hand to pull the blanket aside. As Minerva began to thrust she leant forward to take an eager nipple into her mouth.

Another silent vibration charm applied to her fingers had Hermione arching up into the penetration, desperately trying to get more contact. When teeth sunk lightly into her nipple she cried out lustily. Those devilish digits continued their pounding, taking her further and further along the path to oblivion.

It was many hours later when they woke up again. Naked skin was pressed against its mate as they lay in each others arms. "Good morning."

"Morning."

Lips touched, withdrew and touched again. "You were insatiable last night."

Hermione chuckled, "Yeah I was, you bring that out in me."

"I bring that out in you? I think that you have that the wrong way around."

"Maybe it's mutual."

"Well alright." Minerva ran a hand through chestnut tresses that were more than a little tangled. "Are you busy today?"

"Yes but it's nothing I can't cancel, I'm all yours."

Minerva smirked in response to that statement and felt her lust rise.

"You are going to have to feed me before we do that..."

"Do what?"

"Minerva I can see what you are thinking by looking into your eyes."

The older witch laughed, "We will have to wait until later in any case. I need to grab a few books from a shop in Knockturn Alley this morning. And yes I will buy you lunch if you come with me."

"Isn't it my turn to buy?"

"We can argue about it later. Right now we both need a shower."

Later that morning

The backs of their hands brushed often as they walked closely beside each other. It wasn't quite walking hand in hand but it was very close to it. They left the Magikal Tome Bookshope and moved down the alley, heading deeper into the seedy part of the wizarding world.

A minute passed and the alley opened into a large cobbled square. Normally it would have been deserted but today it was full of people. It sounded as though there was an auction being held, someone on a podium was calling out amounts in galleons and people were holding up their hands or shouting.

"Sorry Hermione I forgot about this." Minerva started to steer the younger woman towards another alleyway.

Hermione was willing to allow herself to be led away until the crowd parted slightly and she saw what was being auctioned. At that point she stopped walking and stood still in shock. A house elf wearing only a soiled loincloth was standing on a stage. Everything from his posture, to the carriage of his ears indicated great shame and sadness. She watched as he was sold to a well-dressed wizard and magically bonded to a new master.

"I didn't realise that they still did this."

"It is barbaric." Minerva agreed with the younger woman, hating the spectacle created by these purebloods. Elves did not mind being bonded but their innate dignity was such that they hated being sold, especially at auction – they believed it to be a sign of failure.

"Item twenty two, a young male approximately 4 months of age. Bond them to your family young and receive unparalleled loyalty and service."

Both women gasped as a witch walked onto the stage holding a small naked infant elf. The baby was underweight and even his cry was incredibly fragile.

"We'll start the bidding at forty galleons."

"Here." It was a cold voice that Hermione recognised as that belonging to Lucius Malfoy, the blonde Death Eater who was now free from Azkaban.

"Do I hear fifty?"

Minerva's mind was racing, Lucius Malfoy was the last person who should be responsible for a young vulnerable being like this. Next to her she could feel Hermione's body shaking with repressed tears at the pathetic sight in front of her.

"Going once, going twi..."

"One hundred galleons." The Headmistress was not aware that she was speaking until she heard her own voice.

Malfoy spun around and shot a glare at Minerva, "She doesn't even have a number. She isn't a part of this auction."

"Come now Lucius, surely everyone here knows who I am."

The auctioneer turned to confer with the Gringotts goblin who was helping with the sale and was responsible for withdrawing money from the bank. Minerva slid an arm around the still shaking young woman, needing to comfort her – not really caring what anyone thought but knowing that no one would really see much unless they were behind the two women.

"Minerva what are you doing?" Hermione was incredulous, completely shocked at the actions of the older witch.

"Saving a life, making sure that Malfoy cannot hurt a young baby elf. Other than that I am not sure."

"We will accept bids from Minerva McGonagall."

"Then I will bid one hundred and twenty galleons."

"Two hundred." Minerva's voice was flat but caused a gasp to rise from the audience, she was bidding the same amount for an infant that would be paid for a grown elf.

"Two fifty."

"Three hundred."

Lucius finally paid attention to Narcissa who was tugging on his arm, their fortune was not as it had once been. They could not afford to pay this much for an elf, not even if it were a trained one, let alone a baby. He said nothing, just let the auction slip away.

"Going once... going twice... three times... Sold to Minerva McGonagall."

The older witch tightened her arm around Hermione for a moment before letting go and striding over to the dais. She scrawled her name on a piece of parchment held up by the goblin, removed her cloak and gently wrapped the baby elf in it. Then waited while the elf was bonded to the McGonagall family and then walked back over to her lover, handing the bundle to the younger woman. "Let's go."

They walked heedlessly down the nearest alley, away from the crowds before looking at the small creature. Its eyes were sunken and reddish, skin loose and dry from dehydration. The baby's hair was falling out and underneath the cloak his ribs were prominent and his stomach swollen.

"He needs medical help Minerva, my knowledge of elf anatomy is not good enough." Chocolate eyes held tears.

"Do not worry Hermione. We will get him help."

"From whom?"

Minerva wrapped both arms around Hermione, idly noting how natural that the young woman looked with a baby – albeit one with green skin and pointy ears. "My parents." With that she apparated them away.

Hermione looked up and gasped, they were standing in the most beautiful valley. High snow capped mountains surrounded them on two sides, a forest on a third and a deep icy loch on the fourth. On the floor of the valley an old stone built house, stone stables, a barn and a few outbuildings completed the picture.

"This is my home."

"It's beautiful."

"You are beautiful." Minerva was staring at the way strong wind stirred chestnut curls, admiring the younger womans curves silhouetted against the mountains.

"Behave yourself, especially if we are about to meet your parents."

"Relax, they will love you." The Headmistress leaned in and gently kissed her lover. A wail from the baby elf reminded them that they both needed to take care of him before they could worry about meeting the parents or satisfying their baser urges.

Minerva took one of Hermione's hands, "Got him?" She wanted to make sure that the younger woman could hold onto the baby one handed.

"Yes."

Hand-in-hand they walked towards the front door. "Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember when we watched that film the other day?"

"We watch a lot of films."

"The one with the robots and that man in the black mask who was always breathing heavily to dramatic music?"

Hermione shook her head incredulously, "You want to name him Yoda, don't you?"

"What do you think?"

"Well... alright but I get first choice next time we name something."

"Deal." The young woman felt a tingle run through her body as they passed the magical barrier that protected the property. "I have to apologise in advance Hermione, there really is no excuse for them." There was a pause before Minerva raised her voice, "Mum, Dad?"

"In here sweetheart."

Minerva let go of Hermione long enough to open the door into the kitchen, she then put a hand on the small of the younger womans back pushing her forward. "Mum where's Dad? We need help."

"Who's we?"

The kitchen came into sight and Hermione could see an attractive older woman stirring a cauldron. She had white hair tied back with a leather thong and wore loose fitting flowery garments.

"Sorry Mum, this is Hermione."

"Wow, you finally bring a woman home and she is stunningly gorgeous."

Hermione blushed, even more so when she found herself enveloped in a crushing hug.

"Careful Mum, you will crush the baby."

"The what?"

"Mrs McGonagall we rescued a baby elf. He's sick." Just as suddenly the crushing embrace loosened and the bundle was removed from her arms.

"Your father is in his animal sheds darling. You know that he won't hear anything when he gets engrossed."

"I will go and get him." Minerva touched Hermione's arm gently, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the elder McGonagall.

Isobel busied herself with looking at the baby elf, she reached into the refrigerator and took out some milk. Deftly she reached for a small sack on a shelf and added several pinches of herbs to it. "Hermione dear, would you mind transfiguring this into a baby bottle please?" She pointed to the glass milk bottle.

"Sure Mrs McGonagall."

"Call me Isobel."

"Ok."

The young woman transfigured the glass into a more child-friendly plastic bottle with a teat. Almost immediately the other witch placed it to the elfs lips and they both watched with relief as the baby began to drink hungrily. "I think that he'll be ok. Once they start to drink, we can replenish fluids and add anything that he needs."

"Thank you so much for helping."

At that moment a tall man in bare feet walked into the room. He had a scruffy beard and nodded distractedly at them before looking at the baby house elf. "He needs food, water and care – other than that he'll be fine." He picked it from his wife's arms, "Evvie is in the barn, she will be happy to add him to her brood."

With that he left, Isobel called after him, "Rab dear, I've told you before no bare feet in the house... or at least wipe them." As an aside she said to Hermione, "Robert doesn't like wearing shoes."

"...Oh I see."

"Now Minerva, I must say that it is nice to see you bringing a girlfriend home at last."

"Mother, Hermione is... a friend."

The white haired witch quirked a lip in a gesture reminiscent of her daughter , "Really?"

"Yes Isobel it's true."

Astute green eyes flashed from Minerva to her daughters paramour and back again. A smile crossed her lips, "Stay for dinner please girls."

"Mum we really have to..."

"I'm not taking no for an answer Minerva McGonagall. Now why don't you take your... friend up to your room and erm... entertain yourselves? Dinner will be at five sharp."

Seeing that they had little choice Minerva started to lead Hermione from the room. They stopped short when the older womans mother spoke again.

"By the way dears... The only people that you are fooling are yourselves..."