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thank you thank you thank you thank you SOOOOO much for the reviews. I
wasn't expected much of a response. So, just for you, I've written, and re-
written this chapter a billion different times, and hope that you get as
good of a response to it as well.!
This chapter may come out a big angsty, romantic, or just throw you for a turn, but I shall explain if something is not clear at the end of the chapter. Now...on w/ the story!
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:One Week: Snowballs and surprises
Albus walked quickly down the corridor, towards Minerva's rooms, where she was sure to have gone. Breakfast had already happened, and the school altogether had been released the day before from classes. He strode for what seemed like hours, until he came upon the sealed door. He reached for the door handle, but thought more of it, and knocked.
"Coming."
He waited patiently while she came. She opened the door with a smile, and he couldn't help but note her shiny green eyes. "Oh, Albus, is there something else?"
"No, no. I um...wanted to talk to you about something apart from school work. I need to tell you something."
She nodded, and beckoned him to come inside. He walked in, and stood, looking around the warm room. "Sit down Albus, anyplace is fine."
He looked around, and found a small chair by her fireplace. He decided that might be the best place...his only other option was really her bed, and that would be a mistake for sure. "I won't be long, I just needed to say something to you."
She herself, did take a seat on the bed, and looked at him uncomprehensively. "So what is it that you want to say?"
He stared at her, running thoughts through his head. 'Come on, you can do it Albus, you've ran this through your head a million and a half times. This shouldn't be as hard as it is...Oh Merlin's beard, does she have to smile like that?' He shook his head.
"So now you don't have something to say?" she asked quietly, her smile had somewhat drifted from her face, and in place of it was some sort of...if it had been anyone else, he may have called it a teasing face.
"No, I mean yes, I do have something to say."
"Alright then, what?"
"I...I..." he knew there was a reason why he had not made a move before now, when it came down to it, he just could never make himself do it. "it's a lovely day outside, don't you think?"
If she hadn't had a look of apprehension before, it was certainly there now. "You came to talk about the weather?"
"Well, I guess I was wondering if you would er...want to go on a walk with me, outside the grounds?"
She considered him a few seconds, then smiled. "Why not? I suppose it's just lovely outside, I was looking out this morning, and I even thought about going out then."
A flood of relief surrounded his body, he couldn't take rejection, not now when time was so short. He stretched his hand for her to grasp, and he pulled her up from the bed. "Is there anything that you um...need to go?"
"I think gloves may be helpful," she walked towards her bedside bureau and pulled out a set of dark blue gloves, "Do you want a pair? I have an extra."
"Sure. I don't think it would hurt, now would it?"
She turned around, and handed him the gloves. "Shall we leave?"
"Yes, let's."
They made their way down the castle, passing what little students still were at the school, who seemed to take notice of their arm-in-arm stroll towards the snowy grounds. Albus looked down on Minerva occasionally, making note of how her smile matched so wonderfully with her eyes. Like a jigsaw puzzle, and the way the pieces just seemed to fit. Somehow, he had always known that this conspiracy with the staff members would end up in something. He had hardly realized it until she had been teaching for a year or so. But when he did finally see it, he had thought of nothing else. 'Unfortunately', he thought, 'I'm running out of time rather quickly to get this finished.'
They came upon the snowy grounds, and she pointed towards the quidditch pitch. "Yes, that will be fine. I don't believe any of the teams would be practicing now," they walked arm in arm towards the gigantic stadium. Albus quickly realized however, that 'fine' was not the word for the quidditch pitch, for this moment, his, moment. Perfect was the word. The snow lay untouched in this enclosed chamber, and was at least two feet deep...perfect for snow angels, perfect for his angel.
"Just like a winter wonderland," she whispered. She looked up at him, a smile, and her lips turned a lighter pink than normal from the cold, "care to play in it?"
"Play?" he stared at her apprehensively.
She just shook her head, and grasped his hand. He was pulled, until he was center in the pitch, and stared at her. She smiled a dazzling smile at him, a mesmerizing smile at him, he wasn't thinking...there she was. On perfect timing...she pushed him on the ground.
"Minerva I am going to put a HEX on you! Get back here!" he screamed as he pulled himself up from the freezing snow.
She had most definately made her distance, she had to have been ten yards away from him. She smiled sheepishly at him, her cheeks a light pink. She didn't even flinch as he walked towards her, he found out all too soon that's what she had been anticipating. He pointed his finger at her, trying his best to keep his 'stern face' and not start laughing as he was compelled to do. "That was very, very, very, uncalled for."
"Yes, but it's about to get worse."
"Worse?" he didn't have time to respond, before he had a second to react, a snowball was planted ontop of his head.
He stayed still for a minute, letting the melting snow soak through his robes, then looked at her. "Alright, to hell with hexes, you are going to get a wad-ful of snow up your nose!" he raced towards her, and pushed her onto the once neat snow.
They continued like that for nearly an hour. By the time they both reached the castle again, they both were soaked from head to foot in snow and water.
"So did you enjoy your outting Professor Dumbledore?" she asked quietly, as they entered the empty corridor.
"Min, how old are you? I didn't think women your age were supposed to act like adolescents."
"You know, it's kind of funny. I don't usually get feelings to do stupid things like that, and you have to admit that it WAS stupid. I just dont...it's only when I'm around you, you know what I mean? I feel more...well, different. I don't really want to stay like myself. I want...I AM different when I'm around you."
He looked down on her, feeling hot tention slowly flowing through his veins. 'Does she know what she's saying? Or am I just misinterpreting it?' "I know perfectly well what you mean...it's very common. We get along well enough, sometimes too well, I think."
"Is there really such a thing as TOO well?" she asked quietly, more to herself than Albus, but he took it into consideration none the less.
"I suppose not. But we're talking about a platonic relationship...if you catch my drift."
"Yes, I get it," they turned a corridor, the one that splits their rooms. "I should go and get cleaned up a bit before a student sees me."
"More like sees us," he whispered quietly. She stared at him, her eyes seemed to hold something different this time though. They were wide, the pupils expanded, like the look of a child who wants his mother, or maybe even the one on a tiny puppy. 'Merlin's Beard,' he thought, 'she knows what I'm thinking. She knows.'
"Albus?" she asked quietly.
"Yes?"
"I guess I'll see you at dinner then?"
He stared at her, he was somehow hoping for more a serious question than that. But yes, again, he knew, he was hoping for too much. One snowball fight didn't make them any closer than they were the hour before. A memory, that's all it was...now wasn't the moment, there never was a moment. "Yes, I suppose so. I'll makesure and save you a seat." They both headed down their own separate corridors, and the doors 'clunk' seemed to be heard simultaneously down each.
**************************************
Minerva walked silently into her room, feeling oddly warm after what should have been the coldest experience in her adult life. For once, she was smiling. For once, she nearly got there. 'Why did I go and have to ruin the moment?' she thought quietly, "I guess I'll see you at dinner then? What am I turning into?" She shook her head in disgust, and made her way towards her bathtub to draw herself a warm bath. She needed to think.
The tub filled quickly. She could see the steam coming from the heated water, and took in a sigh of relief. Therapy. She let her hair out of her bun, though already messed up, it fell down in a heap of black, with some curls from the bun weaved in and out of the intricate mess. She smiled to herself, and took off the outer layer of clothes. She began unbottoning the inside layer, but heard a distinct knock at the door. 'Who could that be?' she wondered. She walked closer to the door, "Who is it?"
"Greg."
She breathed in deeply, and looked herself over. 'I suppose it's fine. He surely won't be here for very long.' She didn't bother to put her hair up, or to put on her outer robes. She was still plenty covered, with still another layer of robes underneath what was visible. "Come in."
He walked in the door with a deep strut, his self confidence seeming to show more than she had seen it. She payed attention to his eyes however, who seemed to look her over immediately once he had noticed her appearance. He smiled a dazzling row of white teeth towards her, and walked further in, so she could shut the door.
"What do you want?" she asked sufficiently.
"Just to talk. You're not busy, are you?"
"Well, actually, yes. I was just getting ready to get um...cleaned up."
"So I see," he looked at her up and down again, not so obviously, but it was still apparent to Minerva, who was watching him lost in thought. "Your hair...it's long, really long."
"Thank you. It took me a long time to get it this long."
He nodded, and picked up her chin so it was facing more towards his head. His eyes met hers in a dramatic gesture. "You look pretty when your hair is down. It makes you look...even MORE beautiful than you are normally."
She smiled again, not knowing what else to do. He was a handsome man, there was no doubt about that. Broad shoulders, dark brown hair, brilliant brown eyes...his deep, baratone voice that was always rememberable. Though her initial judgment was of him more as a lady hunter, somehow, he had a way of sucking her in. Not like Albus. With Albus, she felt happy inside, she felt wonderful, she felt uplifted. When she was with Greg...she felt...tense.
"You know, you really are beautiful," he said softly, knowing well enough the mood that he was setting. "Too beautiful for anyone to bypass," his hand cupped her face, touching her in a soft gesture. She didn't make him go, so he progressed to the next step. He kissed her. She didn't respond right away, but she did none the less.
Their lips departed, and she stared up at him with round eyes. "Come with me Minerva. You and I, we can make everything right. We'll set the Christmas spirit," his hands reached around, and gently found their way through her mess of hair.
"Greg...we...we can't."
"I can assure you Min, we can," he whispered softly, his lips connected with her warm skin, despite herself, she let out a groan, "Oh...God," she whispered.
"Come over Min, we can keep it a secr-"
"Greg, we're not supposed to be doing stupid things like this. I'm...I'm not interested. I can't let this happen."
"Of course you're interested, I know you Minerva, you want th-" He stopped mid-sentence as the loud knock of the door was acknowledged. She looked up at him, then at the door. She nodded, and answered the door.
"Albus," she stated quietly.
"Sorry to see you again so soon, but I still have your snow gloves. I wanted to give them to you while I still remembered."
"No, it's fine," she whispered. "Greg came over to...talk. He was just leaving, so he could go and do something more productive with his time," she turned towards Greg, and made a gesture that certainly said, 'out'.
Albus looked over Minerva's shoulder, and looked at Greg. Taking the hint, he looked back down on her, and lord help him, he saw a wet mark on her neck. He suddenly took notice of her hair being down, then the absence of her outer robes. Seizing up his courage, he asked, "What have you and Greg been talking about?"
"It doesn't matter, he's leaving now, and the conversation is over."
Albus nodded, and handed her the gloves. As he walked down the corridor towards his rooms, the image wouldn't leave his mind. What had Greg done? If he had any ounce of sense left in him, it would be not to let his imagination run away with him. Albus was determined not to lead to assumptions, no matter how often they filled his head.
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I dont know if you caught it, or if I did a good job in puting it in there, but Greg is well, obviously NOT waiting until after the new year. And Minerva is OBVIOUSLY wanting to choose Albus...of course, now despite what he wants to do, he may himself lead to assumptions. ay?
Well, hope you liked it, and I hope I can post in less than a week. I am determined to get this thing posted before Christmas, which means 7 or 8 chapters in 6 weeks! Well, r&r please, and thanks for reading it even if you DONT review. It makes me happy to know that someone likes to read my stuff.
This chapter may come out a big angsty, romantic, or just throw you for a turn, but I shall explain if something is not clear at the end of the chapter. Now...on w/ the story!
**************************************************************************** *****************************
:One Week: Snowballs and surprises
Albus walked quickly down the corridor, towards Minerva's rooms, where she was sure to have gone. Breakfast had already happened, and the school altogether had been released the day before from classes. He strode for what seemed like hours, until he came upon the sealed door. He reached for the door handle, but thought more of it, and knocked.
"Coming."
He waited patiently while she came. She opened the door with a smile, and he couldn't help but note her shiny green eyes. "Oh, Albus, is there something else?"
"No, no. I um...wanted to talk to you about something apart from school work. I need to tell you something."
She nodded, and beckoned him to come inside. He walked in, and stood, looking around the warm room. "Sit down Albus, anyplace is fine."
He looked around, and found a small chair by her fireplace. He decided that might be the best place...his only other option was really her bed, and that would be a mistake for sure. "I won't be long, I just needed to say something to you."
She herself, did take a seat on the bed, and looked at him uncomprehensively. "So what is it that you want to say?"
He stared at her, running thoughts through his head. 'Come on, you can do it Albus, you've ran this through your head a million and a half times. This shouldn't be as hard as it is...Oh Merlin's beard, does she have to smile like that?' He shook his head.
"So now you don't have something to say?" she asked quietly, her smile had somewhat drifted from her face, and in place of it was some sort of...if it had been anyone else, he may have called it a teasing face.
"No, I mean yes, I do have something to say."
"Alright then, what?"
"I...I..." he knew there was a reason why he had not made a move before now, when it came down to it, he just could never make himself do it. "it's a lovely day outside, don't you think?"
If she hadn't had a look of apprehension before, it was certainly there now. "You came to talk about the weather?"
"Well, I guess I was wondering if you would er...want to go on a walk with me, outside the grounds?"
She considered him a few seconds, then smiled. "Why not? I suppose it's just lovely outside, I was looking out this morning, and I even thought about going out then."
A flood of relief surrounded his body, he couldn't take rejection, not now when time was so short. He stretched his hand for her to grasp, and he pulled her up from the bed. "Is there anything that you um...need to go?"
"I think gloves may be helpful," she walked towards her bedside bureau and pulled out a set of dark blue gloves, "Do you want a pair? I have an extra."
"Sure. I don't think it would hurt, now would it?"
She turned around, and handed him the gloves. "Shall we leave?"
"Yes, let's."
They made their way down the castle, passing what little students still were at the school, who seemed to take notice of their arm-in-arm stroll towards the snowy grounds. Albus looked down on Minerva occasionally, making note of how her smile matched so wonderfully with her eyes. Like a jigsaw puzzle, and the way the pieces just seemed to fit. Somehow, he had always known that this conspiracy with the staff members would end up in something. He had hardly realized it until she had been teaching for a year or so. But when he did finally see it, he had thought of nothing else. 'Unfortunately', he thought, 'I'm running out of time rather quickly to get this finished.'
They came upon the snowy grounds, and she pointed towards the quidditch pitch. "Yes, that will be fine. I don't believe any of the teams would be practicing now," they walked arm in arm towards the gigantic stadium. Albus quickly realized however, that 'fine' was not the word for the quidditch pitch, for this moment, his, moment. Perfect was the word. The snow lay untouched in this enclosed chamber, and was at least two feet deep...perfect for snow angels, perfect for his angel.
"Just like a winter wonderland," she whispered. She looked up at him, a smile, and her lips turned a lighter pink than normal from the cold, "care to play in it?"
"Play?" he stared at her apprehensively.
She just shook her head, and grasped his hand. He was pulled, until he was center in the pitch, and stared at her. She smiled a dazzling smile at him, a mesmerizing smile at him, he wasn't thinking...there she was. On perfect timing...she pushed him on the ground.
"Minerva I am going to put a HEX on you! Get back here!" he screamed as he pulled himself up from the freezing snow.
She had most definately made her distance, she had to have been ten yards away from him. She smiled sheepishly at him, her cheeks a light pink. She didn't even flinch as he walked towards her, he found out all too soon that's what she had been anticipating. He pointed his finger at her, trying his best to keep his 'stern face' and not start laughing as he was compelled to do. "That was very, very, very, uncalled for."
"Yes, but it's about to get worse."
"Worse?" he didn't have time to respond, before he had a second to react, a snowball was planted ontop of his head.
He stayed still for a minute, letting the melting snow soak through his robes, then looked at her. "Alright, to hell with hexes, you are going to get a wad-ful of snow up your nose!" he raced towards her, and pushed her onto the once neat snow.
They continued like that for nearly an hour. By the time they both reached the castle again, they both were soaked from head to foot in snow and water.
"So did you enjoy your outting Professor Dumbledore?" she asked quietly, as they entered the empty corridor.
"Min, how old are you? I didn't think women your age were supposed to act like adolescents."
"You know, it's kind of funny. I don't usually get feelings to do stupid things like that, and you have to admit that it WAS stupid. I just dont...it's only when I'm around you, you know what I mean? I feel more...well, different. I don't really want to stay like myself. I want...I AM different when I'm around you."
He looked down on her, feeling hot tention slowly flowing through his veins. 'Does she know what she's saying? Or am I just misinterpreting it?' "I know perfectly well what you mean...it's very common. We get along well enough, sometimes too well, I think."
"Is there really such a thing as TOO well?" she asked quietly, more to herself than Albus, but he took it into consideration none the less.
"I suppose not. But we're talking about a platonic relationship...if you catch my drift."
"Yes, I get it," they turned a corridor, the one that splits their rooms. "I should go and get cleaned up a bit before a student sees me."
"More like sees us," he whispered quietly. She stared at him, her eyes seemed to hold something different this time though. They were wide, the pupils expanded, like the look of a child who wants his mother, or maybe even the one on a tiny puppy. 'Merlin's Beard,' he thought, 'she knows what I'm thinking. She knows.'
"Albus?" she asked quietly.
"Yes?"
"I guess I'll see you at dinner then?"
He stared at her, he was somehow hoping for more a serious question than that. But yes, again, he knew, he was hoping for too much. One snowball fight didn't make them any closer than they were the hour before. A memory, that's all it was...now wasn't the moment, there never was a moment. "Yes, I suppose so. I'll makesure and save you a seat." They both headed down their own separate corridors, and the doors 'clunk' seemed to be heard simultaneously down each.
**************************************
Minerva walked silently into her room, feeling oddly warm after what should have been the coldest experience in her adult life. For once, she was smiling. For once, she nearly got there. 'Why did I go and have to ruin the moment?' she thought quietly, "I guess I'll see you at dinner then? What am I turning into?" She shook her head in disgust, and made her way towards her bathtub to draw herself a warm bath. She needed to think.
The tub filled quickly. She could see the steam coming from the heated water, and took in a sigh of relief. Therapy. She let her hair out of her bun, though already messed up, it fell down in a heap of black, with some curls from the bun weaved in and out of the intricate mess. She smiled to herself, and took off the outer layer of clothes. She began unbottoning the inside layer, but heard a distinct knock at the door. 'Who could that be?' she wondered. She walked closer to the door, "Who is it?"
"Greg."
She breathed in deeply, and looked herself over. 'I suppose it's fine. He surely won't be here for very long.' She didn't bother to put her hair up, or to put on her outer robes. She was still plenty covered, with still another layer of robes underneath what was visible. "Come in."
He walked in the door with a deep strut, his self confidence seeming to show more than she had seen it. She payed attention to his eyes however, who seemed to look her over immediately once he had noticed her appearance. He smiled a dazzling row of white teeth towards her, and walked further in, so she could shut the door.
"What do you want?" she asked sufficiently.
"Just to talk. You're not busy, are you?"
"Well, actually, yes. I was just getting ready to get um...cleaned up."
"So I see," he looked at her up and down again, not so obviously, but it was still apparent to Minerva, who was watching him lost in thought. "Your hair...it's long, really long."
"Thank you. It took me a long time to get it this long."
He nodded, and picked up her chin so it was facing more towards his head. His eyes met hers in a dramatic gesture. "You look pretty when your hair is down. It makes you look...even MORE beautiful than you are normally."
She smiled again, not knowing what else to do. He was a handsome man, there was no doubt about that. Broad shoulders, dark brown hair, brilliant brown eyes...his deep, baratone voice that was always rememberable. Though her initial judgment was of him more as a lady hunter, somehow, he had a way of sucking her in. Not like Albus. With Albus, she felt happy inside, she felt wonderful, she felt uplifted. When she was with Greg...she felt...tense.
"You know, you really are beautiful," he said softly, knowing well enough the mood that he was setting. "Too beautiful for anyone to bypass," his hand cupped her face, touching her in a soft gesture. She didn't make him go, so he progressed to the next step. He kissed her. She didn't respond right away, but she did none the less.
Their lips departed, and she stared up at him with round eyes. "Come with me Minerva. You and I, we can make everything right. We'll set the Christmas spirit," his hands reached around, and gently found their way through her mess of hair.
"Greg...we...we can't."
"I can assure you Min, we can," he whispered softly, his lips connected with her warm skin, despite herself, she let out a groan, "Oh...God," she whispered.
"Come over Min, we can keep it a secr-"
"Greg, we're not supposed to be doing stupid things like this. I'm...I'm not interested. I can't let this happen."
"Of course you're interested, I know you Minerva, you want th-" He stopped mid-sentence as the loud knock of the door was acknowledged. She looked up at him, then at the door. She nodded, and answered the door.
"Albus," she stated quietly.
"Sorry to see you again so soon, but I still have your snow gloves. I wanted to give them to you while I still remembered."
"No, it's fine," she whispered. "Greg came over to...talk. He was just leaving, so he could go and do something more productive with his time," she turned towards Greg, and made a gesture that certainly said, 'out'.
Albus looked over Minerva's shoulder, and looked at Greg. Taking the hint, he looked back down on her, and lord help him, he saw a wet mark on her neck. He suddenly took notice of her hair being down, then the absence of her outer robes. Seizing up his courage, he asked, "What have you and Greg been talking about?"
"It doesn't matter, he's leaving now, and the conversation is over."
Albus nodded, and handed her the gloves. As he walked down the corridor towards his rooms, the image wouldn't leave his mind. What had Greg done? If he had any ounce of sense left in him, it would be not to let his imagination run away with him. Albus was determined not to lead to assumptions, no matter how often they filled his head.
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I dont know if you caught it, or if I did a good job in puting it in there, but Greg is well, obviously NOT waiting until after the new year. And Minerva is OBVIOUSLY wanting to choose Albus...of course, now despite what he wants to do, he may himself lead to assumptions. ay?
Well, hope you liked it, and I hope I can post in less than a week. I am determined to get this thing posted before Christmas, which means 7 or 8 chapters in 6 weeks! Well, r&r please, and thanks for reading it even if you DONT review. It makes me happy to know that someone likes to read my stuff.