Chapter 5- One step foreward, Two steps back
Professor McGonagall sat in her class room, at her desk, grading the homework of the seventh years. She sighed and put her work aside when she found her concentration lacking. As she looked out over the desks she could plainly see the small girl that had grown into their Defense against the Dark Arts Professor sitting in the front of the Slytherins, her hands up as often Hermione Grangers, her eyes sparkling when her Professor praised her.
And in contrast, she could see a boy with shoulder-length black hair. Back then it had been tied back into soft pony-tail and his face had been less lined, but his eyes had already been cold, and attempting unfeeling. He'd sat in the back of the class, very rarely offering answers unless called upon, but always showing true signs of intelligence when he did speak.
Isis and Severus had been as different as night and day. No one had foreseen their friendship, and in company the friendship had barely been acknowledged. But Minerva had been able to see them alone, on occasion, when they had the time to be alone, usually outside, in the evenings. She had never doubted their friendship, and she suspected their love. A soft smile crossed her face as she remembered the night she'd realized that they'd fallen in love. It had made her long for the days of youthful courage, and reckless abandon.
"Penny for your thoughts," A soft voice interrupted her solitude. She turned to the twinkling eyes and the gentle smile that only seemed to appear when they were alone. Minerva wasn't quite sure what he meant by it, but she liked the thought that he had a smile that he saved just for her. "At least, I believe that's the expression."
"Yes, I do believe you're right." She allowed. "I was merely thinking about how good they are for each other." She didn't specify further, knowing he knew exactly who she was talking about.
"Hopefully they will continue to grow along the path they had started on so many years ago." Dumbledore responded sagely.
"Yes. And may they meet the most favorable end before they become lonely old curmudgeons."
He smiled affectionately at her. "I would hardly call you a lonely old curmudgeon, my dear Minerva."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Who said I was talking about myself Albus?" Her voice and face were unreadable, but he knew she was teasing him.
"I have plenty of time left, my girl." He assured her.
She allowed a little chuckle to escape her. She stood and walked over to him. Gently she took the glasses from him and used her robes to clean them off. Then she gently put them back on his face. "Can you see a little better now Albus?"
"Minerva, how much older than you am I?" He teased her.
"That isn't enough to make me a girl I'm afraid."
He tipped his head so he peered at her over the tops of his glasses and his eyes took on a different sparkle, one she didn't understand. "You'll always be a girl to me."
She sighed sadly, misunderstanding his meaning. He peered at her, wondering what he had said to upset her, till she smiled brightly. "Shall we go to dinner?" She asked, deflecting his unspoken questions.
"Of course." He took her arm, escorting her from the classroom toward the Great Hall.
They were halfway down the hall when Snape and Isis stepped out of her classroom. Neither couple noticed the other for the first few moments. After a little while though, Isis looked up and squealed girlishly. Her companion looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Oh look." She pointed to the two professors ahead of her.
He observed what she was pointing at, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Isis they are always like that."
"Not in front of the students." She shot back. He looked horrified at the thought. "I always knew they were in love, but to see that they really are together.."
"They're not 'together' Isis. They're friends."
Disappointment subdued her glee. "Are you sure?" She looked up at his stony face. "Oh, of course you are. It's so sad. It's so clear that they love each other, why can't they just admit it to each other?"
"Maybe you're just seeing things that aren't there." He suggested. The sharp glare she sent him out of the corner of her eyes, made him amend his statement. "Though I suppose you could be right. But it's not like you can do anything about it."
She sighed as she watched Dumbledore and McGonagall drop their arms before entering the great hall. "No I suppose you're right." And then they two pulled apart before entering the hall full of students and staff.
Professor McGonagall sat in her class room, at her desk, grading the homework of the seventh years. She sighed and put her work aside when she found her concentration lacking. As she looked out over the desks she could plainly see the small girl that had grown into their Defense against the Dark Arts Professor sitting in the front of the Slytherins, her hands up as often Hermione Grangers, her eyes sparkling when her Professor praised her.
And in contrast, she could see a boy with shoulder-length black hair. Back then it had been tied back into soft pony-tail and his face had been less lined, but his eyes had already been cold, and attempting unfeeling. He'd sat in the back of the class, very rarely offering answers unless called upon, but always showing true signs of intelligence when he did speak.
Isis and Severus had been as different as night and day. No one had foreseen their friendship, and in company the friendship had barely been acknowledged. But Minerva had been able to see them alone, on occasion, when they had the time to be alone, usually outside, in the evenings. She had never doubted their friendship, and she suspected their love. A soft smile crossed her face as she remembered the night she'd realized that they'd fallen in love. It had made her long for the days of youthful courage, and reckless abandon.
"Penny for your thoughts," A soft voice interrupted her solitude. She turned to the twinkling eyes and the gentle smile that only seemed to appear when they were alone. Minerva wasn't quite sure what he meant by it, but she liked the thought that he had a smile that he saved just for her. "At least, I believe that's the expression."
"Yes, I do believe you're right." She allowed. "I was merely thinking about how good they are for each other." She didn't specify further, knowing he knew exactly who she was talking about.
"Hopefully they will continue to grow along the path they had started on so many years ago." Dumbledore responded sagely.
"Yes. And may they meet the most favorable end before they become lonely old curmudgeons."
He smiled affectionately at her. "I would hardly call you a lonely old curmudgeon, my dear Minerva."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Who said I was talking about myself Albus?" Her voice and face were unreadable, but he knew she was teasing him.
"I have plenty of time left, my girl." He assured her.
She allowed a little chuckle to escape her. She stood and walked over to him. Gently she took the glasses from him and used her robes to clean them off. Then she gently put them back on his face. "Can you see a little better now Albus?"
"Minerva, how much older than you am I?" He teased her.
"That isn't enough to make me a girl I'm afraid."
He tipped his head so he peered at her over the tops of his glasses and his eyes took on a different sparkle, one she didn't understand. "You'll always be a girl to me."
She sighed sadly, misunderstanding his meaning. He peered at her, wondering what he had said to upset her, till she smiled brightly. "Shall we go to dinner?" She asked, deflecting his unspoken questions.
"Of course." He took her arm, escorting her from the classroom toward the Great Hall.
They were halfway down the hall when Snape and Isis stepped out of her classroom. Neither couple noticed the other for the first few moments. After a little while though, Isis looked up and squealed girlishly. Her companion looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Oh look." She pointed to the two professors ahead of her.
He observed what she was pointing at, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Isis they are always like that."
"Not in front of the students." She shot back. He looked horrified at the thought. "I always knew they were in love, but to see that they really are together.."
"They're not 'together' Isis. They're friends."
Disappointment subdued her glee. "Are you sure?" She looked up at his stony face. "Oh, of course you are. It's so sad. It's so clear that they love each other, why can't they just admit it to each other?"
"Maybe you're just seeing things that aren't there." He suggested. The sharp glare she sent him out of the corner of her eyes, made him amend his statement. "Though I suppose you could be right. But it's not like you can do anything about it."
She sighed as she watched Dumbledore and McGonagall drop their arms before entering the great hall. "No I suppose you're right." And then they two pulled apart before entering the hall full of students and staff.