Minerva woke with the sunlight streaming into her eyes. She could fell the
rise and fall of Albus's breathing under her head, and she remembered where
she was.
"Good Morning." Albus smiled at her.
"Morning?" she squinted. Suddenly she jumped up and looked at the angle of the sun. It was at least ten o'clock. "Bloody Hell!" she cried. "I had fifth years at seven this morning!" she leapt out of his bed and began to throw on her robes. What was she going to do? If she came to class now, every one would know she had overslept. Worse, she would still have to wear yesterday's robes, and what kind of rumors would that start? What if someone had gone to her rooms to look for her? What if she was spotted in the hall?
"Relax, Minerva," Albus laughed, after watching her anxiously dress for a few moments.
"Relax?" she asked incredulously, "This could cost me my position here!"
"Wait right there for a moment," he replied. Without bothering to dress, Dumbledore began rummaging through the things on one of his shelves. "Here you go." He said, handing her a small hourglass with a key on top. It was attached to a leather cord. She looked at it strangely. "Come now, don't tell me you've never seen a time-turner before!" he exclaimed. "Turn back into a cat, I'll put this around your neck and you can go back to your rooms unnoticed through the window. When you change back, give it five turns while still wearing it, and you'll have plenty of time to get to your class." He picked up his half-moon glasses and put them back on.
"Time-turner? But isn't it illegal?" she asked warily.
"Not technically, and don't worry, I won't tell if you don't." His blue eyes sparkled. Minerva's glare softened.
"All right," she said, pulling her wand out of a pocket in her sleeve. A moment later, Dumbledore was smiling at his stray cat. He gently tied the time-turner around her neck.
"Remember, my dear, five turns and no more." He called as she leapt out the window.
Nobody ever found out about that day, but after that close call, they were still more cautious. Their relationship remained so discreet that nothing more than platonic friendship was suspected between them for another twenty years. They were safe until the appearance of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, and a certain Marauder's Map.
**(*)**
"Good Morning." Albus smiled at her.
"Morning?" she squinted. Suddenly she jumped up and looked at the angle of the sun. It was at least ten o'clock. "Bloody Hell!" she cried. "I had fifth years at seven this morning!" she leapt out of his bed and began to throw on her robes. What was she going to do? If she came to class now, every one would know she had overslept. Worse, she would still have to wear yesterday's robes, and what kind of rumors would that start? What if someone had gone to her rooms to look for her? What if she was spotted in the hall?
"Relax, Minerva," Albus laughed, after watching her anxiously dress for a few moments.
"Relax?" she asked incredulously, "This could cost me my position here!"
"Wait right there for a moment," he replied. Without bothering to dress, Dumbledore began rummaging through the things on one of his shelves. "Here you go." He said, handing her a small hourglass with a key on top. It was attached to a leather cord. She looked at it strangely. "Come now, don't tell me you've never seen a time-turner before!" he exclaimed. "Turn back into a cat, I'll put this around your neck and you can go back to your rooms unnoticed through the window. When you change back, give it five turns while still wearing it, and you'll have plenty of time to get to your class." He picked up his half-moon glasses and put them back on.
"Time-turner? But isn't it illegal?" she asked warily.
"Not technically, and don't worry, I won't tell if you don't." His blue eyes sparkled. Minerva's glare softened.
"All right," she said, pulling her wand out of a pocket in her sleeve. A moment later, Dumbledore was smiling at his stray cat. He gently tied the time-turner around her neck.
"Remember, my dear, five turns and no more." He called as she leapt out the window.
Nobody ever found out about that day, but after that close call, they were still more cautious. Their relationship remained so discreet that nothing more than platonic friendship was suspected between them for another twenty years. They were safe until the appearance of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, and a certain Marauder's Map.
**(*)**
