Happy Christmas, Darling
A/N: Someone asked for holiday fics at the AlbusandMinerva Yahoo! group, so here's my answer. Enjoy!
Minerva sat alone in front of the fire, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, bare feet tucked up underneath her. She'd chosen not to go home for the winter holidays for the first time since becoming a teacher five years ago, and had enjoyed spending time with her fellow staff members, although most were older than she. She had enjoyed the company of one in particular: Albus Dumbledore.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. She blinked and looked up. "Come in."
The door opened her breath caught in her throat. "Hello, Minerva."
"Hello, Albus," she replied after clearing her throat. "What brings you here?"
"I thought you might like some company," he explained, closing the door behind him.
She smiled faintly. "Won't you come have a seat by the fire?"
"Don't mind if I do," he replied, crossing the room in several strides to sit down beside her on the couch. "How are you adjusting to life at Hogwarts, Tabby?"
She shrugged a little uncomfortably. "Pretty well. It was a bit of a shock my first year of teaching."
He nodded. "Yes, there is quite a difference between learning and teaching."
"Yes, there is," she agreed, looking down into her mug.
A touch on her shoulder drew her gaze to him. "Is something wrong, my dear?"
She sighed. "I miss my family."
"You didn't _have_ to say here, you know," he told her quietly. "There is nothing keeping you here."
Unable to hold his gaze, she looked into the fire. "I know, but I _want_ to stay here."
"It is your decision, of course," he answered, somewhat diffidently. "May I ask why you chose to remain at Hogwarts for the winter holidays?"
She sighed again. "It's a little awkward to explain--"
"You don't owe me an explanation," he hastened to assure her.
She covered his mouth with her hand. "I _want_ to, Albus." He nodded and she dropped her hand. "These past few years, Christmas with my family has been wonderful."
"But?" he prompted when she fell silent, gazing into the fire.
She sighed a third time. "But, I was lonely. Everywhere I looked, I saw happy couples, deeply in love, or children playing happily together."
"And you didn't have that," he commented quietly.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Do you have no chance at that happiness?" he asked softly.
"There _is_ one man," she admitted quietly, "but I doubt he would want me."
His words tumbled out before he could stop them. "How could he _not_ want you? You're beautiful, intelligent, and can hold your own in any battle whether it be of magic or wits."
She could only stare at him, surprised and pleased. Finally, after an uncharacteristic blush had suffused his face and he looked into the fire, she found her voice. "Albus, are you saying what I think you're saying?"
His bright blue eyes met her dark green ones. "If you think I'm saying that I'm in love with you, then yes."
She smiled, reaching up to cup his face between her hands, having set her empty mug aside. "Oh, Albus, I hoped, but could never be sure."
"What do you mean, my dear?" he asked, mirroring her movements.
"That I'm hopelessly in love with you, Albus," she told him, blinking back tears of joy.
"Oh, Minerva." Unable to hold back anymore, he kissed her, softly and tenderly. Making a soft noise in the back of her throat, she melted into the kiss, her arms sliding around his neck. An eternity later, that was all too short, he ended the kiss. As they gazed into each other's eyes, the grandfather clock in the corner chimed twelve times. "Happy Christmas, my dear."
"Happy Christmas, Darling," she replied before drawing his head down to hers for another kiss.
**Finite**
A/N: Someone asked for holiday fics at the AlbusandMinerva Yahoo! group, so here's my answer. Enjoy!
Minerva sat alone in front of the fire, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, bare feet tucked up underneath her. She'd chosen not to go home for the winter holidays for the first time since becoming a teacher five years ago, and had enjoyed spending time with her fellow staff members, although most were older than she. She had enjoyed the company of one in particular: Albus Dumbledore.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. She blinked and looked up. "Come in."
The door opened her breath caught in her throat. "Hello, Minerva."
"Hello, Albus," she replied after clearing her throat. "What brings you here?"
"I thought you might like some company," he explained, closing the door behind him.
She smiled faintly. "Won't you come have a seat by the fire?"
"Don't mind if I do," he replied, crossing the room in several strides to sit down beside her on the couch. "How are you adjusting to life at Hogwarts, Tabby?"
She shrugged a little uncomfortably. "Pretty well. It was a bit of a shock my first year of teaching."
He nodded. "Yes, there is quite a difference between learning and teaching."
"Yes, there is," she agreed, looking down into her mug.
A touch on her shoulder drew her gaze to him. "Is something wrong, my dear?"
She sighed. "I miss my family."
"You didn't _have_ to say here, you know," he told her quietly. "There is nothing keeping you here."
Unable to hold his gaze, she looked into the fire. "I know, but I _want_ to stay here."
"It is your decision, of course," he answered, somewhat diffidently. "May I ask why you chose to remain at Hogwarts for the winter holidays?"
She sighed again. "It's a little awkward to explain--"
"You don't owe me an explanation," he hastened to assure her.
She covered his mouth with her hand. "I _want_ to, Albus." He nodded and she dropped her hand. "These past few years, Christmas with my family has been wonderful."
"But?" he prompted when she fell silent, gazing into the fire.
She sighed a third time. "But, I was lonely. Everywhere I looked, I saw happy couples, deeply in love, or children playing happily together."
"And you didn't have that," he commented quietly.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Do you have no chance at that happiness?" he asked softly.
"There _is_ one man," she admitted quietly, "but I doubt he would want me."
His words tumbled out before he could stop them. "How could he _not_ want you? You're beautiful, intelligent, and can hold your own in any battle whether it be of magic or wits."
She could only stare at him, surprised and pleased. Finally, after an uncharacteristic blush had suffused his face and he looked into the fire, she found her voice. "Albus, are you saying what I think you're saying?"
His bright blue eyes met her dark green ones. "If you think I'm saying that I'm in love with you, then yes."
She smiled, reaching up to cup his face between her hands, having set her empty mug aside. "Oh, Albus, I hoped, but could never be sure."
"What do you mean, my dear?" he asked, mirroring her movements.
"That I'm hopelessly in love with you, Albus," she told him, blinking back tears of joy.
"Oh, Minerva." Unable to hold back anymore, he kissed her, softly and tenderly. Making a soft noise in the back of her throat, she melted into the kiss, her arms sliding around his neck. An eternity later, that was all too short, he ended the kiss. As they gazed into each other's eyes, the grandfather clock in the corner chimed twelve times. "Happy Christmas, my dear."
"Happy Christmas, Darling," she replied before drawing his head down to hers for another kiss.
**Finite**