A kiss and some more kisses
By: Witch Whoopie
Disclaimer: Not mine. If only… All characters belong to J.K. Rowling
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Hurriedly Minerva McGonagall walked in the direction of Albus Dumbledore's Office. A meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was due within a couple of minutes. Over time they had made a habit to arrive at Grimmauld's Place together, but she had been so busy preparing for her lessons that she had forgotten about the time
'I wonder if Albus had forgotten about the meeting too', she thought. She was worried about him. He looked tired. But then again, there was so much to be done. The war against Voldemort, the Order, the School… Thank goodness the Ministry had finally accepted the fact that Voldemort had really returned. Cornelius Fudge was on their side now, but she still felt angry towards him for all the trouble and misery he had caused the previous year.
She had tried to convince Albus to delegate some of the work or take a few days rest, but he did not want to hear about it.
When she had reached the gargoyle she said the password, 'chickenpie' and the staircase began to move. When she was upstairs she knocked the door twice. When she didn't hear him answer she knocked again, louder this time.
She still didn't hear a thing and called out his name, but no reaction came. 'Perhaps he has already left', she thought and decided to enter his office nevertheless.
She opened the door and looked inside. "Albus…", she called out softly and then she saw him. He was sitting in a large armchair near the fire and… he was vast asleep. There was an open book in his lap and in his hand he hold a mug of now cold chocolate. He hold the mug sideways and the chocolate almost poured out.
Minerva remained standing in the doorway and smiled. "He's so cute when he's asleep", she muttered softly. She walked up to him and took the mug from his hand and placed it on the table.
She wanted to wake him, but then decided against it. 'He's completely exhausted', she thought. 'I knew it. I'll let him sleep. We can have the meeting without him'. She knew that was only half-true. He was the leader, he should be there. She took a blanket from the other chair and the book from his lap. She looked interested at the title and then her eyes widened in surprise. 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus'. She chuckled softly and placed the book on the table, next to the mug. Carefully she placed the blanket around him. When he moved she froze.
'Please, don't wake up', she thought slightly panicked, but luckily he carried on sleeping. For several minutes she remained standing there quietly, watching him with a smile on her face. Then she leaned closer to him and pressed a careful kiss on his cheek.
She took out a handful of Floo Powder and stepped inside the fireplace. "Grimmauld Place", she spoke clearly.
´Where is Albus?" Moody asked as she walked into the living room.
"He's not coming", she replied and sat down at the large table were the other Order members were sitting as well.
"How do you mean 'he's not coming', Remus asked with his eyebrows raised. "He's not ill, is he?"
"No, he's not", Minerva replied.
"Then were is he?" Fudge asked impatiently, "and why isn't he here? Did you talk to him before you came here?"
"No", Minerva replied, "I mean yes, he…" she looked at the curious faces around her, "he's asleep".
"He's asleep?" Tonks repeated while her hair turned canary yellow.
"Why didn't you wake him?" Fudge asked angry. "This is outrages. He's asleep… as if!"
Minerva felt the anger rise inside her and turned angrily towards Fudge. "Did you ever stop to notice that Albus is only human, like the rest of us and that he too can be tired? I came into his Office and he had fallen asleep on his chair. He's just tired, do you mind? And yes, I've let him sleep. Do you ever look at all the things he does for us all? He deserves rest too!"
While she was ranting she noticed the drastic change in the faces in front of her. The changed from determination into… amusement?
"What?" she asked bewildered. All eyes were looking at something behind her. She turned around and looked straight into the smiling face and twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore.
"Thank you my dear", he said, "but don't worry about me. I had borrowed a rather boring book from Aberforth and fell asleep while reading it".
Minerva grinned when she remembered the title and looked at the other Order- members who were all smiling broadly.
She noticed him taking a step so that he was standing right beside her and then she felt his hand on her shoulder. When he lowered his face to hers, her eyes widened in surprise. Then his lips descent on hers and he kissed her softly and tenderly. She was too surprised to react and before she knew it, the kiss had ended.
"There…" Albus said while sitting down next to her. "Shall we begin then?" he asked the other members who were all chuckling.
The next day, Minerva sat in her classroom and looked at the students who were all busy copying down notes. They had been chatty and giggly the entire lesson, but after she had treated to put the whole class in detention they had calmed down.
The reason for their unusual behaviour was no doubt what had happened last night. She did not know how, but somehow everyone had heard about it. She had hardly spoken a single word all night and after the meeting she had returned to her rooms at Hogwarts as soon as possible. 'How could he do something like that?' she thought. Was he being serious or was it just a joke? She didn't know.
That morning she had skipped breakfast and at lunch she had took some sandwiches from the kitchen. She didn't feel like talking to Albus. She wasn't angry or upset, just startled. 'Maybe it's true after all', she thought dreamily. 'maybe he feels the same way about me'. She felt a sneeze coming up and pulled a tartan handkerchief from her pocket.
"Are you having a cold, Professor?" Hermione asked.
"I wonder how that happened", Parvati muttered and giggled with Lavender.
Minerva send both girls a stern glare and decided not to comment on it.
"Do you know what works against sneezing?" Malfoy asked. She looked at him in surprise.
"Garlic", Malfoy said with a wide grin, "lot's of garlic".
Minerva jumped out of chair and snapped, "Two weeks of detention, Mr. Malfoy. And anyone who dares to make one more comment will be send away from class and not be allowed to come back for a long time!"
A few students grinned at that, (openly or behind their books) but they did not say anything further.
She sat down again, trembling slightly. "I will kill Albus', she thought angrily. 'He will pay for this!' After the bell the students left the classroom, talking excitedly and after they had all left she started to clean away her books and parchment.
She didn't notice the door open and close again, nor the person who watched her with a smile on his face.
"One knut for your thoughts", a soft voice said and she looked up startled, right in Albus' eyes. She shot him an angry glare and started to fold and unfold a piece of parchment, lying in front of her.
"Have you seen this?" Albus asked and placed a copy of the Daily Prophet on her desk. 'The Love affair between Hogwart's Headmaster and his Deputy' a particular enthusiastic headline screamed.
"Of course I've read that", she replied tensely, not daring to look in his eyes. "I wonder how they've found out about it".
"My dear, I did not realise that our relationship had developed so much it was safe to call it a love affair", Albus said with an innocent smile.
Minerva looked straight in his eyes now and snapped, "You know perfectly well what I mean, Albus. If you had not performed that act last night, we would not be in this situation".
"What act?" Albus asked with the same innocent smile. "Minerva, you are the one who has started this whole thing".
"Me?" Minerva asked outraged. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"The portraits in my office and Fawkes saw everything", Albus replied smiling.
"There was not much to be see", Minerva replied, furious with herself for forgetting about the portrait and that wretched bird. "I just gave you a peck on you cheek, that's all. And no one knows about that. It was just a friendly gesture, nothing more. And if you had not kissed me right on my mouth last night…"
"You responded quite well to that, if I remember correctly", Albus interrupted her.
"That's not true", Minerva replied. "I did not respond at all".
"But you didn't pull away either", Albus answered, stepping around her desk, closer to her.
"I'll bet that, if I kiss you again, you will respond", there was unmistakably a teasing look in his eyes. He came closer and closer and Minerva took a few steps back.
"Albus, this is ridiculous", she said, her voice shaking slightly. "Stop it".
"You're afraid, aren't you?" Albus asked, coming even closer. "You don't dare to let me kiss you". Minerva stepped further back until she stood with her back against a bookshelf. "We've been friends for forty years", she begins, "and I think…"
Albus interrupted her and said, "I think I have the right to kiss you after forty years".
"No, you don't!" Minerva answered furiously, watching him still coming closer. She pulled a book from the shelf above her and held it in front of her face. "Albus, we should talk about this, as two mature people…"
"Put away the book, Minerva", Albus said smiling, "we can't talk with a book between us".
"No", Minerva answered, "I want…. Hey!"
Albus pulled the book from her hands and dropped it without ceremony on the floor. She attempted to slide pass him, but Albus placed his hands on her waist to stop her. She was now caught between the bookshelf and his body and looked at him furiously.
"Albus, I don't want you to kiss me", she hissed. "You're just making a fool of me or trying to be funny. I won't participate!"
"My dear, the last thing I want is making a fool out of you", he said softly and she felt his breath on her face. 'Why am I stopping him', she wondered, 'I've want this to happen for years'.
"I will kiss you just once", Albus told her softly. "Just once and if you don't respond I'll personally make sure the rumours stop and I will never mention this again".
"Just you wait, Albus", she thought grimly, 'I happen to have a rather strong powers of concentration.
"Alright", she agreed, pressing her lips firmly together.
His hands slipped further around her waist and he pulled her closer against him. Already Minerva felt her control slipping. 'I can do this', she thought franticly, 'I'll get back to him by not responding to him'.
His nose touched hers and she still held her lips firmly pressed together. Albus leaned closer towards her and gently kissed the corner of her mouth. Then he proceeded to her cheek and chin. His lips moved even lower until she felt them in her neck. His kisses were soft and tender and send shivers up and down her spine.
Not responding to him was the hardest thing she had ever done. 'Why am I fighting this?' she thought.
"Albus, you're cheating", she whispered with a slightly hoarse voice. 'I thought you meant to kiss my lips".
"I won't forget them, believe me", Albus muttered against her neck and moved up to her ear.
"Oh what the heck", Minerva thought and bend her head slightly to grand him more access. She heard a chuckle coming from him and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I knew it', he whispered softly.
"Oh, shut up", Minerva whispered back. With one hand she stroked his beard and her other hand moved around his neck.
Albus gazed into her eyes, their faces only inches apart and his arms around her. "I love you, Minerva", he told her in the same soft voice. "I've loved you for years, but I didn't know if you felt the same way about me. Only last year I suspected that perhaps you did… but it was only after the portraits had told me what you had done that I knew for sure.
And then at the meeting… when you defended me in front of Fudge… I fell in love with you all over again. I was so tired of hiding my feelings for you that I kissed you. And I have not regret it for one moment".
Minerva smiled and caressed his face with her fingertips. Carefully she pressed her lips against his and kissed him. Albus responded immediately and cradled her in his arms, while their kiss became more and more passionate.
Eventually they pulled away and both of them tried to catch their breath again. "I love you", Minerva told him softly. Albus smiled and his lips found hers again for another kiss.
The End