Minerva smiled, silently hoping she didn't blush.

"You- you look quite handsome yourself, Albus." she answered. As she softly coughed, she pulled herself together. This man was for God's sake one of her best friends! She hadn't even been acting like a teenager when she had been one, so why should she now?

With a firm gesture, she accepted his offered arm. But she realized- her face she could control, yet she couldn't control her feelings. She could not stop his heart from jumping up and down in her chest. She couldn't keep the butterflies from twirling through her stomach.

She almost snorted as she realized what she was thinking. Butterflies! Now come on- if there was one ridiculous cliché… And Minerva McGonagall had never been a person for clichés.

But could she stop the butterflies?

No, she could not.

She gritted her teeth as she kept drumming into her mind "he doesn't love me, he doesn't love me, stop hoping, stop hoping…".

But could she stop hoping?

No, she could not.

She couldn't help feeling happy, here, now, clinging to his arm, heading for the Valentine's Ball. It was Valentine's Day, and she was in his presence. How could she ever feel anything but happiness?

And as they entered the Great Hall, she could not oppress a smile.

The whole place had been decorated- and hearts, lovely, beautiful, floating hearts everywhere. And candles. Candles… Normally, she'd hate this kind of fluffy things. Now she suddenly loved them…

"Do you like the decorations, my dear?" Albus awoke her from her thoughts. He suddenly looked at her, his blue eyes twinkling. She smiled.

"Really, who wouldn't, Albus?"

The man chuckled.

"I thought this would perhaps not exactly be to the liking of Stern Professor McGonagall…" But he didn't mean it, and she faintly smiled.

"It is, Albus. Thank you."

But his words "Professor McGonagall" suddenly reminded her of her teacher duties. Where were her students? Wasn't it her duty to look after them a bit? Perhaps not… but she certainly couldn't act like a teenager in their presence… imagine they guessed something…

Albus felt her body stiffen and he stared at her.

"Minerva? Is anything wrong?"

She bit her lips, then, quite honestly, spoke

"No… it's wonderful, everything, but- I just wondered what my students will think of my appearance. You know, my hair and…"

But the man smiled and softly stroked her ebony waves.

"They'll absolutely love it. You look as enchanting as…as a dark Veela, my dear?"

She raised her dark eyebrows.

"Does that count as a compliment?"

But it was true, her students quite liked the new looks of their Transfigurations teacher… As Albus and Minerva crossed the hall, Minerva heard some things she was obviously not supposed to hear…

"Wow, who's that hottie on Dumbledore's arm?" a voice whispered… was it Ronald Weasley?

"It's McGonagall!" another voice, unmistakably Hermions Granger's, answered.

"Whooaaa… she's bloody gorgeous!" one of the other boys responded.

Minerva felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Her students… were they talking about her? About her, "stern old McGonagall"?

"I always thought she was old…"

"Such a pretty dress…"

"Look at her hair!"

"Well, why does she wear that bun anyway?"

The blush on Minerva's face grew darker and darker. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, though. She… pretty? She knew she was quite good-looking- she'd always been- but in her youth, no boy had ever told her that she was beautiful. That, she recalled, was the downside of having brains. A girl could never have beauty and brains at the same time. A law of nature… and of jealous girls. But this time, she was pretty, and she knew it. She was the Cinderella now, the Belle of the Ball.

And her Prince was beside her…

As they reached a calmer area of the Hall, Albus released her arm and smiled at her.

"Your students seem to quite like it, don't they?"

She nodded and blushed again.

"Mustn't make a habit of this…" she vaguely thought, yet she smiled.

"Yes…"

She opened her mouth to say more, yet suddenly, another voice resounded through the hall. It was Jonathan Charry, leader of the Wacky Wizzies, who now stood on the stage.

"Hi everybody!" he yelled, and the students and teachers applauded.

"Well, I'd want to say something, but there is a time of speeches and this isn't it! So enjoy!"

His slightly imitating the Headmaster made Minerva smile…

"So, here's the first song… and, for our dearly beloved teacher, it is a waltz!"

As the first notes started, Minerva felt a hand on her shoulder.

Albus.

"Care for a dance, Milady?"

He grabbed her hand and bowed. She smiled.

"I'd love to, Milord."

And suddenly his arms were around her and everything was good. Slowly, intensely, they moved on the soft tones of the music. He was a wonderful dancer, she vaguely recalled, but as if she cared… His arms around her, her head leaning very softly, very carefully against his chest…

Minerva McGonagall was a very happy woman.

And Albus Dumbledore was a very happy man.

She was so soft, so sweet, and yet he knew her stubborn, Scottish spirit. Which he loved. But was there a part of here that he did not love? She danced gracefully and moved in an almost- feline way. He didn't care, though. She was in his arms. And even if she didn't love him… this felt so right… He would have given everything to stay this way, forever.

But it was all over too soon.

The music stopped and reluctantly, very slowly, the two people who loved each other so very much, pulled apart. Jonathan took the microphone again. Had the time for speeches perchance now come?

The boy grinned.

"Okay, very sorry to interrupt y'all- I've seen some very nice couples… *wink wink*… Yeah, even among the Professors… nice dress by the way, Professor McGonagall…"

Minerva thought her cheeks would explode. Damn, damn Charry kid! But Jonathan continued

"And now, I'm going to announce something. This song we're going to play has been requested by a certain person. She wanted to dedicate to two of her friends who are, as she so nicely put it "too bloody stubborn to admit their feelings". So here it is- enjoy!"

The music softened, the lights dimmed, and then it happened. Minerva could have guessed it…

"Turn around…"

And suddenly, it all was too much for her. No, not this. Not this. Not this, not now, now she was again down-to-earth enough to realize that he could never love her.

Desperately oppressing her tears, she rushed towards the doors. She didn't care anymore about what her students saw. Her heart was broken. Period. He couldn't love her- it couldn't be true. Period.

Tears in her eyes, she slowly, very slowly inhaled the fresh air. It wasn't cold, even though it was February. But her heart was cold. Another goddamn cliché.

But another true one.

She softly snorted as she, with the back of hand, wiped her tears away. Stop it. She- just- had- to-stop- it! It was all useless anyway!

But was it?

For on that moment, she heard footsteps behind her, and too late she realized whom it would be.

"Albus?" she asked, half-hoping she was mistaken.

But as she turned to him, she saw the blue eyes that meant the world to her, as he softly responded

"Minerva."