The next day, classes passed, but they passed way too slowly for Minerva. She longed for the evening, when she would again join Professor Dumbledore in his office. When they would chess again. And Minerva loved to chess with him- he was a rarely worthy adversary for her. Minerva loved to chess with him. Actually, she loved to be with him in general.
It was such a strange thing, that just four days earlier, she had insulted him in the most terrible ways possible, and now…
It was a strange thing.
And though she liked it, it scared her as well. She'd always been so balanced, so sure… And when she had an opinion, she didn't easily change it. Yet now, she'd changed her opinion of her Professor in the most drastic way possible.
She liked him.
She liked him a lot- that tall man with his laughing, blue eyes and his auburn beard. She liked the way he laughed and the way he played chess…. she liked the way he frowned and the way he chuckled…
She liked Albus Dumbledore a lot.
But was there anything wrong with that? Oh yes, Rolanda and Tammy playfully teased her with it, but it wasn't really wrong, was it? She could like her teacher, couldn't she?
Couldn't she?
Her first doubts had now disappeared- now she knew that her dear Professor Sermonem and Albus were friends, she didn't have to feel guilty anymore because of him.
Still, there was a strange feeling which she could not really name…
~*~
Yet, when she entered his office- finally evening!- she merrily greeted
"Hello, Professor!"
Albus looked up from his book and smiled as he closed it.
"Hello, Minerva! How are you!"
She smiled as she took off her green cloak.
"I am fine, thank you. Any papers to grade today?"
As he handed her the closely written parchments, she immediately sat down behind her usual table.
Twenty minutes later, she'd finished, and looked up. Albus softly whistled.
"Congratulations, Minerva, that is, again, a new record. You'd make a fine teacher yourself one day! Have you ever thought of that?"
Minerva honestly smiled and shook her head.
"Not really. I don't know what I want to be, later… My father always told…"
With this, she suddenly hesitated. Why had she just spoken of her dad? She hadn't spoken of her dad, to anyone, since his dead, years earlier. She had always bottled up her feelings. It was, for her, a natural behavior. She'd never wanted to share any of her deepest thoughts, not even with Tammy. It was one of her strange habits. Minerva McGonagall didn't show her weaknesses.
Minerva McGonagall did never cry.
Yet now, she had spoken that one, tragic word.
Father.
"My father always told me to follow my heart." she completed her sentence in a suddenly way softer tone.
"But I do not know yet what my heart wants."
Seriously, her Professor nodded, but remained silent.
Then, very suddenly, he softly spoke
"You miss your father very much, don't you, Minerva?"
If anyone else would have said such a thing to her, Minerva would have snapped and ran away. Yet now, she surprised herself and nodded.
"Yes," she answered, and her voice sounded slightly hoarse.
"Yes, I miss him very much. I loved him with all my heart, Professor. He was so very much like me. He taught me everything, Professor. He loved me the way I was."
"And your mother?"
Minerva sighed.
"Mom… I have never been close to mother, Professor. She is very beautiful, and perhaps even a nice person, but she's always regarded me as… as something weird. Because I am smart. Because I am like my father. There have always been some people who've mocked me because I am intelligent, Professor, but I've never cared about them. Yet, she's my mother. And I wished she was proud of me, but she's never liked me, Professor, and now I can't like her anymore as well…"
With this, she closed her mouth and shivered. Never, never ever had she told anyone so much about herself.
But Professor Dumbledore wasn't surprised at all. He just softly patted her shoulder, and spoke softly
"It feels good, doesn't it, to finally tell someone about this?"
With a faint smile, the girl nodded.
"Yes, Professor. I have never before…"
"I know," he gently interrupted her. "You really are like your father, Minerva. He never told anyone anything as well… But it is not good, my dear, and even your dad couldn't always bottle up everything. Even he has once told me… And I am going to tell you something as well… I don't want to be intrusive, and you don't have to do this if you don't want to, but… You can always tell me anything, Minerva. Anything you want."
He sounded so sincere, so honest, that Minerva smiled.
"Thank you, Professor."
Albus nodded.
"You are welcome, Minerva."
And with a grin, Minerva asked
"So I tell you something?"
"Yes?"
"I want to chess!"
~*~
"Checkmate, I am afraid, Minerva!" Albus spoke triumphantly, two hours later. His eyes had never twinkled so brightly.
Minerva laughed, yet hid her face in her hands and softly moaned.
"Beaten!"
"Yes, beaten, my dear!"
"Beaten…"
And as she noticed a loose strand of hair beside her face, she added
"Beaten and my hair's a mess!"
And indeed it quite was. Minerva's tight bun had totally come loose, and her long, black-ebony hairs fell down her back.
"Even my hair pins have abandoned me!"
Albus smiled as she smiled and tried to pull her mass of hairs back again. Then, he suddenly stood up, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He apparently… sought something.
"Don't look, Minerva!"
Obediently, she closed her eyes as she heard him come closed again. And all of a sudden, she felt his soft hands on her hairs. Slowly, almost tenderly, they started to braid the long, silky tresses. Minerva sighed.
This felt good.
Way too good.
And it ended way too early.
"Ready!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed victoriously. "Look into the mirror!"
And she did look.
And she saw herself, with a long, beautiful and difficult-looking braid in her hair. Held together by two ribbons- one dark red and one golden.
Minerva held her breath as she turned to Albus again.
He was grinning.
"Professor! This is so beautiful! Where did you learn this?"
Albus chuckled softly.
"My mother had very long hairs, Minerva. And no daughters, unfortunately. So her oldest son was the one who had to braid them. My brother, somehow, was always more interested in… goats, for some reason."
Minerva smiled.
"Tell your mother I am very grateful, Professor."
Albus grinned, yet softly spoke, as he took her hand.
"She has already passed away, Minerva, but if she hadn't, I would certainly tell her what beautiful hairs I have braided tonight…"
With this, he softly stroked her long braid.
Minerva smiled, but a bit uncomfortably, as she muttered
"Thank you, Professor. But I believe I have to go now… it is rather late. Goodnight."
Albus nodded, yet as she'd closed the door, he hid his face in his hands and moaned.
"My god… what have I done now…"
It was such a strange thing, that just four days earlier, she had insulted him in the most terrible ways possible, and now…
It was a strange thing.
And though she liked it, it scared her as well. She'd always been so balanced, so sure… And when she had an opinion, she didn't easily change it. Yet now, she'd changed her opinion of her Professor in the most drastic way possible.
She liked him.
She liked him a lot- that tall man with his laughing, blue eyes and his auburn beard. She liked the way he laughed and the way he played chess…. she liked the way he frowned and the way he chuckled…
She liked Albus Dumbledore a lot.
But was there anything wrong with that? Oh yes, Rolanda and Tammy playfully teased her with it, but it wasn't really wrong, was it? She could like her teacher, couldn't she?
Couldn't she?
Her first doubts had now disappeared- now she knew that her dear Professor Sermonem and Albus were friends, she didn't have to feel guilty anymore because of him.
Still, there was a strange feeling which she could not really name…
~*~
Yet, when she entered his office- finally evening!- she merrily greeted
"Hello, Professor!"
Albus looked up from his book and smiled as he closed it.
"Hello, Minerva! How are you!"
She smiled as she took off her green cloak.
"I am fine, thank you. Any papers to grade today?"
As he handed her the closely written parchments, she immediately sat down behind her usual table.
Twenty minutes later, she'd finished, and looked up. Albus softly whistled.
"Congratulations, Minerva, that is, again, a new record. You'd make a fine teacher yourself one day! Have you ever thought of that?"
Minerva honestly smiled and shook her head.
"Not really. I don't know what I want to be, later… My father always told…"
With this, she suddenly hesitated. Why had she just spoken of her dad? She hadn't spoken of her dad, to anyone, since his dead, years earlier. She had always bottled up her feelings. It was, for her, a natural behavior. She'd never wanted to share any of her deepest thoughts, not even with Tammy. It was one of her strange habits. Minerva McGonagall didn't show her weaknesses.
Minerva McGonagall did never cry.
Yet now, she had spoken that one, tragic word.
Father.
"My father always told me to follow my heart." she completed her sentence in a suddenly way softer tone.
"But I do not know yet what my heart wants."
Seriously, her Professor nodded, but remained silent.
Then, very suddenly, he softly spoke
"You miss your father very much, don't you, Minerva?"
If anyone else would have said such a thing to her, Minerva would have snapped and ran away. Yet now, she surprised herself and nodded.
"Yes," she answered, and her voice sounded slightly hoarse.
"Yes, I miss him very much. I loved him with all my heart, Professor. He was so very much like me. He taught me everything, Professor. He loved me the way I was."
"And your mother?"
Minerva sighed.
"Mom… I have never been close to mother, Professor. She is very beautiful, and perhaps even a nice person, but she's always regarded me as… as something weird. Because I am smart. Because I am like my father. There have always been some people who've mocked me because I am intelligent, Professor, but I've never cared about them. Yet, she's my mother. And I wished she was proud of me, but she's never liked me, Professor, and now I can't like her anymore as well…"
With this, she closed her mouth and shivered. Never, never ever had she told anyone so much about herself.
But Professor Dumbledore wasn't surprised at all. He just softly patted her shoulder, and spoke softly
"It feels good, doesn't it, to finally tell someone about this?"
With a faint smile, the girl nodded.
"Yes, Professor. I have never before…"
"I know," he gently interrupted her. "You really are like your father, Minerva. He never told anyone anything as well… But it is not good, my dear, and even your dad couldn't always bottle up everything. Even he has once told me… And I am going to tell you something as well… I don't want to be intrusive, and you don't have to do this if you don't want to, but… You can always tell me anything, Minerva. Anything you want."
He sounded so sincere, so honest, that Minerva smiled.
"Thank you, Professor."
Albus nodded.
"You are welcome, Minerva."
And with a grin, Minerva asked
"So I tell you something?"
"Yes?"
"I want to chess!"
~*~
"Checkmate, I am afraid, Minerva!" Albus spoke triumphantly, two hours later. His eyes had never twinkled so brightly.
Minerva laughed, yet hid her face in her hands and softly moaned.
"Beaten!"
"Yes, beaten, my dear!"
"Beaten…"
And as she noticed a loose strand of hair beside her face, she added
"Beaten and my hair's a mess!"
And indeed it quite was. Minerva's tight bun had totally come loose, and her long, black-ebony hairs fell down her back.
"Even my hair pins have abandoned me!"
Albus smiled as she smiled and tried to pull her mass of hairs back again. Then, he suddenly stood up, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He apparently… sought something.
"Don't look, Minerva!"
Obediently, she closed her eyes as she heard him come closed again. And all of a sudden, she felt his soft hands on her hairs. Slowly, almost tenderly, they started to braid the long, silky tresses. Minerva sighed.
This felt good.
Way too good.
And it ended way too early.
"Ready!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed victoriously. "Look into the mirror!"
And she did look.
And she saw herself, with a long, beautiful and difficult-looking braid in her hair. Held together by two ribbons- one dark red and one golden.
Minerva held her breath as she turned to Albus again.
He was grinning.
"Professor! This is so beautiful! Where did you learn this?"
Albus chuckled softly.
"My mother had very long hairs, Minerva. And no daughters, unfortunately. So her oldest son was the one who had to braid them. My brother, somehow, was always more interested in… goats, for some reason."
Minerva smiled.
"Tell your mother I am very grateful, Professor."
Albus grinned, yet softly spoke, as he took her hand.
"She has already passed away, Minerva, but if she hadn't, I would certainly tell her what beautiful hairs I have braided tonight…"
With this, he softly stroked her long braid.
Minerva smiled, but a bit uncomfortably, as she muttered
"Thank you, Professor. But I believe I have to go now… it is rather late. Goodnight."
Albus nodded, yet as she'd closed the door, he hid his face in his hands and moaned.
"My god… what have I done now…"