6.30 p.m. and Minerva McGonagall bit her nails. It was a bad habit, she knew, but thestrange thing was, that it wasn't one of her habits at all! Tammy was more the nail-biting type, and Minerva then usually reproached her and told her she would one day accidentally eat her fingers. Now, Miss-I-Don't-Have-Any-Bad-Habits was biting her nails herself.
But she had a very good reason indeed.
Hell. It was absolute hell.
For heaven's sake, even Rolanda Hooch, Troublemaker First Class, had surely never been in a situation like this! It was she, Minerva McGonagall, Head Girl, model student, who had to go to her teacher and apologized because she had *kissed* him.
Oh, hell. It really was absolute hell.
Yet she knew she had to do it. Doing the right thing always had been very important to her father- and thus to her as well. And the right thing undoubtedly was what she intended to do.
With a sigh, she checked her watch. 6.40. Still twenty minutes.
"Oh God, I am bored!" she accidentally said out loud. Immediately, at least five hopeful-looking people looked up from their homework.
"Min, if you are bored, then perhaps you could give me a hand for my Astronomy essay? The moons of Jupiter…"
Minerva laughed as she saw Poppy's blue, pleading eyes.
"No, Poppy, you have to do it yourself. Really, copying homework is…"
"It's not that difficult, Pops." Sera interrupted her friend in a dreamy voice.
"I've already finished it."
Rolanda Hooch rolled her eyes as she threw a pillow at Serena.
"Yes, but you are a freak, Sera!"
"I am not a freak- oh wait, yes I am…"
Sera giggled and Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Whatever."
She stood up.
"I think I must be going now. My last detention…"
Tammy looked up from the books before her.
"It's only quarter to seven, Minerva."
Minerva nodded and sighed.
"I know. But the sooner I get there, the sooner it's over!"
Tammy stared queerly at her friend, as did Sera and Poppy. Rolanda did not, though.
"I thought you liked him? I mean- he actually is a dear, and…"
Minerva shrugged her shoulders as she took her cloak.
"Not now, Tams… bye."
And she left the room, leaving at least five worrying friends behind.
~*~
As she stood before the door of Albus' office, Minerva slowly inhaled and exhaled again. She had to do this, she sternly spoke to herself as she balled her fist and knocked on the wood. She had to- she had to- she had to.
"Yes?"
And she entered.
"Minerva!"
His calling out her name was almost a cry. A cry of surprise, of- fear? Or of happiness? Hard to tell… But no, she mustn't start… imagining things. Imagination was a dangerous thing.
"Yes, Professor."
"I thought I… I thought I had remitted you your last detention. You should not have come here, tonight."
Minerva blushed and looked down at her nervously shaking hands.
"I know. But I had to. I still had to apologize to you, Professor."
"What? But…"
Albus stood up and frowned.
"I am sorry…" Minerva slowly repeated, interrupting her Professor. Oh hell, those eyes, those wonderful, light eyes… The girl sighed and lowered her eyes once more.
"I appear to have fallen in love with you, Professor. It is ridiculous and utterly unacceptable. I know this. I know I went out of line yesterday. I hereby apologize, and I am willing to lay down my Head Girl duties for this… I…"
She heard her voice shake slightly and shut up. What would he say? She would, of course, be seriously reprimanded. Her Head Girl badge she could probably forget either. She almost smiled bitterly. As if she cared.
The only thing she wanted, and this was the first time she dared to admit it, even to herself, were his arms around her. His face on hers. His love. The only thing she wanted was the only thing she could never have. Period. And she had to deal with it. Period.
"Minerva…"
She loved his voice. She loved him.
"Minerva, I…"
His voice sounded slightly hoarse, and she slowly looked up again. He stood there, dumbfounded, his arms stretched out slightly. And then, it happened.
He took her hands in his.
Minerva felt her feelings fight each other. On the one hand- God, the butterflies in her stomach...- and on the other hand a sudden urge to pull her hands back. This was wrong. She all of a sudden knew what he was about to say… she could hardly believe it, yet she knew it… Or did she?
"Minerva, I have fallen in love with you. I love you. It is terrible, it is unthinkable, it is horrible and wrong. But then why does it… this… feel so damn right?"
He cupped her face. Her eyes, timidly, shyly, met his and saw her own love reflected.
And he kissed her.
But she had a very good reason indeed.
Hell. It was absolute hell.
For heaven's sake, even Rolanda Hooch, Troublemaker First Class, had surely never been in a situation like this! It was she, Minerva McGonagall, Head Girl, model student, who had to go to her teacher and apologized because she had *kissed* him.
Oh, hell. It really was absolute hell.
Yet she knew she had to do it. Doing the right thing always had been very important to her father- and thus to her as well. And the right thing undoubtedly was what she intended to do.
With a sigh, she checked her watch. 6.40. Still twenty minutes.
"Oh God, I am bored!" she accidentally said out loud. Immediately, at least five hopeful-looking people looked up from their homework.
"Min, if you are bored, then perhaps you could give me a hand for my Astronomy essay? The moons of Jupiter…"
Minerva laughed as she saw Poppy's blue, pleading eyes.
"No, Poppy, you have to do it yourself. Really, copying homework is…"
"It's not that difficult, Pops." Sera interrupted her friend in a dreamy voice.
"I've already finished it."
Rolanda Hooch rolled her eyes as she threw a pillow at Serena.
"Yes, but you are a freak, Sera!"
"I am not a freak- oh wait, yes I am…"
Sera giggled and Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Whatever."
She stood up.
"I think I must be going now. My last detention…"
Tammy looked up from the books before her.
"It's only quarter to seven, Minerva."
Minerva nodded and sighed.
"I know. But the sooner I get there, the sooner it's over!"
Tammy stared queerly at her friend, as did Sera and Poppy. Rolanda did not, though.
"I thought you liked him? I mean- he actually is a dear, and…"
Minerva shrugged her shoulders as she took her cloak.
"Not now, Tams… bye."
And she left the room, leaving at least five worrying friends behind.
~*~
As she stood before the door of Albus' office, Minerva slowly inhaled and exhaled again. She had to do this, she sternly spoke to herself as she balled her fist and knocked on the wood. She had to- she had to- she had to.
"Yes?"
And she entered.
"Minerva!"
His calling out her name was almost a cry. A cry of surprise, of- fear? Or of happiness? Hard to tell… But no, she mustn't start… imagining things. Imagination was a dangerous thing.
"Yes, Professor."
"I thought I… I thought I had remitted you your last detention. You should not have come here, tonight."
Minerva blushed and looked down at her nervously shaking hands.
"I know. But I had to. I still had to apologize to you, Professor."
"What? But…"
Albus stood up and frowned.
"I am sorry…" Minerva slowly repeated, interrupting her Professor. Oh hell, those eyes, those wonderful, light eyes… The girl sighed and lowered her eyes once more.
"I appear to have fallen in love with you, Professor. It is ridiculous and utterly unacceptable. I know this. I know I went out of line yesterday. I hereby apologize, and I am willing to lay down my Head Girl duties for this… I…"
She heard her voice shake slightly and shut up. What would he say? She would, of course, be seriously reprimanded. Her Head Girl badge she could probably forget either. She almost smiled bitterly. As if she cared.
The only thing she wanted, and this was the first time she dared to admit it, even to herself, were his arms around her. His face on hers. His love. The only thing she wanted was the only thing she could never have. Period. And she had to deal with it. Period.
"Minerva…"
She loved his voice. She loved him.
"Minerva, I…"
His voice sounded slightly hoarse, and she slowly looked up again. He stood there, dumbfounded, his arms stretched out slightly. And then, it happened.
He took her hands in his.
Minerva felt her feelings fight each other. On the one hand- God, the butterflies in her stomach...- and on the other hand a sudden urge to pull her hands back. This was wrong. She all of a sudden knew what he was about to say… she could hardly believe it, yet she knew it… Or did she?
"Minerva, I have fallen in love with you. I love you. It is terrible, it is unthinkable, it is horrible and wrong. But then why does it… this… feel so damn right?"
He cupped her face. Her eyes, timidly, shyly, met his and saw her own love reflected.
And he kissed her.