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Beware-Our Parchment Has Been Charmed To Ward Off Flames.

~~Sweet Revelations~~

Minerva felt her temper rise and then just as quickly give way to understanding. Perhaps this was another part of their misunderstanding. She couldn't resist and started to laugh out loud. She nearly doubled over on the street and Albus had to hold her up. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and the look on Albus' face didn't help matters. She couldn't decide whether he was angry or tickled and she figured that he couldn't decide either. Once the laughter had finally subsided and people had stopped staring, Minerva suggested that they return to Hogwarts where she would address his remark over dinner.

Once they were seated and the vast quantity of food that could always be found at the school had filled their plates, Minerva enlightened Albus as to the reason behind her laughter. "Professor Dumbledore, I am so sorry if you felt I was laughing at you earlier. Your statement suddenly brought a new kind of understanding to me. I never realized that you felt I was not happy teaching. I love teaching and I love my students. There is nothing I would rather do with my life. My style in the classroom is both out of necessity and out of personal experience. As a student, I loved the practical portion of each subject but quickly realized that learning the how, what and why made it easier for me to excel at whatever I had to tackle. It is also the way that I teach best. I am sure that you know what I am trying to say based on your own experience. Each professor develops a way of teaching over time that works for them."

Albus still looked confused and he asked the next logical question. One for which Minerva was prepared to answer. "Yes, I can understand that and I respect it but why do you always look so unhappy?"

"I am never unhappy. Well, unless a student is causing trouble for the whole class. I am simply being strict. I care for my students so much that sometimes I find that I can be swayed too easily. The strict Professor McGonagall that everyone sees is simply my way of making sure I am in control of the situation and the classroom. If I acted any other way, the students might find it easier to cause disruptions in class or see me as somewhat of a target for their pranks. At least this way, I know they respect me, even if it is out of necessity."

Albus was startled for a moment and then a look of complete understanding crossed his features. "Minerva, I truly need to apologize. I always thought that you were unhappy with teaching and I was only trying to suggest ideas that I hoped would help you to find some joy in your chosen occupation. I think you are an excellent teacher. In fact, I have never seen the students so excited to go to a class. Well, perhaps except for mine." His eyes sparkled mischievously at his last comment and Minerva felt a giggle escape her lips.

"My dear Professor, may I make one more observation?" As she looked questioningly at his features, she found herself nodding but an uneasy feeling was brewing in her stomach. "Minerva, I have noticed that you never call me by my first name. Is there a particular reason for that?"

"I suppose I have never felt comfortable enough to use your first name. After all, you were my professor in school and since my return to Hogwarts, we haven't been on the friendliest of terms. But why are you asking me such a question? Have I offended you in some way?" Minerva tried hard not to show the slight bit of worry on her face as she swallowed hard and waited for his answer.

"Oh no! You have not offended me in any way. I am merely asking because I would sincerely like for you to call me "Albus" instead of "Professor"…but only if you are comfortable with the change. I believe that we have progressed beyond the constant bickering and are forging a new friendship. And friends do not refer to each other by last names or titles."

The uneasy feeling that had been building in the pit of her stomach had subsided and Minerva felt different somehow. She had never considered the idea of referring to Professor Dumbledore as simply Albus but the idea was one that she liked. It made their new friendship seem more solid. "Well…Albus…I will try my best to accommodate your request. Old habits are hard to break, so if I slip and accidentally use your official title, gently remind me."

The way her smooth voice had caressed every single letter of his name managed to create immeasurable pleasure in his heart. Now that she was no longer shouting at him, he noticed the slight hint of her Scottish brogue that slipped in unnoticed at times and that only endeared the idea of Minerva using his first name. The more they spoke over dinner, the more he became aware of her usage of "Albus". On more than one instance, he had to remind himself to pay attention to her other words and not just the sound and texture of his given name as it fell upon his ears.

The rest of their evening passed quickly and cordially. In fact, Albus managed to stun Minerva by inviting her to go with him to Hogsmeade the following day. "I would be most honored if you would accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow. I need to visit Gladrags Wizardwear to collect some socks I ordered last week and I am nearly out of my supply of lemon drops. Therefore I will need to stop by Honeydukes. However, if you would agree to another outing with me, we could find time to stop by the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer while we discuss our lesson plans for the week. Since we have finally reached an understanding on our varying teaching styles, I think it would be beneficial if we explored this topic a bit further. What do you think?"

A pregnant pause caused Albus to shift slightly in his chair. It had been decades since he had asked a woman to go with him on an outing and her silence had him worried. Finally a hint of delight began to dance in Minerva's lively green eyes. "I think that would be an excellent idea. Also, I need to take my remembrall to Dervish and Banges. It has been behaving rather strangely lately and I know that I have not forgotten anything. How about I meet you in the foyer at precisely eleven o'clock tomorrow morning?"

Rising from his chair and smiling at the raven-haired beauty, he agreed to meet her the following morning and strode off towards his own chambers. Silently, Minerva began to contemplate her new thoughts and feelings toward the man she had spent so many years despising.

In the haze before slumber, Minerva replayed various scenes from her day with Albus. All in all, it had been a rather enjoyable time. Sure they had sparred, but it was nothing like their usual arguments. The odd thing was that once they had begun to talk instead of argue things between them had gone much smoother even when they disagreed. To her surprise when she closed her eyes, all she could see were his blue eyes smiling as the sun danced across the sky. In her mind, his eyes were much bluer and there was a captivating twinkle that appeared in them. She had seen it several times during the course of the day but it had only emerged when he was around other people. As her own eyelids descended she found herself wishing she had been the one to cause such a look in those crystal blue pools. Tomorrow was another day and she hoped it would be less taxing than their first outing, but if she wanted to be at her best, she had to get some sleep.

Morning finally arrived and the sun was shining brightly as the two professors made their way slowly to Hogsmeade. They had agreed to take a leisurely stroll into the little village rather than apparating in an attempt to soak up some of the beauty of the day. Their conversation was light and contained only a hint of awkwardness. Several times during the course of the journey, they slipped into silence, which was usually broken at the same time by both parties in an attempt to stave off the uneasy quietness.

Arriving at Gladrags, Albus made no attempt to hide his excitement. He loved socks! Socks of all varieties, colors, patterns, and textures were his joy in life. He had seen these particular socks in a catalog months ago and had debated on whether or not to purchase them. After weeks of indecision, he placed the order on the spur of the moment and had been incessantly harassing the proprietor of the shop until he owled to say they had arrived. As if holding a newborn baby in his arms, he proudly showed Minerva his treasure. A wrinkled brow and pursed lips caused his heart to sink. "Minerva McGonagall! You cannot possibly tell me that these are not the most beautiful pair of woolen socks you have ever seen. Not only that, they are practical as well. You'll wish you had a pair of these to keep your tiny feet warm this winter." A smile curled around the edges of his mouth as he awaited her reply. He only hoped that it would be a cordial one.

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, although the idea of sparing them was completely new to her, she made a feeble attempt to show a little enthusiasm for his purchase. "I suppose if one is interested in socks with tiny birds flying all over them, then they are truly a wonderful addition to the wardrobe." As if on cue from the new owner, one of the tiny birds burst into flames and was immediately reborn within the fabric. Gasping slightly at this sudden display, Minerva could not help but notice that she had caused the twinkle in Albus' eyes to appear for the first time. Her heart suddenly felt a little lighter than it had only moments earlier. Then she remembered her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep and a smile began in her eyes and made its' way to her pink lips. Without even trying, she had managed to summon the twinkle to his eyes and she found that it pleased her immeasurably.

Striving hard to control his laughter at the sight before him, Albus explained that these weren't just ordinary birds, but each was a phoenix. When he went on to tell her of his own phoenix, Fawkes, it all made sense and she realized that there was more to this man than she had ever imagined.

Honeydukes was an entirely different matter. As someone who had never really possessed a sweet tooth, the idea of wasting good money on the confectionaries was beyond Minerva's realm of comprehension. However, he had warned her of his intent to stop at this store and she had agreed, even before they left Hogwarts. Wandering aimlessly around the shop, she was amazed at the variety of odd candies and chocolate. When she finally located Albus, who was busy filling a large bag full of those ridiculous lemony things, he insisted that she choose a candy of her own and he would purchase it for her as a way of saying thanks. Not really sure what to do, she reached up and grabbed the first thing she saw…a chocolate frog.

"Ah, that is an excellent choice. And did you know that there is a famous witch or wizard card in each one? Go on, open it and let's see whom you've got! But be careful, the frogs have one good jump in them and it will try to get away!" A bit frustrated with the entire affair, she quickly tore open the packet, grasped the frog firmly and looked at the small card. "Well, who did you get?" Her pale cheeks flushed crimson and felt as warm as the day itself when she announced that she had received a card with Merlin.

Albus, who had a feeling she wasn't being entirely honest, decided to accept her declaration without question. "That's a nice one, although there are more interesting ones to be had." Making his way to the man behind the counter, Albus did not notice Minerva lingering behind. Looking down at the small card in her hand, she smiled. Placing the bit of paper containing the picture of Albus Dumbledore into her robes, she made her way through the dozens of children and joined him at the door.

Strolling along the crowded street once more, Albus suggested that they head to The Three Broomsticks for lunch. Popping a lemon drop into his mouth, he sighed in great pleasure.

"Really Albus, how can you stand to eat one after another of those unusual tasting candies? I thought children were the only ones enamored of such treats."

Albus grinned at Minerva and managed to reduce his large bag of candy by one more before answering. "I love the taste of these wonderful candies and they raise my spirits. I have found that a sugary tasting treat can often replenish the soul." He paused only for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps you should eat your chocolate frog before it melts."

Minerva blushed at having been caught. She had considered herself clever. Assuming Albus thought she had eaten the frog, she had deposited it along with the wizard card in her pocket. "Perhaps I should wait. After all, we are about to have lunch and it might spoil my appetite."

When Albus merely continued to look at Minerva with that all knowing sparkle in his eyes, she relented and took the frog out of her pocket. She delicately bit into the softening milk chocolate and a small smile graced her mouth. When she had finished, she looked at her hands with a bit of alarm.

"I find that licking my fingers is most efficient." Albus chuckled gaily at the indignant look on Minerva's face. "Really, Minerva, considering your animagus form, I would think cleaning in such a way would be something you are comfortable doing." Giving Albus a not-so-friendly glance, she quickly licked each finger as they reached the entrance to The Three Broomsticks and stepped inside.

As they took their seats at an empty table in the corner, Albus contemplated the new side of Minerva he was getting to know. She tended to be a bit touchy but was also completely adorable. Of course the way his thoughts were headed, maybe adorable wasn't the right word. He immensely enjoyed watching her rediscover the lighter side of her personality, one that wasn't ruled by decorum and the one he remembered from her days as a student at Hogwarts. He had no problem with her teaching façade but she also tended to carry it into her personal life. Minerva's voice brought him out of his reflective mood.

"I can't believe I forgot about my remembrall. And now we are nowhere near Dervish and Banges." Minerva was holding the supposed malfunctioning ball in her hand and was looking at it with an intense expression on her face.

Albus replied with a happy tone in his voice. "We will just have to stroll that way after lunch. I am looking forward to the additional time I will be able to spend getting to know you."

Minerva looked up and noticed a waitress had appeared. After she took their orders, Albus and Minerva settled into a lively conversation about teaching styles but Minerva still had a puzzled look on her face from time to time. Finally Albus could resist no longer and asked what was bothering her.

"It really doesn't make any sense at all. I told you my remembrall was acting strange. The problem is it seemed to be constantly lit. For weeks now I could not get it to shut off. But right now it is fine. And come to think of it, yesterday it was fine as well." Reaching out his hand to take the remembrall from her delicate fingers, Albus inspected the magical object but was as much at a loss for an explanation as Minerva. Just as he was about to tell her a story involving his own remembrall, their food came and the topic was suddenly discarded.

The day was fading fast and it seemed that they had only left Hogwarts an hour ago. However, both professors knew that it was almost dinnertime at the school and that meant that it was nearing another week of students, tests, lessons, and headaches. After leaving the faulty magical object at Dervish and Banges, with an explanation of the original problem, the two slowly made their way back to the castle. As they neared the front doors, Albus had a wonderful idea and he hoped Minerva would agree.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Thanks to each and every one of you for taking the time to let us know how we're doing with this story. Your comments help keep us on track and give us the incentive to keep posting chapters.

Jestana: Yes, they're starting to realize that the other isn't so bad…and we're all glad for that! Thanks for the compliment!

Isabelle3: In answer to your question…well it wouldn't be any fun if we told you what was going to happen. But, we promise you…you won't be disappointed! ^_^   Just continue to read the story and you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Kemenran: As requested…here's another chapter for you. We hope that you'll enjoy it as much as the others!

Palanfanaiel: Your chanting worked~ That's really great~ Here's chapter four~ No need to wait~ For Minerva and Albus~ It's never too late~ So read this part~ To learn their fate!

Griselda La Fey: Yeah…you think it's hilarious…our mission has been accomplished! As per your request…we have continued with …chapter 4…Sweet Revelations.