Disclaimer: We would like this to stay a splinch-free zone so please remember that the world, life and characters of Harry Potter belong solely to JKR. We are merely borrowing them to satisfy the muse that guides us.

Beware-If flames are sent our floo powder is ready.

~~An Enchanted Evening~~

A little flustered at the unexpected question, Albus turned a slight shade of pink. "Yes, I would consider this a date. But of course, if you would rather stay friends…" Albus' voice left him at that moment. He could not bring himself to say that he would be fine if that is what she decided. So he simply waited for a response.

Minerva couldn't tease him any longer and with a smile she put him out of his misery. "I would love to go to dinner with you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was Saturday night and Albus was a nervous wreck. One would think he had never been on a date before. He had made reservations at his favorite wizarding restaurant in London and had a special treat planned for afterwards. Now he was waiting at the entrance where Minerva said she would join him. It was just one week ago that this same scene had been played and yet so much had changed.

As she appeared on the staircase, Albus' breath caught in his throat. She was stunning. In place of her usual dour black robes, she wore a robe of emerald green that matched her vibrant eyes and hugged her curves. Her hair flowed down her back and a stray tendril had curled against her cheek. She wore not a piece of jewelry and Albus knew that if she had it would pale in comparison to her. She stood in front of him and the warmth emanating from his eyes told her all she needed to know. Offering her his arm, they strolled onto the grounds towards the main gate.

"Minerva, you are a vision tonight." A blush crept into her cheeks at his compliment. The butterflies in her stomach had just started to calm and now they were in a wild panic. They stepped outside the gates of Hogwarts and apparated to the foyer of the restaurant. At first Minerva was a little surprised by its' décor but then she realized that it mirrored Albus' own style and couldn't help but laugh at her surroundings.

The foyer held a beautiful crystal candelabra and the hardwood floors gleamed. The reception desk was made of silver and reflected the elegant surroundings. Then Minerva noticed the walls, which were covered with photographs of exotic painted wooden animals each attached to a decorative pole, which caused them to move up and down. A person, usually a child, rode on their backs and the creatures moved from one frame to another in a circular pattern. The whole effect caused Minerva to become a little dizzy but gratefully they were shown to a table right away. As they walked to their seats, Albus explained that it was a muggle invention called a carousel.

The inside of the restaurant was similar to the foyer. It had a very elegant feel but some of the decorations had a fun, child-like quality to them. The ceiling was painted in shades of dark blue, which resembled a night sky and little dots glowed off and on creating a very enchanting effect. Once again, Minerva had to ask what they were and Albus delighted in explaining that they were supposed to be lightning bugs. He also showed her the waterfall in the center of the restaurant whose water sparkled and shined different colors. When they reached their table a bouquet of fragrant flowers awaited Minerva and she took several moments to delight over the multitude of shades and scents.

Being the perfect gentleman, Albus held her chair and waited for her to sit before taking his place across the candlelit table. The restaurant was obviously popular, considering the number of witches and wizards dining in the main room. But somehow Albus had managed to secure a discreet location in a corner. It wasn't long before Minerva learned his secret.

"Albus Dumbledore! It has been ages since I've seen you in here. You didn't mention paying us a visit when I saw you last weekend." Bending down to kiss the cheek of the flustered wizard, the young woman caught Minerva's eye. Immediately Minerva recognized the lady from Hogsmeade…the one that had caused the beautiful twinkle to appear in Albus' eyes. Without realizing it, Minerva had straightened her back and her facial expression had changed. With a tensing of muscles, Minerva had transfigured into the stern Professor McGonagall. This transformation did not go unnoticed by Albus and he quickly introduced the two women in an attempt to bring back Minerva's softer side.

"Ah Muriel, please let me introduce you to Ms. Minerva McGonagall. Minerva, this is Muriel Louft. She's the owner of this fine establishment and I've known her for years." Feeling the tension leaving her body, Minerva could not help but think how silly she had been. For an instant, she had actually been jealous and now that he had explained his friendship with this woman, she no longer felt threatened by the lady now shaking her hand. "When I decided to ask you out on a date, I knew I wanted to bring you here. I contacted Muriel yesterday and she arranged for us to have this private table." Turning once again to address Muriel he thanked her for her assistance in making this evening special.

"Albus, you deserve to be happy and if I can help in any way…it is my pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go to the kitchen to check on a few things. Please enjoy your meal and if you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask your waiter or myself." Looking at the couple seated before her, Muriel took notice of the way they exchanged looks and thanked the stars above that Albus had apparently found someone special.

Dinner was spectacular and nothing like Minerva had imagined. The somewhat elegant setting had indicated that there would be a variety of the finer dishes from which to choose. However, when she peered at the menu, she was astonished to see all of her favorite foods. The menus were enchanted to reveal the culinary desires of the heart so whatever a person wanted to eat would appear on the page before them. Since Minerva had been too nervous to eat earlier in the day, her list of entrees comprised three pages.

"My dear, from the size of your menu, I would say that you're either very hungry or very indecisive." Blushing at his comment, it did not take her long to come back with a barb of her own.

"Well, if you will notice, our menus have exactly the same number of pages. Yours just happens to contain more dessert items than actual nutritious food. No wonder you love this place so much." A look of doubt and apprehension shot across Albus' face as he wondered if Minerva sincerely liked his choice of restaurants, but she was quick to ease his fears. "Albus, it truly is a wonderful place and I'm glad you brought me here. In fact, I don't think I properly thanked you for the beautiful flowers." Reaching across the table, Albus took her hand in his and brought it to his lips just as the waiter appeared to take their orders.

This particular dinner was a welcomed change from the ones at Hogwarts. The noise level was considerably lower, as were the lights, there were no students to worry about, and no tedious discussions on classes or schedules. In fact, the topic of dinner this particular evening centered on Minerva and Albus…and their budding relationship. As he opened the bottle of wine, compliments of Muriel, he decided to ask Minerva something that had been plaguing his thoughts all week.

"Minerva, I have been meaning to ask you a question that has been haunting my thoughts. If you are uncomfortable, please do not feel you need to answer it." Minerva's face displayed only curiosity so he proceeded. "Over the past week, I have seen several sides to your personality. In public, you seem very distant and cool but lately around me you are warm, relaxed and funny. For a moment tonight, when Muriel approached, I sensed a wall going up between us. Can you tell me why that happened?" Locking eyes with her from across the small table, he attempted to read her expression but she spoke before he had a chance.

"Several years ago, after I graduated Hogwarts, I fell in love. I thought that our relationship was one that would last forever and he made no hesitation in encouraging my beliefs. I trusted him with my entire heart and soul. We dated for over a year and I thought he was about to ask me to marry him. That's how close we were. One day, I decided to stop by his office at the Ministry of Magic, as a surprise, and was stunned to see him in the arms of another woman, a friend in whom I confided my deepest secrets." Moments passed silently as Minerva contemplated telling Albus the entire story. It was painful and she had tried to bury the facts so deeply that even when she thought of those times with him, they rarely resurfaced. Swallowing her pride, she quietly began again.

"I am only telling you this because I think it will help you understand what you perceive to be the cold side of my personality. You see, the gentleman I was dating did not understand that in order for a relationship to work, both parties must be in agreement on certain aspects of their lives. We had dated for over a year, as I told you earlier, but I was not ready to allow our love to proceed to the next level. He had stated various times that the physical aspect was not that important yet he did everything he could think of to pressure me into changing my mind." Those had been hard words to say to a man she had only recently come to trust but Albus looked at her with a sense of understanding and concern. That innate kindness in him encouraged her to finish the story

"After months of constant badgering on the subject, I was forced to tell him that I did not feel that kind of bond with him just yet and I asked him to please be patient with me. It had nothing to do with fear, rather a lack of desire for this man that kept me from giving myself to him completely. He said he understood and would wait until I was ready and that it did not change the fact that he loved me with all of his heart. I confided all of this to my friend and was shocked to find her in his embrace sharing a passionate kiss only a week later. You see, Albus, he had been receiving 'favors' from her and all the while telling me that the physical side of our relationship did not matter as long as I loved him. He managed to make me feel horrible for 'denying him', as he so harshly put it and said that if I had been the woman of his dreams, I would not have hesitated."

When she looked into Albus' blue eyes, she saw a new look staring back at her. She wasn't sure if she had done the right thing in telling him something so personal but she was almost finished with her story and needed to hurry before she lost her courage.

"Since then, I have tried to build a wall around myself in an attempt to keep from ever feeling that way again. It took months to come to peace with myself and what had happened and I vowed that I would not allow myself to be caught in that kind of situation again. Now do you understand why I sometimes throw up a wall between others and myself? When I'm around you, I forget the pain of living and loving and simply have fun. You have, in one week, reminded me of the good times in my life and I want more of them…and I would like to share them with you." Sitting back in her chair, she took a deep breath and waited for his response.

It seemed like an eternity before Albus could find his voice but when he did, it came out as barely as whisper. "My dear, I had no idea you had gone through something so terrible. That aspect of a relationship should be considered an extraordinary gift. Love between two people should be felt strongly and each must agree that it is time before taking such a bold step. It should be given willingly, because once that special gift has been given, it changes a relationship forever. No one should attempt to force their feelings on another, especially when something so delicate and beautiful is at stake. Besides that…how could any man even think of another woman when you're in his life?"

Seeing her breathe a sigh of relief, he decided to continue. "Forgive me if that seems bold, but this past week you have invaded my thoughts, sometimes to sheer distraction. Just ask the students. They'll tell you that I haven't been myself this week." Watching the smile spread across her face, Albus reached across the table and timidly touched her cheek. Just as she began to lean into his touch, the waiter appeared to remove their dinner plates and to take requests for dessert.

Ah, dessert. That had to be Albus' favorite part of any meal. When the waiter next appeared, he carried a hideously decadent chocolate creation. It had been named "Death by Chocolate" and Albus explained how this particular dessert was invented. "One night I was dining alone and Muriel came over to sit with me. When it came time for dessert, she asked me to describe the perfect item. It took me several minutes before I could think of the most deliciously sweet creation. This is a chocolate cake made with chocolate liqueur with the creamiest chocolate icing. Between each layer of cake is a nice coating of chocolate syrup and shaved cashew nuts. As you can see, on top is also a nice helping of chocolate shavings, nuts and a sizable helping of more chocolate sauce. Add to that the side of chocolate ice cream and one has the absolute pinnacle of a dessert! Would you like to taste it?"

Looking at her own meager choice of dessert, a small piece of marble cheesecake with a touch of caramel glazed over the top, Minerva could not resist. Albus wasted no time in filling his spoon with a generous portion for her taste buds. However, instead of handing her the utensil, he attempted to feed her the tasty morsel. When he accidentally grazed the side of her mouth with the spoon, Minerva giggled. Relishing the amazing taste of the dessert, she didn't know which was better…the sheer enjoyment of such an extravagant dessert or the fact that Albus had tried to correct his mistake. His finger was slowly tracing a path across her lips as shivers ran up and down her spine. Suddenly very warm, both Albus and Minerva decided that once they had finished the last portion of their meal, they would venture on to the next part of their first official date. And Albus wasn't giving her any hints.

Outside the moon and stars had just begun to make their appearances in the warm night sky. Looping her arm through his, Minerva enjoyed walking the cobblestone street with Albus. For the first time in what seemed forever, she felt truly happy and when he reached into his pocket to produce a small golden key her mind began to spin. "Albus, is that a portkey?" Assuring her that her beautiful green eyes were not deceiving her, he nodded as she continued. "Where in the world are we going? Am I correct in assuming that this is not the end of our date but the beginning of my surprise?"

"My, my. Aren't we impatient?" Giving her a bright smile full of mischief, he grabbed her hand and activated the portkey. As the swirling vortex of colors streamed around them, Minerva could tell that they were headed northward. When they finally made contact with firm ground, Minerva gasped. Albus had taken her to Scarborough, to be more specific…Peasholm Park.

The lights from the pier were shimmering on the waters edge as the waves from the North Sea crashed into the shore. Up ahead, they could see hundreds of small lanterns illuminating the pathway leading to a small cove called The Glen. Walking along in silence, Minerva was awestruck by the sheer beauty of this hidden paradise. In mere minutes, she had been helped into a beautifully adorned canoe and was watching Albus as he paddled them out onto the lake.

As they neared the center of the lake, Albus stopped paddling and began to study the serene expression on his companions' moonlit face. He had been struck by her beauty earlier in the evening but nothing prepared him for the image he now saw before him. In all of his life, he could not remember ever feeling about someone the way he felt about her at this spectacular moment. Floating lazily across the lake in the small canoe, they talked in hushed tones, afraid of breaking the spell cast about them. In a bold move, Albus slowly moved forward in an attempt to steal love's first kiss. Their faces were so close; their lips were almost touching. Reaching out to take her in his arms, Albus lost his balance and tumbled them both into the chilly water.

Sputtering and gasping for breath, Albus breached the surface and began to search frantically for Minerva in the dimly lit water. It wasn't until she surfaced behind him that he was able to restore his breathing pattern to normal. He was so very worried that she would be angry with him but she had no hint of hostility in her voice. Instead, his ears were met with the most melodious sound…the sound of her uncontrollable laughter. Helping her from the water, he cast a drying spell on their clothes as they sat on the bench in The Glen.

What seemed like only minutes of sitting in the secluded area of the park turned into several hours. The chill in the air and the lateness of the evening beckoned the two to return to Hogwarts. Once again activating the portkey, they locked arms and were transported to the gate outside the school.

Still laughing at the accident by the lake, Minerva was escorted by Albus to her chambers. Standing just outside the large door leading into her private rooms, she turned to thank him for the lovely evening. "Albus, I cannot remember when I've had this much fun. It was a truly wonderful evening and I would love the opportunity to plan our next outing…if you would consider spending another evening with me."

She could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she waited for his response to her proposal. However, nothing could have prepared her for the next few moments of her life. Closing the gap between them, Albus' strong arms wound themselves around Minerva's slender waist as he pulled her close. She noticed a faint scent of chocolate and suddenly she wondered if he would taste like the dessert. Without realizing it, she began to stare at his lips...and they looked so inviting.

In his own mind, a similar exploration was taking place. Albus had wondered what it would be like to hold her but nothing had prepared him for the feel of her slender frame so close to his own. As she gripped the upper sections of his arms, she nervously inched closer to him and smiled. That look from her was all the assurance he needed. As his head slowly lowered towards hers, she closed her eyes in anticipation.

To Be Continued…

A/N: We hope everyone has enjoyed our latest chapter. Sorry to leave you hanging there…but we couldn't resist :-) You will just have to wait to see what happens next! Thank you to all of our old and new reviewers. We were very excited to see so many new 'faces' and hope to see many more. Until next time…