Angeldust aka Evilwoman: Here is more!
Nerweniel: Yes, I decided to write more, right here!
Hogwarts Duo: Thank you for the suggestions. Read on to see!
Suzaku's Rose: Thank you so much! Yes, I have continued.
Liz O'Brien: Thank you for the compliments!
RandiWeasley: Here is more! Happy reading!
Iphigeneiah: Thank you. I tried to make it so.
Catwoman99: Thank you so much! I have more here; read on!
Opera Ghost 1881: I know it is all a bit too fluffy for reality. But I am happy you ended up liking it!
Griselda La Fay: I am so happy you liked it! And I am on your favorite author list... wow! I am so touched! Thank you! hugs
Yaukira: Thank you! I am glad!
GEM8: Read on to find out! I am glad you liked it!
Last chapter, due to many special requests! This was originally one-shot, but I bow to the wished of my lovely reviewers. Twelve reviews... that is the most I have ever gotten on one chapter! I love you all! Warning: romance ahead. Completely non-realistic and hopefully sweet.
Albus Dumbledore smiled, happy to be back at Hogwarts. Minerva would have to fill him in on everything that had gone on in his absence. He had tried to keep up with news at Hogwarts, but had not done very well, as he had been busy with larger-scale Order business and apparently the Ministry had been hushing everything up. He had already heard that Umbridge had been made Head of Hogwarts, and Hagrid had been driven away.
Albus entered the staff room to find Professor Flitwick sitting there, staring at a first-year exam, but clearly not seeing it.
"Filius, hello," Albus greeted the tiny man. Flitwick looked up, astonishment plain on his face.
"Albus! Welcome back, welcome. Does this mean that Dolores will be leaving?"
"Yes, Filius," Albus responded, smiling. "How have things been going here?" Flitwick's face fell.
"Not well, Albus," he sighed.
"Can you tell me where I might find Minerva?" The tiny professor's eyes widened.
"You have not heard yet!?" he asked in astonishment.
"Heard what? Has something happened to her? Is she dead!?" Fear like Albus had never felt before gripped him. If Minerva was dead... But why was he so bothered? He could always find another Transfiguration teacher, Deputy Head, and Gryffindor Head. But... he loved her. He could not imagine life without her anymore. And now, he was faced with that possibility.
"I do not think so. The latest news from St. Mungo's was that she had not improved much but she has not worsened either."
"Filius. What. Happened?"
"Umbridge and some of her friends tried to send Hagrid away. He refused to go, so they tried to Stun him. Minerva of course was enraged at their cowardice, because it was dark outside and Hagrid had no wand. She ran outside to stop them and they turned their wands on her. She got hit by four Stunners, directly in the chest." Albus was speechless.
"Thank you, Filius," he managed to say and left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Albus pushed the door to the Transfiguration classroom open and stared at all the empty seats. Everything was exactly as she had left it. There was the tin of Ginger Newts, sitting in reach on the corner of her desk. There was her favorite quill, lying on top of someone's homework. There was the Gryffindor scarf she always wore to Quidditch matches in the colder months, on a peg on the wall. Everything was as it should be... except she was not there.
Albus slowly walked forward on perched atop a desk in the front row. He remembered a day, it seemed only yesterday, when he had sat in this very spot...
flashback
"Hello Minerva," Albus said, grinning. Minerva looked up from the third years' homework.
"Albus, you scared me. I did not even hear you come in."
"You are too focused on your work," Albus told her.
"I need to get these done. I decided to use the free time I have."
"Now is not your free time."
"May I ask why not?"
"You promised me you would play checkers with me. Remember when I asked you to play checkers because you kept beating me at chess?" Minerva slowly put her quill down.
"Albus, I am so sorry..." She came over and laid a hand on his arm. "We can play now," she said, smiling.
end flashback
Minerva had won, of course. That was not important. He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized that she forgot. He had immediately forgiven her. She had been rather stressed. The next morning she did not show up for breakfast, and he found her in her classroom, sleeping with her head on the stack of graded papers. He admired her dedication. Now, she might die.
two days later
Albus entered the Great Hall and walked to his seat, smiling at the students as he passed them. His heart was not in the smiles though. He could not smile sincerely with Minerva gone. He reached the staff table and walked towards his seat.
"Hello Albus," a familiar voice said. A head leaned back and Minerva smiled at him from her place at his right. He sat down next to her.
"Minerva. Are you well?"
"I am as well as I can be, under the circumstances," she said. "We can talk later though. You need to make the announcements." Albus nodded and stood up.
"I only have one announcement to say today," he said beaming at the students. "I would everyone to welcome Professors Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid back. The students all cheered and clapped, particularly the Gryffindors.
The feast was delicious, but neither Albus nor Minerva could concentrate on the food. Minerva excused herself early and Albus followed a few minutes later.
"Minerva, wait," he said, catching up to her in the hall.
"Albus!" she said and flung her arms around him. He hugged her back. "I missed you," she said, smiling. "Come on to my quarters; there is so much I want to tell you!" The two walked to Minerva's rooms and when they got there, the first thing Albus saw was the gaudy candle burning in the window.
"Why do you have a Call-Me-Home Candle?" he asked.
"A what?"
"That is a Call-Me-Home Candle. You light it and put it in your window while thinking of a person who is away. It will refuse to go out until the person you want called home touches it."
"So that is why it refused to go out when I tried to blow it out," Minerva said in wonder. Albus walked over to the candle and looked at its dancing flame. He gently stroked the wax along the side and immediately, the candle went dark. He spun around and looked at Minerva.
"It was for me?" he asked.
"I lit it the night you were driven away. I... I was just... lonely, Albus. I mean, normally you and I would stay up late either laughing about the incident or deciding our plan of action, but I was alone..." She trailed off.
"You are not alone now," he said, walking across the room and enveloping her in his embrace. "Please do not cry."
"You cannot know what it was like. With you gone, she terrorized the school. Everyone resisted as they best could... the students were so brave. You would have been proud of them."
"The students can wait another night. What about you? I was so worried. I love you and if I had lost you..."
"I love you too," she whispered. He leaned down and kissed her. She responded and they realized that they were both in love with each other. The details of the Umbridge takeover could wait. The students could wait. All Minerva and Albus needed was each other.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Minerva and Albus announced their engagement at the welcome feast the following year. The ceremony was held a few days before Christmas, and there was a ball that all students were invited to afterwards. The Professors Dumbledore continued to teach. Neither ever had to wait for the other again.
Nerweniel: Yes, I decided to write more, right here!
Hogwarts Duo: Thank you for the suggestions. Read on to see!
Suzaku's Rose: Thank you so much! Yes, I have continued.
Liz O'Brien: Thank you for the compliments!
RandiWeasley: Here is more! Happy reading!
Iphigeneiah: Thank you. I tried to make it so.
Catwoman99: Thank you so much! I have more here; read on!
Opera Ghost 1881: I know it is all a bit too fluffy for reality. But I am happy you ended up liking it!
Griselda La Fay: I am so happy you liked it! And I am on your favorite author list... wow! I am so touched! Thank you! hugs
Yaukira: Thank you! I am glad!
GEM8: Read on to find out! I am glad you liked it!
Last chapter, due to many special requests! This was originally one-shot, but I bow to the wished of my lovely reviewers. Twelve reviews... that is the most I have ever gotten on one chapter! I love you all! Warning: romance ahead. Completely non-realistic and hopefully sweet.
Albus Dumbledore smiled, happy to be back at Hogwarts. Minerva would have to fill him in on everything that had gone on in his absence. He had tried to keep up with news at Hogwarts, but had not done very well, as he had been busy with larger-scale Order business and apparently the Ministry had been hushing everything up. He had already heard that Umbridge had been made Head of Hogwarts, and Hagrid had been driven away.
Albus entered the staff room to find Professor Flitwick sitting there, staring at a first-year exam, but clearly not seeing it.
"Filius, hello," Albus greeted the tiny man. Flitwick looked up, astonishment plain on his face.
"Albus! Welcome back, welcome. Does this mean that Dolores will be leaving?"
"Yes, Filius," Albus responded, smiling. "How have things been going here?" Flitwick's face fell.
"Not well, Albus," he sighed.
"Can you tell me where I might find Minerva?" The tiny professor's eyes widened.
"You have not heard yet!?" he asked in astonishment.
"Heard what? Has something happened to her? Is she dead!?" Fear like Albus had never felt before gripped him. If Minerva was dead... But why was he so bothered? He could always find another Transfiguration teacher, Deputy Head, and Gryffindor Head. But... he loved her. He could not imagine life without her anymore. And now, he was faced with that possibility.
"I do not think so. The latest news from St. Mungo's was that she had not improved much but she has not worsened either."
"Filius. What. Happened?"
"Umbridge and some of her friends tried to send Hagrid away. He refused to go, so they tried to Stun him. Minerva of course was enraged at their cowardice, because it was dark outside and Hagrid had no wand. She ran outside to stop them and they turned their wands on her. She got hit by four Stunners, directly in the chest." Albus was speechless.
"Thank you, Filius," he managed to say and left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Albus pushed the door to the Transfiguration classroom open and stared at all the empty seats. Everything was exactly as she had left it. There was the tin of Ginger Newts, sitting in reach on the corner of her desk. There was her favorite quill, lying on top of someone's homework. There was the Gryffindor scarf she always wore to Quidditch matches in the colder months, on a peg on the wall. Everything was as it should be... except she was not there.
Albus slowly walked forward on perched atop a desk in the front row. He remembered a day, it seemed only yesterday, when he had sat in this very spot...
flashback
"Hello Minerva," Albus said, grinning. Minerva looked up from the third years' homework.
"Albus, you scared me. I did not even hear you come in."
"You are too focused on your work," Albus told her.
"I need to get these done. I decided to use the free time I have."
"Now is not your free time."
"May I ask why not?"
"You promised me you would play checkers with me. Remember when I asked you to play checkers because you kept beating me at chess?" Minerva slowly put her quill down.
"Albus, I am so sorry..." She came over and laid a hand on his arm. "We can play now," she said, smiling.
end flashback
Minerva had won, of course. That was not important. He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized that she forgot. He had immediately forgiven her. She had been rather stressed. The next morning she did not show up for breakfast, and he found her in her classroom, sleeping with her head on the stack of graded papers. He admired her dedication. Now, she might die.
two days later
Albus entered the Great Hall and walked to his seat, smiling at the students as he passed them. His heart was not in the smiles though. He could not smile sincerely with Minerva gone. He reached the staff table and walked towards his seat.
"Hello Albus," a familiar voice said. A head leaned back and Minerva smiled at him from her place at his right. He sat down next to her.
"Minerva. Are you well?"
"I am as well as I can be, under the circumstances," she said. "We can talk later though. You need to make the announcements." Albus nodded and stood up.
"I only have one announcement to say today," he said beaming at the students. "I would everyone to welcome Professors Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid back. The students all cheered and clapped, particularly the Gryffindors.
The feast was delicious, but neither Albus nor Minerva could concentrate on the food. Minerva excused herself early and Albus followed a few minutes later.
"Minerva, wait," he said, catching up to her in the hall.
"Albus!" she said and flung her arms around him. He hugged her back. "I missed you," she said, smiling. "Come on to my quarters; there is so much I want to tell you!" The two walked to Minerva's rooms and when they got there, the first thing Albus saw was the gaudy candle burning in the window.
"Why do you have a Call-Me-Home Candle?" he asked.
"A what?"
"That is a Call-Me-Home Candle. You light it and put it in your window while thinking of a person who is away. It will refuse to go out until the person you want called home touches it."
"So that is why it refused to go out when I tried to blow it out," Minerva said in wonder. Albus walked over to the candle and looked at its dancing flame. He gently stroked the wax along the side and immediately, the candle went dark. He spun around and looked at Minerva.
"It was for me?" he asked.
"I lit it the night you were driven away. I... I was just... lonely, Albus. I mean, normally you and I would stay up late either laughing about the incident or deciding our plan of action, but I was alone..." She trailed off.
"You are not alone now," he said, walking across the room and enveloping her in his embrace. "Please do not cry."
"You cannot know what it was like. With you gone, she terrorized the school. Everyone resisted as they best could... the students were so brave. You would have been proud of them."
"The students can wait another night. What about you? I was so worried. I love you and if I had lost you..."
"I love you too," she whispered. He leaned down and kissed her. She responded and they realized that they were both in love with each other. The details of the Umbridge takeover could wait. The students could wait. All Minerva and Albus needed was each other.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Minerva and Albus announced their engagement at the welcome feast the following year. The ceremony was held a few days before Christmas, and there was a ball that all students were invited to afterwards. The Professors Dumbledore continued to teach. Neither ever had to wait for the other again.