"Amor Vicit." Minerva McGonagall snapped at the stone gargoyle before she, after a short knock, entered the Headmaster's office.
"Albus. Percival. Wulfric. Dumbledore."
Albus looked up, quickly swallowing the lemon drops he'd been chewing on. But he quickly averted his gaze as he read the fury in the emerald green eyes of his Deputy. Fawkes the Phoenix shrieked curtly. Albus felt like shrieking as well.
But since, as a part of his Headmaster duties, shrieking during his working hours was not allowed, he just smiled. It was a weak smile, he knew it, but one didn't smile at a fire spitting dragon as well, did one?
"Hello, Minerva. Is there perhaps anything wrong?"
If looks could kill… then all left of the once Headmaster would probably have been a pile of smoking ashes. Yet looks cannot kill, so Albus just shrunk back a little. Yes, yes, most powerful wizard of his time, okay, but a Dark Lord was nothing compared to a furious Scotswoman!
"Is- there- anything- wrong? My god, Albus, you know very, *very* well indeed why I am here!"
Hands on her hips, Minerva stepped forward and narrowed her eyes.
"Very, very well!" she empathized.
And indeed, Albus had the slightest idea…
"You…" Minerva pointed at her employer- luckily, she kept her nails neatly cut, or Hogwarts now had a one-eyed Headmaster…
"expect me…"
She frantically knocked on her chest.
"to join Rolanda and Serena in what probably is the most immature and absolutely- abnormal plan ever. You expect me to stand on a stage, to… to do whatever their insane minds are up to!"
As she balled her trembling fists, Albus spoke
"Actually, I thought this plan of them quite funny, my dear."
"You thought… oh God…"
Minerva fell down into one of Albus' large chairs. She looked quite hysterical- in fact, she looked like a madwoman, as she frantically covered her face with her hands.
"Albus Dumbledore, have you ever just *thought* of what our students will think? Of what will happen to their respect for us, teachers? Well okay, Rolanda's insane and they know it, and Serena spends her days looking at the stars, so it won't effect them that much, but I?"
She banged both her hands on his desk.
"I am for God's sake the Deputy Headmistress! I am the bloody Head of Gryffindor! I am supposed to teach them Transfigurations, Albus!"
Her eyes now pleaded, yet the Headmaster shook his head.
"But Albus! What do you think will happen to their respect for me?"
"I think it'll grow."
"What?"
"I think it'll grow." the Headmaster quietly repeated. "I think they- and you- desperately need a bit of fun and I think they will adore you even more than they currently do. For Heaven's sake, Minerva, these kids will grow up- are growing up- in the days of the return of Voldemort! They won't know lots of fun in the years to come!"
"I grew up in the days of Grindelwald, Albus." Minerva answered flatly, yet her eyes had already softened.
"I haven't had a lot of fun either."
"Ah, perhaps not, my dear…" the man grinned, noticing the oppressed smile in the corners of her lips. "But I am quite sure you would have laughed when your Transfigurations teacher had participated in a show like that!"
"Perhaps, my dear…" Minerva mimicked, leaning forward. "But my Transfigurations teacher, the great and impeccable Professor Dumbledore, has never done such a thing, has he?"
Albus crossed his arms and smiled.
"That is quite true. But then perhaps the great and impeccable Professor McGonagall will set an example for all Transfigurations teachers to come…!?"
It was hardly a question and Minerva bit her lips. Albus knew her far too well. This was a challenge and Miss Minerva McGonagall never ever refused a challenge.
"So, will she?" the man pressed the matter, a smile in his cerulean blue eyes.
Minerva knew she couldn't resist those eyes.
"But- Albus, Rolanda will… God, it'll be hell. She'll probably insist on… on… on miniskirts, Albus!" was her last, weak defense.
Her employer grinned, eyes twinkling quite mischievously.
"I think your legs are still more than pretty enough to be displayed from time to time."
"Albus!" Minerva shrieked. "Albus, you are really quite unbelievable! And by the way- you have never even seen as much as one of my knees!"
"No…" the man grinned. "But I sincerely look forward to it."
"Albus, you are a dirty, dirty old man!" Minerva laughed, yet she could literally hit herself.
Now why had she said that? Was she- was she flirting with her employer? Oh God… Okay, she *was* in love with him. She had realized that when she'd been fifteen. Okay, alright, good, she'd said. And she had oppressed her feelings, as she always had. Minerva McGonagall didn't show what she felt. Minerva McGonagall wasn't weak.
But Minerva McGonagall was bloody flirting with her bloody employer.
"So you're going to do it, aren't you?" Albus smiled, noticing her confusion.
And with a deep sigh, she finally surrendered.
"Good. Good. But only…"
She raised her finger in a warning gesture.
'…only to prevent Ro and Sera from making entire fools of themselves!"
Albus grinned.
"Of course, my dear. Of course."
Meanwhile, two women jostled each other before the door of the Headmaster's office, both desperately trying to hear what was going on inside
"Sera- Sera, out of my way… is she still yelling?"
"No, Ro, I think the storm has quite died down…"
"The McGonagall storm? That's not possible!!"
"Shhhh… I can't understand anything… listen and shut up…"
Silently, they cursed the thick doors of Hogwarts.
But they heard some things…
"My God!" Sera looked up and grabbed her friend's shoulders. "Ro, she's surrendering!"
"Yes!" the other one grinned. "And she's flirting with our dear Headmaster!"
"Hell, she is!"
But eavesdroppers ask for punishment, so Rolanda and Serena experienced, as the door unexpectedly went open and hit them hard on the heads. Minerva came out, hands on her hips as she saw her two very guilty-looking friends.
"Rolanda Hooch, Serena Sinistra, what do you two think you are doing? God…"
But Rolanda interrupted her with a broad grin on her face.
"Oh Albus, you are really quite unbelievable!" she then mimicked in a high pitched voice.
Minerva felt her cheeks flush.
"Oh Albus, you dirty, dirty old man!"
And the formidable Deputy Headmistress theatrically put her hands on her ears and strode off.
"Albus. Percival. Wulfric. Dumbledore."
Albus looked up, quickly swallowing the lemon drops he'd been chewing on. But he quickly averted his gaze as he read the fury in the emerald green eyes of his Deputy. Fawkes the Phoenix shrieked curtly. Albus felt like shrieking as well.
But since, as a part of his Headmaster duties, shrieking during his working hours was not allowed, he just smiled. It was a weak smile, he knew it, but one didn't smile at a fire spitting dragon as well, did one?
"Hello, Minerva. Is there perhaps anything wrong?"
If looks could kill… then all left of the once Headmaster would probably have been a pile of smoking ashes. Yet looks cannot kill, so Albus just shrunk back a little. Yes, yes, most powerful wizard of his time, okay, but a Dark Lord was nothing compared to a furious Scotswoman!
"Is- there- anything- wrong? My god, Albus, you know very, *very* well indeed why I am here!"
Hands on her hips, Minerva stepped forward and narrowed her eyes.
"Very, very well!" she empathized.
And indeed, Albus had the slightest idea…
"You…" Minerva pointed at her employer- luckily, she kept her nails neatly cut, or Hogwarts now had a one-eyed Headmaster…
"expect me…"
She frantically knocked on her chest.
"to join Rolanda and Serena in what probably is the most immature and absolutely- abnormal plan ever. You expect me to stand on a stage, to… to do whatever their insane minds are up to!"
As she balled her trembling fists, Albus spoke
"Actually, I thought this plan of them quite funny, my dear."
"You thought… oh God…"
Minerva fell down into one of Albus' large chairs. She looked quite hysterical- in fact, she looked like a madwoman, as she frantically covered her face with her hands.
"Albus Dumbledore, have you ever just *thought* of what our students will think? Of what will happen to their respect for us, teachers? Well okay, Rolanda's insane and they know it, and Serena spends her days looking at the stars, so it won't effect them that much, but I?"
She banged both her hands on his desk.
"I am for God's sake the Deputy Headmistress! I am the bloody Head of Gryffindor! I am supposed to teach them Transfigurations, Albus!"
Her eyes now pleaded, yet the Headmaster shook his head.
"But Albus! What do you think will happen to their respect for me?"
"I think it'll grow."
"What?"
"I think it'll grow." the Headmaster quietly repeated. "I think they- and you- desperately need a bit of fun and I think they will adore you even more than they currently do. For Heaven's sake, Minerva, these kids will grow up- are growing up- in the days of the return of Voldemort! They won't know lots of fun in the years to come!"
"I grew up in the days of Grindelwald, Albus." Minerva answered flatly, yet her eyes had already softened.
"I haven't had a lot of fun either."
"Ah, perhaps not, my dear…" the man grinned, noticing the oppressed smile in the corners of her lips. "But I am quite sure you would have laughed when your Transfigurations teacher had participated in a show like that!"
"Perhaps, my dear…" Minerva mimicked, leaning forward. "But my Transfigurations teacher, the great and impeccable Professor Dumbledore, has never done such a thing, has he?"
Albus crossed his arms and smiled.
"That is quite true. But then perhaps the great and impeccable Professor McGonagall will set an example for all Transfigurations teachers to come…!?"
It was hardly a question and Minerva bit her lips. Albus knew her far too well. This was a challenge and Miss Minerva McGonagall never ever refused a challenge.
"So, will she?" the man pressed the matter, a smile in his cerulean blue eyes.
Minerva knew she couldn't resist those eyes.
"But- Albus, Rolanda will… God, it'll be hell. She'll probably insist on… on… on miniskirts, Albus!" was her last, weak defense.
Her employer grinned, eyes twinkling quite mischievously.
"I think your legs are still more than pretty enough to be displayed from time to time."
"Albus!" Minerva shrieked. "Albus, you are really quite unbelievable! And by the way- you have never even seen as much as one of my knees!"
"No…" the man grinned. "But I sincerely look forward to it."
"Albus, you are a dirty, dirty old man!" Minerva laughed, yet she could literally hit herself.
Now why had she said that? Was she- was she flirting with her employer? Oh God… Okay, she *was* in love with him. She had realized that when she'd been fifteen. Okay, alright, good, she'd said. And she had oppressed her feelings, as she always had. Minerva McGonagall didn't show what she felt. Minerva McGonagall wasn't weak.
But Minerva McGonagall was bloody flirting with her bloody employer.
"So you're going to do it, aren't you?" Albus smiled, noticing her confusion.
And with a deep sigh, she finally surrendered.
"Good. Good. But only…"
She raised her finger in a warning gesture.
'…only to prevent Ro and Sera from making entire fools of themselves!"
Albus grinned.
"Of course, my dear. Of course."
Meanwhile, two women jostled each other before the door of the Headmaster's office, both desperately trying to hear what was going on inside
"Sera- Sera, out of my way… is she still yelling?"
"No, Ro, I think the storm has quite died down…"
"The McGonagall storm? That's not possible!!"
"Shhhh… I can't understand anything… listen and shut up…"
Silently, they cursed the thick doors of Hogwarts.
But they heard some things…
"My God!" Sera looked up and grabbed her friend's shoulders. "Ro, she's surrendering!"
"Yes!" the other one grinned. "And she's flirting with our dear Headmaster!"
"Hell, she is!"
But eavesdroppers ask for punishment, so Rolanda and Serena experienced, as the door unexpectedly went open and hit them hard on the heads. Minerva came out, hands on her hips as she saw her two very guilty-looking friends.
"Rolanda Hooch, Serena Sinistra, what do you two think you are doing? God…"
But Rolanda interrupted her with a broad grin on her face.
"Oh Albus, you are really quite unbelievable!" she then mimicked in a high pitched voice.
Minerva felt her cheeks flush.
"Oh Albus, you dirty, dirty old man!"
And the formidable Deputy Headmistress theatrically put her hands on her ears and strode off.