That afternoon, a soft knock on her door made Minerva McGonagall look up from the essays she was correcting.
"Come in." she said, with a frown. She did not like to be disturbed doing her corrections. Her students and her colleagues knew that. Who would have then risked an example of the fierce, Scottish temper Minerva knew she possessed- and of which she was ashamed as well as proud.
As the dark, mahogany door slowly opened, her face lit up, though. With a bang closing the shelf in which she kept her students' homework, Minerva stood up, one of her rare, wide smiles on her face.
"Albus!"
"Minerva!"
His greeting was sincere, enthusiastic, almost- and suddenly, they were again amidst one of those moments when she really did wonder whether he perhaps felt something for her as well. But she knew very well she mustn't dream. He was her best friend and she was his and nothing more. Yet she smiled again and pointed at a chair- his usual one. It had been quite a while since he'd last visited her, and she had started to wonder… But that all did not matter anymore- he was here now.
"Hello, Albus. Please have a seat!"
The Headmaster's eyes twinkled as he commented, pointedly looking at the still ink-covered quill on her desk
"I would rather not disturb Professor McGonagall while she is working. According to popular opinion, that is a most unwise deed."
Minerva almost rolled her eyes- but since she was Minerva, she did not.
"You never disturb me, Albus." she bluntly spoke, immediately scolding herself. Well, why don't say him you love him right to his face, she sarcastically thought. But it was true- was he then that blind that he did not see that he made her days? That he made her months, her years? Was this man supposed to be a Legilimens? Minerva almost snorted out loud- but it wasn't one of her usual snorts.
There was one Thing it in that entirely made the difference- and that was a Thing called love.
As soon as they had both sat down and after she had offered him a lemon drop- she did not like them, but he did, and that was enough reason for her to keep them in a tin on her desk!- she spoke, her smile still playing on her lips
"And what, Albus, brings you to my office?"
The Headmaster's eyes twinkled, and Minerva almost lowered her eyes under his broad grin.
"My dear, can't I just pay my second-in-command a visit without immediately needing some urgent reason; But if you really need one: Dolores Umbridge has returned to Hogwarts."
Minerva laughed, but she could not oppress a light shiver as she semi-seriously asked
"Has she, Albus?"
Of course, he shook his head- and Minerva reprimanded herself for being stupid enough as to actually believe his words for a moment.
"No, she has not, my dear." he spoke with a smile and yet a certain grimness in his voice.
"And as long as I am here- she never will as well. I will never forgive her what she did to you."
He covered her hand with his and softly squeezed it. Minerva's heart rate felt like going into overdrive- yet she controlled herself and bitterly smiled.
"Dolores Umbridge hasn't nearly done as much to me as she has to Hogwarts. Yet-"
She smiled and offered him another lemon drop, which he gratefully accepted.
"She is gone never to return, so that cannot be the reason why you went here?"
The Headmaster theatrically nodded and covered his face in his hands.
"My dear- always the inquisitive one, are you? Well, in fact I appear to have my reason."
Minerva smiled.
"And that is?"
"How is the show going?"
Minerva McGonagall hid her face in her hands and moaned.
"Well, as long as you don't ask me- fine! Really Albus- can't you just wait one more week?"
Was it just one more week 'till the Yule Ball? Merlin, it was…
Albus raised his hands in a quite defensive manner.
"I am sorry, Minerva, but I must admit I am rather curious- and so are the other teachers…"
Minerva McGonagall hid her face in her hands once more…
"The other teachers… oh no, don't tell me Severus- and… oh no, Sybill…"
Albus grin proved otherwise, though.
"Yes, Professor Snape has proved to be rather- enquiring over all of this…"
"Does he suspect something?" Minerva miserably asked. It was not that she disliked Severus Snape- or that he disliked her- but there had always been a certain rivalry between them… a very logical rivalry, but still a rivalry and she knew for sure that if he found out before the show…
"I don't know." Albus honestly answered. "But Minerva, in a week, we will all know…"
Minerva ignored his well-meant but totally in vain words of comfort, though.
"And Sybill?"
Albus laughed and, again, patted her hand.
"Sybill has indeed made some predictions, but, Minerva, if we keep in mind the number of true predictions she has ever made, I don't believe we have to fear."
"We?" Minerva mockingly asked, raising her eyebrows at him. But Albus remained serious.
"Yes, Minerva. We. Because your fear is my fear."
It was only as he left again, that Minerva McGonagall realized that that was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her.
"Come in." she said, with a frown. She did not like to be disturbed doing her corrections. Her students and her colleagues knew that. Who would have then risked an example of the fierce, Scottish temper Minerva knew she possessed- and of which she was ashamed as well as proud.
As the dark, mahogany door slowly opened, her face lit up, though. With a bang closing the shelf in which she kept her students' homework, Minerva stood up, one of her rare, wide smiles on her face.
"Albus!"
"Minerva!"
His greeting was sincere, enthusiastic, almost- and suddenly, they were again amidst one of those moments when she really did wonder whether he perhaps felt something for her as well. But she knew very well she mustn't dream. He was her best friend and she was his and nothing more. Yet she smiled again and pointed at a chair- his usual one. It had been quite a while since he'd last visited her, and she had started to wonder… But that all did not matter anymore- he was here now.
"Hello, Albus. Please have a seat!"
The Headmaster's eyes twinkled as he commented, pointedly looking at the still ink-covered quill on her desk
"I would rather not disturb Professor McGonagall while she is working. According to popular opinion, that is a most unwise deed."
Minerva almost rolled her eyes- but since she was Minerva, she did not.
"You never disturb me, Albus." she bluntly spoke, immediately scolding herself. Well, why don't say him you love him right to his face, she sarcastically thought. But it was true- was he then that blind that he did not see that he made her days? That he made her months, her years? Was this man supposed to be a Legilimens? Minerva almost snorted out loud- but it wasn't one of her usual snorts.
There was one Thing it in that entirely made the difference- and that was a Thing called love.
As soon as they had both sat down and after she had offered him a lemon drop- she did not like them, but he did, and that was enough reason for her to keep them in a tin on her desk!- she spoke, her smile still playing on her lips
"And what, Albus, brings you to my office?"
The Headmaster's eyes twinkled, and Minerva almost lowered her eyes under his broad grin.
"My dear, can't I just pay my second-in-command a visit without immediately needing some urgent reason; But if you really need one: Dolores Umbridge has returned to Hogwarts."
Minerva laughed, but she could not oppress a light shiver as she semi-seriously asked
"Has she, Albus?"
Of course, he shook his head- and Minerva reprimanded herself for being stupid enough as to actually believe his words for a moment.
"No, she has not, my dear." he spoke with a smile and yet a certain grimness in his voice.
"And as long as I am here- she never will as well. I will never forgive her what she did to you."
He covered her hand with his and softly squeezed it. Minerva's heart rate felt like going into overdrive- yet she controlled herself and bitterly smiled.
"Dolores Umbridge hasn't nearly done as much to me as she has to Hogwarts. Yet-"
She smiled and offered him another lemon drop, which he gratefully accepted.
"She is gone never to return, so that cannot be the reason why you went here?"
The Headmaster theatrically nodded and covered his face in his hands.
"My dear- always the inquisitive one, are you? Well, in fact I appear to have my reason."
Minerva smiled.
"And that is?"
"How is the show going?"
Minerva McGonagall hid her face in her hands and moaned.
"Well, as long as you don't ask me- fine! Really Albus- can't you just wait one more week?"
Was it just one more week 'till the Yule Ball? Merlin, it was…
Albus raised his hands in a quite defensive manner.
"I am sorry, Minerva, but I must admit I am rather curious- and so are the other teachers…"
Minerva McGonagall hid her face in her hands once more…
"The other teachers… oh no, don't tell me Severus- and… oh no, Sybill…"
Albus grin proved otherwise, though.
"Yes, Professor Snape has proved to be rather- enquiring over all of this…"
"Does he suspect something?" Minerva miserably asked. It was not that she disliked Severus Snape- or that he disliked her- but there had always been a certain rivalry between them… a very logical rivalry, but still a rivalry and she knew for sure that if he found out before the show…
"I don't know." Albus honestly answered. "But Minerva, in a week, we will all know…"
Minerva ignored his well-meant but totally in vain words of comfort, though.
"And Sybill?"
Albus laughed and, again, patted her hand.
"Sybill has indeed made some predictions, but, Minerva, if we keep in mind the number of true predictions she has ever made, I don't believe we have to fear."
"We?" Minerva mockingly asked, raising her eyebrows at him. But Albus remained serious.
"Yes, Minerva. We. Because your fear is my fear."
It was only as he left again, that Minerva McGonagall realized that that was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her.