Christmas Confessions

A/N: My muse has finally decided to cooperate with me and conjured up this bit of fluff. Enjoy and happy holidays!

"You love Minerva?" Alastor asked, scratching his head.

Albus nodded, looking tired. "Yes, I do."

"Have you told her yet?" The Auror looked thoughtful.

This time, Albus shook his head. "Not yet, I thought I'd test the waters a little by flirting with her, but she hasn't responded."

Alastor shook his head, bemused. "Flirting won't work with Minerva unless she's aware that flirting is what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Albus leaned forward slightly in his seat.

Alastor thought for a moment. "You remember Miles O'Flaherty, right?"

"Yes, he was the same year as you at Hogwarts," Albus looked puzzled by the seemingly random question.

Alastor smiled as he remembered the other man. "He used to flirt with Minerva every chance he got when they were both Aurors, but she never realized that he was flirting."

"How do you know this?" The elder wizard looked even more puzzled.

Alastor chuckled. "When he found out that she was dating someone else, he asked..."

oo00oo

"What about me?" Miles moved his gaze from the picture of Minerva and Terrance to the woman herself.

Minerva looked puzzled, glancing at Alastor, who shared the cubicle with her. "What about you, Miles?"

"I thought you liked me!" Miles exclaimed, looking desperate.

This only confused Minerva. "Of course I like you, Miles."

"But you're going out with this Terrance fellow," the redhead was rapidly losing his temper.

He wasn't the only one; color was flooding into Minerva's cheeks. "That doesn't mean I don't like you anymore."

"Hold on, you two." Alastor hastily stepped between the Scottish woman and Irish man...

oo00oo

"So, Minerva didn't realize that Miles was flirting with her, and so never considered dating him?" Albus asked, trying to straighten everything out.

Alastor nodded. "Exactly. If you want her to be aware of the fact that you love her, you need to be straightforward about it."

"What about our friendship?" Albus asked, looking worried.

Alastor looked gravely at Albus. "I had the exact same worry about whether I should tell Poppy and now look at me. I couldn't be happier with her in my life."

"I see your point," Albus murmured, looking pensive. "I'll have to think about it."

Alastor nodded. "Don't take too long to decide, Albus."

oo00oo

Minerva had opened all of her Christmas gifts except one. The exception was her gift from Albus and he had requested that she come to his rooms in order to open it. Wondering what was in it, she donned her tartan dressing gown, hair net, and slipped her feet into her slippers before making her way up to Albus' office. Upon entering, she found the office empty. "Armando, have you seen Albus?"

"He asked us to send you into his sitting room, Minerva," the portrait replied, smiling down at her.

She smiled back and slipped through the door to find Albus waiting patiently in front of the fire, her gift to him unopened in his lap. "Happy Christmas, Albus."

"Happy Christmas, Minerva," he replied, rising and greeting her with a kiss on her cheek. "Come sit before the fire with me while we open each other's gifts."

She nodded and allowed herself to be led to the sofa and sat down in her usual corner. "Could you open yours first, please?"

"Certainly, my dear," he replied, wasting no time in ripping off the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a small figurine of a phoenix. "Oh my, it's a good resemblance."

She smiled as he admired the figurine. "I'm glad you like it, Albus. I knew I had to get it for you the moment I saw it."

"Thank you very much, my dear." He smiled warmly at her. "Please, open yours now."

Nodding, Minerva did so, looking puzzled when all she found inside the box was a slip of parchment. Glancing at Albus, she opened it and read the short note written in Albus' handwriting.

Minerva,

All I could think of to give you this Christmas was my heart, but you already have that. You have had it for several years now and I hope you will take good care of it. I love you.

Love,
Albus

Minerva looked up at Albus hopefully. "Do you really mean it, Albus?"

"Every word, Minerva," he answered, the twinkle in his eyes replaced by a stronger emotion.

Smiling, she moved to his side and, cupping his face in her hands, whispered, "You have my heart, too."

Finite