New Year, New Start

A/N: Many thanks to my beta reader Ang! Many thanks to all the people who took the time to read and review the last chapter.

Chapter 3: Finding out about Minerva

It was the Thursday after the start of the New Year and time for Albus and Minerva's weekly chess game. Albus had set the board out and now waited for her arrival. He intended to quiz Minerva about what she liked as they played a friendly game of chess. He hoped it wouldn't raise suspicions in her mind. He knew that she would be curious about the questions if he asked her out right so he had to try and fit them into the conversation as he went along.

The familiar soft knocking at his office door told him that his guest had arrived and he quickly swept over to the door and opened it. He smiled as he invited her into the warm and welcoming room. As well as setting out the chessboard, he has also arranged some snacks for them to eat while they played and talked. He had bought a new tin of ginger newts and had hidden the box out of view. He didn't want Minerva to know that he had especially brought them for her and not just grabbed them from the kitchens. They were set out beside the teapot that contained Minerva's favorite tea…Earl Grey.

"Expecting someone special?" Minerva teased as she looked around the room with a smile.

"Well I was but then she cancelled and I had to make do with you," he teased back. He was quite relieved that she hadn't been looking directly at him as she had spoken because she would have seen the blush that had appeared on his cheeks. And his beard would not have helped hide it.

"Glad I am useful for something," she said as she sat down and noticed the plate of ginger newts. "Oh yummy!"

Albus sat down opposite her and watched intently as Minerva reached for a ginger newt and brought it to her soft lips to take a bit. He found himself mesmerized by her soft, juicy looking lips and he found himself wondering what they would feel like to kiss. He had wondered that numerous times as the years had flown by and he still had no idea. He imagined them to taste of honey and ginger. He didn't know why he thought they would but maybe it had to do with her love of ginger newts.

He looked up from her lips to her eyes and found that they were staring at him with amusement. He quickly straightened up in his chair and mumbled something about a possible crack in the chessboard. Minerva looked at him at strangely but finally accepted his feeble excuse because it was obvious that he didn't want to discuss it.

"I believe it is my turn to beat you!" he said, moments later as he set up his chess pieces.

"You said that last time," she pointed out "and the time before."

Albus smiled. It had been several months since he had beaten her at chess and she thoroughly enjoyed beating him. Not many people knew that Minerva McGonagall could gloat to the point where it nearly became unattractive. She would always gloat after every game she won. Albus was sure that he was the only person who saw this side of the usually calm and dignified Deputy Headmistress. Though he was as equally sure that Severus Snape might have seen a watered down version when Gryffindor won the House and Quidditch cups again.

"I am merely trying to lure you into a false sense of security," Albus said trying to explain his losing streak. "And then I will deliver a victory, one after the other, for years."

"If you say so," she said with a smile as she waited for him to make the first move. "I'll let you make the first move."

"Minerva, I play with the white pieces so I always start!" Albus reminded Minerva with a gleam in his blue eyes.

Albus moved his pawn with confidence. This part of the game was easy but as it progressed it became harder to outsmart the cunning Transfiguration Professor. And to add insult to injury, he had been the person who had taught her the game in the first place. Minerva had often remarked that he had hexed himself on his own foot when he had encouraged her to take up the fine and noble game of chess. Minerva matched his own move with one of her own and then relaxed in the overstuffed chair that was always hers when she came to his rooms.

Albus decided that it was now to time to start questioning her subtly about how she would like to be wooed. He decided to bring up his meeting with Arthur Weasley and elaborate on some things while not telling her others.

"I saw Arthur yesterday," he said as he ordered another pawn to move. "How long have he and Molly been married?"

"They married a month after graduating," she said as she surveyed the board and then ordered her move. "So a long time, why do you ask?"

"Well I think it is rather sweet that they found each other so early on," he said with a wistful sigh. "Some people search all their lives and still never find that one person. Some make do while others live in denial."

"Albus, are you trying to throw my concentration?" she asked, as she looked up at him. "You know it won't work."

Deciding that talking about Arthur and Molly was not going to help him find out what made Minerva tick. He decided to mention something else which should give him a better insight. He remembered an article in the Daily Prophet that was about a high up Ministry official in France and his over the top wedding to an influential witch, who came from a well-respected wizarding family.

"Did you read the Daily Prophet?" he asked before ordering another command.

"I did," she said not looking up from the board. "All that over the top nonsense about Monsieur Du Maurier marrying that pretty little witch. The way they go on about it, makes out he is Merlin or someone important."

"You don't like over the top weddings then?" he asked with interest.

"Merlin, no! I despise them." Minerva answered as she looked up from the board. "It is being too much of a show off and love isn't about that. Big things like grand weddings, huge rocks on engagement fingers don't make the sentiment any bigger."

"So what would you find acceptable?" he asked, as he congratulated himself on a great idea.

"Well I don't know! Why we are taking about this?" she said as she leaned back in her chair and absentmindedly played with a loose lock of her own hair. "I would say small gestures. The usual flowers and chocolates are always pleasant but I like to know that some thought had gone into it. For instance, little notes left in a book that I'm reading or a single rose placed on my pillow. I also like the simple gestures like holding the chair out for me to sit on, the silly small things…that is what I like."

Albus looked at Minerva and felt his heart miss a beat. She had captured his heart all over again and he now knew what he could do to try and win her heart like she had done with his, though she still wasn't aware of that.

"I think we should get back to game," said Minerva with a faint blush apparent on her creamy cheeks. "And I still intend on beating you!"

To Be Continued