"Wow," Minerva breathed. "This is wonderful…"
"Yes," said Albus, still a little suspicious. "But maybe it's a trick or something." Minerva waved the idea away with her hand.
"Nonsense," she said. "Lets just sit down for a bit and enjoy the atmosphere." Albus still thought it was a sketchy idea but who was he to argue with this beautiful young professor. They sat down on one of the couches and made their selves comfortable, drinking butterbeer and laughing the night away.
In the midst of all the chatter and merriment, not to mention a meaningful relationship blooming, Albus glanced at his watch. It was ten after midnight.
"Oh my," he said, "Look how time flies, Let me escort you back to your room, Minerva" She smiled.
"I guess it is time to part…" They walked in a comfortable silence back to the lady teachers' dorms. When they finally got to Minerva's, Albus just stood there, not wanting to leave.
"Well, I guess I'll see you in a few hours…" Minerva said. Albus looked at her, confused. "Breakfast? Great Hall? Ring a bell…?" she said. Albus nodded.
"Oh yes…" he secretly could not wait.
The next day they had a faculty meeting. Albus, to his displeasure, ended up seated down the table a ways from Minerva. Nevertheless, he stole glances at her whenever he could. He was hoping to meet with her after the meeting and suggest a walk on the grounds or something of the sort. Next to him sat Professor Sunnite, the current ornery Muggle Studies teacher.
"Hey, headmaster," Steely Sunnite whispered to Albus. "I have an announcement to make about that new teacher. But I thought I'd clear it with you first." The meeting had not actually started yet and a lot of the teachers were chatting with each other.
"What is it?" Albus whispered back as he was snapped from his thoughts about that very same teacher.
"I think you should fire her…" Steely whispered.
"What? Why?" said Professor Dumbledore, not whispering anymore.
"She is a horrible teacher." Steely continued.
"No, she's not," Albus' voice got increasingly louder.
"How do you know? Have you even seen her teach? Why do you care so much anyway?" Steely replied. Everyone at the table was looking and listening now.
"Because," Dumbledore was shouting now. "Because I LOVE HER. I LOVE MINERVA MCGONAGALL!" All the professors stared with their mouths hanging open. Albus realized what he had just said. He loved her? He had not even realized. He had known he had liked her. He had known he thought about her every second of the day. He had known he had cared for her strongly and wanted to be with her all the time. But loved her? Albus Dumbledore did not fall in love. It was just unheard of. He conducted the meeting in the usualist way that he could, pretending nothing had happened. But the thoughts were racing in Minerva's head as well. What about the age difference? She wondered. What would her parents say?
After the meeting, everyone and their brother was coming up to the headmaster and making rude comments or distasteful glares. Albus felt so bad about saying what he did, especially since they were looking down on Minerva now too.