Disclainer: All characters, places etc. are on loan from JK Rowling.
It's taken me a long time to finish this story, but I can at last say that, with the help of a bottle of the cheapestGreat Wall Cabernet Sauvignon and far too many cigarettes, I have finally done it. Many thanks to Foci for badgering me, and to Rogueinker for providing such a fine example of commitment to completing fics.And of course, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, you were all very helpful.
I warn you now: Fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff.
Seasonal Snogging: Chapter 8: Presenting Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.
Minerva bit her lip as Albus recovered himself. When he was fully upright again, she spoke.
"Hello Albus." She said softly. He looked up at her and attempted a half smile, replacing his handkerchief in his pocket.
"Hello Minerbah." He replied through his broken nose. "Merry 'Chrisdmas."
Her head tilted to one side as she looked at him sympathetically.
"You don't look very merry, Albus. Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."
He sighed as he reached the step below her. For once, she towered over him. He cleared his throat painfully and found that he was able to speak a little more clearly, his v's and th's being the only consonants hindered by his disfigurement.
"I've been at Aberforb's all morning. We were trying to heal my face, but it looks like Poppy fed me someding to make it a slow recuhbbery. A bit mean on Christmas morning, I dink, but we did wake her up at a ridiculous hour."
"She thinks you were playing 'head-butting'. Perhaps I could explain to her that it was my fault?"
He smiled up at her as much as he could.
"It's nuhdding I don't deserhb, Minerva."
She chuckled, not at his profession of responsibility , but at the comical way his broken nose impeded his speech. He was no longer the dignified Headmaster, nor the tantrum-throwing, aged- lunatic who had appeared in her room the night before. He was, in fact, a little pathetic.
"Well, perhaps not, but it is Christmas after all." She replied, feeling a mixture of guilt and sympathy wash over her. She moved closer to him and put her hands on his cheeks as she examined his swollen eyes with a frown. He was not looking his best. In fact, he looked like he'd been boozing it up with Grawp.
Albus sighed as her hands touched his cheeks. She had such delicate hands, such long and slender fingers…
"Why don't you come inside and open your presents?" She suggested.
He nodded slowly and together they walked into the castle as the school clock chimed midday.
As they reached the gargoyle that lead to the Headmaster's office, Minerva stopped, reached for his hand, and said:
"Your present is in my office."
"No madder." he said, flicking his wand and summoning her gift. It landed in her hand and she chuckled.
"Why didn't I think of that?" She asked.
He held out his arm to her and together the ascended the stairs.
Once inside the office, Albus cast his jar and its goat lead into the corner with a snarl as he moved to his desk, pausing only to give the sleeping Fawkes a Christmas pat on the head. Pulling out the left hand drawer, he presented Minerva with her Christmas present.
"I'm sorry I behabed so abominably last night, Minerva." He said, offering it to her across the desk. "I just…" He gave a sheepish shrug "…well…Merry Chrisdmas."
She smiled, half gratified by his apology and half moved by the speech impediment she had imposed upon him as she accepted his gift. He was, even in this state, still very wonderful to her. His nose may have been bloodied and bent, his eyes black, bruised and bloodshot, but this Christmas morning her was very much her Albus Dumbledore: kind and gentlemanly…and humble.
She took the gift from him and passed his in return.
"Merry Christmas Albus. I am so very sorry that I caused your broken nose." Her eyes were locked on the desk as her hands lightly fingered his gift to her. It was small and apparently soft. She squeezed it and jumped as it squeaked at her. Albus chuckled.
"It is not my only gifd to you, I must confess." He said "And as for my broken nose…I do belieb dat I hab already said dat I deserbed it."
With care, she opened his present to find a cat toy in the shape of a grey mouse. She squeezed it again and it squeaked once more.
"Albus Dumbledore!" She cried, unable to conceal her grin. "It is quite… marvellous."
She tossed the mouse in the air and with a loud pop transformed into her animagus form. In cat shape, she crossed the desk, batting the fallen mouse out of the way, and jumped into his arms.
He held her to him, stroking her back gently and tickling her ears. Her purr was loud and clearly contented.
"Does this mean that you like my gift, Professor McGonagall?" He asked, smiling down at her, his speech impediment apparently improved. Gradually, it seemed, his eyes had lost some of their blackness too.
With another pop, she reappeared as herself, still cradled in his embrace.
"I like it very much, Professor Dumbledore." And she placed a quick kiss on his cheek.
There was a clatter in the corner and both turned to see another ruby settling into the jar that he had cast into the corner of his office.
He frowned as her expression hardened a little and she loosened her hold on the collar of his robes.
"Well, that's not right." He muttered. She raised two stern eyebrows. "The competition ended at midday, Minerva!" He continued, unnerved by her frown. "And besides, I have already claimed your kiss to my cheek."
Her expression joined him in his confusion.
"I beg your pardon, Albus?"
"Well, the rules of the competition state that the same woman cannot kiss you in the same place twice and vice versa. That's how Aberforth's been winning, of course, what with his girlfriend and all. She must have been kissing him absolutely everywhe…"
Minerva cleared her throat.
"Am I to understand, Albus," She said sternly "that my method of thanks has just earned you a point?"
Her look was grave and severe, as it had been the night before when he had dared to demand she kiss him properly. His mouth opened and closed in his attempt to find an explanation.
"Well…yes, it has, I'm afraid But I am at a loss to explain it! Clearly the jar is malfunctioning. The competition is over, Minerva, I swear."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"Are you certain, Albus?"
"Quite certain, my dear. I charmed the jars myself, Aberforth being somewhat less…inclined that way."
She looked him deep in the eye and despite all his power as a legilimens, he could not fathom her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed as she considered the evidence, and then widened as the realisation hit her.
"But Albus," She said, her hands - mercifully, he thought - still resting on his shoulders. "I did not kiss you on the cheek yesterday. It was the other way round."
He considered for a moment, distracted somewhat by her closeness. Had it been the other way round? He could not think. Either way, there should be no extra ruby in the jar.
Without thinking further, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her right cheek. Another ruby plopped into the jar. He frowned and kissed her on her left cheek. Again, a new ruby landed on the pile.
"I don't understand it, Minerva, really I don't!"
Her frown continued, but he found that he did not regret it. She was so very wonderful when she was angry. Quickly, he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time on the lips. It was short and over in seconds, but of such power that she failed to notice another ruby clang in the jar. As their lips parted, she felt his arms tighten around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Without thought, she leaned forward and kissed him again on the mouth, harder this time, and much, much longer. A few more rubies dropped into the jar as Albus pressed her to him, the sound of the jewels graduating from a trickle to a downpour in his ears.
As they reluctantly pulled away, decency dictating that they reserve their passion for a later date, Albus once again cleared his throat, and with a small smile and one eye on the jar in the corner, said:
"Minerva, my dear. I wonder if I could prevail upon you to join me in a little experiment?"
The common consensus was that Albus Dumbledore was a master legilimens; but in that moment, Minerva McGonagall read his mind perfectly. She had barely smiled her consent before she was lifted entirely by the wizard before her and carried off to his bedroom, where he proceeded to kiss her in every place imaginable, as well as a few that had never crossed her mind before.
Aberforth Dumbledore smiled contentedly as he watched the sapphires that he had collected in his jar disappear one by one - or sometimes in twos or more. They rose from the pile and sped to the top of the jar before vanishing before his eyes. He chuckled to himself and ordered another pint of butterbeer from Madam Rosemerta.
"Aren't you supposed to be collecting them rather than losing them?" She asked as she poured him his drink.
He shook his head and grinned. "That was yesterday, my dear Rosemerta. Today…there has been a change of plan."
She frowned and handed him her drink.
"Why? Where are all the sapphires you won going?"
"To Albus' jar."
"But why?"
"Because I charmed his jar last night in his office so that they would transfer to his should he decide to look past that great conk of his and finally attempt to get lucky with a certain witch. And it looks like he is getting lucky." Several rubies hurtled to the top of the jar and disappeared. Aberfoth's count was rapidly decreasing. "Very lucky." He whispered to himself.
"Ah!" Cried Rosemerta "Minerva!"
Aberforth's eyebrows raised in surprise, as Rosemerta smiled knowingly at him across the bar. He tipped his glass to her.
"To the happy couple." He said as she raised her own. "May this be a Christmas to remember."
One more chapter to go...