Summary: Albus tries to get Minerva to relax for a while, but of course he can't. So he forces her to. It's kind of a Labor Day fic, but not really, because it only takes place on the American Labor Day.
A/N: This should be a short chapter fic, with three chapters at the most. I hope nobody else (or not a lot, at least) has done this before, because I really like the idea & I'm not trying to copy. : Anyway... enjoy!
It was the first Monday of September. The school year was just starting up, and the students were back to work again. The members of the Hogwarts staff were working hard as well. There was on teacher who always did more than she had to; she seemed to never run out of things to do. That teacher was Professor Minerva McGonagall.
She is working much too hard, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of the school, thought. Professor McGonagall missed lunch again, due to something or other that, according to her, must be done.
The Headmaster excused himself from the staff table and exited the Great Hall, headed for Professor McGonagall's office. He strolled down the corridor and, once he arrived at his destination, rapped on the door.
"Come in!" Professor McGonagall called from within. Albus Dumbledore opened the door and entered.
"Oh, it's you, Albus," she said, looking up. "What brings you here?"
Dumbledore took a seat in front of Professor McGonagall's desk.
"I was wondering... Are you aware, Minerva, that you have not been present at lunch three times this school year? I should remind you that term started less than a week ago." His blue eyes twinkled.
"That's not true," Minerva said, shaking her head. "I've only missed it Friday and Saturday. I plan to go today."
"You're too late, my dear," he informed her, gesturing to the clock on the wall, which read 2:37. "Lunch ended at 2:30."
Professor McGonagall frowned.
"Oh," she said. "Well - I had some grading to do." She pointed to the large piles of parchment on her desk.
"Grading!" Professor Dumbledore exclaimed. "School only started five days ago."
I love this woman to bits, but really now, Albus thought.
"Yes, Albus, grading," Minerva said impatiently. "I'm a teacher. I grade things."
"I understand that, Minerva, but all this? And all the time? You are overworking yourself," said Albus gently.
"I am not," Professor McGonagall protested.
"You really should take a break, dear," he advised. "Why, over in America, it's the holiday, Labor Day! It's a holiday when most people don't work, have a party, or at least attempt to relax."
"I'm glad you're so knowledgable of other cultures, Albus, but, if you haven't noticed, we're not in America," Minerva replied, annoyed. She dipped her quill in a bottle of red ink and continued marking a fifth-year essay.
Professor Dumbledore sighed.
"But I wish I had knowledge on how to get you to relax...," he murmured softly. "Will you please just take a break, Minerva?"
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.
"I do not need a break, Albus!" she insisted, scribbling furiously across the parchment and then adding it to the pile of graded essays.
"I am telling you to stop working for at least an hour or so!"
"Well, quit telling me what to do!" Minerva snapped.
Professor Dumbledore was taken aback for a moment. Then his face turned serious.
"That's it," he said sternly. "Detention!"
A/N: Uhh... I guess that was a lot shorter than I thought. I'll try to get the next chapter up as quickly as possible. Please review:D
