A/n: Sorry that it has taken me forever and a day to update this story; my muse hasn't been cooperative recently. I had to bribe her with countless of jelly babies before she let me write this. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it hasn't been beta read but any mistakes, let me know and I'll go through and change when I can.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter, I love hearing your views and your ideas.
Chapter Fourteen: Ivy Cottage.
Alastor Moody had not been best pleased when Minerva had gone to him, claiming to be unwell. She wasn't going to tell him the exact reason for her departure since she didn't want to be the laughing stock of the ministry, she wasn't even sure that Alastor had believed her. He reluctantly let her go home, he couldn't for well deny her that especially since she had never had day off work due to illness. He had mumbled about being let down twice in the matter of moments and then waved her out to his office, saying that he had paper work to do.
When she had returned to her office, she found that Albus Dumbledore was still sat exactly how she had told him to, ten minutes before hand. He put his hand up to greet her when she walked and mumbled something she couldn't quite catch. On her desk, were a bundle of used blood stained tissues and Minerva felt even more guilty but also slightly disgusted that he had bother to put the tissues into the nearby bin.
"Has it stopped bleeding?" she asked
Instead on answering her, he simply nodded before lifting his head up and Minerva could see that his nose was very swollen and puffy. His eyes looked bluer than normal, which was probably down to the fact that his eyes had been watering ever since the door had hit in the face. Minerva had to admit that she was impressed by his calmness, if it had been her who had hit, she would have been less than calm and threatening to hex the person who did into the next millennium.
"It looks slightly crooked!" she said softly, it looked badly broken but she hadn't wanted to alarm him.
"It feels very broken!" he commented as he went to touch his nose with his finger before thinking better of it.
"Well lets get you to my home and then I can sort it as best as I can," she told him as she reached for her cloak "I warn you I am not neat when it comes to hearing, in the field that isn't our main priority."
She didn't mean to sound so business like or cold but she was telling the truth when she spoke, the years she had spent dealing with injuries on the field had taught her not to mess around for cosmetic purposes. She had leant that in her first week at the ministry, she had been out scouting an area with Alastor Moody and a man called Victor Greendale. They were ambushed and Victor had sustained multiple factures and a smashed up face. Minerva had dropped to her knees beside him as Alastor blocked spells coming their way, Victor had been a mess and Minerva had started healing him, taking her time on her face until Alastor had yelled at her to get a move because he struggling. He told her not to worry about the face, just get healed and start fighting again. She had been shocked by her superior's demands and for a while, she was disgusted by him and his lack of compassion but as the years went by and the more she saw, she understood why he was how he was.
"I am used to field side medicine," he answered her as he stood up "I am under no illusion."
Minerva nodded and made her way over to the fireplace, she picked up a dainty looking mahogany box and opened it before offering Albus the contents. Albus took a handful of floo powder and waited for her to do the same. She moved in front of him and threw the powder into the fireplace and stated clearly "Ivy Cottage!". The green flames rose and she stepped in, she was gone in a blink of an eye and Albus soon followed.
As soon as she had stepped out of the fireplace and looked around the living, she despaired at the state of it. Grace had obviously been running around the room trying on various outfits and packing her bags, unpacking them and re packing them before leaving the cottage that morning and hadn't bothered cleaning up after her self. Minerva didn't have enough time to pull out her wand and cast a cleaning charm on the room because she heard the fireplace roar and then Albus appeared. He looked around the room with amusement evident in his eyes and Minerva wanted to hide away from him again.
"Sorry about the mess," she said as she pulled out her wand "Grace, must have been having a wardrobe dilemma."
She flicked her wand and the living room returned to the normal, neat state it was usually in. She showed him to a nearby chair and offered him a seat before she disappeared into another room and returned with another medi kit.
"Can I have some water please?" he asked.
"Not until I fixed your nose!" she answered "I won't take long, have you broken your nose before?"
"I have indeed," he replied "one of my brother's goats head butted me, I don't remember much about it."
Minerva put her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggle she felt brewing, she faked a cough and tried to regain her composure.
"You may laugh but it wasn't a very nice experience!" he added, "However, I do think the goat was more worse off!"
"Whoever fixed your nose that time," she said, as she looked at it closely "didn't do a very good job which makes mine harder I am afraid you might have a crooked nose!"
"It will add character!" he said with a grin as he caught her eye.
Ten minutes later, Minerva sat back on her feet and looked at the man in front of her, she had managed to fix his nose and it looked nearly as good as new though there was a small crook in it. She had to admit; that the crook did add character to the man's face and t suited him. He had been an ideal patient and hadn't complained once while she tended to him, if only they were all like that. He did turn his nose up at the charcoal flavoured potion she had offered him to help with the pain, she had arched an eyebrow when he asked if he could change to flavour.
"Thank you my dear!" he said as he rose from the chair to look at himself in the mirror "You have done a fine job."
"It is the least I could do," she answered as she got to her feet and brushed her robes down "I'll get you that water now unless you would like something different!"
"I don't suppose you have hot chocolate?" he asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought to the rich, hot drink.
"Yes," she answered as she made her way out of the room "make yourself comfortable."
Minerva swept into the kitchen and lent against the counter, she closed her eyes and tried to stop her heart from beating so fast. She sighed to herself as she opened her eyes and started to pull things from the cupboards, the man infuriated her but she couldn't help but be drawn to him. She had admired him from afar for many years, she wouldn't that she had fancied him but he intrigued her but since having met him, she had to admit that he was very handsome and there was something alluring about him despite the little things that annoyed her.
She added come hazelnut syrup into her mug and then poured the hot chocolate into both mugs, she wasn't a big fan of chocolate but the hazelnut took the edge of it and so she was able to enjoy a mug or two a day. She walked back into the living room to where Albus was sitting, he was sat with his back to her and her eyes widened with the utmost horror. Some how, one of her stockings had attached itself to his robe and he hadn't seemed to notice. How in the name of Merlin, was she going to explain that? She didn't even know what it was doing in the room, Grace must have packed it and then unpacked it but she couldn't understand why it hadn't vanished with the other items when she had casted a cleaning charm.
She was sure that someone was working against her, playing tricks and making her look like a utter fool in front of the man sat down. She composed herself and tried to think of a plan to get the stocking off him, she couldn't pull her wand out and point it at him because she would have to explain herself. She would have to get it off him, herself but she didn't have a clue how to do it.
"Hmmm, those smell delicious!" he said as he turned around in the chair and looked at her "Hazelnut if I am not mistaken!"
"Oh, I didn't put any in yours," she answered with a weak smile "I can do if you like!"
"No, no," he replied "no need my dear, I am content with just hot chocolate."
Minerva continued over to where he was sat and set the mugs down on the table, she sat down and tried to look everywhere but at his shoulder where the stocking hung from.
"It has occurred to me that I do not know your name," he said as he reached down and picked up a steaming mug of sweet smelling hot chocolate.
"Stockings?" she asked, snapping out of her trance "What about them?"
"My dear," he chuckled "are you unwell?"
Minerva was mortified; she looked down at her feet and cursed herself over and over again.
"I am quite well," she answered "what was your question?"
"I asked your name," he replied, looking at her with concern "we have bumped into one another on numerous occasions and I am at a disadvantage since you know my name and I am unaware of yours."
Minerva was grateful that he hadn't pressed the stocking issue any further; she still wasn't sure what to do about it. She reached over and picked up her own mug of hot chocolate, she wrapped her hands around it and savoured the warmth.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall!" she answered.
"I am pleased to meet you Minerva McGonagall," he greeted with a grin "quite a name!"
"You can call me Minerva." She offered.
She watched as he took a sip of his drink and was pleased to see a wide smile appear on his face as he savoured the taste. Her family had been big hot chocolate drinkers and had an array of different types and strengths, recipes were passed down through generations and they were encouraged to add new recipes to the 'McGonagall Book of Hot Chocolate'. Minerva was yet to contribute, she had tried a few recipes in her youth but they had been disastrous and she had been put off.
"This has to be the best I have ever tasted!" he remarked.
"Family recipe," she explained "a trade secret!"
"Oh," he said with disappointment because his eyes twinkled again "I will have to become part of the family then."
Minerva was thankful that she didn't have a mouth full of hot chocolate because she was sure that would have spat it out in a very unlady like manner, she wasn't sure how to respond that the comment he made but she didn't have to because much to her horror, something took his mind off hot chocolate. She watched as he peeled the nude stocking off his shoulder and looked at it, he chuckled and placed it on the table.
"Grace?" he questioned.
"Yes," answered Minerva quickly, hoping he wouldn't see that she was one currently wearing nude stocking "she can be a nightmare at times!"
"My sister was like that," he answered "always leaving stockings and much worse around, my father nearly had a heart attack when he found a certain something but I wont go into that right now."
Minerva noticed that he eyes glazed over when he spoke about his sister, from somewhere in the back of her mind she was able to recall that she had been brutally murdered by Grindelwald.
"You must miss her terribly." She said softly as she reached out and touched his hand.
He grabbed her hand and held it firmly, his thumb making circular movements on her palm. He nodded sadly and then looked into the fire.
"I do miss her terribly," he admitted "sometimes I forget she is dead and that she is simply off exploring, maybe that is the case in some respect."
Minerva nodded and squeezed his hand just as a phoenix appeared from nowhere and landed on the chair Albus was sitting in and thrilled a soft greeting before dropping a letter into his master's lap.
"Meet Fawkes, Minerva!" said Albus as he opened the note "he is oldest and most trusted friend with a insatiable appetite for sherbet lemons."
Minerva eyed the phoenix suspiciously; she had never come into contact with these amazing animals but knew they were very temperamental. The phoenix was beautiful and had the most amazing eyes, eyes that would rival his master's. Minerva knew that the animal was watching her, trying to read her to see if she was a threat or not.
"Hello Fawkes," she greeted, her voice slightly shaky "would you like a some ginger newt?"
She reached over to the tin that resided on the cabinet nearest her and opened, breaking the head end of the newt off, she brought it back and offered it Fawkes who looked at it for a moment before hopping on to her chair and taking it from her. He allowed her pet him gently as he devoured his tasty treat and even knocked his head against her hand to ask for more.
"I see you have both made friends," said Albus with a chuckle "he thinks with his tummy, like I do. Minerva, my dear, I am afraid that I must be on my way but I would dearly like to continue our conversation over dinner one night."
"I erm," she stalled "yes, that would be nice!"
"I'll send Fawkes with the details soon," he said with a smile as he got up "thank you for fixing my nose and for your hospitality, I am indebted."
He brought her hand to his lips and brushed them against it before bidding farewell to her and using her fireplace to floo back to where he was needed. Minerva touched her hand where his lips had been and closed her eyes, she couldn't quite believe what had happened and she couldn't wait for Fawkes to arrive again
TO BE CONTINUED!