A/N: Wow, you've certainly made us blush with your glowing comments on this story and we couldn't be more pleased to give you another chapter. There are only a few more 'snippets' left so enjoy them while they last. LOL.

Also, the password to Minerva's rooms is a quote from Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare. Just wanted to give credit where credit is due!

Chapter 7

Minerva pushed aside a few strands of hair which had wandered to brush against her cheek as she demonstrated, one more time, the wand movements to change a ribbon into a raven. A snicker from the opposite corner of the room caught her attention and she lowered her arm.

"Mr. Thatcher, what do you find so amusing?"

Minerva had had enough. Oberon Thatcher had constantly disturbed the class in one form or another for the entire period. She had given him a verbal warning, moved him from his classmates and assigned additional homework. Nothing seemed to be working and as this was her first day teaching, she knew that if she couldn't gain control now, she was doomed the rest of the term.

It hadn't helped matters any that she had come in half way through the year. The shocking death of Armando Dippet had left an opening at Hogwarts for a Transfiguration professor and Minerva had tentatively applied. With Albus becoming the new Headmaster, Minerva had been hesitant to move to a position in the school because of her relationship with him. However, she had dreamed of being a teacher for years and leaving her place in the ministry as a researcher. She longed to shape young minds and she simply couldn't pass up the opportunity.

The Board of Governors had been critical and harsh in their judgment of her but in the end had agreed that she was the most qualified for the job. The day she learned she was the new Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was one of her most cherished.

"Nothing…Professor."

How a mere child of fifteen could make the word professor sound like an insult was disconcerting at best. The blatant disrespect in his tone grated on Minerva's every nerve. Her head began to ache and she had to restrain herself from pinching the bridge of her nose in consternation.

"Mr. Thatcher, your disregard for the education of your peers will no longer be tolerated. Pack your bags and leave my classroom. You will receive a zero for today's assignment in addition to having thirty points taken from your house for your lack of respect. The next time you enter this classroom, please remember that it is not just your time you are wasting with your foolery but your classmate's as well."

The whole class fell deathly silent and watched as the young man's face turned a bright shade of red. He packed his bag quickly, and with as much force as he could muster. Minerva stood still and waited out his departure before returning to her demonstration.

By the time lunch came around, the rumors of Professor McGonagall's strictness had spread across the school. As she entered the Great Hall and took her seat between Professor Slughorn and Rubeus Hagrid, she noticed the looks that were sent her way from the various houses. It had been the same in the hall on her way here. While Minerva didn't mind being thought of as strict by the students, she did mind the way her actions of the morning had been blown out of proportion.

The headache she had suffered with earlier was now nearly a full blown migraine. As she reached for her napkin Hagrid bellowed his welcome causing her to wince in pain. Minerva mumbled a greeting to each of the men sitting beside her before taking a sip of the hot tea in front of her, a request she had put in to the house elves earlier that day. A hand gripped her shoulder and squeezed before being removed. As she turned to Slughorn to find out what he was up to, she noticed a swirl of purple robes moving toward the center of the table. She looked up to see Albus giving her an understanding smile, a twinkle in his eyes showing a bit of mirth.

"Having a rough first morning Professor McGonagall?"

Professor Slughorn's large moustache twitched as he spoke. Minerva had never much cared for him when she was a student. He was extremely biased towards certain individuals and tended to favor them with leniency. And while her parent's position in society had earned her several party invitations, one of the only Gryffindors to receive such an honor from the Head of Slytherin, Minerva had managed to avoid association with the balding professor as much as possible.

"Not at all Professor. I am simply trying to get my bearings."

"Please Minerva, call me Horace. We are colleagues now, so there is no need of formal titles between us."

Minerva gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate of taking bites of the food which had appeared in front of her. Most of her conversation for the rest of lunch consisted of hearing advice on teaching from Slughorn and listening to Hagrid go on about his new pet that he had found abandoned on his doorstep. Minerva had her suspicions about his story, as it wasn't likely that a juvenile graphorn, not native to England or Scotland, would end up dropped on anyone's doorstep unless someone wanted them dead.

As she rose from her seat, Minerva noticed Albus had done the same. As she made her exit, she slowed her steps so he could catch up with her.

"It seems that your first day is going rather well. I have heard the students speaking about your dismissal of Mr. Thatcher with great relish."

"Oh Albus, it was a horrible way to start my first class. It had to be done but now I have such a headache. Maybe I am not cut out for teaching."

As his hand reached out and took hers, Minerva turned toward him, a serious expression on her face. Albus pulled her into an empty classroom and turned her palm upward, placing a kiss in the center. He then placed a vial filled with blue liquid in her hand.

"A headache potion," he said as an explanation. "I thought you might need it by now."

Minerva quickly downed the contents and felt the effects immediately as her vision, which had started to blur, cleared and the pounding in her head subsided. Reaching up, she placed a kiss on his cheek to show her thanks, unsure of what boundaries they should keep to during school hours.

"Minerva, you are doing a wonderful job. You are already handling yourself as a seasoned teacher. Many a new professor has spent lunch on their first day in the staff room in tears. Do not doubt your abilities."

Minerva smiled tenderly at the wizard she had been dating for several years. "I love you Albus. How do you always know just what to say?"

"It is just one of my many talents, my dear."

As he leaned down to kiss her, Minerva closed her eyes. His soft lips met hers and a feeling of warmth spread through her body. She pressed her curves more firmly against him and her arms wrapped around his neck. He broke away before she was ready and a whimper of protest escaped her lips.

"As much as I would love to stay, we both have duties to attend to. I do hope you will offer a rain check for later tonight though."

Minerva grinned. "I think that can be arranged."

As they each went their own way after the brief rendezvous, Minerva felt her spirits rise with anticipation. Suddenly the rest of the day didn't seem quite as foreboding as it had before.

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

Minerva's portrait swung forward and the door to her personal rooms was revealed. Lowering the few wards she had put in place, she stepped inside and leaned against the sturdy wood. It had been a long day. Her classes had been well behaved in the afternoon for the most part, with the exception of a few students. However, she still felt drained from the amount of energy that went into teaching class after class and putting so much of one's self into their success.

After a few minutes, she pulled herself up and went through her sitting room, placing the few notes and supplies she had brought from her office on the makeshift desk in the corner. She had quizzes to grade, part of today's assessment to see where the classes were in their abilities. Of course, Albus had given her detailed information as he had been their professor for the first part of the term, but Minerva had wanted to see something concrete.

She made her way into her bedroom and freshened up a bit before dinner. She had a couple of hours and if she was lucky, she might even read a few pages in the new book she was perusing. And she knew her parents would be expecting a report of her first day of classes and she did not want to disappoint them. Picking up her favorite quill and a piece of parchment, Minerva curled up on her bed and started to jot down all that had transpired.

It was only fifteen minutes later when the feathered pen dropped from her hand and fell to the mattress, causing a splatter of ink to mar the otherwise immaculate covers. The events of the day had finally caught up with the new transfiguration professor and Minerva was sound asleep.

Some delicious smells and a warm familiar feeling woke Minerva from her nap. Her sleepy eyes opened slowly to see Albus perched on the side of her bed, one arm draped over her to support his weight. "I was worried about you when you didn't show up for dinner. Professor Slughorn offered to go in search of you but I told him I felt it was my duty to make sure you were alright."

"If you had sent him looking for me instead of coming to find me yourself I would have been severely upset with you, Albus Dumbledore," she teased as she positioned the pillows behind her and sat upright in the bed. "I must have dozed off while writing my parents. I'm sorry to have worried you." She leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, which lasted for several engaging minutes. "Forgive me?"

"Mmm, another kiss or two and I might think about it," he chuckled before she playfully smacked his chest. "You're not supposed to shoot the messenger or look a gift horse in the mouth, according to the muggles at least," he quipped. When she shot him a quizzical look, he motioned to the table where two dinner trays sat, waiting to be consumed. "I thought you might be hungry so I took the liberty of having the house elves send up dinner for two once I found you asleep. I can't have my prettiest professor and the love of my life wasting away to nothing now can I?"

"Won't you be missed downstairs at dinner?' A hint of worry slipped into her tone of voice.

"I started the meal and ordered them all to tuck in so I doubt I am missed at all by anyone, with the exception of Horace. Besides, I want to hear all about your first day and maybe, if you're good and eat all your dessert, I'll take you for a stroll and show you the evening primroses as they blossom. And I do believe we have a few Nottingham Catchfly plants which are due to bloom for the next three nights which is always something to behold."

"I'd love to, sweetheart, but I have a lot of work to do. I need to look over your notes for tomorrow's classes so I'm familiar with the students and their weaknesses and then I have to…"

"The first rule of teaching is to pace yourself, love. Those papers will be there tomorrow and the day after. You're not expected to go into the classroom and know everything about them. That's part of the magic of discovery…getting to know them on your own and letting them do the same with you."

"You have a solution for everything, don't you?"

He laughed heartily and gave her a sly wink. "Only if it in any way involves you and me and a stroll among the flowers tonight. Besides, I haven't seen you all day and I am beginning to think you love those children more than me," he offered in his best little boy voice.

"I can't have that now can I," she asked moving across the bed to slip easily into his lap. "Perhaps I can spare a quiet night out with you and then work on my paperwork during my free period tomorrow."

"Ah, that's the spirit my dear. Now eat up and then we'll be on our way."

Once they were free of the castle walls and strolling through the darkness towards the gardens, Albus reached over and took Minerva's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. In turn, Minerva shifted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, letting her earlier stress slip away from her mind and body as she focused on the happiness of being with Albus.

In a small garden, far away from the school, was a lovely little garden. The primroses bloomed in a variety of colors and sizes and their scents were intoxicating. The pale pinks, whites, and yellows seemed to shimmer as the moonlight danced across the petals. Reaching down, Albus picked a light pink primrose and tucked it into Minerva's hair.

"A flower for my lovely young lady," he softly spoke as he took her in his arms.

Minerva nestled into his embrace, resting her head on his chest and inhaling the mixture of the flowers and his own blend of lemon drops, chocolate and cologne. They stood in absolute silence for several peaceful moments, just taking comfort in the fact that they were together, but Minerva found herself being swayed back and forth gently as Albus hummed a love song into her ear.

"I was hoping a young lady with pretty green eyes would honor me with a dance tonight. Do you think I have a shot with her?" Albus leaned back slightly so that he could look into her eyes.

"I have a feeling that the Nottingham Catchfly blooms can wait until another night, don't you?" Albus nodded his head in agreement. "Good, because I think we'd be much more comfortable in my rooms with our shoes off, a crackling fire and maybe even a glass of wine to help me unwind from the day. I'm sure I'd be a much better dance partner, too, if I didn't have to worry about spying children or professors who roam the grounds at night looking for the mischief makers."

Albus dropped his head to her neck and began to nuzzle up near her ear as he pressed her body into his. "I do believe you have an excellent idea. Dancing in your rooms, or mine for that matter, would be a much better way to end this day, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ohhh yesss," she purred as he found the erogenous area behind her ear and his hand brushed lightly across her breast through the scratchy fabric of her robes. "Take me inside and dance with me, Albus."

It took the happy couple only half the time to return to the castle as it did to arrive in the gardens in the first place. While Minerva changed into a soft nightgown and matching sheer robe, Albus slipped off his outer robe and began to work his own brand of magic. Soft candlelight danced across the room as it competed with the fire in the grate. A chilled bottle of wine was brought up from the kitchen, thanks to Albus' personal house elf, and as he waited rather patiently for his Tabby to return, he found a station on the wireless that specialized in romantic tunes.

Minerva emerged a few moments later, looking like she hadn't lifted a finger at work all day. She looked happy and refreshed, like she hadn't a care in the world. "You did a remarkable job on such short notice," she commented as she surveyed the room with appreciation.

"It was nothing really…just a few things here and there. Besides, I do believe you promised me a dance and our dances have always been special to me. This one marks your first day of teaching, love, so it needed a little something extra."

"Hmmm, I do hope that 'a little something extra' means we'll be having our breakfast in my bed tomorrow morning." Minerva stepped into his arms as they settled into their customary dance pattern."

"It's a school day tomorrow my dear, but how about we start our day off with a morning cup of tea and cocoa in your bed before we go downstairs to dine with the other five hundred people here at the school? And then, this weekend if you're still inclined to dine the regal way, I will promise you a feast fit for a queen in the master suite of Albus Dumbledore!"

"Oh Albus, you do always know exactly the perfect thing to say." Minerva tightened her arms around his neck as he led her through the various movements of their dance. She had grown to love the moments like these when he held her in his arms, whether in private or public, and they let their hearts guide them through the motions. Words weren't needed between them as long as they were able to connect in a dance.

TBC…