Happy Saturday everyone!
I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter, and hopefully you all shall have fun reading it.
The amount of love on the last chapter is insane, and you are all amazing, really you are! Everyone is loving Riley and Sirius's relationship, and that makes me so incredibly happy!
Please leave a review and let me know what you think ;)
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the storyline and any OC's belong to me.
For Snowflake Dazzle and I was BOTWP xxx you lovely lovelies you!
Tuesday, 9th December, 1975
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
All of her classes were done for the day, and she was quite looking forward to having a piping hot bowl of soup and some freshly baked bread to go along with it.
It had been a long, arduous day, and she was simply thankful it was all over. She adjusted her pointed hat upon her head—letting out a frustrated noise when her fingers brushed against some loose hairs that had escaped from her low and tightly secured bun; she prided herself on always keeping herself well kempt.
She exited her classroom, absently throwing up locking charms as she began to walk down the silent as a grave corridor. The wind howled and whistled throughout the courtyard beside her. A brief smile touched her lips as she watched a pair of Gryffindors sitting on the lip of one of the short stone walls that enclosed the courtyard; it was a quaint image, the pair of them framed by one of the high arched cutouts that lined the walls of the courtyard.
The snow that currently covered the ground wasn't as pure white and fluffy as it had been this weekend, instead it was now muddy and dirty from the numerous students and teachers that had tread across it over the last couple days. She had a feeling it would snow again soon, and that the pretty sight would be back in no time.
Minerva began to knead into the taut muscles in her left shoulder with her right hand—slowly strolling down the corridor. That, is when she heard her.
I guess my soup shall have to wait, Minerva thought wryly as she stopped in her tracks, her hand dropping to her side instantly.
"Minnie!" Hermione yelled excitedly.
The girl was a ball of pure energy as she ran up to her professor, spinning wildly on her heel as she came to an abrupt stop in front of Minerva.
Minerva suspiciously narrowed her eyes at the young girl. "How may I help you, Miss Potter?" There was a certain hint of apprehension in her tone, which Hermione certainly picked up on; the raven haired girl's face merely broke out into a blinding smile.
Hermione shrugged cavalierly, fiddling with one of the top buttons of her unbuttoned grey cardigan—the Gryffindor was still in her school uniform; recently she had taken to tying her tie short and fat, wearing short socks that came a mere inch above her ankle, her skirt just below mid thigh, and the top button of her blouse was almost always unbuttoned. Minerva would scold her, and tell her to start dressing more appropriately, but everything was just within regulation, which of course Hermione knew.
"Nothing really. I just thought we could have a chat," Hermione hummed happily, adjusting her school bag strap. Minerva saw the mischief swirling in the girl's hazel eyes and didn't buy into her statement for even a moment.
Oh I miss the days of the polite girl that first came back in time. Not that Miss Potter isn't polite...she's just a bit more...wild now.
She would play along for a little while at least, "what kind of chat?" Minerva inquired.
"Just a simple chat between a teacher and her pupil, nothing more and nothing less," Hermione said, tilting her head to the right slightly, her smile turning into a sugary sweet one.
Minerva quirked an eyebrow at that, raising her chin ever so slightly as she looked at Hermione through slightly hooded eyes, "what are you six up to?"
"Nothing, Ma'am. I swear," Hermione grinned.
That you're up to no good maybe, Minerva scoffed internally.
Tap, tap, tap, went Minerva's right foot. Her robes rustled as she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Where are they?"
"Who?" Hermione asked dumbly, eyes widening.
"We both know to whom I refer, Miss Potter," Minerva stated, reigning in her frustration and exhaling deeply through her nostrils. She would rather not deal with her troublesome Gryffindors right now. Right now she wanted some soup or some tea, anything hot to warm her bones. She may not be that old by Wizarding standards, but she certainly was not a young lass running through fields and rolling down muddy hills anymore.
"Minnie. I really do not know what you're talking about," Hermione insisted, earnestly shaking her head, reaching up to tuck her bouncy, dark curls behind her ears. An innocent and naïve look on her face.
Count to three, Minerva. One, two, three. Deep breath in. Minerva took a slow, steadying breath in. Exhale deeply. "What kind of debauchery have you lot gotten yourselves into now?"
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, Minnie," Hermione reiterated once more. A warm smile easily spreading across her features, the corners of her lips tugging upwards—exposing some of her straight, pearly white teeth.
(Minerva did not know that occasionally Draco still teased his 'sister' about how Madam Pomfrey had made her teeth smaller than they were originally after that nasty hex she had been hit with all those years ago. The perfect gentleman as always.)
"If anything, and I repeat anything happens today. You will all receive three weeks detention." Minerva warned firmly.
"That's cold, Minnie."
"Professor McGonagall."
"You would deprive us of the pleasure of mingling with our fellow students at the Holiday Ball next week?" Hermione pouted, pulling her wand out of her robes. Minerva tensed instinctively—even though she knew that Hermione would not draw her wand on her.
Hermione did not even seem to notice the sudden stiffness in her Professor's posture, instead using it to throw her hair into a bun of sorts—curls sticking out haphazardly in every direction—clearly using a sticking charm to keep it all in place before she carefully slid her wand into the mess of curls from the right hand side. Until all that was left was the hilt jutting out at an angle.
"That all depends upon you, Miss Potter. Now is there anything else that you wish to chat about? Or may I be excused to go about my business?" Minerva raised her eyebrows, her foot once more tap, tap, tapping away.
"I think I've taken up enough of your time, Minnie. I should be heading back. Remus is probably looking for me," Hermione said thoughtfully, a tender expression crossing her face.
Minerva bowed her head slightly before stepping around the girl and continuing on her way. Extremely aware of the fact that the only footsteps she heard were her own until she rounded the corner. Which is when Hermione's feet slapped across the ground as she bolted in the opposite direction.
They were up to something alright, that much she was sure.
Friday, 19th December, 1975
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Great Hall
I bloody knew it, Minerva sighed as she stood in the vast doorway to the Great Hall.
Floating gently around the Great Hall, bobbing up and down were tiny bunches of winter honeysuckle, and hanging from the ceiling were interwoven strands of honeywort and pale blue ribbon. It had been a bit tricky getting the flowers in time, but Minerva had been stubborn and utterly determined. Small lanterns were also floating around, but closer to the high, starry ceiling—the warm light washing across everyone in the Great Hall.
It was a magical sight, and she was quite proud of everyone that had helped put it together. What she was not happy about in the slightest was the fact that the floor was frozen. Frozen.
Sirius Black was standing a few feet in front of her, using his wand to transfigure people's shoes into ice skates as they sat on a little stool (firmly set into the ice itself).
They had moved out all of the furniture in the Great Hall for the ball earlier, and once they were finished setting up the decorations, a certain group had clearly taken advantage and now there was ice covering the entire hall.
There were quite a few students already skating around, sliding back and forth. Some quite skilled and adept, whilst others were clinging to each other as they slowly inched forward—trying their best to stay upright.
"Minnie!" Hermione's entire face lit up as she yelled at her Professor from the middle of the Great Hall, where she was spinning in circles with Remus Lupin.
Minerva swiftly ignored the girl and angled her face back in the direction of Sirius. She only then noticed, upon taking another look, that James Potter was assisting his partner in crime, Sirius Black; James's duty was to accept a couple sickles from each and every person before they sat down. Which meant that the other students were evidently aware of this plot, otherwise they wouldn't have had any money on them.
I hate it when I'm right sometimes, Minerva groaned internally.
"You aren't going to punish them for this?" Severus Snape asked in a disgusted tone from right beside her, Lily Evans at his side—the gears in the young girl's mind were turning at an alarming speed as she tried to figure out exactly how they had managed this one.
"Trust me, Mister Snape. They shall be punished...but for now they can enjoy their fun," Minerva paused as Miss Evans cautiously tested the ice out and made a beeline for James Potter—albeit she slid this way and that a little, even as she moved with purpose past the line.
Minerva watched as the redhead punched the boy's arm, and James let out a noise in protest as he frowned down at the fiery young girl; she caught a snippet of their conversation with her heightened hearing and smirked.
"Though I do believe your friend is punishing James Potter enough for the night," Minerva said with an amused twist of her lips.
Severus looked about for a moment in confusion, so busy glaring at Sirius Black that he hadn't noticed his companion had abandoned him. He caught sight of her just as she threw a stinging hex at James Potter, causing him to slip and fall right on his bum. The Potter boy clenched his teeth as he held his thigh where the hex had hit him full on.
Minerva shook her head as laughter roared out of all the students that had been within eyesight of the incident.
Minerva shifted into her animagus form without another moment's hesitation, and carefully padded out onto the ice, hissing at the cold as it seeped into her paws. She turned to the left, and slowly made her way to the corner of the room. There she sat for the night, and there she watched.
She watched Sirius Black blush as he and Riley Paddington held hands and skated together, her bright yellow dress standing out immensely. She watched as Mary MacDonald and James Potter sat against the wall and the small girl rubbed his 'injured' thigh; James kissed the girl swiftly before tugging her up off the ground and pulling her into the fray of skaters.
She watched as Draco Malfoy wrapped an arm around Marlene McKinnon's waist and taught her how to skate. She watched as Pandora Lovegood airily skated about alone, looking almost like a snow pixie. She watched as Nancy Taylor put her arm around her brother's shoulders as they both leant on each other for support.
She watched as Mulciber used a tripping hex to send Avery skidding across the ice, and she would have put a stop to it if Severus hadn't helped the boy up and told Mulciber to knock it off.
Minerva watched as Peter Pettigrew tentatively asked Kira if she would like to skate about with him, and to her surprise and delight, the fierce, mocha skinned girl rolled her eyes but agreed.
Minerva McGonagall watched as her precious students enjoyed themselves, and it warmed her heart. No amount of warmth however, would hinder her from preparing a...lovely surprise for those six when they returned from their Christmas holidays. Then it would be her turn to enjoy herself.