Summary: ADMM. Here's what really happened at the Yule Ball.
Disclaimer: I have no rights to Harry Potter. This story is written merely for recreational purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. I apologize for any unintended mistakes.
Chapter Two:
"Good morning, Miss McGonagall." A voice greeted the young student in Hogwarts robes.
"Good morning," she replied to the suit of armor. A moment later, she sat down on the floor and opened her textbook. Ten minutes early to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Minerva had little to do but review her notes. Even as the other students began to arrive, separating into small groups, no one spoke the Minerva. No one bothered.
The largest group had formed around David Braun, a Ravenclaw Prefect. Braun had a look and manner that consistently won over nearly everyone on sight. His sandy hair was slicked back over a high forehead. The gray and misty eyes showed perhaps a trifle too much pride, yet the sharp chin only heightened the effect of his effortlessly perfect stance. He looked good, Minerva grudgingly admitted to herself. Being bookish didn't make her blind. Shallow though such attention to appearance was, she couldn't help but notice. Prefect, Quidditch captain, the most popular boy of any house in the entire school, David Braun had everything.
Minerva was startled out of her reverie, when she noticed David walking toward her.
"Minerva McGonagall," He asked her formally, "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"Y-Yes!" Minerva managed to stammer before the bell rang, summoning them all inside. That day, for the first time in her life, Minerva McGonagall paid absolutely no attention in class.
--
He was late, Minerva realized, as she stood in front of the Fat Lady portrait to wait. Minerva had spent hours preparing and appeared drastically different. Her dress, gold and strapless, fit her perfectly, unlike her school robes, which had hung loosely. Her hair, usually dull and flat, shone and flowed in ebony waves down her back. Nails, formerly bitten short, sported perfect manicures, with paint to match the dress. Heels added to Minerva's height, and the shoes attractively laced up her legs. The careful application of cosmetics transformed her face. Cheekbones appeared higher, and eyes suddenly seemed smoky. The combination was dazzling.
After a few more minutes of waiting, it occurred to Minerva that David, as a Ravenclaw, might not remember the location of the Gryffindor common room. So, she set out walking towards the Great Hall, hoping to find him.
--
The second Minerva turned the corner into the Great Hall, she knew something was wrong. The hall fell silent as people saw her. Some whispered behind their hands as she began to walk to the center of the dance floor, where she recognized one of David's friends.
As soon as the friend noticed her he laughed sharply, "Look David," he called, "She actually took you seriously!"
A boy on the center of the dance floor turned around, and Minerva recognized both David and the blond Hufflepuff on his arm. The girl had a long glamorous green satin dress, shining white teeth, and a flawless body. As she spoke to Minerva, she adopted a high-pitched silly tone, fit for talking to a baby or a kitten. "What's the matter Miss McGonagall? Thought David would actually take you to the ball, did you? Don't you know you're ugly?" Titters broke out around the room, and the whispers increased in volume. The girl threw back her head and laughed, "That's hysterical. She doesn't even know!"
The laugher grew into an oppressive roar. Minerva felt her chest constrict, and she stumbled back, looking imploringly at David for help. Her eyes begged him to explain that he had asked her, to stop the giggles, to say she looked fine to him. Instead, he only looked confused. "Well," he asked, "Why are you still here?"
Minerva turned to leave and tripped over her high heels, falling forward onto her face and tearing her dress. The hall's mirth grew, if possible, even louder. Minerva struggled back to her feet and fled the hall at a wobbly run, tears streaming down her face.
--
Minerva pushed the pensieve away from her, and put her head in her hands. Just as she had told Albus, the incident was unimportant. So, why did it still hurt so much? It was the first, last, and only date Minerva McGonagall had ever agreed to. It took a special kind of courage to take that risk, one she found herself sadly lacking. She would rather go into battle than give her heart to a man. It was common knowledge that Avada Kadavras were painless, but humiliation hurt worse than Crucio. Minerva was too proud to take that kind of treatment twice. She kept her friendships few and distant and her romantic involvements nonexistent. Her work kept her satisfied, most of the time. Only when events like the Yule Ball brought her attention to her single state did she truly feel alone. She knew she wasn't the romantic type, and she could only be herself. She had tried to be the kind of girl who fell in love, that night, and she had failed. If she harbored those kinds of feelings now, say for a certain wizard with a long white beard, she had better sense than to act on them.
Minerva heard a gentle knock on her door. "Minerva?" She heard Albus ask, "May I come in?"
When Minerva called back an assent, Dumbledore entered her office. "Yes," she asked "What is it, Albus?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath and looked at the floor, fidgeting with the tassels on his robe. "Err, Minerva, I've known you for a long time and I…I'm just going to say this. Would you, please, accompany me to the Yule Ball?"
Minerva looked at Albus for a few seconds and then finally asked, in a small voice, "Albus are you in earnest. Because if you're joking, you'll break my heart."
Albus stepped forward and took both her hands, "Minerva I have never been so serious about anything in my life. I want you to go to the ball with me and not just as my friend. Romantically. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met and I … I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you for months. Please, please say yes." He asked imploringly.
Minerva answered, barely audibly "Yes."