A/N: I confess to be at a loss as to what to do with Min and Álainn right now. I have an end point, and a rough road to follow to get there, but I would prefer you all to get a small glimpse into Álainn/Hermione as she goes through the various stages. There are a few ideas I have here and there, but I was wondering if anyone had any requests etc? I imagine she's going to stay this age for a little while at least, which I've got pegged as somewhere between maybe 2-ish and 3ish? I'm not one for absolutes lol So if any of you have anything you want to see while she's this small, feel free to share. I feel bad asking you for ideas, but I do so like kids at this age, I'm just not sure what to do with her lol

Thanks be for Spin's amazingness in editing this :D Cheers lovely!

-0-

The first rays of morning light came streaming through the window as Minerva rolled over, reaching out to snuggle the little bundle of warmth that she had discovered in the middle of the night. Álainn had happily been put to bed in her own cot but had then appeared under Minerva's covers, somehow climbing out of her cot and up the height of the bed despite it being taller than Álainn herself.

Minerva searched for that warmth, smiling sleepily as she thought of the arms and legs wrapped around her for most of the night until her brain caught up with her hand. She opened her eyes and looked for her little one instead, sitting up sharply when she realised she was the only one in the bed.

"Oh no!"

Minerva threw back the covers and tumbled out of bed, finding the door to the bedroom open, as she had left it the night before.

"How stupid of me!"

She'd been lulled into a sense of security while Hermione was just a baby, and had forgotten the one rule when dealing with toddlers. If they can get to it, they will get to it.

"Albus, have you seen her?"

He blinked sleepily, looking around at the other portraits before his gaze settled on Minerva, who was trying desperately to smooth her hair down and tie her robe at the same time.

"Who?"

"Álainn, Hermione. She's not in bed!"

"I'm sorry Min, I haven't seen her," he replied, looking worried.

"I, too, did not see her Minerva," called Severus. "Myself, and I'm sure the other portraits would be happy to search the castle though."

There was a general murmuring of agreement as quite a number of portraits left their frames to start searching.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it when I went to bed. How stupid am I, how utterly ridiculous!"

"Minerva, stop, take a breath and think."

Minerva did as Albus asked her, but couldn't think of anything. Álainn had been a toddler for a matter of hours, and while she certainly had a good grasp on walking and functioning, she was so little and there was so much in and around Hogwarts that could hurt her.

"Minerva, the castle will not hurt her, of that I am sure."

Unable to even look at Albus anymore, Minerva rushed from her rooms, checking all the corners and dark spaces on her way as she practically ran down the corridors. It was still early so the castle was empty of students, easing her search somewhat. She didn't stop until she came to the Gryffindor portrait hole.

"Minerva, what on earth are you doing? Ladies don't gallop down the corridors like First Years," the Fat Lady chastised.

"Have you seen a toddler this morning, or earlier perhaps? She's only small. Ringlets in her hair -" Minerva stopped talking as she felt tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. "I, she's disappeared and I'm looking for her."

"Not at all dear, no one's been in or out either, not since Mr Potter left."

Minerva had forgotten all about Harry being in the castle the night before and hoped that he hadn't done anything to disappoint her. She couldn't think of him now though, she had to find Hermione.

"Alright, but can you let me in just in case, you never know with this castle."

"Of course," the Fat Lady said, swinging the portrait open and allowing Minerva entry.

It was warm inside and Minerva smiled at a few students who had clearly fallen asleep by the fire doing their homework the night before.

Minerva crept past them and up the stairs, checking in each dormitory as she passed.

"Professor?"

Lavender Brown was sitting up in bed watching her with a frown. It stood to reason that of all the students in Gryffindor Tower, she would be the one to notice her first.

"Have you seen Álainn, um, Hermione? Have you seen her this morning or maybe during the night?"

"No... Why, what's wrong?" she asked, getting up.

"She managed to get out of my rooms and she could be anywhere."

Minerva swallowed thickly as Lavender walked over and patted her arm, but waited until she'd got her emotions back under control before she stepped away and looked around at the other sleeping girls.

"We'll help," Lavender stated quickly, rousing the other girls in the room. "Oi, let's go! Hermione's gone missing."

"What?" Ginny asked, looking remarkably like her brothers this early in the morning. "What do you mean she's missing?"

"Exactly what I said," Lavender replied, pulling her out of her bed. "We're going to help find her. I'll go and get Neville and the others; see you down in the common room."

Minerva watched, somewhat bemused as the Seventh Year Gryffindor's rallied for her, all trudging down the stairs, yawning and sleepy, but not making one word of complaint.

Minerva followed them down, smiling at all the tired faces when they had gathered.

"I know you are all tired, and I thank you for your help. Álainn is missing. I believe she has simply wandered off, however, this castle is quite large and there are many different places a small child can hide. For those not aware, yesterday the baby was given an aging potion, so she is now the size of a small toddler, barely two or three years old. She can walk and talk quite well, and I really need to find her."

It was uncharacteristic of her to be so needy, but Lavender once again took control.

"Alright, split into twos with one person being fully capable of casting a Patronus. Start at the top of the castle and work your way down. Two in each tower, ask your friends there to let you in and send your Patronus if you find her."

The Gryffindors left the room, leaving Minerva feeling somewhat redundant.

"She's amazing isn't she, Professor?" Neville said with a smile as he held open the portrait for her.

"She is exceedingly proficient at taking control, something I can not remember Miss Brown ever being. I think she will have a rather excellent chance at securing a place in the WSAR."

"Search and Rescue?" Neville asked as they searched the corridors. It seemed as though he was in charge of keeping her thoughts occupied while they searched and he was doing a good job at it so far.

"Yes, they are the witches and wizards who generally go after people who have splinched themselves, or apparated to the wrong location. They're also the ones responsible for the recovery of people who can't apparate across the ocean properly. The salt water affects one's balance," she muttered as she peered behind a tapestry.

"I didn't know that," Neville said, smiling sadly as she sighed. She felt the panic welling up in her throat again and she had to concentrate very hard on not breaking down.

"We'll find her Professor, I promise," Neville said kindly, making her return his smile, if only a little.

"She's so small."

"I know, but this castle has looked after all of us well. It'll look after her too," Neville reassured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder stiffly.

"Thank you Neville," she whispered, blinking rapidly. "I shouldn't have been so stupid. I should have locked the door."

"It's not your fault, Professor," Neville said, setting off down the corridor again, checking in all the classrooms.

"I wish we had Harry's map," Neville muttered, making Minerva frown.

"What map?"

She watched as Neville paled and she correctly assumed it was something he wasn't supposed to have said.

"Um, well, he, it's a map see, of the castle," he stumbled with a shrug.

"Why would it be better to have it?"

"Um, well, it, it might show where everyone is?"

Minerva's eyes went wide and suddenly all of the years of night patrols made sense, when she had been sure there was a student out of bed, but could never find them.

"Where is Ginerva searching?" she asked, immediately abandoning the idea of searching manually.

"Um, Ravenclaw Tower," he said, sounding incredibly defeated.

She marched off, eager to confront the young girl about it. There was no way Harry would have gone to the Ministry and not let her borrow it while she was still at school.

"Ginevra!" she called at the bottom of the stairs, almost smiling when Ginny came down looking worried.

"Yes Professor?"

"Harry has a map of the castle. Do you have it?"

"A map Professor, I don't know what you mean?" she said, chewing on her lip.

"Miss Weasley, I know it exists. Do you or do you not have it?"

Ginny looked as if she wanted to put up a fight for about thirty seconds, but then sighed.

"I'm going to kill him," she muttered as she stormed past. Minerva would have smiled in any other circumstance - no wonder Neville looked so worried. "I would have remembered eventually and checked it myself. You don't have to check it Professor."

"Ginny -" Minerva sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I just, Harry's dad made it," she said as they returned to Gryffindor Tower and made their way up to her dormitory. "It means a lot to him."

"Ginny, please. Álainn is missing."

"I know," she said, holding a piece of scraggy parchment Minerva was sure she had seen before. "I just don't want you to set it on fire or anything."

"I promise you it will remain unharmed," Minerva said, rolling her eyes.

She watched as Ginny whispered something and spread the map out over the bed, and couldn't help but gasp at the magnitude of it.

"Goodness gracious," she said, peering down at the little moving feet. "Why, this is -"

"I know," Ginny said proudly.

"Can you make it show you a person? Or do you have to find them?"

"I think you have to find them," Ginny said, peering over it beside Minerva.

They scoured the map for many long and tense minutes until Ginny paused and moved back to a section she was studying.

"Oh, um, Professor?" she said, sounding a little unsure. "Is that -?"

Minerva bent forward and almost fainted when she saw a tiny dot, above which was written 'Hermione Granger/Álainn McGonagall'.

"What on earth?" she blinked twice as she took note of both the name on the parchment, and what room Álainn was in, standing up suddenly and feeling very foolish. "That can't be right."

She left the room without giving the map or Ginny a second thought and rushed back along the corridors and up the spiral staircase, bursting into her rooms to find her little baby snuggled up on the rug in front of the fire with a tabby cat curled around her.

"Minerva, I just sent Severus to get you. She came toddling back in here about half an hour ago with the cat in her arms, sat down on the rug and promptly curled up and went to sleep," Albus said cheerily. "She seemed quite happy, not a bit upset."

Minerva couldn't believe her eyes, so she just stared at the scene before her. All the tension and worry and panic she had been feeling melted away instantly and she felt herself fall to the sofa and burst into tears, crying into her hands. Oh how she wished Albus was still here, to wrap her up in his arms and tell her that it was okay to cry, that everything would be alright again in no time. She ached inside, having been so tense for more than an hour or two, now that she saw her baby was okay - even though she knew in her head that it wasn't even her baby, she had no right to think that. She should have handed Hermione over to St Mungos; there was no way she should have kept her and make Draco give her the potion, how immature, how irresponsible was she to -

"Mama?"

Her head snapped up and she found herself face to face with the little girl she had fallen in love with.

"Oh Álainn," she whispered, pulling the little girl up and into her arms, hugging her tightly and crying into her beautiful hair. "Please don't ever do that to me again leanabh [baby]. Please don't ever run off." She pulled back and cupped Álainn's tiny face and waited until the little girl's eyes looked into her own. "Álainn, you must never go anywhere without me," she said sternly. "If you would like to go somewhere, ask me, is that understood?"

Álainn looked up with wide eyes but nodded solemnly. Despite feeling like an old fool, Minerva pulled her back in and hugged her tightly once more.

"Squishy Mama," Álainn mumbled into her shoulder.

Sniffing and wiping her eyes, Minerva let Álainn get down and go back towards the cat, who was now licking its paw, nonplussed about being somewhere it clearly hadn't been before.

"Look Mama," Álainn said, picking up the cat awkwardly and bringing her closer. "Minnie!"

There was dead silence as Álainn dropped the cat on Minerva's lap, smiling and chatting away, unaware of the tension building in the room.

It was Albus that cracked first. A tiny noise, barely a whisper of a chuckle, and then Dilys, and then it was like a tidal wave, washing over her uncontrollably as Álainn also joined in, giggling along even when she didn't really know what they were laughing at.

"She seems to think that you, are indeed me," Minerva said, peering over her glasses at the cat sitting on her knee and ignoring the hysterical laughter from the gallery around her. "Ordinarily, I would say no and be done with it it, but she means the world to me, so I have a feeling that I am no match for her big brown eyes."

"M'rowl."

And like that it was settled. The cat seemed to understand it was staying, and hopped down off Minerva's knee, winding between her legs, before brushing up against Álainn.

"Álainn darling, let's get you into the bath and then we'll go to breakfast."

Minerva stood up and clapped her hands twice, laughing and groaning as Álainn ran and jumped into her arms, giggling when Minerva used her momentum to swing Álainn around.

"Come on, mo luaidh [my darling]."

Minerva carried Álainn to the bathroom, waving her wand to turn on the taps and fill the tub while she undressed Álainn and helped her into the bath.

"I's a fish!" she said suddenly, letting herself fall back and under the water.

"Álainn!" Minerva practically squealed, picking her up and helping her wipe the water out of her eyes. "What on earth child, you're going to give me a heart attack," she muttered, kneeling down and squirting some shampoo into her hair. "Hold still sweetheart, while I wash your hair."

Evidently despite being a tiny bit mischievous, and far too clever for her own good, Álainn loved having the full attention of Minerva and sat happily splashing in the water and singing some sort of nonsense song to herself as Minerva lathered up the shampoo and rinsed it off.

"One more time darling," she said, combing some conditioner through Hermione's ringlets with her fingers. She could see why Hermione had so much trouble with her hair, it was so thick! She hoped that her conditioner would help though. The way those ringlets bounced back once they'd gone under water was adorable.

"Mama?" she asked, blinking rapidly as she moved and Minerva tipped some water over her face.

"Álainn, stay still leanabh [baby]," she said, all thumbs as she tried to make sure the soap didn't go in her eyes.

"Awlin hungry."

Minerva chuckled, leaning over to press a kiss to her baby's forehead.

"I know sweetheart, we're going to get you out of the bath, get you dry and dressed, do your hair and then we'll go down to breakfast, okay?"

"Yup," she said happily, holding up her arms for Minerva to lift her out.

Minerva groaned as her back pulled, but she managed to get Álainn from the bath and into her room without too much trouble. Álainn even lay still while she dried her and pulled on her clothes, before she sat down on the bed and patted the space in front of her.

"Come here child and I'll do your hair."

"Yey!" Álainn cried, launching herself into Minerva's arms.

After so much panic and worry this morning, Minerva was content to have a cuddle for a short while before she realised Alainn's hair was soaking through her bathrobe.

"Come on trouble, sit there nicely and I'll plait your hair." Minerva knew from her own childhood that it was best to plait hair such as Hermione's whilst it was still wet, before drying it magically.

It was a shame to hide the ringlets, but Minerva could just imagine trying to get the knots out of them later. She enjoyed spending time running her fingers through Álainn's hair, and could tell that Álainn enjoyed it as well. When the plait was finally tied off, she wrapped her arms around the little body in front of her and pulled her back onto her knee, kissing her loudly and comically. Álainn giggled, but didn't move from her place.

"I love you Álainn, Hermione. Both of you. I need you to know that. Tha gaol agam ort [I love you]."

"Lub you too Mama," Álainn sighed, leaning tiredly against Minerva's shoulder.

"Can you stay here for me while I get dressed?" Minerva asked, leaning around to see Álainn's tired eyes slowly blinking shut. Minerva waved her wand, drying Álainn's hair in an instant and smiling proudly at the result. She sent a quiet thank you up to her seanmhair[grandmother] for teaching her. "Lie here darling, and I'll get changed."

Minerva moved from behind her as gently as possible, settling Álainn back onto the bed and pulling a blanket over her while she showered and dressed - not before taking care to lock her rooms this time. Knowing that the little one would be asleep, she spent a little more time in the shower than she had been of late, making sure to enjoy the time she had to herself while she could.

When she returned to the bedroom dressed but still towel drying her hair, she was greeted by the sight of a house elf standing over a stirring Hermione.

"Oh Winky, thank you for looking after her."

"Mistress should have called me this morning," Winky said quietly, looking pointedly at Minerva. "Winky woulds have helped."

"Winky, honestly, I didn't even think of it," Minerva said, coming to stand by Álainn and Winky. "I believe that I may have panicked a little."

She looked down at Winky who was smiling as she watched Álainn sucking her thumb.

"She's is your baby Mistress, I think yous is entitled to panic."

Minerva chuckled and patted Winky's shoulder, making the elf blush and disappear with a pop.

"Are you ready to go to breakfast, sweetheart?" she said, kissing Álainn's nose and nuzzling against her soft skin.

"Mama?"

"Come here baby, let's go and get some food. I'm famished."

-0-

The trip down to the Great Hall had been long, and Álainn was a fairly solid child. Minerva's arms were rather sore by the time she had reached the grand doors, smiling as most of the students stood up to take a peek at the little one. Feeling all those eyes on her, Álainn quickly buried her face into Minerva's neck, sucking her thumb once more. Minerva frowned at the action, having not witnessed it before today.

"Minerva, how are you this morning?" Filius asked as he magically pulled out her chair for her.

"I have had a long morning, Filius," Minerva admitted. "Álainn went missing from my quarters, found a new pet, then returned and curled up with it in front of the fire."

"You must have been worried?" Pomona asked, passing her the toast rack. "I remember when Oliver snuck out one night. We couldn't believe it when we found him stuck in a tree hugging his broomstick the next morning."

Minerva chuckled and sat Álainn in the highchair that had appeared by her side.

"That boy lived and breathed Quidditch, Pomona. It was quite," she paused, wondering how to word it, "exasperating at times."

"Oh it's alright Min, you can say it," Pomona chuckled. "It was downright annoying."

Minerva smiled as Pomona continued to talk about how the dinner table would become Oliver's imaginary Quidditch pitch, the salt and pepper shakers the beaters, and then his brothers would join in. Pomona and Filius had three sons and two daughters, all of whom Minerva had taught at some stage.

"How are the rest of them?" Minerva asked as she offered Álainn some toast. They had only really experimented with blended food before Álainn had been given the potion, and since then as well, but knowing she had quite a few teeth, Minerva assumed she would be happy to chew on something for a while.

"Good, thank you. Elanor has just had her third, Adela is still travelling, Larin is teaching at Salem - he's deputy headmaster, did you know? Anyway, Sebastian is keeping an eye on Oliver while they're in London. He's working in the DMLE."

"Gracious, they must all be so much older than I'd remembered," Minerva said, smiling as Álainn held out her hand for more toast. "I haven't seen Elanor since she had Michael, and Larin is at Salem!"

She smiled as Filius puffed out his chest proudly. She was only glad that Pomona and he had managed to have children, and for them all to make it through the war relatively unscathed. There were so many that had not, and as Godmother to Oliver, she knew Pomona's fear when he had turned up to fight in the battle, and had made sure to keep an eye on him whenever possible - as she had done for all the students.

"And how is little Hermione this morning?" Poppy asked, ticking the girl's cheek until she giggled.

"Well, aside from going wandering through the castle thanks to my poor baby-proofing skills, and her extreme intelligence, I think we are both doing well," she said, tapping Álainn's nose. "I left my bedroom door open and she somehow, though I don't know how, managed to open the main door and go exploring the hallways." A few of the other teachers laughed, and Minerva cringed as she thought of the next part of the story. "I found her back in my quarters, curled up on the rug with a cat, whom she introduced as," she paused and pursed her lips, "Minnie."

There was not the pause that there had been in her quarters when the portraits had laughed, instead most of the table erupted immediately into giggles and Minerva couldn't help but smile, even at her own expense.

"I funny Mama?" Álainn asked, holding up her hands to be taken out of her seat.

"You're hilarious, darling," she said, shaking her head at the ongoing laughter. Most of the students were glancing up at the table, as if they feared all of the Professor's drinks had been spiked. She smiled reassuringly at a few of them and waved them on to whatever classes they had next.

"Alright, alright," she said, waving her hands and trying to stop them laughing. "I'm quite sure it's not that funny."

"On the contrary Headmistress, I find it very amusing," Aurora Sinistra said, still chuckling into her teacup. "I haven't laughed like that for such a long time."

Minerva smiled at the usually quiet woman and stood up, heaving Álainn onto her hip.

"Well, I shall be in my office, should anyone need me. I don't think there's anything going on today, aside from my meeting with Mr Tremlett and Mr Dawlish. I understand that the past is still so recent and their parents were somewhat involved, however, I am tired of their bickering."

"As you wish Minerva," Filius said nodding, Pomona as well. It wasn't as if the two boys were in opposing Houses.

"Alright. Have a good day, and I shall see you all for dinner."

Minerva walked from the hall, making sure to stop and let a few of the stragglers say hello to Álainn as they passed. It wasn't until the students went into their classrooms, and she hurried the last few on that she had time to simply walk quietly with Álainn tucked up against her shoulder.

"Mama?" she asked, as they neared her office.

"Yes Álainn?"

"Lub you Mama," she sighed, sucking that thumb again. Minerva made a mental note to spend some time this afternoon playing with her beautiful little one, and perhaps ask why she felt the need to suck her thumb all of a sudden. She had adored Álainn - Hermione - when she was a baby, loved the dependence on Minerva being there at all times, but she knew that even with the most basic memories of speech and movement intact, Álainn would need something to keep her occupied else she would get into trouble.

"I love you too, my darling," she said, smiling as Álainn reached up and pressed a wet kiss to Minerva's cheek. "With all my heart and soul."