Hello, hello lovely people :) Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! :) How are we at Prisoner of Azkaban already?

30 June 1993

Minerva hummed as she walked up the small hill to the castle gates. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky and, if not for the unusually lovely weather Scotland had been offering Hogwarts these last two weeks, Minerva's recent purchases at the bookshop in Hogsmeade were enough to put her in a good mood.

However, as she approached the large black gates, a small frown creased her forehead as she noticed someone standing outside them. From this distance, she could not make out who it was. However, she was quite sure they were neither a Professor nor, Merlin forbid, a Ministry official. Seeing as it was the summer holidays Minerva could only assume then that it was either a relation of one of the Professors at Hogwarts or someone who had got very much lost.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked, as she got closer to the person who was trying to open the gates. It wasn't until she was only a few steps behind the person that it struck her that they appeared very familiar. Could it be... "Mr Lupin?" she asked tentatively.

The man turned and Minerva was faced by none other than Remus Lupin. He looked very different she noticed. Although young his soft brown hair was speckled with grey and there were deep lines contouring his eyes. These creased even more as he smiled warmly when he recognised her.

"Professor McGonagall," he said warmly. "How lovely it is to see you. It's been years."

He extended his hand which Minerva shook. She was still a little surprised however she tried not to show it.

"Yes, it has," she agreed. "How have you been?"

"Well, thank you," he replied. "Yourself? I understand last term was somewhat busy."

"Indeed, it was," she replied, shifting the bags from one hand to the other. "Mr Lupin-"

"Remus, please," he said. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here?" he added, knowing already what she had been about to ask.

"It did cross my mind," Minerva admitted, making the young man smile again. He extracted a single page he had evidently removed from a recent copy of the Daily Prophet.

"I saw an advertisement about a Defence Against the Dark Arts position," he explained. "Professor Dumbledore is expecting me. I just can't seem to get through the gates."

"An interview?" Minerva said, her eyebrows raised as she struggled between feeling happy that finally, a competent and genuinely kind wizard was applying for the position, and annoyed at Albus for not telling her, yet again.

Remus nodded as Minerva handed him back the paper.

"We close the gates during the summer," she explained, taking out her wand and smartly rapping the wrought iron gate. "They only recognise staff members trying to get through."

"I see."

"I hope you have not been standing outside for too long?" she asked, holding the gate open for him and then closing it once again when he was through.

"Only a few minutes," he replied. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't arrived." He smiled and put his hands in his smart but worn robe pockets as they strolled up the hill. "I can't remember the last time I was here."

Minerva followed his eyes to the castle standing majestically in front of them. Even now sometimes she could not quite believe that this was the place she called home. It had awed her the first time she had ever set eyes on it, again when she had returned to teach, and every once in a while after that when her mind was not consumed with all the things she had to do.

"I think after your seventh year. For your graduation."

Lupin smiled at the memory, although he looked a bit sad. No doubt thinking of Lily, James, Peter and Sirius all standing together as friends made him feel strange. "Yes, it must have been. I never imagined myself coming back like this after all the trouble we caused."

"Not an ideal thing to say when returning for a job interview," Minerva told him, as they walked up the steps and through the large oak doors. She smiled, however, so that he knew she was joking. "I'll walk with you to the Headmaster's office."

"Thank you."

She nodded and tapped her shopping bags with her wand at the same time. The bags disappeared and appeared on her coffee table in her quarters some two floors away. Another swish of her wand and a huge file of papers and envelopes appeared in her arms. A quill lay neatly on top. "Letters for the new first years," she explained, noticing Remus' curious eyes.

"I never considered professors working even during the holidays," he said conversationally. "Does it ever stop?"

"The work?" Minerva smiled slightly. As much as she and Pomona complained about their workload from time to time, they both could not imagine themselves in any other profession - they very much enjoyed their jobs. "There is always something to do as a teacher," Minerva answered. "Regrettably even during the holidays."

Remus chuckled.

"It might be something you will have to get used to," she added, just as they reached Albus' office and stopped outside of the gargoyle protected staircase. "I will tell Albus you have arrived," she told him. "After that, I wish you all the best, Remus."

Remus nodded and waited by the gargoyle as Minerva said the password and ascended the stone steps. She knocked twice on the office door and opened it when she heard the familiar voice calling her in.

"Ah Minerva," said Albus, beaming when she opened the door and stepped in. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear?"

Instead of answering Albus' cheerful smile, Minerva folded her arms. "I happened to bump into a certain Remus Lupin at the school gates, Albus. Apparently, he has an interview with you today," she added pointedly and giving him a fixed look.

Dumbledore had the decency to look apologetic. "My apologies, my dear. I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Albus," Minerva said strictly, holding up her hand to stop him. "Evidently you do not remember our conversation from last year," she added. "Remus is waiting outside."

She moved to open the door but stopped when her hand was on the doorknob and turned briefly. "Make it up to me will you?"

She caught his eye and she knew he knew what she meant. All the other applicants they had interviewed so far had been sub-par. Having taught Remus for seven years herself, as well as worked with him while the Order was in place, Minerva knew where his talents lay. Furthermore, she knew teaching had been something of a dream for him. The only reason that had stopped him from going down that route was the fear that the stigma attached to his condition would hinder his application process. Clearly, he had managed to overcome that insecurity enough to apply and Minerva was very glad about this. In her opinion, he would make a very good addition to the staff at Hogwarts not least because of his magical prowess, but also due to his kind nature and his experience trying to manage troublesome students.

Albus bowed his head and Minerva nodded once. "Thank you," she said.

Then she left to collect Lupin who was waiting at the bottom of the staircase with his hands in his pockets.

"Albus Dumbledore I am very cross with you," Minerva said, not looking up from her book as the emerald flames died down in the grate in her office and Albus came to sit opposite her. With only the two of them in the castle until the following week, they had made it a habit to spend their evenings together either reading in comfortable silence, playing chess or just talking.

"I apologise, my dear," he said sincerely, although there was a twinkle in his eyes.

"I came back from my brother's a day early on purpose," she added, still looking at her book, "so that we could continue interviewing applicants together."

He nodded. "I know, I am sorry, my dear. If it makes you feel any better, I only received his letter early this morning. It was very last minute."

"Hm," she said, turning the page of her book. Finally, she glanced up briefly and raised her eyebrows expectantly at him. "Well?"

"Professor Lupin will be joining us on Saturday."

They held their gaze and a triumphant smiled flitted across Minerva's face for a second. It was gone almost as quickly and if she wasn't sitting opposite someone who knew her so well, most would have thought they'd imagined it.

Dumbledore smiled and finally, Minerva did too. She put her book down.

"Thank you," was all she said. "But never do that again."

"I promise, my dear."

Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.

"Chess?" he said.

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that will distract me in any way, Dumbledore," Minerva said, however, she no longer had furrowed eyebrow and pursed lips. "I am still cross."

"Noted," he said seriously, although his eyes were still twinkling. "Now, whites or blacks?"