Post by ginger newts on Oct 18, 2004 19:39:16 GMT -5
So, it's a bit early, but I was basically ordered to write this one. 
The last Saturday before the Christmas holiday was a Hogsmeade day and after she saw the students off, Minerva turned around to go back to her office and saw Albus walking toward her, carrying her cloak and gloves.
“I hope you don’t mind that I entered your rooms, but I wanted to ask you to accompany me into Hogsmeade and thought it would be faster if I brought you your things,” he said with a smile.
“That’s quite alright, Albus,” she smiled back at him, “and I would love to accompany you into town. Anything in particular you need to shop for?”
“Not really, perhaps a few last minute gifts, but I really just felt like taking a walk. The village is so lovely when it snows and we never leave the school. Shall we go then?”
Albus offered Minerva his arm and she looped hers through it before they walked together out the large front doors and across the castle grounds toward Hogsmeade. It had been snowing for the last several days, but today there was a bright winter sun shining and everything really did look beautiful. Albus and Minerva walked slowly down the high street, greeting students and townspeople, stopping occasionally to look in a store window. They made a few purchases, some last minute Christmas gifts as well as a few things they each needed for themselves. Albus, of course, had to stop at Honeydukes and restock his supply of sweets. The sweet shop was crowded with students so Minerva waited outside, noticing that it was taking longer than usual. ‘Albus is probably debating ice mice versus sugar quills with the students again,’ she thought, unable to decide whether to laugh or roll her eyes and so doing neither.
Ever the gentleman, Albus carried Minerva’s packages as well as his own and when they passed the Three Broomsticks he suggested going in for a drink. He settled Minerva at a table with the shopping and went up to the bar to place their order, not needing to ask to know she would want a gillywater. When they finished the drinks, Albus suggested a walk around the edge of town where it was a little quieter and they could enjoy the beauty of the snow-covered countryside. They walked along in companionable silence for a while and then two horse drawn sleighs passed through the adjacent field, they could hear the happy laughter of the occupants even from a distance. Minerva sighed softly as a glimmer of wistfulness flashed across her eyes.
“Something wrong, my dear?” Albus asked.
Minerva looked up at him, her eyes refocusing from some far away place he couldn’t see. “Hmm? No, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking about how much fun those young people are having.”
Albus nodded, “Sleigh riding has always been a wonderful activity for a winter’s afternoon.”
“I suppose,” Minerva said thoughtfully. “We were never allowed to go on sleigh rides when I was a child. My mother said it was a frivolous waste of time as well as being an activity unsuited to ‘people of our social standing.’” She affected a very fake, snobby sounding, high society voice on the last few words, her distaste for her family’s so-called values evident.
“But I would see other children from the town gliding across the field laughing, just like they are,” she pointed out into the field, toward the retreating sleighs. “It always looked like so much fun.”
Minerva sighed again and her eyes took on that far away wistful look. Albus said nothing, but a plan had been forming in his mind as she spoke and seeing the look in her eyes made him determined to follow through. They made their way back to the high street and up to the school, arriving just in time for dinner.
The next few days passed in a blur of decorating the castle for Christmas and seeing the students safely onto the train home. Once the holiday officially started, Minerva locked herself into her office for two and a half days in order to have all of her papers graded before Christmas, giving her the remainder of the two weeks off. After dinner on Christmas Eve she went back to her rooms to finish wrapping presents and was surprised to hear a knock on the door a few minutes later.
“Come in,” she called, quickly banishing the unwrapped presents into the other room and under the bed. “Oh, Albus! Are you going out?” He was dressed in his warmest winter cloak, thick boots, and was carrying a scarf and gloves.
“Only if you will agree to join me,” he said with a smile.
Minerva raised an eyebrow. “I know that twinkle in your eyes, Albus Dumbledore. Exactly what are you planning?”
“You’ll never know unless you come with me,” he teased her. “Oh and Minerva, dress warmly.”
She still hadn’t moved from her place on the floor. “Oh, and who said I would be going with you?”
“Just get your cloak.”
Minerva laughed and got up, “Alright, alright old man, I’m coming. And I thought I was the impatient one in this friendship.”
Albus just chuckled and shook his head. A moment later Minerva re-entered from the bedroom wearing her warmest winter garments. They walked down to the front doors of the castle and before Albus would open them, he turned to Minerva and asked her to close her eyes. She looked at him skeptically for a moment, but complied, knowing she could trust him. She felt a rush of cold air when Albus opened the doors and then he took her by the hands and led her down the steps and onto the front lawn. Not for nothing was her animagus form that of a cat and Minerva heard the horses long before they reached the sleigh and Albus instructed her to open her eyes.
Even though the sight that met her eyes had been somewhat expected at this point, Minerva gasped anyway. She turned to Albus with several questions in her eyes.
“Last week in Hogsmeade I could see how much you wanted to go sleigh riding,” he explained, “and if anyone I know deserves to have a little fun it is you.” He stepped into the sleigh and offered Minerva his hands to help her up. “Join me?”
Minerva smiled and let Albus help her into the sleigh. He pulled a thick woolen blanket, complete with warming charms, over their knees and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The horses seemed to need no direction from Albus as they set off down the hill toward the gates. The moon was hidden behind a bank of clouds, but the stars twinkled brightly as the glided over the snow. They cut a wide path around Hogsmeade, over the hilly fields that surrounded the town.
“Albus this is wonderful,” Minerva breathed. “How can I ever thank you?”
Albus tightened his grip on her so that her head came to rest on his chest and her hand on his stomach. “Just to see you happy is all the thanks I need, Minerva.”
They had come to a stop at the top of a hill by this point and had a perfect view of Hogsmeade, looking like a village in a painting with warm soft lights glowing in the windows, and Hogwarts looming in the background. Minerva looked up at Albus just as he was looking down at her and before either of them had time to think about it, the distance between them had closed and they were kissing. It was a sweet, slow, gentle kiss and when it was broken Minerva and Albus found that they had wrapped their arms around each other. They sat that way for a time, looking into each other’s eyes before Minerva sighed happily and leaned her head against Albus’ shoulder. He was absentmindedly rubbing her back and leaned down to tenderly kiss the top of her head, breathing in the wonderful scent of her hair.
“Merry Christmas, Minerva,” he said quietly. “I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself.”
She leaned back and smiled at him, “Are you not enjoying yourself then, Albus?”
He grinned and replied with mock shock, “Are you teasing me, Minerva?”
“Perhaps a bit,” she admitted as she leaned up to kiss him again. When the kiss was broken, she said, “This is the best Christmas gift I have ever received.” She did not mean just the sleigh ride.
They rode quietly back to the school, snuggled up tightly under the blanket, and Albus walked Minerva back to her rooms.
“Sleep well,” he said and leaned in to kiss her good night.
Albus had meant for it to be another short sweet kiss, but when Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the full length of her body against his the only thing he could think to do was deepen the kiss. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and Minerva immediately welcomed it into her mouth as one hand made its way to the back of her head and began removing the pins. The kiss was broken only when they could both survive no longer without air and pulling back, Albus ran both of his hands through the length of her thick dark hair.
“Beautiful,” he breathed out and Minerva blushed.
“Would you like to come in?” she managed to ask.
Albus actually looked a little sad, “I’m afraid I better not or I may never leave. Will you join me for a game of chess tomorrow?”
Minerva was disappointed for a moment, thinking maybe she had misinterpreted his actions, until he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I would feel like the worst kind of scoundrel if we did that tonight, Minerva. I want everything to be perfect and you to be certain of our actions.”
Albus placed a few soft kisses on her neck and Minerva sighed with pleasure. “As you wish,” she said. “Chess tomorrow would be lovely.”
After one more kiss, Minerva turned and went into her rooms, already formulating a plan to make sure they did not play chess the next afternoon and Albus would receive the best Christmas present she could think to give him.
The last Saturday before the Christmas holiday was a Hogsmeade day and after she saw the students off, Minerva turned around to go back to her office and saw Albus walking toward her, carrying her cloak and gloves.
“I hope you don’t mind that I entered your rooms, but I wanted to ask you to accompany me into Hogsmeade and thought it would be faster if I brought you your things,” he said with a smile.
“That’s quite alright, Albus,” she smiled back at him, “and I would love to accompany you into town. Anything in particular you need to shop for?”
“Not really, perhaps a few last minute gifts, but I really just felt like taking a walk. The village is so lovely when it snows and we never leave the school. Shall we go then?”
Albus offered Minerva his arm and she looped hers through it before they walked together out the large front doors and across the castle grounds toward Hogsmeade. It had been snowing for the last several days, but today there was a bright winter sun shining and everything really did look beautiful. Albus and Minerva walked slowly down the high street, greeting students and townspeople, stopping occasionally to look in a store window. They made a few purchases, some last minute Christmas gifts as well as a few things they each needed for themselves. Albus, of course, had to stop at Honeydukes and restock his supply of sweets. The sweet shop was crowded with students so Minerva waited outside, noticing that it was taking longer than usual. ‘Albus is probably debating ice mice versus sugar quills with the students again,’ she thought, unable to decide whether to laugh or roll her eyes and so doing neither.
Ever the gentleman, Albus carried Minerva’s packages as well as his own and when they passed the Three Broomsticks he suggested going in for a drink. He settled Minerva at a table with the shopping and went up to the bar to place their order, not needing to ask to know she would want a gillywater. When they finished the drinks, Albus suggested a walk around the edge of town where it was a little quieter and they could enjoy the beauty of the snow-covered countryside. They walked along in companionable silence for a while and then two horse drawn sleighs passed through the adjacent field, they could hear the happy laughter of the occupants even from a distance. Minerva sighed softly as a glimmer of wistfulness flashed across her eyes.
“Something wrong, my dear?” Albus asked.
Minerva looked up at him, her eyes refocusing from some far away place he couldn’t see. “Hmm? No, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking about how much fun those young people are having.”
Albus nodded, “Sleigh riding has always been a wonderful activity for a winter’s afternoon.”
“I suppose,” Minerva said thoughtfully. “We were never allowed to go on sleigh rides when I was a child. My mother said it was a frivolous waste of time as well as being an activity unsuited to ‘people of our social standing.’” She affected a very fake, snobby sounding, high society voice on the last few words, her distaste for her family’s so-called values evident.
“But I would see other children from the town gliding across the field laughing, just like they are,” she pointed out into the field, toward the retreating sleighs. “It always looked like so much fun.”
Minerva sighed again and her eyes took on that far away wistful look. Albus said nothing, but a plan had been forming in his mind as she spoke and seeing the look in her eyes made him determined to follow through. They made their way back to the high street and up to the school, arriving just in time for dinner.
The next few days passed in a blur of decorating the castle for Christmas and seeing the students safely onto the train home. Once the holiday officially started, Minerva locked herself into her office for two and a half days in order to have all of her papers graded before Christmas, giving her the remainder of the two weeks off. After dinner on Christmas Eve she went back to her rooms to finish wrapping presents and was surprised to hear a knock on the door a few minutes later.
“Come in,” she called, quickly banishing the unwrapped presents into the other room and under the bed. “Oh, Albus! Are you going out?” He was dressed in his warmest winter cloak, thick boots, and was carrying a scarf and gloves.
“Only if you will agree to join me,” he said with a smile.
Minerva raised an eyebrow. “I know that twinkle in your eyes, Albus Dumbledore. Exactly what are you planning?”
“You’ll never know unless you come with me,” he teased her. “Oh and Minerva, dress warmly.”
She still hadn’t moved from her place on the floor. “Oh, and who said I would be going with you?”
“Just get your cloak.”
Minerva laughed and got up, “Alright, alright old man, I’m coming. And I thought I was the impatient one in this friendship.”
Albus just chuckled and shook his head. A moment later Minerva re-entered from the bedroom wearing her warmest winter garments. They walked down to the front doors of the castle and before Albus would open them, he turned to Minerva and asked her to close her eyes. She looked at him skeptically for a moment, but complied, knowing she could trust him. She felt a rush of cold air when Albus opened the doors and then he took her by the hands and led her down the steps and onto the front lawn. Not for nothing was her animagus form that of a cat and Minerva heard the horses long before they reached the sleigh and Albus instructed her to open her eyes.
Even though the sight that met her eyes had been somewhat expected at this point, Minerva gasped anyway. She turned to Albus with several questions in her eyes.
“Last week in Hogsmeade I could see how much you wanted to go sleigh riding,” he explained, “and if anyone I know deserves to have a little fun it is you.” He stepped into the sleigh and offered Minerva his hands to help her up. “Join me?”
Minerva smiled and let Albus help her into the sleigh. He pulled a thick woolen blanket, complete with warming charms, over their knees and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The horses seemed to need no direction from Albus as they set off down the hill toward the gates. The moon was hidden behind a bank of clouds, but the stars twinkled brightly as the glided over the snow. They cut a wide path around Hogsmeade, over the hilly fields that surrounded the town.
“Albus this is wonderful,” Minerva breathed. “How can I ever thank you?”
Albus tightened his grip on her so that her head came to rest on his chest and her hand on his stomach. “Just to see you happy is all the thanks I need, Minerva.”
They had come to a stop at the top of a hill by this point and had a perfect view of Hogsmeade, looking like a village in a painting with warm soft lights glowing in the windows, and Hogwarts looming in the background. Minerva looked up at Albus just as he was looking down at her and before either of them had time to think about it, the distance between them had closed and they were kissing. It was a sweet, slow, gentle kiss and when it was broken Minerva and Albus found that they had wrapped their arms around each other. They sat that way for a time, looking into each other’s eyes before Minerva sighed happily and leaned her head against Albus’ shoulder. He was absentmindedly rubbing her back and leaned down to tenderly kiss the top of her head, breathing in the wonderful scent of her hair.
“Merry Christmas, Minerva,” he said quietly. “I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself.”
She leaned back and smiled at him, “Are you not enjoying yourself then, Albus?”
He grinned and replied with mock shock, “Are you teasing me, Minerva?”
“Perhaps a bit,” she admitted as she leaned up to kiss him again. When the kiss was broken, she said, “This is the best Christmas gift I have ever received.” She did not mean just the sleigh ride.
They rode quietly back to the school, snuggled up tightly under the blanket, and Albus walked Minerva back to her rooms.
“Sleep well,” he said and leaned in to kiss her good night.
Albus had meant for it to be another short sweet kiss, but when Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the full length of her body against his the only thing he could think to do was deepen the kiss. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and Minerva immediately welcomed it into her mouth as one hand made its way to the back of her head and began removing the pins. The kiss was broken only when they could both survive no longer without air and pulling back, Albus ran both of his hands through the length of her thick dark hair.
“Beautiful,” he breathed out and Minerva blushed.
“Would you like to come in?” she managed to ask.
Albus actually looked a little sad, “I’m afraid I better not or I may never leave. Will you join me for a game of chess tomorrow?”
Minerva was disappointed for a moment, thinking maybe she had misinterpreted his actions, until he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I would feel like the worst kind of scoundrel if we did that tonight, Minerva. I want everything to be perfect and you to be certain of our actions.”
Albus placed a few soft kisses on her neck and Minerva sighed with pleasure. “As you wish,” she said. “Chess tomorrow would be lovely.”
After one more kiss, Minerva turned and went into her rooms, already formulating a plan to make sure they did not play chess the next afternoon and Albus would receive the best Christmas present she could think to give him.
I do hope you write a sequel. How do you think she'll wrap herself up? 
I loved it. *sigh* Albus is just so romantic
xXx 
