Post by Jestana on Oct 23, 2004 23:13:47 GMT -5
Dared to Prank
"Rolanda Hooch, why do you insist on acting like one of the students?" Poppy demanded as she handed the flight instructor a vial of potion for her.
Pinching her nose closed, Rolanda tossed the potion back like a shot of extra hot firewhiskey. "It's no fun being an adult, Poppy, you know that."
"You're fifty-five years old, Ro. Grow up." Poppy scolded, taking back the empty vial and Banishing it to her office. "I'm sure Minerva would be much happier."
Rolanda sighed her relief as the potion took effect, returning her to her natural coloring. "Min needs to learn to loosen up, Poppy. Besides, don't you know that pranks are supposed to go unpunished on Halloween night?"
"For students, Rolanda, not faculty," Minerva's voice inserted from the door to the Hospital Wing. "Black and Potter are, naturally, taking full advantage of the fact that they can pull pranks to their hearts' delight without fear of punishment, but they don't need any encouragement from you, Rolanda."
Rolanda stuck her tongue out at the Deputy Headmistress. "You're taking your job too seriously, Min. I dare you to pull a prank before the night is out."
"That won't work with me, Rolanda," Minerva countered, folding her arms across her chest sternly. "Not anymore."
Rolanda hopped to her feet and faced her friend, hands on hips. "Are you sure? What if I dared you to do something to Albus?"
"Ro, why don't you just drop it?" Poppy suggested, standing between and to the side of the other two.
Rolanda shook her head stubbornly. "No. Not this time."
Minerva and Rolanda faced off for a few minutes longer before Minerva sighed deeply. "Fine, I accept your dare."
"Good." Rolanda grinned. "I expect to hear all about it tomorrow."
Glaring at the flight instructor, Minerva swept from the Hospital Wing with a flourish of emerald green robes. "Ro, you do realize that Minerva is not going to be in a good mood for days, don't you?"
"Yeah, but she's been uptight ever since she became the Deputy Headmistress five years ago," Rolanda answered with a shrug. "I accept full responsibility for it."
"Good."
* * *
Having left the Hospital Wing, Minerva paced the corridors, trying to decide what she would do to Albus. It wouldn't be too bad, or she'd never live it down. Blinking, she looked around. Without realizing it, her steps had brought her to the corridor leading to Albus' office. Looking down at the floor, she lit upon an idea and began to loosen the carpet. Nodding to herself, she hid nearby to see the results of her 'prank'. After a short wait, the gargoyle moved aside and Albus appeared. Whistling a jaunty tune, Albus headed for the stairs and, as he walked, Minerva realized too late that the loosened part of the carpet was rather close to the stairs and watched in horror as the Headmaster of Hogwarts tumbled down them. Rushing from her hiding place, she descended the stairs and knelt beside him. "Albus! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Minerva, don't know quite what happened there," Albus replied, smiling up at her.
Minerva bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Albus, that was my fault."
"Yours?" Albus asked, surprised. She nodded. "Why?"
She sighed, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Rolanda dared me to prank you."
"She did?" Albus blinked. Minerva nodded. "Why did she dare you to do such a thing?"
Minerva rolled her eyes at this one. "She feels I need to loosen up, that I'm taking my job too seriously."
"I think you're handling it perfectly well," he murmured, sounding amused.
Minerva's eyes snapped to his, her mouth open to make a retort, but it died on her lips when she realized how little distance there was between her face and his. Prompted by some unknown force, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. After a short moment, he returned the kiss, one hand toying with the short hairs at the nape of her neck while the other cupped her cheek. Minerva buried one hand in his thick silver hair while she combed the fingers of her other hand through his beard. When the need for oxygen became too great, they pulled apart, staring into each other's eyes and panting for breath. "Maybe Rolanda daring me wasn't such a bad thing."
He chuckled, sitting up. "Those hazelnuts seem to have been correct, too."
"Actually, I have a bit of a confession to make," Minerva told him as she stood and offered him a hand up.
He accepted her assistance and, rather than release her hand when he was standing once more, he tucked it through the crook of his elbow and started up the stairs. "What might that be?"
"I cheated," she admitted, even as she waved her wand to smooth the carpet she'd loosened. "I attached your name to all of them." He laughed so hard that he had to stop and gasp for breath. She watched him, beginning to get angry. "What's so funny?"
He waved his hand, gasping for breath. "I, too, cheated, Minerva." Her eyes widened with surprise. "Your name was the only one I attached to the hazelnuts."
After staring at him for a few moments, Minerva burst into laughter. "I'd say we were trying to give each other the same hint."
"I'm inclined to agree with you, my dear," Albus replied as they resumed their journey to his office.
* * *
"Well, how'd it go, Min?" Rolanda demanded the next morning at breakfast.
Minerva gave her friend a mysterious smile. "Not as painful as I thought it would, Rolanda."
Finite
Many thanks to Cie for her help with it.
"Rolanda Hooch, why do you insist on acting like one of the students?" Poppy demanded as she handed the flight instructor a vial of potion for her.
Pinching her nose closed, Rolanda tossed the potion back like a shot of extra hot firewhiskey. "It's no fun being an adult, Poppy, you know that."
"You're fifty-five years old, Ro. Grow up." Poppy scolded, taking back the empty vial and Banishing it to her office. "I'm sure Minerva would be much happier."
Rolanda sighed her relief as the potion took effect, returning her to her natural coloring. "Min needs to learn to loosen up, Poppy. Besides, don't you know that pranks are supposed to go unpunished on Halloween night?"
"For students, Rolanda, not faculty," Minerva's voice inserted from the door to the Hospital Wing. "Black and Potter are, naturally, taking full advantage of the fact that they can pull pranks to their hearts' delight without fear of punishment, but they don't need any encouragement from you, Rolanda."
Rolanda stuck her tongue out at the Deputy Headmistress. "You're taking your job too seriously, Min. I dare you to pull a prank before the night is out."
"That won't work with me, Rolanda," Minerva countered, folding her arms across her chest sternly. "Not anymore."
Rolanda hopped to her feet and faced her friend, hands on hips. "Are you sure? What if I dared you to do something to Albus?"
"Ro, why don't you just drop it?" Poppy suggested, standing between and to the side of the other two.
Rolanda shook her head stubbornly. "No. Not this time."
Minerva and Rolanda faced off for a few minutes longer before Minerva sighed deeply. "Fine, I accept your dare."
"Good." Rolanda grinned. "I expect to hear all about it tomorrow."
Glaring at the flight instructor, Minerva swept from the Hospital Wing with a flourish of emerald green robes. "Ro, you do realize that Minerva is not going to be in a good mood for days, don't you?"
"Yeah, but she's been uptight ever since she became the Deputy Headmistress five years ago," Rolanda answered with a shrug. "I accept full responsibility for it."
"Good."
* * *
Having left the Hospital Wing, Minerva paced the corridors, trying to decide what she would do to Albus. It wouldn't be too bad, or she'd never live it down. Blinking, she looked around. Without realizing it, her steps had brought her to the corridor leading to Albus' office. Looking down at the floor, she lit upon an idea and began to loosen the carpet. Nodding to herself, she hid nearby to see the results of her 'prank'. After a short wait, the gargoyle moved aside and Albus appeared. Whistling a jaunty tune, Albus headed for the stairs and, as he walked, Minerva realized too late that the loosened part of the carpet was rather close to the stairs and watched in horror as the Headmaster of Hogwarts tumbled down them. Rushing from her hiding place, she descended the stairs and knelt beside him. "Albus! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Minerva, don't know quite what happened there," Albus replied, smiling up at her.
Minerva bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Albus, that was my fault."
"Yours?" Albus asked, surprised. She nodded. "Why?"
She sighed, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Rolanda dared me to prank you."
"She did?" Albus blinked. Minerva nodded. "Why did she dare you to do such a thing?"
Minerva rolled her eyes at this one. "She feels I need to loosen up, that I'm taking my job too seriously."
"I think you're handling it perfectly well," he murmured, sounding amused.
Minerva's eyes snapped to his, her mouth open to make a retort, but it died on her lips when she realized how little distance there was between her face and his. Prompted by some unknown force, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. After a short moment, he returned the kiss, one hand toying with the short hairs at the nape of her neck while the other cupped her cheek. Minerva buried one hand in his thick silver hair while she combed the fingers of her other hand through his beard. When the need for oxygen became too great, they pulled apart, staring into each other's eyes and panting for breath. "Maybe Rolanda daring me wasn't such a bad thing."
He chuckled, sitting up. "Those hazelnuts seem to have been correct, too."
"Actually, I have a bit of a confession to make," Minerva told him as she stood and offered him a hand up.
He accepted her assistance and, rather than release her hand when he was standing once more, he tucked it through the crook of his elbow and started up the stairs. "What might that be?"
"I cheated," she admitted, even as she waved her wand to smooth the carpet she'd loosened. "I attached your name to all of them." He laughed so hard that he had to stop and gasp for breath. She watched him, beginning to get angry. "What's so funny?"
He waved his hand, gasping for breath. "I, too, cheated, Minerva." Her eyes widened with surprise. "Your name was the only one I attached to the hazelnuts."
After staring at him for a few moments, Minerva burst into laughter. "I'd say we were trying to give each other the same hint."
"I'm inclined to agree with you, my dear," Albus replied as they resumed their journey to his office.
* * *
"Well, how'd it go, Min?" Rolanda demanded the next morning at breakfast.
Minerva gave her friend a mysterious smile. "Not as painful as I thought it would, Rolanda."
Finite
Many thanks to Cie for her help with it.
Girl, you already know what I think of this story. Short, but so sweet! The hazelnuts were a nice touch! 
I loved it. And Rolanda is the best 
