Post by ginger newts on Feb 10, 2005 21:23:28 GMT -5
That’s For Me?
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk humming softly to himself while he finished some paperwork. He was distracted today, however, and wasn’t making much progress on his work. Valentine’s Day was fast approaching and he had no idea what to get for his “special someone” as all the adverts in the stores proclaimed. It had been four months now since Albus began courting his deputy headmistress and best friend and he had no idea what would be the proper thing to give her for the holiday of romance. Actually, Albus wasn’t even sure Minerva wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The few women he had dated in the past had always dropped heavy hints throughout the month of February and would give him not so subtle suggestion about what to buy, but Minerva had done none of this.
Nevertheless, he felt it only right to give her something to mark the day. She really wasn’t the kind of woman to ask for things, but Albus knew her feelings would be hurt if he appeared to have forgotten the holiday. Forgetting his work completely, he let his thoughts wander. It was too soon for jewelry or intimate clothing, flowers and chocolates seemed too cliche, and Minerva had enough stationary to sink a ship. Albus was completely out of ideas. Absent mindedly taking a sherbet lemon out of his robes and slipping it into his mouth, he continued to stare off into space and think about what to give Minerva.
A sharp series of notes and a nip of his finger drew his attention to his phoenix. Fawkes appeared to want a sherbet lemon as well. Albus chuckled and pulled two more of the sweets out of his pocket, one for himself and one for Fawkes, who gave him a disapproving look at this treatment. He simply smiled and stroked the large bird’s red and gold feathers. That’s it! He thought. I’ll get Minerva a pet. Fawkes had brought so much joy to Albus’ life and had always been there when he needed someone to talk to and he thought Minerva would appreciate the special bond that forms between pet and human. He didn’t think she had ever had a pet of her own, at least not for as long as he had known her.
Pacing about the office with Fawkes flying in low circles around him, Albus tried to decided what kind of pet Minerva would like the best. After about an hour, he stopped pacing and dashed off a note to let Minerva know he had gone to run some errands. Then he flooed into Diagon Alley and hastened to the pet shop. The Magical Menagerie had such a large selection of pets that Albus nearly changed his mind several times, but in the end took home exactly what he had come for. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, Albus traveled back to Hogwarts and headed for Minerva’s rooms. It was still two days till Valentine’s but he didn’t want to try to hide her gift in his rooms for all that time.
Albus knocked the on the door and smiled as he heard Minerva’s shoes click across the stone floor on the other side before she opened it.
“Albus!” she exclaimed. “Back from shopping already?”
He smiled, “Yes, and I brought you something. Sort of an early Valentine’s Day present.”
Minerva smiled softly, “You didn’t need to get me anything for that. I always thought it was a silly holiday, but I don’t wish to seem ungrateful so come on in and show me what you bought.”
Albus’ face had fallen slightly when she said she didn’t like Valentine’s Day, he had hoped to spend all of Sunday spoiling Minerva. He had cast an invisibility charm over the gift he had for her, but she could tell he was carrying something delicate by the way he handled it. Once they were seated on the couch, Albus smiled and waved his wand over the item he had placed on the coffee table.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, love. A bit early,” he said with a smile.
Minerva tried hard to school her facial expression into one of neutrality if not pleasure, but Albus could tell by looking in her eyes that something was wrong.
“You don’t like it?” he asked, disheartened.
She looked at him sadly, “Albus, I know you enjoy the company of Fawkes greatly, but I’ve never felt the need for a pet.”
“I thought it would add a bit of cheer to your rooms,” he said. “It’s so colorful and very low maintenance as you have such a busy schedule.”
Minerva sighed, “I have to be honest with you, I’ve always found fish to be incredibly boring. Besides,” she smiled, “I’m a cat. Who’s to say I won’t eat it one day?”
Albus laughed, “You know you never hunt when in your animagus form.”
“True,” she agreed. “Alright, I’ll agree to live with the fish for a while, but don’t be surprised if he turns up in your rooms one day. I appreciate the thought, though. Thank you.”
Minerva leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek, but Albus turned his head and caught her lips with his own. Their arms found their way around each other and they spent several blissful minutes sharing loving kisses before Minerva snuggled her head against Albus’ chest with a happy sigh. He smiled and kissed the top of her head as he pulled the many pins from her bun and let her hair flow freely down her back, running his fingers through it absent mindedly. After a few minutes, Minerva realized she was watching the fish swim figure eights around the small tank. It was almost hypnotic.
Albus noticed her staring into the tank and he smiled to himself. “Does this mean you’re changing your mind about the fish, my dear?” he asked.
She looked up at him and smiled, “Well, actually I still want to put him in your rooms.” Several seconds of silence passed while Albus tried to decide what to say next, but Minerva beat him to it. “Because I’d like to be there as well. That’s what I would really like for Valentine’s Day.”
He beamed at her. “I would like that very much, Minerva, but there’s one thing I think we should be sure of before you move into my bedroom.”
“What’s that?” she asked nervously, her spirits beginning to sink.
“I think we should make sure we’re compatible in the bedroom first,” he answered with a wink, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.
Minerva sighed happily and let a few moments pass before answering. “I think that’s an excellent idea,” she said.
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk humming softly to himself while he finished some paperwork. He was distracted today, however, and wasn’t making much progress on his work. Valentine’s Day was fast approaching and he had no idea what to get for his “special someone” as all the adverts in the stores proclaimed. It had been four months now since Albus began courting his deputy headmistress and best friend and he had no idea what would be the proper thing to give her for the holiday of romance. Actually, Albus wasn’t even sure Minerva wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The few women he had dated in the past had always dropped heavy hints throughout the month of February and would give him not so subtle suggestion about what to buy, but Minerva had done none of this.
Nevertheless, he felt it only right to give her something to mark the day. She really wasn’t the kind of woman to ask for things, but Albus knew her feelings would be hurt if he appeared to have forgotten the holiday. Forgetting his work completely, he let his thoughts wander. It was too soon for jewelry or intimate clothing, flowers and chocolates seemed too cliche, and Minerva had enough stationary to sink a ship. Albus was completely out of ideas. Absent mindedly taking a sherbet lemon out of his robes and slipping it into his mouth, he continued to stare off into space and think about what to give Minerva.
A sharp series of notes and a nip of his finger drew his attention to his phoenix. Fawkes appeared to want a sherbet lemon as well. Albus chuckled and pulled two more of the sweets out of his pocket, one for himself and one for Fawkes, who gave him a disapproving look at this treatment. He simply smiled and stroked the large bird’s red and gold feathers. That’s it! He thought. I’ll get Minerva a pet. Fawkes had brought so much joy to Albus’ life and had always been there when he needed someone to talk to and he thought Minerva would appreciate the special bond that forms between pet and human. He didn’t think she had ever had a pet of her own, at least not for as long as he had known her.
Pacing about the office with Fawkes flying in low circles around him, Albus tried to decided what kind of pet Minerva would like the best. After about an hour, he stopped pacing and dashed off a note to let Minerva know he had gone to run some errands. Then he flooed into Diagon Alley and hastened to the pet shop. The Magical Menagerie had such a large selection of pets that Albus nearly changed his mind several times, but in the end took home exactly what he had come for. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, Albus traveled back to Hogwarts and headed for Minerva’s rooms. It was still two days till Valentine’s but he didn’t want to try to hide her gift in his rooms for all that time.
Albus knocked the on the door and smiled as he heard Minerva’s shoes click across the stone floor on the other side before she opened it.
“Albus!” she exclaimed. “Back from shopping already?”
He smiled, “Yes, and I brought you something. Sort of an early Valentine’s Day present.”
Minerva smiled softly, “You didn’t need to get me anything for that. I always thought it was a silly holiday, but I don’t wish to seem ungrateful so come on in and show me what you bought.”
Albus’ face had fallen slightly when she said she didn’t like Valentine’s Day, he had hoped to spend all of Sunday spoiling Minerva. He had cast an invisibility charm over the gift he had for her, but she could tell he was carrying something delicate by the way he handled it. Once they were seated on the couch, Albus smiled and waved his wand over the item he had placed on the coffee table.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, love. A bit early,” he said with a smile.
Minerva tried hard to school her facial expression into one of neutrality if not pleasure, but Albus could tell by looking in her eyes that something was wrong.
“You don’t like it?” he asked, disheartened.
She looked at him sadly, “Albus, I know you enjoy the company of Fawkes greatly, but I’ve never felt the need for a pet.”
“I thought it would add a bit of cheer to your rooms,” he said. “It’s so colorful and very low maintenance as you have such a busy schedule.”
Minerva sighed, “I have to be honest with you, I’ve always found fish to be incredibly boring. Besides,” she smiled, “I’m a cat. Who’s to say I won’t eat it one day?”
Albus laughed, “You know you never hunt when in your animagus form.”
“True,” she agreed. “Alright, I’ll agree to live with the fish for a while, but don’t be surprised if he turns up in your rooms one day. I appreciate the thought, though. Thank you.”
Minerva leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek, but Albus turned his head and caught her lips with his own. Their arms found their way around each other and they spent several blissful minutes sharing loving kisses before Minerva snuggled her head against Albus’ chest with a happy sigh. He smiled and kissed the top of her head as he pulled the many pins from her bun and let her hair flow freely down her back, running his fingers through it absent mindedly. After a few minutes, Minerva realized she was watching the fish swim figure eights around the small tank. It was almost hypnotic.
Albus noticed her staring into the tank and he smiled to himself. “Does this mean you’re changing your mind about the fish, my dear?” he asked.
She looked up at him and smiled, “Well, actually I still want to put him in your rooms.” Several seconds of silence passed while Albus tried to decide what to say next, but Minerva beat him to it. “Because I’d like to be there as well. That’s what I would really like for Valentine’s Day.”
He beamed at her. “I would like that very much, Minerva, but there’s one thing I think we should be sure of before you move into my bedroom.”
“What’s that?” she asked nervously, her spirits beginning to sink.
“I think we should make sure we’re compatible in the bedroom first,” he answered with a wink, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.
Minerva sighed happily and let a few moments pass before answering. “I think that’s an excellent idea,” she said.
I liked that Minerva was very considerate of his feelings despite not wanting the gift. Karlie
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