Post by ginger newts on Feb 17, 2005 12:05:37 GMT -5
Run Away Dog
Minerva McGonagall looked out the window into the street and sighed; she was already regretting her decision to stay at Rebecca’s house and it had only been a week. Her friend had asked Minerva to house and dog-sit while she was away on a month long holiday with her husband Gregory. They lived in a beautiful large house in Holland Park, but Minerva missed her small flat in Glasgow and the three other women she shared it with. She didn’t know anyone in London and her friends who had promised to come down at the weekend had all backed out with feeble excuses.
It had been difficult to find ways to occupy her time this week. Minerva had gone down to the pub once, and had been chatted up by no less than five men – prompting her decision to never return. She had tried listening to the wireless, but couldn’t drum up any interest in the programs she had never listened to before. Gregory and Rebecca had a large library, but Minerva knew that she would go crazy if she did nothing but read all month. With another sigh she decided to take the dog out for a walk.
Rebecca had a huge St. Bernard named Bernie, which Minerva found ridiculous. She snapped the lead onto his collar and took the enormous dog into the street. Before they had gone three feet, he spotted a squirrel at the end of the road and went wild. He took off at a run, dragging Minerva for two blocks before she finally lost her grip on the lead.
“Bugger!” she exclaimed under her breath before calling to the dog. “Bernie! Here boy. Bernie, come back!” she yelled, to no avail, as she ran down the street after him.
Just as she was debating pulling out her wand and stunning the best, a tall handsome man with shoulder length auburn hair and a closely cropped beard stepped into the street and managed to grab hold of the dog.
“Thank you so much,” Minerva said breathlessly as she reached his side.
Her long dark hair had come loose from its braid as she ran and she had a stitch in her side. The man chuckled and looked at her with twinkling blue eyes that radiated friendliness and made Minerva feel as though he was looking deep into her soul.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said kindly. “Maybe you should have gotten a smaller dog. And you might want to put that back in your pocket,” he added quietly, gesturing to her wand which she had taken out without thinking.
Minerva gave him a curious look and said, “Thanks,” as she stuffed her wand back into the deep pocket of her dress. “Actually, he’s not my dog. I’m watching him for a friend who’s on holiday.”
Bernie didn’t seem to want to stand still and began leading the way into the small park at the end of the road. The man was still holding the lead and he and Minerva fell into step together behind the dog.
“Do you live nearby?” he asked. “Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners. I’m Albus Dumbledore.” He offered her his free hand.
“Minerva McGonagall,” she said, shaking his hand. “And no, I live in Scotland, but my friend lives just down the road. I’m staying at her house all month.”
“Nice to meet you,” Albus answered as they entered the park.
“Nice to meet you too,” she answered and then paused. “Wait, Albus Dumbledore? Not the same Albus Dumbledore who discovered the twelve uses of dragon’s blood and defeated Grindelwald?”
He sighed, “Yes, that’s me, but I don’t like to be recognized for my achievements. Especially during the war, that was just something that had to be done, I don’t want to be treated specially for it.”
Minerva looked him over carefully and plunged ahead boldly. “Well then why don’t you let me get to know the man and not the famous wizard? Can I buy you a coffee or a drink sometime as a thank you for rescuing me from the dog walking nightmare?”
“I’d like that,” he answered with a smile. “Have any place in mind?”
“I’m not vary familiar with the city yet,” she admitted. “I don’t know anyone here and it’s been difficult to find things to do on my own. I’m afraid I’ve been completely housebound and rather bored this week.”
“Well, we’ll have to remedy that,” Albus said jovially. “I grew up here in London and return for the summers. I teach at Hogwarts so it’s nice to get away for two months each year.”
“When did you start at Hogwarts?” she asked in surprise. Not knowing anyone who was still a student, Minerva hadn’t kept up with any news from the prestigious school.
“About five years ago,” he answered. “Professor Aurillius wanted to retired so I took over Transfiguration.”
“You teach Transfiguration?” she asked excitedly. “I’m working toward Master status and trying to earn my teacher’s certification, but I guess now I’ll have to wait for you to retire before I can put it to use.” She smiled at him and he chuckled.
“If you asked me to, I would retire tomorrow,” Albus said grandly. “Anything for a lady, especially one as charming as yourself. When did you leave Hogwarts?”
Minerva blushed at his compliment. “Seven years ago,” she answered. “It’s too bad I never had the honor of being your student.”
“Ah,” he said, “but then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of getting to know you now.”
They had reached a small dog park and Albus unclasped the lead from Bernie’s collar and let him in to play with the other dogs. He led Minerva to a nearby bench and they sat down to continue their discussion. They talked about Transfiguration, music, the most recent books they had read, chess, and anything else that came to mind. Albus made several suggestions for places Minerva might like to visit while she was in London and she asked him to accompany her. They were just making plans to meet the next morning at the Victoria and Albert museum when someone interrupted them.
“Oy, is that your dog in there?” a man asked.
Minerva looked up sharply and saw Bernie watching them through the fence, looking like he wanted out of the dog park. “Yes it is, thank you,” she said quickly, getting up to go rescue the large animal.
Albus walked Minerva and Bernie home and she invited him in for tea, but he declined.
“I’m afraid I have to meet someone for dinner in half an hour,” he said with obvious regret that he had to leave. “But I’ll see you tomorrow at ten at the tea shop across from the museum.”
“Alright, see you then,” Minerva answered with a smile as she opened the door to let Bernie inside. “Thank you again for helping me with the dog today, I’m afraid he’s a bit more than I can handle sometimes.”
“Anytime,” Albus answered as he turned to go.
Minerva watched him until he turned the corner, a small smile playing about her lips. Maybe the next three weeks wouldn’t be as bad as she had thought.
The End
A/N: I'm hoping to continue this, so look for it under Romance soon.
Minerva McGonagall looked out the window into the street and sighed; she was already regretting her decision to stay at Rebecca’s house and it had only been a week. Her friend had asked Minerva to house and dog-sit while she was away on a month long holiday with her husband Gregory. They lived in a beautiful large house in Holland Park, but Minerva missed her small flat in Glasgow and the three other women she shared it with. She didn’t know anyone in London and her friends who had promised to come down at the weekend had all backed out with feeble excuses.
It had been difficult to find ways to occupy her time this week. Minerva had gone down to the pub once, and had been chatted up by no less than five men – prompting her decision to never return. She had tried listening to the wireless, but couldn’t drum up any interest in the programs she had never listened to before. Gregory and Rebecca had a large library, but Minerva knew that she would go crazy if she did nothing but read all month. With another sigh she decided to take the dog out for a walk.
Rebecca had a huge St. Bernard named Bernie, which Minerva found ridiculous. She snapped the lead onto his collar and took the enormous dog into the street. Before they had gone three feet, he spotted a squirrel at the end of the road and went wild. He took off at a run, dragging Minerva for two blocks before she finally lost her grip on the lead.
“Bugger!” she exclaimed under her breath before calling to the dog. “Bernie! Here boy. Bernie, come back!” she yelled, to no avail, as she ran down the street after him.
Just as she was debating pulling out her wand and stunning the best, a tall handsome man with shoulder length auburn hair and a closely cropped beard stepped into the street and managed to grab hold of the dog.
“Thank you so much,” Minerva said breathlessly as she reached his side.
Her long dark hair had come loose from its braid as she ran and she had a stitch in her side. The man chuckled and looked at her with twinkling blue eyes that radiated friendliness and made Minerva feel as though he was looking deep into her soul.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said kindly. “Maybe you should have gotten a smaller dog. And you might want to put that back in your pocket,” he added quietly, gesturing to her wand which she had taken out without thinking.
Minerva gave him a curious look and said, “Thanks,” as she stuffed her wand back into the deep pocket of her dress. “Actually, he’s not my dog. I’m watching him for a friend who’s on holiday.”
Bernie didn’t seem to want to stand still and began leading the way into the small park at the end of the road. The man was still holding the lead and he and Minerva fell into step together behind the dog.
“Do you live nearby?” he asked. “Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners. I’m Albus Dumbledore.” He offered her his free hand.
“Minerva McGonagall,” she said, shaking his hand. “And no, I live in Scotland, but my friend lives just down the road. I’m staying at her house all month.”
“Nice to meet you,” Albus answered as they entered the park.
“Nice to meet you too,” she answered and then paused. “Wait, Albus Dumbledore? Not the same Albus Dumbledore who discovered the twelve uses of dragon’s blood and defeated Grindelwald?”
He sighed, “Yes, that’s me, but I don’t like to be recognized for my achievements. Especially during the war, that was just something that had to be done, I don’t want to be treated specially for it.”
Minerva looked him over carefully and plunged ahead boldly. “Well then why don’t you let me get to know the man and not the famous wizard? Can I buy you a coffee or a drink sometime as a thank you for rescuing me from the dog walking nightmare?”
“I’d like that,” he answered with a smile. “Have any place in mind?”
“I’m not vary familiar with the city yet,” she admitted. “I don’t know anyone here and it’s been difficult to find things to do on my own. I’m afraid I’ve been completely housebound and rather bored this week.”
“Well, we’ll have to remedy that,” Albus said jovially. “I grew up here in London and return for the summers. I teach at Hogwarts so it’s nice to get away for two months each year.”
“When did you start at Hogwarts?” she asked in surprise. Not knowing anyone who was still a student, Minerva hadn’t kept up with any news from the prestigious school.
“About five years ago,” he answered. “Professor Aurillius wanted to retired so I took over Transfiguration.”
“You teach Transfiguration?” she asked excitedly. “I’m working toward Master status and trying to earn my teacher’s certification, but I guess now I’ll have to wait for you to retire before I can put it to use.” She smiled at him and he chuckled.
“If you asked me to, I would retire tomorrow,” Albus said grandly. “Anything for a lady, especially one as charming as yourself. When did you leave Hogwarts?”
Minerva blushed at his compliment. “Seven years ago,” she answered. “It’s too bad I never had the honor of being your student.”
“Ah,” he said, “but then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of getting to know you now.”
They had reached a small dog park and Albus unclasped the lead from Bernie’s collar and let him in to play with the other dogs. He led Minerva to a nearby bench and they sat down to continue their discussion. They talked about Transfiguration, music, the most recent books they had read, chess, and anything else that came to mind. Albus made several suggestions for places Minerva might like to visit while she was in London and she asked him to accompany her. They were just making plans to meet the next morning at the Victoria and Albert museum when someone interrupted them.
“Oy, is that your dog in there?” a man asked.
Minerva looked up sharply and saw Bernie watching them through the fence, looking like he wanted out of the dog park. “Yes it is, thank you,” she said quickly, getting up to go rescue the large animal.
Albus walked Minerva and Bernie home and she invited him in for tea, but he declined.
“I’m afraid I have to meet someone for dinner in half an hour,” he said with obvious regret that he had to leave. “But I’ll see you tomorrow at ten at the tea shop across from the museum.”
“Alright, see you then,” Minerva answered with a smile as she opened the door to let Bernie inside. “Thank you again for helping me with the dog today, I’m afraid he’s a bit more than I can handle sometimes.”
“Anytime,” Albus answered as he turned to go.
Minerva watched him until he turned the corner, a small smile playing about her lips. Maybe the next three weeks wouldn’t be as bad as she had thought.
The End
A/N: I'm hoping to continue this, so look for it under Romance soon.
