Post by Hogwarts Duo on Sept 21, 2005 11:07:38 GMT -5
Summary: Why is it that most men (and notice I didn’t say All men here 
) never read the instructions before trying to assemble something? Oh well…here’s my response to Alex’s challenge! And might I add what a fun time I had in answering this one. Thanks for the laughs. 
Rating: Happy Reading To All!
Dedicated to my little "Muffin"
Christmas had always been a magical time for Albus Dumbledore. He loved the sights, the sounds, the smells, and all the tiny decorations that seemed to glimmer with a special brilliance. And ever since he had married Minerva McGonagall, his days just seemed to get better and better but nothing could top the feeling he had when he looked at their little girl.
Sara Elizabeth McGonagall Dumbledore was the apple of her father’s eye. She had inherited his amazing smile and charm but her looks were distinctly from her mother, which only endeared her more to him. All she had to do was flash him a grin and his world turned upside down. He had never known that life could be this wonderful and he thanked the gods above for giving him two magnificent gifts…his wife and his only daughter.
For that reason alone, Albus always went out of his way at Christmas to make it as exciting as humanly possible for his little lass. Minerva often chided him about spoiling their daughter but he paid her little attention. His response would often be that children should be allowed to be young and enjoy their youth and who better to teach her the secrets of childhood than someone who was still living his. But this year was going to be the best Christmas yet, for Sara had turned two in October and for the first time, she would truly be able to experience the joys of Christmas morning.
For weeks and weeks, Albus struggled with what Father Christmas should leave his little lass beneath the tree and he and Minerva had gone shopping on more than one occasion, only to come back empty handed. Finally, the perfect idea came to him and he rushed to Minerva’s office to share his brilliant idea.
“A wagon? A little red wagon?” Minerva looked at him skeptically. “And just where would she be able to enjoy this muggle contraption?”
“Think of it Tabby! We could take her on little walks in her wagon around the grounds or even in the house. She could ride with her little kitten and she could transport her dolls from one place to another. There are lots of uses for it and you could even charm it to move on its own. We wouldn’t even have to pull it if we didn’t want to, though I can’t imagine not wanting to interact with her.”
“Your heart is really set on this isn’t it?” His fierce nod confirmed what her heart already knew. “Then why are you still standing here talking to me? You should apparate to London in search of this ‘little red wagon’ and make sure you have them put it together for you! Remember what happened when you decided to build her cradle.”
“Why must you always bring that up, Tabby? I told you that the instructions were incorrect and it was no fault of my own. I’m just glad that Sara wasn’t in the cradle when it collapsed.” Albus always turned defensive whenever Minerva mentioned the cradle incident. They had both been horrified when the tiny bed crumbled but were more thankful that their precious little girl had not been inside. Minerva had watched him assembling it, without bothering to look at the instructions, and she had warned him more than once about the dangers of such an oversight. However, being the man that he is, he charged right ahead and disregarded the building plans. Thus, the reason for the collapse, at least in her mind.
Minerva kissed her husband softly on the lips. “Hurry back sweetheart! Otherwise Sara will start to ask for you and you know how she gets when you aren’t around to play with her in the afternoons. Nothing I do can appease her.”
“Ah, but my dear you know she is a mummy’s girl at heart as well. After all, it isn’t me she likes to have rock her to sleep every night. And it’s not her dear Papa that she runs to when she falls down.” Albus drew his lovely wife into a tight hug, holding her close to his body as he once again sent up thanks for his small family.
“Albus, if you don’t go now, I may not let you go at all,” she teased pressing a light kiss to his neck. He released her reluctantly and flashed her an alluring smile coupled with a wink. With a giggle, which seemed to bubble up from the very bottom of her heart, she patted him on the bottom and pinched him playfully. “Hurry back sweetheart!”
Several hours later Albus returned and seemed to be walking on air. After putting Sara to bed and making sure she was fast asleep, Albus removed a rather small box from his pocket and set it on the floor. With a wave of his wand, the box began to grow and grow until it returned to the normal size.
“I thought you were getting her a wagon. What’s this?”
“This is the wagon, my dear. It’s just in pieces.” He had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, one that caused Minerva to be highly concerned. It didn’t take long for Albus to notice the uneasiness that settled in Minerva’s emerald green eyes. “Don’t worry Tabby. I’ll have it put together before you know it and it will be all ready for our little lass when she wakes up in the morning.”
Albus’ twinkling blue eyes seemed to take on a far away look as he slipped into a daydream. He was imagining his little girl waking up before the sunrise and excitedly making her way into their bedroom and jumping into their bed. He could even feel her tiny hands on his face as she tried to wake him, though in reality he had been awake since she had first opened the door. He could hear her giggles as he tickled her and even better still, he could hear Minerva’s melodic laughter as father and daughter both kissed her good morning on Christmas Day.
“Albus…Albus Dumbledore!” Minerva’s voice seemed to snap him back from his wonderful daydream. “You do realize that Sara will be up before we even get settled in bed good and even though I adore you, I hope you’re planning to assemble this wagon using magic instead of the muggle way.”
“Absolutely not! This is a muggle toy and for once I want to do things the old fashioned way…the muggle way. Besides, I read the box and it said ‘easy assembly’ on the outside so how hard could it really be? If you want, you can go ahead to bed and I’ll be in shortly.”
“No, I’d much rather spend my Christmas Eve with you, just like we have done for years. And if you get done in time, maybe we can share a quiet cuddle and a glass of wine in front of the fire before we slip into bed for a few hours of sleep.” Minerva’s eyes darkened and Albus felt his pulse begin to race. He knew that look all too well and it gave him an added incentive to work quickly to see that the wagon was put together in record time. “I’ll just sit here and read my book while you work on the toy.”
The clock in their sitting room chimed half past eleven that night when Albus put the finishing touches on the wagon and smiled proudly. “Isn’t it beautiful, Min? And I did it in record time too,” he boasted.
Minerva put her book down on the side table and looked over her glasses at the little red wagon now assembled in front of the fireplace. “Albus, it looks wonderful. You did an excellent job. I’m proud of you sweetheart,” she said kissing him gently on the lips.
“And you said I’d need the directions!” he added as the kiss ended. “I told you it was simple enough that I didn’t need their help.” He stood up and grasped the handle firmly and started to pull it a small distance to show his adoring wife how easily it moved across their carpeted floor. But as soon as he gave a gentle tug, the entire thing crumbled, much like the cradle incident from a few years ago.
With a look of absolute horror etched on her face, Minerva tried hard not to imagine what it would have been like if Sara had seen the wagon fall to pieces before her very eyes. “What was that you were saying about the directions, Albus?” Minerva reached behind him and picked up the crumpled piece of paper, handing it to him. “Perhaps you’d like to take a look at these and then try again. After all, your time is slipping away and if you aren’t careful, Sara will learn the truth about Father Christmas before we’re ready.”
“Minerva, I appreciate your concern but I honestly don’t need their suggestions on how to put this little thing together. I must have just forgotten to tighten some of the bolts which hold the thing together. It will only take me half an hour to put all this back together and get everything tightened properly. Then we can have that wine and cuddle. In the meantime, why don’t you go take a hot bath with that delicious smelling honeysuckle oil that I love so much,” he finished with a wiggling of his eyebrows.
) never read the instructions before trying to assemble something? Oh well…here’s my response to Alex’s challenge! And might I add what a fun time I had in answering this one. Thanks for the laughs. 
Rating: Happy Reading To All!
Dedicated to my little "Muffin"
Christmas had always been a magical time for Albus Dumbledore. He loved the sights, the sounds, the smells, and all the tiny decorations that seemed to glimmer with a special brilliance. And ever since he had married Minerva McGonagall, his days just seemed to get better and better but nothing could top the feeling he had when he looked at their little girl.
Sara Elizabeth McGonagall Dumbledore was the apple of her father’s eye. She had inherited his amazing smile and charm but her looks were distinctly from her mother, which only endeared her more to him. All she had to do was flash him a grin and his world turned upside down. He had never known that life could be this wonderful and he thanked the gods above for giving him two magnificent gifts…his wife and his only daughter.
For that reason alone, Albus always went out of his way at Christmas to make it as exciting as humanly possible for his little lass. Minerva often chided him about spoiling their daughter but he paid her little attention. His response would often be that children should be allowed to be young and enjoy their youth and who better to teach her the secrets of childhood than someone who was still living his. But this year was going to be the best Christmas yet, for Sara had turned two in October and for the first time, she would truly be able to experience the joys of Christmas morning.
For weeks and weeks, Albus struggled with what Father Christmas should leave his little lass beneath the tree and he and Minerva had gone shopping on more than one occasion, only to come back empty handed. Finally, the perfect idea came to him and he rushed to Minerva’s office to share his brilliant idea.
“A wagon? A little red wagon?” Minerva looked at him skeptically. “And just where would she be able to enjoy this muggle contraption?”
“Think of it Tabby! We could take her on little walks in her wagon around the grounds or even in the house. She could ride with her little kitten and she could transport her dolls from one place to another. There are lots of uses for it and you could even charm it to move on its own. We wouldn’t even have to pull it if we didn’t want to, though I can’t imagine not wanting to interact with her.”
“Your heart is really set on this isn’t it?” His fierce nod confirmed what her heart already knew. “Then why are you still standing here talking to me? You should apparate to London in search of this ‘little red wagon’ and make sure you have them put it together for you! Remember what happened when you decided to build her cradle.”
“Why must you always bring that up, Tabby? I told you that the instructions were incorrect and it was no fault of my own. I’m just glad that Sara wasn’t in the cradle when it collapsed.” Albus always turned defensive whenever Minerva mentioned the cradle incident. They had both been horrified when the tiny bed crumbled but were more thankful that their precious little girl had not been inside. Minerva had watched him assembling it, without bothering to look at the instructions, and she had warned him more than once about the dangers of such an oversight. However, being the man that he is, he charged right ahead and disregarded the building plans. Thus, the reason for the collapse, at least in her mind.
Minerva kissed her husband softly on the lips. “Hurry back sweetheart! Otherwise Sara will start to ask for you and you know how she gets when you aren’t around to play with her in the afternoons. Nothing I do can appease her.”
“Ah, but my dear you know she is a mummy’s girl at heart as well. After all, it isn’t me she likes to have rock her to sleep every night. And it’s not her dear Papa that she runs to when she falls down.” Albus drew his lovely wife into a tight hug, holding her close to his body as he once again sent up thanks for his small family.
“Albus, if you don’t go now, I may not let you go at all,” she teased pressing a light kiss to his neck. He released her reluctantly and flashed her an alluring smile coupled with a wink. With a giggle, which seemed to bubble up from the very bottom of her heart, she patted him on the bottom and pinched him playfully. “Hurry back sweetheart!”
Several hours later Albus returned and seemed to be walking on air. After putting Sara to bed and making sure she was fast asleep, Albus removed a rather small box from his pocket and set it on the floor. With a wave of his wand, the box began to grow and grow until it returned to the normal size.
“I thought you were getting her a wagon. What’s this?”
“This is the wagon, my dear. It’s just in pieces.” He had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, one that caused Minerva to be highly concerned. It didn’t take long for Albus to notice the uneasiness that settled in Minerva’s emerald green eyes. “Don’t worry Tabby. I’ll have it put together before you know it and it will be all ready for our little lass when she wakes up in the morning.”
Albus’ twinkling blue eyes seemed to take on a far away look as he slipped into a daydream. He was imagining his little girl waking up before the sunrise and excitedly making her way into their bedroom and jumping into their bed. He could even feel her tiny hands on his face as she tried to wake him, though in reality he had been awake since she had first opened the door. He could hear her giggles as he tickled her and even better still, he could hear Minerva’s melodic laughter as father and daughter both kissed her good morning on Christmas Day.
“Albus…Albus Dumbledore!” Minerva’s voice seemed to snap him back from his wonderful daydream. “You do realize that Sara will be up before we even get settled in bed good and even though I adore you, I hope you’re planning to assemble this wagon using magic instead of the muggle way.”
“Absolutely not! This is a muggle toy and for once I want to do things the old fashioned way…the muggle way. Besides, I read the box and it said ‘easy assembly’ on the outside so how hard could it really be? If you want, you can go ahead to bed and I’ll be in shortly.”
“No, I’d much rather spend my Christmas Eve with you, just like we have done for years. And if you get done in time, maybe we can share a quiet cuddle and a glass of wine in front of the fire before we slip into bed for a few hours of sleep.” Minerva’s eyes darkened and Albus felt his pulse begin to race. He knew that look all too well and it gave him an added incentive to work quickly to see that the wagon was put together in record time. “I’ll just sit here and read my book while you work on the toy.”
The clock in their sitting room chimed half past eleven that night when Albus put the finishing touches on the wagon and smiled proudly. “Isn’t it beautiful, Min? And I did it in record time too,” he boasted.
Minerva put her book down on the side table and looked over her glasses at the little red wagon now assembled in front of the fireplace. “Albus, it looks wonderful. You did an excellent job. I’m proud of you sweetheart,” she said kissing him gently on the lips.
“And you said I’d need the directions!” he added as the kiss ended. “I told you it was simple enough that I didn’t need their help.” He stood up and grasped the handle firmly and started to pull it a small distance to show his adoring wife how easily it moved across their carpeted floor. But as soon as he gave a gentle tug, the entire thing crumbled, much like the cradle incident from a few years ago.
With a look of absolute horror etched on her face, Minerva tried hard not to imagine what it would have been like if Sara had seen the wagon fall to pieces before her very eyes. “What was that you were saying about the directions, Albus?” Minerva reached behind him and picked up the crumpled piece of paper, handing it to him. “Perhaps you’d like to take a look at these and then try again. After all, your time is slipping away and if you aren’t careful, Sara will learn the truth about Father Christmas before we’re ready.”
“Minerva, I appreciate your concern but I honestly don’t need their suggestions on how to put this little thing together. I must have just forgotten to tighten some of the bolts which hold the thing together. It will only take me half an hour to put all this back together and get everything tightened properly. Then we can have that wine and cuddle. In the meantime, why don’t you go take a hot bath with that delicious smelling honeysuckle oil that I love so much,” he finished with a wiggling of his eyebrows.
