Post by QuillofMinerva on Nov 22, 2005 6:30:03 GMT -5
The First Kiss
This does answer the challenge set but it takes a while getting there so please bare with me. This hasn't been beta read so sorry if there are mistakes. Thank you.
Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall sat on the couch in front of the roaring fire, savouring the alone time they had finally got together. Albus sat with an arm draped around Minerva while she was snuggled into him, her head resting upon his chest. Soft chamber music was on in the background and candle flames flickered in the slight breeze that came from the small gap in the bay window that looked out on to the lake.
“This is nice isn’t it my love!” said Albus before planting a kiss on the top of her head “Just like old times.”
Minerva looked up at her husband of twenty years and smiled before answering.
“Just like old time.” She repeated
“Maybe we should make the most of it while we can.” Albus suggested, his blue eyes twinkling brightly.
Minerva simply smiled and swung her legs from beneath her, her feet touched the floor and she gracefully stood up, offering her small hand to her husband. Albus reached up and was about to pull her back down on top of him when the door to their living room swung open and a flash of auburn and black bolted past them. Albus and Minerva both watched as the person who had interrupted their evening ran into the nearest room and slammed the door shut. Albus had expected to the door to slam and had cast a silencing charm on it; he didn’t want the sound of a slamming door imprinted in his bed later than night.
“Well that puts an end to our quiet night in!” observed Albus with a sigh.
“Not an end darling,” Minerva replied, “we might have to wait for a while.”
Minerva brushed her robes down and straightened her hair, it had become slightly messy after being curled up against her husbands chest. She walked over to the door and knocked gently, she looked over at Albus and beckoned him over as well.
“Aurora,” she called.
“Go away!” came the muffled reply from inside the room.
“Ro,” said Albus, coming to the door and speaking softly “are you okay honey!”
The door opened slowly and Albus and Minerva came face to face with green puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. The girl who looked no older than fifteen sniffed and then wrapped her arms around Albus and buried herself into his chest; she sobbed slightly and reached out for Minerva’s hand.
“What happened?” asked Minerva softly as she took the hand and squeezed it gently.
“It all went wrong Mumma,” came the tiny voice from against Albus’ chest “it wasn’t meant to happen like that.”
“What darling?” questioned Minerva as she looked over at Albus who was looking rather confused.
The girl shook her head and refused to tell either Minerva or Albus what had happened. They asked her a series of questions to try and determine what could be the matter but they were answered with a shake of the head and a frustrated sigh.
“Is it something to do with Ryan?” asked Minerva, trying the last subject she could think of that would make her daughter cry.
“Yes!” came a wail that surprised both Albus and Minerva.
Albus pushed Aurora away from his chest and looked down into her tear filled eyes, they were just like her mothers, the same emerald green with flecks of blue in and they could convey so many feelings in their depths. He placed one his hands under her skin and tipped her head up slightly.
“Treacle what has he done?” he asked.
Aurora brushed bright red and looked over at Minerva, asking for help.
“Maybe darling,” said Minerva looking at Albus “it’s mother and daughter time for a wee moment, why don’t you fix us some hot chocolate and that is bound to bring a smile to your daughters face.”
“Daddy,” she said softly, using that term of endearment for the first time in ages “can I have sprinkles?”
Albus kissed his daughter’s forehead and nodded, he ruffled her hair slightly and that earnt slight scowl from Aurora and then went off to fix them all a mug of his famous hot chocolate. Aurora led her mother into her bedroom and then flaked out on her head, hugging her pillow to her. Minerva sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her only daughter, she didn’t plan on pushing her daughter into telling her what had happened but she hoped with gentle questioning, Aurora might divulge what had. Minerva didn’t have to ask anything because Aurora started talking, all the time looking down at her hands and refusing to look her mother in the eye.
“Ryan and I were in the library,” she began “we were talking about transfiguration and he mentioned how much he likes your classes, he thinks you are cool because you can change into a cat.”
Minerva smiled and nodded; she had known that Ryan Groban had a talent and a thirst for knowledge when it came to all things Transfiguration. He was the top of his class in the subject and had shown interest in pursuing the subject as a possible career when he left Hogwarts. Minerva had also known of her daughter’s growing attachment to the sixth year Gryffindor and had encouraged their friendship, Ryan was a nice boy from a nice family and Minerva knew that he could be trusted.
“He offered to walk me back to the common room,” carried on Aurora “he was going that way anyway so I thought it rather silly to ask but that’s Ryan. He carried my books and even held my hand Mumma, it felt so nice.”
Minerva smiled at her daughter; she remembered the feeling when someone she liked had first held her hand. John Newman had been in her advanced potions class and he had been her study partner for charms. He was a handsome Ravenclaw that was also on the Quidditch team, he played keeper and quite a few girls liked him. He would hold her hand in study hall and along the corridor when ever they were together and Minerva had enjoyed the feeling immensely.
“We reached the portrait,” said Aurora breaking into her mother’s thoughts “the fat lady wasn’t there. Anne Boylin told us she was off drinking with the old hag down the corridor.”
Minerva made a mental note to speak to the fat lady and remind that she shouldn’t leave her post.
“We were talking,” continued Aurora and then he kissed me and my foot didn’t pop!”
Minerva looked at her daughter in surprise; she had no idea what she had meant by her foot not popping. Minerva presumed that it must have been a new term used by the students to describe kissing.
“It was all wet and horrible,” sobbed Aurora “and he bit my lip!”
Minerva pulled her daughter into her arms and hugged her tightly; her hands rubbed up and down her back as she rocked her slightly. First kisses were never very nice; they were full of nerves and inexperience. First kisses tended to happen because everyone else seemed to be doing it and you were teased if you didn’t, Minerva had never been one to cave into peer pressure while at school but she had kissed John because of it and regretted instantly.
“Aurora,” she said softly “first kisses are meant to be like that darling!”
“Yours and Dad’s wasn’t” sobbed Aurora “Dad said it was amazing.”
Minerva chuckled to herself, she remembered their first kiss and she wouldn’t have exactly called it amazing. It could have been if it hadn’t been for Hagrid’s mixed punch though.
“You talked to your father about kissing?” asked Minerva.
“Urgh,” said Aurora winkling her nose up “not kissing, I can’t talk to my dad about stuff like that. He will tease me Mumma. I don’t know how it came up in conversation but he always told me stories about you both. I wanted it to be like your first kiss with dad.”
“Darling, we both know that your Dad is a wonderful story teller,” began Minerva “in reality our first kiss was terrible.”
Aurora looked at her mother, her eyes begging her mother to tell her more about their kiss. Her mother rarely went into detail about her relationship with her husband, as a young child Aurora remembered her mother being wary of public displays of affection but that was down to the fact that she had to keep her relationship secret. Minerva had always been loving to Aurora and in Aurora’s mind, there was nothing like a cuddle from your mother. Aurora had watched her parents together and had seen the love between them through the years, they were passionate towards one another but knew to tone it down when she was around. While her father would tell Aurora how they met and about their wedding, her mother would simply sit and listen to him tell the stories with a smile on her face.
“How was it terrible?” asked Aurora
“Well you know,” began Minerva “that we had come back from a staff party, Hagrid was celebrating his first year here as gamekeeper and your father, ever one for a party suggested we throw one for Hagrid.”
Aurora had heard all this before, her father had told this story hundreds of times but it seemed different as her mother retold it.
“We had all had slightly a bit too much punch,” she continued “Hagrid is known for his strange concoctions when it comes to liquor. Your father walked me back to my rooms and we were outside my door when he summoned the courage to finally kiss me after a few months of courting.”
Aurora smiled, she had always assumed her father was the bravest man in the world; he had led her to believe that in some ways.
“Our lips brushed against one another’s,” Minerva said with a smile “and then I suddenly came overwhelmed with nausea. I pulled back, walked back into the door and was promptly sick over his brand new shoes.”
Aurora clapped her hands over her mouth and tried to conceal a giggle, she couldn’t believe what her mother had just told her. The story was very different from the one her father had told her and a lot funnier. She couldn’t believe her mother had been sick over her fathers shoes, she had never known her mother to be sick.
“Oh Mumma!”
“I know!” said Minerva with a smile “See, first kisses are never perfect!”
“But second kisses are!” said Albus as he walked into the bedroom with three cups of hot chocolate trailing behind him.
THE END
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