Post by ginger newts on Aug 30, 2004 15:50:46 GMT -5
“I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall.”
~~~~~~
The Comfort of Your Arms
~Chapter 1
An hour after they left Harry Potter on his relatives’ doorstep, Minerva McGonagall made her way to the Headmaster’s office. When he called for her to come in, she entered to find him sitting slumped in an arm chair and staring into the fire. She silently walked over to him and pressed a mug of hot chocolate into his hands before perching on the arm of his chair. Albus looked so old and tired, not at all his usual happy self and his blue eyes weren’t twinkling tonight. It broke Minerva’s heart to see her dearest friend this way. Albus took the chocolate and patted her knee softly in thanks, but didn’t drink it. He just kept watching the flames dancing in front of him.
Sighing inwardly at his reluctance to talk about troubling matters, Minerva hesitantly wrapped an arm around Albus’ shoulders. ‘And he thinks I’m closed off,’ she thought. “Albus, talk to me.”
He finally looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Minerva. How are you holding up?”
This time Minerva sighed out loud. He was trying to comfort her when he was just as upset, if not more so. “I’m fine, Albus. I didn’t come here to talk about me,” she fixed him with a pointed look that said ‘start talking, mister.’
Albus breathed deeply, as if stifling a sigh, and took Minerva completely by surprise by wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning against her. “Thank you for coming, I wasn’t looking forward to being alone tonight.” There was a pause and then, “You still don’t think I did the right thing, do you?”
Recovering from the shock of the close contact and trying not to think about the way her stomach was fluttering, Minerva closed her eyes for a moment before answering. “You did what you felt was best, Albus. I won’t lie, I do have reservations about these Dursleys, but Harry will be safe there and if you say it’s his best option then I’m sure it is.”
Albus nodded slowly, his head brushing against Minerva’s shoulder. In a bold move, she cradled his head in her hand and wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, stroking her fingers through his long white hair. Albus managed to surprise Minerva yet again by bringing his other hand around to her hip and turning her to face him. She was still seated on the arm of the chair, but her legs were now tucked into the chair beside Albus and his face was pressed into the front of her robes. They had never been this close before, Minerva began arguing violently with herself, her common sense trying to reason with the little hopeful voice in the back of her mind.
‘He’s just distressed about leaving Harry Potter with those people, he needs comfort, it would be the same with anyone else. But would it? You are his closest friend, maybe he feels more than friendship. No, how can I even be thinking about that now, this is not the right time. Why oh why did it take a tragedy to bring Albus into my arms? I wish my stomach would stop flip-flopping.’ These were the thoughts swimming through her head in a circular pattern. One part of her trying to convince herself that this was just a time when a good friend needed comfort, the other part arguing that Albus Dumbledore would never sit like this with just anybody and it had to mean something more. Then Minerva noticed a small wet spot was forming on the front of her robes, Albus was crying. Bringing her consciousness back to the room, she realized she was crying too. Tears were running silently down her face and coming to rest in Albus’ hair, and she had turned her head so that her cheek was resting against the top of his head.
They sat there holding each other and crying silently for a long time, not needing words to explain to each other what they were thinking and feeling about that night’s events. After fifty-odd years of friendship they rarely needed words to communicate with each other anyway, sometimes it was as if they could read each other’s minds. Other people would tease them when they finished each other’s sentences and passed objects yet to be asked for, "like an old married couple" they would say. Minerva always smiled and laughed along with them, but on the inside she felt a new cut to her heart each time it was spoken. She had been in love with Albus for years, but had never spoken of it, convinced that he would never return her feelings. It was impossible to determine the exact moment she had fallen in love with him, but it had permeated their entire friendship, consuming her more and more as the years went by. So many times during this war with Voldemort she had come close to confessing, thinking that she had to tell him before something terrible happened and she lost her chance, but each time she had lost her nerve or they had been interrupted. Perhaps the time had finally come. Minerva knew she would never be able to forget the feeling of Albus’ arms around her waist, or how easy it was to hold him close. It would be painful to carry on a purely platonic friendship after tonight.
Unbeknownst to Minerva, Albus had also loved her for many years. Ever since she returned to Hogwarts as a teacher, in fact, but he never spoke of it to anyone because he believed it was completely inappropriate for the staff to have romantic relationships. He also told himself that she could never love someone as old as he. Over the years, she had given him cause to hope on several occasions that she returned his affection, but the moments always passed as quickly as they came and he decided that it was wishful thinking. He was so glad she had come to him tonight, he desperately wanted her company but hadn’t been able to bring himself to go to her. Albus couldn’t believe the ease with which he found himself in her arms, or how right it felt, they just seemed to fit together somehow. He would certainly never have held anyone else like this, and he couldn’t think of a single other person in his life who would be holding him as tenderly as Minerva was not to mention stroking his hair. It was so comforting. Albus hadn’t had anyone hold him and take care of him since he was a very young boy, but this was nothing like his mother’s embrace, oh no this was much different. He realized he had been crying into Minerva’s chest when he felt her own tears on the top of his head. The time had definitely come to confess his feelings. Not right this moment, but soon. Albus knew he wouldn’t be able to keep silent after sharing a moment like this with Minerva, not when he would spend the rest of his life hoping for more times like this, not now that he knew just how nice it was to have her arms around him and for her to be in his arms. It was better than he had ever imagined.
Eventually, they both fell asleep, still holding on tight to each other.
~~~~~~
The Comfort of Your Arms
~Chapter 1
An hour after they left Harry Potter on his relatives’ doorstep, Minerva McGonagall made her way to the Headmaster’s office. When he called for her to come in, she entered to find him sitting slumped in an arm chair and staring into the fire. She silently walked over to him and pressed a mug of hot chocolate into his hands before perching on the arm of his chair. Albus looked so old and tired, not at all his usual happy self and his blue eyes weren’t twinkling tonight. It broke Minerva’s heart to see her dearest friend this way. Albus took the chocolate and patted her knee softly in thanks, but didn’t drink it. He just kept watching the flames dancing in front of him.
Sighing inwardly at his reluctance to talk about troubling matters, Minerva hesitantly wrapped an arm around Albus’ shoulders. ‘And he thinks I’m closed off,’ she thought. “Albus, talk to me.”
He finally looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Minerva. How are you holding up?”
This time Minerva sighed out loud. He was trying to comfort her when he was just as upset, if not more so. “I’m fine, Albus. I didn’t come here to talk about me,” she fixed him with a pointed look that said ‘start talking, mister.’
Albus breathed deeply, as if stifling a sigh, and took Minerva completely by surprise by wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning against her. “Thank you for coming, I wasn’t looking forward to being alone tonight.” There was a pause and then, “You still don’t think I did the right thing, do you?”
Recovering from the shock of the close contact and trying not to think about the way her stomach was fluttering, Minerva closed her eyes for a moment before answering. “You did what you felt was best, Albus. I won’t lie, I do have reservations about these Dursleys, but Harry will be safe there and if you say it’s his best option then I’m sure it is.”
Albus nodded slowly, his head brushing against Minerva’s shoulder. In a bold move, she cradled his head in her hand and wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, stroking her fingers through his long white hair. Albus managed to surprise Minerva yet again by bringing his other hand around to her hip and turning her to face him. She was still seated on the arm of the chair, but her legs were now tucked into the chair beside Albus and his face was pressed into the front of her robes. They had never been this close before, Minerva began arguing violently with herself, her common sense trying to reason with the little hopeful voice in the back of her mind.
‘He’s just distressed about leaving Harry Potter with those people, he needs comfort, it would be the same with anyone else. But would it? You are his closest friend, maybe he feels more than friendship. No, how can I even be thinking about that now, this is not the right time. Why oh why did it take a tragedy to bring Albus into my arms? I wish my stomach would stop flip-flopping.’ These were the thoughts swimming through her head in a circular pattern. One part of her trying to convince herself that this was just a time when a good friend needed comfort, the other part arguing that Albus Dumbledore would never sit like this with just anybody and it had to mean something more. Then Minerva noticed a small wet spot was forming on the front of her robes, Albus was crying. Bringing her consciousness back to the room, she realized she was crying too. Tears were running silently down her face and coming to rest in Albus’ hair, and she had turned her head so that her cheek was resting against the top of his head.
They sat there holding each other and crying silently for a long time, not needing words to explain to each other what they were thinking and feeling about that night’s events. After fifty-odd years of friendship they rarely needed words to communicate with each other anyway, sometimes it was as if they could read each other’s minds. Other people would tease them when they finished each other’s sentences and passed objects yet to be asked for, "like an old married couple" they would say. Minerva always smiled and laughed along with them, but on the inside she felt a new cut to her heart each time it was spoken. She had been in love with Albus for years, but had never spoken of it, convinced that he would never return her feelings. It was impossible to determine the exact moment she had fallen in love with him, but it had permeated their entire friendship, consuming her more and more as the years went by. So many times during this war with Voldemort she had come close to confessing, thinking that she had to tell him before something terrible happened and she lost her chance, but each time she had lost her nerve or they had been interrupted. Perhaps the time had finally come. Minerva knew she would never be able to forget the feeling of Albus’ arms around her waist, or how easy it was to hold him close. It would be painful to carry on a purely platonic friendship after tonight.
Unbeknownst to Minerva, Albus had also loved her for many years. Ever since she returned to Hogwarts as a teacher, in fact, but he never spoke of it to anyone because he believed it was completely inappropriate for the staff to have romantic relationships. He also told himself that she could never love someone as old as he. Over the years, she had given him cause to hope on several occasions that she returned his affection, but the moments always passed as quickly as they came and he decided that it was wishful thinking. He was so glad she had come to him tonight, he desperately wanted her company but hadn’t been able to bring himself to go to her. Albus couldn’t believe the ease with which he found himself in her arms, or how right it felt, they just seemed to fit together somehow. He would certainly never have held anyone else like this, and he couldn’t think of a single other person in his life who would be holding him as tenderly as Minerva was not to mention stroking his hair. It was so comforting. Albus hadn’t had anyone hold him and take care of him since he was a very young boy, but this was nothing like his mother’s embrace, oh no this was much different. He realized he had been crying into Minerva’s chest when he felt her own tears on the top of his head. The time had definitely come to confess his feelings. Not right this moment, but soon. Albus knew he wouldn’t be able to keep silent after sharing a moment like this with Minerva, not when he would spend the rest of his life hoping for more times like this, not now that he knew just how nice it was to have her arms around him and for her to be in his arms. It was better than he had ever imagined.
Eventually, they both fell asleep, still holding on tight to each other.
Oh, how sweet!! This is very nicely written. I can't wait for more. Such wonderful way to start the day!
? Sooooo romantic....