Post by ginger newts on Jan 4, 2005 1:17:06 GMT -5
I know the title doesn't quite fit, but that was the title of the challenge so I just used it. 
I Must Be Dreaming
As I lie here, looking at the man asleep beside me, I can’t help but think back to the moment that lead us here. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing that ever happened to me, I fell in love with Albus all over again that night. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning.
About six months ago, something changed between Albus and myself. For thirty years we had worked together and been very good friends. We both had interests in Transfiguration and I eventually succeeded him as the professor of Transfiguration here at Hogwarts where we are both employed. For years we have enjoyed spirited games of chess, each of us had finally found a worthy opponent in the other that we had not seen for many years. Even though he is eighty years my senior and has had many life opportunities I will never have, Albus always treated me as an equal, right from the start.
Looking back, I suppose I loved him from the beginning, I just never realized it. I was so happy to finally have one very good friend whom I knew I could count on no matter what happened. I had never trusted any one implicitly before Albus and the thought of anything more than friendship just never crossed my mind. Not until that night six months ago when he made me blush over our chess game. I could never explain it now, there was just something about the way he looked at me over the board and then our eyes locked and I couldn’t tear mine away even though I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. A few minutes later, his fingers brushed over mine as we put away the pieces and I couldn’t be certain whether it was accidentally or on purpose.
As I left that night he walked me to the door as always and when he lifted my hand to his lips for a kiss, again as always, our eyes met again over my hand and before I knew what had happened I had leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Even with his thick white beard covering most of his face I could see that he was blushing, but he was also smiling. When he told me good night a moment later, his voice was barely more than a whisper as though my tiny gesture of affection had taken it away.
After that night, there were several times when we acted like nervous teenagers around each other. Mutual attraction and affection had been established and we were still being shy about taking it any further. Not out of fear, mind you, I believe it was just an uncertainty as to how to proceed. We continued as friends for a time, but there was much more flirting and blushing and many accidental-on purpose touches under the table in the Great Hall or while meeting in his office. Finally, one evening after a chess game Albus walked me to the door, but he did not open it. When I looked up at him to question why I saw it in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment and then leaned forward and kissed me ever so softly. It was over before it began and neither of us made a move to deepen it or to kiss again, but it had finally been spoken without words.
In the months following that kiss our evenings of tea and chess became more date like and always ended with kisses. We spoke to each other of many things that somehow we had never covered before in our long friendship and I was amazed to find that we had grown even closer. I had not thought that possible. With a school to run and nearly a thousand students to oversee, a quarter of them in my own house, we did not have much time for romance. There were no candlelight dinners under the moon, no evenings out dancing in our best robes or picnics in the park. Instead we danced late at night in my sitting room, played chess or sat and talked in front of a fire, and played footsie while we discussed school business. Perhaps to some it sounds a weak romance and certainly not one to write a book about, but for us it was heavenly.
Each evening I would go to bed with a feeling of warmth and happiness, knowing I had finally found the love I had given up on as a young woman. Though the words had not been spoken I knew that Albus loved me by the way he treated me and I knew that I loved him, how could I not have. He is truly the best person I have ever known, so compassionate and kind and a perfect gentleman. Albus is so depended on by other wizards and witches in our world and while he takes it in stride and is a wonderful leader, I know that sometimes the constant demands on his time as well as the praise and admiration have grown old for him.
My love once saved our world from a terrible evil and ever since then he has been treated as a savior, which he despises. He has only ever done what he felt was the right thing to do and has always attempted to lead the children in our care to do the same. Albus is often called the greatest wizard of our time and I know that to be true, but not for the reasons everyone believes. It is because of his heart and his wisdom, not because of the deeds he has done. But I digress, forgive me.
Sometime during the third month of our casual courtship the school year ended and the students returned home for the summer. Albus and I enjoyed our new freedom to have picnics by the lake during the day and our first dinners outside the castle. One night he took me to London, to a lovely Muggle restaurant with a band that played music from the 1940's. We spent several wonderful hours dining and dancing, it was a magical night. Unfortunately, when we returned to the castle there was an urgent summons from my family. I had to leave immediately for my parents’ house in the Highlands. No one had died and I didn’t know what could be the matter, but as much as Albus insisted I would not allow him to accompany me. The McGonagalls can be overwhelming at best and that’s putting it mildly.
Not knowing how long I would be gone, I packed a bag with enough clothes for a week, thinking I would be able to return for a few hours if I needed more. Albus walked with me out to the edge of the school grounds so that I could apparate home, still insisting he come with me. I forcefully declined, kissed him goodbye, and apparated into the chaos of the McGonagall clan. Two hours later I had finally managed to exert some order over the gaggle of cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, brothers, and sisters that I am unfortunate enough to call family and had found out the source of the trouble. Why they tore me away from the most romantic night of my life to attend this so-called crisis was beyond me, perhaps because I’m one of the few that can keep a cool head and get anyone to listen to me.
It turned out that my cousin Katherine had eloped with a Muggle of questionable reputation. My aunt came to my father for help and called in the rest of their brothers for their opinion. As the baby of their family and the only girl, Aunt Meghan has always been dependent on the rest of them. When my uncles left to go to my parents’ home their children found out, all the boys wanted to go out and find Katherine’s new husband while the girls tagged along after trying to stop them. Well, I shouldn’t say boys and girls, many of them are older than my sixty-five years. My mother had called me in to help assert order as she knew I would do immediately, she cannot deal with the McGonagalls when they are in an uproar and I do not blame her. To say that I was annoyed at having been called for such a matter would have been putting it lightly and I attempted to leave as soon as everyone was quiet and talking calmly. Unfortunately, my luck was not that good.
I Must Be Dreaming
As I lie here, looking at the man asleep beside me, I can’t help but think back to the moment that lead us here. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing that ever happened to me, I fell in love with Albus all over again that night. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning.
About six months ago, something changed between Albus and myself. For thirty years we had worked together and been very good friends. We both had interests in Transfiguration and I eventually succeeded him as the professor of Transfiguration here at Hogwarts where we are both employed. For years we have enjoyed spirited games of chess, each of us had finally found a worthy opponent in the other that we had not seen for many years. Even though he is eighty years my senior and has had many life opportunities I will never have, Albus always treated me as an equal, right from the start.
Looking back, I suppose I loved him from the beginning, I just never realized it. I was so happy to finally have one very good friend whom I knew I could count on no matter what happened. I had never trusted any one implicitly before Albus and the thought of anything more than friendship just never crossed my mind. Not until that night six months ago when he made me blush over our chess game. I could never explain it now, there was just something about the way he looked at me over the board and then our eyes locked and I couldn’t tear mine away even though I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. A few minutes later, his fingers brushed over mine as we put away the pieces and I couldn’t be certain whether it was accidentally or on purpose.
As I left that night he walked me to the door as always and when he lifted my hand to his lips for a kiss, again as always, our eyes met again over my hand and before I knew what had happened I had leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Even with his thick white beard covering most of his face I could see that he was blushing, but he was also smiling. When he told me good night a moment later, his voice was barely more than a whisper as though my tiny gesture of affection had taken it away.
After that night, there were several times when we acted like nervous teenagers around each other. Mutual attraction and affection had been established and we were still being shy about taking it any further. Not out of fear, mind you, I believe it was just an uncertainty as to how to proceed. We continued as friends for a time, but there was much more flirting and blushing and many accidental-on purpose touches under the table in the Great Hall or while meeting in his office. Finally, one evening after a chess game Albus walked me to the door, but he did not open it. When I looked up at him to question why I saw it in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment and then leaned forward and kissed me ever so softly. It was over before it began and neither of us made a move to deepen it or to kiss again, but it had finally been spoken without words.
In the months following that kiss our evenings of tea and chess became more date like and always ended with kisses. We spoke to each other of many things that somehow we had never covered before in our long friendship and I was amazed to find that we had grown even closer. I had not thought that possible. With a school to run and nearly a thousand students to oversee, a quarter of them in my own house, we did not have much time for romance. There were no candlelight dinners under the moon, no evenings out dancing in our best robes or picnics in the park. Instead we danced late at night in my sitting room, played chess or sat and talked in front of a fire, and played footsie while we discussed school business. Perhaps to some it sounds a weak romance and certainly not one to write a book about, but for us it was heavenly.
Each evening I would go to bed with a feeling of warmth and happiness, knowing I had finally found the love I had given up on as a young woman. Though the words had not been spoken I knew that Albus loved me by the way he treated me and I knew that I loved him, how could I not have. He is truly the best person I have ever known, so compassionate and kind and a perfect gentleman. Albus is so depended on by other wizards and witches in our world and while he takes it in stride and is a wonderful leader, I know that sometimes the constant demands on his time as well as the praise and admiration have grown old for him.
My love once saved our world from a terrible evil and ever since then he has been treated as a savior, which he despises. He has only ever done what he felt was the right thing to do and has always attempted to lead the children in our care to do the same. Albus is often called the greatest wizard of our time and I know that to be true, but not for the reasons everyone believes. It is because of his heart and his wisdom, not because of the deeds he has done. But I digress, forgive me.
Sometime during the third month of our casual courtship the school year ended and the students returned home for the summer. Albus and I enjoyed our new freedom to have picnics by the lake during the day and our first dinners outside the castle. One night he took me to London, to a lovely Muggle restaurant with a band that played music from the 1940's. We spent several wonderful hours dining and dancing, it was a magical night. Unfortunately, when we returned to the castle there was an urgent summons from my family. I had to leave immediately for my parents’ house in the Highlands. No one had died and I didn’t know what could be the matter, but as much as Albus insisted I would not allow him to accompany me. The McGonagalls can be overwhelming at best and that’s putting it mildly.
Not knowing how long I would be gone, I packed a bag with enough clothes for a week, thinking I would be able to return for a few hours if I needed more. Albus walked with me out to the edge of the school grounds so that I could apparate home, still insisting he come with me. I forcefully declined, kissed him goodbye, and apparated into the chaos of the McGonagall clan. Two hours later I had finally managed to exert some order over the gaggle of cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, brothers, and sisters that I am unfortunate enough to call family and had found out the source of the trouble. Why they tore me away from the most romantic night of my life to attend this so-called crisis was beyond me, perhaps because I’m one of the few that can keep a cool head and get anyone to listen to me.
It turned out that my cousin Katherine had eloped with a Muggle of questionable reputation. My aunt came to my father for help and called in the rest of their brothers for their opinion. As the baby of their family and the only girl, Aunt Meghan has always been dependent on the rest of them. When my uncles left to go to my parents’ home their children found out, all the boys wanted to go out and find Katherine’s new husband while the girls tagged along after trying to stop them. Well, I shouldn’t say boys and girls, many of them are older than my sixty-five years. My mother had called me in to help assert order as she knew I would do immediately, she cannot deal with the McGonagalls when they are in an uproar and I do not blame her. To say that I was annoyed at having been called for such a matter would have been putting it lightly and I attempted to leave as soon as everyone was quiet and talking calmly. Unfortunately, my luck was not that good.
. Such a damn cute story, and I love how you wrote it from Minerva's PoV.
Great story!
