Ceilidh

[QuillofMinerva]

Ceilidh.

Disclaimer: Sadly Minerva, Albus and Hogwarts do not belong to me.

Summary: Minerva introduces the love of her life, Albus, to her family at their yearly Ceilidh dance.

A/N: This is my new chapter story. Many thanks to my beta reader, Ang! I know this plot has been done before a number of times but I wanted to write my own take on things.The term Ceilidh will be explained in this chapter. Oh and Ceilidh is pronounced Kay-lay! There are some Ceilidh dances mentioned in this chapter and I don’t explain what they are but please bare with me because all will be explained in future chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Invitation by Owl

It was a cold and bleak day in October when an owl came bursting through an open window that opened out into the private office belonging to the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall was not surprised at the arrival of the familiar barn owl that belonged to her father. She had been expecting the invitation ever since her cousin had let it slip about the Ceilidh.

Pluto, her father’s beloved and most trusted owl, dropped the piece of parchment that bore the McGonagall crest on her lap and then nudged her hand for a treat. Minerva reached over and opened her desk drawer. She pulled out her tin of ginger newts and gave one to Pluto. The owl hooted in thanks and then flew over to perch on the chair nearest the roaring fire so it could dry off.

Minerva opened the letter carefully, even though she already knew what it said. She was still hesitant to open it as it made the situation very real. The familiar deep blue writing she had grown up with, caught her attention on the pale white of the parchment. It was a letter inviting her to the McGonagalls annual Ceilidh. Had it really been a year since Uncle Hamish slipped and broke his hip on some scotch whiskey? Minerva had no idea where the year had gone. The years seemed to pass her by without her really realizing it though this year she hadn’t really minded.

Eight months ago, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and her best friend, had come to her rooms in the middle of the night. When she had sleepily opened the door, she had instantly known that he needed to talk but she had not expected the welcoming but surprising revelation he had shared with her. He had declared his love for her in front of a dimly lit fire and asked her if she would consider courting him. He had taken her stunned silence as a bad sign and had risen to leave. He had nearly reached the door when a small voice answered him back and told him that she loved him too.

Since that night, Minerva and Albus’ relationship had been progressing along wonderfully. He treated her like a princess and he would always make sure there was a single red rose on her pillow in the morning. They spent all their free time together, playing chess or sharing kisses on the rug in front of the fire in his rooms. They hadn’t taken their relationship into the bedroom yet but they had come to the agreement that there was no need to rush and they both wanted it to be special. At times they had wanted to overstep the marks they had set but they held back and changed the subject.

Minerva couldn’t help but smile as she ran her fingertips over her father’s blue writing. This year it wasn’t only Minerva’s name on the invitation but also Albus’. She had never taken a man with her to the family’s Ceilidh before. She had never felt the need to but this year was different. Her family hadn’t met Albus formally yet. They knew him by reputation and had caught a glimpse of him here and there but the party gathering this year would give them the chance to grill him to the point of exhaustion.

Holding a Ceilidh dance at the McGonagall estate was the year’s highlight of the lowlands. Not only family members would be invited to the informal Scottish traditional dance party but also close friends. They would have a live band that would consist of fiddles, accordions and the Scottish harp called a Clarsach. There would be laughter and dancing into the wee hours of the morning and then everyone would depart for bed. Minerva had always loved the annual Ceilidh dance when she had been a young girl. She would watch from the sidelines as the older members of her family danced The Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow.

Minerva glanced down at the letter once again and sighed heavily. The Ceilidh was scheduled for two weeks time and on a Saturday night. She wished her father had given her more notice than two weeks. She had to find someone to cover duties for both of them for the night. It wasn’t hard to find someone to cover because she had options in Severus Snape and the other heads of houses that would fill in and keep an eye on things. But what if they had arrangements as well? She couldn’t expect them to drop their plans so she and Albus could go dancing. She would just have to ask each of them and warn them that both the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress would be away on the same night. She knew questions would be asked and she would have to try and change the subject. The fact that she and Albus were courting wasn’t public knowledge because of circumstances beyond their control but she knew there was talk. There had been talk for years now and she simply smiled at it.

The other thing playing on her mind was dancing. She loved Albus dearly but even that didn’t make up for the fact that he wasn’t the best of dancers. She wasn’t much good either but it was something that she had to do and at the Ceilidh, they both had to dance the traditional Scottish dances. Minerva knew them by heart. She had taken weekly lessons when she was growing up but she knew that Albus had no idea what the difference was between the Highland Barn Dance and the Military Two Step. So, Minerva had two weeks to teach a two left footed Albus Dumbledore a handful of traditional Scottish dances and the outcome looked bleak from where she was sitting.

To be continued

[KayleeTonksLupin]

Oh oh oh, Albie needs to learn to dance! *smirk* Glad Minny will be there to teach him! *grin* Excellent story, can't wait to see where it goes Clayre! *gives ginger newt-flavor Kaylee-wolf treats to Clayre*

Hugs,

Kaylee

[angeldust]

i agree this plot is used a lot! but i still love it and can't get enough! This sounds like its goin to be really interestin am lookin forward to more ;D

[Nerweniel]

Oh wonderful ;D! Let's teach Albus how to dance, shall we? Very cute beginning, hope to read more soon!!!

Love,

Lies

[griseldalafey]

Whii.... fabby beginning. So Albus needs to learn to dance? ;D Good thing Minerva is a teacher, I have a feeling that Albus a *very* tiresome student

Can't wait to see were this is going and I love the amount of detail you put in the story!

[Karlynne]

I can picture Albus learning some scottish dances. Its always the worst dancers that embrace it so enthusiastically.

[Lady Lavendar]

Very well done so far! Hope to see more soon!

LL ;D

[QuillofMinerva]

Chapter 2: Informing Albus

Albus was studying Fawkes intently. He had been sure that he had seen a grey feather amongst the array of bright reds and oranges. Albus had teased his dear friend and now Fawkes was sulking in a corner with his back to the Headmaster. Not even a sherbet lemon could stir him from the solitude of his corner. Albus simply stared at the back of Fawkes and thought to himself that he must have been mistaken. A phoenix would never get a grey feather. Phoenixes didn’t even reach the stage where they would go grey because they would also be reborn when they reached a certain stage in their life. Albus shook his head and popped another sherbet lemon into his mouth. If Fawkes wasn’t interested in the sweet then Albus sure was and he didn’t want to see his favorite sweet go to waste.

Minerva strode into his office and noticed straight away that Fawkes was not happy with his master. She looked towards Albus as she made her way over to the corner and carefully patted the phoenix on the back.

“What did you say to him?” asked Minerva, looking over at Albus who was sucking contently on a sweet.

“What make you think it has anything to do with me?” replied Albus.

“He has his back to you which is something he only does when you have upset him!” she said as she patted the downhearted phoenix again.

Albus gave a defeated sigh and explained to Minerva what he had seen. He tried to tell her that he had been mistaken but she simply glared at him and rooted around in her robe pockets for something to give Fawkes. She pulled out a ginger newt and handed it to the phoenix, which took it gratefully and then cooed softly as Minerva walked away from him.

“Albus, you really should consider his feelings,” she said as she sat down. “After all it is nearly his burning day and you know that he gets overly sensitive.”

“I didn’t think he would get so upset about it,” replied Albus in a whisper. “What do I do now?”

“Just leave him alone before you say anything else to upset him,” Minerva told him softly.

Albus glanced over at his familiar and sighed. He hadn’t truly meant to hurt his feelings. He had just been making an observation and he hadn’t really thought Fawkes would understand what he was going on about. In recent years, Fawkes had become more and more sensitive towards his renewal and Albus always seemed to put his foot in it. Last time Albus had moved his perch from the nearby window to a spot near the fire so the phoenix would be away from the draft. But Fawkes hadn’t been happy and had refused to even coo at him once for four days.

His mind was diverted back to Minerva when he saw her looking at him with a soft smile on her face. He loved that little quaint smile of hers. It was the smile that she reserved only for him and it told him that she was happy and contented. He looked into her emerald green eyes and saw that she had something to tell him. Minerva had the most expressive eyes of anyone he knew. He could tell what mood she was in by looking into her eyes. He had only really discovered this when they had admitted their feelings for another.

“A knut for them?” he asked.

“If you give me a sickle then I’ll think about it!” was her quick reply.

“I’ll make it a galleon,” he answered as he rooted around in his robe pocket and pulled out a gold coin, which he gave to her.

Minerva took the coin and ran her thumb over the engraved side before placing it in her pocket. She knew he was waiting for her to say something and she had no need to be nervous for she already knew his answer. What she was more unnerving about it was her families’ reaction to her finally bringing a man to the Ceilidh. Though nobody said anything, she had been the pity in their eyes when the couples dances were played. This year would be different but she also wondered what they would say to him about her. Her family was filled with jokers and you had to know them before you understood their dry wit. Minerva had inherited her dry wit from her father’s side but hers was mild compared to some of her uncles and it worried her that Albus may go off the idea of courting her after he had met the family.

“Minerva,” said Albus breaking into her thoughts “do you want me to guess?”

“Sorry,” she apologized softly. “I received a letter from my father this morning.”

“Not bad news I hope,.” Albus said with concern as he reached over and held her hand.

Minerva shook her head and squeezed his hand. She loved that he was so considerate of her at times and she knew he was always there when she needed him. She knew deep down that Albus wasn’t the type of man to be put off by ones family.

“It is an invitation to our Ceilidh,” she explained. “We are both invited and I just wondered if you would like to come.”

“I would love to Minerva,” he replied, flashing her a bright smile. “I always wanted to attend a Ceilidh. What is it exactly?”

“Its an informal dance where traditional Scottish dances are danced,” she told him, his eyes twinkle brightly as she mentioned the word dance. Albus loved dances and even though he couldn’t dance, he would throw himself into having a good time.

“Oh, I always wanted to try Scottish country dancing,” he exclaimed with excitement.

“Albus, this is slightly different to Scottish country dancing. Tthe Ceilidh is informal and a way to have fun without following the rules to the formal traditional dances.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” said Albus “and I get to meet the rest of your family.”

Minerva nodded and then sighed. She had to now tell him that he had to learn a few dances for the night. She knew that he wouldn’t mind but she wasn’t sure her feet could take the stamping on.

“I’ll have to teach you a few traditional dances though,” she told him. “There will be three dances that we will be expected to dance to throughout the night.”

“Well,” he answered, rubbing his hands “when do my lessons start, Professor?”

“Tonight,” she told as she got up from her chair and began to make her way to the door “and try and make up with Fawkes my dear.”

To be continued!

[KayleeTonksLupin]

*grins* Better and better! Oh, poor Fawkes...silly Albus! *thwaps Albus* I can't wait to read about the lessons! *grinning like an obsessed HP maniac, which she is*

*gives Kaylee-wolf treats to Clayre, Minerva, and Fawkes, holds one out to Albus, and then takes it away before giving it to him*

Hugs,

Kaylee

[Kassandra]

I thought a sulky Fawkes was adorable and I like Albus' enthusiasm about going with Minerva. I can't wait for the lessons to begin. Kassie

[Orion's Guard]

Oooh, funny potential!! I want to see a weakness in out favorite Headmaster! And family events are always a great way to see it. I don't read much anymore, but I'm usually on the site and I'll keep an eyeout for a update from you. Keep up the good work!

[tayryn]

oh... i am liking this. what a lovely start.

[griseldalafey]

*hugs Fawkes* Lovely chapter, at least Albus is enthousiastic ;D

[BlazeFourPaws]

this is great. poor fawkes though a grey feather how could albus be so inconsiderate. I bet albus breaks min's toes dancing or something eqaully clumsy.

[Lady Lavendar]

Can't wait for the next update!!

LL ;D

[QuillofMinerva]

Thank you to all of you who reviewed and to Ang for beta reading this chapter. The dance lessons begin! ;D

Chapter Three: The Highland Barn Dance

It was quarter to seven that evening when Minerva stopped what she was doing and looked around her living room. She had moved the big pieces of furniture to the side of the room and had made them smaller to accommodate her plans for the evening. There was a large space in the middle of the room. They would be able to dance without bumping into everything or breaking anything. Minerva did some damage limitation by taking some of her more valuable items into her bedroom. She knew that even with her careful rearranging of the furniture something was still bound to be broken.

She had told Albus to be in her rooms at seven and she knew he would be prompt. He had been telling her over dinner how much he was looking forward to learning the dances. He had always been eager to embrace the Scottish roots of Minerva and her heritage. He saw this as the perfect way to do so. His eagerness concerned her a little bit as she knew that Albus could get over excited at times. His playful side would take over and he could get a little silly. She loved him dearly but sometimes, he did push her a little bit too far.

Minerva had arranged the music and now was just waiting for Albus to arrive so she could start the tune floating through the air. It was music by a local Ceilidh band that played at the family’s dance and it mixed well with the waltz tune that accompanied the dance she was going to teach him tonight. She had decided to teach him a new dance every three nights. Hopefully he would pick up the basics by then. Her family would forgive him if he wasn’t very good but they would expect him to at least try.

Minerva cast her mind back to a McGonagall Ceilidh from a few years ago. Her brother, Rex, had brought his girlfriend with him. She had seemed pleasant enough but she had refused to join in with the dancing because it wasn’t her thing and she didn’t want to look stupid. The family had been hurt by her words and Rex was asked politely to remove her from the house otherwise they were bound to hex her for insulting their tradition. His girlfriend hadn’t been happy and had declared that the family was weird and eccentric. She had stormed out thinking Rex would go after her but he didn’t. He stayed and enjoyed the party.

A knock on the door broke into her thoughts and she glanced at her grandfather clock. It was exactly seven o’clock. She opened the door and saw Albus standing there with a huge grin on his face. She looked at his face and then his robes caught her attention. He was wearing an orange, green and purple tartan set of robes with bagpipes sewn on all over it. The mix-match of colours made Minerva’s stomach do a somersault. He had tried to look the part but she wished he hadn’t.

“Hello, my dear,” said Albus as he walked inside. “I can see you’re admiring my robes. I might wear these when we go to your party.”

“Well we don’t wear robes to a Ceilidh, Albus,” she told him, thanking her family for their traditions. “We wear traditional Highland wear but not the formal wear.”

Albus nodded. He had no idea what the difference were between formal Highland wear and informal Highland wear but he had complete faith in Minerva. After all, she knew what she was talking about.

“I am ready for my lessons,” he declared as he wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. “It’s been such a long time since I was a student.”

“Well if you behave,” she answered with a smile “I won’t deduct kisses from you.”

“I will be the most behaved student you have ever had,” he told her before pressing a gentle kiss on to her lips. “So, what are we learning today?”

“The Highland Barn Dance!” she told and smiled when she saw a bewildered look appear on his face.

The Highland Barn Dance was usually the first dance of the night and all guests who were in a pairing had to dance it. The couples had to line up around the room in a clockwise direction with the women always on the right. It was the easiest dance out of the three to teach and that was why Minerva had decided to teach him that first.

“Take off your shoes and those robes darling.” She told him it would be easier to teach him without any shoes on and also it wouldn’t hurt so much if he trod on her feet.

Albus did as he was told and then watched Minerva slip her own shoes off and place them on the floor out of the way. She was wearing a flowing navy colored cotton dress with a v-neck that showed him a small piece of cleavage. He thought she looked wonderful but then she always appeared that way to him.

“You know,” said Minerva “it’s wrong to drool over the teacher, Mr. Dumbledore.”

“Sorry!” he mumbled with a shy grin as he moved into the center of the room. “It won’t happen again.”

“Oh, make sure it does because I like it,” she told him as she kissed him.

For a few moments, all thoughts of dancing flew out of the window as they both got caught up in the kiss. Minerva reluctantly pulled away and rested her forehead against his chest and smiled softly. She would rather continue kissing him than teach him to dance.

“Right,” she said purposely “let me get on your right side.”

Albus stood still as she moved around to his right side. She held his hand as her other hand flicked her wand and music started to play. It was rather catchy and Albus was already tapping his foot in time with it. Well, he had been in time until the beat quickened and now he was rather lost.

“Albus, start with your outside foot” she told him.

Albus looked down at his feet and then wiggled his outside foot as she told him to walk forward for three steps and then hop. He did as she asked and smiled. This was easier than he thought but then he realized that he hadn’t brought Minerva with him and he turned back to see her standing on the same spot. She smiled as she pointed the spot beside her and Albus walked back to join her. They walked three steps together and then hopped.

“Now we repeat that as we walk backwards!” she informed him.

They walked backwards and hopped, Albus narrowly missed stepping on her foot and Minerva released the breath she had been holding without realizing it.

“Now we skip away from each other,” she explained. “You move into the center of the room and I move to the edge. We only skip for two steps and then clap!”

“Okay,” he answered. “Erm…how do I skip?”

“It’s like a fast walk but you bring your knee up slightly. Watch me,” she explained as she showed him.

Albus did watch her at the beginning but his mind wandered to something else as he watched her skip. Her breasts were bouncing slightly as she moved up and down and Albus couldn’t help but watch them.

“Do you mind?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You are supposed to be watching my legs, Albus!”

“I couldn’t help it,” he told her. “The movement reminded me of something else.”

Minerva tried to glare at him but she didn’t have the heart to. She actually found his suggestive comment funny but she had to teach him these dances. She explained the instructions again to him but refused to show him how to skip again for the moment. She was actually impressed with him so far. The movements were easy when you were doing them one by one but as soon as you joined them together that was when the trouble started.

“Now we return to one another and slip into a waltz movement but we bounce as dance around the room,” she explained as she skipped towards him.

Albus skipped towards Minerva but missed her hands when he went to pull her into the waltz movement. He tried again and missed her again and ended up crashing into the bookcase. After several more attempts he managed to catch her and take her in a waltz around the living room. Bouncing around the room together posed difficult for Albus, and Minerva concentrated on making him ease up and relax a bit. She reminded him that he was doing this for fun and that he didn’t need to frown with concentration.

“But if I don’t frown,” he told her “I lose my step!”

Minerva stopped him and cupped his face. “No one will watch your feet darling!”

“I don’t want to show you up,” he told her.

“Darling, you couldn’t,” she told him softly.

Albus smiled and kissed her before they walked through the dance again before trying to put it all together in time with the music. As Minerva had predicted, Albus had a difficult time putting all the steps together but she hadn’t expected it to come to him straight away and she was impressed with his progress so far.

“I think we should call it a night,” she told as she led him over the couch and pulled him down beside her. “You did well, darling.”

“Hmmm thank you!” he answered as he brought her feet to his lap and started to massage them softly causing Minerva to purr and close her eyes.

“Only two more dances left to learn!” she mumbled as she felt herself dozing off to sleep.

To be continued

[Karlynne]

Bravo for Albus. He learned a dance and took the time to massage her feet. A proper thank you. I am enjoying this story and wishing I could learn those dances. Karlie

[Kamdra]

I like Albus's enthusiasm. I feel sorry for Minerva's feet but maybe she can put a cushioning charm on them. I can't wait for the next dance. Kammie

[griseldalafey]

QuillofMinerva said:

“Well if you behave,” she answered with a smile “I won’t deduct kisses from you.”

That was such a cute line. I can see why Albus had trouble with the dances... they looked rather complicated.

But great update!

[Kacie]

I am finding this story delightful. I am in love with the Albus you are showing us. Kacie

[Sensiblyquirky]

This is a charming story, Clayre. I loved how excited he was about the dancing, and he's learning fairly quickly. Extra points on massaging her feet! ;D

Christy

[Kassandra]

I am loving this story. I like how you explained the dance and could picture Albus trying to learn it. Kassie

[Rikki]

Oh my god - I would just love to see the two of them dancing... and Albus in these robes. *ggg* Great update, Clayre. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Hugs, Rikki

[QuillofMinerva]

Chapter Four: The Gay Gordon’s

It had been three nights since Minerva had started teaching Albus the traditional Ceilidh dances. She had been pleased with his commitment and he was putting all his effort into it. He was a patient student who would listen intently to her as she gave him the instructions and watch her as she gave him examples. They had concentrated on the Highland Barn Dance for three evenings and now Minerva thought it best to teach Albus a new dance.

Their dance lesson had been arranged for seven in the evening again but this time they would be dancing in the Headmaster’s office. He was waiting for Alastor Moody to report to him and the fireplace in Albus’ office was more secure, less chance of anyone accidentally or purposely overhearing their conversation. She was sitting in his chair waiting for him to arrive. He had told her that he was going to go down and speak with Severus Snape and he wouldn’t be long. That had been nearly half an hour ago. Minerva had rearranged the furniture twice and was now absent-mindedly feeding Fawkes sherbet lemons.

The door opened and in walked Albus. He was carrying a large collection of books that varied in shapes and sizes. Before Minerva could warn him, Albus dropped the books and instead of landing on the desk like they should have done, they landed on the floor with a thud.

“Where did the table go?” he asked confused as he looked down at the books before bending down to pick them up.

“I moved it over to the corner so we could have room to dance!” she told him as she got up from his chair and went to help him pick up the books.

Albus and Minerva carried the books over to where the table was now positioned and placed them down. It was only when they were on the table that Minerva could read the titles. She couldn’t help but smile as she read the titles. Each of the books had a Scottish theme. Amongst the books there were, A Beginners Guide to Gaelic, A Guide to Highland Wear and an A to Z guide of Scottish food.

“Albus,” she said with a smile “are you doing all this for me?”

He nodded and then smiled as he drew her into his arms. “I want to make you proud!”

“You already do darling,” she said before kissing him gently on the lips. “You are doing so well, love.”

“Really?” he asked in amazement.

“Yes, so well in fact,” she told him “we are going to tackle a new dance this evening.”

Albus smiled. He had been pestering her all day by constantly asking if they were going to tackle a new dance. She had wanted to surprise him and so she told him that they weren’t. She had seen his disappointment but knew that it wouldn’t last for long as she had agreed to have a sherbet lemon.

“So, what are we learning tonight?” he asked.

“The Gay Gordon’s!” she replied as she led him into the center of the room. “It’s a little harder than the Barn Dance and we won’t add the complication of music till you have mastered some of the moves.”

She felt and noticed Albus relax a bit. She knew that he hated putting the dance moves he had learned to music because that was always when he encountered trouble. He found the music moved too fast and he couldn’t keep up with it. He would trip over his feet or forget what he was supposed to be doing. She turned around to look at him and cupping his face in her hands she pulled his face down towards hers and kissed him softly. Her hands dropped from his cheeks and wound around his neck loosely as she deepened the kiss. She felt his arms tighten around her waist and once again they were lost in a kiss. The need to breathe broke them apart and Minerva fiddled with his beard before looking up at him with flushed cheeks. She loved to get caught up in his kisses.

“Do you kiss all your students like that?” asked Albus with a smile.

“Only special ones,” she answered before winking at him. “Right, stand behind me and give me your right hand.”

Albus moved around so that he was behind her and tapped her bottom playfully before offering her his right hand. She placed it on her shoulder before reaching up with her own hand to take his hand. Their hands were joined over her shoulder. Once she had secured that position, she reached for his left hand and brought it past her waist so their left hands joined at the front.

“We start off with the right foot and take four steps forward,” she explained. They moved together and then Minerva felt a piecing pain on the back of her ankle because Albus had taken a to big of a step and caught her skin. “Ouch!”

“Sorry!” he apologized profusely before suggesting that maybe he should take his shoes off.

Minerva accepted his apology, though she told him there was no need for one as it had been an accident. They got back into formation and retraced the steps she had already told him and this time, he didn’t graze her back of her ankle with his shoe.

“Once we have taken the four steps,” she continued, “we pivot on the spot and then take four steps back.”

It took a number of attempts to get Albus to pivot correctly. He kept over spinning and getting dizzy. She told him to concentrate on one spot as he pivoted and he answered her back by saying that he was watching her but she kept moving as well. Once Albus had grown accustomed to being able to pivot by himself, they then tried to pivot together but this didn’t run smoothly either as they kept bumping into one another. They spent a good half an hour on pivoting before trying the dance steps again. Albus was still having trouble with the pivoting but Minerva decided to tackle the next part of the dance and then go back to troublesome part.

“We repeat exactly what we have just done but this time, in the opposite direction,” she explained as she led him through the moves across the office floor.

“Now we drop our left hands and raise our right hands above my head,” she said as she raised her hand and Albus let go of her right hand. “Albus you keep hold of my right hand and I pivot under.”

“Do I have to pivot?” he asked. He had felt rather ill after spending a long time spinning around.

“No, just me darling!” she said as she pivoted under their hands. “And then we polka around the room.”

Once they had walked through the dance several times, Minerva decided that they should call it a night. Albus was looking weary and in need of a good hot chocolate and she needed a cup of tea. They rearranged the furniture to how it was before and then settled down on the couch together. Albus was sitting up while Minerva was leaning against him. They enjoyed this quiet time together after every dance session and they slipped into a comfortable silence, just enjoying one another’s company. They would share tender kisses and soft touches before Minerva would have to excuse herself and go back to her rooms.

“Good night, love,” she whispered as she kissed him on the lips. “You are my number one student.”

“I do try,” he replied with a smile. “Sleep tight my dear and I’ll see you in the morning.”

To be continued

[Karlynne]

All the fluffy goodness I enjoy and a new dance too. :)Karlie

[Lady Lavendar]

I love this story! it keeps getting better and better!

LL

[KayleeTonksLupin]

ah yes, better and better! *gives bucketfuls of Kaylee-wolf treats, since her truck has gone MIA, or AWOL, whichever you peoples prefer me to say*

Hugs,

Kaylee

[Kamdra]

I just love "listening" to Minerva teach Albus. I can imagine him as a student and it makes me smile. I like this story a lot.

[griseldalafey]

It still sounds so unbelieveably complicated

But the story is great!

[QuillofMinerva]

A/N: The dances I am writing are traditional Ceilidh dances and I learned some of them while at school. We went through a stage of learning traditional dances in the UK. Thanks to Ang who is my beta reader and to those who took the time to review and ask questions.

Chapter Five: Distractions are Necessary

Albus stood in Minerva’s private living room. She was running a bit late and had sent him an owl telling him of her delay. While he was waiting for her, he commanded the music they had been dancing to for the last week to float through her chambers. He tapped his foot in time with the music and then started to act out the two dances alone. It was much harder dancing alone than in a couple. He didn’t have Minerva to keep him in check. He was concentrating on The Gay Gordon’s dance but was still having problems with his pivot. He still couldn’t find a spot to look at as he turned. It was frustrating him to no end and so he gave up trying. He stared out of the window and sighed.

“Looking for a distraction?” asked Minerva as she stepped in through the doorway. She had been watching him trying the dances and was very proud of him. “You were doing so well.”

“I still can’t do it!” he complained as he turned around and quickly made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around and pulling her to him so he could nestle into her neck.

“Darling,” she whispered softly “you are doing so well and I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Thank you!” he mumbled.

Minerva smiled to herself. She could tell that he was in a soppy mood this evening and decided to reward him for all his hard work. She would cancel their lesson that night and concentrate on him and make him know how grateful she was to him for learning these dances.

“”Would you like a distraction?” she asked.

“I would,” he answered but then shook his head “but we cant Min, only a week to go to the big night and I’m nowhere near ready.”

“Albus,” she told him “sometimes distractions are necessary. It can encourage learning if used correctly.”

Albus looked up from her neck and looked into her eyes. Had he heard right? Had his Minerva just said that she agreed with distractions? He had always thought that Minerva disliked them and would not tolerate them in her class.

“That sounds like something I would say,” he answered. “I am in complete agreement. So Professor, what do you have in mind?”

“Wait and see my love,” she answered with a gleam of mischievousness in her emerald green eyes. “Be back here in half an hour and all will be revealed.”

“Hmmm,” he whispered into her ear “literally I hope!” Minerva playfully tapped his chest and winked at him. She didn’t want to give too much away as it would spoil the evening she had planned for then. She sent him on his way with a playful pinch on the bottom and a kiss.

Once Albus had disappeared, Minerva set about making a romantic atmosphere. She drew the crimson and gold heavy curtains shut and lit dozens of little floating candles to spin around the room. Soft chamber music floated through her room now and made a nice change from the Ceilidh music that dominated her mind for the last seven days. A small table appeared in the middle of the room and then six of Albus’ favorite desserts appeared on it. Minerva knew that Albus always craved something sweet in the evening but then he could never make up his mind what he wanted, so she had ordered the six desserts that he always had to choose between. This way he could have a small bit of each dessert and not have to choose. Minerva found it hard to see the fascination with sweet things because she preferred the savoury things like her ginger newts.

Thirty minutes later, there was a knocking at her door and Minerva took one more look in the mirror before answering it. She had taken her hair down from her usual bun and it was now cascading down over her shoulder and back. She had slipped into a red silk ankle length nightgown that clung to her curves and showed more cleavage than her usual nightgowns he had seen her wear. She wrapped a matching silk dressing gown around her lithe frame and made her way to the door. She knew it was Albus because he was the only who knew this secret passageway into her rooms. Rumor had it that Godric Gryffindor had the castle design this passageway so that he could see Rowena during the night, with no one being any the wiser.

“Hello lover!” she purred as she opened the door and invited him inside.

“You look breathtaking,” he said as his eyes wandered appreciatively over her body. “My own goddess!”

She led him into the living room and smiled seductively at him, dropping her dressing gown and letting it crumple around her feet. She waited for him to notice and she didn’t have to wait long. Albus had quickly made his way over to her and had pulled her into his arms and against his chest. He kissed her deeply and growled into her mouth.

“My, my,” she gasped as he pulled back “I seem to have awakened the lion within you.”

“You always do my love,” he told her. “I love distractions and this is possibly the best one I have ever had.”

“I conjured up some of your favorite desserts, Albus,” she told him as her arm indicated to the table set out in the middle of the room.

“Desserts are a distraction that I do not want at present,” he told her as he scooped her into his arms and headed for her bedroom. “I can have them once I have feasted on you!”

“Albus!” she giggled loudly as he kicked the door shut behind them.

To be continued.