Post by ginger newts on Mar 18, 2005 23:30:01 GMT -5
For Karlie, who wanted Albus and Minerva to go on a not so great first date. Sorry to say, it's a one shot and will remain so. (Hope I put it in the right category...)
Dating Disaster
The newest staff member had taken Albus Dumbledore’s fancy the moment she walked through the gates on the first of December. She was graceful and beautiful and her emerald green eyes held a gleam of wit and cleverness he hadn’t found in most of his companions. Albus had wanted to ask her out the moment she set foot on the grounds, but he resolved to get to know her better first. Albus knew firsthand that workplace romances could lead to disaster. Minerva McGonagall was a distinguished young woman and the headmaster had been hoping for years to add her to the Hogwarts teaching staff. He had agreed to let her begin teaching halfway through the school year in order to finish up another project she was working on only so that they would not lose her in an attempt to wait until the next fall. Albus had no desire to make a disastrous play for her affections that ended in Minerva leaving the school. Besides, he reasoned, a beautiful young woman like her probably already had a boyfriend. Yes, he decided, waiting would be best.
In the months since Minerva joined the staff, Albus had gotten to know her well. He found out that Minerva had studied his own subject of Transfiguration at university and had agreed to take the Charms position only until Armando Dippet retired and Albus became headmaster, allowing her to move into the Transfiguration department. Albus also, quite happily, found that she did not have a significant other in her life. One night in the kitchens when neither could sleep and had gone for a snack, Minerva revealed to him a very painful relationship in her not so distant past. He was amazed to find out that she was much younger than he would have guessed, the discovery that Minerva was eighty years his junior gave pause to Albus’ plans to ask her out. He didn’t want her to think him a lecherous old man, but the truth was that Albus was so completely taken with Minerva that he had to do something about it.
So, on the first day of the Easter holidays Albus went to visit Minerva in her office. His steps slowed as he drew nearer to her door, what if she turned him down, or worse laughed at him? Albus shook his head, Minerva would never do that, she was far too nice. Conflicting opinions raced through his head as he paced before her door, unaware of the time until the door opened and Minerva stepped out. Albus jumped and whirled to face her, words completely failing him until she spoke.
“Albus?” she questioned. He loved the way she said his name. “Were you looking for me?”
It was at that moment that Albus realized Minerva’s arms were filled with books. He gathered himself together and took a step toward her. “Actually, I was,” he admitted. “Can I carry those for you?”
Without waiting for an answer he took the books from her and asked where she was headed.
“To the library,” Minerva answered, looking at him curiously.
Albus fell into step with her silently, unaware of the glances Minerva kept shooting in his direction until she finally stopped walking and turned to face him.
“Albus, you said you came to my office looking for me, but it’s been ten minutes and you haven’t said what you wanted to see me about. If it’s bad news I’d rather you just go ahead and say something.”
“I’m sorry,” he answered, studying the books in his hands. “It’s not bad news, I guess I’m just a little nervous.” Albus finally looked up at Minerva to find her giving him a reassuring smile.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it can’t be that difficult. Unless, of course, you’ve bought into the things my students say in the corridors and believe I may bite your head off.” She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to the right, an expression she wore often that Albus found extremely endearing.
He laughed, “I would never think that. I just wanted to ask...would you like to go to dinner with me tonight? Since it’s a holiday week we can leave the grounds for a few hours.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she answered with a warm smile. “I would love to go to dinner with you.”
They had reached the library by this point and Minerva left her books on the counter for the librarian to put away later and then looped her arm through Albus’ for the return journey to her office.
“Thank you for carrying those for me.”
“None required, my dear, but you’re welcome,” Albus answered gallantly. “I better go finish grading some essays before dinner. See you at seven in the entrance hall?”
“Seven it is,” Minerva answered as he turned toward his office.
It wasn’t until she reached her own office again that Minerva realized she forgot to ask where they would be going for dinner. Knowing Albus, it could just as easily be a Muggle restaurant as a wizarding establishment, she didn’t even know how to dress. Then she remembered that she wasn’t a master of Transfiguration for nothing and could easily alter her ensemble to match their destination when she met him in the entrance hall.
The rest of the afternoon passed incredibly slowly for Albus as he attempted to finish his seventh year essays and counted down the time to his date with Minerva. As he was changing his robes, it occurred to him that he had neglected to tell her this dinner was intended to be a date. What if she thought they were just friends going out to dinner? Albus couldn’t understand why he was so nervous, it wasn’t as though he had never been on dates before. Actually, in his younger days he had been on more dates than he cared to count, but he had never been out with a woman so much younger before. He decided that must be the cause of his nerves, that and the fact that he hadn’t been able to get Minerva out of his mind since she arrived at Hogwarts.
Ten minutes to seven found Albus pacing the flagged stone floors of the entrance hall waiting for Minerva. He was wearing the most conservative set of robes he owned out of respect for her tastes; Minerva had often teased him about his vibrant choices of color and pattern and Albus knew she preferred simpler attire. She arrived five minutes later in a lovely set of robes he couldn’t remember ever having seen before, but knowing how women react when you forget an outfit Albus was reluctant to ask if it was new. He settled for the always effective, “You look wonderful this evening,” and was pleased when she smiled and thanked him.
“You look very nice yourself,” she answered. “I see you decided to forgo the shooting stars tonight.”
Albus chuckled, “I didn’t want to offend you with my wardrobe.”
“I’m glad to see you’re wearing robes as well,” Minerva said after a pause. “I realized this afternoon that I didn’t know whether we were going to a wizarding restaurant or not.”
“I thought we could just walk into town and go to a restaurant there of which I’m quite fond. Have you had much of a chance to explore the village again since you returned?”
“Not at all,” she answered. “I remember the high street from my student days, but I’ve had so much work to do figuring out my lesson plans and trying to determine what the students have already been taught that there hasn’t been much time for leisurely walks around Hogsmeade.”
“Well then the next time the students have a day in the village we’ll have to volunteer to chaperone so I can show you around,” Albus offered.
“That would be very nice,” Minerva answered with a smile. “Shall we go then?”
“Oh, yes of course,” Albus said hastily. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she questioned with laughter in her eyes as she accepted the arm he offered.
Albus decided that perhaps he should just keep his mouth shut until they were safely seated in the restaurant and he led the way into town quietly. Minerva wondered at his sudden silence and began to question her own statements, wondering if she’d said something wrong. She had assumed Albus’ invitation to dinner meant they were going on a date and she had attempted to look nice for him, had she overdone it? Minerva wasn’t a vain woman and rarely spent more than a few minutes on her appearance, but she had stopped working nearly an hour early to prepare for this evening. She had been confident upon leaving her rooms, but was now doubting herself a bit. They walked along in awkward silence, down the slopping front lawns of the castle and through the high street of Hogsmeade until Albus turned a corner and led Minerva into an unfamiliar part of the small wizarding village. A few minutes later, he stopped and she glanced up at the sign.
Dating Disaster
The newest staff member had taken Albus Dumbledore’s fancy the moment she walked through the gates on the first of December. She was graceful and beautiful and her emerald green eyes held a gleam of wit and cleverness he hadn’t found in most of his companions. Albus had wanted to ask her out the moment she set foot on the grounds, but he resolved to get to know her better first. Albus knew firsthand that workplace romances could lead to disaster. Minerva McGonagall was a distinguished young woman and the headmaster had been hoping for years to add her to the Hogwarts teaching staff. He had agreed to let her begin teaching halfway through the school year in order to finish up another project she was working on only so that they would not lose her in an attempt to wait until the next fall. Albus had no desire to make a disastrous play for her affections that ended in Minerva leaving the school. Besides, he reasoned, a beautiful young woman like her probably already had a boyfriend. Yes, he decided, waiting would be best.
In the months since Minerva joined the staff, Albus had gotten to know her well. He found out that Minerva had studied his own subject of Transfiguration at university and had agreed to take the Charms position only until Armando Dippet retired and Albus became headmaster, allowing her to move into the Transfiguration department. Albus also, quite happily, found that she did not have a significant other in her life. One night in the kitchens when neither could sleep and had gone for a snack, Minerva revealed to him a very painful relationship in her not so distant past. He was amazed to find out that she was much younger than he would have guessed, the discovery that Minerva was eighty years his junior gave pause to Albus’ plans to ask her out. He didn’t want her to think him a lecherous old man, but the truth was that Albus was so completely taken with Minerva that he had to do something about it.
So, on the first day of the Easter holidays Albus went to visit Minerva in her office. His steps slowed as he drew nearer to her door, what if she turned him down, or worse laughed at him? Albus shook his head, Minerva would never do that, she was far too nice. Conflicting opinions raced through his head as he paced before her door, unaware of the time until the door opened and Minerva stepped out. Albus jumped and whirled to face her, words completely failing him until she spoke.
“Albus?” she questioned. He loved the way she said his name. “Were you looking for me?”
It was at that moment that Albus realized Minerva’s arms were filled with books. He gathered himself together and took a step toward her. “Actually, I was,” he admitted. “Can I carry those for you?”
Without waiting for an answer he took the books from her and asked where she was headed.
“To the library,” Minerva answered, looking at him curiously.
Albus fell into step with her silently, unaware of the glances Minerva kept shooting in his direction until she finally stopped walking and turned to face him.
“Albus, you said you came to my office looking for me, but it’s been ten minutes and you haven’t said what you wanted to see me about. If it’s bad news I’d rather you just go ahead and say something.”
“I’m sorry,” he answered, studying the books in his hands. “It’s not bad news, I guess I’m just a little nervous.” Albus finally looked up at Minerva to find her giving him a reassuring smile.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it can’t be that difficult. Unless, of course, you’ve bought into the things my students say in the corridors and believe I may bite your head off.” She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to the right, an expression she wore often that Albus found extremely endearing.
He laughed, “I would never think that. I just wanted to ask...would you like to go to dinner with me tonight? Since it’s a holiday week we can leave the grounds for a few hours.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she answered with a warm smile. “I would love to go to dinner with you.”
They had reached the library by this point and Minerva left her books on the counter for the librarian to put away later and then looped her arm through Albus’ for the return journey to her office.
“Thank you for carrying those for me.”
“None required, my dear, but you’re welcome,” Albus answered gallantly. “I better go finish grading some essays before dinner. See you at seven in the entrance hall?”
“Seven it is,” Minerva answered as he turned toward his office.
It wasn’t until she reached her own office again that Minerva realized she forgot to ask where they would be going for dinner. Knowing Albus, it could just as easily be a Muggle restaurant as a wizarding establishment, she didn’t even know how to dress. Then she remembered that she wasn’t a master of Transfiguration for nothing and could easily alter her ensemble to match their destination when she met him in the entrance hall.
The rest of the afternoon passed incredibly slowly for Albus as he attempted to finish his seventh year essays and counted down the time to his date with Minerva. As he was changing his robes, it occurred to him that he had neglected to tell her this dinner was intended to be a date. What if she thought they were just friends going out to dinner? Albus couldn’t understand why he was so nervous, it wasn’t as though he had never been on dates before. Actually, in his younger days he had been on more dates than he cared to count, but he had never been out with a woman so much younger before. He decided that must be the cause of his nerves, that and the fact that he hadn’t been able to get Minerva out of his mind since she arrived at Hogwarts.
Ten minutes to seven found Albus pacing the flagged stone floors of the entrance hall waiting for Minerva. He was wearing the most conservative set of robes he owned out of respect for her tastes; Minerva had often teased him about his vibrant choices of color and pattern and Albus knew she preferred simpler attire. She arrived five minutes later in a lovely set of robes he couldn’t remember ever having seen before, but knowing how women react when you forget an outfit Albus was reluctant to ask if it was new. He settled for the always effective, “You look wonderful this evening,” and was pleased when she smiled and thanked him.
“You look very nice yourself,” she answered. “I see you decided to forgo the shooting stars tonight.”
Albus chuckled, “I didn’t want to offend you with my wardrobe.”
“I’m glad to see you’re wearing robes as well,” Minerva said after a pause. “I realized this afternoon that I didn’t know whether we were going to a wizarding restaurant or not.”
“I thought we could just walk into town and go to a restaurant there of which I’m quite fond. Have you had much of a chance to explore the village again since you returned?”
“Not at all,” she answered. “I remember the high street from my student days, but I’ve had so much work to do figuring out my lesson plans and trying to determine what the students have already been taught that there hasn’t been much time for leisurely walks around Hogsmeade.”
“Well then the next time the students have a day in the village we’ll have to volunteer to chaperone so I can show you around,” Albus offered.
“That would be very nice,” Minerva answered with a smile. “Shall we go then?”
“Oh, yes of course,” Albus said hastily. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she questioned with laughter in her eyes as she accepted the arm he offered.
Albus decided that perhaps he should just keep his mouth shut until they were safely seated in the restaurant and he led the way into town quietly. Minerva wondered at his sudden silence and began to question her own statements, wondering if she’d said something wrong. She had assumed Albus’ invitation to dinner meant they were going on a date and she had attempted to look nice for him, had she overdone it? Minerva wasn’t a vain woman and rarely spent more than a few minutes on her appearance, but she had stopped working nearly an hour early to prepare for this evening. She had been confident upon leaving her rooms, but was now doubting herself a bit. They walked along in awkward silence, down the slopping front lawns of the castle and through the high street of Hogsmeade until Albus turned a corner and led Minerva into an unfamiliar part of the small wizarding village. A few minutes later, he stopped and she glanced up at the sign.
I don't like indian food much, well the really spicy stuff, so I don't blame her. Krys
I am sure their second one will be wonderful. Great story!
