Post by nikkimouse on Apr 12, 2005 10:06:57 GMT -5
This is the first fan-fiction I've posted up here, and one of my first ever written fanfics. I'm not sure if this is really the right place for this, but i'll post it here anyway. If i'm wrong, please inform me as to where it needs to go, and i'll move it. 
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K Rowling, the exception being any OC characters that might wander in. The plot is my own, and even that may have been influenced by stories I have read in the past. Any resemblance to real events or places is entirely accidental.
Anyway...
Minerva looked down at the dark blue dress spread out on her bed, fighting an internal battle. It was the Yule Ball tonight, and she was expected to attend. Normally she would have worn her normal dress robes, but she was unable to do so tonight. Albus Dumbledore had delivered a rather surprising piece of news upon announcing the Yule Ball. It was to be muggle themed, and they had to wear a muggle outfit. Even Severus had to get rid of his normal black robes to wear a suit. Minerva smiled briefly in amusement as she remembered the fuss he had kicked up, before he was ordered to do so.
She sighed as she gazed down at the silk dress upon the covers. It had been a gift from her mother over twenty years earlier, one which she had never had the occasion to wear. She was reluctant to wear it even tonight as it was, to her eyes, rather immodest. And yet, the only muggle dresses she’d managed to find on such short notice were even worse. They hadn’t even reached her knees!
Slowly, Minerva lifted it up, and stepped into it, relishing the feel of the silk against her bare skin. She slid her arms into the long sleeves, and then zipped up the back. She smoothed the dress down, and then checked her skirts. This skirt was layered with both netting and silken skirts, making it fuller then the skirts of a dress-robe. She looked into her mirror, and smiled faintly.
The dark blue silk was off-set by heavy gold embroidery on the upper-arms and bodice, while the sweeping sleeves and skirt were unadorned, except for the rim of each. She knew it showed off her waist, which was as slim as it had ever been, even after all these years. She had, in her youth, been one of the ‘breath-taking-beauties’ of her time, but not in the typical sense. Though she had indeed a very womanly figure, she was dark not blonde, green-eyed not blue, and her features too firm for true ‘beauty’. But all had acknowledged her as a beauty then. Now, she was no longer the girl she had been. Age had added lines, although she was not yet wrinkled, and her custom of hiding her figure in loose robes and her hair in a bun had not helped.
But tonight, she was going to have that reputation back, in fact, she was actually looking forward to it. For the first time in almost forty years, she would relax and show the world exactly who she was. Her husband had remarked before that with her hair out of the bun and her body in better robes, she looked far younger and much more like the beauty she had been. She moved to her dresser, and reached for the comb. She gently pulled it through her hair, brushing out the long tresses that were normally kept in a strict bun.
She glanced in the mirror, debating whether to twist it up or to leave it down. Her gaze wandered down to a butterfly clip covered with golden glitter that had come with the dress. It was intended to hold her hair up behind her head. But she knew she looked much better with her hair down, and so she was debating whether it was worth losing her professional appearance and dignity.
She picked up a bottle of perfume and sprayed it gently on her wrists and behind her ears. She bent to a golden jewelry box and drew a necklace from it. She slipped the heart-shaped sapphire set in gold around her neck, feeling the cool metal rest just above her breasts. A matching bracelet went on her wrist, and then she slid two rings onto her fingers. One was a gold circle set with a single diamond, while the other was plain gold. Her engagement and wedding rings respectively, rings that she wore daily, but concealed by many spells.
She reached up and removed her glasses, carefully setting them on the dresser. She didn’t actually need them; they were more for show then anything else. She had, in her youth, required things to make her appear more ‘professor-like’, to avoid her students thinking of her as a woman. Thus, she’d gotten glasses, changed her robe styles and started pinning her hair up in the bun.
She carefully applied her make-up, which was wizarding not muggle. Wizarding make-up was always water-proof and smudge-proof and certain types had magical properties. Some of her childhood friends had worn make-up that cycled through every possible color, or that enhanced their lips.
At last, she slid her feet into blue high-heels and picked up a hooded, dark blue cloak from where it lay upon her couch. She swung it around her shoulders, quickly fastening the clasps, and then sliding the hood over her head. It concealed her and her gown completely from view, as she had hoped it would, while leaving a slit for her hands to escape it.
There was a knock on the door, and she moved to open it, careful to not dislodge the cloak. Standing on the other-side of the door was Albus Dumbledore, dressed in an almost Victorian era suit. He blue eyes were twinkling as usual as he bowed to her,
“Good evening, milady,” he grinned, “is that what you are wearing to tonight’s ball? I can’t say I remember muggles dressing in enormous cloaks.”
“I’m concealing my outfit until I arrive,” Minerva stepped out of the room, a faint smile on her own lips. She accepted his proffered arm, careful to ensure that her sleeves did not escape the cloak.
Albus escorted her through the corridors, towards the Great Hall. The first few students were already milling around the Entrance Hall, waiting to be let in. Albus got a few strange looks as he escorted her through, they were clearly wondering who the strange woman on his arm was. After all, they couldn’t see her face to know who it was.
“Dumbledore, whose that?” Rolanda asked. Minerva almost burst out laughing, one of her best friends didn’t even recognize her! She held out her free hand,
“Good evening, Rolanda, I’m Professor Minerva McGonagall,” she greeted her, the hood concealing the enormous smirk on her face.
“Minerva?” Rolanda squeaked, “that’s you under there?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Minerva’s amusement showed in her voice.
“What are you wearing, Minerva?” Snape sneered, “it looks like an overgrown cloak!” Minerva turned slightly towards him, and promptly turned her laugh into a drawn out cough. He looked completely different in a black and white suit, and was obviously feeling very uncomfortable.
“You’ll see when the dancing starts, I’m not taking the cloak off until then,” she informed him archly.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K Rowling, the exception being any OC characters that might wander in. The plot is my own, and even that may have been influenced by stories I have read in the past. Any resemblance to real events or places is entirely accidental.
Anyway...
Minerva looked down at the dark blue dress spread out on her bed, fighting an internal battle. It was the Yule Ball tonight, and she was expected to attend. Normally she would have worn her normal dress robes, but she was unable to do so tonight. Albus Dumbledore had delivered a rather surprising piece of news upon announcing the Yule Ball. It was to be muggle themed, and they had to wear a muggle outfit. Even Severus had to get rid of his normal black robes to wear a suit. Minerva smiled briefly in amusement as she remembered the fuss he had kicked up, before he was ordered to do so.
She sighed as she gazed down at the silk dress upon the covers. It had been a gift from her mother over twenty years earlier, one which she had never had the occasion to wear. She was reluctant to wear it even tonight as it was, to her eyes, rather immodest. And yet, the only muggle dresses she’d managed to find on such short notice were even worse. They hadn’t even reached her knees!
Slowly, Minerva lifted it up, and stepped into it, relishing the feel of the silk against her bare skin. She slid her arms into the long sleeves, and then zipped up the back. She smoothed the dress down, and then checked her skirts. This skirt was layered with both netting and silken skirts, making it fuller then the skirts of a dress-robe. She looked into her mirror, and smiled faintly.
The dark blue silk was off-set by heavy gold embroidery on the upper-arms and bodice, while the sweeping sleeves and skirt were unadorned, except for the rim of each. She knew it showed off her waist, which was as slim as it had ever been, even after all these years. She had, in her youth, been one of the ‘breath-taking-beauties’ of her time, but not in the typical sense. Though she had indeed a very womanly figure, she was dark not blonde, green-eyed not blue, and her features too firm for true ‘beauty’. But all had acknowledged her as a beauty then. Now, she was no longer the girl she had been. Age had added lines, although she was not yet wrinkled, and her custom of hiding her figure in loose robes and her hair in a bun had not helped.
But tonight, she was going to have that reputation back, in fact, she was actually looking forward to it. For the first time in almost forty years, she would relax and show the world exactly who she was. Her husband had remarked before that with her hair out of the bun and her body in better robes, she looked far younger and much more like the beauty she had been. She moved to her dresser, and reached for the comb. She gently pulled it through her hair, brushing out the long tresses that were normally kept in a strict bun.
She glanced in the mirror, debating whether to twist it up or to leave it down. Her gaze wandered down to a butterfly clip covered with golden glitter that had come with the dress. It was intended to hold her hair up behind her head. But she knew she looked much better with her hair down, and so she was debating whether it was worth losing her professional appearance and dignity.
She picked up a bottle of perfume and sprayed it gently on her wrists and behind her ears. She bent to a golden jewelry box and drew a necklace from it. She slipped the heart-shaped sapphire set in gold around her neck, feeling the cool metal rest just above her breasts. A matching bracelet went on her wrist, and then she slid two rings onto her fingers. One was a gold circle set with a single diamond, while the other was plain gold. Her engagement and wedding rings respectively, rings that she wore daily, but concealed by many spells.
She reached up and removed her glasses, carefully setting them on the dresser. She didn’t actually need them; they were more for show then anything else. She had, in her youth, required things to make her appear more ‘professor-like’, to avoid her students thinking of her as a woman. Thus, she’d gotten glasses, changed her robe styles and started pinning her hair up in the bun.
She carefully applied her make-up, which was wizarding not muggle. Wizarding make-up was always water-proof and smudge-proof and certain types had magical properties. Some of her childhood friends had worn make-up that cycled through every possible color, or that enhanced their lips.
At last, she slid her feet into blue high-heels and picked up a hooded, dark blue cloak from where it lay upon her couch. She swung it around her shoulders, quickly fastening the clasps, and then sliding the hood over her head. It concealed her and her gown completely from view, as she had hoped it would, while leaving a slit for her hands to escape it.
There was a knock on the door, and she moved to open it, careful to not dislodge the cloak. Standing on the other-side of the door was Albus Dumbledore, dressed in an almost Victorian era suit. He blue eyes were twinkling as usual as he bowed to her,
“Good evening, milady,” he grinned, “is that what you are wearing to tonight’s ball? I can’t say I remember muggles dressing in enormous cloaks.”
“I’m concealing my outfit until I arrive,” Minerva stepped out of the room, a faint smile on her own lips. She accepted his proffered arm, careful to ensure that her sleeves did not escape the cloak.
Albus escorted her through the corridors, towards the Great Hall. The first few students were already milling around the Entrance Hall, waiting to be let in. Albus got a few strange looks as he escorted her through, they were clearly wondering who the strange woman on his arm was. After all, they couldn’t see her face to know who it was.
“Dumbledore, whose that?” Rolanda asked. Minerva almost burst out laughing, one of her best friends didn’t even recognize her! She held out her free hand,
“Good evening, Rolanda, I’m Professor Minerva McGonagall,” she greeted her, the hood concealing the enormous smirk on her face.
“Minerva?” Rolanda squeaked, “that’s you under there?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Minerva’s amusement showed in her voice.
“What are you wearing, Minerva?” Snape sneered, “it looks like an overgrown cloak!” Minerva turned slightly towards him, and promptly turned her laugh into a drawn out cough. He looked completely different in a black and white suit, and was obviously feeling very uncomfortable.
“You’ll see when the dancing starts, I’m not taking the cloak off until then,” she informed him archly.
. I can so picture the look on Albus' face.
