Post by ginger newts on Apr 28, 2005 22:05:34 GMT -5
Alright, here is the challenge Kandie sent me after she identified all the craziness in my songfic. (I decided to take a few liberties with the scavenger hunt and make it a bit more challenging for our dear couple. 
)
My challenge is easy. I want Albus and Minerva to have to go on a scavenger hunt for some reason and the list of items to find are: a coat of arms, a dagger, a copper teapot, a violin, and a garter.
They cannot be a couple until the end and they have to disagree at least once and make up however way you like.
Family Traditions
Minerva McGonagall was the fourth person to arrive for breakfast one summer morning at Hogwarts. Taking her usual seat to the right of her friend Albus Dumbledore, she greeted him pleasantly.
“Good morning, Minerva,” he answered. “You’re up early. Am I to take it, then, that your date last evening ended prematurely?”
Minerva rolled her eyes, “Quite early. I was home and in bed – alone,” she added for the benefit of the other staff members she knew where listening, “before ten.”
Albus wasn’t entirely displeased by this news, quite the opposite in fact. He had been dismayed upon hearing that Minerva had agreed to go out with a man of her sister’s choosing and felt more than a little relief that she hadn’t enjoyed his company. The news of the date, however, had finally sent the message to Albus that if he wanted to win Minerva’s affections he needed to act quickly. She was young and beautiful and wouldn’t wait forever for him to make a move, it was frankly surprising that she didn’t go on more dates. Realizing that she was still speaking, Albus turned his attention back to the enchanting young witch at his side.
“I don’t know why I let my sister talk me into going on a blind date in the first place,” she said. “Everyone knows they never work out, though I’ve heard it’s a good way to find out just what your friends and family think of you – by looking at who they’ve chosen to set you up with, I mean. Anyway, the whole evening was a bore. Over dinner he actually had the nerve to tell me that teaching is a lazy profession. Said there was no work involved and people only do it to have the summers off.”
Albus couldn’t contain a chuckle as he tried to imagine Minerva’s heated response to such negativity regarding her chosen profession. When she started at Hogwarts a few years ago, Minerva had told him that she very much wanted to dedicate her life to the school and the students and Albus knew that she found the work very fulfilling.
“Poor bloke,” he said to her with a twinkle in his eyes.
Minerva smiled, “I’ll admit I was rather sharp with him after that. I came home as soon as I’d finished my meal, didn’t even let him escort me.”
“After a night like that, are you quite sure you’re prepared for a day with my family?” Albus asked.
“Oh yes,” she said with a bright smile. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting the much talked about eccentric Dumbledores. When do we need to leave and am I dressed appropriately?”
“The afternoon’s events will be preceded by a luncheon at one o’clock so I thought we could leave around noon and then I could show you the house and the grounds before everyone arrives. Wear something casual and comfortable, I have a feeling we’ll be required to do a good deal of moving about. And don’t wear anything that you wouldn’t want to get dirty in,” he warned.
Minerva didn’t like the sound of that last sentence very much, but she nodded her understanding and began mentally searching through her wardrobe as they finished breakfast. When they finished their meal, the two professors parted to do a few hours’ work and change before meeting in Albus’ office to travel to his family home for the party.
Minerva sorted through her robes and found that the only ones she didn’t mind getting dirty weren’t very attractive, so she transfigured them into something a bit more becoming and decided she still wouldn’t mind if they were to be ruined. At exactly quarter to twelve, she knocked briskly on the door to Albus’ office and was surprised to hear him answer from behind her.
“Exactly on time as always,” he called out. “I had hoped to arrive before you for once.”
Minerva turned around and smiled at him. “The day you arrive anywhere before I do, Albus Dumbledore, is the day I let Professor Carter read my palm.”
“And so the challenge is set,” Albus gave back. “Are you ready? I thought we could apparate so you can see the grounds.” He offered Minerva his arm, which she accepted, and they set off toward the apparition point on the edge of the school grounds.
Within minutes, they were standing in front of a large country house with grounds that seemed to go on forever.
“Oh, Albus, it’s lovely,” Minerva exclaimed. “You must have loved growing up here.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “We used to go hiking in the woods and swimming in the lake, and of course the fields were perfect for riding or, well, any kind of sport really. Which is why my parents always host the summer picnic. Come on, I’ll introduce you and give you a brief tour.”
Minerva was introduced to Albus’ parents and a few aunts and uncles who had arrived early to help set up for the party and immediately she found the source of not only his looks, but also his sense of humor, eccentricity, and love for anything sweet. Then she was shown the house and some of the grounds, the tour being punctuated often by some amusing story from Albus’ childhood.
By the time they arrived back at the house, the yard was filled with people and Minerva couldn’t ever remember laughing as much as she had in the last hour with Albus. Over lunch she was introduced to many more people, knowing she had no hope of ever remembering their names or even telling them apart. She resolved never to let Albus leave her side so she didn’t end up in a conversation with someone who’s name she didn’t know.
After the meal, one of Albus’ uncles stood up and announced that the afternoon’s events were going to be kicked off with everyone’s favorite game, a paint duel with the men against the women. Minerva did a fair job of covering her reaction to this news, only Albus noticed the slight stiffening of her spine and the twitch in her cheek. Much sooner than she would have liked, they were being herded into the back field with everyone else and the rules were being explained quickly. The only spells allowed were blocking spells and those that would shower the opponents with paint, whichever side was the cleanest at the end of a half hour period would be declared the winners. Cleaning charms were not allowed until the game had ended.
Minerva was doing quite well for herself, employing more shielding spells than painting ones, but very pleased that she had managed to remain almost completely clean. She snuck a peak at her watch and found there were less than two minutes left to go in the game, unfortunately the break in her concentration on the game meant that she looked back up just in time to be coated in purple paint. Pulling off her paint covered glasses, she discovered that her attacker was none other than a very pleased and very green looking Albus.
“Albus Dumbledore!” she shrieked as the whistle blew to end the duel. “You did that deliberately.”
He chuckled, “Of course I did, my dear. You were the only one still completely clean and we can’t have that.”
“I was playing by the rules,” she argued. “It’s not my fault I’m good at shielding charms.”
The men were being declared the winners, due to their clever plan of having the older gentlemen stand in the front performing blocking spells while the younger generations fired paint from behind. “Of course, if it weren’t for Albus’ last minute actions the women might very well have won,” his uncle added with a laugh.
Minerva glared at Albus as she cleaned her glasses with her handkerchief, he was shaking with badly suppressed laughter. “It’s not funny!” she said sharply, stalking away from him to the other side of the crowd.
The next event, apparently designed to help everyone get cleaned up, was a swimming relay in the lake at the bottom of the field. Minerva quickly and purposefully joined a team of young women who only needed one more member to be complete. She refused to look at or speak to Albus. He ended up on a team with his younger brother Aberforth, their father, and a very strange cousin.
Minerva’s team won the relay, thanks to her skills, and she shot a gloating look in Albus’ direction before continuing to ignore him. This continued through several other games until Albus was incredibly frustrated. It was only a bit of paint, Minerva had been warned to wear old robes and was clean now. Why did she have to take everything to such extremes? He sighed and approached the tea tent, trying to ignore the half amused, half sympathetic look on Aberforth’s face.
)My challenge is easy. I want Albus and Minerva to have to go on a scavenger hunt for some reason and the list of items to find are: a coat of arms, a dagger, a copper teapot, a violin, and a garter.
They cannot be a couple until the end and they have to disagree at least once and make up however way you like.
Family Traditions
Minerva McGonagall was the fourth person to arrive for breakfast one summer morning at Hogwarts. Taking her usual seat to the right of her friend Albus Dumbledore, she greeted him pleasantly.
“Good morning, Minerva,” he answered. “You’re up early. Am I to take it, then, that your date last evening ended prematurely?”
Minerva rolled her eyes, “Quite early. I was home and in bed – alone,” she added for the benefit of the other staff members she knew where listening, “before ten.”
Albus wasn’t entirely displeased by this news, quite the opposite in fact. He had been dismayed upon hearing that Minerva had agreed to go out with a man of her sister’s choosing and felt more than a little relief that she hadn’t enjoyed his company. The news of the date, however, had finally sent the message to Albus that if he wanted to win Minerva’s affections he needed to act quickly. She was young and beautiful and wouldn’t wait forever for him to make a move, it was frankly surprising that she didn’t go on more dates. Realizing that she was still speaking, Albus turned his attention back to the enchanting young witch at his side.
“I don’t know why I let my sister talk me into going on a blind date in the first place,” she said. “Everyone knows they never work out, though I’ve heard it’s a good way to find out just what your friends and family think of you – by looking at who they’ve chosen to set you up with, I mean. Anyway, the whole evening was a bore. Over dinner he actually had the nerve to tell me that teaching is a lazy profession. Said there was no work involved and people only do it to have the summers off.”
Albus couldn’t contain a chuckle as he tried to imagine Minerva’s heated response to such negativity regarding her chosen profession. When she started at Hogwarts a few years ago, Minerva had told him that she very much wanted to dedicate her life to the school and the students and Albus knew that she found the work very fulfilling.
“Poor bloke,” he said to her with a twinkle in his eyes.
Minerva smiled, “I’ll admit I was rather sharp with him after that. I came home as soon as I’d finished my meal, didn’t even let him escort me.”
“After a night like that, are you quite sure you’re prepared for a day with my family?” Albus asked.
“Oh yes,” she said with a bright smile. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting the much talked about eccentric Dumbledores. When do we need to leave and am I dressed appropriately?”
“The afternoon’s events will be preceded by a luncheon at one o’clock so I thought we could leave around noon and then I could show you the house and the grounds before everyone arrives. Wear something casual and comfortable, I have a feeling we’ll be required to do a good deal of moving about. And don’t wear anything that you wouldn’t want to get dirty in,” he warned.
Minerva didn’t like the sound of that last sentence very much, but she nodded her understanding and began mentally searching through her wardrobe as they finished breakfast. When they finished their meal, the two professors parted to do a few hours’ work and change before meeting in Albus’ office to travel to his family home for the party.
Minerva sorted through her robes and found that the only ones she didn’t mind getting dirty weren’t very attractive, so she transfigured them into something a bit more becoming and decided she still wouldn’t mind if they were to be ruined. At exactly quarter to twelve, she knocked briskly on the door to Albus’ office and was surprised to hear him answer from behind her.
“Exactly on time as always,” he called out. “I had hoped to arrive before you for once.”
Minerva turned around and smiled at him. “The day you arrive anywhere before I do, Albus Dumbledore, is the day I let Professor Carter read my palm.”
“And so the challenge is set,” Albus gave back. “Are you ready? I thought we could apparate so you can see the grounds.” He offered Minerva his arm, which she accepted, and they set off toward the apparition point on the edge of the school grounds.
Within minutes, they were standing in front of a large country house with grounds that seemed to go on forever.
“Oh, Albus, it’s lovely,” Minerva exclaimed. “You must have loved growing up here.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “We used to go hiking in the woods and swimming in the lake, and of course the fields were perfect for riding or, well, any kind of sport really. Which is why my parents always host the summer picnic. Come on, I’ll introduce you and give you a brief tour.”
Minerva was introduced to Albus’ parents and a few aunts and uncles who had arrived early to help set up for the party and immediately she found the source of not only his looks, but also his sense of humor, eccentricity, and love for anything sweet. Then she was shown the house and some of the grounds, the tour being punctuated often by some amusing story from Albus’ childhood.
By the time they arrived back at the house, the yard was filled with people and Minerva couldn’t ever remember laughing as much as she had in the last hour with Albus. Over lunch she was introduced to many more people, knowing she had no hope of ever remembering their names or even telling them apart. She resolved never to let Albus leave her side so she didn’t end up in a conversation with someone who’s name she didn’t know.
After the meal, one of Albus’ uncles stood up and announced that the afternoon’s events were going to be kicked off with everyone’s favorite game, a paint duel with the men against the women. Minerva did a fair job of covering her reaction to this news, only Albus noticed the slight stiffening of her spine and the twitch in her cheek. Much sooner than she would have liked, they were being herded into the back field with everyone else and the rules were being explained quickly. The only spells allowed were blocking spells and those that would shower the opponents with paint, whichever side was the cleanest at the end of a half hour period would be declared the winners. Cleaning charms were not allowed until the game had ended.
Minerva was doing quite well for herself, employing more shielding spells than painting ones, but very pleased that she had managed to remain almost completely clean. She snuck a peak at her watch and found there were less than two minutes left to go in the game, unfortunately the break in her concentration on the game meant that she looked back up just in time to be coated in purple paint. Pulling off her paint covered glasses, she discovered that her attacker was none other than a very pleased and very green looking Albus.
“Albus Dumbledore!” she shrieked as the whistle blew to end the duel. “You did that deliberately.”
He chuckled, “Of course I did, my dear. You were the only one still completely clean and we can’t have that.”
“I was playing by the rules,” she argued. “It’s not my fault I’m good at shielding charms.”
The men were being declared the winners, due to their clever plan of having the older gentlemen stand in the front performing blocking spells while the younger generations fired paint from behind. “Of course, if it weren’t for Albus’ last minute actions the women might very well have won,” his uncle added with a laugh.
Minerva glared at Albus as she cleaned her glasses with her handkerchief, he was shaking with badly suppressed laughter. “It’s not funny!” she said sharply, stalking away from him to the other side of the crowd.
The next event, apparently designed to help everyone get cleaned up, was a swimming relay in the lake at the bottom of the field. Minerva quickly and purposefully joined a team of young women who only needed one more member to be complete. She refused to look at or speak to Albus. He ended up on a team with his younger brother Aberforth, their father, and a very strange cousin.
Minerva’s team won the relay, thanks to her skills, and she shot a gloating look in Albus’ direction before continuing to ignore him. This continued through several other games until Albus was incredibly frustrated. It was only a bit of paint, Minerva had been warned to wear old robes and was clean now. Why did she have to take everything to such extremes? He sighed and approached the tea tent, trying to ignore the half amused, half sympathetic look on Aberforth’s face.
I really enjoyed it!! GOOD JOB.
He told her teaching is a lazy profession? 
