Post by Karlynne on Jun 20, 2005 0:39:51 GMT -5
Another story we thought we’d post. Karlie did love her flowers. Krys
There are many things which bring me pleasure but tending my garden is one of my favorite activities. Planting bulbs, moistening the soil, even removing undesirable plants that threaten to choke my seedlings are enjoyable duties. Tulips have long been my favorite but Orchids have been my challenge and this years bounty as been wonderful, so much so I had to write about it. Karlie
Flowers For My Love
To Kassie, my favorite flower
Albus Dumbledore paced his office furiously as he tried to battle the demons in his mind. The entire school year had passed and he was only a day away from breaking his promise. At the beginning of the fall term, he had mentioned to his mother that his heart was finally taken but the love of his life was unaware.
He was cautious about losing his heart to anyone and his mother still worried over him. He was over a century old but she didn’t want him to be alone. On her deathbed, last October, she pleaded with him not to let too much time pass and he promised that the school year would not close without his revealing his feelings to his love.
He stopped pacing. His mind was made and he needed to tell her tonight. He left his office and headed toward the greenhouses. There were three professors on staff with green thumbs. Professor Foley, the Herbology Professor, Madame Sprout, his assistant, and Minerva McGonagall who thought growing things was an exciting hobby.
Albus didn’t want the dry as dust plants Professor Foley would give him, or the strange grafts that Madame Sprout bred, he wanted something passionate and exotic, something Minerva would imagine and coax into bloom. He needed flowers for his love.
He entered greenhouse seven and found her with a large plant in her hands.
“Miss McGonagall? I have a huge favor to ask of you.”
Minerva looked up with her lovely green eyes showing surprise. She couldn’t recall Albus ever entering the greenhouses. Transfigurations Professors rarely considered Herbology a serious subject aside from the usage such plants could provide for potions making. She was his assistant this year and although she saw him every day he rarely had to seek her out. She was determined to be an astounding Professor and Albus Dumbledore was the man to teach her how to be one of the best Hogwarts would ever see. At twenty-three she was ready to step into the role but there wasn’t an opening on the staff. There was a chance that the Ancient Runes Professor wouldn’t return and there was talk of Professor Doherty, the DADA professor, of retiring but nothing had been announced.
“Yes, Professor Dumbledore, how may I help you?”
“I need a floral arrangement for this evening around seven. I know it is extremely late notice and you have every right to tell me you are unable to do it.”
Her resistance to him was nil. “Tonight? All right. Is this for a business associate or a friend?”
“For the love of my life,” he answered softly.
Minerva felt her back stiffen unconsciously. She could hardly refuse him now that she’d accepted. “Do you want roses?”
“No, roses are too common. I want something unique, beautiful, elegant, and utterly lovely, just like her.”
A surge of jealousy almost overwhelmed Minerva.
“The arrangement must be alluring, but not overpowering.” Albus’ eyes darkened. “She is a bud of perfect beauty and my gift must show her that I understand her need to go slow, to take pleasure in every moment of her awakening. I want it to be a promise to her that I will not push her too fast or rush her in my desire for her.”
“Come back at seven,” she said through clenched teeth. Her words were clipped.
There was only so much that Minerva could take and right now she wanted to throw something at him. She wanted to present him with something so awful that his lover would never speak to him again.
It took several minutes before she could begin working but when she finally began work on her creation, she made it delicate and beautiful, fragrant but not too lush. Colored for freshness in creamy white and golden yellow, with the merest hints of red for passion.
Because he had said his love was unique, Minerva used the loveliest of her hothouse orchids in shades of gold, offsetting their sophistication with white pansies so fragile they would bruise if stroked to hard. His love would require gentle handling. To add the touch of red, the touch of passion, she used leaves; tiny, perfectly shaped leaves of such vibrant beauty they were almost flowers in themselves.
The centerpiece was a pure white rosebud of perfect beauty. Hidden amongst the confident orchids it appeared shy but compelled the eye to look its way.
And then it was finished.
For a moment she knew joy. This was her art and she was very good at it. A second later her happiness faded as she realized this arrangement would go to another. She had worked for hours to make another woman deliriously happy.
Soft footsteps sounded behind her. Without turning she said, “It’s finished.”
Albus’ voice was filled with awe as he spoke. “It’s perfect. Minerva, you have a rare gift to bring out such beauty.”
“Thank you.” She rose and handed him the arrangement without looking him in the eye. She refused his offer of payment and moments later he was gone, taking her creation to another woman.
Minerva quickly set the greenhouse to rights before hurrying to her rooms. She wanted a long hot shower and a good cry. Her yearlong crush with Albus would not bear fruit.
The shower did little to ease her bruised emotions. She decided to skip dinner altogether and head for bed. Knocking on her door sounded before she could leave the room and she answered the door to find Albus on her threshold.
“Is something wrong with the arrangement?” Her worried eyes began examining the arrangement in his hands.
“I knew if I asked you to create an arrangement you would make one that you would prefer to receive.” He took a step into the room as she backed away. “I knew only you could grow the flowers I wanted to give you.”
Minerva’s hand rose to her mouth. Tremors shivered through her body, starting at her heart and traveling through every nerve in her body. Hardly daring to touch what she handled so easily earlier, she reached out to stroke a white petal.
What had he said in the greenhouse? A bud of perfect beauty? A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Minerva, this was to make you smile, not cry.” He wiped away her tear with his thumb. Bending his head he touched petal soft lips as alluring as any one of her fragrant blooms.
At first, she was still. When he continued to barely brush their lips together in the most gentle of seductions, her body softened and her lips parted on a breath.
“Unique, beautiful, elegant, and utterly lovely?”
He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “I forgot to add enchanting.”
Minerva smiled softly.
He leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time. This kiss promised her passion, love, and held a hint of possessiveness.
Time passed in a twinkle and Minerva did not remember retiring to her bed or even how she got dressed. She only knew she couldn’t wait any longer to go to sleep and begin dreaming.
There are many things which bring me pleasure but tending my garden is one of my favorite activities. Planting bulbs, moistening the soil, even removing undesirable plants that threaten to choke my seedlings are enjoyable duties. Tulips have long been my favorite but Orchids have been my challenge and this years bounty as been wonderful, so much so I had to write about it. Karlie
Flowers For My Love
To Kassie, my favorite flower
Albus Dumbledore paced his office furiously as he tried to battle the demons in his mind. The entire school year had passed and he was only a day away from breaking his promise. At the beginning of the fall term, he had mentioned to his mother that his heart was finally taken but the love of his life was unaware.
He was cautious about losing his heart to anyone and his mother still worried over him. He was over a century old but she didn’t want him to be alone. On her deathbed, last October, she pleaded with him not to let too much time pass and he promised that the school year would not close without his revealing his feelings to his love.
He stopped pacing. His mind was made and he needed to tell her tonight. He left his office and headed toward the greenhouses. There were three professors on staff with green thumbs. Professor Foley, the Herbology Professor, Madame Sprout, his assistant, and Minerva McGonagall who thought growing things was an exciting hobby.
Albus didn’t want the dry as dust plants Professor Foley would give him, or the strange grafts that Madame Sprout bred, he wanted something passionate and exotic, something Minerva would imagine and coax into bloom. He needed flowers for his love.
He entered greenhouse seven and found her with a large plant in her hands.
“Miss McGonagall? I have a huge favor to ask of you.”
Minerva looked up with her lovely green eyes showing surprise. She couldn’t recall Albus ever entering the greenhouses. Transfigurations Professors rarely considered Herbology a serious subject aside from the usage such plants could provide for potions making. She was his assistant this year and although she saw him every day he rarely had to seek her out. She was determined to be an astounding Professor and Albus Dumbledore was the man to teach her how to be one of the best Hogwarts would ever see. At twenty-three she was ready to step into the role but there wasn’t an opening on the staff. There was a chance that the Ancient Runes Professor wouldn’t return and there was talk of Professor Doherty, the DADA professor, of retiring but nothing had been announced.
“Yes, Professor Dumbledore, how may I help you?”
“I need a floral arrangement for this evening around seven. I know it is extremely late notice and you have every right to tell me you are unable to do it.”
Her resistance to him was nil. “Tonight? All right. Is this for a business associate or a friend?”
“For the love of my life,” he answered softly.
Minerva felt her back stiffen unconsciously. She could hardly refuse him now that she’d accepted. “Do you want roses?”
“No, roses are too common. I want something unique, beautiful, elegant, and utterly lovely, just like her.”
A surge of jealousy almost overwhelmed Minerva.
“The arrangement must be alluring, but not overpowering.” Albus’ eyes darkened. “She is a bud of perfect beauty and my gift must show her that I understand her need to go slow, to take pleasure in every moment of her awakening. I want it to be a promise to her that I will not push her too fast or rush her in my desire for her.”
“Come back at seven,” she said through clenched teeth. Her words were clipped.
There was only so much that Minerva could take and right now she wanted to throw something at him. She wanted to present him with something so awful that his lover would never speak to him again.
It took several minutes before she could begin working but when she finally began work on her creation, she made it delicate and beautiful, fragrant but not too lush. Colored for freshness in creamy white and golden yellow, with the merest hints of red for passion.
Because he had said his love was unique, Minerva used the loveliest of her hothouse orchids in shades of gold, offsetting their sophistication with white pansies so fragile they would bruise if stroked to hard. His love would require gentle handling. To add the touch of red, the touch of passion, she used leaves; tiny, perfectly shaped leaves of such vibrant beauty they were almost flowers in themselves.
The centerpiece was a pure white rosebud of perfect beauty. Hidden amongst the confident orchids it appeared shy but compelled the eye to look its way.
And then it was finished.
For a moment she knew joy. This was her art and she was very good at it. A second later her happiness faded as she realized this arrangement would go to another. She had worked for hours to make another woman deliriously happy.
Soft footsteps sounded behind her. Without turning she said, “It’s finished.”
Albus’ voice was filled with awe as he spoke. “It’s perfect. Minerva, you have a rare gift to bring out such beauty.”
“Thank you.” She rose and handed him the arrangement without looking him in the eye. She refused his offer of payment and moments later he was gone, taking her creation to another woman.
Minerva quickly set the greenhouse to rights before hurrying to her rooms. She wanted a long hot shower and a good cry. Her yearlong crush with Albus would not bear fruit.
The shower did little to ease her bruised emotions. She decided to skip dinner altogether and head for bed. Knocking on her door sounded before she could leave the room and she answered the door to find Albus on her threshold.
“Is something wrong with the arrangement?” Her worried eyes began examining the arrangement in his hands.
“I knew if I asked you to create an arrangement you would make one that you would prefer to receive.” He took a step into the room as she backed away. “I knew only you could grow the flowers I wanted to give you.”
Minerva’s hand rose to her mouth. Tremors shivered through her body, starting at her heart and traveling through every nerve in her body. Hardly daring to touch what she handled so easily earlier, she reached out to stroke a white petal.
What had he said in the greenhouse? A bud of perfect beauty? A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Minerva, this was to make you smile, not cry.” He wiped away her tear with his thumb. Bending his head he touched petal soft lips as alluring as any one of her fragrant blooms.
At first, she was still. When he continued to barely brush their lips together in the most gentle of seductions, her body softened and her lips parted on a breath.
“Unique, beautiful, elegant, and utterly lovely?”
He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “I forgot to add enchanting.”
Minerva smiled softly.
He leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time. This kiss promised her passion, love, and held a hint of possessiveness.
Time passed in a twinkle and Minerva did not remember retiring to her bed or even how she got dressed. She only knew she couldn’t wait any longer to go to sleep and begin dreaming.
! I loved it 
And that kiss...*melts* Thanks so much for posting this and sharing it with us.
