My 100 Prompts Collected Works

[laundry basket]

Okay, I'm going to take a page out of childminerva's and expectopatronum08's book and post all my prompt responses in one place, because, honestly, if I don't I'll lose them all forever. I'm just as disorganized on the web as I am in real life.
The first few are just reposts of ones already out there, nothing new for a bit.


Prompt # 62: Spring

It was a warm, breezy day in mid-spring, and a young woman sat in the grass of a blooming garden. She had long, ebony black hair and large brown eyes. A plain white summer dress and bare feet completed the picture. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her, but was brought to reality by the sound of foot steps on the soft ground. She looked up, and was greeted with the sight of a small girl, no older than five, with curly auburn hair and the woman's own deep brown eyes. She also wore a summer dress, but hers was a light blue, and she had freckles all over her arms and legs. She was carrying a wicker basket filled to the brim with freshly picked daisies.

The woman smiled at her daughter, watching her bend down and pick another flower, depositing it into her basket. She continued to walk along, occasionally choosing flowers to add to her basket. She reached her mother, and smiled happily, holding out her daisies.

"Mummy, will you show me how to make a daisy crown?"

The older woman smiled back at her and took the basket, choosing several flowers from the myriad of daisies.

"Of course, dear. Watch me, now."

As her daughter stared with fascination, she twisted the stems together with deft fingers, watching her creation take shape.

"There you are," she said, placing the make-shift crown atop her daughter's head. The girl giggled and fingered the flowers, awed that her mother could do something like that.

"Thank you, mummy," she said softly, climbing into her lap. She laid her head back onto her mother's chest, and her eyelids began to flutter shut. Her mother smiled at the sleeping figure in her arms, and, kissing the top of her head, began walking back toward their house, away from the fresh pleasure of springtime gardens and daisy crowns, and back into a world filled with darkness and cruelty.

[laundry basket]

Prompt #66: Rain

A/N: This fic takes place about ten years after Minerva began teaching, well, because I like fics when they're young

The seven members of the Gryfinndor Quidditch team were shocked. And it took quite alot to shock the members of the Gryfinndor Quidditch team.

They were trudging back up to the castle after a grueling practice that only ended when it started to rain, when third-year David Smithson, one of the beaters, spotted a very disturbing sight (at least from their perspective).

"Oh. Dear. Merlin."

The other members of the team stared at him were he stood as though cemented to the ground.

"Smithson? You okay?" asked Susanna Withers, the captain of the team, in a worried voice.

"Please tell me I am imagining that."

"What?"

"Please tell me I am imagining that."

"What?"

"Please tell me I am imagining that."

"WHAT?" they all yelled in unison, which seemed to draw him out of his hypnotic state.

He pointed his finger shakily through the drizzle of rain, where they could make out two figure very close together, looking as if they were kissing.

The other beater, a fourth year named Barnabus Reed, shrugged his shoulders.

"So? Just looks like a couple of students snogging, to me."

"Look closer." David whispered.

The team squinted to make out the two people still attached at the lips, and it didn't seem like an unusual couple, until Eryka Cliefeltter, a sixth-year chaser, shrieked,

"DEAR MERLIN! It's Dumbledore and Mcgonagall!"

Noises of protest were made, until Susanna said in a small voice,

"I think she's right. Look! That taller one, there, look! He has a beard!"

"And the smaller one! She looks just McGonagall's size!"

"Oh, I just KNEW they were together!" squealed the seeker, a seventh-year girl named Clarissa Terrince, a giggly girl who really did insist they were a couple even before this (rather disturbing) proof.

The team sat it numbed silence for awhile, until the couple turned and began to walk towards the castle, in their direction.

"Oh no!"

"What if they see us?"

"We'll be toast for sure!"

"Everybody RUN!"

They zig-zagged in every direction, eventually making it one-by-one into the castle.

* * *

Walking hand-in-hand toward Hogwarts, Albus and Minerva thought briefly they might have seen a large dark huddle through the rain, and a distant yell that sounded something like,

"Every bunny rum!"

They dismissed it, however, too caught up in each other, and neither noticed that the Gryfinndor team kept turning an odd colour and running away when they saw them together.

[childminerva]

be sure to delete your other posts...maybe you can have one of the mods move the reviews for you...?
(I still like your pieces, btw)

[laundry basket]

Prompt #30: Death
Length: 671 words
Rating: PG

Prompt # 30
'Death'

Twenty year old Minerva Dumbledore sat in a light blue rocking chair, holding her small daughter tightly in her arms. She slowly sang the French lullaby she had been sung in her childhood days-

"Mon bébé, mon chéri, je vous aime, je fais
Me permettre de compter les façons pendant que je les chante vous...
Je vous aime autant que les étoiles dans le ciel,
Et comment beaucoup fois la lune est allée par"*

She kissed her sleeping baby girl softly on the forehead and blew out the candle illuminating the nursery. Suddenly, a loud crash and the sound of heavy footsteps were heard. A gruff voice said,

"The woman should be here."

Minerva's eyes grew wide, and she quickly looked around the darkened room for her wand, and mentally slapped herself when she remembered leaving it in her bedroom. Her daughter had awoken, and was whimpering.

"Shh, shh, hon, it's alright," Minerva cooed at the girl, thinking all the while about what she could do. She knew who was here- one of Grindlewald's followers who hadn't been captured, who was here seeking revenge on Albus Dumbledore for killing his master. Albus and Minerva had planned an escape route in the unlikely event this should happen, but it wasn't unlikely anymore, it was real, and deathly frightning. It was agreed if in the nursery, she would unlock the window and climb out to safety. She couldn't apparate, there were anti-apparition charms on the entire flat, so the man here now couldn't apparate in.

Minerva rushed to the window and fumbled with the lock.

"Damn," she swore quietly when she realized they had stored the key in their bedroom when their daughter figured out how to work it, and nearly broke her neck falling out the window. So, she did the next best thing and headed for the closet, intending to hide in the corner. But someone beat her to it.

A blast of blue light hit her in the side, and she fell forward heavily, banging her head on the handle of her daughter's chest of drawers.

"Ohhh..." she moaned in pain, clutching her baby with one hand and her head with the other. A tall, dark figure advanced towards her, laughing cruelly.

"Well, well, well," he said coldly, twirling his wand in his fingers. "What have we here? Dumbledore's wife and daughter."

"Please, please, don't kill my baby! You can have me if you want, just don't kill my daughter!" she pleaded, eyes wide with fear.

"Petrificus totalus!" yelled the man, and before she had a chance to react a stream of purple light hit her on her pounding head, and she fell, completely rigid, to the floor, still holding her daughter.

The man stood towering above her, and now she was able to see his face. He had wild, matted grey hair and small, black eyes. His face was long and his body squat. He wore a black velvet cloak over plain robes, with thick black boots, and looked absolutely terrifying.

He smiled at her, a wicked, evil smile, showing his large, crooked, yellow teeth. Without a word he pulled Minerva's screaming child from her arms and set her on top of the chest of drawers. Minerva tried desperately to move, to talk, to do anything! But she was bound solidly. Her face showed an expression of absolute terror as she looked from the man to her baby, who was still crying.

With a smile that showed there was no goodness left in his heart, the man raised his wand and pointed it at the child. Minerva was now in a state of pure panic, sensing what was going to happen.

"Avada Kedevara!"

Suddenly there were no more cries.

* * *

Minerva Dumbledore approached the small, rounded grave. She knelt down and placed several fresh flowers on the gritty dirt, and when she turned away, there were tears in her eyes. And you would probably cry too, if you saw a grave that read:

Arriana Lucillia Katherine Dumbledore
Born: May 15th, 1953
Died: September 30th, 1954
"She will live forever in our hearts"

Fin.

*Translation:
"I love you my baby, my darling, I do,
Let me count the ways while I sing them to you,
I love you as much as the stars in the sky,
And how many times thet moon has gone by"

[laundry basket]

Title: Light
Rating: G
Length: 404 words
Prompt #73
'Light'

Minerva McGonagall was nervous, and she had a very good reason.

She was about to get married.

She was nineteen years old, still fresh from Hogwarts school and ready to begin her life as a teacher.

But first she was getting married, to a man named Albus Dumbledore.

She stepped onto the fresh green grass- they'd decided on an outside wedding. Her ebony black hair caught the light and her white wedding dress sparkled in the sun. She approached her soon-to-be husband, who seemed to be struck dumb by her presence.

They had one guest, the witness, Albus' sister, Lucillia Dumbledore. Lucillia was standing beside Minerva, her auburn hair pulled atop her head, and she gave Minerva a comforting smile as the priest began the ceremony.

"...and stay with each other through sickness and health..."

She remembered when Albus had caught dragonpox, and she had stayed up with him through the night, reading aloud from his collection of books. She fell asleep beside him, and when she awoke in the morning, she had itchy red spots all over her body. Oh, it was agony, that first day! They had nothing to do, and couldn't risk going out- dragonpox is very contagious. They entertained themselves playing charades and duck duck goose and other silly, childish games, and they were both relieved when the spots started to fade.

"...for richer or poorer..."

Hard times were ahead. Grindelwald was defeated three monthes ago, but his many followers were still lurking all over the country. It was going to be tough to find a teaching job anywhere, much less one at Hogwarts, the one place she really wanted to teach. England was still recovering from Grindelwald's madness, and money was becoming scarce.

"...till death do you part."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. Some of her best friends had perished during the war, and she missed them terribly. But most of all, she missed her mother and father, who had both died facing Grindlewald. The world was still reeling from the many deaths, and so many families were still being affected. She could only hope and pray that she and Albus would be safe, and would survive until the light returned to their country.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And as they shared their first kiss as a married couple, they both thought the same thing;

'I will survive.'

[osusprinks]

I love these stories so much!

[laundry basket]

Response to Prompt # 13- Yellow
A/N: Yet another fic in which I stubbornly hold out Albus and Minerva used to have a daughter.


"Mummy?" asked the small, auburn haired girl, running to where her mother was reading in the den.

"Yes, dear?" her mother replied, marking the page in her book and turning to her daughter.

"May I finger paint?" she questioned hopefully, brown eyes wide with excitement. Her mother smiled down at her.

"You may, if we have paint. Didn't uncle Aberforth give you some for your birthday?"

The girl nodded and rushed to her room, returning with a box full of colourful paints.

"Very well. I'll go and find some old newspapers, so you won't get anything dirty. Why don't you change into a pair of your pyjamas, so your dress won't get paint on it?" The woman said, getting up from the sofa on which she sat and grabbing a few old editions of the Prophet from the side table. She lay them strategically across the kitchen table as her daughter returned, wearing a pair of old fleece pyjamas and carrying her paints.

The young girl set to work on her creation, and soon her hands were all but coated with thick paint. She dipped her index finger into the container of yellow and withdrew a huge dollop, letting it drop onto the paper she was using. She swirled it around, occasionally adding more of the same colour. Finally, she raised her head from the table and shouted to her mother,

"Mummy! Come see my picture!"

Her mother walked into the kitchen and bent over her daughter's shoulder to see what she had painted.

"It's a sun!" the girl cried unnecessarily, pointing with a yellow finger to the glob of yellow, with blue dots for eyes and a purple curving line for a mouth.

"It's a very nice picture," her mother said, "I'll hang it on the refrigerator. Go on and wash your hands; dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

The woman quickly used a temporary sticking charm to stick the picture on their refrigerator. And as the months went by, and the space beside the picture was filled with clippings from the obituaries section of the Prophet and letters from family in hiding, in the midst of those dark reminders that their world was at war, the picture stood out like a beacon of hope, reminding all that light would return someday.

[osusprinks]

Oh that was so great. I thought it was just going to be a cute snap shot of family life but I love this ending. great job!

[childminerva]

that was very touching...a great way to use the prompt and to suprise your readers with the ending!

[ιady ταвz]

all are wonderful, i really like them

[laundry basket]

Prompt #24: Family
Word Count: 241


Lucillia Henrietta Margarite Jullianna Dumbledore was an aunt. An aunt. Her sister-in-law, Minerva, had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl, to be named in her honour.

An aunt. Oh, she was so happy!

She paced anxiously back and forth in the waiting room, cursing the slowness of hospital staff. Finally, finally, a large nurse with dirty blonde hair and an official looking clipboard called her name.

"Lucillia Dumbledore, your brother and sister-in-law would like to see you now."

She practically ran down the long white corridors, stopping in front of a room in which she heard a baby crying.

"Albus? Min?" she said quietly, poking her head in the door.

"Lucy, come in," called Albus, waving to her.

"Come see your niece," Minerva added softly, inclining her head to the bundle of blankets in her arms. Her long black hair fell down her back, and her green eyes were alight with happiness. Lucy tip-toed toward them, hugging her brother and sister-in-law before peering into the blanket at the newest family member.

"Oh," she cooed, "she's so adorable!"

And indeed she was; soft green eyes watched Lucy with fascination, and a tuft of auburn hair peeked out of the folds of cloth. She gurgled happily, tugging on the loose strands of her aunt's hair.

"Yes, she is," said Albus lovingly, kissing his wife and daughter on the head. And they stood there crowded around the baby, one big happy family.

[StormAngel]

oh my... they are all so wonderfully written

[childminerva]

very sweet...keep it up!

[ιady ταвz]

OH...TEARS IN MY EYES.PRETTY

[laundry basket]

Prompt # 76: Who
Length: 491 words

"I can't believe Dumbldore is making us clean out his office!" moaned Sirius Black, wiping his hair out of his eyes.

"I know! I mean, all we did was turn Snape's hair into an orange afro; I thought it looked rather fetching," agreed James Potter, cleaning off his glasses.

"Well, at least it's better than detention-" said Remus, but was cut off by his friends

"Aw, Moony, you only say that because you don't want another detention on your record!" interjected Sirius, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Yeah, Marauder's should be PROUD of their detention record, not ashamed!" cried James, putting a hand over his heart. Remus just rolled his eyes and continued sorting through the books on the ancient book shelf.

"Hey you guys, look at this," he said, pulling a small, skinny book from behind a huge volume entitled 'How to Know When You're a Vampire.'

"What?" asked James curiously.

"I think it's a photo album," Remus said, flipping through the pages.

"Oi, stop! What's that?" Sirius asked, pointing to the book.

"Sirius, don't you pay attention?" Remus queried without even looking at him.

"Nope," Sirius said with pride, grabbing at the book. "Lemme see!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Both of you stop fighting and come look at this picture!" James called to his friends, bringing their attention back to the real world.

"What?" they asked together, running to James' side. He pointed to a picture displayed in the middle of the page; the picture depicted a young woman no more than twenty, with long, ebony black hair and sparkling green eyes. She wore a pure white dress and held a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She smiled and waved at the camera, and threw her flowers into the air- she was obviously at her wedding.

"Wow," Sirius breathed, "who is she?" James shrugged.

"Dunno. Niece?"

"Na, he told us his brother isn't married, remember?" Remus said. "And neither of their hair is black."

"But maybe his brother got really drunk, got a black-haired woman pregnant, and knew nothing of his long lost love child until she got married, at which time he was so overcome by emotion he turned to the goats for comfort!" piped up Sirius, and was immediately pelted with bits of parchment.

"There was no need for that!"

"Look, I think there's a date on the back," Remus said, pointing to faded black letters coming through the photo paper. They turned it over and read:

"Min on our wedding day"

"Min?" asked James quietly, breaking the silence. "You don't suppose it means..."

"Professor..."

"McGonagall?"

All three boys looked at each other, then quickly shook their head.

"Nah."

"No way."

"Yeah right."

And they slid the small book back into the shelf, hidden deep behind the others, trying not to think that beautiful young woman was their Transfiguration professor, and that she might as well be married to the greatest wizard of the age.

[childminerva]

hehe...very cute response. Silly marauders!

[ιady ταвz]

oh i love it

"But maybe his brother got really drunk, got a black-haired woman pregnant, and knew nothing of his long lost love child until she got married, at which time he was so overcome by emotion he turned to the goats for comfort!" piped up Sirius, and was immediately pelted with bits of parchment.

lmao!!

[osusprinks]

This was great! You made me giggle. I loved that they didn't recognize Min.

[Drake]

"But maybe his brother got really drunk, got a black-haired woman pregnant, and knew nothing of his long lost love child until she got married, at which time he was so overcome by emotion he turned to the goats for comfort!" piped up Sirius, and was immediately pelted with bits of parchment.

Ah ha ha!

I had an awful day today, and that little bit of awesomness was just what I needed.

Request permission to quote in my siggy?

[laundry basket]

permission granted =]
so glad you all liked it

[EloquentPhoenix]

Lol! They're so funny but so stupid, of course it's Min!

[StormAngel]

lol! Everyone knows it's Min... Right?? *glances around, daring for people to disagree*

[laundry basket]

Prompt #87: Life

Minerva McGonagall did not want to get out of bed. She was tired, queasy, and all around irritated at the world. And there was only one thing that made her feel that way.

She raised her heavy eyelids to the wall calendar across from her bed, and upon seeing that today's date was circled in red, promptly burrowed her head under the pillow and wished she did not have any classes today so she could stay in bed and do nothing. However, her wish did not come true. A house-elf appeared with a 'crack!' at her bedside, smiling in an annoyingly chipper way.

"Binky is here to tells you, Missus, it is the time to be waking up."

"Thank you, Binky." she sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she had to get up sooner or later. Of course, she would have opted for later, if Binky hadn't informed her it was his duty to collect and wash her bed sheets, forcing her to leave the comfort of her warm bed. And the fact she accidentally rolled off the bed and onto the floor in the process didn't do much for her already dented spirits.

Cursing up a storm, she retreated to the bathroom and gulped down a bottle of Poppy's cramp relieving potion. Of course, that did nothing to help her mood swings and decreased concentration. She brushed out her long black hair and debated if putting it up with pins was worth the energy, and finally decided it was; if she was as normal looking as possible, perhaps it would detract from the abnormality of her personality.

Usually she wore one thin set of robes under her heavy outer robes, but discarded her under robes today; as if she needed to feel heavier than she already did. She carefully balanced her myriad of books in her arms, placing atop the tower her last bottle of ink; hopefully it would last her through the day. She weaved her way through her room, cautiously opening the door. There might be a student or two running about, but it was unlikely, since it was breakfast time. Closing her door, she turned around and promptly collided with something very large, and both went toppling to the ground.

She landed atop the large figure, spilling all of her books and-

her last bottle of ink.

Now, on a normal day, this wouldn't have been such a big deal. Sure, she would have been miffed, but not angry. But today she was like hell when riled, and this was just the thing for her to get riled up about. She watched, as if in slow-motion, her ink bottle flew through the air and crashed onto the hard stone floor, spilling it's contents everywhere.

She was mad.

MAD with all capital letters.

She pushed herself away from the tall figure, and, before she even registered who it was, began yelling and swearing in an accent that was hardly understandable.

"Ay, whut in the bloody 'ell do ye think ye're doin'?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing down the halls. "That was me last bottle 'o ink, ye great soddin' bugger!"

And as she balled her fists and swore at the top of her lungs, she realized she was screaming at none other than Albus Dumbledore.

The Albus Dumbledore, Head Chief of the Wizengamont, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was who she had been screaming obscenities at.

She stopped, looking at him through disbelieving eyes, as he tried desperately not to smile.

"Why, Minerva, I never thought you to know such words!"

She pushed strands of hair behind her ears, still numb from the shock. It clicked somewhere in her mind that if she was pushing hair behind her ears, her hair was down from it's tight, strict bun, but that was still the farthest from her mind.

"Er, I, well... I, er...." she stuttered, suddenly very self-conscious, as her robes had to be mussed up form the fall, and her hair falling out from it's bun.

"I do hope you aren't hurt, I was merely stopping by to deliver some papers you left in my office after our chess match last evening, when you stepped out of the door. Terribly sorry. I'm sure we can get you a new ink bottle. It's no big deal."

"NO BIG DEAL?! I JUST RAN OUT OF INK AND YOU SAY IT'S NO BIG DEAL?!"

He shrank back, looking as though he feared for his life.

"I WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY WITH NO INK, FORCING ME TO PUT OFF GRADING PAPERS UNTIL TOMORROW, AND YOU SAY IT'S NO BIG DEAL?!"

"I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean to offend-"

But she was already storming down the hall, leaving her books and the smashed ink bottle behind along with a very confused Albus Dumbledore.

[Drake]

Ha ha! Awesome!

[childminerva]

hehe...lovely piece. I can just imagine Minerva raging and Albus trying not to grin.

[osusprinks]

This is incredibly awesome! I hope there is a sequel with some happy resolution though! lol That is soooo me on that day (and the week before and after, but that's besides the point) and I always take it out on those closest to me (my poor sweetheart) and then feel miserable about it later. lol Great story! I totally related.

[StormAngel]

lol!! perfect!!

[laundry basket]

New one! Yay!

Prompt #22: Enemies


"Oh Merlin. Oh dear Merlin."

"Minnie, calm down."

"Oh Merlin. Oh dear Merlin, help us."

"Minnie, breathe!"

"Oh. Dear. Merlin."

"Snap out of it!"

"I can't breathe."

"Yes, you can!"

"Breathe. Must breathe."

"Minnie, are you claustrophobic?"

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!"

"Are you PMSing?"

"I HATE YOU!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"What?! How is this my fault?!"

"You just had to explore this room! This room that is now LOCKED!"

"You didn't have to come with me!"

"What was I supposed to do?! We had a meeting with all the prefects in an hour, and you'd just get distracted by something shiny and forget!"

"Minnie, I think you are having an emotional breakdown."

"I AM NOT HAVING AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN! I WILL HAVE AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN WHEN I WANT TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN, NOT WHEN YOU TELL ME TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN!"

"Maybe you should consider therapy."

"Please don't make me kill you."

"We just need to think of a plan to get out of here."

"Um, NEWSLFLASH! The door is LOCKED! How do you propose we unlock it without our wands in a space that is approximately six feet wide?!"

"Er...we believe in ourselves?"

"Oh, thank you SO much. That is an absolutely wonderful idea. Yeah, and if that doesn't work, we'll just call our magical leprechauns to help us!"

"You suffer from chronic sarcasm."

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"You use sarcasm to repress your inner feelings."

"Okay, you are losing it."

"Release your feelings."

"Albus...."

"FEEEEELINGS...."

"WILL YOU STOP PHSYCOANALYZING ME?!"

"How does that make you feel?"

"I'm going to break down the bloody door."

* * * *

"See, now, if you had listened to me and not tried to break down the door with your shoulder, you wouldn't be in pain."

"Shut it, you git."

"Uh-oh, looks like Minnie's cranky...."

"You are this close to having my foot up your arse."

....

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"I think I'm going insane."

"I got sunsh-y-y-y-yne, on a cloudy daaaaayyy....when it's COLD outsiiiiide, I got the month of may..."

"SHUT UP!"

"Why?"

"Because I really doubt you want your vocal cords ripped out."

....

"I have to pee."

"Tough luck."

"Miiiinie...."

"What do you want me to do about it?!"

"Unlock the door."

"I'm not even going to comment on that."

"Wanna play a game?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'm bored."

"Deal with it."

"You know, you aren't very fun."

"Thanks for sharing."

"And a bit rude."

"You're really annoying me."

"And very blunt."

"It's my specialty."

"And quite pretty."

....

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What did you say?"

"I said 'nothing.' "

"Before that!"

"I said, 'and you're very blunt.' "

"After that!"

"I said, 'nothing.' "

"In between 'nothing' and 'you're very blunt!' "

"I said you're pretty."

"Oh."

....

"Albus?"

"Yes?"

"You're pretty too."

[osusprinks]

That made me laugh so much! Great job!!!

[laundry basket]

Prompt #23: Lovers
A/N: I seem to have an obsession with Marauder ADMM fics...
_________________________________________________

"I'm tiiiiired!"

"Shut up Padfoot! It's your fault we're out here anyway."

"Must we point fingers here? As best friends we should share the blame."

"Oh yeah, like anyone would believe I'd be stupid enough to let the Golden Snitch go right before dark."

"I was trying to help you, arse face!"

"What a new and creative comment."

"I rather thought so myself."

The two boys continued to ride around the castle on their broomsticks, searching for the small gold ball.

"Oooh, look, a bird!"

"Sirius, don't touch that-"

"Why not? Aw, cute little birdie..."

"You have problems."

"Come here birdie...OW!"

As James Potter tried to keep himself seated on his broomstick, rolling with laughter, he watched as Sirius Black pulled himself up from the branches of a large oak tree looking rather disheveled.

"Dear...Merlin...that was hilarious!"

"Oh shut up."

"Ha ha ha..."

"Fine. Go ahead destroying my self esteem."

Suddenly he stopped dead, staring straight in front of him. His eyes rounded, and he gestured for his friend to join him. James, a little uncertainly, flew up to the tree and sat beside Sirius on a large branch.

"What is it?" he asked as Sirius continued to stare ahead. James noticed there was a large window that they could very easily look through. He peered through it, then drew back, his mouth dropping into an 'O'.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's room is that?"

"M-McGonagall's."

"Bloody hell!"

Both boys continued watching, unnoticed in the leafy shelter of the tree, as their professor calmly brushed her hair. Her hair was still, despite her age, an ebony black, and without her customary bun and glasses, James and Sirius had to admit she looked rather...pretty.
She wore a plain white dressing gown, and she pulled through her locks a hair brush made of ivory. She moved, suddenly, and the boys jumped back.

"Did she see us?"

"Shh!"

"I was just asking!"

"Be quiet!"

Minerva got up from the table at which she was seated and opened the door to her chambers, and Sirius and James breathed a sigh of relief.

Albus Dumbledore walked into her room, which surprised them. Professor McGonagall was a very prim and proper lady; she obviously was not dressed properly to receive visitors.
This was explained to them, however, as Minerva stood on tip-toe to kiss him on the mouth.

"What the bloody..."

"You don't think they're..."

"Together?"

James and Sirius exchanged a brief look of shock before they jumped on their brooms, forgetting all about the Golden Snitch.