Post by maggiefan on Dec 8, 2010 11:22:16 GMT -5
Title: Discussions For Another Time
Summary: Albus tells Minerva a story (How's that for being brief? LOL)
Rating: K+
A/N: I still don't own this stuff, and I most likely never will. However, I'm more than happy to play with JKR's characters. Oh, and btw...this is just something I found on my hard drive. I hope it's ok. I wrote it about a year and a half ago, and I just pray I paid attention, and the timelines, etc. are at least semi-correct. Enjoy!
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Minerva McGonagall was doing the exact same thing tonight that she had been doing for the past two nights – attempting to wear a hole in the plush purple carpet of Albus’ sitting room by walking the same path back and forth over and over again…ad infinitum.
‘How long could it possibly take,’ she thought to herself, angrily. They had returned from the battle a week previously, and she had given her testimony about her role in it to the Wizengamot and had, naturally, assumed that Albus would do the same and return to the school at approximately the same time as she had. Dumbledore had given her permission to wait for him back in his private rooms, and reminded her of the password, just before she left.
‘Granted,’ she continued silently, ‘He had a much greater role in the battle than I did, but still…’ Minerva stopped her pacing abruptly, and made her way to the chair behind Albus’ desk, flopping down unceremoniously, and began a search through his drawers. She hadn’t eaten much lately, and though her appetite hadn’t returned in full force, she figured that should at least nibble on something small. She would have asked one of the Hogwarts house elves for something, but she wasn’t really in the mood for company, and they did have a tendency to talk.
‘Damn it, Albus….I know you have some cockroach clusters in here somewhere,’ she muttered, continuing to rifle through the drawers in full force.
‘Minerva, is there something in particular that you’re looking for?’ Came an amused, but very tired voice from the doorway. Minerva looked up, and saw the weary figure of Albus Dumbledore, leaning against the frame.
‘I just wanted some…cockroach clusters,’ she explained, slamming the drawer in front of her shut, and attempting to keep the happiness and relief out of her voice. ‘Where the hell have you been, Albus!? I’ve been worried sick about you!’
Dumbledore gave a tired smile, and waved his hand toward the fireplace, causing the dying flames to rise up sharply. Carefully removing his outer robe, folding it and laying it over the back of a chair, he sat down on the couch in front of the fire, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
‘Minerva my dear, I’m very sorry that I caused you such distress, but there was no reason to worry, really. The battle is….over,’ he sighed, ‘as you well know – thank you, by the way, for your immense help – and I was merely tying up a few loose ends. Won’t you come and join me?’ He segued, patting his hand on the couch.
For the moment, Minerva ignored him, but did move to kneel in front of him, in order to get a better look at him. She looked up at his worn and lined face, frowning as she did so. She never realized that Albus could look so….so old, and she hastily wiped a tear from her eye.
‘Honestly, Minerva…you’re making me feel self conscious,’ Albus laughed, his eyes still closed. ‘Don’t bother counting the wrinkles, there are far too many…I fear you’ll end up putting yourself to sleep. It COULD be, however, that you’re just appreciating the view.’ Dumbledore opened his eyes, and smiled down at Minerva. ‘I was told that I was quite handsome in my day…though that was before my broken nose, of course.’
A sudden thought came to Minerva, and she figured that there would be no better time than this to ask the question that she had. After all, HE had brought the subject up. ‘Albus? Might I ask you a question?’
‘Of course, my dear, what is it?’
‘Albus, I’ve always wanted to know; how DID you break your nose?’ She crossed her arms over his legs, resting her chin on them, and smiled up at him in a teasing way. ‘Horse and buggy accident? A nasty hex from a jilted girlfriend? Alley fight with Jack the Ripper?’
‘I realize that you believe me to be ancient, Miss McGonagall,’ Albus said, a bemused look on his face, ‘but I’ll have you know that I was but seven years old when Jack ravaged the unfortunates of London, and as advanced and talented as I was even then…I doubt that my mother would have let me out of the house to go chase after a murderer. Though now that I think of it, I probably could have taken him…because you know, I AM considered-‘
‘Yes, yes…the greatest wizard of our time. Albus, really,’ Minerva interrupted. ‘Can you possibly drop the dramatics, and tell me the truth about your nose?’
‘I can’t understand why you want to know so badly,’ Albus replied. ‘I’m sure the story will bore you to tears, and I would rather not dwell on the reason for my wasted good looks.’
‘Albus? Shut up. You know as well as I, that you are just as handsome now as you were when you were younger. Even more so, I daresay. I think the broken nose gives you character. I rather doubt I’m alone in my supposition, as evidenced by the myriad pathetic women who send you love notes every day,’ she laughed. When he didn’t answer, she sighed deeply, and stood, before deciding to sit next to him on the couch as he had previously requested. ‘You’re not going to tell me the story, are you?’ She pouted.
‘Not now, my dear,’ Albus replied, taking one of her hands in his. ‘That is a story perhaps for another time. I hope we have many years together, and there will be a more appropriate time for me to…bare my soul to you, so to speak.’
‘All right,’ she capitulated. ‘But I’m holding you to your promise. And someday, you WILL tell me. Since you don’t want to talk about your nose, why don’t you tell me what’s happened with Grindelwald? Is he going to be subjected to the Dementor’s Kiss?’
Minerva suppressed a shudder; she hadn’t been an actual witness to the Kiss, but she had heard from Alastor Moody all about it.
Again, Albus looked uncomfortable. ‘No…I specifically requested that he NOT receive the Kiss.’
‘But Albus…why!? He certainly deserves it, after all the things that he’s done! I can’t understand why you’d be so…so GENEROUS to that filth! I was surprised that you didn’t kill him when you had the chance.’ Minerva was so busy with her diatribe, she didn’t even pay attention to the fact that Albus’ face had gone pale.
‘Were you, Minerva?’ Albus asked hoarsely, not able to look at her. ‘Were you really surprised?’ He was studying the floor rather intently, as if expecting that at any moment, something was going to rise up from it, and swallow him whole.
**********************************************
Will post the rest in a bit, if you think the story's all right...
Please let me know what you think!
Summary: Albus tells Minerva a story (How's that for being brief? LOL)
Rating: K+
A/N: I still don't own this stuff, and I most likely never will. However, I'm more than happy to play with JKR's characters. Oh, and btw...this is just something I found on my hard drive. I hope it's ok. I wrote it about a year and a half ago, and I just pray I paid attention, and the timelines, etc. are at least semi-correct. Enjoy!
*****************************************************
Minerva McGonagall was doing the exact same thing tonight that she had been doing for the past two nights – attempting to wear a hole in the plush purple carpet of Albus’ sitting room by walking the same path back and forth over and over again…ad infinitum.
‘How long could it possibly take,’ she thought to herself, angrily. They had returned from the battle a week previously, and she had given her testimony about her role in it to the Wizengamot and had, naturally, assumed that Albus would do the same and return to the school at approximately the same time as she had. Dumbledore had given her permission to wait for him back in his private rooms, and reminded her of the password, just before she left.
‘Granted,’ she continued silently, ‘He had a much greater role in the battle than I did, but still…’ Minerva stopped her pacing abruptly, and made her way to the chair behind Albus’ desk, flopping down unceremoniously, and began a search through his drawers. She hadn’t eaten much lately, and though her appetite hadn’t returned in full force, she figured that should at least nibble on something small. She would have asked one of the Hogwarts house elves for something, but she wasn’t really in the mood for company, and they did have a tendency to talk.
‘Damn it, Albus….I know you have some cockroach clusters in here somewhere,’ she muttered, continuing to rifle through the drawers in full force.
‘Minerva, is there something in particular that you’re looking for?’ Came an amused, but very tired voice from the doorway. Minerva looked up, and saw the weary figure of Albus Dumbledore, leaning against the frame.
‘I just wanted some…cockroach clusters,’ she explained, slamming the drawer in front of her shut, and attempting to keep the happiness and relief out of her voice. ‘Where the hell have you been, Albus!? I’ve been worried sick about you!’
Dumbledore gave a tired smile, and waved his hand toward the fireplace, causing the dying flames to rise up sharply. Carefully removing his outer robe, folding it and laying it over the back of a chair, he sat down on the couch in front of the fire, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
‘Minerva my dear, I’m very sorry that I caused you such distress, but there was no reason to worry, really. The battle is….over,’ he sighed, ‘as you well know – thank you, by the way, for your immense help – and I was merely tying up a few loose ends. Won’t you come and join me?’ He segued, patting his hand on the couch.
For the moment, Minerva ignored him, but did move to kneel in front of him, in order to get a better look at him. She looked up at his worn and lined face, frowning as she did so. She never realized that Albus could look so….so old, and she hastily wiped a tear from her eye.
‘Honestly, Minerva…you’re making me feel self conscious,’ Albus laughed, his eyes still closed. ‘Don’t bother counting the wrinkles, there are far too many…I fear you’ll end up putting yourself to sleep. It COULD be, however, that you’re just appreciating the view.’ Dumbledore opened his eyes, and smiled down at Minerva. ‘I was told that I was quite handsome in my day…though that was before my broken nose, of course.’
A sudden thought came to Minerva, and she figured that there would be no better time than this to ask the question that she had. After all, HE had brought the subject up. ‘Albus? Might I ask you a question?’
‘Of course, my dear, what is it?’
‘Albus, I’ve always wanted to know; how DID you break your nose?’ She crossed her arms over his legs, resting her chin on them, and smiled up at him in a teasing way. ‘Horse and buggy accident? A nasty hex from a jilted girlfriend? Alley fight with Jack the Ripper?’
‘I realize that you believe me to be ancient, Miss McGonagall,’ Albus said, a bemused look on his face, ‘but I’ll have you know that I was but seven years old when Jack ravaged the unfortunates of London, and as advanced and talented as I was even then…I doubt that my mother would have let me out of the house to go chase after a murderer. Though now that I think of it, I probably could have taken him…because you know, I AM considered-‘
‘Yes, yes…the greatest wizard of our time. Albus, really,’ Minerva interrupted. ‘Can you possibly drop the dramatics, and tell me the truth about your nose?’
‘I can’t understand why you want to know so badly,’ Albus replied. ‘I’m sure the story will bore you to tears, and I would rather not dwell on the reason for my wasted good looks.’
‘Albus? Shut up. You know as well as I, that you are just as handsome now as you were when you were younger. Even more so, I daresay. I think the broken nose gives you character. I rather doubt I’m alone in my supposition, as evidenced by the myriad pathetic women who send you love notes every day,’ she laughed. When he didn’t answer, she sighed deeply, and stood, before deciding to sit next to him on the couch as he had previously requested. ‘You’re not going to tell me the story, are you?’ She pouted.
‘Not now, my dear,’ Albus replied, taking one of her hands in his. ‘That is a story perhaps for another time. I hope we have many years together, and there will be a more appropriate time for me to…bare my soul to you, so to speak.’
‘All right,’ she capitulated. ‘But I’m holding you to your promise. And someday, you WILL tell me. Since you don’t want to talk about your nose, why don’t you tell me what’s happened with Grindelwald? Is he going to be subjected to the Dementor’s Kiss?’
Minerva suppressed a shudder; she hadn’t been an actual witness to the Kiss, but she had heard from Alastor Moody all about it.
Again, Albus looked uncomfortable. ‘No…I specifically requested that he NOT receive the Kiss.’
‘But Albus…why!? He certainly deserves it, after all the things that he’s done! I can’t understand why you’d be so…so GENEROUS to that filth! I was surprised that you didn’t kill him when you had the chance.’ Minerva was so busy with her diatribe, she didn’t even pay attention to the fact that Albus’ face had gone pale.
‘Were you, Minerva?’ Albus asked hoarsely, not able to look at her. ‘Were you really surprised?’ He was studying the floor rather intently, as if expecting that at any moment, something was going to rise up from it, and swallow him whole.
**********************************************
Will post the rest in a bit, if you think the story's all right...
Please let me know what you think!
