Post by QuillofMinerva on Aug 1, 2007 9:46:37 GMT -5
An Eligible Bachelor.
Summary: The Daily Prophet doesn’t always report the best about Albus Dumbledore, but they are now running a competition to win a date with him. Strangely, Albus has agreed to it. A young Auror finds herself entered but will romance blossom? ADMM.
Rating: Suitable for all.
A/N: I haven't written anything ADMM for such a long time (over two years) and I really wanted to get back into the swing of things. So, I had a look at the challenge board to see if anything could stir my muse back into action and I found a challenge from Alexannah called 'Win a Date with Dumbledore.' I just couldn't resist it. I won’t list the requirements to the story as I just want to let things flow, but there will be at least five chapters. Many thanks to my beta reader, Ang.
Chapter One – In the News.
Minerva McGonagall sat on her window seat, staring out at the approaching grey clouds. It had been raining for the last five days and every time the rain seemed to be stopping, the heavens opened and the downpour began all over again. Minerva sighed as the rain she had been expecting came and a roll of deep thunder in the distance reached her ears. It was nearing half ten in the morning, and though Minerva preferred natural light when in the cottage, she wanted to block out the dismal sight outside for her own mental state. Watching the constant dark skies, the falling rain, and the lightening strike through the sky for long would make anyone depressed. She reached up and pulled the curtains shut before making her way back towards her favourite chair. She sat down, tucking her feet up under her and reached for the third book she had read in as many days. She liked to read and had no complaints about settling down in front of the fire with her grandmother’s quilt and a good book that would capture her imagination and transport her away from the doom and gloom she faced daily as an Auror.
Before she could get settled any further, she heard the not so graceful steps of her best friend lumbering down the wooden staircase. Minerva looked over expectantly at the staircase just as Bridget Castlewell appeared. Minerva smiled at the sight of long time friend. Her hair hadn’t been brushed yet and looked as wild as the thistles in the garden next door. She still wore her pyjamas, but had thrown on an old knitted jumper over the top.
“Have you read the Prophet this morning?” asked Bridget as she waved the paper.
“No,” replied Minerva, with a shake of her head. “Not yet.”
She hadn’t had a chance to flick through the paper when the owl delivered it earlier because she had been answering some correspondence. Once she had finished her writing, she had looked up to find the paper missing and the smell of burnt toast lingering in its absence. Minerva had assumed that Bridget had taken it back to bed with her after making herself some breakfast.
Minerva had inherited the cottage from a family friend who had been a squib.Marcia McDougal hadn’t wanted the service of house elves after her parents died. They had been highly regarded for their work as curse breakers for Gringotts and hadn't treated their daughter any differently when they discovered she had no magical presence at all. Marcia had dismissed the elves who had worked for her parents and she happily did things the muggle way and Minerva had decided when she moved into the cottage she would continue Marcia’s way out of respect. Minerva had lost count of the times that Bridget had practically begged her to go out and find a house elf.
Bridget disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned carrying the biscuit tin and a glass of water. She sat down in the nearest armchair to Minerva and propped her feet up on the coffee table while she balanced the glass of water precariously on the arm of the chair. Minerva watched as her friend dug around in the biscuit tin for the right biscuit.
“Excuse me,” said Minerva.
“Ooh sorry,” said Bridget apologetically as she offered the tin to Minerva.
“Your feet,” said Minerva, waving the tin away.
Bridget sighed, rolled her eyes, and dropped her feet to the floor before munching on the only chocolate covered biscuit left in the tin. Minerva couldn’t help but notice the crumbs dropping from the biscuit and how Bridget dusted them off on to the floor without really thinking. Minerva was about to say something when she noticed Bridget was staring intently at the front page of the wizarding paper, scouring the columns with her finger.
“I’ve never seen you so interested in the news before,” said Minerva, though she hardly regarded the Daily Prophet as newsworthy. It was more like a muggle gossip column.
“It’s running a competition to win a date with Dumbledore,” said Bridget, pointing at the front page of the paper.
Minerva rolled her eyes and made a disapproving noise before turning her attention back to her book. She had never heard anything so silly, well, certainly not since the paper reported that Grindelwald’s followers wore bright pink robes when they went out on their killing sprees.
“Don’t scoff like that,” said Bridget. “They are.”
“I’m sure they are, but,” replied Minerva “whether Professor Dumbledore has agreed to such a thing is questionable.”
“But it says,” began Bridget.
“Would you jump off a building if the Prophet said to?” questioned Minerva.
“Of course I wouldn’t,” replied Bridget. “However, I would love to win a date with the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world.”
Minerva suddenly found the Daily Prophet shoved under her nose as Bridget tried to prove that Albus Dumbledore, himself, had agreed to such a contest. She looked down at the paper and saw a photo of her former Transfiguration professor standing outside the Prophet’s headquarters, pointing at a banner emblazoned with ‘A Date With Dumbledore’. He was smiling and waving at the readers with his other hand. Minerva felt her mouth fall open at the sight. Surely he wouldn’t be so stupid as to agree to such a thing. Minerva’s eager eyes scanned the article and took in the words, trying to find some flaw with the article to prove that Albus Dumbledore would not put himself out like this. To her astonishment, she couldn’t find anything that could contradict what she was reading and the photo seemingly looked real.
“See, I told you,” gloated Bridget as she took the paper away from her friend.
Bridget had to smile at the astonished look on Minerva’s face. It usually took a lot to shock Minerva, but hearing that her old mentor would knowingly offer himself up as a piece of meat had visibly shaken her to her core.
“You have to write, in no less than one hundred words, why you think you should date him,” said Bridget as she relished the fact that Minerva had been struck silent. “Personally, I think that is too many words. I could say why I deserve to date him in no less than eight words.”
Minerva was shaken from her thoughts by Bridget’s incessant twittering.
“Eight words,” questioned Minerva as she regarded her friend as though she had grown another head.
“I am young, intelligent, beautiful and very amusing,” answered Bridget.
“You would have to find yourself amusing with that hair,” replied Minerva.
“Just because you put him on a pedestal while at school,” said Bridget as she stood up, “ and now he falls off, because he turns out to be a man with wants, needs, and desires, don’t take your bad mood out on me.”
“I’ve never put him on a pedestal,” replied Minerva exasperatedly. “I just thought better of him.”
“Well, I’m sure you can tell him that when you see him,” said Bridget as she headed back up the stairs. “I’ve entered you into the competition.”
“What?” cried Minerva as she got up from her chair.
Bridget ignored her and rushed up the stairs, cackling away like a thing possessed, and locked herself in the bathroom to get ready for the day. She was sure once she gave Minerva some time to calm down, the young Auror would see the funny side of things.
***To be continued***
Summary: The Daily Prophet doesn’t always report the best about Albus Dumbledore, but they are now running a competition to win a date with him. Strangely, Albus has agreed to it. A young Auror finds herself entered but will romance blossom? ADMM.
Rating: Suitable for all.
A/N: I haven't written anything ADMM for such a long time (over two years) and I really wanted to get back into the swing of things. So, I had a look at the challenge board to see if anything could stir my muse back into action and I found a challenge from Alexannah called 'Win a Date with Dumbledore.' I just couldn't resist it. I won’t list the requirements to the story as I just want to let things flow, but there will be at least five chapters. Many thanks to my beta reader, Ang.
Chapter One – In the News.
Minerva McGonagall sat on her window seat, staring out at the approaching grey clouds. It had been raining for the last five days and every time the rain seemed to be stopping, the heavens opened and the downpour began all over again. Minerva sighed as the rain she had been expecting came and a roll of deep thunder in the distance reached her ears. It was nearing half ten in the morning, and though Minerva preferred natural light when in the cottage, she wanted to block out the dismal sight outside for her own mental state. Watching the constant dark skies, the falling rain, and the lightening strike through the sky for long would make anyone depressed. She reached up and pulled the curtains shut before making her way back towards her favourite chair. She sat down, tucking her feet up under her and reached for the third book she had read in as many days. She liked to read and had no complaints about settling down in front of the fire with her grandmother’s quilt and a good book that would capture her imagination and transport her away from the doom and gloom she faced daily as an Auror.
Before she could get settled any further, she heard the not so graceful steps of her best friend lumbering down the wooden staircase. Minerva looked over expectantly at the staircase just as Bridget Castlewell appeared. Minerva smiled at the sight of long time friend. Her hair hadn’t been brushed yet and looked as wild as the thistles in the garden next door. She still wore her pyjamas, but had thrown on an old knitted jumper over the top.
“Have you read the Prophet this morning?” asked Bridget as she waved the paper.
“No,” replied Minerva, with a shake of her head. “Not yet.”
She hadn’t had a chance to flick through the paper when the owl delivered it earlier because she had been answering some correspondence. Once she had finished her writing, she had looked up to find the paper missing and the smell of burnt toast lingering in its absence. Minerva had assumed that Bridget had taken it back to bed with her after making herself some breakfast.
Minerva had inherited the cottage from a family friend who had been a squib.Marcia McDougal hadn’t wanted the service of house elves after her parents died. They had been highly regarded for their work as curse breakers for Gringotts and hadn't treated their daughter any differently when they discovered she had no magical presence at all. Marcia had dismissed the elves who had worked for her parents and she happily did things the muggle way and Minerva had decided when she moved into the cottage she would continue Marcia’s way out of respect. Minerva had lost count of the times that Bridget had practically begged her to go out and find a house elf.
Bridget disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned carrying the biscuit tin and a glass of water. She sat down in the nearest armchair to Minerva and propped her feet up on the coffee table while she balanced the glass of water precariously on the arm of the chair. Minerva watched as her friend dug around in the biscuit tin for the right biscuit.
“Excuse me,” said Minerva.
“Ooh sorry,” said Bridget apologetically as she offered the tin to Minerva.
“Your feet,” said Minerva, waving the tin away.
Bridget sighed, rolled her eyes, and dropped her feet to the floor before munching on the only chocolate covered biscuit left in the tin. Minerva couldn’t help but notice the crumbs dropping from the biscuit and how Bridget dusted them off on to the floor without really thinking. Minerva was about to say something when she noticed Bridget was staring intently at the front page of the wizarding paper, scouring the columns with her finger.
“I’ve never seen you so interested in the news before,” said Minerva, though she hardly regarded the Daily Prophet as newsworthy. It was more like a muggle gossip column.
“It’s running a competition to win a date with Dumbledore,” said Bridget, pointing at the front page of the paper.
Minerva rolled her eyes and made a disapproving noise before turning her attention back to her book. She had never heard anything so silly, well, certainly not since the paper reported that Grindelwald’s followers wore bright pink robes when they went out on their killing sprees.
“Don’t scoff like that,” said Bridget. “They are.”
“I’m sure they are, but,” replied Minerva “whether Professor Dumbledore has agreed to such a thing is questionable.”
“But it says,” began Bridget.
“Would you jump off a building if the Prophet said to?” questioned Minerva.
“Of course I wouldn’t,” replied Bridget. “However, I would love to win a date with the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world.”
Minerva suddenly found the Daily Prophet shoved under her nose as Bridget tried to prove that Albus Dumbledore, himself, had agreed to such a contest. She looked down at the paper and saw a photo of her former Transfiguration professor standing outside the Prophet’s headquarters, pointing at a banner emblazoned with ‘A Date With Dumbledore’. He was smiling and waving at the readers with his other hand. Minerva felt her mouth fall open at the sight. Surely he wouldn’t be so stupid as to agree to such a thing. Minerva’s eager eyes scanned the article and took in the words, trying to find some flaw with the article to prove that Albus Dumbledore would not put himself out like this. To her astonishment, she couldn’t find anything that could contradict what she was reading and the photo seemingly looked real.
“See, I told you,” gloated Bridget as she took the paper away from her friend.
Bridget had to smile at the astonished look on Minerva’s face. It usually took a lot to shock Minerva, but hearing that her old mentor would knowingly offer himself up as a piece of meat had visibly shaken her to her core.
“You have to write, in no less than one hundred words, why you think you should date him,” said Bridget as she relished the fact that Minerva had been struck silent. “Personally, I think that is too many words. I could say why I deserve to date him in no less than eight words.”
Minerva was shaken from her thoughts by Bridget’s incessant twittering.
“Eight words,” questioned Minerva as she regarded her friend as though she had grown another head.
“I am young, intelligent, beautiful and very amusing,” answered Bridget.
“You would have to find yourself amusing with that hair,” replied Minerva.
“Just because you put him on a pedestal while at school,” said Bridget as she stood up, “ and now he falls off, because he turns out to be a man with wants, needs, and desires, don’t take your bad mood out on me.”
“I’ve never put him on a pedestal,” replied Minerva exasperatedly. “I just thought better of him.”
“Well, I’m sure you can tell him that when you see him,” said Bridget as she headed back up the stairs. “I’ve entered you into the competition.”
“What?” cried Minerva as she got up from her chair.
Bridget ignored her and rushed up the stairs, cackling away like a thing possessed, and locked herself in the bathroom to get ready for the day. She was sure once she gave Minerva some time to calm down, the young Auror would see the funny side of things.
***To be continued***
lol. 
