Post by ginger newts on Sept 15, 2004 20:07:29 GMT -5
This one is for Sensiblyquirky, who told me that she would give me a topic and I HAD to write a fic about it. Well, Pal, here it is, hope it's up to your standards. 
Love Means More Than Cooking
Minerva McGonagall stood in the center of her sitting room looking around. Everything looked perfect, she just hoped the food was alright. It was the anniversary of her first date with Albus and Minerva had decided to do something special for him that night. He had spent the last year treating her like the goddess she was named for and it was high time she did something nice in return. As a surprise, she had prepared a special dinner for the two of them. Minerva could easily have had the house elves prepare a special meal, but she wanted to do it herself, it seemed more heartfelt that way. Of course, it had been many years since she had cooked and then it had only been the simple sorts of dishes anyone would entrust to a ten year old. There had been no need for her to cook much, as she had spent most of her life at Hogwarts where excellent meals were prepared by the elves, and in the few years she had lived alone between her days as student and teacher Minerva would either eat out or cook something very quick and simple. She had seen no need to prepare elaborate meals for one person. Tonight, Minerva had prepared some of Albus’ favorite foods: pot roast, new potatoes, and vegetables, with a lemon pie for desert.
Taking one last look around at the room, making sure all of the candles were still burning and floating in the right places (she didn’t want to catch either of them on fire), and stopping to fuss with the flower arrangement in the center of the table, Minerva went to make one last check on the food. Albus would be there any minute. The meal wasn’t perfect; the pie was slightly more full on one side than the other, and the potatoes were a little too mushy, but Minerva thought it didn’t look too bad. Surely Albus would appreciate the effort, she thought.
Albus entered the room a few minutes later and taking in the beautiful sight, he said, “Mmm, something smells wonderful, my dear. What have you prepared for us tonight?”
Blushing, Minerva said, “Have a seat, Albus, and I’ll serve dinner. That is, if you’re ready,” she added somewhat nervously.
“I’m famished,” he told her with a smile.
She brought out two plates filled with everything but the pie, Albus’ plate was much fuller than her own. Minerva served the dinner and they both sat down to enjoy it...or so they thought.
“Looks wonderful,” Albus said as he lifted a bite of meat to his mouth. He chewed for a moment and then coughed and spluttered a bit.
Minerva paused in the process of lifting her first bite to her mouth and looked worried, “Is something wrong?”
“No, no, my dear, everything is fine,” Albus tried to reassure her as he took a potato on his fork.
Once again the reaction was less than positive. He didn’t exactly choke on the potato, but Albus appeared to be fighting against making a face. Minerva was still sitting in the same position she had been moments ago, fork just in front of her mouth, waiting and watching for his reactions. Worried about what she might be feeding the love of her life, she finally forced herself to test the meat herself. Just as Albus had, Minerva chewed for a moment before coughing and unintentionally pulling a face. It was horrible!
“Oh, Albus, stop eating it,” she cried. “I’m so sorry. This dinner is terrible, please don’t eat anymore just for my sake or you’ll make yourself sick.” He had continued to attempt eating the meal as she spoke, but finally put his fork down looking sheepish. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered again.
“No need to apologize, Minerva,” he said gently before vanishing the food. “I’ll just pop down to the kitchens and get us something else. Alright?”
Minerva just nodded, she didn’t trust herself to speak.
When Albus returned, with a glorious spread of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and chocolate cake, Minerva was nowhere to be seen. “Minerva?” he called out, thinking maybe she had gone into her bedroom. There was no answer and looking around the rest of her quarters Albus could not find her. ‘Perhaps there was a problem with a student,’ he thought and then decided to check her office and perhaps the Gryffindor dormitories.
Albus searched in every likely spot for Minerva and could not find her, he had even been sure to look closely at every cat he came across, there was no sign of her. Wherever she was, he knew, she was brooding about the mishap at dinner. Albus didn’t mind that it hadn’t been very good, he had been touched by the fact that she had tried to cook for him at all. After over an hour of looking, he decided to go back to her rooms and see if Minerva had returned.
She had and he found her curled up in an armchair in the dark, any sign of their romantic evening had been vanished.
“Minerva?” he said softly.
“Please, Albus, just leave,” she answered.
“I will not,” he told her firmly. “Why did you run, Minerva?”
“What must you think of me,” she said standing, her voice taking on an almost fierce tone. “I can’t even cook a simple dinner that any other woman could prepare with no problems.”
Albus sighed inwardly, he had been expecting something like this. “My dear, you are not any woman, you are much more than that. I don’t love you because of what you can do, but rather who you are. I’m not looking for someone to cook and clean for me, Minerva, I’m looking for an equal, a companion, a soul mate...and I’ve found her in you.”
“A...a soul mate? You...love...me?” she said incredulously, unshed tears shining in her eyes.
“Yes, Minerva,” Albus said crossing to her side and lifting her chin so she was looking in his eyes. “I love you. You occupy my every waking thought, and most of my sleeping ones as well, I want to spend all of my days and nights with you. That is, if you will consent,” he added with a smile.
“Oh, Albus! I love you too, so much, I think about you all the time as well and I would be honored to spend the rest of my days, and nights, with you. That is why I wanted this evening to be perfect, I wanted so much to do this for you, to show you how much I care.” A single tear escaped and Albus brushed it away with his thumb, slowly caressing Minerva’s face as she leaned into the touch.
“I know you care, Minerva. And there are other ways of showing it.” With a twinkle in his eyes, Albus said quietly, “Let me show you how much I love you.”
Minerva smiled her agreement and kissing her deeply Albus picked her up and carried her to the bedroom where they spent the rest of the night showing each other just how much love and devotion they felt, the need for food replaced by a different kind of hunger entirely.
Love Means More Than Cooking
Minerva McGonagall stood in the center of her sitting room looking around. Everything looked perfect, she just hoped the food was alright. It was the anniversary of her first date with Albus and Minerva had decided to do something special for him that night. He had spent the last year treating her like the goddess she was named for and it was high time she did something nice in return. As a surprise, she had prepared a special dinner for the two of them. Minerva could easily have had the house elves prepare a special meal, but she wanted to do it herself, it seemed more heartfelt that way. Of course, it had been many years since she had cooked and then it had only been the simple sorts of dishes anyone would entrust to a ten year old. There had been no need for her to cook much, as she had spent most of her life at Hogwarts where excellent meals were prepared by the elves, and in the few years she had lived alone between her days as student and teacher Minerva would either eat out or cook something very quick and simple. She had seen no need to prepare elaborate meals for one person. Tonight, Minerva had prepared some of Albus’ favorite foods: pot roast, new potatoes, and vegetables, with a lemon pie for desert.
Taking one last look around at the room, making sure all of the candles were still burning and floating in the right places (she didn’t want to catch either of them on fire), and stopping to fuss with the flower arrangement in the center of the table, Minerva went to make one last check on the food. Albus would be there any minute. The meal wasn’t perfect; the pie was slightly more full on one side than the other, and the potatoes were a little too mushy, but Minerva thought it didn’t look too bad. Surely Albus would appreciate the effort, she thought.
Albus entered the room a few minutes later and taking in the beautiful sight, he said, “Mmm, something smells wonderful, my dear. What have you prepared for us tonight?”
Blushing, Minerva said, “Have a seat, Albus, and I’ll serve dinner. That is, if you’re ready,” she added somewhat nervously.
“I’m famished,” he told her with a smile.
She brought out two plates filled with everything but the pie, Albus’ plate was much fuller than her own. Minerva served the dinner and they both sat down to enjoy it...or so they thought.
“Looks wonderful,” Albus said as he lifted a bite of meat to his mouth. He chewed for a moment and then coughed and spluttered a bit.
Minerva paused in the process of lifting her first bite to her mouth and looked worried, “Is something wrong?”
“No, no, my dear, everything is fine,” Albus tried to reassure her as he took a potato on his fork.
Once again the reaction was less than positive. He didn’t exactly choke on the potato, but Albus appeared to be fighting against making a face. Minerva was still sitting in the same position she had been moments ago, fork just in front of her mouth, waiting and watching for his reactions. Worried about what she might be feeding the love of her life, she finally forced herself to test the meat herself. Just as Albus had, Minerva chewed for a moment before coughing and unintentionally pulling a face. It was horrible!
“Oh, Albus, stop eating it,” she cried. “I’m so sorry. This dinner is terrible, please don’t eat anymore just for my sake or you’ll make yourself sick.” He had continued to attempt eating the meal as she spoke, but finally put his fork down looking sheepish. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered again.
“No need to apologize, Minerva,” he said gently before vanishing the food. “I’ll just pop down to the kitchens and get us something else. Alright?”
Minerva just nodded, she didn’t trust herself to speak.
When Albus returned, with a glorious spread of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and chocolate cake, Minerva was nowhere to be seen. “Minerva?” he called out, thinking maybe she had gone into her bedroom. There was no answer and looking around the rest of her quarters Albus could not find her. ‘Perhaps there was a problem with a student,’ he thought and then decided to check her office and perhaps the Gryffindor dormitories.
Albus searched in every likely spot for Minerva and could not find her, he had even been sure to look closely at every cat he came across, there was no sign of her. Wherever she was, he knew, she was brooding about the mishap at dinner. Albus didn’t mind that it hadn’t been very good, he had been touched by the fact that she had tried to cook for him at all. After over an hour of looking, he decided to go back to her rooms and see if Minerva had returned.
She had and he found her curled up in an armchair in the dark, any sign of their romantic evening had been vanished.
“Minerva?” he said softly.
“Please, Albus, just leave,” she answered.
“I will not,” he told her firmly. “Why did you run, Minerva?”
“What must you think of me,” she said standing, her voice taking on an almost fierce tone. “I can’t even cook a simple dinner that any other woman could prepare with no problems.”
Albus sighed inwardly, he had been expecting something like this. “My dear, you are not any woman, you are much more than that. I don’t love you because of what you can do, but rather who you are. I’m not looking for someone to cook and clean for me, Minerva, I’m looking for an equal, a companion, a soul mate...and I’ve found her in you.”
“A...a soul mate? You...love...me?” she said incredulously, unshed tears shining in her eyes.
“Yes, Minerva,” Albus said crossing to her side and lifting her chin so she was looking in his eyes. “I love you. You occupy my every waking thought, and most of my sleeping ones as well, I want to spend all of my days and nights with you. That is, if you will consent,” he added with a smile.
“Oh, Albus! I love you too, so much, I think about you all the time as well and I would be honored to spend the rest of my days, and nights, with you. That is why I wanted this evening to be perfect, I wanted so much to do this for you, to show you how much I care.” A single tear escaped and Albus brushed it away with his thumb, slowly caressing Minerva’s face as she leaned into the touch.
“I know you care, Minerva. And there are other ways of showing it.” With a twinkle in his eyes, Albus said quietly, “Let me show you how much I love you.”
Minerva smiled her agreement and kissing her deeply Albus picked her up and carried her to the bedroom where they spent the rest of the night showing each other just how much love and devotion they felt, the need for food replaced by a different kind of hunger entirely.
