Post by QuillofMinerva on Jan 27, 2005 16:55:50 GMT -5
Chapter Nine: Pillow Love
Minerva opened her eyes to the sun beaming through the gap in her the curtains. She cursed herself for not making sure she had shut them properly. She had wanted to have a lie in this morning since it was the weekend. She always woke up early during the week and the weekends were the only chance she had to sleep a bit longer. Of course, she rarely did sleep in mainly because her body hated being idle when her mind was a wake.
Knowing that she had no chance of getting back to sleep now that she was awake, she rolled over in bed and laid her head on the cooler pillow on the other side of the bed. Her cheek made contact with something that shouldn’t be there. It felt like parchment and she was sure that she had placed her writing things on her beside cabinet the night before. She reached out for her wand and pointed them at the curtains, speaking a charm that drew her curtains for her without her having to get of bed.
Minerva gasped as her eyes were drawn to the most beautiful rose she had ever seen. She had never seen a blue rose before and it took her breath away. She picked up the rose and brought it to her nose. She took in the smell and sighed. It smelled like the spring breeze and the summer sun and it was intoxicating with its’ blue petals with white flecks on them. Minerva ran her dainty fingers over the full delicate petals. This had to be the most perfect rose she had ever seen.
Her attention was drawn from the rose as she remembered feeling the roughness of parchment under her soft cheek. She turned and looked back at the pillow and saw a letter addressed to her. Still holding the rose, she reached down and picked up the letter. She eyed it curiously before breaking the seal and opening the envelope. Inside was a letter, which she pulled out and read aloud.
Dearest Minerva,
This rose is perfect, right from the stem to the bud itself. I saw it and knew that it was created for you. Please accept this is a token of my love and adoration for you. I am sorry that the chocolates caused you so much distress. That was not their intention. The notes were written from my heart and the chocolates were made from my hands with some help from my wand, for I am not a great cook. I love you, Minerva, and the simple things in life are the best!
Minerva reread the letter and felt hot tears pickle her eyes. She clutched the note to her chest and brought the rose to her lips. This note could only be from one person and one person alone! It had to be Albus. It had only been a matter of days since they had spoken about the type of gestures that she would want from a lover, a husband. She had spoken about the rose on her pillow and chocolates. She had mentioned that she liked to know thought had got into the gift. Albus had been the only person she had told about receiving the chocolates.
She suddenly felt very guilty about throwing all his hard work into the bin and the fire. She wished she had saved the notes after all now. She sighed and then smiled to herself as she slipped out of her bed. She quickly summoned a vase from the other room and arranged the rose in it before dashing off into the bathroom to get ready.
Minerva appeared out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, her long ebony colored hair cascading down her back and she was wearing crimson robes that were slightly fitted, compared to her billowing green robes she usually wore. She looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection. Before she had dashed into the bathroom, she had felt so sure that the rose had been from Albus, but now that she had thought about it a lot more, she wasn’t so sure. What if she had read too much in to their talk? What if the rose hadn’t been from him? What if it was just another joke? She had so many questions and no answers. She knew that the only way to her answers was too ask Albus. It had to be him. It was his familiar purple spirally writing, she was sure. Otherwise her eyes were deceiving her.
Minerva decided to head to his rooms and speak with him. As she walked, she thought about Albus. He was her best friend and she hadn’t been aware of any romantic feelings on her part until she had received the letter and had been sure it had been from him. They had always been close. She enjoyed his company and found that she could always be herself around him. She found herself telling him things that she would never tell anyone. She would always stand by him no matter what. Had she always been in love with him but never known? She frowned slightly as she became lost in her thoughts. Did she love him?
Her musings carried her along until she was outside his rooms and even before she knew what she was doing she had knocked on his door. She stood there waiting; her stomach doing back flips over and over again, which made her feel nauseous. She felt a sense of relief, as there was no answer. Maybe she had it all wrong and this was a sign. As she turned to walk away, the door opened and Albus looked out tiredly from behind it.
“Minerva!” he said, immediately brightening up as he saw her.
“Oh I am so sorry,” she replied. “Did I wake you?”
“I needed to get up anyway,” he assured her. “Please come in.”
Albus opened the door and beckoned Minerva inside. He was nervous but excited at the same time. She would have opened her eyes and found the rose and his letter. He hoped she was here to tell him that she knew who it was and not to tell him that she had thrown the rose into the fire. He had noticed the change in her attire and he was pleased to see her in something other than the emerald green robes she usually wore. He stared at her long hair with he surprise. He hadn’t known it was that long. He found himself thinking about how nice it would feel to have his fingers run through the thick, long black locks.
“Albus!” she said breaking into his thoughts. “Hogwarts to Albus.”
“Hmm… pardon my dear?” he asked as he mentally scolded himself for letting his thoughts get carried away.
Minerva had to muster all her Gryffindor courage so she could say what she wanted to say to him. She prayed that she wasn’t wrong and that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. She walked over to the couch that was directly in front of the roaring fire. She sat down and waited for Albus to join her.
“So, what I have done to deserve such a visit from you, my dear?” he asked as he sat down beside her and looked at her.
“You know what you have done,” she replied, her eyes trailed his nightwear and she was glad that she didn’t have a headache because the colours of his dressing gown clashed horribly. But she couldn’t help but smile because they were part of his personality.
“You liked it?” he asked with a smile as he looked into her eyes and searched them for her answer.
“I loved it Albus,” she replied. “Thank you so much.”
“All of what I wrote was true Minerva and from my heart,” he told her. “I will understand if you tell me you cant accept my feelings and I truly hope this doesn’t ruin our friendship as I would hate to lose you.”
“Why tell me this after all these years?” she asked.
“I made my first ever New Year’s resolution and I wanted to keep it,” he explained. “I wanted to tell you how I felt about you and now you know so it’s up to you my dear.”
“Oh Albus,” she said as she reached for his hand “no one has ever gone to so much trouble to court me. I am sorry I took the chocolates as a joke. You must have thought me so ungrateful.”
Albus squeezed her hand and smiled at her. He hadn’t thought her ungrateful at all. He had been worried that he had caused her such distress and he told her that, with a small remorseful smile on his face. They spoke for some time and though Minerva admitted that she was unsure of her feelings at the moment because she felt unsure of herself, she agreed to go on a quiet dinner date with Albus.
“Ill pick you up tonight, my dear, at eight,” he said as he walked her to the door. “We will take this at your pace. We aren’t going to rush this.”
“Thank you Albus!” she said as she cupped his cheek and kissed him on the other cheek before leaving him to prepare for the dinner that coming evening.
To be continued!
Minerva opened her eyes to the sun beaming through the gap in her the curtains. She cursed herself for not making sure she had shut them properly. She had wanted to have a lie in this morning since it was the weekend. She always woke up early during the week and the weekends were the only chance she had to sleep a bit longer. Of course, she rarely did sleep in mainly because her body hated being idle when her mind was a wake.
Knowing that she had no chance of getting back to sleep now that she was awake, she rolled over in bed and laid her head on the cooler pillow on the other side of the bed. Her cheek made contact with something that shouldn’t be there. It felt like parchment and she was sure that she had placed her writing things on her beside cabinet the night before. She reached out for her wand and pointed them at the curtains, speaking a charm that drew her curtains for her without her having to get of bed.
Minerva gasped as her eyes were drawn to the most beautiful rose she had ever seen. She had never seen a blue rose before and it took her breath away. She picked up the rose and brought it to her nose. She took in the smell and sighed. It smelled like the spring breeze and the summer sun and it was intoxicating with its’ blue petals with white flecks on them. Minerva ran her dainty fingers over the full delicate petals. This had to be the most perfect rose she had ever seen.
Her attention was drawn from the rose as she remembered feeling the roughness of parchment under her soft cheek. She turned and looked back at the pillow and saw a letter addressed to her. Still holding the rose, she reached down and picked up the letter. She eyed it curiously before breaking the seal and opening the envelope. Inside was a letter, which she pulled out and read aloud.
Dearest Minerva,
This rose is perfect, right from the stem to the bud itself. I saw it and knew that it was created for you. Please accept this is a token of my love and adoration for you. I am sorry that the chocolates caused you so much distress. That was not their intention. The notes were written from my heart and the chocolates were made from my hands with some help from my wand, for I am not a great cook. I love you, Minerva, and the simple things in life are the best!
Minerva reread the letter and felt hot tears pickle her eyes. She clutched the note to her chest and brought the rose to her lips. This note could only be from one person and one person alone! It had to be Albus. It had only been a matter of days since they had spoken about the type of gestures that she would want from a lover, a husband. She had spoken about the rose on her pillow and chocolates. She had mentioned that she liked to know thought had got into the gift. Albus had been the only person she had told about receiving the chocolates.
She suddenly felt very guilty about throwing all his hard work into the bin and the fire. She wished she had saved the notes after all now. She sighed and then smiled to herself as she slipped out of her bed. She quickly summoned a vase from the other room and arranged the rose in it before dashing off into the bathroom to get ready.
Minerva appeared out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, her long ebony colored hair cascading down her back and she was wearing crimson robes that were slightly fitted, compared to her billowing green robes she usually wore. She looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection. Before she had dashed into the bathroom, she had felt so sure that the rose had been from Albus, but now that she had thought about it a lot more, she wasn’t so sure. What if she had read too much in to their talk? What if the rose hadn’t been from him? What if it was just another joke? She had so many questions and no answers. She knew that the only way to her answers was too ask Albus. It had to be him. It was his familiar purple spirally writing, she was sure. Otherwise her eyes were deceiving her.
Minerva decided to head to his rooms and speak with him. As she walked, she thought about Albus. He was her best friend and she hadn’t been aware of any romantic feelings on her part until she had received the letter and had been sure it had been from him. They had always been close. She enjoyed his company and found that she could always be herself around him. She found herself telling him things that she would never tell anyone. She would always stand by him no matter what. Had she always been in love with him but never known? She frowned slightly as she became lost in her thoughts. Did she love him?
Her musings carried her along until she was outside his rooms and even before she knew what she was doing she had knocked on his door. She stood there waiting; her stomach doing back flips over and over again, which made her feel nauseous. She felt a sense of relief, as there was no answer. Maybe she had it all wrong and this was a sign. As she turned to walk away, the door opened and Albus looked out tiredly from behind it.
“Minerva!” he said, immediately brightening up as he saw her.
“Oh I am so sorry,” she replied. “Did I wake you?”
“I needed to get up anyway,” he assured her. “Please come in.”
Albus opened the door and beckoned Minerva inside. He was nervous but excited at the same time. She would have opened her eyes and found the rose and his letter. He hoped she was here to tell him that she knew who it was and not to tell him that she had thrown the rose into the fire. He had noticed the change in her attire and he was pleased to see her in something other than the emerald green robes she usually wore. He stared at her long hair with he surprise. He hadn’t known it was that long. He found himself thinking about how nice it would feel to have his fingers run through the thick, long black locks.
“Albus!” she said breaking into his thoughts. “Hogwarts to Albus.”
“Hmm… pardon my dear?” he asked as he mentally scolded himself for letting his thoughts get carried away.
Minerva had to muster all her Gryffindor courage so she could say what she wanted to say to him. She prayed that she wasn’t wrong and that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. She walked over to the couch that was directly in front of the roaring fire. She sat down and waited for Albus to join her.
“So, what I have done to deserve such a visit from you, my dear?” he asked as he sat down beside her and looked at her.
“You know what you have done,” she replied, her eyes trailed his nightwear and she was glad that she didn’t have a headache because the colours of his dressing gown clashed horribly. But she couldn’t help but smile because they were part of his personality.
“You liked it?” he asked with a smile as he looked into her eyes and searched them for her answer.
“I loved it Albus,” she replied. “Thank you so much.”
“All of what I wrote was true Minerva and from my heart,” he told her. “I will understand if you tell me you cant accept my feelings and I truly hope this doesn’t ruin our friendship as I would hate to lose you.”
“Why tell me this after all these years?” she asked.
“I made my first ever New Year’s resolution and I wanted to keep it,” he explained. “I wanted to tell you how I felt about you and now you know so it’s up to you my dear.”
“Oh Albus,” she said as she reached for his hand “no one has ever gone to so much trouble to court me. I am sorry I took the chocolates as a joke. You must have thought me so ungrateful.”
Albus squeezed her hand and smiled at her. He hadn’t thought her ungrateful at all. He had been worried that he had caused her such distress and he told her that, with a small remorseful smile on his face. They spoke for some time and though Minerva admitted that she was unsure of her feelings at the moment because she felt unsure of herself, she agreed to go on a quiet dinner date with Albus.
“Ill pick you up tonight, my dear, at eight,” he said as he walked her to the door. “We will take this at your pace. We aren’t going to rush this.”
“Thank you Albus!” she said as she cupped his cheek and kissed him on the other cheek before leaving him to prepare for the dinner that coming evening.
To be continued!
well, Albus and Minerva are finally happy! YAY! ;D And Clayre shall be happy too, because she is receiving three truckloads of heart-shaped chocolate-flavored Kaylee-wolf treats in honor of this being a romantic story. Albus and Minerva sent them. 
)
