Post by EloquentPhoenix on Feb 11, 2006 20:24:50 GMT -5
Bracelets
Disclaimer: Absolutely nothing is mine; even Albus’ first line was said by a real person!
“Miss McGonagall if I see those bracelets again I will chop them off!” snapped an unusually irate Albus Dumbledore.
The class all snickered, sometimes the Professors really did not realise the implications of some of the things they said…
Minerva blushed furiously, and shot her best friend Xiomara Hooch a glare. If she didn’t stop charming those stupid things onto her wrist she’d kill her!
Said rubber bracelets were the new craze at Hogwarts and were dubbed “kissing bracelets” by the student population. And the rules were as follows:
1. If you break one or more bracelets yourself you must kiss the person who gave them to you.
2. If someone else breaks one or more of your bracelets you must kiss them.
Minerva had been, as ever, well above such absurdities as “kissing bracelets” as jewellery of any sort was forbidden at Hogwarts. Tugging them off her wrist and throwing them onto her friends lap she returned her attention to her Professor.
Albus continued his lecture to the class. A meeting with the Minister for Magic prior to this lesson had caused his bad mood, meaning his temper was shorter than usual. Though this was the second time this lesson, and the sixth time this week that he had spoken to Minerva about wearing these bracelets. He was, of course, unaware of Xiomara’s actions and the implications of what he just said.
Proposing a question to the class he was surprised when Minerva raised her hand to answer, although she was an excellent student and friend she rarely offered to answer any question or speak to him in a lesson in which he reprimanded her. She resented the student-teacher façade they were forced to keep up during lessons, despite the fact that had a strong friendship and considered each other equals.
He opened his mouth to call upon her when he noticed that the bracelets remained on her wrist! He sighed quietly and murmuring a spell the bracelets landed with a flop on the desk, he levitated the bin and it collected them before returning with a clang in its original place. The class looked in shock before whispers and giggles spread around the room.
“I gave you a fair warning, Miss McGonagall,” was all he said.
She lowered her hand and stared fixatedly at a point on the wall directly in front of her. Xiomara smiled to herself, a small moment of humiliation for Minerva was worth it; she knew that both her best friend and Professor cared for each other more than they let on. Neither Albus nor Xiomara saw Minerva’s eyes fill with tears for a second, before they were gone as quickly as they came.
The rest of the lesson passed without further mishap and Albus called Minerva back at the end of the lesson.
“I am sorry, Minerva,” he said.
She merely nodded in reply, but he saw the dangerous flashings in her eyes.
“It was the seventh time I have had to tell you this week, and it’s only Wednesday!”
Her voice dangerously low, Minerva replied, “Well, had you have cared to mention it over chess yesterday, or in your letter in Monday I could have informed you of the truth!
“I hope you’re happy in your humiliation of me, when I didn’t put the stupid bracelets on anyway, it was Xiomara! And they were laughing, you don’t even now what the rest of the students think they mean!”
With that Minerva stormed out of the transfigurations classroom towards the girls toilets.
It was the end of the week before Albus learned what Minerva had meant by her parting comment. Discussion about these “kissing bracelets” had reached the staff room by Friday. He tried to talk to Minerva as they played chess later that evening. She waved off his apologies, it didn’t matter to her anymore; she had only said those things out of embarrassment rather than anything else. She had soon forgotten about what had happened, but the rest of her seventh year was flooded with rumours. Rumours that continued throughout her adult life about a relationship between her and Albus Dumbledore. Of course no relationship had ever occurred, despite wishing on both parts.
*~*~*
Albus Dumbledore chuckled to himself as that memory floated around in his Pensieve. Minerva hadn’t changed a bit; her temper was still as fiery now. And he still loved her for it. Glancing at the clock he reasoned she would come by his rooms in a minute or two. Sure enough, no sooner had he thought it, did Minerva’s trademark rapping come upon his door.
“Come in, Minerva,” he called out.
Frowning slightly she came to stand beside him at his Pensieve, upon seeing a glimpse of the memory she blanched before blushing. Albus chuckled again before leaning down to whisper in her ear.
“I believe I owe you a kiss, my dear...”
Any reply she might have had was cut off by his lips covering hers in a long overdue kiss.
A/N: This was inspired by a real life event. Remember those “kissing bracelets” a few years back? Well, I remember one of my teachers threatening to cut them off the boy who kept wearing them and us all laughing. And it all stemmed from that really… And I was in need of some fluff, and it is, I think, one of the few fluffy ones of my own I have enjoyed reading back as well as writing. I hope you all approve since I was told not to give up writing fluff.
