Post by Hogwarts Duo on Dec 14, 2006 22:07:04 GMT -5
Summary: The women of Hogwarts always get together before school to discuss their holidays. Will Minerva finally reveal the identity of her mystery man?
Rated: M...for subject matter
Minerva looked at the clock in the corner of the room as it began to chime eight o’clock in the evening. With a sigh she put down the class notes for her first years that she had been revising and pinched the bridge of her nose.
It was always the same thing at the end of the summer. The faculty would return early from their holidays in order to prepare for the new arrivals and those returning for yet another year of studies. But before those little cherubs were due to arrive, there was one last bit of summer business which Minerva both loved and disliked at the same time. With one last look at the offending clock, she smoothed down her lightweight robes and left behind the calmness of her rooms for the chaos of the mediwitches private quarters.
“About time you got here. We were beginning to think we’d have to hunt you down like last year. You should know by now that if you don’t find us, we’ll make sure we find you.” Xiomara Hooch had apparently started the festivities earlier than all of the rest of the women of Hogwarts for she was slightly flushed and even more boisterous than usual.
“And you should know that I am a busy woman and have duties to attend to upon my return from the summer holidays. I haven’t missed a girls gathering in nearly twenty years so I don’t know why you would think I would start today,” Minerva shot back with a smile on her face.
“Because we all know you Minerva. You’re the most secretive of all of us and you know how much we love to hear about your summer holidays,” Poppy answered before any of the other women in the room had a chance.
It was true. No matter what grand and exciting things any of them had done the highlight had always been the small morsels of information Minerva had shared with them and surely this year would be no exception.
After everyone was settled and the glasses of wine had been poured, the laughter began to flow more easily than earlier in the evening. Thus was the way their gossip sessions usually began. Innocent conversations about recently visited countries or new hobbies discovered over the break would always be the reason for the gathering. But, in truth they were merely cover stories.
“Did you see Argus Filch’s face when he came back into the castle this afternoon?” Madame Sprout announced rather giddily. “He must have had one hell of a vacation to put such a smile on his face,” she announced before downing her fifth glass of wine and pouring another.
“Well Irma would know all about that…wouldn’t you dearie?” Poppy Pomfrey had known for weeks that Irma and Argus had started a courtship but hadn’t shared the information with Minerva, Xiomara, or Madame Sprout. She supposed it had just never crossed her mind, and with good cause. Irma was friendly and wasn’t known to judge a person on outward appearances but even the strongest stomached person would have trouble sharing a heated kiss with Argus Filch.
“Irma, you old boggart! Have you been keeping naughty secrets from us?” Xiomara teased. “Filchy? I can’t believe you could…that he would…I mean really!” Madame Hooch wasn’t one to keep her opinions to herself and sometimes that was not necessarily a good thing, as Minerva so often pointed out to her.
“Xiomara Hooch! One should never assume to know what one person feels for another. If Irma and Argus can find happiness together, we should be supportive and wish them well,” Minerva announced with a regal air to her tone, though inside she was shivering from the naughty images her mind had started to conjure. Minerva had known Argus Filch for decades and he had never struck her as a man who could charm a woman, much less be tender and loving in a more intimate setting.
“We can’t all be you, Minerva, with our mystery man always waiting in the wings to whisk us away to some exotic location for a summer holiday of leisure.” Irma Pince had been listening to them discuss her personal life for long enough and it was time to turn the tables on someone else.
“Yes, Minnie…tell us where you went this year. And don’t be skimpy with the details like last year.” Poppy had been friends with Minerva since their school days together and even she wasn’t privy to Minerva’s romantic life or the man who shared her summers.
“Oh no you don’t. We always go around the circle and share details so you’ll have to wait until it’s my turn. I do believe you’re trying to divert the attention away from yourself and the time you spent with Alastor Moody.”
Poppy’s cheeks darkened at the very mention of Alastor’s name. They hadn’t been able to spend the entire summer together but the weekends when he wasn’t preoccupied with Ministry or auror work had been magnificent. It was no secret that they were deeply in love and enjoyed spending as much free time together as possible.
“Alastor and I had a lovely time. We were able to go to Brighton for a few days and had a few summer picnics…if you catch my meaning,” she giggled. Before she had a chance to explain further, the other women in the circle were hurling question after question at her
and she was desperately looking to Minerva for help.
“Now, now ladies,” Minerva called out. “Let Poppy give us some details on her own before you go drowning her with requests for more information.”
Poppy looked thankfully in her friend’s direction and a smile lit her face as she started to tell them more about her summer adventures. “As I was saying, Alastor rented a cozy flat for our short weekend away. It was a bit of a surprise.”
“How can it be a surprise when you go to Brighton every year?” Xiomara questioned exasperatedly.
“Shhh!”
Xiomara looked grumpy as several witches hissed at her to be quiet and folded her arms across her chest. A sure sign to everyone present that she would keep her opinions to herself, if only for a short time.
Poppy was starting to look put out but continued anyway. “He cooked all of our meals and took care of any cleaning that was required. All I had to do was relax the whole time.”
A far away look entered her eyes as surprised sounds issued from around the circle. Alastor was known for being old-fashioned. Poppy doted on him and only the obvious love on both their parts had kept her friends from showing disapproval at the way she put up with his eccentricities. Minerva wondered if more had gone on in that weekend than Poppy was alluding to so far. Surely Poppy would have told her if they had moved their relationship further along.
“It was heavenly. We spent most of the time in our rooms but we did manage to make it to the shore for some walks and other activities. Alastor even arranged a moonlight picnic with wine and candles. Unfortunately an owl arrived for him just when we were getting to dessert.”
Minerva could here the disappointment in Poppy’s voice and again she wondered if perhaps the weekend was meant to be more special than their usual summer getaway. Her mind occupied with thoughts of Poppy becoming engaged caused her to miss the next few comments her friend shared. However, the lewd questioning that followed left no doubts as to the subject.
Poppy held them off as best as she could but by the end of their questioning, she had broken her vow to only tell them the bare facts and nothing more and had in truth told them several revealing and intimate details, many of which Alastor would not be pleased to have shared.
Madam Hooch couldn’t wait for the opportunity to share her glorious tales of summer and in great detail. She had never been one for modesty so it was of no surprise to her colleagues that she loved to delve into the more graphic details, sparing none of them the shame of hearing them.
“As with every summer, I spent most of my time traveling.”
Xiomara was known to have traveled to every continent and had visited nearly every wizarding village. Most would say it was simply because she was following the quidditch games wherever they may be, but those who knew her best were aware of her passion to see the world and all the wonders it held, whether scenic or of a more personal nature.
“I had a grand time as always. And of course I did make it to several quidditch games. Why one of the beaters from the Tarapoto Tree-Skimmers made a fantastic move. As the bludger came shooting at their seeker, he…”
The sound of sighs and groans of despair caused her to stop mid-sentence. She looked around the room at all the bored expressions and grinned in such a way as to make Minerva wish she had selective hearing. The Deputy knew that look meant one thing and one thing alone – things were about to get steamy.
“I can take a hint,” she stated with a laugh. “Besides, what happened that evening was much more exciting.”
Several of the witches leaned in while Xia took a sip from her beverage of choice. She put the half empty goblet down and smoothed her robes. She licked her lips before starting her story, knowing just how long to wait to build the tension.
“I was invited to the Tree-Skimmers after game party. I am friends with the owner from my own quidditch days. It was a wild celebration as they had won by several hundred points. There was the usual wine and libations. However, this year they introduced something new, something from a local berry. It was delicious…and potent.”
Minerva shook her head. Xiomara could tolerate her alcohol and if she said the stuff was potent, then she would make a note to never take a sip of the stuff. She also knew her friend well and a drunk Xia was truly a sight to behold. Minerva leaned back as all the other ladies leaned in and waited for the graphic details to start spilling forth.
“It wasn’t long before I found myself in one of the team’s hotel suites. I was having the time of my life and a couple of gentleman, no names of course so as to protect the innocent, decided to join me in my revelry.”
Hooch laughed at the look of surprise on some of the newer professor’s faces. It has been a while since she had taken on a couple of men, which they knew about anyway. “Lucky for me I was wearing some rather nice knickers, not that they lasted long. Have any of you ever had two men concentrated on your pleasure at the same time? It is the most exquisite sexual experience I have ever had.”
Xiomara’s recounting of the event lasted a good half hour and most of the women present were either fanning themselves or looking a bit embarrassed, sometimes both.
“Xiomara, somehow I can honestly say that I did not need to know the length of the wizards…ahem…broomsticks shall we say? A simple, well-endowed, would have been sufficient for me,” Minerva reminded her after she had finished.
It was nearly ten o’clock and the empty wine bottles littered the floor as one by one each woman took her turn in facing the barrage of questions. Minerva, however, was the exception. While she tended to ask the occasional question, merely for clarification purposes she always assured them, she was never one to ask for the more intimate details. She was satisfied to sit and listen and sip her wine as each starry eyed woman told of a romantic adventure or some bore of a man who had broken her heart during a summer fling.
“Alright Minerva, we’ve all told about our wild adventures so now it’s your turn. Tell us where the mystery man took you this year on holiday?” The other women in the circle began to lean forward in their seats, almost fearing they might miss a key word or phrase that would help them decipher the man’s identity.
“It was a lovely summer and I managed to read several good books, some of them muggle in nature but most of them technical matters on transfiguration. It doesn’t hurt to keep on top of one’s subject matter in an attempt to teach our students the latest information.”
“Minerva McGonagall…stop that this instant! You know we don’t give a damn about your reading habits or even your teaching styles. We all know you’re a bloody genius when it comes to transfiguration. What we’re interested in knowing is if you and the man we hear about every single year were able to reconnect this year. And don’t be so bleeding vague about the details.” After Xiomara’s tirade, the other women in the group began to voice their own opinions about Minerva’s lack of details in previous encounters.
“How do you even know if I met up with anyone this summer? Perhaps I did spend my entire holiday on a sofa somewhere reading a book and furthering my own education.” The cat and mouse game Minerva was playing always gave her a sense of satisfaction and she did love to see the women hanging on her every word.
“Because you’re in far too good a mood not to have had a little bit of excitement. You do this to us every summer and it’s always the same thing. You meet up with your mystery man and he takes you somewhere wonderfully romantic. Face it, we all live vicariously through you to some degree.” Poppy was never one to harass Minerva for details and perhaps it was the wine talking tonight. “Alastor and I always do the same things every summer. Irma and Argus haven’t been together long enough to build up a long history of romantic escapades and Xiomara…well let’s face it…she’s rather liberated in her thinking and even a sailor would blush at some of the stories she could tell.”
Minerva threw her hands up in defeat. “Alright, if you’re all so interested in my love life, then I will tell you and then I’m calling it a night. Understood?” Minerva finished the glass of wine in her hand as each woman agreed to her terms.
“After the students left, I packed my bags and went to my summer home, just as all of you did the day before. When I arrived I was greeted by a pair of strong arms and warm lips, thus starting yet another wonderful summer. I was treated to a delicious homemade dinner of all my favorites.” Minerva paused in her story to look into the eyes of all of her friends. “Would you care to know what I had for dinner or shall I skip ahead?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes.
“We don’t care if you had bubble and squeak…just get to the good part or I swear I’ll fill your next glass with veritaserum…”
“And I’ll help,” Poppy chimed in as the others also voiced idle threats.
“After dinner we took a moonlight stroll through the gardens and it was there that I learned we were going to Tuscany for a month long holiday. My bags were being repacked by some very skilled house elves and all I had to do was get up in the morning and dress.”
“I hope Argus will think of something so romantic for us one day,” Irma spoke softly as she listened to Minerva’s story. “I think he’s a bit shy about being seen outside the school but I’m working on that.”
“A bath wouldn’t hurt, Irma. Have you told him that?” Xiomara snapped irritably. “Now Minerva, would you please spare us the boring details and get to the good parts…you know the length of his broomstick, the way he uses his wand, the way his sweaty body glistened in the summer haze.”
Minerva laughed as her mind raced back through the last few weeks and to the details she had sworn never to share with another, aside from the man who had helped make the memories. “The cottage in Tuscany was secluded so there was no chance of being interrupted by his work or mine. We took a few side trips to various cities but for the most part we stayed at our little cottage. I cooked while he read. He drew soothing bubble baths for us each night with candles to light the rooms. Of course we took turns serving each other breakfast in bed.”
Minerva sighed almost dreamily as she relieved those wonderful days. It was during those weeks that she was always her happiest. She was able to let her hair down and truly relax, knowing they were safe and despite the demands from the outside work, he belonged solely to her.
“Our days were spent leisurely, relaxing in a hammock made for two. I will say that I learned a few new ways to enjoy myself in a hammock,” she hinted with a wink and a long sip of her wine. “I do believe we pushed our limits on more than one occasion but with very satisfying results. But I honestly think the best part of it all was laying outside on a blanket at mid day and being treated to a full body massage using my favorite scented oils. After I repaid the favor of course, we took a refreshing skinny dip in the cool waters before a lavish meal beneath the stars.” She paused in her story and closed her eyes, picturing the man of her dreams carrying her from the cooling water and placing her gently on the blanket beneath the willow tree.
“And this is the reason we all envy you, Minerva.” Madame Sprout rarely had any stories of her own to share aside from the new hybrid of plants and the like so she was the most captivated by Minerva’s romantic tale. Poppy and Irma were almost green-eyed with jealousy, though each was quite content in their relationship at the moment. But Xiomara was a new beast all together. She longed for the details, though she knew it was a hopeless case. Minerva had her pride and was determined to keep those secrets to herself.
After a few probing questions from the girls and some carefully worded answers from Minerva, she stole a glance at the clock. She thought of what was awaiting her in her rooms so she bid them all a goodnight and wished them well with any hangovers in the morning before heading back to her rooms.
As soon as she entered her private rooms, she shrugged off her shoes and began pulling the pins from her hair, shaking it loose as it cascaded down her back. As she continued through the rooms, she was careful to check the fireplace to ensure the floo network was disabled for the time being, she warded the doors and windows to keep out unwanted visitors, and then doused the few remaining lights before opening the bedroom door.
The only light in the room was coming from a single candle burning brightly on the bedside table and the cool breeze, which floated through the open windows, slightly ruffled the sheer curtains. Her robes were unfastened but she paused before shrugging them off and changing into something more appropriate for bedtime, for someone else held her attention.
“You’re home earlier than I expected.” Albus Dumbledore was laying in Minerva’s bed, obviously reading the book she had bought him on holiday. His half moon spectacles were perched on the end of his nose, giving her a clear view of his twinkling blue eyes and his shirt had been discarded along with his pajama bottoms. A thin white sheet lay across his lap covering the rest of his body from her sight. But she had already burned every detail of his body into her memory long ago.
“I told them I had some matters to attend to before going to bed,” she giggled as she let her robes pool at her feet. “Now where did I put that transfiguration book I was reading last night?”
With a wave of his hand, their reading material vanished to unknown parts of the castle and the candle beside the bed dimmed. “You work too hard and play too little, Professor. I believe you need to enjoy the few remaining days of carefree life before the students return.” He held out his hand to her and crooked one long finger towards her, beckoning her to join him in the bed. “If you will allow me, I’d be more than happy to give you a personal demonstration of a few of my more brilliant ideas.”
The tone of his deep voice was enough to send Minerva’s body quivering with anticipation and longing. She slid into bed beside him and wasted no time in snuggling into his arms, dropping a few kisses to his bare chest. Her arm looped securely around his waist, her nails scratching seductively up and down his side while her smooth leg moved against his leg mimicking her fingertips.
“Mmmm, you know, I am the luckiest woman in the whole world. I know I’m the envy of all those women downstairs and I have you to thank for that, even if they don’t know who you are.” She tilted her head up and kissed him deeply, letting her feelings pour through her.
“Did you tell them about me again this year, love?” After their first summer together the girls had noticed a distinct change in Minerva’s behavior and had grilled her to no end. In an effort to appease them and to see a moments’ peace, Minerva had told them she met a man and gave them a few details of her first summer with Albus. But she had never disclosed his name or any identifying clues about his looks.
“I did. I told them about our wonderful holiday in Tuscany and how I was seduced in a hammock, ravished by a lake, and treated like a true queen.” Minerva’s hand had ventured back to Albus’ stomach and was inching its way downward while she spoke.
“Ahh, and did you tell them how I managed to have you screaming my name in ecstasy before you even had a chance fully wake that one morning?” he chuckled. He had woken earlier than Minerva and couldn’t resist the temptation to kiss her awake. However, his kisses had been much lower on her body and what started out as an erotic dream in Minerva’s mind turned into a glorious reality as her eyes fluttered open to find Albus comfortably positioned between her legs having an early morning feast.
Minerva moaned softly as she straddled Albus’ lap, positioning him properly just before lowering herself onto him and setting a steady but slow rhythm. “No. There are some moments between a man and wife that should be kept private. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Ohhhhh,” he moaned as she picked up the pace and began to use all her skills to her advantage and his. “Yes I would….agree…”
Well past midnight, the lovers lay entwined in each others arms. The candlelight had long been extinguished and only the starlight dared enter the bedroom, floating on the gentle breeze which blew around them.
“Do you ever regret not telling at least one of them about our marriage, my dear?”
She thought carefully for a moment before answering. “Not really. Sometimes it would be easier if they knew but by an even greater token, it would put you at risk. It would make it so much easier on them to demand more of our time and energies if they knew we were together. I love them all dearly but I love you so much more. And if keeping our marriage a secret is what it takes to see that we have our holidays, our weekends away, our quiet little chess matches, then I’m willing to keep the secret.”
He pressed his lips to hers for a long, sensual kiss before pulling back and drawing her into his arms. “Then so be it, love. We will continue to live our lives as we have for all these years and pray that those women downstairs never decide to follow you on holiday to meet your mystery man.”
The End.
Rated: M...for subject matter
Minerva looked at the clock in the corner of the room as it began to chime eight o’clock in the evening. With a sigh she put down the class notes for her first years that she had been revising and pinched the bridge of her nose.
It was always the same thing at the end of the summer. The faculty would return early from their holidays in order to prepare for the new arrivals and those returning for yet another year of studies. But before those little cherubs were due to arrive, there was one last bit of summer business which Minerva both loved and disliked at the same time. With one last look at the offending clock, she smoothed down her lightweight robes and left behind the calmness of her rooms for the chaos of the mediwitches private quarters.
“About time you got here. We were beginning to think we’d have to hunt you down like last year. You should know by now that if you don’t find us, we’ll make sure we find you.” Xiomara Hooch had apparently started the festivities earlier than all of the rest of the women of Hogwarts for she was slightly flushed and even more boisterous than usual.
“And you should know that I am a busy woman and have duties to attend to upon my return from the summer holidays. I haven’t missed a girls gathering in nearly twenty years so I don’t know why you would think I would start today,” Minerva shot back with a smile on her face.
“Because we all know you Minerva. You’re the most secretive of all of us and you know how much we love to hear about your summer holidays,” Poppy answered before any of the other women in the room had a chance.
It was true. No matter what grand and exciting things any of them had done the highlight had always been the small morsels of information Minerva had shared with them and surely this year would be no exception.
After everyone was settled and the glasses of wine had been poured, the laughter began to flow more easily than earlier in the evening. Thus was the way their gossip sessions usually began. Innocent conversations about recently visited countries or new hobbies discovered over the break would always be the reason for the gathering. But, in truth they were merely cover stories.
“Did you see Argus Filch’s face when he came back into the castle this afternoon?” Madame Sprout announced rather giddily. “He must have had one hell of a vacation to put such a smile on his face,” she announced before downing her fifth glass of wine and pouring another.
“Well Irma would know all about that…wouldn’t you dearie?” Poppy Pomfrey had known for weeks that Irma and Argus had started a courtship but hadn’t shared the information with Minerva, Xiomara, or Madame Sprout. She supposed it had just never crossed her mind, and with good cause. Irma was friendly and wasn’t known to judge a person on outward appearances but even the strongest stomached person would have trouble sharing a heated kiss with Argus Filch.
“Irma, you old boggart! Have you been keeping naughty secrets from us?” Xiomara teased. “Filchy? I can’t believe you could…that he would…I mean really!” Madame Hooch wasn’t one to keep her opinions to herself and sometimes that was not necessarily a good thing, as Minerva so often pointed out to her.
“Xiomara Hooch! One should never assume to know what one person feels for another. If Irma and Argus can find happiness together, we should be supportive and wish them well,” Minerva announced with a regal air to her tone, though inside she was shivering from the naughty images her mind had started to conjure. Minerva had known Argus Filch for decades and he had never struck her as a man who could charm a woman, much less be tender and loving in a more intimate setting.
“We can’t all be you, Minerva, with our mystery man always waiting in the wings to whisk us away to some exotic location for a summer holiday of leisure.” Irma Pince had been listening to them discuss her personal life for long enough and it was time to turn the tables on someone else.
“Yes, Minnie…tell us where you went this year. And don’t be skimpy with the details like last year.” Poppy had been friends with Minerva since their school days together and even she wasn’t privy to Minerva’s romantic life or the man who shared her summers.
“Oh no you don’t. We always go around the circle and share details so you’ll have to wait until it’s my turn. I do believe you’re trying to divert the attention away from yourself and the time you spent with Alastor Moody.”
Poppy’s cheeks darkened at the very mention of Alastor’s name. They hadn’t been able to spend the entire summer together but the weekends when he wasn’t preoccupied with Ministry or auror work had been magnificent. It was no secret that they were deeply in love and enjoyed spending as much free time together as possible.
“Alastor and I had a lovely time. We were able to go to Brighton for a few days and had a few summer picnics…if you catch my meaning,” she giggled. Before she had a chance to explain further, the other women in the circle were hurling question after question at her
and she was desperately looking to Minerva for help.
“Now, now ladies,” Minerva called out. “Let Poppy give us some details on her own before you go drowning her with requests for more information.”
Poppy looked thankfully in her friend’s direction and a smile lit her face as she started to tell them more about her summer adventures. “As I was saying, Alastor rented a cozy flat for our short weekend away. It was a bit of a surprise.”
“How can it be a surprise when you go to Brighton every year?” Xiomara questioned exasperatedly.
“Shhh!”
Xiomara looked grumpy as several witches hissed at her to be quiet and folded her arms across her chest. A sure sign to everyone present that she would keep her opinions to herself, if only for a short time.
Poppy was starting to look put out but continued anyway. “He cooked all of our meals and took care of any cleaning that was required. All I had to do was relax the whole time.”
A far away look entered her eyes as surprised sounds issued from around the circle. Alastor was known for being old-fashioned. Poppy doted on him and only the obvious love on both their parts had kept her friends from showing disapproval at the way she put up with his eccentricities. Minerva wondered if more had gone on in that weekend than Poppy was alluding to so far. Surely Poppy would have told her if they had moved their relationship further along.
“It was heavenly. We spent most of the time in our rooms but we did manage to make it to the shore for some walks and other activities. Alastor even arranged a moonlight picnic with wine and candles. Unfortunately an owl arrived for him just when we were getting to dessert.”
Minerva could here the disappointment in Poppy’s voice and again she wondered if perhaps the weekend was meant to be more special than their usual summer getaway. Her mind occupied with thoughts of Poppy becoming engaged caused her to miss the next few comments her friend shared. However, the lewd questioning that followed left no doubts as to the subject.
Poppy held them off as best as she could but by the end of their questioning, she had broken her vow to only tell them the bare facts and nothing more and had in truth told them several revealing and intimate details, many of which Alastor would not be pleased to have shared.
Madam Hooch couldn’t wait for the opportunity to share her glorious tales of summer and in great detail. She had never been one for modesty so it was of no surprise to her colleagues that she loved to delve into the more graphic details, sparing none of them the shame of hearing them.
“As with every summer, I spent most of my time traveling.”
Xiomara was known to have traveled to every continent and had visited nearly every wizarding village. Most would say it was simply because she was following the quidditch games wherever they may be, but those who knew her best were aware of her passion to see the world and all the wonders it held, whether scenic or of a more personal nature.
“I had a grand time as always. And of course I did make it to several quidditch games. Why one of the beaters from the Tarapoto Tree-Skimmers made a fantastic move. As the bludger came shooting at their seeker, he…”
The sound of sighs and groans of despair caused her to stop mid-sentence. She looked around the room at all the bored expressions and grinned in such a way as to make Minerva wish she had selective hearing. The Deputy knew that look meant one thing and one thing alone – things were about to get steamy.
“I can take a hint,” she stated with a laugh. “Besides, what happened that evening was much more exciting.”
Several of the witches leaned in while Xia took a sip from her beverage of choice. She put the half empty goblet down and smoothed her robes. She licked her lips before starting her story, knowing just how long to wait to build the tension.
“I was invited to the Tree-Skimmers after game party. I am friends with the owner from my own quidditch days. It was a wild celebration as they had won by several hundred points. There was the usual wine and libations. However, this year they introduced something new, something from a local berry. It was delicious…and potent.”
Minerva shook her head. Xiomara could tolerate her alcohol and if she said the stuff was potent, then she would make a note to never take a sip of the stuff. She also knew her friend well and a drunk Xia was truly a sight to behold. Minerva leaned back as all the other ladies leaned in and waited for the graphic details to start spilling forth.
“It wasn’t long before I found myself in one of the team’s hotel suites. I was having the time of my life and a couple of gentleman, no names of course so as to protect the innocent, decided to join me in my revelry.”
Hooch laughed at the look of surprise on some of the newer professor’s faces. It has been a while since she had taken on a couple of men, which they knew about anyway. “Lucky for me I was wearing some rather nice knickers, not that they lasted long. Have any of you ever had two men concentrated on your pleasure at the same time? It is the most exquisite sexual experience I have ever had.”
Xiomara’s recounting of the event lasted a good half hour and most of the women present were either fanning themselves or looking a bit embarrassed, sometimes both.
“Xiomara, somehow I can honestly say that I did not need to know the length of the wizards…ahem…broomsticks shall we say? A simple, well-endowed, would have been sufficient for me,” Minerva reminded her after she had finished.
It was nearly ten o’clock and the empty wine bottles littered the floor as one by one each woman took her turn in facing the barrage of questions. Minerva, however, was the exception. While she tended to ask the occasional question, merely for clarification purposes she always assured them, she was never one to ask for the more intimate details. She was satisfied to sit and listen and sip her wine as each starry eyed woman told of a romantic adventure or some bore of a man who had broken her heart during a summer fling.
“Alright Minerva, we’ve all told about our wild adventures so now it’s your turn. Tell us where the mystery man took you this year on holiday?” The other women in the circle began to lean forward in their seats, almost fearing they might miss a key word or phrase that would help them decipher the man’s identity.
“It was a lovely summer and I managed to read several good books, some of them muggle in nature but most of them technical matters on transfiguration. It doesn’t hurt to keep on top of one’s subject matter in an attempt to teach our students the latest information.”
“Minerva McGonagall…stop that this instant! You know we don’t give a damn about your reading habits or even your teaching styles. We all know you’re a bloody genius when it comes to transfiguration. What we’re interested in knowing is if you and the man we hear about every single year were able to reconnect this year. And don’t be so bleeding vague about the details.” After Xiomara’s tirade, the other women in the group began to voice their own opinions about Minerva’s lack of details in previous encounters.
“How do you even know if I met up with anyone this summer? Perhaps I did spend my entire holiday on a sofa somewhere reading a book and furthering my own education.” The cat and mouse game Minerva was playing always gave her a sense of satisfaction and she did love to see the women hanging on her every word.
“Because you’re in far too good a mood not to have had a little bit of excitement. You do this to us every summer and it’s always the same thing. You meet up with your mystery man and he takes you somewhere wonderfully romantic. Face it, we all live vicariously through you to some degree.” Poppy was never one to harass Minerva for details and perhaps it was the wine talking tonight. “Alastor and I always do the same things every summer. Irma and Argus haven’t been together long enough to build up a long history of romantic escapades and Xiomara…well let’s face it…she’s rather liberated in her thinking and even a sailor would blush at some of the stories she could tell.”
Minerva threw her hands up in defeat. “Alright, if you’re all so interested in my love life, then I will tell you and then I’m calling it a night. Understood?” Minerva finished the glass of wine in her hand as each woman agreed to her terms.
“After the students left, I packed my bags and went to my summer home, just as all of you did the day before. When I arrived I was greeted by a pair of strong arms and warm lips, thus starting yet another wonderful summer. I was treated to a delicious homemade dinner of all my favorites.” Minerva paused in her story to look into the eyes of all of her friends. “Would you care to know what I had for dinner or shall I skip ahead?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes.
“We don’t care if you had bubble and squeak…just get to the good part or I swear I’ll fill your next glass with veritaserum…”
“And I’ll help,” Poppy chimed in as the others also voiced idle threats.
“After dinner we took a moonlight stroll through the gardens and it was there that I learned we were going to Tuscany for a month long holiday. My bags were being repacked by some very skilled house elves and all I had to do was get up in the morning and dress.”
“I hope Argus will think of something so romantic for us one day,” Irma spoke softly as she listened to Minerva’s story. “I think he’s a bit shy about being seen outside the school but I’m working on that.”
“A bath wouldn’t hurt, Irma. Have you told him that?” Xiomara snapped irritably. “Now Minerva, would you please spare us the boring details and get to the good parts…you know the length of his broomstick, the way he uses his wand, the way his sweaty body glistened in the summer haze.”
Minerva laughed as her mind raced back through the last few weeks and to the details she had sworn never to share with another, aside from the man who had helped make the memories. “The cottage in Tuscany was secluded so there was no chance of being interrupted by his work or mine. We took a few side trips to various cities but for the most part we stayed at our little cottage. I cooked while he read. He drew soothing bubble baths for us each night with candles to light the rooms. Of course we took turns serving each other breakfast in bed.”
Minerva sighed almost dreamily as she relieved those wonderful days. It was during those weeks that she was always her happiest. She was able to let her hair down and truly relax, knowing they were safe and despite the demands from the outside work, he belonged solely to her.
“Our days were spent leisurely, relaxing in a hammock made for two. I will say that I learned a few new ways to enjoy myself in a hammock,” she hinted with a wink and a long sip of her wine. “I do believe we pushed our limits on more than one occasion but with very satisfying results. But I honestly think the best part of it all was laying outside on a blanket at mid day and being treated to a full body massage using my favorite scented oils. After I repaid the favor of course, we took a refreshing skinny dip in the cool waters before a lavish meal beneath the stars.” She paused in her story and closed her eyes, picturing the man of her dreams carrying her from the cooling water and placing her gently on the blanket beneath the willow tree.
“And this is the reason we all envy you, Minerva.” Madame Sprout rarely had any stories of her own to share aside from the new hybrid of plants and the like so she was the most captivated by Minerva’s romantic tale. Poppy and Irma were almost green-eyed with jealousy, though each was quite content in their relationship at the moment. But Xiomara was a new beast all together. She longed for the details, though she knew it was a hopeless case. Minerva had her pride and was determined to keep those secrets to herself.
After a few probing questions from the girls and some carefully worded answers from Minerva, she stole a glance at the clock. She thought of what was awaiting her in her rooms so she bid them all a goodnight and wished them well with any hangovers in the morning before heading back to her rooms.
As soon as she entered her private rooms, she shrugged off her shoes and began pulling the pins from her hair, shaking it loose as it cascaded down her back. As she continued through the rooms, she was careful to check the fireplace to ensure the floo network was disabled for the time being, she warded the doors and windows to keep out unwanted visitors, and then doused the few remaining lights before opening the bedroom door.
The only light in the room was coming from a single candle burning brightly on the bedside table and the cool breeze, which floated through the open windows, slightly ruffled the sheer curtains. Her robes were unfastened but she paused before shrugging them off and changing into something more appropriate for bedtime, for someone else held her attention.
“You’re home earlier than I expected.” Albus Dumbledore was laying in Minerva’s bed, obviously reading the book she had bought him on holiday. His half moon spectacles were perched on the end of his nose, giving her a clear view of his twinkling blue eyes and his shirt had been discarded along with his pajama bottoms. A thin white sheet lay across his lap covering the rest of his body from her sight. But she had already burned every detail of his body into her memory long ago.
“I told them I had some matters to attend to before going to bed,” she giggled as she let her robes pool at her feet. “Now where did I put that transfiguration book I was reading last night?”
With a wave of his hand, their reading material vanished to unknown parts of the castle and the candle beside the bed dimmed. “You work too hard and play too little, Professor. I believe you need to enjoy the few remaining days of carefree life before the students return.” He held out his hand to her and crooked one long finger towards her, beckoning her to join him in the bed. “If you will allow me, I’d be more than happy to give you a personal demonstration of a few of my more brilliant ideas.”
The tone of his deep voice was enough to send Minerva’s body quivering with anticipation and longing. She slid into bed beside him and wasted no time in snuggling into his arms, dropping a few kisses to his bare chest. Her arm looped securely around his waist, her nails scratching seductively up and down his side while her smooth leg moved against his leg mimicking her fingertips.
“Mmmm, you know, I am the luckiest woman in the whole world. I know I’m the envy of all those women downstairs and I have you to thank for that, even if they don’t know who you are.” She tilted her head up and kissed him deeply, letting her feelings pour through her.
“Did you tell them about me again this year, love?” After their first summer together the girls had noticed a distinct change in Minerva’s behavior and had grilled her to no end. In an effort to appease them and to see a moments’ peace, Minerva had told them she met a man and gave them a few details of her first summer with Albus. But she had never disclosed his name or any identifying clues about his looks.
“I did. I told them about our wonderful holiday in Tuscany and how I was seduced in a hammock, ravished by a lake, and treated like a true queen.” Minerva’s hand had ventured back to Albus’ stomach and was inching its way downward while she spoke.
“Ahh, and did you tell them how I managed to have you screaming my name in ecstasy before you even had a chance fully wake that one morning?” he chuckled. He had woken earlier than Minerva and couldn’t resist the temptation to kiss her awake. However, his kisses had been much lower on her body and what started out as an erotic dream in Minerva’s mind turned into a glorious reality as her eyes fluttered open to find Albus comfortably positioned between her legs having an early morning feast.
Minerva moaned softly as she straddled Albus’ lap, positioning him properly just before lowering herself onto him and setting a steady but slow rhythm. “No. There are some moments between a man and wife that should be kept private. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Ohhhhh,” he moaned as she picked up the pace and began to use all her skills to her advantage and his. “Yes I would….agree…”
Well past midnight, the lovers lay entwined in each others arms. The candlelight had long been extinguished and only the starlight dared enter the bedroom, floating on the gentle breeze which blew around them.
“Do you ever regret not telling at least one of them about our marriage, my dear?”
She thought carefully for a moment before answering. “Not really. Sometimes it would be easier if they knew but by an even greater token, it would put you at risk. It would make it so much easier on them to demand more of our time and energies if they knew we were together. I love them all dearly but I love you so much more. And if keeping our marriage a secret is what it takes to see that we have our holidays, our weekends away, our quiet little chess matches, then I’m willing to keep the secret.”
He pressed his lips to hers for a long, sensual kiss before pulling back and drawing her into his arms. “Then so be it, love. We will continue to live our lives as we have for all these years and pray that those women downstairs never decide to follow you on holiday to meet your mystery man.”
The End.
Thanks for sharing!
