Post by The Anglophile on Jun 14, 2007 18:43:38 GMT -5
A/N: What, fluff? Yes, albeit rather grudgingly. ¬.¬ All I can say is I started reading the entire series over from the beginning yet again, when suddenly, attaaack of the killer fluffy bunnies!
Minerva rubbed her eyes wearily as she headed back through the dark, winding corridors to her rooms. One hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor, perhaps it was rather harsh, but it was the only way they’d learn. She could see the smirk on Snape’s face even now.
Sighing deeply, Minerva reached up and pulled off her hair net. Ridiculous thing. Her dark hair came tumbling down over her shoulders, its freedom flooding her body with an inexplicable comfort.
“Minerva McGonagall,” a voice suddenly murmured. She jumped violently, but turned to see that it was only Albus sitting in an alcove, half-hidden by shadows. “It’s a bit late for you to be wandering the halls.”
“I might say the same to you,” she glared at him, feeling her cheeks redden faintly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his eyes twinkling and his lips curving in an only half-suppressed smile. She said nothing, her nostrils flaring slightly, annoyed that he always seemed to know what she was thinking. “And anyway, I haven’t been wandering, I’ve been enjoying a nice mug of hot chocolate and the view of the moon. It’s half full tonight, you see, and the view of it is quite incomparable at this time of the month.”
Minerva was still glaring at him, one eyebrow hitched up disdainfully.
“You’re ridiculous,” she told him simply. “And I wasn’t ‘wandering’ either,” she said with contempt. “Four students out of bed in one night, and three from Gryffindor! It’s outrageous!”
“Yes, I’m especially surprised about Miss Granger,” Albus said pensively. “I think her friends are corrupting her.”
Minerva did not feel the need to ask him how he knew that Miss Granger had been out of bed.
“But where are you headed now, Minerva?” he asked, still smiling benevolently as he raised his silver eyebrows inquisitively.
“My rooms,” she said shortly.
“A likely story,” he said teasingly, but then more seriously, “with your hair like that.”
Minerva’s jaw slackened only a little as she instinctively began to twist her hair up into its customary bun.
“Oh, really, Minerva, what’s the harm?” Albus asked, getting up.
“I hate people seeing it down, they always stare,” Minerva grimaced.
“Would you be embarrassed if I stared?” he asked so sincerely that Minerva dropped her hair and sent it cascading down to her waist once more. “See?” Albus smiled softly. “Not so bad.”
Minerva bit her lower lip, suddenly realising just how narrow the corridor was. Consequently, she and Albus stood very close. She met his eyes nervously, the colour in her cheeks now a deeper shade of pink.
“I—I ought to go,” her voice was strangled and weak, and she instantly regretted her words. Albus drew back a little, frowning.
“I am sorry, Minerva,” he said quietly.
“About what?” she asked, hoping he would step close again.
“About startling you.”
It was left unsaid just how many times he had startled her. Minerva chewed her lip more thoughtfully and looked down at the floor.
“It wasn’t unpleasant,” she finally murmured to her feet. She felt paralysed, unable to look at him, when suddenly a pair of fluffy purple slippers stepped close to her more sensible tartan ones. She couldn’t help but laugh. A warm hand on her cheek finally drew her gaze upward again. Albus’s eyes had never twinkled as energetically as they did when he tentatively leaned in to kiss her.
When they parted, the taste of chocolate lingering on her lips, Minerva sighed contentedly. Not even Severus’s self-satisfied smirk could dampen her spirits now.
Nighttime Wanderings
Minerva rubbed her eyes wearily as she headed back through the dark, winding corridors to her rooms. One hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor, perhaps it was rather harsh, but it was the only way they’d learn. She could see the smirk on Snape’s face even now.
Sighing deeply, Minerva reached up and pulled off her hair net. Ridiculous thing. Her dark hair came tumbling down over her shoulders, its freedom flooding her body with an inexplicable comfort.
“Minerva McGonagall,” a voice suddenly murmured. She jumped violently, but turned to see that it was only Albus sitting in an alcove, half-hidden by shadows. “It’s a bit late for you to be wandering the halls.”
“I might say the same to you,” she glared at him, feeling her cheeks redden faintly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his eyes twinkling and his lips curving in an only half-suppressed smile. She said nothing, her nostrils flaring slightly, annoyed that he always seemed to know what she was thinking. “And anyway, I haven’t been wandering, I’ve been enjoying a nice mug of hot chocolate and the view of the moon. It’s half full tonight, you see, and the view of it is quite incomparable at this time of the month.”
Minerva was still glaring at him, one eyebrow hitched up disdainfully.
“You’re ridiculous,” she told him simply. “And I wasn’t ‘wandering’ either,” she said with contempt. “Four students out of bed in one night, and three from Gryffindor! It’s outrageous!”
“Yes, I’m especially surprised about Miss Granger,” Albus said pensively. “I think her friends are corrupting her.”
Minerva did not feel the need to ask him how he knew that Miss Granger had been out of bed.
“But where are you headed now, Minerva?” he asked, still smiling benevolently as he raised his silver eyebrows inquisitively.
“My rooms,” she said shortly.
“A likely story,” he said teasingly, but then more seriously, “with your hair like that.”
Minerva’s jaw slackened only a little as she instinctively began to twist her hair up into its customary bun.
“Oh, really, Minerva, what’s the harm?” Albus asked, getting up.
“I hate people seeing it down, they always stare,” Minerva grimaced.
“Would you be embarrassed if I stared?” he asked so sincerely that Minerva dropped her hair and sent it cascading down to her waist once more. “See?” Albus smiled softly. “Not so bad.”
Minerva bit her lower lip, suddenly realising just how narrow the corridor was. Consequently, she and Albus stood very close. She met his eyes nervously, the colour in her cheeks now a deeper shade of pink.
“I—I ought to go,” her voice was strangled and weak, and she instantly regretted her words. Albus drew back a little, frowning.
“I am sorry, Minerva,” he said quietly.
“About what?” she asked, hoping he would step close again.
“About startling you.”
It was left unsaid just how many times he had startled her. Minerva chewed her lip more thoughtfully and looked down at the floor.
“It wasn’t unpleasant,” she finally murmured to her feet. She felt paralysed, unable to look at him, when suddenly a pair of fluffy purple slippers stepped close to her more sensible tartan ones. She couldn’t help but laugh. A warm hand on her cheek finally drew her gaze upward again. Albus’s eyes had never twinkled as energetically as they did when he tentatively leaned in to kiss her.
When they parted, the taste of chocolate lingering on her lips, Minerva sighed contentedly. Not even Severus’s self-satisfied smirk could dampen her spirits now.
Thanks for sharing.
x
;D
