Beautiful Child

[RonnieLee]

Since it's all finished, I decided to put it up here for those of you who don't go to ff.net. Enjoy!

Summary: Basically the relationship between Albus and Minerva from the time she begins her training at Hogwarts until the first defeat of Voldemort, with twists and turns of my own design thrown in, of course. Set to the song "Beautiful Child" by Fleetwood Mac.

Rating: I'd say R (or M on ff.net). There is language and (not really too graphic) sex. Said sex occurs while Minerva is a student, so if you're bothered by that kind of thing...

Beautiful child.
Beautiful child.
You are a beautiful child,
And I am a fool once more.

Early June, 1936

“Absolutely brilliant, Mr. Moody!” Albus Dumbledore clapped his hands and beamed at his second-year student from where he sat behind his desk, “That is a fourth-year spell, and I have some fifth-years who still haven’t mastered it!”

Had he been one to blush, Alastor Moody certainly would have. Years of receiving nothing but criticism from both parents and peers had left him ignorant of how to accept such praise. Minerva was the only one who ever complimented him, and, with her, he could and did blush. Alastor simply shook his head and picked up the mouse that he had successfully transfigured from a wineglass and took it to his professor’s desk. Once there, he turned it back into a piece of glassware before it could scamper away.

“If you think that I’m brilliant, you should see my Minerva,” he said, shrugging.

“Your Minerva?” asked Dumbledore, confused. This time, Alastor did blush.

“Well, I suppose that she’s not technically ‘mine,’” he said carefully, “Our parents are the best of friends, and her mum and dad travel a lot, so they leave her with us. She may as well be my little sister.”

“Ah, I see. That sounds wonderful. I take it that I’ll be meeting her some time in the years to come?”

“Yes, she comes to Hogwarts next year. She’ll blow you away, Professor. Minerva’s a bloody little genius, plus she knows my Transfiguration textbook like the back of her hand. She spent Christmas with us and bullied me into letting her read it. She was pretty put out when I had to take it back to school with me,” Alastor laughed slightly at that last bit and Albus smiled.

“Well, I certainly look forward to making her acquaintance.” This was no lie on Dumbledore’s part; nothing pleased him more than a student who was not only willing, but ecstatic to study his favorite subject, “Now, I think that I’ve held you up quite long enough. The Hogwarts Express leaves early tomorrow morning, so you’d better get some sleep unless you fancy missing the train.”

“Definitely not, Professor. I’ll see you in September, then.” With that, Alastor gathered his books together and left the classroom with a final wave. Albus smiled to himself. That young man was destined for greatness, he just knew it.

September 1936

“McGonagall, Minerva.” Albus read from the master list in his hands. He recognized the name. This must be “Alastor’s” Minerva, the “brilliant” young girl that his student had raved about some months earlier. He raised his head just in time to see a dark-haired girl of eleven step forward from the flock of first-years. She was tall for her age and walked with all the grace and dignity of a little queen.

Albus gave her the same friendly, reassuring smile that he offered up to all of the first-years, and, though she smiled back, it was obvious that she didn’t need his magnanimity. He got the impression that Minerva McGonagall was not the skittish type, and that nervousness was an altogether foreign emotion for her. He placed the Sorting Hat onto her head, and, while it deliberated, Minerva sat there as still and as seemingly calm as a statue. Nobody would ever have guessed that, inside of her head, a battle raged between her and the Hat over whether she should be put into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.

“But you would be such a brilliant Ravenclaw; that House could give you everything that you need to accomplish great things,” the Hat cajoled.

“No!” Minerva responded, “Both of my parents were Gryffindors, and so is Alastor. I want to be in Gryffindor!”

“Gryffindors are all about courage, and you do have plenty of that, to fight with me, little witch,” the Hat responded before calling out its verdict for all the Great Hall to hear.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Albus heard a loud war whoop from the Gryffindor table, and turned his head in that direction to see Alastor Moody standing up and doing an odd little dance while Minerva walked gracefully to the table with a smug, victorious grin spreading across her face. Alastor rushed forward to envelop her in a gigantic bear-hug, and, when he finally let go, Minerva leant forward and whispered something into his ear. He laughed out loud before leading her to a seat to await the end of the Sorting Ceremony.

[gryffindorprincess]

That is so good I can't wait to read more.

[RonnieLee]

You fell in love when I was only ten.
The years disappeared; much has gone by since then.

September, 1942

A loud scream rang out, echoing off of the walls of Platform 9 ¾.

“You absolute and complete bitch!” the uncharacteristically hysterical voice of Hogwarts’ new Head Girl whined as the witch in question emerged from the ladies’ lavatory. She was followed quickly by a tiny, concerned-looking fifth-year girl with long, flowing golden hair. Minerva McGonagall grasped the front of the other girl’s robes and glared daggers at her.

“You are a perfect little wretch, Rolanda, and I’m ashamed to be related to you, even it is only by marriage!” With that, she released the girl and began to walk away. Rolanda Hooch’s face grew red with embarrassment and guilt, and she sprinted after her step-cousin, willing her short legs to match Minerva’s long strides.

“I didn’t mean to do it, Minnie, I was just mad!” she said, “Besides, if you hadn’t re-grown my hair…”

“Are you insane? Of course you are, to have chopped it in the first place! You know what your mother would say if she found out just how short you cut it this time,” Minerva replied, not slowing her pace or turning to look at the other girl.

“But she just left; she wouldn’t have found out!”

Minerva rounded on her step-cousin, stopping so abruptly that Rolanda almost crashed into her, “Your mother is one of the only real Seers in all of Great Britain! She would have found out eventually, and we both would have gotten Howlers, just like last time. You forget that, since we’re technically cousins, I’ve been charged with the miserable task of looking out for you while we’re at school.”

Rolanda could think of nothing to say to that, so she simply followed Minerva onto the scarlet train that was currently laying in wait for all of the students to board. The two girls made their way to their usual compartment, where Rolanda was overjoyed to be re-united with her girlfriend, Pomona Sprout, and Minerva was relieved to see Poppy Pomfrey, who had been quite adept at healing ever since they were children.

“Poppy, do you think you can fix this for me? I know we’re not at Hogwarts yet, but I’m sure that if we explain the situation, we can get clearance for you using magic to heal it,” Minerva said, raising the sleeve of her robe to reveal the badly-burned arm which had taken the brunt of Rolanda’s hastily-thrown Flame Spell.

“What did you do that to her for, Ro?” asked Pomona, fending off the other girl’s kisses to gaze at her reproachfully.

“Oh, so you automatically assume that it was me?” Rolanda squeaked incredulously.

“Yes, because you did do it, didn’t you?” Poppy said, waving her wand over Minerva’s arm.

“You bet she did, and, if you get in trouble for underage magic, Ro, you can forget about me helping you out of it,” Minerva said, glaring evilly at her cousin.

Half an hour after this initial trauma, the train was speeding through the countryside on its way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Minerva’s arm was healed and she and Poppy were munching on their mutual favorite snack of Ginger Newts. Pomona and Rolanda, meanwhile, were munching on each other’s lips.

“Honestly, you two are so disgusting. Poppy and I would kick you out of our compartment if I could trust you not to get into trouble, Ro,” Minerva focused her attention on unwrapping a Chocolate Frog in an attempt to avoid their antics.

“You’ve just got your knickers in a bunch because you haven’t been properly snogged since you had to kiss Cousin Rodney under the mistletoe at the Christmas party,” Rolanda threw back at her.

“You’re filthy!” Minerva snapped, throwing the tightly-wrapped Chocolate Frog at Poppy in her frustration. She picked up another Ginger Newt instead.

“Aww, poor Minnie!” Rolanda continued, seeing the flush rise on her cousin’s cheeks, “Why, I bet you’re still a virgin, too!” At this, Minerva choked on her Newt and turned an even more brilliant shade of pink.

“Oh, she is!” There was triumph in Rolanda’s golden eyes, and, though Pomona tried to cajole her girlfriend into leaving the Head Girl alone, she had no luck. “It’s okay, Minnie. You’re cute enough; you’ll find someone. In fact, I bet you ten Sickles that you lose it by the end of term!”

“Rolanda, I swear to Merlin that if you don’t shut up right this minute…” Minerva growled, reaching into her robes to grab her wand. Poppy quickly sprang forward, taking hold of her friend by the wrist.

“Stop it, Rolanda. You really have taken it too far,” she said, knowing full well how much damage Minerva could cause her cousin with simply a jerk of her fingers. Rolanda backed down and, not only did she cease her teasing, but she also stopped snogging Pomona and settled for simply curling up in the other girl’s embrace. In the uncomfortable silence that followed, both Poppy and Pomona fell into a light slumber. Rolanda as well pretended to be asleep, but she watched her cousin through slitted eyes.

Minerva finally got the pesky Chocolate Frog open. After eating it, she studied the card quietly. Her eyes held an expression of delighted surprise. She took one last look at the card before closing her eyes and leaning against the wall to sleep. When she was sure that Minerva had finally dozed off, Rolanda leaned forward and took the card gently from the other girl’s hand.

She was quite surprised to find that Hogwarts’ Transfiguration professor had gotten his own card, but then she remembered the essay that Professor Binns had forced them to read in History class. It had been about Albus Dumbledore and the twelve uses for dragon’s blood. It had also been quite boring, since all that she had been able to think of while reading it was Quidditch. Of course, she thought, Minerva had most likely loved that particular essay, and any and all essays just like it.

Rolanda couldn’t believe that she had never before noticed just how besotted her cousin was with the professor. She had certainly spent enough time watching and looking up to Minerva ever since her first year, when her new step-cousin had taken the feisty Hufflepuff under her wing. She couldn’t say that she quite blamed Minerva for her infatuation, either. True, the man was old, but even Rolanda had to admit that he was quite a dish, and she batted for the other team.

As she placed Dumbledore’s card back into her cousin’s hand, a mischievous plan formed in Rolanda Hooch’s hyperactive little brain.

[gryffindorprincess]

Oh I love it, I can't wait to read more please update soon.

[RonnieLee]

I bite my lip,
Can you send me away?
You touch, I have no choice.
I have to stay.

Early Spring, 1943

“What about him, Minnie? He’s cute, and obviously smart if he’s in Ravenclaw!” Rolanda whispered, pointing to a blond-haired boy who was wearing sapphire robes over his Hogwarts uniform. Minerva rolled her eyes and tapped her cousin lightly with her Beater’s bat.

“He has a girlfriend, Ro; I see them together all the time. Anyway, what’s this obsession you seem to have with getting me romantically involved with someone?” The two had reached the door to the Hufflepuff common room. Although Minerva was a Gryffindor and Poppy a Ravenclaw, the two often came to visit Rolanda and Pomona in their House’s sitting room. The girls had been friends since they were small children, even before Minerva’s father had married Rolanda’s aunt and Pomona and Rolanda had begun dating. Over the past four years, they had become known as the Famous Foursome around school, because they all came from well-known Pureblood families and were always together, usually to the exclusion of everyone else.

“I could give a damn less about getting you ‘romantically involved’,” Rolanda informed Minerva as the two stepped into the room, “I just think you’d be less uptight if you got laid.”

A loud crash echoed through the relatively empty common room, and, when Rolanda turned in its direction, she saw Poppy on the floor, picking up the shards of the teacup that she had dropped. Pomona would have helped her, but she was rooted to the sofa, staring at her girlfriend wide-eyed and gape-mouthed.

“Oh, come off it, Mona, it’s not like you’re some pure-as-snow little maiden, and Poppy, you can drop the airs, too. I saw you making out with Alastor over the Christmas break,” Rolanda rolled her eyes and dropped onto the sofa beside her fellow Hufflepuff. Minerva, who had been glaring at her cousin, promptly flew onto the sofa, nearly knocking Pomona down in an attempt to get at Rolanda. The other girl, however, was wise to both her cousin’s temper and fighting methods, having been subjected to them for five years now. She dove out of the way and ran to the door.

An enraged Minerva quickly followed, and Rolanda slipped through the door and ran down the hall, with her cousin in hot pursuit. Poppy and Pomona, who had been left in the room, turned to look at each other. Both of their eyes lit up as they screamed “Fight!” in unison and ran after their friends. The Foursome ran up and down corridors, all screaming out their different emotions of fear, anger, and excitement at the prospect of one of the cousins’ famous quarrels.

It all came to an end, however, when Rolanda turned a corner and smacked into something hard, yet warm and squishy. She felt arms braced against her shoulders to hold her still, and then she felt something else slam into her back. One by one, the three remaining girls tore around the corner, and crashed into the now-stationary Rolanda. When the youngest girl looked up, the first thing that she saw was a gray-streaked auburn beard and then, when she looked further, her hawk-like yellow eyes were met with twinkling blue ones.

“Ah, Hogwarts’ Famous Foursome!” Professor Dumbledore exclaimed when all of the girls had managed to straighten themselves up, “It’s quite lucky that I literally ran into you, for I was just searching for your leader. Miss McGonagall, would you mind joining me in my office to discuss something? I promise that it won’t take a minute. You’ll be back to your frivolity in no time!”

A blushing Minerva stepped forward from the group and nodded. Before turning to follow the professor down the hall, she gave Rolanda a look that clearly said, “You will be violently and mercilessly dispatched later.”

“You’re a hero, Professor; you saved my cousin from almost certain demise,” she remarked casually as they turned onto the corridor that led to Dumbledore’s personal office.

“Minerva, dear, while I appreciate your respect, how many times must I tell you that you may call me by my given name when we are alone? You are, after all, eighteen years of age and on the cusp of graduation. Such formalities have quite worn themselves out, don't you think?”

“Yes, indeed…Albus.” A tingle of something that was not quite fear but not quite pleasure rose in Minerva’s gut. She tried to push it aside, but the more she endeavored not to think of it, the redder her face got. When he held the door of his office open for her, Dumbledore seemed to notice, and he shocked her by placing his hand to her forehead.

“Are you ill, dear? You’re quite red and very warm.” His voice held concern, but Minerva shook her head.

“I’m fine, Professor. I just chased Rolanda all the way from the Hufflepuff commons. It’s nothing.” She tried to put herself at ease as she ignored the chair in front of Dumbledore’s desk, opting instead to sit on the unoccupied patch of space at the end of his desk as she usually did during their discussions. Sometimes she liked to flatter herself that the Transfiguration professor kept that space clear at all times simply so that she could plant her bottom on it any time that she visited.

“You’ll need to build up your stamina if you wish to join Alastor as an Auror,” Dumbledore commented, settling into his chair on the opposite side of the desk.

“Is that what you wanted to speak to me about?” Minerva asked, attempting to sound flirtatious. Perhaps she was simply a silly little girl, but she knew without a doubt that she fancied the professor, and who knew whether or not she would ever see him again after she graduated? She may as well have some fun with him while she could. Before the thought left her and her courage failed, Minerva re-adjusted herself on the desk, picking up the hem of her robes as she moved and revealing a few inches of creamy leg.

“In a way, yes,” replied Dumbledore, carefully attempting to keep his eyes off of his student’s bared flesh, “I was actually going to ask if you might reconsider your choice of career.”

“Reconsider?” Minerva was taken aback, “For what?”

“My dear, it’s no secret that Headmaster Dippet is getting on in years, and that he has been in poor health on top of it,” Dumbledore began, “I expect that he will leave the school soon and, if anyone deserves the leisure of retirement, then it is certainly him. However, when he steps down, I will, of course, take over his post, and Hogwarts will be in need of a new Transfiguration professor.”

“Well, that’s terrible, but…” Minerva’s breath caught in her throat as she realized that he was asking her if she would consider being his successor, “Me? You think that I should be a teacher?”

“Why not?” Dumbledore asked, vacating his chair to stand in front of her, to look into her eyes, “You are a brilliant student, Minerva, and I've seen the care that you put into helping your friends with their assignments. Besides, your marks in Transfiguration are phoenominal. We are, of course, not supposed to have favorites, but, each time I consider who I would choose to replace me, you are the only candidate that comes to mind.”

“I’m…I’m…your favorite?” she sputtered. Of all of the revelations that he had just made, that was the one that stayed with her. Dumbledore shifted on his feet, obviously uncomfortable with his admission.

“Well…I suppose…that I think more highly of you than the rest of my students…” Minerva had to giggle at the slight flush that was overtaking the normally cool and controlled professor’s cheeks. She found one of his hands with her own and gave it a squeeze. Then, she hopped off of his desk, landing flush against him, their bodies so close that each could feel the heat radiating off of the other.

“I will think about it, Professor, I promise,” Minerva said huskily. She stood on the very tips of her toes so that her lips could reach his cheek. After giving him the smallest of pecks, which nevertheless sent shock waves rippling through his body, Minerva calmly exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her. At once, she took off running down the hall to the Hufflepuff common room, where her friends had undoubtedly returned to congregate. Her heart beat so wildly that it almost outstripped her flying feet.