Minerva allowed a self-satisfied smirk to play upon her face as she watched
Severus stalk away. It felt good to deliberately anger him. She leaned on
her walking stick and felt she was home at last. She smiled and made her
way up the stairs, albeit very slowly. Pausing, she decided to prolong her
visit to the headmaster's office. She instead turned and walked down the
corridor to the hospital wing. Opening the door she found Hermione Granger
sitting up in her bed reading The Daily Prophet. To her left Ginny Weasley
sat in a chair beside Ron's bed, both immersed in a game of wizards chess
while Neville Longbottom looked on, happily eating a cauldron cake. Luna
Lovegood, however, was focused on her issue of The Quibbler and was
oblivious to what was going on around her. None of them had yet noticed her
arrival.
"Anything noteworthy in today's issue, Miss Granger?" Minerva asked, walking slowly over to the group. "Just pages and pages of what should have been old news." Hermione replied, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I didn't think you'd be back from St. Mungo's this early." She added, not bothering to hide a happy smile. Minerva felt that not unfamiliar maternal twinge. "I may not be young anymore, but I'll certainly not be kept from my duties here," she remarked and turned to face the others, "and I especially wanted to be here to say that what you all attempted was extremely foolish." At this Hermione averted her gaze down at the newspaper in her hand. "Though, I'm very proud of your bravery. Through your efforts that newspaper of yours Miss Granger would not be so informative. Well done." Minerva said in a softer voice, at which Hermione glanced up apparently surprised at such high praise. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things that I must attend to. Good day." She told them and as she turned to leave they each said "good day professor," in unison. She gave them a small smile before she left.
Now she knew she must make her appearance at the headmaster's office. To her surprise she found she did not wish to prolong the visit. Minerva sighed happily and began the walk to that familiar stone gargoyle. "Fizzing Whizzbee." She stated clearly, stepping inside when it sprang to life. She was borne quietly to the door of Dumbledore's office, but before she could even knock the door was thrown open. "Ah, Minerva! Do come in. I was expecting you." Albus welcomed, his lips forming a warm smile. She resisted the impulse to ask him why he'd been expecting her, as she had been released from St. Mungo's earlier than had been intended. She'd convinced them they had more to deal with than one fiery Scotswoman bent on returning to Hogwarts.
Albus moved aside to let her enter and immediately conjured two goblets of pumpkin juice on his desk. He held out a goblet for her, which she took gratefully realizing for the first time she was thirsty. "I must say that I am very glad to see you back. Hogwarts just isn't the same without you." Minerva spoke after taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. He smiled again and stepped closer to her. "Something I was going to say about you, Minerva." Albus said softly, turning away for a moment. "Four stunning spells on you in the dark. I never dreamed Dolores or the others would do such a thing." He told her, his voice betraying a trace of pain and guilt. "Albus don't blame yourself. I'm here and aside from needing this walking stick I'm perfectly fine." She assured him, hardly believing her gracious attitude towards those she'd no sooner wish to hex. Truth was she'd rather be gracious to them than to see Albus in any kind of pain.
He turned to face her again, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "I have to admit I was quite heartened to see you giving the St. Mungo's healers such a hard time. Truth was that I rested easier when I saw you well and itching to return. Though that first night when they brought you in, that was probably the longest night I can remember." He whispered, his hand on her arm. "You visited me there?" Minerva asked surprised. "Why yes. Each day that you were there, I visited you. Didn't you ever wonder how those tartan socks appeared on your pillow each morning?" Albus answered her with a question of his own.
Now that she thought of it, she did wonder how those socks had appeared each day. She'd known they'd been from him, who else had a curious delight in socks of any kind? Though it hadn't occurred to her that he'd been there in person to place them on her pillow each morning. She suddenly felt herself blush at the thought that he had been there while she'd been asleep, possibly even watching her in her sleep. Minerva glanced up at him, to his eyes behind those loved and familiar half moon spectacles. She decided not to ask how he'd been there with no one the wiser. He had his secrets and she'd not try and unravel them. That was after all part of the reason she loved him, for his secrets and mystery. Instead she leaned into him for a moment, savoring the feel of his velvet robes on her skin.
"Only you would give me socks." She whispered, moving away from him to sip the rest of the pumpkin juice from her goblet. "You think I wasn't going to return the gesture? As I recall you've been knitting socks for me ever since your seventh year here. I seem to remember a particularly beautiful pair with Lemon Drops on them, given to me beneath the mistletoe." Albus reminisced jovially. Minerva blushed, ducking her head and looking very young. "I never could understand why you liked those muggle sweets so." She retorted, feeling distinctly warm as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "And I could never understand why you pretend to be exasperated with me." He laughed, his warm breath fanning her neck. "Well truthfully you do exasperate me, but it's part of your charm." She explained, and couldn't help laughing herself.
Albus suddenly released her from his arms, turning her around slowly to face him. "You have such a musical laugh. You should do that more often." He told her, as they gazed intently at each other. "I keep it rare and special for you, just like my smiles," and here she rewarded him with such a dazzling smile that wasn't seen since her youth.
"Anything noteworthy in today's issue, Miss Granger?" Minerva asked, walking slowly over to the group. "Just pages and pages of what should have been old news." Hermione replied, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I didn't think you'd be back from St. Mungo's this early." She added, not bothering to hide a happy smile. Minerva felt that not unfamiliar maternal twinge. "I may not be young anymore, but I'll certainly not be kept from my duties here," she remarked and turned to face the others, "and I especially wanted to be here to say that what you all attempted was extremely foolish." At this Hermione averted her gaze down at the newspaper in her hand. "Though, I'm very proud of your bravery. Through your efforts that newspaper of yours Miss Granger would not be so informative. Well done." Minerva said in a softer voice, at which Hermione glanced up apparently surprised at such high praise. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things that I must attend to. Good day." She told them and as she turned to leave they each said "good day professor," in unison. She gave them a small smile before she left.
Now she knew she must make her appearance at the headmaster's office. To her surprise she found she did not wish to prolong the visit. Minerva sighed happily and began the walk to that familiar stone gargoyle. "Fizzing Whizzbee." She stated clearly, stepping inside when it sprang to life. She was borne quietly to the door of Dumbledore's office, but before she could even knock the door was thrown open. "Ah, Minerva! Do come in. I was expecting you." Albus welcomed, his lips forming a warm smile. She resisted the impulse to ask him why he'd been expecting her, as she had been released from St. Mungo's earlier than had been intended. She'd convinced them they had more to deal with than one fiery Scotswoman bent on returning to Hogwarts.
Albus moved aside to let her enter and immediately conjured two goblets of pumpkin juice on his desk. He held out a goblet for her, which she took gratefully realizing for the first time she was thirsty. "I must say that I am very glad to see you back. Hogwarts just isn't the same without you." Minerva spoke after taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. He smiled again and stepped closer to her. "Something I was going to say about you, Minerva." Albus said softly, turning away for a moment. "Four stunning spells on you in the dark. I never dreamed Dolores or the others would do such a thing." He told her, his voice betraying a trace of pain and guilt. "Albus don't blame yourself. I'm here and aside from needing this walking stick I'm perfectly fine." She assured him, hardly believing her gracious attitude towards those she'd no sooner wish to hex. Truth was she'd rather be gracious to them than to see Albus in any kind of pain.
He turned to face her again, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "I have to admit I was quite heartened to see you giving the St. Mungo's healers such a hard time. Truth was that I rested easier when I saw you well and itching to return. Though that first night when they brought you in, that was probably the longest night I can remember." He whispered, his hand on her arm. "You visited me there?" Minerva asked surprised. "Why yes. Each day that you were there, I visited you. Didn't you ever wonder how those tartan socks appeared on your pillow each morning?" Albus answered her with a question of his own.
Now that she thought of it, she did wonder how those socks had appeared each day. She'd known they'd been from him, who else had a curious delight in socks of any kind? Though it hadn't occurred to her that he'd been there in person to place them on her pillow each morning. She suddenly felt herself blush at the thought that he had been there while she'd been asleep, possibly even watching her in her sleep. Minerva glanced up at him, to his eyes behind those loved and familiar half moon spectacles. She decided not to ask how he'd been there with no one the wiser. He had his secrets and she'd not try and unravel them. That was after all part of the reason she loved him, for his secrets and mystery. Instead she leaned into him for a moment, savoring the feel of his velvet robes on her skin.
"Only you would give me socks." She whispered, moving away from him to sip the rest of the pumpkin juice from her goblet. "You think I wasn't going to return the gesture? As I recall you've been knitting socks for me ever since your seventh year here. I seem to remember a particularly beautiful pair with Lemon Drops on them, given to me beneath the mistletoe." Albus reminisced jovially. Minerva blushed, ducking her head and looking very young. "I never could understand why you liked those muggle sweets so." She retorted, feeling distinctly warm as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "And I could never understand why you pretend to be exasperated with me." He laughed, his warm breath fanning her neck. "Well truthfully you do exasperate me, but it's part of your charm." She explained, and couldn't help laughing herself.
Albus suddenly released her from his arms, turning her around slowly to face him. "You have such a musical laugh. You should do that more often." He told her, as they gazed intently at each other. "I keep it rare and special for you, just like my smiles," and here she rewarded him with such a dazzling smile that wasn't seen since her youth.