Ceilidh.

Disclaimer: Sadly Minerva, Albus and Hogwarts do not belong to me.

Summary: Minerva introduces the love of her life, Albus, to her family at their yearly Ceilidh dance.

A/N: This is my new chapter story. Many thanks to my beta reader, Ang! I know this plot has been done before a numver of times but I wanted to write my own take on things.The term Ceilidh will be explained in this chapter. Oh and Ceilidh is pronounced Kay-lay! There are some Ceilidh dances mentioned in this chapter and I don't explain what they are but please bare with me because all will be explained in future chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Invitation by Owl

It was a cold and bleak day in October when an owl came bursting through an open window that opened out into the private office belonging to the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall was not surprised at the arrival of the familiar barn owl that belonged to her father. She had been expecting the invitation ever since her cousin had let it slip about the Ceilidh.

Pluto, her father's beloved and most trusted owl, dropped the piece of parchment that bore the McGonagall crest on her lap and then nudged her hand for a treat. Minerva reached over and opened her desk drawer. She pulled out her tin of ginger newts and gave one to Pluto. The owl hooted in thanks and then flew over to perch on the chair nearest the roaring fire so it could dry off.

Minerva opened the letter carefully, even though she already knew what it said. She was still hesitant to open it as it made the situation very real. The familiar deep blue writing she had grown up with, caught her attention on the pale white of the parchment. It was a letter inviting her to the McGonagalls annual Ceilidh. Had it really been a year since Uncle Hamish slipped and broke his hip on some scotch whiskey? Minerva had no idea where the year had gone. The years seemed to pass her by without her really realizing it though this year she hadn't really minded.

Eight months ago, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and her best friend, had come to her rooms in the middle of the night. When she had sleepily opened the door, she had instantly known that he needed to talk but she had not expected the welcoming but surprising revelation he had shared with her. He had declared his love for her in front of a dimly lit fire and asked her if she would consider courting him. He had taken her stunned silence as a bad sign and had risen to leave. He had nearly reached the door when a small voice answered him back and told him that she loved him too.

Since that night, Minerva and Albus' relationship had been progressing along wonderfully. He treated her like a princess and he would always make sure there was a single red rose on her pillow in the morning. They spent all their free time together, playing chess or sharing kisses on the rug in front of the fire in his rooms. They hadn't taken their relationship into the bedroom yet but they had come to the agreement that there was no need to rush and they both wanted it to be special. At times they had wanted to overstep the marks they had set but they held back and changed the subject.

Minerva couldn't help but smile as she ran her fingertips over her father's blue writing. This year it wasn't only Minerva's name on the invitation but also Albus'. She had never taken a man with her to the family's Ceilidh before. She had never felt the need to but this year was different. Her family hadn't met Albus formally yet. They knew him by reputation and had caught a glimpse of him here and there but the party gathering this year would give them the chance to grill him to the point of exhaustion.

Holding a Ceilidh dance at the McGonagall estate was the year's highlight of the lowlands. Not only family members would be invited to the informal Scottish traditional dance party but also close friends. They would have a live band that would consist of fiddles, accordions and the Scottish harp called a Clarsach. There would be laughter and dancing into the wee hours of the morning and then everyone would depart for bed. Minerva had always loved the annual Ceilidh dance when she had been a young girl. She would watch from the sidelines as the older members of her family danced The Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow.

Minerva glanced down at the letter once again and sighed heavily. The Ceilidh was scheduled for two weeks time and on a Saturday night. She wished her father had given her more notice than two weeks. She had to find someone to cover duties for both of them for the night. It wasn't hard to find someone to cover because she had options in Severus Snape and the other heads of houses that would fill in and keep an eye on things. But what if they had arrangements as well? She couldn't expect them to drop their plans so she and Albus could go dancing. She would just have to ask each of them and warn them that both the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress would be away on the same night. She knew questions would be asked and she would have to try and change the subject. The fact that she and Albus were courting wasn't public knowledge because of circumstances beyond their control but she knew there was talk. There had been talk for years now and she simply smiled at it.

The other thing playing on her mind was dancing. She loved Albus dearly but even that didn't make up for the fact that he wasn't the best of dancers. She wasn't much good either but it was something that she had to do and at the Ceilidh, they both had to dance the traditional Scottish dances. Minerva knew them by heart. She had taken weekly lessons when she was growing up but she knew that Albus had no idea what the difference was between the Highland Barn Dance and the Military Two Step. So, Minerva had two weeks to teach a two left footed Albus Dumbledore a handful of traditional Scottish dances and the outcome looked bleak from where she was sitting.

To be continued