New Year Resolutions

This story was written by myself and lady bug21. I thank her for all her work on this story. Plz r&r. no flames plz. Thanks

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. R. does. I also do not own the song From This Moment On. Shania does.

Summery: I got this idea after watching HSM then Harry Potter. So I hope you all enjoy. Ladybug21 wrote the story, I did add in's and the idea. So again r&r. thank you.

No one but Albus would have come up with the idea.

Minerva sighed and looked about the Great Hall. She was on her third glass of fire whisky. It was New Year's Eve, and many of the students had only just returned from the Christmas holidays, but already groups of students were trickling in, chattering and gossiping happily
with one another. Considering that this was technically a school dance,
Minerva was not at all surprised to see that many of the students were
arriving in pairs, shooting furtive glances at each other and grinning in
embarrassment.

The whole matter was, in the Deputy Headmistress's opinion, ridiculous.

The Weird Sisters had been specially hired for the occasion, and after
students and teachers alike had finished all they could eat of the magnificent
feast that had been prepared for them, the students immediately headed for the
dance floor. The Great Hall was soon a whirl of dress robes and laughter, the
music echoing loudly to the enchanted ceiling and, it seemed, to the stars
beyond.

Minerva would have loved nothing better than to have slipped away quietly,
returned to her quarters, and finished what little marking she had left to
do… never mind the fact she was supposed to be monitoring the behavior of
the Hogwarts students to ensure some semblance of order was retained. She
glanced up and down the staff table to see if she could make a safe getaway;
Pomona was nodding off in her chair, Sybil was consuming perhaps a bit too
much cooking sherry, and Poppy was engaged in conversation with Albus.

Albus.

Minerva shook her head, trying to rid herself of the headache that had
suddenly descended upon her. She had just poured her forth glass of whisky. Surely Albus would forgive her absence if she explained to him the next day that she had had a headache? Telling herself that this was a perfectly reasonable explanation, Minerva rose from her chair and began to head towards the exit.

But just as Minerva reached the door, Lee Jordan's voice, magically
magnified to many times its natural volume, blasted through the Great Hall.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, we've all worn
ourselves out dancing to the wild and crazy music of the Weird Sisters…"

The crowd of students began screaming, and Minerva made the mistake of
stopping and covering her ears with her hands, her eyes squeezed shut in
aggravation.

"So, what do you all say, shall we have some of our very own Hogwarts
talents come up on this stage?"

The crowd continued to scream loudly, couples jumping up and down waving
their hands in the air in a desperate attempt to be chosen. Minerva snorted
and had just placed one hand on the door handle of the exit when she found
herself suddenly blinded by a bright light.

"And it looks like our two lucky singers are going to be… Professor
McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore!" roared Lee jubilantly. The students
burst into applause, intermingling their clapping with laughter and
disbelieving whispers.

Minerva sniffed impatiently and pressed down on the door handle, determined
not to take part in any of this madness… but, to her frustration, she found
that the door handle would not turn. Turning around, she glared at Albus, who
had stood to acknowledge the crowd, a bright spotlight casting a long dark
shadow across the back of his chair. To Minerva's exasperation, when the
Headmaster saw the look she was giving him, he only smiled and winked.

Curse him, he must have known I'd try to leave the dance early and put a
locking charm on the door, thought Minerva grumpily. Knowing it would do her
no good to try to avoid the situation; she squared her shoulders and marched
authoritatively to the stage that had been set up along one wall of the Great
Hall.

The Hall waited with baited breath as the Headmaster of Hogwarts climbed the
stairs of the stage and came to stand next to his Deputy Headmistress. He
conjured two microphones out of thin air and handed one to Minerva, who took
it with a very sour expression on her face.

"I hope you know I don't appreciate this, Albus," she muttered out of
the corner of her mouth.

"I am very sorry, Minerva, but you never let yourself have any fun, and I
thought that maybe if I made you stay at this party you might actually relax
for once," replied Dumbledore calmly.

"Relax?" hissed Minerva as the Weird Sisters started up the introduction
to the song. "How in the name of Merlin can you expect me to relax when
I'm about to sing in front of all of my students?! I haven't sung in
front of anyone in years, Albus, I'm going to make an absolute fool of
myself…"

"You won't," said Albus simply. "If I remember correctly, you have a
very nice singing voice."

Minerva sniffed in reply, her left hand clenching into a nervous fist. Then,
suddenly, she felt Albus take her hand and hold it tight with his.

"Just have faith in yourself," he whispered in her ear before the music started.

Minerva was stunned for a moment, and all she could think about was the fact
that Albus's hand was securely gripping hers. Her heart beat a little
faster, and Minerva knew she could not blame it entirely on nerves. A second
before her entrance, she felt Albus give her hand a tiny squeeze, and it was
like a current of warmth had shot up her arm and filled her whole body.
Encouraged, she took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and sang.

Minerva: (I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give anything
and everything and I will always care. Through weakness
and strength, happiness and sorrow, for better, for worse,
I will love you with every beat of my heart.)

From this moment life has begun

Minerva was so worried that Albus would back out of signing. She was just about to get down off of the stage when she herd Albus' voice.

Albus: From this moment you are the one

Minerva: Right beside you

Both: is where I belong
From this moment

Minerva: on

Albus: From this moment I have been blessed

Minerva: I live only for your happiness

Albus: And for your love

Both: I'd give my last breath
From this moment on

Minerva: I give my hand to you with all my heart

Albus: Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start

Both: You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you

Minerva: From this moment

Both: as long as I Live

Minerva: You're the reason I believe in love

Albus: And you're the answer to my prayers from up above

Both: All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on

Minerva: I will love you

Albus: I will love you

Both: as long as I live
From this moment on

When the last chords of the accompaniment had faded away, the Great Hall
erupted into a flurry of cheers and whistles, teachers and students alike
lauding the pair on the stage. Flushed with victory, Minerva grinned
awkwardly at Albus; Albus, who was surveying her not with his usual searching
gaze, but instead with something warmer, something that was almost like
tenderness…

'Thank you,' murmured Minerva, giving Albus's hand a final squeeze.
'I don't think I would have made that first entrance without you.'

A loud bong reverberated suddenly throughout the Great Hall, announcing the
start of the New Year, of a new beginning. The students immediately stopped
cheering to listen to the sound of time passing; but by the time the twelfth
stroke of the clock had sounded, the Great Hall was filled with the tension of
breaths being held, and all eyes were again on the figures on the stage.

Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore, in full view of all of their
colleagues and students, were embracing each other in a passionate kiss.

A few more moments of stunned silence passed before Hagrid suddenly began
clapping again. Glad that the awkwardness had passed, the rest of the staff,
and then all the students began applauding as well, many of the students now
taking the time to give each other their own New Year's kisses.

'Albus,' said Minerva, breaking away with a shy smile, 'I suppose this
will sound foolish, but I have loved you for a long time, and I'm sorry I
never had the courage to tell before.'

Albus merely smiled and kissed her softly on the lips again before offering
her his hand and leading her down off the stage. The crowd of murmuring
students parted before them, and hand in hand they walked to the door, which
now opened easily for them.

The second the door was closed, Minerva giggled. Albus began to laugh too,
and wrapped his arm around her waist. Together, the two began to walk slowly
down the corridor, content just to be alone with each other at last. It
certainly had been a New Year's Eve Minerva would never forget, and she was
sure that the night's memories were far from over.