Chapter 1

Emerald orbs peered out from the main office's window to the vast lush green campus below and Headmistress McGonagall let a smile grace her lips when she spotted a familiar young professor giving a very intense lecture to a third year Slytherin. Any other Headmistress/Headmaster would have gone down to question what all the fuss was about but there was no doubt in her mind that the child most likely spat off some unnecessary derogatory remark pertaining to the Transfiguration Professor's blood status. They always did at one or another point even though the young witch had been here for several months and had made a name for herself as being the 'laid back' one. Nevertheless, Hermione Granger was and never be one to shy away from standing up for herself.

The door to her office clicked opened then shut and Minerva didn't have to turn around to know who it was when a mixture of healing potions and floral perfume hit her sensitive nostrils.

A pair of arms circled around her followed by a warm body pressing into her back. "Ah, I see Professor Granger is giving one of her famous lectures again. Who is it this time?" Poppy questioned, her heated breath hitting Minerva ear in gentle puffs.

"Bianca Whetstone." The Headmistress replied, amusement lacing her voice and behind her, a knowing snort sounded. Both knew that name all too well; for that particular name had dripped from their friend's tongue like acid of lot here lately. The young pureblooded witch had been giving Hermione a Tartarus of a time ever since she arrived at Hogwarts from Germany a month ago.

"You'd think with all those lectures and detentions that Ms. Whetstone would have learned by now."

"Aye, though, I suspect the girl might very well fancy our Hermione."

"Whyever would you suspect that? She has been nothing but horrid little harpy to Hermione for months now."

Minerva's lips tugged upward into a knowing smile. "Exactly." She then turned around to face her wife and her smile widened. Despite the years of double shifts and nonstop patients the other witch aged gracefully into the beauty before Minerva now. Pale skin, clear and nearly wrinkle-less was always so deliciously soft beneath Minerva's fingertips. Long mahogany hair though beginning to grey in places was shiny, healthy and thick. And lastly her eyes blue as the sky above still held that cheeky sparkle from her youth that never failed to melt Minerva's heart of stone.

Minerva watched fondly as Poppy pondered on the tidbit of information for a moment before a smile crept across her face that mirrored Minerva's own. "Oh I see, it's like a boy tugging on a girl's hair then isn't it?"

Minerva hummed in confirmation as she walked over to a not so secret liquor cabinet hidden on the far side of her desk.

"Well, I can not say that I blame the girl. I mean, Hermione is a kind, gentle, beautiful woman after all what daft fool wouldn't fancy her?"

Placing a bottle of fifty-year-old firewhiskey and two tumblers onto a side-table, Minerva let out a small tinkling laugh. "Speaking for yourself, my love?"

The other woman's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Perhaps."

"Tart," Minerva quipped, pouring them two generous helpings of the strong liquor. "As if you could handle such young thing."

Poppy frowned a bit though something glinted across her face. "I don't see why not when I can handle you just fine."

"Oh really." Minerva turned with a tumbler clutched in each hand and rose an eyebrow in challenge. "I seem to recall a certain healer passing out last night midway through a tryst against the wall." She walked over then handed her wife a glass.

Poppy's sky-blue eyes narrowed but the slight tilt of her lips gave away her playfulness. "Yes, well, perhaps the healer was just too exhausted to play with her pussy."

Thin pink lips fell agape. "Patricia Ann Pomfrey!" Minerva admonished. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Whut?" The healer feigned innocence.

"You know very well 'whut', you little imp."

Poppy put a hand over her heart and gasped as if scandalized. "Why, Headmistress McGonagall, what a dirty mind you have."

"Me!?" She walked over and thrust a glass in the other woman's hand. "You're the one with the filthy mind here."

"You know you love it, babe." Poppy gave her a saucy wink over the top of the tumbler held to her lips.

"Oh for the love of-" Minerva rolled her eyes heavenward. "Remind me again why I married you." She said taking a healthy gulp of her drink.

Without missing a beat the cheeky witch replied. "Because I'm a fantastic shag."

Firewhisky went spraying out of Minerva's mouth all over her and the floor. Needless to say in the next few moments Poppy found out just how fast an enraged cat could run.

In the dining hall, Hermione trudged over to the staff table and uncharacteristically plopped down in her usual spot beside Poppy with a groan. "Bloody hell." She said sounding more than a little like a certain Weasley Minerva knew and looked over to the flying instructor. "Ro, please tell me you have a bottle of firewhiskey handy."

"Rough day, Professor Granger?" Minerva questioned her eyes sparkling and lips quirking in amusement.

Hermione darted her gaze over to the Headmistress, face full of ground in agitation. "To say the least, I swear if there ever was a child I've wanted to strangle it would be Bianca Whetstone."

Minerva's mouth dropped open. "Hermione!"

Seeing her mentor's expression, Hermione pinkened with embarrassment and muttered a halfhearted apology.

Poppy snickered as she patted the younger woman's arm. "Oh, don't let Minerva's scandalized look fool you if I recall correctly she said the very same thing a time or two about a one Ms. Pansy Parkinson."

The headmistress darted her eyes away from Hermione over to her wife and glared in a look that screamed 'shut up'.

Hermione chuckled at both the Poppy's comment and Minerva's reaction. They really were silly at times. "Well, I can't say that I blame Minerva one bit I mean you've met that bitch faced troll from hell, haven't you. Circe only knows how she managed to make it through Hogwarts without being murdered in her sleep."

A moment of complete silence passed before peals of laughter broke out across the staff table causing a number of students to look over with faces scrunched in puzzlement.

Once the giggling died down though, Minerva scowled at the lot of them. "That wasn't the least bit funny."

Although directed at them all the sternness in the older woman's voice made Hermione shift eyes downward and blush like a freshly chastised school girl.

It was in that time, however, that Irma of all the people at the table decided to defend the younger woman. "Oh lighten up, Minerva. Hermione didn't say anything that wasn't true."

They all raised their glass in mock salute. "Here! Here!"

Minerva scowl deepened but this time her lips twitched. They were all truly ridiculous. Truly, completely, ridiculous but Godric how she loved them so.

Later on, after all the students were accounted for and were in bed. Minerva trudged into her quarters where her wife was already fixing themselves a couple of tumblers. Upon hearing the door open and close followed by the familiar gait of Minerva's footsteps Poppy turned and smiled at her. "Thank goodness today's Friday eh Minerva."

"Aye, now give me my drink before I wrestle it from you, woman." She walked over and sat reclined against a plush distressed leather couch.

"My such a grouch this evening." Poppy said as she brought her a glass of Scotland's best. "What on earth happened to you between dinner and here?"

Minerva took a long pull of the strong liquor then replied. "Umbridge is what happened."

Poppy scrunched her face in disgust as she plopped down beside the other woman. "That toad is still around? I thought she'd since moved to the muggle world after that horrific centaur incident." She shuddered at the mention of it, having been the head healer at the time she'd seen things that night that could never be unseen.

"I thought she did too but apparently she came back something about tying loose ends or what have you. I don't know, anyways she was in my office hem hemming and droning on and on about changes, rights, and rules when guess who enters my office."

Poppy thought for a moment then smiled. "No."

"Oooh yes." Minerva smiled and eyes twinkled devilishly. "When our Hermione strode through those doors and the two of them locked eyes I swear I thought I was watching one of those muggle nature specials on how a lioness stalks her prey because Hermione looked seconds away from leaping on the wretched woman with claws unsheathed."

"Goodness, how in Godric's name did you defuse that situation?"

"Well, before the toad managed to say something that would've no doubt gotten her killed I hastily interrupted and did what I do best in a situation such as that."

The other witch grinned cheekily and pointed at her. "You lied your arse off, didn't you?"

Instead of scowling at the accusation Minerva merely nodded. "I lied my arse off so now Hermione should be here," She squinted over at the old-fashioned coo-coo clock on the wall. "any moment now for our 'meeting'." Minerva looked back at her wife, face softening a bit. "I hope that's alright."

Poppy snorted and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course it is, plus it will give me a chance to get her side of the story." The healer clapped her hands together in exaggerated excitement earning an eye roll from her wife.

And as if on cue the heavy oak door to Minerva and Poppy's chambers swung open revealing the woman in question with her usual Cheshire grin in place. "Evening ladies, I hope you two have a full bottle ready for me."

TBC...

AN: I know Patricia Ann is not Poppy's name in the book but Poppy just seems like more of a nickname to me. She's not shown that much in the books so it gave me a bit of free range with her character so I modeled her after a very cheeky brit one who we all know and no doubt love I give you a hint: She is such a dame.