With a pop Minerva McGonagall returned to her human form. Stretching out her long back with her customary feline grace, she began to try to work out her stiff muscles. Stretching her long arms over her head, her sensible black robes pulled more tightly to her body, stretching over her long, lean muscles. She was alone in the house and she had been working on a top-secret project, her second animagus transformation. If she managed this transformation, she would be the first witch or wizard in history to have more than one animagi form. She was already most of the way there. She knew that her second form was to be a large, horned grey owl with dark black spectacle markings around his eyes. She had managed the transformation roughly 30 times now, but she was having trouble holding the form for longer than 10 minutes and she had not yet attempted to fly. She was still getting used to having wings.

The project was one of the few things that she was able to keep entirely to herself. Minerva loved the Flammels, but she was a private person by nature, and she was unaccustomed to sharing her work and her life with anyone else. She had felt isolated for most of her life, and she was used to keeping to herself. It was hard to explain to others how you could be a loner and a twin simultaneously. Minerva loved her whole family, particularly Mars, and they were so close that they could communicate silently, but they both required space from one another in order to be seen as individuals, and in order for Mars to be seen as more than just a ladies' man or a reformed juvenile delinquent. So, she had lived alone in London and then in Paris, and now she was living with Nicholas and Pernelle while she was Nicholas' apprentice. She loved living there. The Flammels were so kind, and they spent almost all of their time together as a couple, and Nicholas was so helpful with her work, but her mastership was nearly completeā€¦and she wanted to keep this second transformation to herself, at least until she could work out the kinks.

Minerva was still stretching, trying to work out the knots in her tired muscles, when a knock sounded at the door. Puzzled, Minerva stood upright and grimaced. She'd been looking forward to spending the afternoon alone while Pernelle and Nicholas were out, and to getting in some more work on her second transformation before they returned that evening. A visitor was simply not in the cards. She sighed and walked briskly to the door intending to make quick work of the visitor. As she opened the door, however, a smile lit up her face. Albus Dumbledore was standing on the doorstop with an armful of orchids. The flowers were beautiful, they were magical, they were charmed to shimmer and to change colors every few moments. Minerva stood there gawking at Albus, a smile on her face.

"Are you going to invite me in, Miss McGonagall?" Albus asked with a cheeky grin.

She nodded with a smile and led him inside toward the parlor. "Eloquent today aren't you?" Albus asked seriously.

'Ha! Ha!' Minerva responded sarcastically shoving him playfully, recovering from her shock at seeing Nicholas' friend, a man she had come to trust, standing on the doorstop carrying flowers. "Are those for Pernelle?" Minerva asked as she sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to her and gesturing for Albus to sit down.

"Certainly not, my dear Minerva." Albus said with a flourish, "They're for you."

"What's the occasion?" Minerva asked, accepting the flowers, and pressing her face against the blooms in a decidedly feminine way that sent Albus's blood tingling.

"I published an article today." Albus said with a grin.

Minerva looked up, shocked. "I thought you'd quote "retired from writing?"

"Well, what can I say? Your article got me thinking and made me want to write again."

"My dear, Professor Dumbledore." Minerva said, conjuring a vase, and banishing the flowers to the kitchen, "I think that is the best compliment I've ever been paid."

"I'm glad I could be of use, my dear." Albus said, reaching forward and touching her shoulder. The muscles in her shoulder jerked as his hand made contact with them. "My dear, whatever have you been doing? Your shoulders are so tense!"

Minerva smiled, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

"Is that so? Well then, my dear, I suppose it would be better for you to kill me than my own curiosity."

"True. This would be murder. That would be suicide." She said seriously.

Smiling, Albus gently took her shoulders in his hands and turned her slightly, so she was sitting with her back toward him. "May I assist you?" He asked quietly, his hands hovering just above her shoulders. Minerva nodded. Oh if he only knew the many ways she wanted him to assist her.

As his hands slid gently over her shoulders, rubbing out the knots, the blood began to course through her veins, awakening sensations that she had never felt before. It felt wonderful, but she was terrified at the same time. Shifting slightly, Minerva broke Albus' contact with her shoulders and turned to him, her face flushed, "Lunch?"