Minerva Gaia McGonagall quietly allowed her finger to stroke over the ear of the mouse in her hand. She actually thought it to be funny since the fact she could take on the appearance of a gray tabby cat. She sighed, eyes wandering over the old red dress with white dots and matching bow between the doll's ears. She personally had never actually thought the colorful yellow shoes to fit well, nor the pair of white gloves covering the mouse's hands. It did look strangely unordinary into the middle of her otherwise very mature rooms. She let go of the doll, letting it balance on her knee, while letting her mind wander far into the past…to somewhere in the late twenties, when she had been a child, too.

Little Minerva's eyes widened as her father, Gideon McGonagall, made little colorful butterflies appear before her into mid-air, easily letting them materialize from the tip of the wand in his right hand, while making sure his daughter couldn't fall from his knee with the other, as he half squatted into the garden that stretched from their home until- until the horizon if one couldn't know any better. Minerva usually mentioned it that way.

Her emerald green eyes focused on the butterflies, and suddenly their size considerably enhanced until having become twice as large with childish wand-less magic. Little Minerva shrieked with laughter upon seeing this, then pouted as her Daddy made the butterflies disappear with one swipe of his wand. He quietly got up with her in his arms, carrying her to their home. Dawn wasn't going to be home before their daughter's bedtime. It happened more often lately that he would have to tuck her in alone, and she would come home only hours after that. Thank goodness not both had pursued their career as an Auror after having gotten married. No one would have been there for their daughter anymore; their only, little McGonagall.

Gideon slowly tucked the sheets tighter around the toddler's body, making sure she wouldn't be getting cold at night. Often enough little Minerva would urge him to tell stories, or maybe read from the heavy fairytale book that lay upon the table beside her bed. Tonight she, however, was too tired for anything like that.

Little Minerva momentarily smiled, as her father thoughtfully took her beloved mouse doll from the foot of the bed, to where she had most likely kicked it the night before, and handed it to her. She couldn't ever sleep without that doll, no matter how tired she actually was. She yawned, holding onto the doll with both of her hands, and letting her eyes fall shut.

"My Minnie," Gideon whispered, before leaving her bedside and turning off the light into her bedroom, so that his angel could rest peacefully.