Minerva groaned and pulled her sheets over her head to avoid the early morning sunshine. What is not commonly known is that Minerva is not, in fact, an early bird. She preferred nighttime herself, when she was in charge of patrolling the corridors. It was always her alarm, aka Albus, who always tore the curtains open and bounced on their bed in order to wake her up.

"Rise and shine, Minerva!" The springs of the bed creaked and protested at every bounce. Minerva scowled. Merlin, that man was over a century old and yet he's got more energy than the triplets! Sighing in resignation, she began the slow and laborious task of dragging herself out of bed.

"Okay, okay! I'm getting up!" Minerva whined as she attempted to smooth her wild hair. She peered into the dimly-lit wardrobe. Now, which robe should she wear today: the emerald one, the black one, or the deep purple one? Settling on the emerald one, she pulled it over her head and armed with her hairbrush, she tackled her hair, much to Albus' amusement as she pleaded for help.

Meanwhile, two dark figures were sneaking down the hallway, struggling with what seemed like an enormous box. Finally, after many seconds, whispers, and bruised knees, they came to a halt in front of Minerva's door. With a heave, they set the box down silently, avoiding squashing their toes again. The pair tiptoed away, heading towards a dark corner, where they were joined by another and erupted into silent giggles.

Minerva was waiting for her cup of coffee. Coffee played a major role in her life, especially in the mornings, when the bright sunlight pierced her eyes and blinded them. The chatter of the students seemed too loud for her ears, and the last of the sign-effects of what Albus called her "morning sickness" would only fade when the school bell rang for the first lesson.

Humming quietly – for she was in an unusually good mood – Minerva picked up her mug and took a sip. Albus had gone off to the kitchens to ask for a fresh supply of lemon drops. Honestly, how could his teeth stand so much sugar? Sighing at her husband's bad habit, she drained the remains of her coffee and tucked her wand into her sleeve, really for the day. She opened the door – and blinked in surprise.

There was a gigantic box wrapped in bright purple paper patterned with tiny unicorns, topped by a neon yellow bow.

Snapping her gaping mouth shut, Minerva quickly levitated the astonishingly heavy box into her quarters, thankful that the corridor was empty. It wouldn't do if rumors started spreading that she, the stern Transfiguration professor, had received a present from a secret admirer. Little did she know that three students were out in the hallway, staring through the door into the room beyond with the help of a useful little charm.

Minerva eyed the gift warily. Should she open it or not? She didn't even know who gave it to her. Who knows, maybe a prankster sent it to her. Or maybe it was actually Albus who sent it or even a dark wizard. After casting several spells to ensure it wasn't anything dangerous, she decided to open it.

Discarding the decorations, she lifted the lid of the box… and got the shock of her life.

"SURPRISE!" Harry shouted, jumping out of the box. He stopped, however, when he noticed Minerva sitting on the floor clutching her chest, taking deep breaths. This "surprise" was doing wonders for her "morning sickness" – not.

Harry gulped as he gave her a cup of water. Minerva was furious. And when Minerva was furious… let's just say it wasn't pretty.

Fifteen minutes later, "TEN POINTS EACH FROM GRYFFINDOR, RAVENCLAW AND SLYTHERIN! DETENTION WITH FILCH TOMORROW EVENING!"

Minerva's "morning sickness" lasted until three o'clock that afternoon.

Finally, the long awaited Chapter 12! Sorry about waiting so long, but let's just say I have a lot going on. Anyway, please check out the story, Trouble, which I'm currently working on at the account, The Black Triplets. Please, please, please review and NO FLAMERS, please!

Bianca tabbycat