Socks

I think this is my first MMAD one-shot, but I'm not positive. It was one of the first, though.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP

Rolanda Hooch entered the staffroom to find it empty except for the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He was sitting in an armchair with his feet propped up on an ottoman, reading some letters from the Ministry. But that's not what grabbed her attention about him; it was his socks. His robes fell short of his shoeless feet, allowing her to see them. One of them was neon pink, and the other was white with giant midnight blue dots on it.

"Headmaster?" said Rolanda, getting his attention. He looked up and smiled at her, and she continued, "Why are you wearing such strange socks?"

Without even looking at them, he chuckled, "I was told by the woman I love that they looked funny, and I love to see her smile."

Woman he loved? Minerva will be crushed, thought Rolanda. She was determined not to tell her friend that someone else stole the heart of the man she loved. Albus sighed and got up, "I must send my reply to the Minister. Have a good day, Rolanda."

With that, he swept out of the room. A minute later, Minerva walked in, looking slightly amused. She sat in the chair that Albus had previously occupied and set the books she was carrying on the table nearby. She didn't touch them, however. She looked at Rolanda and said, "Albus is very confusing."

"Why is that?" Rolanda said while trying not to sound devastated for her friend.

Minerva hadn't noticed, "His socks. Why does he wear such strange socks? Yesterday there were candies on one yellow one, and moving monkeys on the other against green!"

Rolanda didn't look at her friend; what was the chance she'd ask this question right after Rolanda learned the answer? Minerva, who had watched her friend this time, frowned, "What's wrong?"

Rolanda shook her head, "It's nothing."

Minerva wasn't convinced, "You were never a good liar, Rolanda. What's on your mind?"

"I know the answer to your question," she answered.

"'What's on your mind?' Of course you do," Minerva replied, confused.

"No, the one about the socks," Rolanda said.

"Oh," Minerva said. "Well, what is it?"

Rolanda looked took a deep breath and bit her lip. She glanced up at her friend, and quickly answered in one breath, "."

"I did not catch a word of that," Minerva said with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't shoot the messenger," she mumbled so Minerva couldn't hear, and then replied in a normal voice, "Because the woman he loves said they looked funny and he loves to see her smile."

To Rolanda, Minerva looked devastated. But that's not quite how Minerva felt. She was shocked, instead, "The woman he loves?"

"I'm sorry Minerva," Rolanda said.

"I – I'll see you later," she said, leaving the staffroom without her books.

Minerva headed to the Owlery, since that's where Albus had told her he was going. When she got there, however, he was gone. She turned around and went to his office, hoping to find him there. She was coming out of her shock and was now thinking about what she was going to say to him.

She told the gargoyle the password and it hopped aside, revealing the revolving staircase. When she got to the top, she knocked, telling him she was there, and entered. He was looking up from his desk at the door, and that was when Minerva realized she still didn't know what she was going to say.

It must have shown on her face because Albus got up from his chair and strode over to her, a concerned look on his face, "Minerva, is everything alright?"

He was awfully close to her, and Minerva realized what she was going to do. She smiled as she closed the distance between them and reached up to kiss him chastely on the lips. When she pulled away, it was Albus's turn to be shocked, "The man I love wears strange socks because I told him they looked funny," she murmured with a small smile.

Albus blinked in surprise, but then he realized how she must've found out. "So Rolanda told you what I said about the socks, did she now?" he questioned, a smile spreading onto his face.

"I believe I left her with the impression I was devastated, because she apologized," Minerva replied, grinning.

"Well, I don't want you devastated," Albus smiled, an extra twinkle in his eye as he rested his forehead against hers.

"It is not a very happy feeling, I'm told," Minerva informed him.

Albus smiled and kissed her. This time, it was no chaste kiss. It was passionate and full of years of longing, years of love. Minerva had her arms wrapped around Albus's neck, her fingers tangled in his auburn hair. Albus had his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, looking as if he never wanted to let go.

When they broke apart to breathe, Albus chuckled, his arms still around Minerva's waist. Minerva smiled at him, "What's so funny?"

"How we got together," he answered.

"Oh?"

"Socks."

Just to tease Rolanda, who conveniently sat next to Minerva when in the Great Hall, Minerva decided to keep up the devastated charade. Albus played along as if Minerva never came to him after she found out. Rolanda was presently glancing nervously at Minerva as they ate.

"Minerva, why are you still upset?" she finally said. Albus looked over 'curiously'.

"Socks," she answered gloomily. Albus had to discretely look away to cover his laughter.

"It's not my fault, you know," Rolanda said.

Minerva sighed, "I suppose not. I wonder who she is."

Rolanda didn't know, so she replied instead in an attempt to assuage her friend's depression, "There are other fish in the sea."

Minerva turned to Albus, "Describe the woman you love."

Albus 'choked' on his drink. Rolanda gawped at Minerva; she knew her friend was courageous, but this was ridiculous. Albus answered, "Er – well, she – she's beautiful, and intelligent. She's very brave, shockingly brave. She is quite stubborn though." – Minerva rolled her eyes here – "She's humble too; she doesn't think she's very powerful, but she is." Minerva frowned, "She's fond of my socks, too. She doesn't smile as often as she should," Rolanda had decided to take a bite of her food as Albus gave his speech; "She's a great kisser, too." Rolanda spit her food out onto her plate.

"What did you just say?" Rolanda said.

"He said the woman he loves is a great kisser," Minerva said. If Rolanda had looked at her friend at that moment, she would've seen her blushing.

Rolanda didn't understand the calm tone in her friend's voice. Maybe she was getting over her sadness? Whatever the reason, Rolanda decided to ask another question, "Well, apparently you and this woman are involved if you know how great a kisser she is. What's her name if she features such a prominent part in your life?"

Nothing he could say would shock me, thought Rolanda. She decided that because of this, it was safe to continued eating as she listened. Albus grinned broadly and Minerva watched for Rolanda's reaction, "Minerva McGonagall."

Rolanda started choking on her food. She managed to stop without help and exclaimed, "What?"

"I wondered if you would get it before he had to answer that," Minerva said, amused.

"How long?" she asked.

"I didn't know until you told me that the woman he loved thought his socks were funny. I told him that," Minerva said.

"So what did you do? Wait, I know that answer. You already told me," Rolanda said, making a face.

"Thank you for telling her, Rolanda," Albus said, smiling. He squeezed Minerva's hand under the table.

"Anytime," Rolanda said weakly; she was still shocked. This all started, thought Rolanda, because I just had to ask the Headmaster about his socks.