(a/n - so new mmad fic! Yay! With Snooch included! Yay! With two such adorable pairings in one fic, I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew! Hopefully it'll be up to scratch... Hopefully...)

Caring Is Sharing Happiness With Others.

Juneau.

The woman looked at the snow below her, glistening and glowing like pearls in the evening sun. It looked so beautiful, in the fading light. The woman continued to gaze at the snow on the floor, as the sun set behind her. It would have made a beautiful picture: a slight figure glowing slightly against a golden sunset with the glittering snow below her. That is, if anyone had been looking.

Meanwhile, inside a picturesque log cabin in the shadows of the clearing, a couple were sat by the fire, whispering to one another as the light slowly dwindled. The firelight danced on their faces, giving them a golden hue, much like that of the woman's outside. The couple were well wrapped up with one another, and one could have seen their love and been instantly caught up in the moment. That is, if anyone had been looking.

By a window in the log cabin, a dark figure sat majestically, blocking all sunlight from entering the room. His face was golden due to all of the light that he was blocking. Not a muscle moved on his figure, as he continued to stare into the ever-approaching night. His skin appeared deathly pale apart from the glow, and the dark clothing he wore gave the room a tranquil, almost soothing atmosphere which would have made most people shiver. That is, if anyone had been looking.

The scene stayed like this for what seemed like hours, until a single sound penetrated through the silent atmosphere. The sound of cheering. People were approaching through the forest on one side of the large log cabin. All of a sudden, the figures in the scene snapped back to life, and the flawless atmosphere that had once been present shattered like a thousand tiny crystals from heaven.

As the party entered the house, they were completely oblivious to the beautiful phenomenon which they had just destroyed. Not that they would ever realise, of course, as nobody would ever tell them. For nobody knew that it had actually taken place. They just believed that they, the staff of Hogwarts, were on holiday together in the capital of Alaska: Juneau. In high spirits since they had nothing to fear anymore, most of them, with the exception of the four figures who stayed, had gone into town to explore and celebrate. They had to be careful, however, as not to stand out, as nobody wanted to confuse the muggles, did they?

The party of adults was of a high number, and it was a wonder that they managed to fit into the log cabin. Granted, it was the largest you could probably find, but still, it surely couldn't hold them all. That it how outward appearances can be deceiving, however, as with a bit of magical adjustment and a few secrets, anything is possible.

You may be curious as to what the secrets were. Well, given the nature that they are secrets, you shouldn't know, but sometimes, exceptions have to be made in order to tell a tale. The secrets of the staff of Hogwarts are very simple. In fact, it is really just one secret, made to adapt a few different people. For unbeknown to the rest of the wizarding world, there were quite a few couples amongst the staff. If you looked hard enough, you could probably see the attraction, and some were much more noticeable than others. And so, these couples shared rooms. There weren't that many couples, just a few, but it helped all the same, as sometimes, you can only magically alter a building, especially one made of wood, so much.

The school holidays were always momentous occasions, as they allowed the staff to be free from pupils for just a little while. Not too long, but long enough that they were able to let themselves go slightly, and do some things which are rather more difficult, when you are surrounded by hundreds of curious children.

The staff holiday also allowed the staff to bond in other ways for a week or two: it allowed them to see each other in a different light; to see each other in ways they may not otherwise have seen each other in.

This is what it was like in Juneau. Well, for some people, at least.

One evening a little while after the scene you have just been a witness to, the very same couple that was mentioned earlier were having another hushed conversation in the corner of the communal living area. If one listened hard enough, you could just capture snippets of it.

"Look at him, Minerva! He is completely spellbound by her, any fool can see that! He has never looked at anybody like that since he was a boy, and even then he wasn't as smitten as he is now! Granted he is much better at hiding his emotions now; nobody really sees, but I've noticed, Minerva, I've noticed. And we can't leave him like that! He's hurting."

"Albus, I know and understand, but we can't just expect this to be easy. Look at us: it took us years to finally notice that we were both attracted to one another enough that we could take it somewhere. What could we honestly do?"

"I don't know, Minerva, my dear, I don't know."

"How about we wait? And then, if we feel they aren't doing anything about something that has a future, we intervene?"

"For now, that plan will have to do, my dear."

And so it was, that for the rest of the staff holiday, nothing was done. Nothing changed, except for one particular couple, who when they weren't occupied with themselves, were observing another two figures, who maybe, one day, could have the same happiness together as them.