Picture Perfect

By: Griselda La Fey

griseldalafey@hotmail.com

 

Pairing: AD/MM

Rating:  PG

Summary: Ron accidentily let something slip. How will this effect the relationship between the Headmaster and his deputy?

 

Chapter 1:

A Slip of the Tongue

 

Minerva McGonagall looked around the packed room. It was a busy evening in Grimmauld Place. There had been an meeting just before dinner and the members of the Order where talking softly to each other, making sure Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione couldn’t hear them.

 

Not that they tried to eavesdrop. They where being entertained by Mundungus Fletcher, who told them a no doubt amusing story about the time he was chased by a entire army of goblins (probably three or four, she corrected dryly) She noticed Molly was looking at them with clear disapproval in her eyes.

 

The meeting had gone well tonight, Minerva thought, the Order was much better prepared then the previous time. Albus felt confident that they where able to beat Voldemort.

 

Albus…, she caught him sitting by the fire, with Lupin, Sirius and Moody. He was looking relaxed, sparkling lights dancing in his eyes. Only she knew better. True, he enjoyed being here, surrounded by people he cared for and trusted, but deeper down, she knew how troubled he was.

 

Over the past month they had spent many nights by the fire, talking about the events that had happened in June. He was so shocked when he learned what had happened to Harry after he’d touched the Portkey. He cares more about that boy then he realises, she mussed. It was his great strength, but it could also became his greatest weakness.

 

She had listen to him, trying to ease his mind and comfort him. She felt grateful for the friendship that they shared. For the fact that he trusted her, for being able to be there for him, as he was always there whenever she needed him.

 

Their friendship was the most important thing in her life…, suddenly her face saddened, and it was all she would ever have.

 

‘Coffee!’, Molly announced, ‘gather around’. Pushing away her sad thoughts, Minerva picked up her chair and sat down next to Arthur Weasley.

 

‘I’m glad you stayed tonight, Minerva’, he said warmly to her. She smiled back. She had always had a soft spot for this kind, good-natured man. After the meeting she had wanted to go home, but both Arthur and Molly had convinced her to stay for dinner.

 

While Molly was handing out cups,  and being ‘helped’ by Tonks, Mad- Eye Moody sat down on her other side. When he sat down a small, but thick, brown- leathered book felt out of his pocket.

 

‘What’s that, Professor?’ Ginny asked curiously. ‘It’s a photo album’, Moody answered. ‘Come and see’.

 

Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry came and stand behind him. Moody opened the photoalbum. Interested, Minerva watched too. ‘This is me at my graduation from Hogwarts’, he told. The picture showed a broad boy with black hair and an alert expression on his face.

 

‘Who’s that?’ Ron asked, pointing at a blond, smudge looking boy standing next to him. ‘That’s Cornelius Fudge, Moody growled, ‘brainless git’, he added in a low whisper.

 

They continued watching photo’s of weddings, meetings and other occasions. Moody turned out to be a very capable story teller and soon everyone in the room was listening closely.

 

When Moody turned over one of the last pages, Minerva gasped. ‘Oh Alastor, I didn’t know that photo still existed’. The photo showed two people, standing closely together. A man and a woman. The man had bright blue eyes and auburn hair and beard. He was very tall.

 

The woman next to him was almost a head shorter. She had clear, green eyes and thick raven- black hair that felt on her shoulders. Both of them were smiling.

 

‘That’s Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall’, Moody told the four friends, ‘just after they had defeated Grindlewald’.

 

‘You have fought against Grindlewald?’ Hermione asked impressed. But before Minerva could come up with an answer Ron, who had been watching the photo intensely blurted out: ‘Wow Professor, you were bloody gorgeous!’.

 

For one moment there was a stunned silence, then the room exploded with laughter. Fred and George were roaring, while Bill snorted: ‘Ron found a way to get himself an O.W.L.’.  Hermione and Ginny were almost crying, holding on to each other for support.

 

Ron had turned so red, it made his hair look pale. He looked around him desperately for help. Which didn’t come. To make things worse, he noticed that Professor McGonagall looked as crimson as he did.

 

‘It looks like their holding a little blushing competition’, Remus whispered to Sirius.

 

The only one who wasn’t laughing was Dumbledore, but he gazed at the scene in front him with a wide smile on his face, his eyes shining with barely contempt laughter. When the laugher had finally died away, he said in his own calm way: ‘but of course Mr. Weasley is completely right, Minerva is an absolutely gorgeous woman!’.

 

‘and I think Minerva has won’, Sirus grinned back.

 

                                                    *****

 

Minerva made her way to her private chambers at Hogwarts. Her face still felt hot. How dare he say that to her, in front of everyone. Stupid Weasley and his big mouth. She entered her room and caught a glance of herself in the mirror. ‘Stop acting like a teenager’, she scold at herself.

 

‘They are right, you know’, the mirror called back.

 

‘SHUT UP!’ Why did she ever bought a talking mirror? Why?

 

She entered her bedroom and noticed how cold it was there. Looking for her wand in the pocket of her cloak,  she felt her hand brush against a sheet of paper. She took it out. It was the photo of Albus and herself. She turned the photo, on the back was written:

 

I thought you might like to keep this.

                                   Alastor

 

She smiled and conjured a beautiful photo frame. Carefully she put the photo in and placed it on her bed stand.

 

 

Chapter 2:

That Dangerous Game

 

Minerva McGonagall woke up the next morning, feeling a little foggy. Dreams, mostly involving a certain Head Master, had been plaguing her sleep all night. Looking around her, her eye felt on the photo frame and the memories of the previous evening rushed back to her.

 

And so did the anger.

 

‘How dare he!’ she muttered, while rubbing the sleep from her eyes and getting up. ‘I’ve never been so embarrassed before in my life’.

 

‘This was even worse than that time I got tipsy during Christmas dinner and let Hagrid kiss me’, she added warily as an afterthought.

 

While getting dressed she continued thundering under her breath. Making a mental note to scare the entire Order (in particularly the Weasley- twins) into keeping their mouth shut about the events of the previous night, she made her way to the Dinner Hall. This small dining room was used for breakfast during the summer, being more comfortable then the Great Hall.

 

She had just left the Gryfindor Tower when she bumped into the last person she wanted to see at that moment.

 

“Good morning Professor McGonagall”, Albus Dumbledore said pleasantly, walking up beside her.

 

“Good morning, Head Master”, she answered curtly, not looking at him.

 

‘Oh boy, I’m in trouble’, Albus thought worried. A bit more tentatively he asked, “Did you sleep well tonight”.

 

“Splendid, as always”, she answered in that same, brisk voice she usually saved for students, “thank you very much for your kind interest. I trust your sleep was refreshing as well?”

 

“Yes, very”, he replied unable to fight the smile from his face.

 

Even though she was looking firmly at the wall, she could feel him grinning. ‘Damn the man’, she thought angrily, ‘why is he having this effect on me?’

 

The walked in silence for a while. Then Albus said conversationally, “I am glad to see you’ve regained your usual colour”.

 

That did it. Whirling around, she looked at him furiously. “How could you say that?” she spat at him. “How could you humiliate me like that? By saying…”

 

He didn’t reply. He didn’t even look taken aback by her outburst. He simply watched her,  his eyes twinkling and a smile on his face.

 

“What were you thinking, Albus”, she continued, “where was your sense?”

 

“My dear Minerva”, he replied easily, “I’ve always believed that telling people the truth is very sensible thing to do”.

 

Her eyes widened. “How… what…”, she began to stammer, “How do you mean… what is…” She hated losing control like this.

 

“Yes?” he asked, clearly amused.

 

Minerva held her hands up and shook her head. “Never mind. Just forget it, all of it”.

 

Denial.

 

The word suddenly hit him like a brick. They had known each other for sixty years, and they still denied their feelings for each other. At least he did. ‘Well not anymore’, he decided, he was trough with denial.

 

Closing some of the distance between then he spoke softly, “How about a game of chess in my office tonight? So we can talk about this?”

 

With her last bit of control and dignity she looked him straight in the eyes. “We have nothing to talk about, Albus”.

 

Next thing she know he had grasped her shoulders and pulled her against him. He lowered his head and kissed her full on her mouth. Before she could even register what happened or respond in any way, he pulled back.

 

“Now we have”, he replied, his face mere inches from hers. “see you at seven”.

 

He turned away and left, leaving Minerva McGonagall completely and utterly bewildered for maybe the first time in her life.

 

Slowly she made her way to breakfast. ‘That did not just happen’, hammered her mind. ‘It’s impossible. Albus Dumbledore did not just back me up against the wall and kiss me!’

 

Carefully she touched her lips en then realised that he just very much did so.

 

When she entered the dining room she saw to her relief that both seats next to Albus were already taken. ‘Thank you for free seats during the summer’, she thought while sitting down on the opposite.

 

Her relief didn’t last for long. Every single, bloody time she looked up she saw Albus watching her with a strange, almost teasing expression in his eyes. She felt the colour rise to her cheeks and found it suddenly very hard to swallow.

 

She glared at Albus, trying to make him stop staring at her, but he merely smiled and continued watching. By the time breakfast was over, her hands were trembling.

 

She tried to keep herself busy that morning by reorganising her classroom. But she simply couldn’t concentrate. Images of the event of last night and this morning kept flashing through her mind.

 

Lunch time came and passed and again Albus stared at her without looking away once, causing her to stammer and drop her fork. Finally it was over and she locked herself in her study, breathing deeply.

 

What in Merlin’s name was he doing? She coloured even deeper when she recalled the curious stares she received from her colleagues. She tried to organise her thoughts. She wanted this to happen. She wanted their friendship to change in something… more. So why was she upset?

 

‘Because you’re not in control’, a little voice told her. ‘You hate being out of control and he knows it’.  She spend the rest of the afternoon mentally preparing herself for dinner.

 

Which turned out to be sheer torture.

 

The moment she entered the room he locked his eyes on her and stared… and stared… and stared some more. The other teachers, realising something was going on, were unusually quiet, which only increased the tension in the room.

 

By the time dinner ended, Minerva was a nervous wreck. When dessert was finally over, she dashed out of the room to her own quarters.

 

‘I’ll kill him!’ she thought beyond herself with fury. “I will actually kill him!’ If he plans on keeping this Sphinx- game up all night he will be very dead for sure”.

 

She dressed carefully. Not to formal, but certainly not to casual. Hair up for one thing. With her stomach tight into a knot, she walked to Albus’ office.

 

At the door she hesitated for one moment, ‘here it goes’, and then knocked on the door…

 

 

Chapter 3:

Two Can Play That Game

 

When she heard him call out ‘come in’, she carefully pushed the door open and walked in. Albus stood by the fire, wearing light cotton, summer robes in a deep, purple colour. “Hello Minerva, I’m so glad you’re here”, he said smiling. “Would you like some tea?”

 

“Yes, please”, she answered nervously. Carefully she sat down on a chair by the fire, watching as he busied himself with the teapot and cups.

 

Meanwhile Albus was chatting merrily. “I love those holidays, don’t you? The castle is all quiet and peaceful, no students around to cause havoc. It gives you time to get some things done you’ve wanted to do all year, but never found the time for.

I’ve cleaned out my desk today, it’s amazing how much mess a person can collect during the year”.

 

Without stopping one moment he handed her a steaming teacup and a biscuit. Minerva stared at him in horror. ‘You can’t do this to me’, she thought franticly, ‘you can’t just drive me almost insane first and then fall back in the ‘best friend- routine’ again.

 

Albus sat down too and the both of them drank their tea and chatted about trivial matters, both trying to pretend nothing was going on.

 

He felt slightly nervous. Teasing her like this had been enormous fun. The most fun he had in moths actually. And then there was that kiss… That amazing, breathtaking, much too short kiss… All he wanted now was to take her in his arms and finish that kiss. But first he had to know how she felt about him. He still wasn’t completely sure.

 

The tension between them build. They both wanted to talk about it, but couldn’t found the words to bring the subject up. Finally Minerva had enough. If she sat here for one more minute avoiding eye contact she was going to scream. And she highly doubted that would help the matter. “How about that game of chess?” she asked rising to her feet.

 

Albus rose too and for a moment she caught his eye, but he looked away quickly, turning around to clean away the teacups.

 

And suddenly realisation dawned on her. He was nervous! Albus Dumbledore was actually nervous around her. The knot in her stomach magically disappeared and she felt the tension being lifted from her. It was time for some serious payback.

 

They both sat down at the chess table and the game began. Albus found it very hard to concentrate. Somehow she seemed to be much closer then normally when they were playing chess. He could actually smell her perfume.

And she was smiling. That was very unusual. Minerva never smiled while she was playing chess. She was always fully concentrated on the board in front of her, too caught up in the game to notice anything else. But now there was a constant smile playing around her lips which widened every time she glanced at him.

 

He almost jolted out of his chair when he felt her leg brush against his. She didn’t seem to notice anything and moved her bishop to take one of his pawns.

 

He cleared his throat before he spoke. “Would you like some more tea?”

 

His heart skipped a beat when she used the full force of her smile on him. “That would be lovely”.

He practically dashed back to the fireplace to make some tea.

 

As soon as he’d turned his back to her, Minerva’s smile grew evil. It was working! It was working beyond her expectations. She decided it was time for plan B. She reached to her hair and removed a few of the pins from her bun. Hastily she stuffed them in the pocket of her robes. Soon she felt her hair come down.

 

Albus turned around holding two cups in his hands. He looked at her in surprise. “Minerva, your hair…”, he began.

 

Minerva reached to her hair and removed the remaining pins. “Oh dear”, she said innocently, “this happens every time I use those pins. They’re just no good”. She shook her head and her hair flew around her shoulders to her waist.

 

“Do you mind if I wear it down tonight?” she asked Albus sweetly. “I really don’t feel like pinning it up all over again”.

 

Albus swallowed hard, nearly dropping the cups. ‘She looks so different now’, he thought, ‘so beautiful…’ Suddenly he became aware that he was staring at her like an idiot. Quickly recovering his senses he handed her a cup.

 

“No of course not”, he replied, wondering how her hair would feel between his fingers. “It looks wonderful”.

 

She blushed slightly, but smiled nevertheless. “Thank you”.

 

They continued their game of chess. More or less. Albus found he couldn’t concentrate at all anymore.

Ten minutes later he had lost spectacularly. He didn’t really mind.

 

Minerva insisted on clearing away the chess pieces. Albus moved back to his chair by the fire. Subconsciously he rubbed his neck. ‘What the hell had happened? At what point had he lost control of this little game and had Minerva taken the lead?

 

“Does your shoulder hurt?” Minerva asked softly from the table.

 

“Just sore muscles”, he answered, “I think I’ve slept in a wrong position or something”.  Suddenly she was behind him and he felt her hands on his shoulders. Slowly she began to knead the tense muscles.

 

For a second, neither of them spoke, then Albus let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. “What are you doing?”.

 

Minerva continued to massage him, a little firmer now. “Did you know Professor Dumbledore”, she said teasingly, “that you have knots in your shoulders instead of muscles?”. 

 

Albus chuckled. Thankful for the thin summer robes, he began to relax under her touch. “That feels good”, he said after a while. “where did you learn this?”

 

Minerva merely grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”.

She was lying if she said that this wasn’t having any effect on her. They were so close. She felt the heat of his skin through the material of his robes, how the knots eased away under her fingers. Gradually she moved her hands from his shoulders to the back of his neck.

 

Albus fought hard to control himself. She was too close. Way too close. He could definitely smell her perfume know, or was it the smell of her hair? He wasn’t sure. Her hands worked their own magic on him and he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time.

 

Finally he grasped one of her hands and rose to his feet. Looking straight in her eyes he leaned closer, until his lips almost brushed hers.

Then Fawkes made a little noise and Minerva stepped back. She glanced at the clock and smiled. “It’s almost midnight”, she said with a small sparkle in her eyes. “I think it’s time for me to go back”.

 

Glaring furiously at Fawkes, who shrank visibly, Albus walked her to the door. By the door he took hold of her arm. “Thank you for the massage”, he said.

 

“Any time”, she answered, moving a little closer to him.

 

Somehow the hand on his arm had found it’s way around her waist, pulling her to him. Carefully he touched her lips with his own. When she didn’t withdraw, he kissed her gently. Her arms moved up and she wrapped them around his neck. Drawing her even closer, he deepened the kiss, while he ran his other hand through her hair. ‘It feels like silk’, registered his mind vaguely. The kiss grew more and more passionate, but eventually, they had to come up for air. Reluctantly Albus broke the kiss.

 

“Minerva…”, he began quietly.

 

But she disentangled herself gently from his embrace. With a smile at the corners of her lips she pressed a  quick kiss to his mouth  and whispered, “I really should go back now”.

 

With that she turned around and left, leaving Albus completely petrified by the door…

 

Chapter 4:

The Picture of Us

 

Minerva had to force herself to walk calmly until she was out of Albus’ sight. The feel of his kiss still lingered on her lips. It felt wonderful. ‘Revenge is sweet’, she mussed, a silly, wide grin spreading across her face as she walked through the corridors. It had been so much fun, watching the way he reacted. If she had known this earlier, she would have done this years ago. It definitely made up for the way he had teased her all day.

 

And then he had kissed her. Involuntarily Minerva touched her lips. Well, he had kissed her again, to be precise. And this second kiss had even been better than the first one. One thing was sure, the man was an amazing kisser. She could have melt right there, at that very moment.

She still didn’t know how she had been able to pull away and leave, while all she wanted to do was move back into his arms as close as possible and kiss him again.

 

***

Albus watched Minerva leave. When she was finally out of sight he still stood there, looking into the empty corridor. Eventually he turned back inside his rooms, still dazed. Fawkes made some kind of apologetic noise. “Never mind”, he told the Phoenix, “it’s all right now”.

 

He changed into his night-clothes and laid down in bed. And started to watch the ceiling. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight. He had never saw this side of Minerva before. He knew her of course as strict and business- like. But he also knew her funny side, a side very few students were aware of. They shared the same sense of humour and he loved her dry comments on various situations.

 

He knew she had a very loving, caring side.  He had got to know this part of her even better over the last past weeks. After the events of the Triwizard Tourment she had spend many evenings with him. Coaxing him to talk about what happened and listening to his worries and fears.

 

But he had never seen this playful, flirtatious side of her. And he must admit, he liked it. It was dangerous, yes, but he liked it. ‘Merlin’s beard’, he thought as the events of the evening passed through his mind, ‘when she’s all strict and business- like she’s already irresistible but when she becomes all flirtatious like that, she’s practically lethal. Plus, she had a wonderful touch. He would give everything for another massage from her. No scratch that, he would give everything for another kiss.

 

For a minute or two he tried to get some sleep, but it didn’t work. His mind kept drifting to Minerva, to her smile, her kiss…

 

Could it be possible that she felt more for him than just friendship? he wondered. It looked like that, but he was afraid he saw more than there really was. She had never behaved like that, never showed any indication that she wanted more. Perhaps she had just get caught up in the game…

 

This morning he had boldly decided not to deny his feelings anymore, to act upon them, but now he felt his doubts returning. He couldn’t lose her friendship. It was her friendship that gave him the strength for the war against Voldemort, it had helped through the past weeks.

They had spend hours and hours on his couch, just talking. She talked and talked until he’d let go of his feelings of guilt for not unmasking the impostor- Moody earlier, she comforted when he grieved over the lost of Cedric, she’d supported him when he was voted out of Wizagamot.

 

Occasionally she had hugged him or touched him and often  he had wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her, but he never had act upon those desires. He didn’t dare to take the risk. He couldn’t lose her.

 

Until today. Until tonight. Until this amazing woman had suddenly emerged out of nowhere. With her long, silky hair, her incredible smile and her soft touch. Maybe that dream, he’d kept hidden for al those years was no impossible after all.

 

***

Minerva found she was far too excited to go to sleep. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins and her bed was a mess from the constant tossing and turning. Could it be possible? Could he have feelings for her? If his kiss was any indication.. She blushed as she remembered the way held her. If only. If only he returned her feelings.

She wanted to be there for him. Even more than she had been in the past months. She wanted to comfort him with her love, instead of her friendship. If only…

 

She glanced at her watch. 02.30. Since sleeping was no option, she decided to go for a cup of chocolate in the kitchens. Pulling on a dressing gown and slippers, she made her way to the kitchen.

 

***

He couldn’t sleep. And he might as well stop pretending. ‘I need hot chocolate’, he thought while he stepped out of bed. ‘If hot chocolate won’t help me, nothing else will’.

 

Clad in a dressinggown and the most ridiculous pair of slippers imaginable (Goat-shaped, Aberforth had send them for Christmas)  he walked to the kitchen. The small Staff Kitchen to be precise. The room was only light by moonlight. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. There was someone in the room. He was not alone. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and whispered ‘lumos’. “Who’s there?” he called in a loud voice.

 

Then he heard a scream, the sound of glass breaking and a someone falling. “illuminate”, Albus said. He saw Minerva sitting on the floor, broken glass around her and chocolate milk dripping from her dressinggown. She was furious.

 

“What the hell are you doing”, she yelled.

 

He reached out a hand to help her up. “Mind the glass”, he told her. She got to her feet and pulled out her own wand. Muttering a cleaning- spell the chocolate stain disappeared from her dressinggown.

 

“That was not hot chocolate, was it?” he asked softly, one hand moving to her shoulder to steady her.

 

Minerva glared back at him. “No, luckily for you, I was just about to heat it”.

 

Albus rubbed his hand over her shoulder and grinned suddenly, “this woman told me I had knots instead of muscles”.

 

Minerva stepped back, still angry. “Do you mind, someone just scared me half to dead!”

 

“Well, perhaps you shouldn’t wander around in the dark”, he shoot back. “Why are you here?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep”, Minerva answered, “you?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep either”, Albus replied grimly, “some nutcase woman kissed me tonight and then simply walked away”.

 

“What?”  Minerva exclaimed outraged. “If I remember correctly, you kissed me, Albus Dumbledore!”

 

“Of course I did”, Albus retorted, “You’ve been flirting with me all evening”.

 

“Says the man who stared holes in my skin today”, Minerva hissed.

Then her eyes fell to his feet and when she say the slippers he was wearing she snorted with laughter. “Aberforth?” she asked finally.

 

“Who else?” Albus nodded exasperated.

 

Minerva eyed the slippers suspiciously. ‘You don’t think they were real goats once, do you?”

 

“I don’t know, Albus replied thoughtfully, “I’ve always been curious to know what exactly Aberforth has done to those goats”.

 

They stared at the slippers for a while and then Minerva shook her head. “That’s sick”.

 

Albus took her hand and looked in her eyes. “What happened tonight, Minerva?” he asked.

 

Minerva looked away for a second, a soft smile on her lips. “I don’t know exactly. It started last night somehow, but…”

 

Albus returned her smile. “You looked so completely caught of guard last night, when Ronald Weasley blurted out how gorgeous you were. You looked… adorable, there’s no other word for it”.

 

Minerva felt herself blushing all over again. “And then you made it worst”.

 

Albus stroked a strand of her from her face. “I couldn’t help it, it sort of… came out”.

 

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, Minerva looked down. “It’s just”, she started softly, “I never expected you would say something like that. I never thought… you felt like that…”

 

Gently he kissed her forehead while his arms slipped around her. “I’ve felt like that for a very long time”, he told her, “any man would be stupid not to notice how beautiful you are.  She turned beet red. He pulled her close and kissed her lightly. “And an amazing flirtatious woman, I might add”.

 

She grinned evilly. “I just wanted to get back to you for staring at me all day. Did you have any idea how nervous you’ve made me? I wanted you to suffer a little too”.

 

“Well, you’ve succeeded at that”, he answered, stroking her hair, “I never knew you had in you”.

 

Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her face closer to his. “Never underestimate me”, she said softly before kissing him.

 

They stood there for a long time, kissing and exploring each other. Eventually Albus guided her to one of the kitchen chairs and pushed her down gently. “What are you doing?” she asked surprised. He moved behind her and started to massage her shoulders.

 

“I owe you a neckrub”, he told her.

 

Fin