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Challenges Listed at the Bottom

Beta'd by Gus-Gus and Lo. Thank you ladies!

Word Count - 834

Time For Them

She ran through the corridors, turning corners so fast it felt like she was flying. It had been too long since she'd had the pleasure of running free in her cat form. She arrived at her destination all too soon and ran her paw along the edge of the door frame.

She was happy when the movement let her enter. She'd be worried that after so long, the wards on the door would have been changed. Wandering through the familiar quarters, she found herself in the bedroom. A woman lay alone in the bed, her slender arm bent over her head, her breathing even as she slept.

Minerva leapt up on the covers, walking up so she was in eyeline of the woman before pawing gently at the bare skin on her shoulder.

Poppy woke up immediately, blinking blearily at the cat.

"Minerva?"

Minerva purred in greeting, stretching herself out along the comfortable cotton sheets.

"Is there something wrong?" Poppy asked, her hand coming up automatically to scratch between Minerva's ears. Minerva headbutted her hand playfully, before standing up and moving to the bottom of the bed, staring at Poppy impatiently.

"What? You want to show me something?"

Minerva mewed in response, leaping nimbly from the bed and leaving the room. When Poppy emerged, dressed in loose trousers and a jumper, Minerva pawed at the door once more.

She moved slower now, making sure that she remained in Poppy's sight as they walked the familiar pathways of Hogwarts. Minerva led the way to the main doors and out onto the grounds, slipping through the crack Argus had left. Poppy followed, staying in the doorway when she realised that rain was hammering down onto the sloping grounds.

She giggled despite herself when she saw Minerva jumping around joyously in the rain. Leaning up against the doorway, she watched Minerva enjoy herself, and wondered how long it had been since the woman truly let loose.

With the war being what it was, she anticipated that it had been a long time, years for certain.

So deep in thought was she, that when hands rested on her shoulders, she startled heavily, stepping backwards into the door.

"Come and dance with me, Poppy," Minerva whispered, her voice pure seduction.

"It's raining."

Minerva tilted her head slightly, the action definitely more feline than human, her eyes alight with amusement.

"I noticed," she agreed, smirking. "Come and dance with me anyway."

She pulled her out onto the grounds, tilting her head back to revel in the rain.

"Can you feel it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around Poppy's waist. "The rain is washing away the weight of the war. It feels… cleansing."

Poppy sighed, content as she wrapped her own arms around Minerva's neck indulgently. She'd learned long ago that there wasn't much she wouldn't do for this woman.

"I've missed you," Minerva murmured against her ear, pulling her closer. "So, so much."

"We did what we had to do to protect the students," Poppy told her quietly. She'd always understood that they couldn't be either of their first priorities. Not with all that had happened. It had never mattered. Her loyalty was, and always had been, with Minerva. For as long as she could remember.

"But now… the weight is off my shoulders, off our shoulders… we can be, Poppy. Just be. Just you and me."

"What about the students?" Poppy asked, almost afraid to hope that this could be happening, that after so long they could finally, finally, have what they'd always wanted. Each other.

"They're safe," Minerva replied. "The war is over. How long can we be expected to wait for our chance? I say we take it."

Poppy smiled then, leaning her head back to look at Minerva. She looked so beautiful, with her hair sticking to her face, rain trailing down her skin, her eyes more alive than Poppy had ever seen them.

The moved together in tandem, their lips meeting as they swayed in the rain.

Only when the sky started to lighten and the rain lessoned did they part, walking back to the castle hand in hand.

"I wasn't sure you would come with me," Minerva admitted. "I thought you might be asleep."

"I was asleep," Poppy deadpanned. "It was four in the morning. Of course I was sleeping. But… You know I'd follow you anywhere, anytime."

Minerva smiled. "I love you. Take a pepper up potion, I don't want you to get poorly."

"If I do, you'll have to nurse me back to health. It's your fault I was out in the rain."

"I'm a professor, not a nurse. We better both hope that I'm the one that gets sick, and you can nurse me back to health."

"Oh, it'd be my pleasure."

Minerva pressed soft lips to Poppy's cold cheek before she transformed back into her cat form, rubbing herself gently against Poppy's legs.

"Oh, Minerva?"

She looked up, waiting patiently for whatever Poppy wanted to say.

"I love you too."

Written for;

WC - Disney - Raja; Write about a cat

WC Book Club - Nadine; Professor / Pure / Seduction

WC Showtime - 2. Dear Old Shiz; Setting, Hogwarts

WC Days Of The Month - Umbrella Day; Story set in a rainstorm

WC Buttons - Character; Minerva McGonagall

WC Character Appreciation - Loyal

WC Lyric Alley - 20. The weight is off my shoulders.

Serpents - Black Mamba - "It's four in the morning. Of course I was sleeping."

Scavenger Hunt - 6. A Fluffy fic.