Hogwarts || Cake Hoodings ✔ [ Completed ]

03

McGonagall sat behind the heavy oak desk in the principal's office. It was Saturday afternoon but she had decided she would dedicate it to some paperwork that had been piling on her desk for a while now, even though the school year had officially just started yesterday. Running a school was far more work than she had ever imagined, especially the first day of school was chaotic. On Monday, classes would start and countless students would come to her demanding to change their schedules and she would have to reorganize. Last night was chaotic as well, she had two first graders crying upon being sorted in houses not expected by their families and had stayed up too late after a meeting with the teachers of Hogwarts, trying to run some errands.

All of that left McGonagall drifting in and out of focus due to the lack of sleep and she was taking a sip of her fifth cup of coffee when she heard a soft knock on her office door.

"Yes," she mumbled, giving the person who had knocked the permission to enter. The door opened slightly and she glanced up to see Luke slipping into the room and closing the door behind him.

"Hey Granny," Luke grinned, "just wanted to come say hi."

"Hey, darling. Are you settling back in okay?," McGonagall smiled back lovingly.

"Yep, it's good to be back," Luke grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets, "and by the way, I wanted to inform you that one of the wall carpets in the Gryffindor Tower burned down earlier today.."

McGonagall groaned and let her forehead hit the tabletop. "As if I don't have enough to do already," she whined.

She glanced up at Luke. "Mr Clifford?"

"I am not snitching on my friends," Luke said innocently, "you taught me better than that."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Just tell him to watch his back."

"Aye aye sir," Luke saluted.

McGonagall rolled her eyes but smiled fondly. She was taking in her boy when she realized Luke had actually made an effort to style his hair and clean his usually dirty old Vans. He was wearing black skinny jeans, black vans and a black and white shirt.

"You look nice.. What are you up to?," she asked.

"Nothing much," he mumbled but a blush crept to his cheeks.

"Yeah sure," McGonagall laughed, "Is that why you are as red as a tomato?"

Luke brought his hands up to his flaming hot cheeks and turned away from her.

"Oh come on," McGonagall pleaded.

"Fine," Luke groaned and turned to face her, "Today we are allowed to go to Hogsmeade - I mean you know that since you schedule the Hogsmeade days - and I am going with someone and I kinda don't know if it is just grabbing lunch as friends or if it's a date? Like how the hell am I supposed to know when nobody said the word but it's implied, but then again I could be overinterpreting like I tend to always do? Maybe it was just a joke last night at the Back To Hogwarts feast? But anyways I thought I'd dress nice because even if it isn't a date it doesn't hurt to look good."

McGonagall blinked perplex at the rushed out confession. "Uhhh.. okay," she brought out.

"Thanks for the help," Luke muttered under his breath and settled on the chair in front of the principles desk.

"I am sorry, hun," she smiled at him, "but I can't help you with this one. My only advice is to talk to the person about how you feel. Do you like... them?"

Luke chewed on his black Lip ring and frowned slightly.

"I don't know. It's like.. I have known him since forever and he is the most important thing in my life. He is my best friend and the thought of something happening to him frightens me beyond anything else. I'd do anything for him and whenever I see him I get this warm feeling and all I wanna do is be close to him every second of every day. But then again, I have never had a best friend before him and how am I supposed to know where friendship ends and love begins??"

To be completely honest, McGonagall was a little overwhelmed with the situation. She had suspected Luke to have feelings for his best friend for a while now, but him confessing was never something she seriously expected. Her thoughts were racing. How was she gonna give him advice if she herself never had any luck with love, and was she supposed to address his coming out? Did he want to talk about it?

"I uhmm.. ," she cleared her throat and finally sorted her thoughts," I think it sounds like you really like him. Don't worry baby, the lines between friendship and romantic love are often very blurry, but the way you talk about him offers that you really like him. So all that's left to do for you now is to follow your heart, like I always tell you to do. Follow your heart and it will lead you to do the right thing. I know first love is scary but believe me it's all gonna be worth it in the end."

Luke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"Okay. Okay Imma do it. I'm gonna do it today," Luke said and got up.

"No I'm not," he said and sat back down.

McGonagall looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Okay maybe I'll do it. I'll see," Luke sighed.

"You don't have to rush things," McGonagall smiled softly.

"I do! What if someone else makes a move mad steals Calum away from me???," Luke exclaimed.

"And you seriously weren't sure if you liked him like that?," McGonagall chuckled.

Luke glared at her and pouted.

"Luke sweety, judging by the way he looks at you he wouldn't want anyone else approaching him," she said softly and got up. She rounded the table and bend down in front of Luke.

"It's gonna be okay," she said, pushing some of Luke's blonde locks from his forehead. Luke smiled and looped his arms around her shoulders. "Thank you," he mumbled into the fabric of her olive green wool pullover.

"And now," she smiled, "go pick your date up and make it the best first date you could ever imagine. The gates open in 10 minutes so you better hurry."

She pressed a last kiss to Luke's forehead and let him go. He thanked her, said goodbye and that he loved her and then McGonagall watched him walk out the door.

She returned to her now cold cup of coffee and tried to concentrate on the paperwork but her thoughts kept drifting away from the finances and schedules again and again so she decided to pay a visit to the Gryffindor Tower and see how bad the damage on the wall carpet was and then spend some time in the schools library to see if they needed to stock up on books.