A Cat's Tail: Minerva McGonagall Fan Fiction

Chapter 24

A/N: That's roughly what Minerva's house looks like (it's in England though, despite me searching country houses in SCOTLAND). 

"MY MUM AGREED!" Minerva yelled, running up to Hagrid and dancing. He grinned, relieved. He didn't want to have to spend the whole half-term alone. 

"I'm so grateful," Hagrid smiled gratefully.

"End of term is tomorrow! So PACK!" Minerva sighed with relief. She'd feel so guilty, sitting at home with her family whilst Hagrid had no home to go to, and was still grieving. Most of her side of the room was packed, with the exception of a few books and quills. Minerva looked out at the rainy Hogwarts grounds and frowned at the thought of going home. Then again, at least she had a living family who loved her. 

"Bye Pomona!" 

"Bye Minerva" They hugged before parting ways to different compartments.

"So, 'Agrid is staying at your house for the 'alf term?" Affrodille raised her eyebrows at her.

"It's not like that! He'd be all alone and he's still grieving and I just couldn't do that, you know..."

"But you're going to get some alone time with him, no?" Minerva blushed.

"Affie!"

"You agree though," Minerva didn't know how to respond to that so she took at her book and said:

"You're supposed to be the nice one!" Affrodille laughed.

"I'm not as nice as I seem," She winked.

"You're nicer!" Affrodille laughed.

"Mum! Dad?" Minerva gaped at her MUGGLE father in the middle of platform 9 and 3/4. "How'd you even get here?"

"Appa...appa...that teleportation thingy! What's it called again Isobel?" Minerva noticed that her parents had a surprising amount of distance between them, and Minerva could tell they'd just been arguing. She looked at her brothers and the weary look in their eyes, and confirmed her theory.

"Apparition, Robert," Minerva could see a few people eying her father oddly, and them whispering about him being a muggle. Minerva grimaced at an awkward looking Hagrid.

"Anyway, this is Hagrid, who I know you've met but er...yeah..." Isobel smiled at Hagrid.

"Happy to have you dear! I heard Minerva-" Minerva had an uncanny feeling that she wouldn't like what her mother was about to say.

"Anyway, before I freeze my toes off, let's go home!" They all squished up together as Isobel made apparating six people look easy. Hagrid looked at the very countryside looking house Minerva lived in. The bricks were a dull red and browns, like a patchwork quilt. The roof was mossy slates and the whole house was covered in creeping plants, mostly pale green at this time of year, and Hagrid could just imagine how beautiful the house looked in Autumn. The garden wasn't massive, but it was very well cared for. Flowers scattered the deep green grass and a higgledy-piggly stone wall that only reached just reached his waist bordered a long, winding country lane. Hagrid breathed it all in and fell in love with the place. 

"I'll show Hagrid where he's sleeping. Wait, where is he sleeping?" Minerva asked her mum. Isobel and Robert exchanged a look.

"Well, he can sleep in your room. However, he is a boy, so er..."

"Mum!" Minerva blushed. Her dad looked just as uncomfortable but more likely at the fact that Minerva had friends who were the opposite gender. "Hagrid, this is my room," Minerva opened the door on a perfectly organised yet extremely cosy looking room. There were several well organised, well-stuffed bookshelves and a wooden desk in the corner. A matching bed and nightstand added to the organised look of the room. On a shelf above her bed, there were several muggle photos of her family, and a magical photo that Hagrid recognised as one that Dumbledore had taken of them using Affrodille's camera. In the middle of the room, there was a faded, fluffy crimson carpet that was the only splash of colour in her room. There was also a window with a window sill covered with pillows.

"I like your room," Hagrid said shyly. 

"Thanks," Minerva sat down on the windowsill and gestured for Hagrid to come sit next to her. "Welcome home,"

Robert quickly got over his fear of this boy doing something to his daughter when he found out Hagrid was into woodwork. Minerva laughed as her dad literally dragged him outside in the freezing cold - he was a carpenter, you see - to see what he could do.

"Dad, maybe you could save him from frostbite if you'd just look at this," Minerva held up her wrist, revealing the little wooden cat bracelet that Hagrid had got her for Christmas in first year.

"You made that?" Robert squinted at Hagrid thoughtfully, and Hagrid recognised the action from Minerva. "As long as your not trying to woo my daughter with that, it is very beautiful," Minerva shook her head.

"It was a Christmas present, Mr McGonagall," Hagrid replied awkwardly. 

"Good. And call me Robert," Minerva was relieved that her dad liked Hagrid. 

"Mum, I'm going to show Hagrid the lake, ok?" She yelled up the stairs at her mum as she pulled on a coat and dragged Hagrid outside. "Dad, we're not holding hands, I'm just dragging him, ok?" Minerva said in response to her dad's expression. Minerva let go of Hagrid, putting on her gloves, and blowing to watch her breath steam up in front of her. "I live in one of the coldest bits of Scotland," Minerva grinned. Hagrid's lips had gone blue. "Look, it's not really a lake, just a bit of water, but me and my brothers used to have boat races with toy boats my dad made, hence 'the lake'" 

"Yer accent's much stronger out here," Hagrid mused. Minerva frowned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend yer!" Hagrid added hurriedly.

"No, no, it's ok, I just get teased about it a lot and it makes me self-conscious, you know,"

"Yer shouldn't be, it's a beautiful accent," 

"Yours is lovely too," Minerva smiled and stopped when she got to 'the lake'. "Here it is," Minerva gestured to a completely frozen body of water, too small to be a lake but too big to be a pond. Snowy mountains loomed in the distance. "We can ice skate, look!" Minerva stepped onto the ice and graceful skated around it. She held out her hand to Hagrid.

"I'll break the ice!"

"No, you won't! I won't let you fall, I promise!" Hagrid nervously stepped onto the ice grabbing Minerva's hand. "See, it's ok!" Hagrid slowly got used to the sensation of being on ice, but didn't let go of Minerva's hand once.