Grande Dames
Title: Grande Dames
Author: impatient_dream (toots on TtH)
Rating: FR7
Crossover: Angel/HP
Pairing: Cordelia/Neville-ish
Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Angel. That’s J.K. Rowling or Joss Whedon.
Summary: Two ladies have a chat.
Cordelia sauntered
into the staff room, smiling when she saw the only occupant. “Hey, Minnie. What’s shaking?”
Minerva McGonagall
raised an eyebrow but congenially replied, “Hello, Miss Chase.
Cordy seriously
liked the headmistress, but she’d seen the woman half drunk before, the night
of the Annual Celebration that marked the end of their dark wizard, and she
couldn’t quite bring herself to let her forget it.
She settled
herself into the chair across from her and asked, “You seriously taught Neville
to dance?”
McGonagall both
brightened and softened, reminding Cordelia why she liked her so much. The woman
really had given a part of herself to the children she taught.
“Yes, I did,” she
said, smiling in memory. “And it was
quite a task. He’s very graceful these
days but when he was younger…Well, we’ll just say accidents were his nature.”
Cordelia knew her grin was a little goofy as she said, “That’s
awesome.”
McGonagall’s gaze sharpened and she said, “Well, well. Miss Chase, I do believe you’ve taken a bit
of a liking to our Mr. Longbottom.”
Cordelia hadn’t blushed in years, but she felt the blood
rush to her cheeks. “It reminds me of
when I was in high school. I had this
boyfriend, horrible fashion sense and totally unpopular and…sweet. We’re friends now and I like that but…I’ve
missed it. And it feels almost the same
with Neville.”
She closed her mouth, not at all sure why she’d spilled the
beans that way.
McGonagall patted her hand and said, “The first blush of
love looks lovely on you, dear. May he
live up to your expectations.”
Cordelia nodded, throat tight. She wasn’t in love. She wasn’t. And she wasn’t falling in love. She would
have noticed that.
McGonagall patted her hand again and said, “Your portkey to
San Francisco has arrived from the Ministry. Do be careful with it. Transatlantic
travel is always difficult, even for the Wizarding World.”
Cordelia nodded again, relieved. Maybe a little distance was all she’d need
and Dawn’s birthday party was the perfect excuse.