Characters: Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. Setting: Early afternoon, "low tea" hour. Summary: Hogwarts’ lushes professors hang out and occasionally discuss important business when they aren’t derping.
Albus Dumbledore was quite pleased with himself. This was, perhaps, one of his greatest accomplishments to date – one that he had prepared for quite early on, with every intention of seeing it through.
Of course, it was upon his arrival by side-along phoenix apparation (quite the fashionable way to travel, if the ends of his robes weren’t always singed) that the first dilemma presented itself. How would he render a phoenix inconspicuous while traversing amongst Muggles, particularly without magic? This would be tricky indeed. All the same, Fawkes was a good sport, and seemed unperturbed when Albus kindly requested that she make herself at home in a lemon tree.
"It’s just down this lane, I believe." This was how he addressed Minerva when she arrived, rather cheerfully, before striding down the road without any further explanation. It wasn’t necessary, simply because he trusted his dear friend and fellow professor, and in turn, hoped that she would trust him. If there was a shade of mirth in his step, well. That couldn’t be helped.
Albus hummed to himself as they walked together with an air of quiet, but no less satisfied contentment. Strangely, the current political climate had nothing whatsoever to do with why he called her out on this fine afternoon. They would theorize about war strategies later – for now, Albus had very important business to attend to. "Ah! Here we are." They had come upon a small teashop, of which he held the door open for Minerva with a pleased smile.
"I’d nearly forgotten where it was. How lucky that we should find our way even when my memory doesn’t quite serve as it used to." Far out on the countryside, by all rights, the place seemed to be otherwise nondescript. Small pastries, quaint upholstery, and of course, proper tea. He was just glad the place was still standing after nearly a decade, barring the change in paint on the outside.