The Undoing (Prequel to All's Fair)

[dianahawthorne]

The Undoing

This is a prequel to All's Fair - it deals with Albus and Minerva's brief romance before she joins Grindelwald. Please read and review!

DISCLAIMER: Obviously not mine.
Rating: M

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Maybe I should not take Minerva on as an apprentice, I thought, It will be tempting to have her so close…

I had first realised that I was attracted to her when she approached me two years after her graduation from Hogwarts. Under my guidance, she had already learned to become an Animagus, and she wanted me to help her attain her Mastery in Transfiguration.

I should have said no. I should have told her I was too busy, or that I was no longer taking on apprentices. I should never have given in to her pleas.

It undid both of us.


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I took her to dinner at Delancie’s, a very romantic restaurant in Diagon Alley. For her birthday, I bought her a cloisonné brooch and matching hair combs. In turn, she became more affectionate and demonstrative towards me, more loving than I had ever seen her behave towards anyone else. I tried to maintain my self-control, and I did, until the night of the anniversary of Ariana’s death.


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I had gone to the Hog’s Head to try to make peace with Aberforth. He refused to listen to my apologies, my regret at the way things had developed. After trying to get through to him for several hours, I gave up and returned to the castle. I collapsed in my sitting room and drank a half a bottle of firewhiskey.

I was staring into the half-empty bottle when a knock sounded at the portrait entrance. I ignored it, but my visitor was persistent, and knocked again. Finally, the knocking stopped, and I hoped that they had just given up and left. That was not the case. The portrait entrance swung open, and Minerva, my darling, beloved Minerva, stepped through the doorway.

She was wearing dress robes of a deep blue, with pale yellow ribbons lacing up the bodice. In her hair were the cloisonné combs I gave her, and on her robes was the matching brooch.

She walked over to me, took the half-empty bottle of fire-whiskey out of my hand, and placed it on the coffee table before sitting down next to me on the sofa.

‘Why are you so dressed up, Minerva,” I asked her, my voice flat.

She looked at me sadly, “I was supposed to meet a man for dinner, but he stood me up.”

My hands clenched into fists as jealousy pulsed through my veins. A niggling thought in the back of my mind reminded me that I had forgotten something, but I brushed it aside for the moment.

“Who was supposed to meet you?” I asked, working hard to keep the same flat tone.

A tear dropped from her eye, landing on the skirts of her robes, staining the fabric an even darker blue. “You were,” she whispered.

Guilt hit me harder than the jealousy had just moments prior. “Oh, my darling, I am so sorry,” I whispered, taking her into my arms. She relaxed against me, but tilted her head up to look into my eyes. She looked so utterly heartbroken, so sad and defeated, that I could no longer restrain myself. I bent my head and covered her lips with my own. She responded, leaning into my embrace hungrily, and I lifted her up, one arm around her waist and the other under her knees. When she wrapped her arms around my neck and renewed the kiss, I carried her into my bedroom.

"Delancie's" was borrowed from MMADfan's story Resolving a Misunderstanding

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Two

“Oh, my dearest, my darling,” I murmured in her ear as I carried her to my bed, “I love you so. I love you so much, my sweet.”

She replied with kisses, her soft lips meeting mine repeatedly, each one lasting longer than the previous. Finally, I broke out of the kisses, in order to see and not run into the walls. Not to be deterred, she moved my beard aside, flicking it over my shoulder, and began nuzzling my neck.

Finally, we made it into the bedroom, and I laid her down on my large bed. I stepped back for a moment to look at her, lying there on top of my bed, a vision of loveliness, beauty incarnate. She stretched out her arms to me, whispering my name. I stood there looking at her for a few more seconds, before taking her hands and helping her to sit up. I came round, sat down behind her, and began to unbutton her robes. When the buttons were undone, she shrugged the robe off her shoulders and lay back on my lap. She shimmied her hips to remove her robes completely, allowing them to fall to the floor in a dark blue puddle.

She rolled over onto her side and looked up at me. “Albus, you have far too many clothes on,” she whispered.

“Would you care to assist in their removal?” I replied, my voice equally as soft.

“Oh, yes,” she breathed, and she began to unbutton my robes as well. Before long, they had joined hers on the floor.

Clad only in our undergarments, we laid sprawled across the bed, our eyes drinking in the sight of each other. I whispered a spell to banish her lingerie. She looked down, surprised at the sudden draft against her skin, and chuckled. Reaching out, she employed more traditional methods of removing the remaining barrier between our bare skin. My boxers slid down around my ankles, and I kicked the offending material to the floor. Then I grabbed her in an embrace, rolling on top of her, pressing my erection against her stomach. She moaned, and rolled her hips against mine. I began to kiss her jaw, her throat, her collarbone, making my way slowly down her body. Her breathing grew quicker, shallower, and mine did as well. I could not restrain myself anymore. I propped myself up on my elbows, looked down at her, and lifted my hips slightly. Minerva’s legs were around me, and she moaned as I slid against her. Grasping me, she guided me into her warm, wet, welcoming body.

We both moaned as I pushed into her, filling her completely. We stayed in that position for a moment – her legs around me, her eyes closed in rapture, her head thrown back, while I was still propped above her by my elbows, looking down at her beautiful face. We simultaneously began to move with each other, rocking back and forth, as I pumped into her.

She came quickly, suddenly, her face showing her surprise as her orgasm took over her body. She lay there in my embrace for a moment, panting, before I began to pump into her again.

Minerva peaked a second time, then a third on the heels of the second, before I finally let go and spilled into her. Collapsing on top of her, I let my breathing slow before looking into her face.

Her hands lovingly traced my profile as I studied hers. Her face bore the most beautiful expression of complete bliss.

“That was wonderful, Albus,” she whispered, her voice sounding hoarse from screaming my name.

“It was,” I agreed, my voice equally as hoarse from yelling hers, “You are marvellous, my darling.”

She blushed. “So are you, Albus,” she replied, “So are you.”

I rolled us over onto our sides, not dislodging myself from her heat, but shifting my weight so that it was not crushing her. Looking into her eyes, I saw love, passion, and complete contentment there. As she gave a slight yawn, she snuggled against my bare chest, and I wrapped an arm around her upper back. I allowed myself a yawn as well, and soon we were drifting off to sleep.

[harmonydumbledore]

come one, please write more!! Your killing me here!

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Three


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I woke up as the sun began to filter through the curtains, falling in stripes along the bedspread. I looked down at Minerva, my darling Minerva, who looked so peaceful sleeping there in my arms. I gently brushed a strand of hair off her face, before sighing and leaning back to look at her.

She looked so much younger than her twenty years as she slept, much younger, and so beautiful – infinitely beautiful. I watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed in and out; steady, deep breaths. I looked down towards the foot of my bed, and caught sight of the mirror hanging on the wall opposite. It showed an old, old, man in bed with a gorgeous, beautiful young girl. A girl… Minerva was still a girl.

I buried my head in my hands. Minerva was still just a girl. How could I have done this to her? How could I have allowed my self-restraint to collapse to the point where I allowed myself to kiss her? And not only kiss her, but make love to her?

I was hit with a sickening wave of guilt. “Oh, gods,” I groaned.

“Albus?” I heard Minerva’s sleepy voice ask, “What’s wrong?”

I could not face her. I could not face her knowing what I had done to her. “This was a mistake, Minerva.”

“What?” I heard her cry, “What do you mean, a mistake?”

I still did not look at her. “Yes, a mistake. A result of drinking half a bottle of firewhiskey and allowing myself to slip into a depression. Did you think it was something more?” I felt awful for saying those cruel words.

I felt her sit up in bed. “Albus…” she whispered, and I could hear the tears in her voice.

“I think it would be best if you ended your apprenticeship with me, Miss McGonagall.”

“Albus, I love you! Don’t you love me?” she pleaded.

“No.” I replied, and my heart broke as I heard her sob. “I’ll give you an hour to pack up your belongings.” With that last sentence, I vacated the bed, barricading myself in the bathroom. I put up a Silencing charm before I allowed the tears to come.

[harmonydumbledore]

make me cry why don't you. Oh please say they will be together and live fairly happily ever after! I can't take sad endings.

Oh good dtory though.lol.

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Four


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A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've had quite a bad case of insomnia for the last week, and that, combined with massive amounts of homework and also a brief burst of illness has made it near impossible to write. Thanks for sticking with this story! Please read and review.


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It was a week before I had any news of Minerva. Grindelwald sent me an Owl telling me that she had joined him. Upon receiving the owl, I broke down. Luckily, I was in my chambers, so no one witnessed my collapse. I felt tears running down my face as I re-read the letter.

Dear Albus,

You really must not appreciate the female form if you truly did allow Miss McGonagall to leave without a fight – and not only let her leave, but insist upon it. Tsk, tsk, Albus. As always, your loss is my gain! I wonder if you found that delightful spot behind her ear that makes her… well, I will not go into detail. Just know that I am taking good care of your little protégée.

-Gellert

P.S. She is marvellous in bed, isn’t she? Too bad you let her go!

My rejection had pushed her into this… monster’s arms. How could I have done this to her, how could I have allowed my darling Minerva to flee to him?

Because you were trying to be noble, like the fool you are, said the voice inside my head.

I spent the next month looking for Grindelwald, trying to track him down so that I could find Minerva. I finally succeeded, and, with a group of Aurors as backup, Apparated to Grindelwald’s castle in Austria.

“So, Albus,” Gellert drawled, looking smug, “You’ve come at last.”

“Yes.” I replied, my answer terse and to the point. I saw no point in spending useless time bantering with him.

He shot off a spell without warning, and I barely managed to throw a shield up in time. I threw up an anti-Apparition ward, preventing him from being able to Apparate, but still allowing me to.

The battle went on for hours, neither of us gaining a clear advantage over the other, until finally he tried to Apparate. He was thrown, obviously not expecting my wards to be set up, and I Stunned him. Putting him under the Petrificus Totalus spell, after binding him with ropes and chains. The Aurors I had called as backup took charge of him, Apparating him to Azkaban to await his death sentence.

“Albus,” I heard a weak voice cry, before a string of coughs broke up the sentence.

I had been about to Portkey back to Britain – I had no strength left to Apparate – when I heard that cry. It sounded like Minerva… I looked around, but could not locate the source of the call.

I shrugged, dismissing it as a figment of my imagination, when I heard it again.

“Albus! Please help me!” I looked down, and noticed for the first time that there was a window at the base of the castle wall. I could barely make out a pale face, and I looked at it for a few moments before I turned away. It could not be Minerva… Grindelwald had said that he was using her… she must have fled before the battle. Still, I could not shake that nagging feeling that said that it was Minerva. I briefly prodded the wards surrounding the cell with my magic, and found that they were tied to Grindelwald, and would only cease upon his death. I allowed the Portkey to take me away. I had to see the Minister about arranging Grindelwald’s execution…

Grindelwald’s execution took place the next morning at six o’clock in the morning. He was hung from the scaffold in the bleak courtyard of Azkaban. As soon as the Mediwizard pronounced him dead, I swiftly Apparated to Grindelwald’s stronghold.

I quickly rushed down to the dungeon, after grabbing the dungeon key from a hook on the wall outside of the dungeon staircase. There was only one key remaining on the ring, and I inserted it into the lock. As the door creaked open, I saw Minerva standing there.

She was pale and gaunt, the skin of her face stretched tightly across her cheekbones. Her clothes were ragged and unkempt, and her hair hung limply in her face. Her eyes, however, flashed with green fire as she saw me.

“You!” she exclaimed, in horror and disgust, as I entered the cell.

I extended a hand towards her. “Minerva, my darling, what has happened to you?” I asked her sorrowfully.

The air grew thick with tension, and I could feel a wind beginning to whip up around her, expanding outwards like a cyclone. “What has happened to me? You have bloody happened to me! How dare you come here and ask me that!” Suddenly, the wind stopped, and all of the blood drained from her face. She began to collapse, and I caught her just in time to keep her from hitting the floor.

I Apparated us back to the Hogwarts gates, and summoned Fawkes to Apparate us up to my quarters. I laid her out on my bed, and Fawkes gladly donated a few tears to heal her injuries. He perched on the headboard of my bed, and began singing a lullaby to help her fall into a restful, restorative sleep.

I Conjured up an armchair, and sat by her bedside, holding her hand in both of mine. I drifted off to sleep, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand.

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Five


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I woke up from my restless sleep when I felt Minerva yank her hand out of my grasp. Raising my head, I looked into her eyes, and exclaimed, “Minerva, thank goodness you are awake!”

My heart broke when she glared at me, responding, “Why do you care?” I recoiled upon hearing the hatred and anger in her voice. I could feel my expression change from one of hope and happiness at her re-emergence into consciousness, to one of sadness and heartbreak.

“Why do I care? I love you, my darling! How can I not care?” I told her.

She snorted derisively. “Well, you most certainly have an odd way of showing it!”

I was confused – what did she mean? Yes, I lied to her, and yes, my actions provoked her into joining Grindelwald, but I also saved her from him! “What are you talking about, my dearest?”

“Oh, only the fact that you used one of the ancient marriage bonding spells in order to steal my magic, left me in a dungeon in Grindelwald’s castle, and, even after you defeated him, still forced me to remain in that prison cell!” she shot back angrily.

My jaw dropped, and I felt tears running down my face. “Minerva,” I whispered, “how could you think that I would do such a thing to you?”

Her glare faltered a bit as she took in my words. “Then… you mean, you did not… who did?”

“I would presume Grindelwald took your magic, my dear. He was executed yesterday, and I presume that upon his death, the marriage bond he had created between the two of you was broken, allowing your magic to flow back into you,” I told her. That would explain the strength of the wards surrounding the cell, I thought to myself.

She began to cry as well, and I produced a purple silk handkerchief for her use.

“That still does not explain why you left me in that dungeon, Albus,” she said, after she had calmed herself down enough to continue the conversation.

“The wards that Grindelwald had erected among your cell were incredibly complex – he used your magic to cage you in to that cell. The wards would have remained in place until he died, and I was unable to get through them, even after defeating him,” I told her, before tentatively reaching for her hand. She gave it to me.

“I am so sorry, my dearest. I failed you,” I told her, tears running down my face once more.

“Oh, Albus, I am so sorry, too. If only I had listened to you about Grindelwald…” she said, burying her head in my lap.

I held her hand to my lips, attempting to comfort her.

“Albus,” she said, looking up into my eyes.

“Yes, Minerva,” I responded.

“Why did you tell me it was a mistake?”

I closed my eyes, still holding her hand to my lips as I relieved that morning…

I woke up as the sun began to filter through the curtains, falling in stripes along the bedspread. I looked down at Minerva, my darling Minerva, who looked so peaceful sleeping there in my arms. I gently brushed a strand of hair off her face, before sighing and leaning back to look at her.

She looked so much younger than her twenty years as she slept, much younger, and so beautiful – infinitely beautiful. I watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed in and out; steady, deep breaths. I looked down towards the foot of my bed, and caught sight of the mirror hanging on the wall opposite. It showed an old, old, man in bed with a gorgeous, beautiful young girl. A girl… Minerva was still a girl.

I buried my head in my hands. Minerva was still just a girl. How could I have done this to her? How could I have allowed my self-restraint to collapse to the point where I allowed myself to kiss her? And not only kiss her, but make love to her?

“I felt so guilty, my love, so incredibly guilty… I felt as though I had taken advantage of you,” I told her, not able to meet her eyes.

“Albus, I love you! I’ve been in love with you for a long time – I do not care about our ages! You did not take advantage of me – I wanted to make love to you – I’ve been in love with you for years!” she told me, gripping my hand tightly in both of hers.

I looked up and met her eyes – I could see the sincerity radiating from them.

“I’m so sorry, Minerva,” I began, “I’m so sorry. I allowed my… nobility…to push you into Grindelwald’s arms. Can you forgive me?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she replied simply, “yes.”

She shifted over in my bed and patted the empty half. “Hold me, Albus, please,” she whispered. I nodded, and shed my shoes and my outer robe before joining her under the covers, wrapping my arms around her as she burrowed into my chest.

“I love you, Minerva,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

“I love you too, Albus,” she replied, snuggling closer into my embrace.

We drifted off to sleep, content at last.

THE END

[harmonydumbledore]

Great story!! Next installment please???

[dianahawthorne]

Apr 13, 2008 15:41:56 GMT -5 harmonydumbledore said:

Next installment please???

I'm thinking about writing another installment occuring about five years after this story, unfortunately, no plotbunnies have bitten me... but I'm working on it!

[harmonydumbledore]

well i anxiously await your next story!

[raven]

Great story I hope the next installment is going to come out soon.