Post by Jestana on Oct 28, 2004 15:11:54 GMT -5
Comforting and Distracting
When Minerva awoke to find herself alone in the bed she shared with her husband of ten years, she was not happy. He'd said he wouldn't be long, but it was obvious that he had yet to come to bed, several hours later. Slipping into his dressing gown instead of hers, she went out into the sitting room, and then his office. When she didn't find him in either, she returned to their bedroom and curled up on the sofa in front of the fire to await his return. She'd almost fallen asleep again when he finally reappeared. The scolding she'd prepared for him died on her lips when she saw the look on his face. Rising, she hurried to his side. "Albus? What is it? What's wrong?"
He said nothing, but wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. Still wondering, she led him over to the bed and sat down with her back propped against the headboard and Albus stretched out beside her with his head in her lap. She sat quietly, stroking his silver hair, knowing he would speak when he was ready.
They stayed like that for a while before Albus finally spoke. "Harry has discovered the secret of the Mirror of Erised."
"He has?" Minerva asked, still stroking his hair, wondering why that would make her husband so sad.
"Yes." Albus nodded. "He sees himself, surrounded by his family."
His voice broke on the word 'family' and Minerva closed her eyes. This fact alone told them more clearly than words that Harry's home life wasn't happy at all. "Oh, Albus."
"What sort of life does he have with them?" he asked softly.
Minerva could hear the self-reproach in his voice. "Albus, don't you dare blame yourself. You can't control the Dursleys' attitude toward our world. Harry is a symbol of our world to them. Naturally, they would not treat him well."
"You always seem to know how to make me feel better my dear," he told her, smiling faintly up at her, "but not this time."
She gave an exasperated sigh, deciding a different approach was needed. "Albus Dumbledore, stop this pity-party at once, or I'm leaving."
"Don't go." He looked up at her pleadingly. "I'll stop."
Knowing it would be easier said than done, she asked, "What did you see?"
"I beg your pardon?" He stared at her, puzzled.
She smiled, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. "What deepest, most desperate desire of your heart did you see in the Mirror of Erised?"
"I told Harry I saw myself holding a pair of socks," he replied, his eyes twinkling.
She raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? Did you really see that?"
He shook his head, slipping his hand under the dressing gown she was wearing, causing Minerva's breath to catch in her throat. "No, I saw my lovely wife wearing my Christmas present to her and nothing else."
"Perhaps she's wearing it right now," she suggested, lightly tracing the shape of his ear with the tips of her fingers. "Why don't you remove this dressing gown and see?"
He shivered slightly under her touch and wasted no time removing the dressing gown. He smiled when he saw that she was, indeed, wearing his Christmas gift to her: a crimson silk negligee that both concealed and revealed. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Yes, but you'll have to prove it," she told him with a seductive smile.
And he did exactly that.
Finite
When Minerva awoke to find herself alone in the bed she shared with her husband of ten years, she was not happy. He'd said he wouldn't be long, but it was obvious that he had yet to come to bed, several hours later. Slipping into his dressing gown instead of hers, she went out into the sitting room, and then his office. When she didn't find him in either, she returned to their bedroom and curled up on the sofa in front of the fire to await his return. She'd almost fallen asleep again when he finally reappeared. The scolding she'd prepared for him died on her lips when she saw the look on his face. Rising, she hurried to his side. "Albus? What is it? What's wrong?"
He said nothing, but wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. Still wondering, she led him over to the bed and sat down with her back propped against the headboard and Albus stretched out beside her with his head in her lap. She sat quietly, stroking his silver hair, knowing he would speak when he was ready.
They stayed like that for a while before Albus finally spoke. "Harry has discovered the secret of the Mirror of Erised."
"He has?" Minerva asked, still stroking his hair, wondering why that would make her husband so sad.
"Yes." Albus nodded. "He sees himself, surrounded by his family."
His voice broke on the word 'family' and Minerva closed her eyes. This fact alone told them more clearly than words that Harry's home life wasn't happy at all. "Oh, Albus."
"What sort of life does he have with them?" he asked softly.
Minerva could hear the self-reproach in his voice. "Albus, don't you dare blame yourself. You can't control the Dursleys' attitude toward our world. Harry is a symbol of our world to them. Naturally, they would not treat him well."
"You always seem to know how to make me feel better my dear," he told her, smiling faintly up at her, "but not this time."
She gave an exasperated sigh, deciding a different approach was needed. "Albus Dumbledore, stop this pity-party at once, or I'm leaving."
"Don't go." He looked up at her pleadingly. "I'll stop."
Knowing it would be easier said than done, she asked, "What did you see?"
"I beg your pardon?" He stared at her, puzzled.
She smiled, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. "What deepest, most desperate desire of your heart did you see in the Mirror of Erised?"
"I told Harry I saw myself holding a pair of socks," he replied, his eyes twinkling.
She raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? Did you really see that?"
He shook his head, slipping his hand under the dressing gown she was wearing, causing Minerva's breath to catch in her throat. "No, I saw my lovely wife wearing my Christmas present to her and nothing else."
"Perhaps she's wearing it right now," she suggested, lightly tracing the shape of his ear with the tips of her fingers. "Why don't you remove this dressing gown and see?"
He shivered slightly under her touch and wasted no time removing the dressing gown. He smiled when he saw that she was, indeed, wearing his Christmas gift to her: a crimson silk negligee that both concealed and revealed. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Yes, but you'll have to prove it," she told him with a seductive smile.
And he did exactly that.
Finite
