Post by Hogwarts Duo on Mar 8, 2005 16:55:15 GMT -5
A/N: Hey everybody! This is our first attempt at playing challenge tag and we hope we’ve at least brought a smile your faces with our story! Enjoy! 
I love Albus Dumbledore with every fiber of my being so when he is happy, I am thrilled and when he is sad, I am almost at the depths of despair. It’s always been that way between us and I do believe that the feeling is mutual for him. We’ve shared so many wonderful years together and grown closer through each and every one of them. But I know we grew the most during the dark years of Voldemort’s reign of terror and the sudden losses of so many of our friends.
We’ve loved each other for so many years, words just aren’t necessary anymore and we can read the other’s thoughts and emotions with one simple look or touch. I have never been so completely connected to anyone in my life and yet I wouldn’t have it any other way. But sometimes, my dear Albus takes things too seriously and that’s when I have to remind him that he’s only human and that things will inevitably change.
We were sitting at our desks in our private sitting room when the morning post arrived. It was not unusual for Albus to receive the lion’s share of mail, especially since that brainless twit of a Minister took over. Honestly, every time he sneezes he owls Albus to ask what should be done! But that is a tale for another time and place. This particular morning, Albus received the usual letters asking for advice or alerting him to new developments in tracking potential rogue death eaters and such but there was one owl in particular that seemed to distress him and yet he bore a broad smile that was placed there for my benefit alone. I could tell by the look on his face when he read the owl that he was happy but there was something not quite right.
It seems that Albus’ oldest and dearest friends, Nicholas Flamel and his wife Pernelle were to be blessed with an addition to their family. Oh, please don’t misunderstand me! They were not expecting a baby of their very own but rather one of their many great, great, great…well you get the general idea….grandchildren had just informed them that they were to have another addition to the family tree. It was a joyous time for the entire Flamel family and they wanted to share the news with us, as they have so often done in the past.
On behalf of Albus and myself, I owled them with our congratulations but Albus didn’t seem as enthusiastic as I would’ve thought he might be. He always loved children and while we had none of our very own, he seemed to take delight in the company of the many students that lived within these hallowed halls so many months out of the year. The thought never occurred to me that something was wrong until much later in the day.
I watched him with concern for most of the morning. He seemed uncharacteristically quiet and when I asked him a question, he gave me polite responses but nothing more. At first I feared that I had done something to upset him but as I observed him more closely, I realized that something was troubling him and clouding those blue eyes I loved so much. Although I had no idea what it might be, I knew that his mood has changed soon after the morning post so all of my answers lay on his desk among the letters and cards still scattered from his morning examination of them.
Normally, I do not plunder through his private correspondence for I feel that is an invasion of his privacy. And it’s not like we keep secrets from each other but I have never gone through his personal papers but drastic times call for drastic measures. And seeing Albus visibly unsettled was dire enough for me to take matters into my own hands. After sending him down to the kitchen for some cocoa and tea, I quickly looked through the various messages he had received but nothing caught my immediate attention. Deciding that perhaps he might just need a break from his official duties, I flooed Aberforth and had arranged for him to pop over unannounced and take Albus on some sort of outing for part of the day.
When Aberforth arrived, Albus seemed to cheer up slightly especially when his brother asked him to accompany him to a remote village near Glasgow to purchase some new breed of baby goats. Albus showed a little enthusiasm, but not much compared to his normal display for such childish adventures. Despite his age, Albus always appeared much younger in both his demeanor and his approach to life. That was one of the reasons I fell so deeply in love with him. He reminded me how to be young again and how to enjoy every second of my life, especially our moments together.
With Albus gone, I pushed aside my word and tried to focus on the morning’s events. I ran through every single word that was said between us, every touch, each kiss, even the moments we were silent. Nothing of consequence jumped out at me and I was left slightly baffled. By this time, I was troubled that my husband was hurting and yet I had no clue as to why or even how to repair his feelings. Hoping that Aberforth might be able to cheer him up, I pushed my concerns to a corner of my mind, but they were never really far from the surface.
When the two men arrived back in our rooms, I was disheartened to see the twinkle was not back in my lover’s eyes. They told me quite the tale of their trip to the small village and how Abeforth had fallen in love with the woman who owned the farm. Of course, Aberforth was quick to admit that he was more in love with her breed of goats than the woman, for he felt that while a woman was a thing of beauty and should be treasured, a goat was much less stressful and didn’t require the wining and dining.
We spent an enjoyable afternoon together and while Albus popped into the bathroom for a quick shower, I immediately set out to grill Aberforth on the real reason for the trip, Albus’ mood. He told me that Albus had not confided in him but he mentioned more than once about the Flamel’s news of an impending birth in their family.
Suddenly, the pieces began to fit and yet I wasn’t entirely sure why that news would have such a profound effect on Albus. Deciding to broach the subject with him once Aberforth had left, I slipped into my own musings as the brothers played a game of Exploding Snap, during which Albus chuckled for the first time in many hours that day. Realizing the lateness of the afternoon though, Aberforth made his excuses and went home to check on his goats.
As soon as he was gone, I could sense that Albus’ mood had changed again and I was determined not to let the sun go down on him in this state of mind.
“Albus, sweetheart, please tell me what’s bothering you. I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself today and I want to help if I can.” I pulled him down onto the couch with me and blocked the floo network and shut all of the windows so that we would not be disturbed.
“It’s nothing, really, my dear. Just an old man and his musings,” Albus told me sadly. He laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand up to his soft lips for a gentle kiss that sent tingles through my body. I always feel a rush of excitement and energy from his touch, even the simplest of actions makes me fall in love with him all over again.
“We’ve been together for too long for you to play this little game with me, now out with it,” I tried to say sternly. He tried to downplay his emotions but having known this man intimately for so many years I was not easily fooled.
“Have I done something to upset you? If so, then please tell me what it was so I can make amends. I hate seeing you like this and I’ve missed my carefree and fun loving husband today.” I would be hard pressed to admit it, but the fact that he is so childish and playful makes me so proud and even envious at times that he is able to push his cares and concerns aside for brief periods of time to truly enjoy life. And to be included in his mischief and revelry makes it even better.
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. While that was not an unpleasant or unwelcomed embrace, there was something odd about it. I could actually feel the sadness radiating from his body and into mine as I returned his embrace.
“Albus, please…what’s wrong, Love?” I begged.
“Minerva, have you ever felt like the best years were behind you and that you had missed something so incredibly important and yet so simple it could have easily been ignored?”
“I used to feel that way but that was before we fell in love. I thought that love was only for the beautiful people or the more outgoing ones but never for me, the type of woman a man wanted for a friend but nothing more.” I snuggled deeper into his arms and ran my hand across his chest soothingly. “But as I said, that was all before I met you. You made me see that the best moments of my life were ahead of me…and still are, dear.”
He returned my hug and kissed the top of my head, something he does when he is truly worried or apologetic about something important yet out of his control. I was about to say more to him but he interrupted my thoughts. “That letter from Nicholas today, that’s what’s been on my mind, my dear.”
I love Albus Dumbledore with every fiber of my being so when he is happy, I am thrilled and when he is sad, I am almost at the depths of despair. It’s always been that way between us and I do believe that the feeling is mutual for him. We’ve shared so many wonderful years together and grown closer through each and every one of them. But I know we grew the most during the dark years of Voldemort’s reign of terror and the sudden losses of so many of our friends.
We’ve loved each other for so many years, words just aren’t necessary anymore and we can read the other’s thoughts and emotions with one simple look or touch. I have never been so completely connected to anyone in my life and yet I wouldn’t have it any other way. But sometimes, my dear Albus takes things too seriously and that’s when I have to remind him that he’s only human and that things will inevitably change.
We were sitting at our desks in our private sitting room when the morning post arrived. It was not unusual for Albus to receive the lion’s share of mail, especially since that brainless twit of a Minister took over. Honestly, every time he sneezes he owls Albus to ask what should be done! But that is a tale for another time and place. This particular morning, Albus received the usual letters asking for advice or alerting him to new developments in tracking potential rogue death eaters and such but there was one owl in particular that seemed to distress him and yet he bore a broad smile that was placed there for my benefit alone. I could tell by the look on his face when he read the owl that he was happy but there was something not quite right.
It seems that Albus’ oldest and dearest friends, Nicholas Flamel and his wife Pernelle were to be blessed with an addition to their family. Oh, please don’t misunderstand me! They were not expecting a baby of their very own but rather one of their many great, great, great…well you get the general idea….grandchildren had just informed them that they were to have another addition to the family tree. It was a joyous time for the entire Flamel family and they wanted to share the news with us, as they have so often done in the past.
On behalf of Albus and myself, I owled them with our congratulations but Albus didn’t seem as enthusiastic as I would’ve thought he might be. He always loved children and while we had none of our very own, he seemed to take delight in the company of the many students that lived within these hallowed halls so many months out of the year. The thought never occurred to me that something was wrong until much later in the day.
I watched him with concern for most of the morning. He seemed uncharacteristically quiet and when I asked him a question, he gave me polite responses but nothing more. At first I feared that I had done something to upset him but as I observed him more closely, I realized that something was troubling him and clouding those blue eyes I loved so much. Although I had no idea what it might be, I knew that his mood has changed soon after the morning post so all of my answers lay on his desk among the letters and cards still scattered from his morning examination of them.
Normally, I do not plunder through his private correspondence for I feel that is an invasion of his privacy. And it’s not like we keep secrets from each other but I have never gone through his personal papers but drastic times call for drastic measures. And seeing Albus visibly unsettled was dire enough for me to take matters into my own hands. After sending him down to the kitchen for some cocoa and tea, I quickly looked through the various messages he had received but nothing caught my immediate attention. Deciding that perhaps he might just need a break from his official duties, I flooed Aberforth and had arranged for him to pop over unannounced and take Albus on some sort of outing for part of the day.
When Aberforth arrived, Albus seemed to cheer up slightly especially when his brother asked him to accompany him to a remote village near Glasgow to purchase some new breed of baby goats. Albus showed a little enthusiasm, but not much compared to his normal display for such childish adventures. Despite his age, Albus always appeared much younger in both his demeanor and his approach to life. That was one of the reasons I fell so deeply in love with him. He reminded me how to be young again and how to enjoy every second of my life, especially our moments together.
With Albus gone, I pushed aside my word and tried to focus on the morning’s events. I ran through every single word that was said between us, every touch, each kiss, even the moments we were silent. Nothing of consequence jumped out at me and I was left slightly baffled. By this time, I was troubled that my husband was hurting and yet I had no clue as to why or even how to repair his feelings. Hoping that Aberforth might be able to cheer him up, I pushed my concerns to a corner of my mind, but they were never really far from the surface.
When the two men arrived back in our rooms, I was disheartened to see the twinkle was not back in my lover’s eyes. They told me quite the tale of their trip to the small village and how Abeforth had fallen in love with the woman who owned the farm. Of course, Aberforth was quick to admit that he was more in love with her breed of goats than the woman, for he felt that while a woman was a thing of beauty and should be treasured, a goat was much less stressful and didn’t require the wining and dining.
We spent an enjoyable afternoon together and while Albus popped into the bathroom for a quick shower, I immediately set out to grill Aberforth on the real reason for the trip, Albus’ mood. He told me that Albus had not confided in him but he mentioned more than once about the Flamel’s news of an impending birth in their family.
Suddenly, the pieces began to fit and yet I wasn’t entirely sure why that news would have such a profound effect on Albus. Deciding to broach the subject with him once Aberforth had left, I slipped into my own musings as the brothers played a game of Exploding Snap, during which Albus chuckled for the first time in many hours that day. Realizing the lateness of the afternoon though, Aberforth made his excuses and went home to check on his goats.
As soon as he was gone, I could sense that Albus’ mood had changed again and I was determined not to let the sun go down on him in this state of mind.
“Albus, sweetheart, please tell me what’s bothering you. I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself today and I want to help if I can.” I pulled him down onto the couch with me and blocked the floo network and shut all of the windows so that we would not be disturbed.
“It’s nothing, really, my dear. Just an old man and his musings,” Albus told me sadly. He laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand up to his soft lips for a gentle kiss that sent tingles through my body. I always feel a rush of excitement and energy from his touch, even the simplest of actions makes me fall in love with him all over again.
“We’ve been together for too long for you to play this little game with me, now out with it,” I tried to say sternly. He tried to downplay his emotions but having known this man intimately for so many years I was not easily fooled.
“Have I done something to upset you? If so, then please tell me what it was so I can make amends. I hate seeing you like this and I’ve missed my carefree and fun loving husband today.” I would be hard pressed to admit it, but the fact that he is so childish and playful makes me so proud and even envious at times that he is able to push his cares and concerns aside for brief periods of time to truly enjoy life. And to be included in his mischief and revelry makes it even better.
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. While that was not an unpleasant or unwelcomed embrace, there was something odd about it. I could actually feel the sadness radiating from his body and into mine as I returned his embrace.
“Albus, please…what’s wrong, Love?” I begged.
“Minerva, have you ever felt like the best years were behind you and that you had missed something so incredibly important and yet so simple it could have easily been ignored?”
“I used to feel that way but that was before we fell in love. I thought that love was only for the beautiful people or the more outgoing ones but never for me, the type of woman a man wanted for a friend but nothing more.” I snuggled deeper into his arms and ran my hand across his chest soothingly. “But as I said, that was all before I met you. You made me see that the best moments of my life were ahead of me…and still are, dear.”
He returned my hug and kissed the top of my head, something he does when he is truly worried or apologetic about something important yet out of his control. I was about to say more to him but he interrupted my thoughts. “That letter from Nicholas today, that’s what’s been on my mind, my dear.”
Poor Albus wanting to be a grandpa, I liked the way Minerva helped him feel young. (and who cares if they didn't really have a child then, it had to be fun trying 
)
