Magical Matchmaking

[griseldalafey]

Wheee, they've met. ;D Lovely story, it's so great to see how they are completely oblivious to their feelings. ;D

[TabbyForever]

Heheheh Eeeeeek!!!
Yay...they met!!!
And neither ran away!!! Yay!!!

Loved the update... this is a great story!!!
I'm loving it big time!!!hehehe ;D
Well done mate
Jem

[Catwoman99]

;D This is fabulous! I hope Albus will have the courage to ask her on a second date.

Good job!

-April :-)

[ginger newts]

Neither Albus nor Minerva slept well that night, they kept thinking back over their dinner together and the letters they had been writing. Minerva eventually got out of bed around four in the morning and took all of Albus’ letters out of a drawer to re-read them. Albus did the same the next morning with Minerva’s letters and he realized how much more open she had been when she thought she was talking to a stranger. He also noticed how often she mentioned him in the letters. Now that he knew who had written them, he recognized her references to “my friend” as being about him. Minerva, likewise, noticed that Albus had mentioned her quite frequently in his letters. He wrote to Diana about things he had never talked to Minerva about. She realized that the letter writing had given them the opportunity to discuss things they had either never had a chance to discuss or just hadn’t thought to bring up with each other in person.

Almost immediately, they noticed a difference in their interactions. Acting as strangers and communicating by mail had opened them up to each other and both Albus and Minerva were glad to keep the channels of communication so widely open between them. They both also realized that the reason they had agreed to meet was that they had been growing attracted to the stranger on the other end of the letter. Both were shocked to discover this, how was it possible to grow so attached to someone you had never met, they wondered. Minerva began to re-evaluate her past feelings for Albus. The schoolgirl crush she had felt as a student had returned in full force when she first began teaching at Hogwarts and had then grown into a deep friendly affection, but now she realized that she had remained physically attracted to him. She had simply hidden this attraction under a well practiced facade until she forgot about it herself. Minerva had grown used to seeing Albus on a daily basis and soon learned to interact with him without going weak in the knees. It had been necessary to maintain a professional relationship as well as a friendship. The more she thought about his letters and the dinner they had shared, the more she wanted to share more moments like that with Albus.

Albus had been strongly attracted to Minerva when she first arrived at Hogwarts as a teacher, the pretty young girl now transformed into a beautiful confident woman. He had told himself not to act on this attraction, feeling that it would not be professional, and had grown complacent in her friendship. Now that he realized the attraction he felt for Diana when reading her letters, he also realized that he had continually compared her to Minerva and that when he had tried to envision what she looked like he had never been able to fill in the details, but it had been Minerva’s eyes, hair, and body he had seen in his mind. He had wanted so much to kiss her on Saturday night, but at the last moment decided to kiss her cheek because he did not want to feel too forward or to ruin their friendship. Friendship no longer seemed like enough to Albus. After realizing that he did indeed miss having a woman in his life and noticing during his dinner with Minerva how easy it was to talk to her, he wanted nothing more than to spend every free moment with her. He had always enjoyed her company, but now he found himself longing to see her beautiful green eyes and hear her voice all the time. Sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night with a longing to talk to Minerva. Albus made a decision, he was going to ask Minerva to accompany him to diner again soon and hope it went well, hope they could become more than friends.

Now that Albus was the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Minerva was his Deputy, they spent a lot of time together discussing school business and of course they had always met as friends, but now they often found themselves inventing little excuses to go visit each other throughout the days. It went on like this for weeks until Albus finally found the perfect time to invite Minerva to dinner again. They were playing a game of chess one Wednesday night in his office and he was mesmerized by the way the firelight made her face appear to glow, causing him to lose much more quickly than he usually did. When Minerva looked up at him, smiling, to gloat over her win she froze when she saw the look on Albus’ face. He was staring at her intently and to say she found it unnerving would be an understatement.

“Albus,” she asked slowly, “are you alright?”

He shook himself and answered, “Fine, my dear, just fine. I was wondering, would you accompany me to dinner on Friday?”

“Of course, where would you like to go?” Minerva was both surprised and delighted, but she hoped neither showed.

“Well, there’s a lovely place in London that I know of, but if you would prefer we could go into Hogsmeade. Anywhere you want,” he said with a smile.

Minerva smiled back and said that London sounded wonderful. Albus told her he would take care of all the details and she should meet him in the Entrance Hall at seven on Friday night.

“Oh, and Minerva, wear your hair down again,” he requested as she rose to leave.

[Sensiblyquirky]

awww...i'm so happy he asked her out again! Those two, (shakeshead), so intelligent and yet so dense! I love it!

Keep up the great work,

Christy

[griseldalafey]

Finally!!! They are noticing it *grin* Can't wait to see how their dates works out ;D

[Jestana]

Yay! It's finally penetrating! *muffles squeals of glee* Bravo!

[TartanPhoenix]

THANK YOU!!!! I thought we were going to have to hit them over the head before it sunk in. Great update.

[ginger newts]

Here's the next bit, there will be a brief epilogue and then, alas, the end.

The next two days passed slowly for the two professors, but the hours just before seven on Friday seemed to fly by so that neither was sure they were completely ready when it was time to meet. Both were still questioning the intentions of the other and were harboring a lot of anxiety about this dinner. They needn’t have worried, however, as the dinner went just as smoothly as their previous interactions. The two friends found plenty to talk about over the meal and shared a few graceful dances before it was time to return to Hogwarts. Once again, Albus escorted Minerva to her rooms and left her at the door with a soft kiss to the cheek. Once again, her heart had skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat when she saw him leaning in toward her, and once again she prepared for bed slightly flustered and a little disappointed that Albus seemed unwilling to give her a real kiss. If only she had known how hard it was for him not to press her up against the door and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.

Two weeks later it was a Hogsmeade weekend for the older students and Albus invited Minerva to have a picnic with him on the grounds while the castle was mostly empty. He had the house elves fill a basket with all of his and Minerva’s favorite foods and went out to prepare the location he had selected early that morning. There was a small clearing in the forest filled with wild flowers that Albus had discovered many years ago on one of his walks around the grounds, he had never shown it to anyone else and couldn’t wait until Minerva saw it. She met him once again in the Entrance Hall at the appointed time and as soon as they had walked around the corner of the castle, Albus offered her his arm and they set off toward the forest. Once in the forest, the path was very narrow and there wasn’t room for them to walk side by side. Albus gently took Minerva’s hand and led her toward the clearing. When they reached it, he watched with delight as her face lit up.

“Oh, Albus, it’s beautiful,” she breathed. “How did you ever find it?”

Albus chuckled, “My dear, I have been at Hogwarts a long time and have had ample opportunity to learn many of its secrets. Though I do not pretend to know them all.”

Minerva saw the logic in that and said no more as she allowed Albus to lead her to the blanket he had spread out under one tree, green tartan she noticed with a smile. He unpacked the picnic basket and they enjoyed a long leisurely lunch, after which they sat and enjoyed the quiet of the forest and the warm May afternoon alternating between lively conversation and periods of companionable silence. They completely forgot about the rest of the world until the sun started to go down and Minerva realized with a start that they were going to be late for dinner. Albus vanished the remnants of their picnic and they rushed back through the forest to the school, both hurrying so much that they failed to notice or enjoy the fact that they were holding hands again. After making sure there were no leaves caught in their hair or robes, they walked casually into the already full hall and took their seats at the head table. In answer to the questioning looks from the rest of the staff, Albus said simply that they had been discussing school matters and lost track of time. Nobody looked like they believed this, but all were unwilling to challenge the Headmaster.

The next day, Albus received a summons from the International Confederation of Wizards. Rumors had been circulating for months that they wanted to make him a member and he suspected that was the cause of his sudden invitation to join them. He called Minerva through the floo network and asked her to join him in his office, saying he wanted to go over a few things with her before he left. In truth, Albus really just wanted to say goodbye to her. A moment later, she stepped out of the hearth and brushed herself off.

“Yes, Albus, what is it,” she asked, as always getting straight to business.

“The International Confederation of Wizards has requested my immediate presence at their meeting this afternoon, I just wanted to inform you that I was leaving. I should be back tomorrow, but to tell you the truth I’m not entirely sure how long they will keep me.”

Minerva was wondering why he didn’t just tell her this through the fire instead of asking her to come here, but on some level she was pleased he had wanted to see her before he left. “That’s fine, Albus, I think I can handle the school for a day,” she finally said with a hint of teasing in her voice.

“Of course,” he said distractedly. “Do you think these robes are alright for the Confederation?”

Albus had opted for a conservative set of deep blue robes with silver trim, and Minerva thought he looked very handsome. She walked around him slowly, occasionally brushing away a bit of dust or lint and whispering spells to loosen small wrinkles. When she had finished with his robes, Minerva ran her hands lightly over his hair, smoothing down a few errant silvery locks. Albus had completely forgotten where he was supposed to be going when she finished as he had been too caught up in having Minerva so close to him and on her hands touching him lightly from time to time. His eyes had closed when she moved to his hair.

Walking back around him, Minerva said, “I think you look very nice. The Confederation will be impressed.”

“Thank you,” Albus managed to say softly.

“Have a safe trip, then, and I’ll see you soon.” Minerva stood on her tip toes and leaned in to kiss his cheek, but at the last moment Albus turned his head and caught her lips with his own.

Surprised, it took Minerva a moment to begin kissing him back, but once she did the kiss very quickly grew in intensity and passion as they wrapped their arms tightly around each other. Breaking apart from each other, Albus leaned his forehead against Minerva’s and ran a finger slowly down her cheek causing her to shiver. They stood there, holding each other and looking into each other’s eyes, for a few minutes until Minerva finally found her voice to say that Albus would be late if he didn’t leave. She smoothed his hair down again where she had rumpled it during their kiss and Albus squeezed her hand again in thanks before picking up the portkey that would take him to the meeting.

Minerva watched him go and then sank down into a chair in front of his fire to think about what had just happened. She had completely forgotten that she was in Albus’ office and not her own because her mind was still on the kiss, on the way he had tasted, the feel of his body against hers. It had been wonderful and she craved more with every fiber of her being. Lost in her thoughts, Minerva eventually fell asleep curled up in Albus’ chair.

When he arrived at the meeting, Albus had a hard time paying attention because his mind was back at Hogwarts with Minerva. He had been correct, they were inducting him into the Confederation that night, but Albus missed most of the ceremony and repeated the oath in a monotone voice without absorbing anything he promised. Minerva had tasted so sweet and her body fit perfectly against his, Albus could almost feel her slender waist against his arms as he sat impatiently through his first meeting. He returned to Hogwarts late and walked quickly through his darkened office and into his bedroom without noticing the sleeping witch in his armchair.

The next morning, Minerva awoke confused and looked around as she stretched, startled to see Albus sitting across from her and watching her with a look that could only be described as adoration covering his face.

“Good morning,” she said somewhat sheepishly.

Albus smiled, “Were you waiting up for me?” He had been more than a little surprised to find her in his office that morning, but it had been a pleasant surprise.

“I didn’t mean to be,” she admitted. “I guess I just sat down to think when you left and fell asleep here. I’m sorry.”

Minerva rose to leave, but Albus stepped forward and gently caught her by the shoulders. “What were you thinking about?” he asked softly.

“About us,” she almost whispered in reply.

“What about us?” Albus asked nervously.

Minerva hesitated for a moment and then answered, “About that kiss, about what it meant, how right it felt.” She dropped her gaze to the floor.

Lifting her chin so she was looking in his eyes, Albus told her gently, “I spent most of the evening thinking about that as well. Minerva, how do you feel about what’s been happening between us?”

She was quiet for a few moments, trying to think of the right words to say and Albus found himself holding his breath waiting for her reply. His entire happiness for the future rested in her answer and he hoped it was the one he wanted to hear.

Finally, Minerva spoke, saying the only thing she thought captured her feelings appropriately, “I think I’m falling in love with you, Albus.”

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly before leaning back to whisper, “I think I’m falling in love with you too, Minerva.”

[Jestana]

DAW! That was such a waffy ending! I love it! Especially how the kiss distracted both of them. *giggle* Bravo!

[Sensiblyquirky]

oh i loved that update!!!! so sweet, and I'm grinning like an idiot!

Great job,

Christy

awwwwwwwwwww

[tartantabbycat]

I'm so glad they got together! A job very well done, Ginger, dear. I'm so impressed!

Cie

[Nerweniel]

They are not "falling" in love with each other, they just *are* in love with each other ;D, period! Awww, is there anything better than some fluffy cuteness in the morning? No, there isn't! Great job!

Love,

Liz

[ArabellaFiggs]

Woehaa, what a wonderful story.
I loved the movie You've Got Mail.
Great job .

love, Joop

[TabbyForever]

Ok so i'm 24hrs late reading this but.....awwwww
its a great way to start the day!!!well afternnon actually!!!hehehe ;D

I love this story...bit gutted i didn't review the previous chapter but hell it happens to the best of us!!!!heheh

Well done mate....love it!!
Jem

[Miss Q]

GO YOU!!!

Can't wait to read the rest!!!

M(iss Q)

[griseldalafey]

Is it over? *sob* Anyway, I loved it. It was such a romantic story. Great job!

[ginger newts]

Epilogue, 20 Years Later

“Albus, this is your first day back on the Wizengamut, you don’t want to be late.”

“I know, my dear. Could you come here?” Albus called from his bedroom.

Minerva entered from the office, “Yes?”

“Are these robes alright?” he asked.

Walking around him to brush away the lint and smooth the wrinkles, Minerva finished by checking his hair and beard. “You look very handsome,” she finally told him.

“Thank you, my dear,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

Minerva laughed and pulled away, “Don’t start that or I might not let you leave.”

Chuckling, Albus replied, “Why don’t you give me a reason to hurry back then?”

They shared a passionate kiss, expressing all the love and desire they still felt for each other and when it was broken, Albus said, “I love you.”

“I love you, now go,” Minerva said with a smile.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you soon, I hope. And Minerva, don’t bother waiting up, you always fall asleep in front of the fire,” Albus teased.

“Getting too old to carry me back to bed then,” she teased back.

Pretending to look offended, Albus said, “Me? Never.” He picked her up so that she was draped over his shoulder, ignoring her cries to put her down, and carried her into his office. Setting her down in front of the fireplace, he said in mock resignation, “Have it your way, bloody stubborn woman. I’ll see you when I get back.”

Minerva laughed and kissed him lightly, “Get out of here you crazy old man, but hurry back.”

“I could never stay gone for long, love.”

With one last kiss Albus was gone and Minerva settled down in her usual chair in front of his fire with a book to await his return. She was asleep when he came home and with a shake of his head and an amused smile, Albus picked Minerva up and carried her to the bedroom. He had no intentions of letting her stay asleep, however, and woke her with a kiss once they were both lying in bed.

“I hope your nap was restful, my dear,” he said when she opened her eyes, “for I don’t intend to let you fall asleep for a long time.”

Minerva giggled as he began nuzzling her neck and happily gave herself up to their passion, thinking, not for the first time, that sleep was vastly overrated.

[Jestana]

Whee! Such a cute ending! Bravo!

[TabbyForever]

Yay.....fantastic ending!!!
I love it!!!!
Fabby, can't wait for the next story!!! ;D

Well done mate

Jem

[tartantabbycat]

That was so dear! I loved this part:

“Thank you, my dear,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

Minerva laughed and pulled away, “Don’t start that or I might not let you leave.”

Chuckling, Albus replied, “Why don’t you give me a reason to hurry back then?”


That was so cute! The way you tied it to that earier scene in the story was just perfect! I loved it! Will there be a sequel then?

[angharad]

Sweet ending!

[ArabellaFiggs]

Such a sweet epilogue,
you have done a great job with this story.

[Catwoman99]

Sorry I'm late with a review! This was so cute. I caught myself saying, "Awww." Out loud! That was a great story.

-April :-)

[griseldalafey]

Aw... lovely ending of a lovely story... *sigh* they are just so cute together

[AthenaDumbledore]

Wooooohooooooo, such a perfect story. They're just made for eachother. I hate myself for not checking the board for a looooooong time. Now I notice I've missed all these wonderful stories... Anyway, I'm catching up.

Sara

[kate]

I can just repeat.....

Fantastic story! It was so cute!

Thanks a lot!

~*~ Kate

[amandahleigh]

How incredibly sweet! This fit perfectly in the romance section; I wouldn't have put it anywhere else.
I feel like I read the first part before (Did I review? hmm..) but I don't remember having read the ending. Well, in any case, great fic!

:-)

AL

[ismaco]

AWWW!

I've never read this before... I liked it a lot!! Specially the epilogue!
The story is just great!

[BlazeFourPaws]

So incredibly adorable. I absolutely love it. I also seem to see it having a huge Pina Colada song parallel. So perfect.