For Your Love

[Kerin]

I don't know who I feel worse for but I like how you explained Minerva's side of things.

[Hogwarts Duo]

Chapter 5

To both Albus and Minerva, that night was the longest one they could ever remember. Each tossed and turned in their beds, struggling to make some sense of the conversation they had only a couple of hours ago.

Albus was torn. He desperately loved Minerva and would do anything to see her happy but his heart had been hurt by her harsh words and actions. Now, just when he thought he might be able to deal with the situation at hand, she came back into his life and offered the most sincere apology he had ever heard from anyone. It had taken all of his strength not to open his arms and engulf her in a fierce hug and when her lips touched his, the old feelings of desire and longing began to simmer within his body. Yet for all of that, he remained motionless, not daring to move an inch. Upon hearing the door close, once more he cried for the life he so longed to share with her.

Even in his bed and in his light slumber, his thoughts turned to her. There seemed to be no escape. He replayed their conversation over and over in his head, searching for some reason to find fault with her reasoning but even he had to admit that her stories had been as difficult for her to share as they had been for him to hear. In looking into her eyes, he knew it had taken a great deal of courage and humility to admit her wrongs of the past and then to freely confess her failings in their own relationship.

He turned over for the hundredth time in his bed and opened his eyes slightly. The single flower still rested in the vase, just as lovely as it had been when he first received it. His mind imagined her in a field of daisies, struggling to find the perfect one for him. In the numerous times he had presented her with flowers, she had always remarked on their beauty and the love with which they were given. Now, staring at her gift to him, he felt a warmth in his heart knowing that out of all the flowers in the world, she had chosen this one with him in mind.

Minerva wasn’t sleeping peacefully either. As soon as she walked out of Albus’ chambers, she felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. In years past, she had always been able to read his emotions, even when the rest of the world could not. But this was one time she had failed. As he sat with her on the sofa and they shared piercing glances, she found a wall around his emotions much like the one she had constructed to protect her own heart. And when she kissed him, the tiniest spark found its’ way straight to her core and firmed her resolve to win him back, no matter the cost. It would take a lot more than a few apologetic words, a bag of candy, and a flower to win him back but she was fully prepared to put herself in danger of a broken heart for one more chance at happiness with him.

All too soon the sun peeked over the mountain ridge and rays of light filtered across Albus’ face. Still sluggish and tired from his restless night, he crawled from his bed and showered, hoping the warm water would help wake his mind and his spirits. As so often happened, his mind turned to Minerva and how he should react to her at breakfast. He didn’t wish to seem indifferent or cold, nor did he want to come across as someone who had so easily forgiven the pain of her actions. Sighing deeply and dressing for the day, he decided to play things by ear and go with his feelings of the moment, whatever they may be.

As he opened the door to make his way to the Great Hall, he was met with a startled scream from Minerva. Her hand was raised, as if she was preparing to knock, and her other hand flew to her chest, clutching at her robes in shock.

“Albus, you startled me,” she breathlessly remarked. “I thought I would catch you before you went to breakfast this morning and it seems that I just made it.” She smiled sweetly at him as she regained her composure.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he smiled back. “I am running a little late this morning, as you can tell. But what was it that you wanted to see me about so early.”

“I came to escort you to breakfast this morning,” she beamed, offering him her arm as he had done for her every morning since they had started seriously thinking of a relationship. “You’ve always appeared at my door just seconds before I was to leave and I thought it might be a nice change to return the favor. And it gives me a chance to be the first to bid you a good morning.” With that she stood up on her tiptoes and lightly kissed his cheek before taking his arm and looping it though hers.

As they settled into their usual seats, Albus clapped his hands once and waited for the food to appear. He had expected a bowl of cereal or porridge this morning but was happily surprised at what appeared before him. During the summer months, the staff opted to make things easier on the house elves and each light meals which were easily prepared, cold cereal, porridge, pastries, and such. However, this morning Albus looked at his plate and smiled.

“I spoke with the house elves early this morning and asked them to make your favorite breakfast. I hope I remembered correctly,” Minerva whispered softly.

Albus looked back at his plate filled with buttermilk pancakes, maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh strawberries on top. His mouth practically watered from the sight before him and then he turned to Minerva. “You remembered my favorite meal and you did this for me?”

“All for you, Albus. It was something simple and I knew it would bring a little smile to your face this morning.” She motioned towards her own plate and grinned. “I thought I’d give it a try too. Remember how you always teased me about not trying them? Well, this morning I decided to turn over a new leaf and give them a chance.” She winked at him and then focused her attention towards her own plate of food.

At lunchtime, Minerva eagerly dashed to the Great Hall, fearing she would miss another chance to spend a little time with Albus. Disappointment set in when she opened the doors only to find a few staff members, who made sure to put her fears to rest. Albus had not shown up for lunch at all and a large group of owls had been seen heading towards the tower which housed his office. Lunch passed rather quietly and without any fanfare at all for Minerva. She was still deep in thought when the house elves appeared to clear away the remaining plates.

[Hogwarts Duo]

“Professor, Dobby is sorry to disturb you. Dobby thought you were finished with lunch.”

“It’s quite alright, Dobby. I was just thinking and I lost track of time.” She watched as he busily cleared away the dished and had started wiping down the tables. “Dobby, do you know if Professor Dumbledore has taken time to eat lunch or at least have it delivered this afternoon?”

“Dobby is sorry m’am but Professor Dumbledore left after breakfast. Dobby was told he would not be at lunch since he was called away by the Minister of Magic.”

“Oh I see. Thank you Dobby.” Minerva was about to walk back to her office when she remembered comments made about a large volume of mail for Albus. Seeing this as another chance to do something special for him, she slipped up to his office and surveyed the clutter on his desk.

Since his absence for four days combined with the unusual amount of mail this morning, his desk looked an utter mess. Letters scattered across the mahogany writing desk, half eaten bags of sweets littered the pile as well and from the look of things, he had also neglected to put the top on his bottle of ink for it had spilled and was trickling down the front of his desk to the carpet.

Two hours later, Minerva sank into his chair and smiled. His mail had been opened and sorted into separate piles, based on the urgency of the request. The carpet stain had been easily removed with a few cleansing spells and all of his sherbert lemons had been combined into one glass large bowl and placed on the right hand side of his desk for easy access. She was just about to write him a short note explaining the new look when he stepped through the fireplace.

“Minerva, I wasn’t expecting to see you here this afternoon,” he said pleasantly surprised.

“I was just about to write you a note. I missed you at lunch and after speaking with Dobby and a few of the staff, I thought I’d pop up here and see if there might be something I could do to lighten your work load today.” She cast her eyes down towards his desk and then back up to see his twinkling blue eyes. She had not heard him moving across the room so quickly but the only thing separating them from each other was the desk. She felt compelled to throw her arms around his neck and greet him with a passionate kiss but her mind told her it might be a little too early for such a greeting.

“What a lovely thought. Thank you. You always have been more efficient than me when it came to paperwork and handling the correspondence,” he chuckled.

“I must admit, though, that I had an ulterior motive in mind by the time I finished cleaning up. I was hoping I might be able to persuade you to join me after dinner for a walk around the lake or perhaps the gardens. I too have things to do but I thought it might be a nice change for both of us. What do you say?”

“I’d love to Minerva,” he said truthfully, “but it looks like the heavens will open up and pour the rain out any minute. I’m afraid we’d be drenched if we tried to take a stroll this evening.”

“Right, well you certainly can’t blame me for trying,” she said suddenly very sad at her dashed hopes.

“But that should not stop us from perhaps enjoying a rousing game of chess. We haven’t done that in quite some time and if memory serves me correctly, I still owe you a sound defeat for the tricks you pulled on me last time.” The twinkle in his eyes became more pronounced as he jogged her memory about their last chess game. It had started out as a friendly little game but soon Minerva resorted to antics beneath the table, causing him to break his concentration and in effect forfeiting the game when he could no longer restrain himself.

“Indeed you do, Albus but I will admit that it was one of our more memorable matches, in more ways than one,” she giggled.

“It certainly was, my dear, and one that will not be soon forgotten.” He reached out and took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So, are you up for a challenge this evening?”

“Sounds wonderful. I’ll pick you up for dinner at seven and then afterwards we can come back here for some quiet time. In the meantime, you still need to eat. I’ll have Dobby bring you a sandwich and some juice while you work hard on getting these owls answered. I’m going to my office to work on some things and I’ll see you tonight.”

Minerva could not contain her giddiness at the feelings which were stirring inside her. She had made a little progress, or at least she hoped that was what she saw in his eyes. Now, she had to scurry about and get everything ready for their dinner in a few short hours.

Albus sat down at his desk and sighed. It would be a long couple of hours before his desk was cleared of the mountains of paperwork but thanks to Minerva his task was made much simpler. Taking the first letter from his ‘urgent’ stack, he noted Minerva’s handwriting scribbled across the envelope, marking it the most urgent letter of them all. Opening it up and preparing himself for some long winded letter from a colleague or ministry official, he smiled. It simply said…I love you and it was signed, Love Minerva.

[Herzele]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ... That was just so sweet ! I loved the way she tried to show him the change in her and her love ...
And of course I hope they'll get back together ...

[JKMcGonagall]

I really like the sweet way she is trying to make up for hurting him before. Lovely story. Update soon.

Kay

[angeldust]

awwwwww (sniff) she is becoming so thoughtful !

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

Aaaaaawwwww!!!! she's getting there slow but sure:D Great fic, cant wate for the update

[Alesia]

Yeah Min, you go! It is going to be a long slow road though, penitence is often a painful process.

[tayryn]

It simply said…I love you and it was signed, Love Minerva.

aawwww... that is just... too sweet! i love it!!

i love the progress she's making with him. slow and steady, and before she knows it... Min will have her man... again!!

wonderful update!

[Jaya]

Slow but steady wins the race... or in the case Albus' heart... please please please!!!!!

Waiting (im) patiently for the next update....

Jaya ;D

[ginger newts]

I love that she's courting him now, doing all the sweet little things to make his day brighter. I can't wait to see what happens during their dinner and chess match...they certainly seem to be off to a better start. Update soon!

[Lady Lavendar]

Wow! This story is so good! i love the way you are portraing Min and Albus. It's going to be a slow road ahead of her.

LL

[TartanPhoenix]

Yay!! I love how Minerva's doing the wooing. It seems as if they may be back on track again. Update soon. ;D

[Krystal]

I am not keeping up but I want to tell you that I am enjoying this story. I kept switching sides but I'm firmly on both their sides and hope they can work it all out. Krys

[QuillofMinerva]

It is nice to see that a woman can do the wooing for change though I do like to be wooed but that doesnt really happen *sign*
Can't wait to read more so I hope there is an update soon.

Clayre x

[bee.]

alright, the letter was about the cutest thing ever. i love how she put it in the 'urgent' pile! ;D i can't wait for the next update, and keep it up.
ecks oh ecks oh,
[glow=yellow,2,300]bee[/glow]

[Tartan Tabby]

Awwww...that was so cute! Minerva has really great ideas to make Albus feel better

[Kacie]

I like reading about an imperfect Minerva and this one is just wonderful. Kacie

[Hogwarts Duo]

Chapter 6...picks up immediately where Chapter 5 left off

Albus looked at the parchment for the longest time, reading the simple yet profound words over and over again. She had marked this letter as the most urgent and he felt a tug at his heartstrings each time he read those five words contained on the page.

It hadn’t been that long ago that he would have done something very similar for Minerva on days when he thought she was working too hard. It felt awkward to him being the object of such attention. For so many years, he had been the doting one, the one who went to extreme measures to ensure Minerva’s happiness. Now it was hard for him to sit back and accept the love and appreciation being heaped upon him by the woman he so desperately wanted to love.

Sifting through so many memories, Albus finally shook himself from his musings. His pile of paperwork still sat untouched and the hour was growing late. Minerva would be here soon and unfortunately he had hardly made a dent in the correspondence. As much as he disliked doing it, he was going to have to turn Minerva down for the chess game he had initiated this evening. Hopefully, she would not hold it against him but if she did, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d been displeased when his work got in the way of their time together.

All too soon a knock sounded on his door and it opened gently. He saw her head peep around the door and he smiled at her. “Come in, Minerva. And do me a favor. I know things have been strained between us of late but please, do not feel the need to knock on my door before entering each and every time. You haven’t done that in years and I actually preferred it when you just waltzed into my life and my office.”

“Consider it done,” she laughed before glancing at his desk and noticing the stacks still in place. “I see you weren’t able to get much done this afternoon,” was her matter of fact comment towards his still organized but cluttered desk.

“I’m afraid not. I had a lot of things on my mind and when I noted the time, it was entirely too late to make much progress before dinner.” He swallowed hard and braced himself for another display of her temper. “I sincerely hate to do this but I’m afraid I’m going to have to work through my dinner and the chess game isn’t looking too promising either.” A slight wince could be seen on his face as he finished.

Minerva looked positively distraught yet she managed a weak smile. “That’s okay Albus. I understand you have a lot of things to oversee and it can’t be easy coming back from four days away from the school.” A silence fell upon them but it didn’t last long enough to become uncomfortable. “How about I have the house elves bring dinner for us here and then maybe I can help you with some of your work, the less important letters or projects perhaps? If we divide the work, it will get finished much faster and then if time permits maybe we could see about that game. If not, we’ll just reschedule it for another evening.”

“What a lovely suggestion, my dear. Are you certain you wouldn’t mind helping me? I know I promised a rematch after dinner but I just don’t see how it will be possible with all of this,” he said waving his hand over his desk.

“I’m positive. Now you create a list of things you wish me to take care of for you and I will go to the kitchens to speak to the house elves about dinner. When I get back, we can work for a little while, eat, then resume working until it’s all finished.” She winked at him quickly then turned and retreated from his office in a swirl of emerald green robes.

Albus shook his head. In times past, Minerva would have been furious with him for canceling a quiet evening for anything less than something extremely important. Now, here she was, suggesting they postpone their plans in order to work on the demands of his job. Whatever her reasoning, though, he was most appreciative and he made a mental note to tell her just how much he appreciated the gesture.

Yet part of Albus was curious and a bit hesitant to fall too deeply too quickly for her again. She had broken his heart and now it seemed she was working especially hard at winning him back. But he had to ask himself how long this new side of Minerva’s personality would remain at the forefront. While he loved the attention and compromise, he couldn’t help but feel he was being lured into a false sense of security by the bewitching woman.

Despite his reserved feelings at being the object of Minerva’s new personality, the love he still held for her only grew and grew with each and every thing she did for him. He found himself wondering why things couldn’t have been this wonderful from the very beginning. He hadn’t wanted a relationship with a woman who would fawn over him constantly and agree with every word he spoke just for the sake of being agreeable. He loved Minerva’s spirit and her fire but she all too often took them to the extreme, causing him pain. He beamed with pride as she debated with even the staunchest of Ministry officials or colleagues and despite it all, her fire was amazing, both in and out of the bedroom.

Which brought him around to the question which had been plaguing his mind…would he be willing to risk getting hurt again for another chance at happiness with Minerva? Really, there was no doubt in his mind as to the answer. Of course he would love another shot at a happily ever after with her but at what cost? There was no way he could pour everything into a romance with her only to have her give a fraction of herself to it. If there was to be a ‘them’ they both had to want it bad enough to give all they had.

Minerva made her way swiftly to her rooms after leaving his office. She had planned a quiet dinner for the two of them in her rooms, nothing terribly romantic but just a quiet meal away from everyone else. Transfiguring a box into a picnic basket, Minerva quickly packed up the dishes and blew out the candles on the table. Waving her wand, the table turned back into her end table and returned to its’ usual place at the end of the sofa. This wasn’t going to be the evening she had planned but at least she could spend more time with him and even help with his heavy workload.

[Hogwarts Duo]

“I’m back and I have food,” she called out as she entered his office, this time without knocking.

“And I’ve just finished sorting through the work and creating separate piles for each of us,” he answered looking up and seeing the basket in her hand. “My goodness! Whatever you have in that basket smells wonderful. How did the house elves managed to pull something together so quickly?”

“Okay, I admit it. I had planned a quiet dinner for us in my rooms and it was all waiting for us. I was going to come here and escort you to dinner but before we made it to the Great Hall I was going to tell you I had forgotten something. Then, I’d lead you to my rooms where a table for two was set near the window so we could enjoy the sounds of the rain pelting the window and the soft light of the candles. But, if you couldn’t join me, then I thought I’d bring it to you instead.”

Albus was speechless. How many times in the past had he planned something only to have it ruined or altered? Too many to count quickly, he feared. He could sympathize with the sense of disappointment that flashed in Minerva’s green eyes but he could see there was more to be found. Instead of anger, there was understanding there as well and for the first time in what felt like weeks, he was filled with a sense of hope. He just prayed that her newly found change of heart would last, for both their sakes.

Working through dinner was tedious but enjoyable thanks in part to the food and the company. It was certainly better than the sandwiches and soup he had convinced himself he would have to eat alone. The conversation wasn’t bad either. He and Minerva had always been able to discuss a wide range of topics spanning decades of events and facts. That was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her. Despite the age differences between them, the years always melted away whenever they were together. It didn’t matter that he was eighty years old when she was born or that he had once been her favorite professor. He saw her as an amazing woman and on more than one occasion she made it a point to tell him exactly how she viewed him and his role in her life.

With the dinner dishes sent to the kitchen and the last of the owls finally answered, Minerva stood up and stretched. Her back was beginning to ache from spending hours over one corner of his desk. And if she was feeling the aches of such monotonous work, then surely he must be as well for he had been working far longer than she. Casually she walked behind his chair and without saying a word, she began to massage his shoulders firmly but with such tenderness.

Albus relaxed under her touch and allowed his eyes to drift closed. She was close enough for him to smell the faint scent of lavender as it drifted from her skin. Her hands were highly skilled in the art of massage and she remembered all the sore spots where his tension was usually stored. He could feel himself giving in to his desire to moan his pleasure as her cool fingertips lightly touched the side of his neck on their journey to his temple. Easing his head backwards to rest between her ample breasts, she continued to drive away his stress with her simple yet tender touches.

“Mmm, that feels wonderful, my dear.”

She did not answer but smiled broadly as she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the comforting smell of peppermint and lemon. It wasn’t until he took one of her hands in his and kissed the palm lightly that she found the courage to speak. “Mmm, that feels wonderful, my love.”

He held her hand in his and positioned it over his heart before pressing it firmly against his chest, his hand covering hers. For several long but emotional minutes they remained still, just taking comfort from the tenderness being offered and happily received. “I think it’s time I escorted you to your rooms, my dear.”

“I suppose so. It is growing late and we’ve had a long and tiring day.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and was happy when he did the same. Together they leisurely strolled the halls until they finally reached her chamber door.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me today Minerva. I can’t tell you how much each little act has meant.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, letting his lips hover just a second longer than absolutely necessary.

“I love you Albus and I know I’ve got a long way to go but I do intend to make you see that I’ve changed. This is the new me and I can only hope and pray that you’ll find this Minerva more appealing and loveable than the old one.” She took his hand and kissed his palm before disappearing behind the door, never taking her eyes from his until the wooden barrier between them closed shut with a soft click.

TBC...

[ginger newts]

Oh, so sweet. I love how they're slowly finding it easier to share tender moments. I hope Albus conquers his fears soon and everything turns out alright. Minerva better keep up all the good work at rebuilding. Update soon.

[Herzele]

Wonderful update - as always !!
Let's hope he will soon see that she's really changed and their relationship will be much better than before !

[Kandice]

I'm glad Minerva is trying to change and wants to do it because she sees the need and not just to keep a man. Yeah, I'm a feminist but I'm not uptight about it. :-) Kandie

[JKMcGonagall]

That was really sweet. Minerva did so many nice things for Albus. It seems she realizes that love is a two way street. Both have to give to it to have it be enjoyable and right.

Kay

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

*hoots* wow! there gettign there , really great fic! can't wait for another update

[tayryn]

this was a delightful chapter... i am glad to see that Minerva didn't get upset, although, truth be told, with her new attitude, and outlook on her relationship with Albus, i didn't really expect her to!

looking forward to the next chapter!!

[Jaya]

Great chapter!

I hope that Minerva's character changes stay! And I agree that having her change because she recognized the flaws herself is better than changing just to keep Albus, even as special as we all know he is ... *vbg*

Looking forward to the next update!

Jaya ;D

[Alesia]

I am glad to see she is really trying to change rather then just win him back. And I am glad he is trying to vocalize his reservations and thanks at what she is trying to do.

[TinyDancer]

[glow=red,2,300]HURRY AND UPDATE!!!LOL[/glow]

[griseldalafey]

Come on Albus... stop doubting. I just feel sorry for Minerva and hope he doesn't keep her waiting much longer.

But great chapter