Love and Distractions

[Mellypoo622]

Too funny! Poor Albus!! I hope he finishes what he started soon!

[Kerin]

I was feeling sorry for Albus at first but now I think he should stop trying to set the scene and ask her already.

[JKMcGonagall]

Two words: Murphy's Law!!!!!!!

Great update, now please, do it again.

Kay

[Jessabelle]

excellent post .. poor albus tho .. haha i think that this next attempt will have to work b4 he gives up altogether .. cant wait for more .. plz post again soon!

[QuillofMinerva]

Chapter Five : In sickness and in health

By Clayre

Minerva sat behind her tidy looking desk in her private office, marking the last of the sixth year’s transfiguration homework. She had been sat in her office for the last three hours and sighed with relief when she came to the end of the last parchment, she set her quill down next to the parchment and lent back in her chair.

Ever since the weekend, a question had been mulling around in her mind, why had Albus found the thought of marrying her so funny? She had never thought of the idea of marrying as funny, it seemed to her that marriage would be the next natural progression in their relationship. Granted, they had never sat down together and discussed marriage but she had always hoped that he would approach the subject, part of her had thought that he was going to propose to her that night when Aberforth rudely interrupted them. Another thought floated into her already overactive mind, had he been trying to break up with her? Had he met someone else and was trying to let her down easily by treating her like a princess so the blow wouldn't be so devastating? Minerva shook her head and scolded herself mentally for ever thinking that Albus would ever do something so cruel to her. He had been very loving and attentive over the last few weeks, it had been lovely to be pampered but perhaps he was doing all this because he felt guilty about something.

She didn't have a chance to question the thoughts running through her mind because she felt two hands gently massaging her tense shoulders. She smiled softly as she lent into his touch, letting the hands continue to work their own special magic as they dispelled the tense knots that had formed in her shoulders. All of her previous thoughts were soon forgotten as she relaxed.

"Are you hungry, my love?" asked Albus softly. "You missed dinner this evening."

"I had a lot of work to get done," she replied, "but now that you have mentioned it, I am rather peckish."

"Excellent!" answered Albus, reaching down for her hands and helping her to her feet. "I have us a picnic prepared."

"A picnic?" questioned Minerva, with a raised eyebrow.

"A moonlight picnic beside the lake," replied Albus, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. "We have hardly seen each other since the weekend and I am going to whisk you off so we can have some time together with the picnic I prepared."

"You've prepared a picnic?" asked Minerva with a small smile. "Don't you mean the house elves prepared it?"

Albus chuckled softly and buried his head in the crook of her neck, his bristles tickling her as he nibbled on her neck playfully.

"I did it all myself!" he said before kissing her lightly on the lips.

Albus then stepped away from her and took hold of one of her delicate fine-boned hands and lead her towards the door. He lead her out of her office and down towards the lake, which looked beautiful and magical in the moonlit sky. They reached a secluded part of the lake and Minerva saw that a large tartan blanket had been put down on the soft grass and a picnic basket was placed beside it.

"This is wonderful Albus," exclaimed Minerva as she sat down on the blanket and looked out on to the lake.

Albus sat down beside her and wrapped one of his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He reached across and opened the picnic basket, he took out two champagne flutes and a bottle of ice cold pink champagne, which was Minerva's favorite. He offered Minerva a flute and then filled them both up with the chilled champagne, he planted a soft kiss on her hand.

Minerva reached into the basket and pulled out a small carton of fresh cream and a pullet of large juicy strawberries, she took one of them and dipped it into the cream and then popped it into Albus's mouth. He chewed it slowly as he watched her do the same with her own strawberry. A playful twinkle appeared in the headmaster's eye which went unnoticed by the deputy. He dipped a strawberry into the cream and brought it towards Minerva's slightly opened mouth but instead of placing it into her mouth, he brushed it against her nose then popped into his own mouth. He chuckled softly at the sight of her with cream on the end of her nose, he leaned forward and licked it off slowly. Minerva burst into a fit of girlie giggles and playfully smacked him on his chest.

"Albus!" she giggled.

"Yes my love?" questioned Albus innocently as he looked into her green eyes that were highlighted by the bright moon above them.

"I love you," she told him tenderly before kissing him.

"I love you," replied Albus when the kiss finished. "I must have some more of you with that cream."

He placed his finger into the carton and then brought it up to her face again, this time smearing the cream on her lips. He lent forward and dragged his tongue slowly over her lips, licking the cream off them. The moonlight picnic progressed with them feeding each other little bits of fruit, cakes, sandwiches and biscuits and Albus was experimenting what tastes went better with Minerva's skin, cream was his favorite.

About an hour later, Minerva was laid down on the tartan blanket with her head resting in his lap. Albus ran his long fingers through the long, silky black locks and looked down at her with love shining in his blue eyes. He reached into his robe pocket and fingered the box which the engagement ring was hidden safely in. Tonight would be the night that he finally would pop the question, he had been trying to for the last week or so. Nothing could spoil this moment, they would have no interruptions from family members or troublesome ghosts. The twinkling stars above them added to the romantic atmosphere Albus had created and he was full of excitement and nerves.

Minerva had her eyes closed and was savoring this quiet time she was having with him, the only thing spoiling the moment was the waves of nausea that kept coming over her and she was beginning to feel extremely hot despite the cool breeze from the lake.

"Minerva darling!" said Albus, breaking the silence.

"Yes," she replied as she ran her hand over her hot face. But before he could speak again she asked, "What was in those little sandwiches?"

"Tuna and prawn!" he told her, he had been slightly taken aback by that question that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Prawn?" questioned Minerva softly, she was allergic to prawns. She wouldn't have let Albus feed them to her, if she had known and she hadn't even tasted the blasted thing.

"Minerva," began Albus clearing his throat, "I simply can't imagine my life without you in it and beside me. We have been together for some wonderful years and my love for you keeps on going, you never seem to stop amazing me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I guess I'm trying to ask you is Minerva McGonagall would you..."

"I'm sorry Albus!" said Minerva, quickly rising to her feet. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Albus sat open-mouthed as Minerva disappeared into the dark and headed towards the school. Albus got to his feet and raced after her.

Minerva reached her private rooms and locked herself into her bathroom, she fell to her knees beside the toilet and was sick. Albus swept into her private rooms and made his way over to the bathroom, he found that the door was locked.

"Minerva?" he questioned, worry thick in his voice.

"Leave me alone," he heard her say from the other side of the door.

"Minerva, I'm coming in," he told her.

"No!" Minerva replied "don't Albus."

He ignored her and used his wand to unlock the door, he walked in and found Minerva bent over the toilet. He kneeled down beside her and tenderly rubbed her back.

"Albus," she moaned, "please go away."

"You're not well Minerva," he said softly, "let me go and fetch Poppy."

"No!" snapped Minerva before being sick again.

"I'm going to get Poppy."

"I'll be fine Albus, it's just my allergies!" Minerva told him.

"Allergies?" asked Albus.

"Prawns!" she replied, her head still down the toilet.

"Why didn't you say?" asked Albus who was still rubbing her back.

"I didn't know that I was having them," she snapped irritably.

Albus lifted Minerva's face up with his hands and was surprised to see that her face was swollen and red, she tried to pull away from him but Albus wouldn't let her.

"Please don't look at me, Albus!" she pleaded. "I must look like a monster."

Albus chuckled softly and continued to look at her.

"It's not funny!" she snapped.

"I love you!" he told her tenderly.

He lent forward to kiss her but her hand found his chest and pushed him away. "I'm not letting you kiss me when I look like this," she told him firmly.

"But if I don't kiss the toad, it won't turn into a princess," he said with a smile.

Minerva would have given him a verbal tongue lashing if she hadn't been hit by another wave of nausea and was sick again. Albus kept on rubbing her back and carefully held back the strands of hair that were in danger of falling down beside her face into the toilet. He sighed quietly to himself. Would there ever be a chance to finally ask his question?

[Mellypoo622]

Oh no! She was allergic! Poor Min! Well I think Albus should succeed soon because what else could possibly go wrong? LOL! Then again youll probably think of something, I can't wait to see what it is!! Great update! I'm really enjoying this story!

[tanja]

Of course: Poor Minerva, and also poor Albus...but on the other hand I simply can´t stop loughing about his "luck"...hope to read more VERY soon...great story

[Alesia]

There is nothing worse as having the person you love see you sick for the first time. Of course it is also some of the most tender moments between a couple as well.

[QuillofMinerva]

Chapter Six: Written in the Stars

by Ang

After what seemed like hours, Minerva’s sickness finally subsided but she was left very weak and her face was still swollen and red. Against her protests, Albus had stayed right by her side, holding her raven-colored hair and soothingly rubbing her back. His mere presence had helped to make an unpleasant situation bearable and for that she was thankful. He even held her lovingly in his arms as they sat on the bathroom floor between waves of sickness. When they were certain that she had seen the last of the partially digested food, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to her bed. With a wave of his wand, her day robes were exchanged for a soft silk nightgown and he tucked her into the warmed sheets. Seeing that she was comfortable, he made her promise to stay in bed until he returned. Not really having the strength to get up or protest, she willingly obeyed.

Moments later Albus returned with a vial of liquid from the skilled medi-witch in the infirmary. He had briefly explained that Minerva had experienced a rather nasty allergic reaction to some seafood and he needed something for the swelling in her face. When he entered Minerva’s chambers, he saw that she was sleeping soundly, yet he had to wake her. Leaning over her sleeping form, he gently trailed a soft finger across her reddened cheek causing her to stir and lean into his touch.

“Minerva, dear. I need you to sit up and drink this. It will help combat the reaction and make you feel better.” Watching her struggle to sit up, Albus moved onto the bed with her and supported her slender frame while she willingly downed the medicine offered. Within minutes, both could see that her face had started to return to its normal coloring and the swelling was drastically reduced.

Kissing her lightly on the forehead, Albus started to leave her for the night but she reached for his hand before he was able to stand. “Albus, thank you for taking such good care of me. I love you with all my heart and I am truly sorry I snapped at you.”

“My dear, I understand. You weren’t feeling well and it was partially my fault. If I had known about your allergy, I would never have fed the sandwich to you. Now you need to get some rest and I will check on you in the morning.” Tenderly, he stroked her cheek and then placed light kisses on her cheeks and nose as she smiled up at him.

“Albus, please stay with me.” Those simple yet profound words caused Albus’ heart to swell with more love than even he dreamed possible. Even in her sickness, each had found a way to show a lasting commitment to their relationship and express so many things with so few words. Peering down at her, Albus couldn’t help but smile as he removed his outer robe and transfigured it into a clean set of pajamas for himself.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to change into these and then we’ll get some rest.” Several minutes later, Albus emerged from the bathroom and climbed into bed. Without a moment’s hesitation, Minerva snuggled close to his body and rested her weary head on his chest as his arms wrapped tightly around her. As she drifted off to sleep, Albus affectionately stroked her back and frequently kissed the top of her head until her body relaxed in slumber.

By the next morning, Minerva’s symptoms had completely subsided and she was back to her usual self, although still a little leery of food. However, that didn’t last too long because once Albus awoke and assessed Minerva’s health, he conjured some nourishment for both of them. Sharing a breakfast in bed had been something they had always enjoyed after a night spent together but this was a different set of circumstances and called for special modifications. The menu this morning would not be strawberries and cream, eggs and bacon, or even pancakes with maple syrup. No, this morning called for dry toast and hot tea for two.

“Thank you again for staying with me. I feel much better this morning than I anticipated and I am sure it is because you were here with me. I am sorry to have ruined our evening.” As she leaned into his arms again, she inhaled the scent of him and sighed contentedly. “Albus, before I interrupted you last night, I feel that you were making a speech that was leading up to something. Am I wrong or did I dream that?”

“My dear, you are truly a remarkable woman and a very subtle one too. I was merely attempting to lavish you with compliments and adoration when you so quickly stopped me in my tracks. It was not the reaction I had hoped for but I got you in bed anyway so I suppose it all worked out as planned.” Giving him one of her rare and impish smirks, she quickly grabbed his sides and proceeded to tickle him until he begged for mercy. After granting his request, she leaned over his body and passionately caressed his warm lips.



Throughout the day and well into the next, Albus periodically stopped by her classroom or office unexpectedly to check on Minerva and to make sure that she wasn’t overdoing it. She found his unscheduled visits uplifting and looked forward to seeing his bright blue eyes twinkling from a doorway at any given moment. She tried in vain to correct a set of essays that had piled up on her desk but her thoughts kept returning to the loving way he had been there for her and had shown such compassion at a weak moment for her. He was her strength in so many ways and she hoped that she made him feel loved above all others in her life. It was during this musing that she formed an idea.



A large brown barn owl swooped into Albus Dumbledore’s office, causing Fawkes to emit a loud note of disapproval at the new bird’s appearance. “Now, now Fawkes. What have I told you about being disrespectful to the owls that deliver our mail? They are merely doing their job.” Taking the bit of parchment attached to its leg, Albus offered the owl a small treat and apologized for the behavior of his familiar. Reading the note, his eyes began to twinkle furiously and a faint blush painted his cheeks.

A surprise awaits you in the Astronomy Tower at precisely 10 o’clock this evening. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. I’ll be anxiously waiting your arrival.

The Woman of your Dreams

“Fawkes, I do believe tonight is the night. With any good luck at all, I will be able to ask Minerva to marry me and then she will officially join our family. What do you say to that, my friend?” By way of answering, Fawkes sang a beautiful song as Albus mused over what Minerva could have possibly planned so quickly. Ten o’clock would not arrive soon enough for the impatient wizard.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Albus. The more he tried to concentrate on work, the more his mind drifted away to thoughts of Minerva and the last time she had planned a surprise for him. Feeling flushed at that particular set of memories, he rose from his chair and crossed the room to stare out of one of the large windows in his office. The sun was setting on the horizon and from the look of the sky it would be a spectacular evening. Lost once again in a memory featuring Minerva, Albus did not hear the call from the fireplace or if he did, he showed no interest in answering the caller.

“Albus Dumbledore! Are you there? Honestly, I do not want to have to floo all the way to Hogwarts for this!” At that statement, Albus was pulled back to the present and immediately recognized the voice as that belonging to Cornelius Fudge, the assistant to Amelia Bones in the Department of Law Enforcement. Sighing unhappily, he slowly made his way across the room to address the intruder.

“Hello Cornelius. To what do I owe this visit? Normally your department would owl me so this must really be important.” Conjuring a chair, Albus settled down for what he was sure would be a lengthy discussion about some trivial matter, which had absolutely nothing to do with him or the school for that matter.

“That’s right, Albus. Settle in for a rest while the entire wizarding world is up in arms over your brother! Have you seen him?” Feeling his heart sink a little, Albus shook his head and explained that the last time he had seen his sibling had been at their home the night the ministry officials were searching for him. Not quite sure where this conversation was headed or how it might affect his evening, Albus tried to hurry along the flustered man in the fireplace for answers.

“Aberforth has been at it again Albus! We need your help to catch him or I fear that some farmer might take matters into his own hands. Do you have any idea what he’s doing to those goats? He’s trying to… he’s… well I’m not really sure exactly what he’s ‘trying’ to do but he’s experimenting and that’ s not good! We have everybody looking for him but it’s as if he has disappeared. And you say you haven’t seen him. I believe you need to come down to the ministry in case he tries to contact you tonight since we’re out looking for him again. Yes, an excellent idea. And while you’re here, you might help me with some taxing paperwork regarding your brother that I’ve been struggling with for three days! I’ll see you in half an hour. I believe that our Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold, would love to hear your take on the things your brother has been doing!”

Albus could not believe his ears and even if he did, he was certain that he would not be making any trips to the Ministry of Magic this evening. Aberforth and the ministry had ruined his plans for proposal once already and they would not succeed again tonight. “Cornelius, I understand your dilemma but I am not leaving Hogwarts to sit and wait for my brother to contact me, which he may or may not do. I assure you that if he does owl me, I will inform you at my earliest convenience. And I have confidence that you will be able to handle your paperwork in a timely fashion. As it is, I have pressing matters of my own to which I must attend this evening. As a matter of fact, I have a meeting scheduled with one of my professors. Now if you will excuse me, it is almost time for dinner and I must not be late.” To the dismay of the troubled man invading Albus’ office, his words were not as cordial as they should have been but he knew better than to try to force Dumbledore to do something he did not wish to do. After offering a hasty goodbye, he disappeared from the floo network and Albus made his way to dinner.



Returning to his own rooms, Albus was a little disheartened and intrigued at the same time. Minerva had missed dinner, which meant she was probably working on the details of their meeting later in the evening. The stars were twinkling merrily in the velvety night sky and his anticipation was growing by the minute. Suddenly, the sound of a man coughing behind him caused Albus to whirl about, wand extended.

“Aberforth! You really must stop sneaking up on people like that and what, pray tell, are doing here? Of course you realize that the ministry officials are still searching for you and Fudge has already contacted me this evening.”

“Splendid, dear chap! That means that I am two steps behind them, which is exactly where I want to be. They’ll never think to come back here tonight and we can honestly say you were being truthful when you assured Fudge that you had not seen me.” Plopping into the chair behind Albus’ massive desk, a puzzled look flashed in a pair of crystal blue eyes.

“Dear brother, how do you know what I told Cornelius? I have made no mention of my private conversation with him.” Caught by his own words, Aberforth explained that he had flooed into the wrong fireplace and ended up in Albus’ bedroom mere moments before Fudge appeared in the floo network.

“And might I make a suggestion? Before you bring the ravishing Minerva back to your private bedchamber, how about a change of decoration? Honestly Albus it looks like something from a medieval fairy tale that has collided with the worst of Muggle society!”

“I’ll have you know that Minerva has already seen my chambers and is rather fond of my decorating. Once she becomes the lady of those chambers in a more formal manner, she may decorate the rooms in any way she sees fit. But now is not the time to discuss my personal matters. I believe we were talking about you.”

“Right, right. You always did win when it came to debating or steering a conversation to things of interest for you. I am still running from those scatterbrained gits at the ministry and the very last place they’ll look for me now is Hogwarts. As much as I despise formal education, do you really think they’d spend loads of time searching these hallowed halls? I think not! So big brother, where do I sleep?”

Images of his evening with Minerva flashed through Albus mind as they mingled with his ruined night days ago. “Oh no, you don’t. I unknowingly helped you out of a jam once this evening and I refuse to let you destroy another would be perfect evening with Minerva. I am meeting her in... good gracious… I must be off now to meet her. When I get back, I had better not find you in my school. Once they catch up to you, I will be more than happy to assist you in any way possible but I refuse to be an accomplice. Furthermore, I plan to pop the question to Minerva this evening and nothing and no one is going to stop me. You would not believe the troubles we’ve encountered.” Bidding his brother a fond farewell and the best of luck, Albus reminded him of his warning and dashed from the office to meet the woman starring in his nightly fantasies.



Darkness had descended upon the castle and brought with it a billion stars and a large bright moon, which only added to the overall romantic atmosphere of the astronomy tower. The students loved to sneak up to the observation roof for a late night snog session and all too frequently, they were caught. Earlier in the day, Minerva had been struck with the idea of doing just that with Albus. After all, they weren’t too old to meet in the tower for a little innocent fun under the stars but old enough to know exactly what they were doing.

Quickly climbing the stairs to the roof, Albus ran though various scenarios for the evening. He brought the cherished ring along and tried to calm his nerves. Each time he had attempted to ask Minerva the question plaguing his mind, his hopes had been dashed or the moment utterly destroyed by some outside force. But when he reached the landing and saw the woman of his dreams bathed in moonlight, every other thought floated away and there was nothing but the two of them in the world.

“It’s nice to see that you made it. I was worried that someone might have detained you.” Offering him her hand, a spark of electricity coursed between them as their fingers interlocked and Minerva drew him to her for the first of many long, deep kisses. Several blissful moments slipped away as the two enjoyed the feel of the other’s light caresses.

Once they parted lips, Minerva showed Albus her creation. She had transfigured the bench, normally used for stargazing, into a magnificent swing, suspended in mid-air. The ornate seating resembled a porch swing but was decorated with fluffy cushions and was large enough for the couple to lounge comfortably in the arms of the other. Pulling him towards her masterpiece, she motioned for him to take a seat, before settling herself delicately into his lap as the swing began to rock them gently.

Albus was enjoying the time he spent with Minerva but he was always looking for the perfect moment to propose. With her snuggled in his arms and nuzzling his neck, however, he found it hard to concentrate. At times he wanted to just give in and sweep her off her feet. Then again, he wanted to make the marriage proposal memorable for years to come. Although the way things had been going so far, anything was better than what he had experienced. Struggling to form a coherent thought, he breathily began his latest attempt at a proposition of marriage.

“My love, you are amazing.” Smiling, she gave a hearty laugh that reverberated against his skin, causing waves of emotions to crash inside him. “Oh my, that feels remarkable.” Pulling back a bit from her advances, his eyes twinkled merrily at the sight of her rumpled hair. “My sweet, I adore you with every fiber of my being and I…” Just then, Minerva straightened in his arms and he saw her transform into the stern transfiguration professor the students respected and feared. “Minerva, what is it? What’s the matter?”

“Quickly, Albus. Get up!” Doing as instructed without any hesitation, he cast a puzzled look at her as she returned the bench to its’ original state and quickly repaired her mussed hair. “I hear students coming up the stairs. Listen.” Albus had to admit that even though he strained to hear any noise, Minerva’s cat like instincts were excellent as the heads of a boy and girl from Hufflepuff appeared in the stairwell.

“Well Mr. Cross and Miss Blake, isn’t it? Would you care to explain why you are out of bed at this hour and most assuredly out of bounds?” Both students blushed furiously at the question and no other words were needed to explain their intentions.

“I believe your silence has spoken for itself. Not to mention the redness of your faces. We set certain guideline so that our students might be protected and this is most certainly a breach of those guidelines. By your lack of books, quills, and parchment, I am left to assume that you were not planning to study your astronomy lessons, which leads me to assume the other possibility. I think a deduction of 50 house points, each, will be necessary.” Not daring to look at anyone but Professor McGonagall, both students hung their heads in shame. Albus, however, could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for them. After all, they were almost caught in the act of a wonderful snog session too. The only difference was that they were adults. Then she turned to him and he was amazed to see very little warmth in her eyes but her words left no room for confusion.

“Headmaster, I feel that we must conclude this meeting. I think I have made my feelings clear and will let them speak for me in my absence. I trust that you are capable of sorting things out for yourself. Now if you will excuse me, I will see that the students are taken to their Head of House for the appropriate punishment. I will see you at our morning meeting around 6. Is that correct?” Almost afraid to try to speak for fear of losing his voice, Albus merely nodded his head in agreement. “Good evening then. Until tomorrow morning…”

All alone in the tower, Albus looked to the stars for answers. All I have wanted to do for days on end is to ask the most remarkable woman in the world to be my wife. So far, I have been subjected to a nosey poltergeist, a lost ring, a hyperactive sibling, a medical emergency, and now this! How much more am I to endure? I love her with every ounce of life in me and I long to make her dreams come true. Please, Merlin, help me! I am at my wits end and I feel that if I don’t ask her soon I will lose all bits of sanity I still possess. Dragging himself back to his office, he climbed into his bed alone and replayed her kisses over and over in his mind until sleep claimed him.

In his dreams, he was both plagued and graced with scenes from the past few days. He would see Minerva standing in bright sunlight reaching out to him. But just as he was about to take her hand someone or something would come between them and she would disappear. At other times, he would try to propose but nonsense words were all that would fall from his lips. Tangled in the mass of sheets, Albus freed himself and conjured a cup of cocoa by the fire. If he didn't get to ask his question soon, he would practically burst at the seams or suffer from extreme exhaustion due to lack of sleep. Never had he dreamed how difficult such a simple little thing could be. He didn't have this many problems running the school or in teaching classes in his younger days. Why, oh why was he being subjected to such torture when all he wanted was sheer bliss with the one woman who had the capability to provide everything he had ever wanted from life?

[zilah]

Oh no! Not again! Poor Albus. Please, update soon. This is very good story, and i want to know what is going to happen in next chapter. Thanks,


zilah

[ismaco]

c'mon! Poor Albus!!
I hope you can update soon!!

[tanja]

that´s not true ! Poor Albus! don´t dare and let him give up !
Looking forward to the next chapter.

[mcgonagallrules]

Have just caught up with the story and now can't wait to see the next chapter! Poor Albus!

[QuillofMinerva]

Misunderstandings and Proposals by Clayre

Albus was awoken by someone sitting down on his bed. He rolled over and smiled at the person with his eyes still closed.

"Morning!" said Aberforth Dumbledore.

"What in the name of Merlin?" exclaimed Albus as he eyes flew open. "I thought I had made myself clear last night."

Aberforth simply smiled at his brother and swung his legs on to his bed, making himself more comfortable. "Is the lovely Minerva hiding beneath the covers?" questioned Aberforth with a smirk as he reached forward and brought the covers back revealing Albus’ half naked body.

"Do you mind?" reacted Albus quickly as he snatched the covers back.

"Nice choice of night wear old chap," said Aberforth, with a hint of amusement as he regarded the pajama bottoms that were covered in sherbet lemons. "They would look better with goats on."

"Goats! I’ve had enough of this obsession with goats," replied Albus, looking rather disgruntled.

"But..." began Aberforth.

"Enough!" interrupted Albus. "What are you still doing here?"

"I had to have somewhere to sleep," answered Aberforth.

Albus climbed out of bed and reached for his dressing gown, which he wrapped tightly around himself. He eyed his brother with a hint of amusement then sat down in a rather large comfortable looking blue chair. Aberforth joined him beside the fire and sat down in the green chair that usually belonged to Minerva.



Minerva made her way along to the Headmaster’s private rooms. It was just before six in the morning and she was looking forward to wrapping her arms around him. She had gone to bed lonely last night and had woken up the same that morning. She reached the picture of Merlin and whispered the password, ‘Lovers Kiss’. Through this picture was her private entrance to his rooms. They had done this because they didn’t want to draw attention to her visits at odd times of the day and night. She swept across the living room to the craved oak door that led to his bedroom. She was about to open the door when she heard two voices from within.

"So why haven’t you done it yet?" she heard Aberforth ask Albus.

"I have tried to tell her a couple of times now but I keep getting interrupted and I don’t want to just blurt it out," replied Albus, his voice was slightly muffled through the thick wooden door. But thanks to Minerva’s animagus abilities she was able to hear him clearly.

"The longer you leave it, the harder it will become," said Aberforth.

"Speaking from experience?" asked Albus with a smile. "I must admit I didn’t think it would be this hard."

"Well it was never meant to be easy, Albus," said Aberforth. "Just get it over and done with."

"I will just not blurt it out. She deserves more than that," replied Albus.

Minerva leaned against the door as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Silent tears spilled out of her emerald green eyes and her throat suddenly became very dry. She had to get out of his rooms. She ran through the living room partly blinded by her tears. As she ran out of the room she bumped into a table, a rather ugly looking red and green vase fell to the floor and smashed. She didn’t care about the vase. Her world had just crumbled around her and she had to get out of Hogwarts.

She couldn’t believe that Albus had another woman and his brother knew all about it. How could he do this to her? More tears fell down her cheeks as she ran to her rooms. She threw herself down on her bed as soon as she reached her rooms and sobbed.



Albus had heard the vase shatter and had gotten to his feet to investigate. His eyes fell upon the half-opened door and he knew straight away that Minerva had been in his rooms.

"It’s not the Ministry officials, is it?" asked Aberforth, as he poked his head around the door and looked out.

"Minerva!" answered Albus.

"Why didn’t she come in?" questioned Aberforth curiously.

Albus didn’t hear his brother’s question as he had already swept out of his rooms. He needed to find Minerva and find out why she had left without coming in to see him. Albus hurried along the corridor and swept into her quarters. He could hear crying coming from her bedroom. He quickly made his way over to her bedroom door and went to go in, but he found it was locked.

"Minerva darling?" he called. "What’s happened?" He didn’t receive an answer and his concern was growing. The damn door was locked and he had left his wand in his rooms.

"Minerva, let me in!" said Albus, trying the door again.

"Leave me alone, Albus Dumbledore!" she shouted.

"Minerva?" asked Albus. "Darling, what is the matter?"

"I hate you!" came Minerva’s voice from the other side of the door.

Albus was confused. What had changed since the night before? He walked around to the other side of a large overflowing bookcase and lifted up the wall hanging that hung beside it. It revealed another door that led into her bedroom. He silently stepped into the room and saw that Minerva was curled up on her bed with her head in the pillows. Albus sat down beside her and went to place a hand on her shoulder. To his shock, she flinched away from him. She sat up and looked at him, her face was red and her eyes puffy.

"How could you do this to me, Albus?" she asked.

"I don’t understand!" replied Albus.

"Don’t you dare play the innocent with me, Albus Dumbledore!" she snapped as she pointed a finger at him. "I heard you talking with your brother."

"I still don’t understand, Minerva!" said Albus, somewhat bemused by the whole situation.

"All I ask of you Albus," she said, "is why did you want to hurt me so? All I have ever done is love you and now it comes to my attention that you have another woman. Why have you made me fall deeper in love with you over this last few weeks? You have treated me like a princess but..."

"Another woman?" interrupted Albus. "Do you think I would do that to you? There is no other in my life as I only want you."

"I heard you!" snapped Minerva.

"You only heard part of the conversation, Minerva," answered Albus. It suddenly came to light that she must have heard his conversation with Aberforth and had taken it the completely wrong way.

Minerva wasn’t listening to his excuses. She stood up and made her way over to the window and looked out on the grounds. "Now I know why you found the thought of marrying me so amusing because all along you were searching for a way out," said Minerva, more tears spilled out of her eyes.

"Oh Minerva, you are silly at times," said Albus with a smile.

"Does my distress please you?" she hissed.

"Of course it doesn’t please me," he replied with a sigh. "Just give me a chance to explain."

"I don’t want to hear your excuses. I would be grateful if you left me alone so I could continue with my packing."

"Packing?" questioned Albus.

"You heard correctly," she answered. "My departure means you can parade your floozy. I refuse to be made a laughing stock."

"But you can’t leave!" pleaded Albus.

"To think I wanted to marry you," she said quietly. "All you had to do was ask and I would be yours forever."

"For the love of Merlin! Will you listen to me?" said Albus as he stood up and walked towards her. He clasped her shoulders lightly and made her look at him. "There is no other woman in my life. Why would I want another one when I have you? I am very much in love with you, Minerva. You hold the key to my heart."

"If what you say is true, why don’t you want to marry me?" she asked.

"Minerva, I have been trying to ask you for the last few weeks but I kept getting interrupted or something happened," he told her tenderly.

"Have you?" she asked, wiping her tears away from her eyes.

"Yes!" he said with a chuckle.

"Oh Albus!" she replied, throwing herself into his arms and crying all over again.

"I love you so very much," he told her.

"But what were you and Aberforth talking about?" she suddenly questioned, pulling away from his embrace.

"He was telling me that I better get a move on and not to bother with all the romantic plans I had made," Albus explained.

"Oh Albus!" said Minerva. "I have been rather silly, haven’t I? You tried to propose at the picnic, at the meal, and when Peeves came in."

"Yes plus a couple of other times," he chuckled.

Minerva snuggled into him closely, taking in his scent and mentally scolding herself for letting her mind get carried away.

"Shall I take your cuddles as an acceptance?" questioned Albus, with a smile.

"No!" she replied. "Ask me properly! I want a proper story to tell our children."

Luckily, Albus had placed her engagement ring in his dressing gown for safekeeping. He pulled it out as he went down on one knee. He took hold of her left hand and held it in his right.

"Minerva! You are my world and words simply do not convey how much I truly love you. Would you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," she said, smiling as she bent down to his level. "I will *kiss* be *kiss* honored *kiss* to become *kiss* Mrs. Albus *kiss* Dumbledore."

[amandahleigh]

Oh no!
There's more, isn't there?!

Aughh!

I NEED to see what happens next!

Poor Albus... lol

[amandahleigh]

I think I posted at the same time as you, because here's another section already! haha...

(I guess Albus isn't he only one with odd timing!)

So now I can read the rest... yay!

[amandahleigh]

Oh, how sweet!

Figures, all that planning and then...
;D

[tanja]

thank the gods he did it...
well, not exactely under the circumstances he planed, but finally at least...
would love to read much more very soon

[ismaco]

Yay!!! Finally! I'm happy for them both!
Was that the end?
I wonder if there's going to be a sequel!?!
Wedding! Wedding! We (I) want to see the wedding!

[QuillofMinerva]

FINAL CHAPTER

Bedtime Stories

“And that is how he proposed to me all those years ago.” Minerva stared into the wide eyes of her audience. She was just about to end the story there when their pleading and begging caused her to rethink her decision. Added to their voices was a very familiar one that caused her heart to skip a beat whenever she heard it.

“Yes, my dear. Please finish the story. I love the ending. Of course, there hasn’t really been an ending to our lives together but it has been a wonderful adventure. I’m sure they would love to hear more, wouldn’t you?” Turning to face them, Albus winked causing them to burst into fits of giggles. He had been listening outside the door and when she reached his favorite part of the story, he decided to join the gathering.

“Please finish it. You always stop at the same spot and we never get to hear the end of it! Every time we ask, you always say ‘not tonight’ or ‘maybe another day’.” Peering at her husband over the rim of her square spectacles, she sighed heavily. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell them the rest of the story. In fact, she had dreamed of this day ever since their own child had begged for the rest of it until she and Albus caved.

Leaning down to place a chaste kiss upon her cheek, Albus wrapped his arms around his wife’s still slender waist. As he urged her to continue, she felt a warm rush flow through her as she leaned back into his embrace as he settled behind her on the bed. With promises to go straight to sleep at the end of her tale, a blue-eyed girl with auburn hair and a green-eyed boy with black hair snuggled into the bedding and anxiously awaited words to fall from their grandmother’s lips. At long last, they were finally going to hear her tell them stories to accompany the dozens of pictures they had seen since they were old enough to remember!

As Minerva continued her story, she couldn’t help but smile and blush as remembrances of days and events flooded her mind. She was being very selective with the remaining portion of the story and with good reason. Her captive audience did not need to know all the intimate details of the events that followed her acceptance of his proposal. After all, they knew the overall outcome and that was enough for now. No, one day she might add little things here and there to the story as she and her husband had done with their own child but the audience wasn’t quite ready to hear those things. Besides, there were some things that were just too special to share with anyone else but Albus and he was there and had the same set of memories.

“But Grams, we never see you wearing a ring on your finger. And what did you say to Papa when he asked you? We feel like you’re skipping parts and that’s no fair!” Both children looked adoringly at their grandparents and Albus began to share his portion of the story.

“You see, my sweets, I did give your grandmother a very beautiful ring and for a while she was able to wear it. But as time progressed, some very powerful and dark witches and wizards began creating chaos in our world and for her safety, we had to keep our love a secret.” Reaching over, Albus traced the shiny broach Minerva always wore on her robes. “This, my children, is what is left of her original ring. I transfigured it into this symbol of our unending commitment to each other and she wears it daily as a token of my love. My ring is worn around my neck as a token of her love for me. Do you understand?”

“We understand about the rings and that must have been scary! Grams, did you do anything special to let Papa know you’d marry him or did you just say ‘yes’?” Minerva had not realized how quickly she could still produce a full-fledged blush! Her cheeks were almost warm enough to cause Poppy to believe she had a high fever.

Turning her face towards Albus’, she immediately knew that he would be of no assistance where this question was concerned. She had answered him alright, but it was not something they were prepared to share with their child, much less their grandchildren. “I… well… I told him how very much I loved him. I even hugged and kissed him, in an adult sort of way.”

Noticing the grimacing faces of her little ones, she had to smile a bit. They were growing up fast but had not reached the point of being comfortable with adult displays of affection just yet. “Let’s just say that we had a private celebration with just the two of us and no interruptions this time. It was a beautiful time and your Papa took extra special care of me that day.” Albus couldn’t help it. As she told scattered details about the remainder of that wonderful day to the offspring of their only child, he pulled her even closer to him and placed a very tender kiss on the side of her neck.

“I bet you did a lot of kissing and hugging, didn’t you Papa?” This time it was Albus’ turn to blush. His granddaughter was just like her Grams. She always cut straight to the heart of the matter, regardless of how it affected others in the room. It was that quality and so many others that allowed him a glimpse of what Minerva must have been like as a small child.

“Well, there was some kissing involved and some hugging too I believe. Listen, I thought you wanted Grams to finish the story for you and this is getting us nowhere. The only things we will tell you are that I proposed, your Grams accepted, we kissed, and spent the rest of our day together, alone. That will have to be enough information until you are a lot older. And even then we probably won’t fill in the blanks where this area is concerned. We never did it for your father. Now Minerva… would you care to tell them about our wedding day so we can all go to bed before the sun rises?”

Much to her amusement, Albus was squirming a bit under the direct questioning of their precious granddaughter and grandson. And it always made her laugh when they got the better of him since it was a rare occasion. When she began telling them about the wedding day, she noticed that she had lost their attention briefly. Unsure of what had caused the diversion she turned to stare into the familiar blue eyes of Albus. His twinkling gaze was all she needed to see to know that he had been enjoying her storytelling.

The woman before them had a wonderful way of weaving together the events of their lives. No one outside of her family would ever guess that about her but it was true. Whenever she told them fantastic tales she always managed to produce the most amazing voices for each of the characters and sometimes she even had help. Albus loved to try and imitate Minerva’s voice and reactions to certain things and, in retaliation she did her best to show their grandchildren what a silly man their grandfather was at times. It was all done in fun and the children loved it so much.

“Albus, who is telling this story?” A mock look of disbelief shadowed his face as he vehemently denied having anything to do with the children’s behavior. Assuring her that they were each captivated by her soothing voice and intriguing details, he kissed the back of her hand and encouraged her to continue.

The faces of a little boy and a little girl stared up into the emerald green eyes of the woman and the crystal blue pools of the man perched on the edge of their bed. They had listened intently to the story as they told it and had been in fits of giggles in some parts. They were especially keen on the bits concerning Aberforth. Any tale involving him was sure to be a hit when them, but Albus only told those fairy-tales. He tried to do so when Minerva wasn’t listening.

She did not entirely approve of spreading the rumors about Albus’ brother, although most had been proven to be true. Still, she did not want her family, especially her grandchildren, subjected to those types of things at such an early age. Even when she told the stories involving their Great Uncle Aberforth in some minuscule way, Albus would frequently inject funny details or conversations he had shared with him, which only enhanced the overall fabric of the story and worried his wife of over fifty years!

After an additional half hour of sharing her most wonderful memories with her grandchildren, Minerva drew the story to a close. They had ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at all the elaborate details from the small wedding and had even asked a few more questions, which Albus took delight in answering for them. Tucking them snugly into the large bed, both Albus and Minerva took turns kissing the children on the tops of their heads. Lowering the lights in the room, they bid the little ones “pleasant dreams” before heading to their own room to unwind.

“You really enjoyed watching me squirm in there, didn’t you, Albus? They are growing up so fast. I can still see them wrapped warmly on the days they each were born.” Studying her aging face in the mirror she suddenly turned to her husband and asked a very pointed question. “Albus, are we getting old?” Minerva’s long tresses of hair still danced about her face and neck in waves of raven colored curls now streaked with a distinguishable gray when she loosed them from the confining bun she wore daily. Albus crossed the room and with a wave of his hand, her hair flowed freely down her back as he laced his fingers through it, savoring the feel of the silky strands between his long digits.

“My dear, you are as beautiful today as the day I married you. Yes, we are getting older but just looking at our beautiful grandchildren I can see tiny bits of our youth in them. Athena has your spirit, your inquisitive nature, your zest for life and a courage that inhabits her very soul. She is so much like you that it is almost as if you gave birth to her. She certainly inherited your traits from their father. Percival has my aloofness, my sense of humor, my thirst for knowledge and a trusting nature. They each possess some of our finest qualities and for that we can be proud. Now, do not get melancholy on me this evening. By the way you told our story tonight, I know you remember what today is. Do you not?”

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Minerva rose to snuggle close to the man she had adored since the beginning of time. “Albus my love, there is nothing in this world that would make me forget the significance of today. After all, it’s not everyday a girl almost loses the man she adores only to learn that he has been trying to propose to her in the most romantic situations his heart could inspire. This anniversary has been made even more special by the presence of those two angels in the other room. I am so glad that they were allowed to spend the weekend. But I am even more thankful for you. Do I at least get a kiss to mark the beginning of another year together? Or would you rather try to propose to me again and see if it goes smoothly this time?”

Bending down slowly, Albus’ heart began to race. He felt like a teenager kissing the girl of his dreams each and every time his lips touched hers. And today was no exception. Teasingly, he lightly touched the corners of her mouth with his soft lips while his hands pulled her closer and began to run up and down her back in tender movements. A slight whimper escaped her mouth in anticipation of his next moves. She longed for a real kiss and she was not disappointed. Bringing a hand up to cup her cheek, Albus captured her delicate lips with his. Immediately, she responded to his caresses, encouraging him to deepen the kiss and to share the vast amount of desire he held for her.

“Ah, my dear you still light a fire in this old heart of mine. Shall we retire to a more comfortable location so that I can see if I am able to do the same for you? I have a feeling that you are not entirely tired and this may help us to both relax a bit.” The twinkle in his eyes was met with a mischievous glare from the beauty before him.

“I would love to join you, sweetheart. Lead the way! But you must remember, there are children in the house! So none of your ‘brilliant’ ideas or amusing antics this evening. Just spoil me to death and that will do.” As he took her hand in his, a giddy feeling crept into her stomach. Each and every time he looked at her in that special way, she felt a rush of excitement and anticipation. He excited her as no other could. Even though they were in their advanced years, it had not stopped them from enjoying all the pleasures life has to offer. In some ways, it had even improved with age. There was no rush of passion, no fumbling hands, no timid movements. It was magic in its most basic and purest form.

As the night wore on, the two lovers spent the rest of the evening wrapped in loving arms. Lying in the dark room, Albus’ nimble fingers lightly traced patterns on the creamy white shoulders and back of the woman snuggled close to his sated body. “Minerva, have you ever wondered what would have happened if I had actually been able to propose that first night?”

Raising her head from his chest, she stared into his crystal eyes. “I imagine something along the lines of what we just did or what we experienced when you did finally ask me. But I’m glad you were interrupted so many times. Look at the wonderful memories we have to share with our family. I have never felt so loved as I did during that time and it was all because of a few minor mishaps and some romantic plans on your part. I must say, Albus, you really knew the way to my heart.”

“And still do, my dear, and still do.” Rolling her onto her back, he began to seductively nibble on her ear as his hands began to lovingly wander about her soft skin. He was mere seconds away from taking the next logical step in proving his love again to her when a frightened voice called from another room.

“Grams, Papa… come quickly! I had a bad dream and I’m scared.” Sighing a bit, Albus released Minerva from his arms and quickly the two dressed. Before heading to the bedroom down the hall Minerva stopped him with a hand on his cheek.

“Hold that thought, my dear, and hold it tightly. The night is still young. We may have been interrupted once again, but I promise you before the sun rises, you will have your chance. And without any interruptions! My advice to you is to conserve your energy and think of new and exciting ways to shower me with your love. I assure you, I will do the same.”

After a playful slap on Albus’ bum, Minerva composed herself and walked briskly to the bedside of her granddaughter, followed quickly by husband. For now, they had to console a frightened child but later, the night would belong to them. And even if they were interrupted again, they had already learned what a few minor accidents could do for a relationship. And a few more hours of anticipation would only make the time spent together that much sweeter. After all, given enough space and silence, the mind can conjure the best images and ideas and sometimes that can make all the difference in the world of love!


~Finite~

[tanja]

That was such a sweet and romantic chapter...a great story !!

[amandahleigh]

Aww!!

What a sweet and adorable ending.

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

awwww lovely ending loved it so much, brilliant. Great fic!

[LadyJolly]

Ahhhhh what a wonderful ending to a wonderful story! I loved it then when I first read it and I certainly love it now! Beautiful story I love the ending it's so lovely. Good Job!

Lady Jolly

[JKMcGonagall]

Brilliant ending to a beautiful story. I have enjoyed it greatly. Thank you for the evenings of reading pleasure that I have had with your wonderful story.

Kay

[fatedromance]

aww... this story made me happy! good work!

[zoeteproet]

OMG, I love this story!

[Trulyamused]

Great story. Loved it.

thank you for writing it.

T

[ismaco]

I just found out this update!!

AWWW! I loved it!! That was a really CUTE ending!!! I would've asked for a lemon... but the story is so cute, that a lemon can only spoil it. I love Albus and Minerva as grandparents!
Thank you very much for sharing!! Please keep writing, you're a fanfic goddess!!
Love, Isabel

[minnie313]

that story was really cute I especially loved how poor Albus kept being interrupted all the time ;D