The Color of Love

[EloquentPhoenix]

*Chants 'Albus is fine' over and over in head* He is, isn't he? I'm slightly worried as the next chapter is angst too, isn't it? Oh dear *Scared* Update soon, though!

[childminerva]

That was a rather different idea for this prompt, was it not? I like it...very angsty, but at the same time not too angsty since we know how this battle ends. I liked that it was from Grindlewald's perspective.

[jayejaye]

Awww thanks hon... :-). I LOVED this. My favourite one yet (for obvious reasons). I had to read it twice to make sure I understood, very cleverly written. I wait with baited breath for the next installment :-)

[expectopatronum08]

That was pure angst, my dear, pure angst. (Which translates to me saying: it was really good!) Can't wait for the next one!

I think I may try another prompt in a bit...

[osusprinks]

A/N: Big thanks to the following: ChildMinerva and Always Hopeful for their read throughs and padishahZ for his research. This is dedicated to both Jaye and my Great-Great-Aunt Marge Baker who died New Years Day and provided me with the angst I needed to write this. She was quite the lady, a bit of hellfire and a whole lot of love! I miss you Aunt Marge!

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Black

Pomona and Poppy stood in front of the window, watching the large bird fly towards them. The black owl, dark as night, carried an equally black envelope, meaning only one thing.

Poppy thought of her dear Alastor, so brave, fighting on the front lines of both the wizard and muggle wars. No, surely it couldn’t be him.

Pomona thought of her former and still true love fighting as an auror on the home front. No, surely the Ministry wouldn’t still have her down as a contact. It had been too long. Unless…unless he still loved her as well. No, she wouldn’t allow herself to think that. It was over. But what if it wasn’t…and what if it was him?

Minerva watched as her two best friends fell into shock at the sight of the owl and its grim message. For a moment, she felt her heart clench, but it couldn’t be Albus. Surely she would have felt it. Yes, she would have known.

Minerva walked to the window with determination, flinging it open. At first she was shocked when the owl did not fly to either of the women behind her, until the meaning set in. She sank to the floor as she tried to take in the information. It was for her. The letter was for her and he…Albus was gone. She curled into a fetal position. No, it just couldn’t be. They had just begun. How could this be the end?

It was Minerva’s keening that woke Poppy and Pomona from their thoughts. Pomona reacted first, dropping to her knees and holding Minerva to her chest.

“Oh Min. Min, I…” Unsure what she could say, if anything to help her friend, Pomona held her closer and began to rock Minerva, who was talking though she couldn’t be understood through her sobs.

Minerva felt as though her life was over before it had begun. She remembered the feel of his lips during their first and only kiss. She could only see his twinkling blue eyes, now still and dull with…with death. No, this couldn’t be. Albus couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t have left her.

Poppy looked down at her two friends, unsure of what she should do. Pomona glanced up, catching her eye. A look of guilt passed between the two; guilt at the relief they each had felt in the moment they had realized the letter was not for them and guilt that it was for Minerva and there was nothing they could do about it.

Poppy finally turned to the owl and shakily took the letter. She started to slip the offending parchment into her pocket.

“Poppy, read it.”

Another look passed between Poppy and Pomona as they tried to decide how best to help their friend.

“Minerva, I don’t think now is the best time.”

Her head snapped up and Minerva fixed Poppy with a defiant stare even as she bit her lip in an attempt to control her emotions.

“Poppy. I-I need you to read it. I need to know. I must…I must know.” She began to sob again.

A tear rolled down Poppy’s cheek as she felt Minerva’s despair. She opened the letter, then wet her lips and cleared her throat. As she began to read, Pomona held Minerva tighter and all three cried.



To: Minerva McGonagall
From: War Office, London

Deeply regret to inform you, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Missing in Action, Germany, July 15th.

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A/N: The telegram is based off one found here. www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-feared.html

[childminerva]

yeah, this looks great...very angsty The guilt of the other two is very realistic as is Minerva's reaction. This is one of your best, I believe. (though nothing can beat "he and she")

That site is interesting--my dad is a recently retired army/national guard chaplain--he's done some of those house calls

[EloquentPhoenix]

No! No! No! *Takes a deep calming breath* Missing in action does not mean dead... *repeats* I *ick*... I don't know, I mean, there's only orange and colourless left, right? *Worried* He's going to be okay? Isn't he? I hate angst, but I love it at the same time. (Look what you've done to me childminerva, you're having an effect). I love the update, even if it is sad. Minerva's reaction was perfect, as were Poppy's and Pomona's relief. Perfect.

I'm sorry about your aunt *hugs*.

[jayejaye]

As EloquentPhoenix said PERFECT, absolutly Perfect. There was even a tear in my eye (believe me that doesn't happen often). Poppy and Pomonas anxiety and then guilt was very realistic. Now as you said you were trying to make these one shots fit together and still tell a story and knowing how much you love a happy ending I can't decide if Albus is dead or not.... either way I loved it. :-) Thanks for the dedication and sorry to hear about your Aunt Marge.

[Drake]

GASP!!! NO!!! ALBUS!!!

Ahem. These are all really good. I liked "Red" and "White" the best.

[maritelske]

EEK. You now must post another chapter, because I have to know what happens. I just adore these 'colour' snippits.

They are the perfect thing to read after a long day, and you convey so much with so little words. Beautiful.

[StormAngel]

nooo.... not albus!! Great job. Its really angsty...

[osusprinks]

A/N: I'm in Arizona. It is beautiful here and oh so warm compared to Ohio. Even with my team's defeat last night, I am feeling good and spending time with a girl I've known since I was 3 and is the sister I never had. So I thought I would share the good will and update! Have a beautiful day!

Disclaimer: Not mine, I doubt JKR would claim it anyway. ;D

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fanfic100 Challenge Prompt #12: Orange

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Minerva shakily sipped her tea as she watched the sky lighten, marking the end of yet another sleepless night. She had heard but refused to believe he was gone. It had been two days since Alastor had come to her with the news, not knowing the Ministry had beaten him by a day. Still, she refused to believe.

She gazed at her bright engagement ring and thought of Albus. She wondered how he had decided on the emerald as opposed to a traditional diamond. Had he asked her friends? Had he chosen it from many choices, or had he seen it and known? What were his plans? Should she tell the others or not? The question most on her mind was the one she refused to think about: Would she ever hear the answers to all her questions from his lips?

As she succumbed to her tears once more, Minerva barely heard her bedroom door open. Rising from her desk, she kept her back towards the door as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I am fine, Mona,” she said, assuming it was her dear friend, checking on her once again. When she heard no answer, she turned quickly only to be met by a hard kiss from the very lips she had been struggling not to contemplate moments before. Breaking the kiss, she half cried, half moaned his name before kissing him again with even more passion.

As robes began to fly and buttons popped, the sun peaked over the housetops, covering the reunited lovers with its dazzling orange light.

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A/N: You guys didn't really doubt him, did you?

[childminerva]

oh wow, great update! I'm so happy things ended the way they did
Again, spooky how similar some of these details are to my own fic...
btw-you forgot to put the number and prompt, though it's obvious it's Orange.

[maritelske]

I never doubted that he would return. But *squee* this was perfect, and I liked the idea of orange light. Often I read 'golden' light - but the different is significant. Orange light gives such beautiful imagery.

*sigh*

This was JUST WONDERFUL and I am just adoring your 100 prompts challenge stories.

[maritelske]

PS: I adored the line of her 'Breaking the kiss, she half cried, half moaned his name...'

A very emotion-packed line that brought out all her feelings in such few words. Beautiful!

[jayejaye]

Wow a fantastic update. I knew you couldn't kill him. I am a little worried though, I was actually hoping for a happy ending..what are you doing to me?? lol :-)
(Can't wait to see what you come up with for colourless)

[furandfeathers]

I can't believe I've missed so many of these! I love them all, but I think red and orange are my favorites...I knew he'd come back

Great job!
*Lizz

[EloquentPhoenix]

*Reading it again* *Sigh* It amazes me how you can put so much emotion, feeling, beauty and power in such a small amount of writing. And that every single one is all the more wonderful, heartfelt and meaningful for it

I still love this scene, it will forever make me smile when I need it. Update soon. And I suppose in my heart of hearts I knew he just had to come back

[osusprinks]

A/N: Last one of these. Thank you all for joining me on this little adventure! It’s been a lot of fun. Thank you dearly for reading! ~OSUSprinks

Disclaimer: Not mine, but I can dream, can’t I?

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Fanfic100 Challenge Prompt #20

Colorless

Albus pondered the color of love as he stood waiting. An odd question, perhaps, especially considering his current location and the wealth of other thoughts that presumably should have been running through his mind.

What was the color of love? Was it the red of a heart? The purple of their favorite couch to cuddle on? The brown of the mud they were covered in that day she fell as they played in the rain and pulled him down after her? Was it the yellow of the sun as it lit her sleeping face each morning? Perhaps it was the blue of the lake as they swam with the Giant Squid that summer? Or could it be the green of the perfect emerald stone in her engagement ring, which had reminded him so of his own perfect jewel, his Minerva. He considered her eyes, dark, nearly-black, when filled with passion. Or perhaps the orange-color she had been, after being hit with a stray spell while she was still a student, when he had first realized how beautiful she was?

As he watched Pomona and Poppy walk down the aisle in their navy gowns, he considered all these colors and more. The music changed, drawing his attention once more to the doors at the back of the church. As he watched his Minerva, a beautiful bride dressed in traditional white carrying only greenery accented with a thistle, make her way down the aisle towards him, he realized the color of love.

It was the color of their tears of joy. The color of the happiness and contentment he always felt in her presence. The color of the pride he felt that she had chosen him. The color of her fierce independence and the way he felt when she let him take care of her. It was the color of her love, which he had felt hundreds of miles away and had led him home to her. It was every color and no color.

Yes, he decided as he took her hand and began to vow to love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and health, for the rest of his days, love was colorless. He couldn’t see it, but as she smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss her, Minerva Dumbledore, for the first time, he could feel it all around.

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A/N: "...love actually is all around." Sorry I couldn't resist. I was doing a last read through and that line came to me. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you have enjoyed reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing them. ~OSUSprinks

[childminerva]

Wow, that was such a great response to that prompt! And a great way to end this amazing fic-of-sorts.
Great work...these are so wonderful and I love them!

[jayejaye]

How do you manage to tell a whole story in just a few lines??? This was absolutly BEAUTIFUL. The paragraph where Albus remembers scenes from their life was especially good. Great reference to Love Actually too (great film, I know that sounds weird coming from me). You've done a great job with the whole series of prompts. Well done hon... Jaye :-)

[expectopatronum08]

You are amazing! This was a very nice read upon my first visit to the board in a couple of weeks. Loved all of these.

[furandfeathers]

I adore your response to colorless... it's perfect!

[StormAngel]

i adore it! it's perfect.

[twinkle]

All those stories about the colour of love are adoreable!!!
I liked "white" and "brown" best, bud you did an amazing job with all of them. That they all belong together makes it even more fun to read them!

They are just... fantastic (for want of a better word)!