Post by ginger newts on Feb 11, 2006 21:49:52 GMT -5
Co-written by Ang of Hogwarts Duo
Title: Yours Always
Summary: Albus is having doubts about their relationship and it’s up to Minerva to prove that everything is going to be all right. Inspired by the plot bunny “The Book,” which was donated by some anonymous person. Thanks, whoever you are.
Rating: 17+ due to lemons!
Chapter 1
Twenty one years, three weeks, four days and some few hours. That’s how long it had taken Albus Dumbledore to finally get up enough courage to ask his longtime friend, Minerva McGonagall, out on their first official date. He had fallen in love with her over the course of those years, taking the time to get to know everything about her, which only made him fall deeper and deeper in love. When he finally admitted his feelings for her that memorably sweet moment, words could not express the excitement and relief she felt to know that her love for him was returned and in such abundance. Ever since that fateful night some three years ago, they had been nearly inseparable…until recently.
The downhearted witch stared across the lake, deep in thought, as she absently twirled a wildflower in her slender hands. Thoughts of pulling the petals from the center while reciting the ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ rhyme from childhood filled her mind but fear gnawed at her heart, thinking that maybe things between them had really changed. Her mind centered on Albus and recent events which had left her more than a little confused and hurt. Oh, it could all be explained away with his simple excuses but for someone like Minerva, those excuses wouldn’t satisfy her curiosity. She needed to know the truth and the longer she debated the possibilities, the more she dreaded asking the really difficult questions.
In the three short but fun filled years they had been dating, things between Albus and Minerva had been too good to be true. Maybe that was part of the problem. Perhaps she had become so accustomed to the romance and his flirtatious mannerisms that when he settled into what most people would consider normal, her heart felt as if she had been abandoned. And yet throughout all their years together, he had never altered his behavior as much as he had of late. The flower in her hand was just one more reminder of the differences in their relationship.
It had started as a way of letting her know he was thinking of her during the most ordinary of days. Sometimes she would wake to find one pink tulip placed on her pillow with a note bidding her a good morning. A daisy in her chair at the high table at lunch when he knew she had a difficult morning. Perhaps a forget me not when he had to suddenly leave for a meeting at the Ministry of Magic and didn’t have time for a proper goodbye. All of those were special surprises but Minerva always looked forward to Fridays.
Their first date had taken place on a sunny Friday in the middle of Spring and he had presented her with a dazzling bouquet of freshly cut flowers. He had taken great pride and care in cutting them himself from the greenhouses, much to the dismay of the Herbology professor at the time, but that was a price he was willing to pay for his Minerva. To this day, whenever she closed her eyes and truly concentrated on the memory, she could recall the scent of the bouquet and the vibrant colors of each tiny petal. And ever since that first Friday, Albus had made sure to send her a single red rose without fail. The delivery time might vary but always before the sun set, one would magically appear and it never ceased to bring a smile to her face and a flush upon her cheeks. But for weeks now, the crystal vase had been empty. Three Fridays in a row, he had neglected to send her a rose, a daisy, any sort of flower and it only added to the growing worry in her heart.
It wasn’t just the missing flowers that had troubled Minerva. Even their nights together seemed chilly and stilted. She couldn’t remember the last time they had played a chess match in which the end result did not involve some serious flirting and kissing, not to mention the lack of lovemaking of late. Unfortunately over the course of the last few weeks, she had received barely a peck on the lips before leaving his chambers for her own. That, in and of itself, was enough to cause her alarm. Albus usually escorted her to her chambers, on the nights when she went back to her rooms, but recently their goodbyes had been said in his rooms, leaving her to walk solemnly back to the darkness of her own chambers.
Looking down she placed the wildflower in her palm and watched as the wind blew it away. Her heart felt incredibly heavy as she began to rummage through her mind looking for some reason why the flowers had been absent, as well as the loving touches. At first she thought perhaps she had said or done something to offend him but in all honesty, there was nothing but words of love spoken from her mouth to his ears. The fear of another woman entering the picture also crossed her mind as well as a thousand other ideas, each as inconceivable as the next.
Her mind raced back to a few days ago when she had practically threatened her friend, Madam Pomfrey. She had seen Albus leaving the hospital wing earlier in the day and not long after that he had made up some wild excuse about having a mountain of owls to answer before dashing to his office. Having never been one for enjoying the task of answering trivial owls from the Minister of Magic, his excuse seemed a thinly veiled attempt to once again deprive her of his company. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Minerva remembered that it was time for Albus’ yearly physical and if she was lucky, perhaps Poppy could lend some sort of answers.
In hindsight, barging into the infirmary was not the best course of action. In fact, Poppy was not amused at having dropped a particularly expensive vial of healing potion as the transfiguration professor bustled into her office searching for answers. While the mediwitch desperately wanted to put her friends’ mind at ease, she was bound by the rules of confidentiality and therefore could not offer any direct answers to Minerva’s questions about the state of Albus’ health, only that she should ask him for specifics.
If he’d stop long enough to talk to me, I would. Apparently, something is wrong and he won’t confide in me about anything. I’m lucky to get what little time I can with him and even that is sparse. It’s as if he’s hiding something from me. When I try to cuddle up with him or show him that I’m concerned, he gets this distant look in his eyes. It’s not like him to mope around and keep things from me, even the mundane or horrific. We’ve been together for too long and yet it seems my mere presence burdens him.
Her conversation with Poppy had gone around and around in circles until Minerva finally gave up and went about her duties. Days which were once greeted with anticipation and excitement were now met with dread and unhappiness. And the previous night had been the last straw for Minerva McGonagall. She had gone to such great lengths to make everything perfect, to ensure there were no interruptions or distractions and yet she still failed. The thin nightgown, the soft music, the dim candlelight, even the seductive purr in her voice failed to arouse any part of Albus. In fact, he had been so involved in his book, he hardly noticed her until she practically crawled into his lap.
Suddenly, a light went off in Minerva’s head. That had to be it. Thinking more carefully through her memories, that damn book had been with him constantly for the last three weeks. The deep burgundy binding and gold leafed pages had caught her attention on more than one occasion and despite all her heartfelt pleas, he refused to give her a direct answer when questioned upon the contents, choosing only to say it was some boring technical manual for the Wizengamot which must be read before the next meeting.
Somehow, Minerva knew that whatever had gone wrong between them had a direct connection to that little bundle of words and if she had any hopes of restoring her relationship with Albus and relighting the fires between them, she had to get her hands on it and the sooner the better.
Noticing that the reflection of the sun in the water before her had moved further away and that it was taking on an orange glow, Minerva checked her watch and discovered that it was time for dinner in the Great Hall. Not feeling particularly hungry, the Transfiguration teacher nonetheless picked herself up and went inside. At least the meal would offer her another opportunity to study Albus' behaviour and, with any luck, speak to him.
"Good evening, Albus," she greeted him with her usual smile.
A grunt and a nod were the only response and Minerva nearly turned around to leave, it hurt her so.
As she ate, Minerva watched Albus more closely than she had in a long time. He hardly touched his food, merely stirred it around on his plate while he stared off into the distance. His usually twinkling blue eyes looked deeply troubled and Minerva wondered what was so terrible that he couldn't confide in her. Even before they began dating, Albus had always shared everything with her.
Halfway through the meal, he suddenly started and pulled something from his pocket. Minerva had a difficult time not groaning out loud when she realised it was that same blasted book. Frantically turning pages, Albus seemed completely unaware that everyone in the hall was watching him. He looked like a madman as his fingers ran through the book, desperately searching for something, a glimmer of what seemed to be hopefulness lighting his eyes. Minerva watched with rapt attention as Albus found what he was looking for and quickly read the page. Moments later, his shoulders slumped in defeat and Albus excused himself from the table.
Jumping up to follow him, Minerva caught him by the sleeve just outside the door to the Great Hall. Albus seemed mildly surprised that she had followed him as he turned to look at her, but Minerva also thought he looked more sad than she had ever seen him.
"Albus," she said softly, "can I drop by your office in a little while? I really think we need to talk."
Somehow, her words seemed to hurt him even more. Albus looked at her like she had hit him in the stomach. Then, even more oddly, he nodded as though she had just proved him right about something. When he spoke, his voice was strained, not at all the usual light, loving tones Minerva was used to.
"I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Minister tonight," he said. "However, if what you have to say can be said quickly then by all means, tell me now." There was almost a coldness in his voice and it surprised, hurt, and angered Minerva all at once.
It was Minerva's turn to give him an odd look. She hoped to convey her hurt and confusion, though battling the tears that threatened to fall. "No, Albus, it can't be said quickly. I want the two of us to have a conversation...something we haven't done in quite a while," she added, more to herself than him. "May I wait for you in you rooms?"
"If you wish. Excuse me please." Albus removed his arm from her grasp and slowly walked away.
Minerva stood rooted to the spot watching him go. If you wish? she wondered. She could remember nights when Albus begged her to wait in his rooms or had come straight to hers upon his return to the castle. He said he absolutely needed her there to help him unwind after dealing with the people at the Ministry, not that she needed any convincing. Now it was as if he didn't want to see her, and why had he asked so brusquely for her to speak her mind here now? He'd spoken so harshly and yet he looked wounded rather than angry. She had to get to the bottom of this.
Then it suddenly hit her. Albus would be away all evening and she already had a reason for waiting in his rooms, now if only he would leave the book behind. Knowing that Albus usually apparated to the Ministry, Minerva hurried to an upstairs window that she knew would afford her an excellent view of the grounds. Transforming into a cat, she easily leapt up into the wide window sill and settled down to wait and watch.
It felt like ages before Minerva finally saw a familiar figure making his way toward the gates. At least the meeting is real, she thought and then scolded herself for such thoughts. Albus may have been avoiding her and using a lot of excuses lately, but he had never openly lied. Waiting a few more minutes to ensure Albus didn't turn around to retrieve some forgotten item, Minerva finally leapt down from the window and re-transformed. Another check of her watch confirmed her suspicions about how long she had sat in the window. It had been almost exactly an hour since she and Albus left the Great Hall.
Why does he insist on avoiding me so? A month ago he would have invited me to his rooms or office to help pass the hour before he had to leave...and then he probably would have been late.
Minerva sighed and reminded herself that she didn't have all night. Though the Minister would probably keep Albus far longer than the allotted amount of time, Minerva had no wish to get caught in the act of reading his book. She hurried through the corridors until she reached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Feeling slightly guilty, Minerva had a quick look around the corridor to make certain that no one saw her before giving the password and letting the stairs carry her upward. For once in her life, Minerva didn't walk up the stairs while they turned, just waited for them to bear her to the top.
Please let it be here, she thought as she let herself in to the ornate office.
Luckily, she didn't have much of a search. The book was easily spotted from the door, lying in the center of Albus' desk, which was remarkably and unusually tidy. Minerva crossed the room and picked up the book, turning it over slowly in her hands before looking at the title. At first she thought it was a decoy book. "Albus could never be reading this," she said aloud as she took a seat in the chair behind his desk.
"Oh no, not you too!" groaned a voice from above.
Looking up quickly, Minerva said, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that ever since Dumbledore started reading that bleeding book he can't concentrate on anything. He snaps at us, he's rude to people who call via floo, you're hardly ever here anymore. We've been trying to convince Fawkes to destroy it, but apparently he's too loyal to do anything against Dumbledore." The explanation came from Dilys Derwent.
Fawkes gave a disdainful coo from his perch in front of the window and turned his back on the room.
"Have you any idea why this book upset him so much?" Minerva asked, wondering how she could have neglected to ask the portraits before -- they always knew everything that happened in Albus' office.
She could see that all the other portraits had stopped feigning sleep and were watching her with great interest.
"We haven't the slightest idea, but if the same thing happens to you we won't be afraid to do something drastic," Dilys said.
"Well, I'm going to read it," Minerva told the older witch with determination in her voice. "I've got to find out what's upset Albus so."
For more than an hour, the room was eerily still as Minerva read the book. The only sounds were the rustle of the heavy parchment pages as she turned them and the occasional genuine snore from one of the previous headmasters who couldn't quite bother to stay awake to watch the current deputy headmistress read. In the background was the constant whirring and clicking of Albus' various magical instruments and toys, which Minerva had tuned out, and when a clock chimed the hour somewhere in the distance, she paid it no heed.
"I'll kill him!" she announced to no one in particular, slamming the book down on the desk. "Of all the books to read, he had to pick this one. I don't know who is more foolish, Albus or this..." she picked up the book, "this Icarella person."
Minerva put the book down and got up to pace the floor in front of the fireplace. All the former headmasters and mistresses were watching her now, listening intently to her speech even though it wasn't really intended for them.
"A woman can never truly love a man more than ten years her senior," Minerva quoted the book in a mocking tone. "While it may be quite fun to have an affair with a younger woman, never forget this warning men: Do not lose your heart to her for she will break it. Of all the absolute rubbish! I can't believe Albus would read four hundred pages detailing the decline of some man's relationship with a younger woman and believe it could happen to us! There's been no reason for him to suddenly think this could come true for us, nothing has changed..."
With absolutely no warning, Minerva flung herself out of the office door and ran down the steps. "Tell him I'll be back!" she yelled up the stairs to the portraits. Flying through the corridors to reach her rooms, Minerva began to form a plan.
Title: Yours Always
Summary: Albus is having doubts about their relationship and it’s up to Minerva to prove that everything is going to be all right. Inspired by the plot bunny “The Book,” which was donated by some anonymous person. Thanks, whoever you are.
Rating: 17+ due to lemons!
Chapter 1
Twenty one years, three weeks, four days and some few hours. That’s how long it had taken Albus Dumbledore to finally get up enough courage to ask his longtime friend, Minerva McGonagall, out on their first official date. He had fallen in love with her over the course of those years, taking the time to get to know everything about her, which only made him fall deeper and deeper in love. When he finally admitted his feelings for her that memorably sweet moment, words could not express the excitement and relief she felt to know that her love for him was returned and in such abundance. Ever since that fateful night some three years ago, they had been nearly inseparable…until recently.
The downhearted witch stared across the lake, deep in thought, as she absently twirled a wildflower in her slender hands. Thoughts of pulling the petals from the center while reciting the ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ rhyme from childhood filled her mind but fear gnawed at her heart, thinking that maybe things between them had really changed. Her mind centered on Albus and recent events which had left her more than a little confused and hurt. Oh, it could all be explained away with his simple excuses but for someone like Minerva, those excuses wouldn’t satisfy her curiosity. She needed to know the truth and the longer she debated the possibilities, the more she dreaded asking the really difficult questions.
In the three short but fun filled years they had been dating, things between Albus and Minerva had been too good to be true. Maybe that was part of the problem. Perhaps she had become so accustomed to the romance and his flirtatious mannerisms that when he settled into what most people would consider normal, her heart felt as if she had been abandoned. And yet throughout all their years together, he had never altered his behavior as much as he had of late. The flower in her hand was just one more reminder of the differences in their relationship.
It had started as a way of letting her know he was thinking of her during the most ordinary of days. Sometimes she would wake to find one pink tulip placed on her pillow with a note bidding her a good morning. A daisy in her chair at the high table at lunch when he knew she had a difficult morning. Perhaps a forget me not when he had to suddenly leave for a meeting at the Ministry of Magic and didn’t have time for a proper goodbye. All of those were special surprises but Minerva always looked forward to Fridays.
Their first date had taken place on a sunny Friday in the middle of Spring and he had presented her with a dazzling bouquet of freshly cut flowers. He had taken great pride and care in cutting them himself from the greenhouses, much to the dismay of the Herbology professor at the time, but that was a price he was willing to pay for his Minerva. To this day, whenever she closed her eyes and truly concentrated on the memory, she could recall the scent of the bouquet and the vibrant colors of each tiny petal. And ever since that first Friday, Albus had made sure to send her a single red rose without fail. The delivery time might vary but always before the sun set, one would magically appear and it never ceased to bring a smile to her face and a flush upon her cheeks. But for weeks now, the crystal vase had been empty. Three Fridays in a row, he had neglected to send her a rose, a daisy, any sort of flower and it only added to the growing worry in her heart.
It wasn’t just the missing flowers that had troubled Minerva. Even their nights together seemed chilly and stilted. She couldn’t remember the last time they had played a chess match in which the end result did not involve some serious flirting and kissing, not to mention the lack of lovemaking of late. Unfortunately over the course of the last few weeks, she had received barely a peck on the lips before leaving his chambers for her own. That, in and of itself, was enough to cause her alarm. Albus usually escorted her to her chambers, on the nights when she went back to her rooms, but recently their goodbyes had been said in his rooms, leaving her to walk solemnly back to the darkness of her own chambers.
Looking down she placed the wildflower in her palm and watched as the wind blew it away. Her heart felt incredibly heavy as she began to rummage through her mind looking for some reason why the flowers had been absent, as well as the loving touches. At first she thought perhaps she had said or done something to offend him but in all honesty, there was nothing but words of love spoken from her mouth to his ears. The fear of another woman entering the picture also crossed her mind as well as a thousand other ideas, each as inconceivable as the next.
Her mind raced back to a few days ago when she had practically threatened her friend, Madam Pomfrey. She had seen Albus leaving the hospital wing earlier in the day and not long after that he had made up some wild excuse about having a mountain of owls to answer before dashing to his office. Having never been one for enjoying the task of answering trivial owls from the Minister of Magic, his excuse seemed a thinly veiled attempt to once again deprive her of his company. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Minerva remembered that it was time for Albus’ yearly physical and if she was lucky, perhaps Poppy could lend some sort of answers.
In hindsight, barging into the infirmary was not the best course of action. In fact, Poppy was not amused at having dropped a particularly expensive vial of healing potion as the transfiguration professor bustled into her office searching for answers. While the mediwitch desperately wanted to put her friends’ mind at ease, she was bound by the rules of confidentiality and therefore could not offer any direct answers to Minerva’s questions about the state of Albus’ health, only that she should ask him for specifics.
If he’d stop long enough to talk to me, I would. Apparently, something is wrong and he won’t confide in me about anything. I’m lucky to get what little time I can with him and even that is sparse. It’s as if he’s hiding something from me. When I try to cuddle up with him or show him that I’m concerned, he gets this distant look in his eyes. It’s not like him to mope around and keep things from me, even the mundane or horrific. We’ve been together for too long and yet it seems my mere presence burdens him.
Her conversation with Poppy had gone around and around in circles until Minerva finally gave up and went about her duties. Days which were once greeted with anticipation and excitement were now met with dread and unhappiness. And the previous night had been the last straw for Minerva McGonagall. She had gone to such great lengths to make everything perfect, to ensure there were no interruptions or distractions and yet she still failed. The thin nightgown, the soft music, the dim candlelight, even the seductive purr in her voice failed to arouse any part of Albus. In fact, he had been so involved in his book, he hardly noticed her until she practically crawled into his lap.
Suddenly, a light went off in Minerva’s head. That had to be it. Thinking more carefully through her memories, that damn book had been with him constantly for the last three weeks. The deep burgundy binding and gold leafed pages had caught her attention on more than one occasion and despite all her heartfelt pleas, he refused to give her a direct answer when questioned upon the contents, choosing only to say it was some boring technical manual for the Wizengamot which must be read before the next meeting.
Somehow, Minerva knew that whatever had gone wrong between them had a direct connection to that little bundle of words and if she had any hopes of restoring her relationship with Albus and relighting the fires between them, she had to get her hands on it and the sooner the better.
Noticing that the reflection of the sun in the water before her had moved further away and that it was taking on an orange glow, Minerva checked her watch and discovered that it was time for dinner in the Great Hall. Not feeling particularly hungry, the Transfiguration teacher nonetheless picked herself up and went inside. At least the meal would offer her another opportunity to study Albus' behaviour and, with any luck, speak to him.
"Good evening, Albus," she greeted him with her usual smile.
A grunt and a nod were the only response and Minerva nearly turned around to leave, it hurt her so.
As she ate, Minerva watched Albus more closely than she had in a long time. He hardly touched his food, merely stirred it around on his plate while he stared off into the distance. His usually twinkling blue eyes looked deeply troubled and Minerva wondered what was so terrible that he couldn't confide in her. Even before they began dating, Albus had always shared everything with her.
Halfway through the meal, he suddenly started and pulled something from his pocket. Minerva had a difficult time not groaning out loud when she realised it was that same blasted book. Frantically turning pages, Albus seemed completely unaware that everyone in the hall was watching him. He looked like a madman as his fingers ran through the book, desperately searching for something, a glimmer of what seemed to be hopefulness lighting his eyes. Minerva watched with rapt attention as Albus found what he was looking for and quickly read the page. Moments later, his shoulders slumped in defeat and Albus excused himself from the table.
Jumping up to follow him, Minerva caught him by the sleeve just outside the door to the Great Hall. Albus seemed mildly surprised that she had followed him as he turned to look at her, but Minerva also thought he looked more sad than she had ever seen him.
"Albus," she said softly, "can I drop by your office in a little while? I really think we need to talk."
Somehow, her words seemed to hurt him even more. Albus looked at her like she had hit him in the stomach. Then, even more oddly, he nodded as though she had just proved him right about something. When he spoke, his voice was strained, not at all the usual light, loving tones Minerva was used to.
"I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Minister tonight," he said. "However, if what you have to say can be said quickly then by all means, tell me now." There was almost a coldness in his voice and it surprised, hurt, and angered Minerva all at once.
It was Minerva's turn to give him an odd look. She hoped to convey her hurt and confusion, though battling the tears that threatened to fall. "No, Albus, it can't be said quickly. I want the two of us to have a conversation...something we haven't done in quite a while," she added, more to herself than him. "May I wait for you in you rooms?"
"If you wish. Excuse me please." Albus removed his arm from her grasp and slowly walked away.
Minerva stood rooted to the spot watching him go. If you wish? she wondered. She could remember nights when Albus begged her to wait in his rooms or had come straight to hers upon his return to the castle. He said he absolutely needed her there to help him unwind after dealing with the people at the Ministry, not that she needed any convincing. Now it was as if he didn't want to see her, and why had he asked so brusquely for her to speak her mind here now? He'd spoken so harshly and yet he looked wounded rather than angry. She had to get to the bottom of this.
Then it suddenly hit her. Albus would be away all evening and she already had a reason for waiting in his rooms, now if only he would leave the book behind. Knowing that Albus usually apparated to the Ministry, Minerva hurried to an upstairs window that she knew would afford her an excellent view of the grounds. Transforming into a cat, she easily leapt up into the wide window sill and settled down to wait and watch.
It felt like ages before Minerva finally saw a familiar figure making his way toward the gates. At least the meeting is real, she thought and then scolded herself for such thoughts. Albus may have been avoiding her and using a lot of excuses lately, but he had never openly lied. Waiting a few more minutes to ensure Albus didn't turn around to retrieve some forgotten item, Minerva finally leapt down from the window and re-transformed. Another check of her watch confirmed her suspicions about how long she had sat in the window. It had been almost exactly an hour since she and Albus left the Great Hall.
Why does he insist on avoiding me so? A month ago he would have invited me to his rooms or office to help pass the hour before he had to leave...and then he probably would have been late.
Minerva sighed and reminded herself that she didn't have all night. Though the Minister would probably keep Albus far longer than the allotted amount of time, Minerva had no wish to get caught in the act of reading his book. She hurried through the corridors until she reached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Feeling slightly guilty, Minerva had a quick look around the corridor to make certain that no one saw her before giving the password and letting the stairs carry her upward. For once in her life, Minerva didn't walk up the stairs while they turned, just waited for them to bear her to the top.
Please let it be here, she thought as she let herself in to the ornate office.
Luckily, she didn't have much of a search. The book was easily spotted from the door, lying in the center of Albus' desk, which was remarkably and unusually tidy. Minerva crossed the room and picked up the book, turning it over slowly in her hands before looking at the title. At first she thought it was a decoy book. "Albus could never be reading this," she said aloud as she took a seat in the chair behind his desk.
"Oh no, not you too!" groaned a voice from above.
Looking up quickly, Minerva said, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that ever since Dumbledore started reading that bleeding book he can't concentrate on anything. He snaps at us, he's rude to people who call via floo, you're hardly ever here anymore. We've been trying to convince Fawkes to destroy it, but apparently he's too loyal to do anything against Dumbledore." The explanation came from Dilys Derwent.
Fawkes gave a disdainful coo from his perch in front of the window and turned his back on the room.
"Have you any idea why this book upset him so much?" Minerva asked, wondering how she could have neglected to ask the portraits before -- they always knew everything that happened in Albus' office.
She could see that all the other portraits had stopped feigning sleep and were watching her with great interest.
"We haven't the slightest idea, but if the same thing happens to you we won't be afraid to do something drastic," Dilys said.
"Well, I'm going to read it," Minerva told the older witch with determination in her voice. "I've got to find out what's upset Albus so."
For more than an hour, the room was eerily still as Minerva read the book. The only sounds were the rustle of the heavy parchment pages as she turned them and the occasional genuine snore from one of the previous headmasters who couldn't quite bother to stay awake to watch the current deputy headmistress read. In the background was the constant whirring and clicking of Albus' various magical instruments and toys, which Minerva had tuned out, and when a clock chimed the hour somewhere in the distance, she paid it no heed.
"I'll kill him!" she announced to no one in particular, slamming the book down on the desk. "Of all the books to read, he had to pick this one. I don't know who is more foolish, Albus or this..." she picked up the book, "this Icarella person."
Minerva put the book down and got up to pace the floor in front of the fireplace. All the former headmasters and mistresses were watching her now, listening intently to her speech even though it wasn't really intended for them.
"A woman can never truly love a man more than ten years her senior," Minerva quoted the book in a mocking tone. "While it may be quite fun to have an affair with a younger woman, never forget this warning men: Do not lose your heart to her for she will break it. Of all the absolute rubbish! I can't believe Albus would read four hundred pages detailing the decline of some man's relationship with a younger woman and believe it could happen to us! There's been no reason for him to suddenly think this could come true for us, nothing has changed..."
With absolutely no warning, Minerva flung herself out of the office door and ran down the steps. "Tell him I'll be back!" she yelled up the stairs to the portraits. Flying through the corridors to reach her rooms, Minerva began to form a plan.
I think I'll die if you don't! 
... it's really great, I absolutely adore it and I'm hooked now. Hope there's more to come ;D!