Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Albus woke up to the sound of Minerva vomiting in the bathroom. He hurried to her and held her hair back as she clutched the toilet. Finally, she leaned back and smiled weakly up at him.
“Good morning, Albus,” she said.
“Good morning, darling,” he replied. “Are you feeling all right?” he asked her, a bit worried.
“Much better now,” she said. “And quite hungry.”
“Then let’s get dressed and head to breakfast, my dear,” he said, and they did.
Almost as soon as they were seated, an owl swooped towards them, clutching the latest copy of the Daily Prophet in his talons. It landed in front of Minerva, dropping the paper, and flew off, after snatching a piece of bacon from her plate. She unfurled the newspaper and looked in shock at the article on the front page.
“Mr. and Mrs. Thadeus McKinnon Expecting Their First Child!” the headline declared. Minerva continued to read the article with growing dread.
“Mr. Thadeus McKinnon, one of the Chief Justices of the Wizengamot, and his wife, Minerva McGonagall, the Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, are expecting their first child. The baby is due in late April. We at the Daily Prophet wish them all the best.”
With trembling hands, she handed the paper to Albus. He read the article as well, all the colour draining from his face. He set the paper down and looked at her.
“Let’s talk in private, dear,” he suggested, standing up. She nodded, and they walked into the room behind the Great Hall. He warded the doors, and they sat down at the small table. He took her hand.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” he asked.
“No, what?” she replied anxiously.
“Now that it’s been publically announced, you’ll have to take maternity leave in December,” he explained.
“Oh, God, Albus,” she whispered, distraught. “That means I’ll have to go back to the Manor, and leave you. Oh, Albus – I don’t want to go back to him, I don’t want to leave you,” she whispered, tears dripping down her face.
“But you have to go to him, darling, or else all our planning would have been in vain,” he replied.
“You want me to leave?” she asked him, heartbroken.
“No, darling, no! Of course not. I love you, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives together, as husband and wife, with our daughter. But we both know that it isn’t possible, and that’s why you must return to him.”
Her tears slowed, then stopped. “I know, darling,” she replied.
“And what about after the baby is born?” he asked. “Will Thadeus let you come back to teach?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” she gasped. “I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you take a year off after our baby’s birth?” he suggested.
“Albus!” she asked, shocked. “Why?”
“I know you, Minerva,” he said. “You would never forgive yourself if you missed out on our daughter’s childhood, would you?” he asked.
“No, I wouldn’t,” she admitted. “All right, I’ll take a year off after our daughter’s birth,” she said.
“I love you, Minerva,” he whispered. “And I want you to be happy.”
“I love you, too, Albus,” she replied, tears slipping down her face once more.
“Don’t cry, darling,” he begged her, wiping away her tears.
“I can’t help it, Albus,” she said. “I don’t want you to be unhappy either.”
“As long as you are happy, darling, I am,” he told her. “You, and our daughter, are all that matter to me.”
“I love you, Albus,” she whispered, leaning across the table to kiss her lover.
“And I love you, Minerva.”
i can't say anything else... can't wait for the next update!
I wanna give him a cyber-fiction hug! 
