Resolving a Misunderstanding (complete)

[esoterica1693]

Oh gawd, this chapter was beautiful. Another bit of exquisite agony! But they're getting closer, bit by bit!
Best bits:
"If you were my wizard......"
"I will miss you" (by each!)
His caressing her face....
"coming home."

D*mn your occlumency, Albus! If only you'd let her see into your eyes there at the end, your evening might have ended very differently! Hopefully we'll get Albus' reflections on all this soon!

Good for her for telling him to stuff the old codger bit. Hopefully he really *heard* her and will realize she doesn't see him as old.

And hopefully she'll begin to believe that Gertie is nothing but a good friend to him.

My own tabby cat (no square markings around her eyes, alas) is now attempting to bat my mouse off my desk w/ her Strong Stripe'd Tail of Power. About the only mousing I've ever seen her do! I think she's trying to tell me I've spent enough time at the keyboard....

[revolutionaryetude]

ARGGHHH Albus why did you have to turn you head! Oh this was a wonderful chapter with wonderful fluffy moments. It is wonderful torture. Hopefully Albus stops in to see her.

[Alesia]

Well I have just read from the visit with the Jarvey all of the way to the goodnight after the chess match, and damn that entire bit was great. They are soooo close to that first kiss, it is in the air if only they could just catch it.


I have to say I still very much ADORE ADORE ADORE Quin down to the tips of his shoes. He is so funny and in tune with what is going on around him, and Albus is right, Quin could and probably would come to love Minerva if things aligned correctly.

[monsie]

Oh damn. I have finally caught up with everyone else and you know what? I'm disappointed because now I'll have to wait patiently like everyone else. And patience and I do not get along very well... *glares at patience*

Since I am up to date with it all, I figured I'd comment on a few things I can remember which I enjoyed in particular (and they will be funny things, most likely). First, I love the way you've written the other teachers, and in particular the scenes of them in the divination tower and then down at Hagrid's hut. Jeremiah was a dirty, dirty little thing! Hilarious though. I was laughing and coughing at the same time while reading it.

Quin is excellent. I don't believe I've commented on him before, but I am very glad you resisted the temptation of making him Albus' rival. Even if he still thinks of Quin that way, but that's because Albus considers himself to be too old a codger to be worthy of anything more from Minerva, besides her friendship. Can you write in a scene when someone swats him over the head for being so slow for such an intelligent man? And Minerva too because, really, how many indications does she need? Do either of them need?

I still love them though. I also love, at times, that they never cease to have bouts of 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome. It's practically an art between them. *grins*

Also, Gertie... I loves her so. And Wilspy. She was a laugh with Minerva when she asked her if she'd gone swimming with the squid. Speaking of that scene, the one before it, of Albus, Morag and Yaxley... Brilliant. I love the way Albus teased her and Minerva's own actions were brilliant. When he called her and she turns away, I laughed. Honestly. It was brilliant. As was the way she stopped grooming herself when Albus told Yaxley that the cat's name was Morag. Honestly, brilliant.

What else? Hagrid and Willehmina (sp?) is amusing. And kind of disturbing. There's a bit when Minerva's walking past the hut and she can hear them? LOL. Johannes crush on Gertie... I liked that. I was wondering about them too, until you confirmed it through Quin. Aww! Personally, I think she knows but doesn't want to encourage him, hence why she invited the others for breakfast, but that;s just my opinion.

And... Romantic stuff, because that has been lovely too. It's all been lovely, but as you may have noticed I am a big fan of humour. I tend to just talk about that a lot. Plus it doesn't help that I do get a little frustrated with Minerva and Albus' ignorance. Is that the right word? Probably not. But back the romance. I loved their 'date' in London. That was cute. My favourite scene of them thus far probably has to be their side long apparition. That was just so well written! And Albus' reaction to Minerva's robes after the cat incident with Yaxley. Albus' falling over himself to find the right words is fantastic and highly amusing, again, because he is such a smart wizard. And yet so damn blind. *Shakes head* Okay, so the last one was probably more humour than romance, but still.. I did good!

I know I haven't covered all the wonderful detail that you have put into this story, and there has been a lot. But I hope I have given a little back for all the time you've spent on this fantastic story. And now I will shuteth upeth.

Thank you and I look forward the next update!

[MMADfan]

bogus7 said:

You keep teasing us by posting here and not having it be story!

(impulse post, I swear I'll be good)

Okay, so less than a half hour after I say there will be a post soon, you complain about being teased; about ten minutes later, I post the new chapter . . . So WHERE'S YOUR REVIEW? Just kidding -- just had to give in to my own impulse to be slightly sarcastic -- it happens every so often, then goes away and I'm fine again! Whenever you get to the chapter, I hope you enjoy it! *grin*

-MMADfan, back to her usual sweet self! (*chuckle*)

[esoterica1693]

Tis a very good thing you've deliberately abandoned canon in favour of your own timeline. JKR just named APWBD her WOTM for Sept and she's changed his dates from what she said years ago. She now has him b. 1881 d. 1997. (Actually she has him d. 1996 -- the woman is truly unbelievably bad at maths! She desperately needs to put Steve VanDerArk of THe HP Lexicon on her own payroll......)

However this does mean that for ADMM in general the age gap isn't as huge as it has traditionally been thought to be. AD is only 44 yrs older than MM, not 85.....

[MMADfan]

esoterica1693 said:

Tis a very good thing you've deliberately abandoned canon in favour of your own timeline. JKR just named APWBD her WOTM for Sept and she's changed his dates from what she said years ago. She now has him b. 1881 d. 1997. (Actually she has him d. 1996 -- the woman is truly unbelievably bad at maths! She desperately needs to put Steve VanDerArk of THe HP Lexicon on her own payroll......)

However this does mean that for ADMM in general the age gap isn't as huge as it has traditionally been thought to be. AD is only 44 yrs older than MM, not 85.....

PLEASE don't remind me of that. I didn't abandon canon -- I abandoned DH, and to me, there's a big difference. This bothers me far more than DH, which I knew would give us a background for Albus that was different from what I'd come up with, and certainly much more than the extremely predictable pronouncement that Albus and Minerva are not a canon couple. She's just . . . she knew, without doubt, that everyone went by her "150 years old" statement and she never corrected it until now. It's much harder to ignore when someone is born -- that's about fact of the way the universe is initially set up -- than it is anything else. But everything in RaM is tied into the dates. Everything. Please, for the sake of my sanity (and my Muse) don't bring this up again. I was just going to make a little note of it and move on. If I have to abandon canon, I'm not writing the eff'ing story. Next thing you know, she will say that in the Hogwarts universe, there never was a Muggle WWII, that Minerva was a contemporary of the "Marauders" (whom I cannot stand, BTW -- and fics that move people's births willy-nilly drive me nutty & I can't read them -- half the time, I don't think people realise that they're screwing with fundamentals of the universe when they do that -- it's not a "what if?" experiment, it's just lack of care and ignorance that has them having impossible people being contemporaries), and that Harry is not James's son.

[MMADfan]

Here are some key dates:

• 1 August 1840: Albus's birth
  
• 1843: Crispinian Egidius and Gwynllian Parnovon, Egeria's parents, born
  
• 1844: Collum McGonagall, Merwyn's father, born
  
• 1845: Siofra Tyree, Merwyn's mother, born
  
• 1858: Albus takes NEWTs, marries Dervilia
  
• 1859: Dervilia becomes pregnant
  
• 1860: Dervilia dies
  
• 1869: Merwyn McGonagall born
  
• 1875: Egeria Egidius born

Without rewriting the entire story, I can't change AD's birth year to match what JKR has on her "wizard of the month" entry. There are also some key events in the early and mid-sixties that we haven't learned of yet. I'd have to rewrite so many chapters in which Albus's age is being reflected on -- I just couldn't go through and change everything. There is so much that is dependent on it. Including Minerva's parent's ages, the existence of her three older brothers, everything . . . it can't be changed without changing everything and essentially destroying the story. It couldn't be rewritten with his birthdate forty/forty-one years later.

[esoterica1693]

Heartfelt apologies! Esp. re the use of "abandon"--you're right--not what you've done at all! Which I think is one of many reasons why so many of us love RaM--you know Albus better than Jo seemed to by the end, and right now.

I am surprised she's changed Albus' dates, as the supposed conflict w/ DH narrative and his being born ca. 1840 was easily explained away. And I don't have anything per se invested in what she said previously, other than my assumptions as I read the books.

I think some lemon drops and hot chocolate might be in order ...

Again, sorry for typing in haste...

[esoterica1693]

BTW, I'm totally with you on the Marauders! (Casts massive Shield charm b/c I know many love them....)

[MMADfan]

esoterica1693 said:

BTW, I'm totally with you on the Marauders! (Casts massive Shield charm b/c I know many love them....)

I am in a totally bitchy mood today because I threw my back out yesterday and couldn't sleep last night and got up feeling worse than I did when I went to bed. Hence my crabbier-than-usual response. Also, the entire topic is irritating, just doubly so because I'm already crabby! So I should probably just sequester myself until I am feeling more human.

However, I really dislike the Marauders. Even the name. I know lots of people like them, so no offense to them; I just don't like them. However, I can at least understand liking them, unlike people who idolize Death Eaters. Murderers and torturers, even fictional ones, aren't anyone I would idolize or admire. But hey, I'm odd. I also believe in standing and letting old people have my seat on the bus, I put my trash in my pocket and don't throw it on the street, and I still say "please" and "thank you." (Can you tell I'm feeling bitchy today? Okay, time to go and isolate myself from polite company until I'm feeling more civilized! )

[esoterica1693]

Knock back a pain potion b/4 your hot chocolate, then. Feel better!

I must say you come up w/ some great names! None on your little timeline we hadn't seen before, but seeing them all together in one place is quite impressive....

One interesting thing I noticed in re-reading some chapter or the other last week....apropos of nothing and probably not particularly important plot-wise (though I don't presume to know!), but one of those little bits of careful writing you do so well.....

Somewhere in the 'present-day/1957' RaM sequence, MM says something like (very rough paraphrase here) "[Albus] didn't have children, anyway--as little as it turns out she knew about him, she was sure she'd know THAT about him, whether or not he'd ever mentioned it."

A *very gentle* tweak at MM and how limited her knowledge of Albus is in some ways, b/c of course technically it turns out he *did* have a child. I don't know how Albus feels about such things, but at least nowadays a woman who lost a pregnancy that late (I get the sense it was fairly late, anyway) would consider that she'd had a child, so perhaps Albus does too. Even though he's never had the experience of raising a child he literally fathered (at least as far as we know at this point in the story! though I *really* don't think you're thinking of going there--despite Robert's auburn hair!), he's still been a smidge closer to understanding himself as a father than MM realized at the time she made that statement. Of course admittedly at the time he was married AD wasn't keen on the idea of being a father right yet....

MM's and our slowly getting to know 1950s and younger Albus better is so enjoyable....

No response to this totally random-association post necessary--just do whatever one does to make a sore back better!

[hollydales]

Hi My first go at posting a review so hope it goes well.
I found this story first on ffnet, and was pleased to find it here. I have really enjoyed reading this. I love the feel of the narrative and the craft-manship is superb. The tender moments are beautifully done. In many ways it reminds me of Jane Austen's observational style.
It is such a pity that more publishers do not like this sort of detailed writing today and go for briefness and fireworks. ( The advantage of this is that it gives us the chance to fill in a backstory we like and develop our own thoughts without too much contradiction). In this story, however you do not feel the need to do so. There may be times when I think ..Get On With It..but that is only impatience with wanting to know the ending!!
Keep up the lovely work and I hope your back is better soon.

[Orion's Guard]

I actually prefer the sarcastic review responses. In my house, sarcasm means we like and respect someone, and politeness means we don't respect them enough and we're actually mocking them.

I've actually had the review at the bottom of the page for a few days (I just leave these pages up and I tend to forget they're there), but I did read it the night you posted.

Minerva is pretty dense for not catching the "You wand to climb my steps?" line she gets every other day. And it's also nice to see their frist chess game, as it's such a realistic presence in the relationship that we imagine they have.

Someone needs to jump one of them for the other to realize what they're missing.

[MMADfan]

esoterica1693 said:

<snip!>
Somewhere in the 'present-day/1957' RaM sequence, MM says something like (very rough paraphrase here) "[Albus] didn't have children, anyway--as little as it turns out she knew about him, she was sure she'd know THAT about him, whether or not he'd ever mentioned it."

A *very gentle* tweak at MM and how limited her knowledge of Albus is in some ways, b/c of course technically it turns out he *did* have a child. I don't know how Albus feels about such things, but at least nowadays a woman who lost a pregnancy that late (I get the sense it was fairly late, anyway) would consider that she'd had a child, so perhaps Albus does too. Even though he's never had the experience of raising a child he literally fathered (at least as far as we know at this point in the story! though I *really* don't think you're thinking of going there--despite Robert's auburn hair!), he's still been a smidge closer to understanding himself as a father than MM realized at the time she made that statement. Of course admittedly at the time he was married AD wasn't keen on the idea of being a father right yet....

I don't think of Albus as having had a child with Dervilia, and I don't have Albus thinking of himself as a father. And when Dervilia died in her miscarriage, it was in the first few months. The fetus wouldn't have quickened, as the language of the day put it. Albus was barely to terms with the fact that Dervilia was pregnant when she miscarried and bled to death. Just having gotten Dervilia pregnant does not equate with fatherhood in his mind. And this was in 1859-1860, so those attitudes have to be considered as well.

I will likely update at some point today. It's a shortish chapter, but I hope it pleases!

[MMADfan]

CV: Silly Wizard

Albus slowly closed the door at the top of the stairs. He had been reluctant to see Minerva leave, and even more reluctant to say good-bye to her. As he had reminded her, it was only a few days that she would be away, and she would be back again. Why he should feel such reluctance did not puzzle him, but that he felt it at all bothered him. His attachment to Minerva was growing and could only end in greater unhappiness for himself if he did not check it. At least he was controlling his impulses around her somewhat better, and his physical responses to her presence, as well. That was particularly fortunate, given the incident earlier in the day. When Minerva had entered his sitting room unexpectedly wearing the revealing dress robes, he had been taken unawares, having assumed that she would be dressed in her usual daily attire. He had been able to regain his composure quickly, however, and by the time he accompanied her down his backstair, he was in complete control of himself and his physical reactions. If he hadn’t been, Albus was sure that he would have been far more uncomfortable when he had turned and caught her, keeping her from falling. Even now, he felt a slight frisson of pleasure as he reflected upon the way Minerva’s skin had felt under his hand, knowing that if he had moved his hand just an inch or two, it would have been pressing against her breast, and it still required some measure of self-control to keep that slight thrill in check. It had not escaped him, however, that Minerva had hesitated when he’d suggested going down the backstairs again that evening; no doubt, she had remembered how his hand had come to rest on her bare skin and found the memory distasteful. Well, it wasn’t as though that was a shorter way, after all, only somewhat easier, since there were no stairs to climb. Perhaps she really did just want the exercise at the end of a long day. . . .

When Minerva had left for her dinner with Quin, there was a part of Albus that was happy she would be meeting the young wizard, but another part of him grieved, believing that Minerva, as she grew closer to Quin, would inevitably grow away from him. Whatever she thought of the young wizard, Quin was a potential suitor, and Albus would not interfere with that. When he had gone up to his rooms for the evening, he had not anticipated seeing Minerva again until she returned from her parents’ in several days’ time. He had been surprised to find her in his office, coming to see him, as she said, without any excuse for her visit other than the desire to see him. That had been a lovely thing to hear her say, but he mustn’t put too much stock in it. Minerva had just wanted to tell someone about her date – her evening out – and Poppy wasn’t in the castle. No doubt, Minerva would have gone to see her friend, had she been available. Well, her other friend. He was her friend, as well, of course.

Indeed, her visit had soothed Albus’s fear that Minerva would grow away from him as she became closer to Quin. But perhaps what she had said of Quin was true: neither had any feelings for the other outside of friendship. It would be selfish of him to wish that Minerva not meet a wizard with whom she could fall in love, but he was grateful that it appeared she had not done so yet.

Albus returned to his sitting room and put away the chess set; perhaps a rematch might be a good excuse to see Minerva again. As long as he kept his physical responses to her well-controlled, there was little reason not to continue to enjoy her company for as long as she enjoyed his. If it made it somewhat more difficult in the future when she did finally find that wizard she was meant to be with, at least he would have these happy memories, and if they were close when she married, perhaps they would remain good friends.

Something reminded Albus of young Carson Murphy and what the boy had said in his letter to Minerva, that she was meant for someone special and he hoped that she found him. Albus was unaware that Carson had inherited any of the MacAirt gifts, yet perhaps the boy had felt something from Minerva that told him that there was someone in particular that she was meant to be with. Carson had mentioned his grandmother, after all, and she had been known as a particularly talented witch. Not that Albus put much stock in such things, though perhaps Dervilia would still be alive if he had done. But that old witch coming up to him, uninvited, telling him that only pain would result from his marriage to Dervilia, advising against it for both their sakes, then implying that such happiness was not his “youthful lot,” whatever that was supposed to have meant – she had only irritated him with her bluntness and her presumption. And yet it had turned out as the old MacAirt witch, Quin’s great-great grandmother, had predicted; Dervilia had died in her miscarriage less than two years into their marriage, and his pain at losing her had been greater than any happiness he had experienced in his marriage. And despite a few liaisons during his travels as a young man, he had never found a witch with whom he fell in love; then after his mother’s death, when he had devoted himself so fully to his magical education and finding his place in the wizarding world, Albus had renounced such entanglements entirely. It was only after he had passed middle age and had finally felt settled into his life and his career that he began to entertain the notion of perhaps finding a witch to share his life with him. But that was more than thirty years ago now, and with the intervening war, he had had hardly any opportunities, or even the leisure, to find such a witch. The only witch whom he had actually deemed suitable to him and his life had kindly but firmly rejected his romantic overtures. There had also been Valerianna, of course, but Albus was now certain that, even without that final embarrassment, he would have eventually recognise how utterly unsuitable she was. But she had been the first witch he had courted in a very long time, and it had been enjoyable simply to court a witch and to feel like a virile and desirable wizard for even a short time. Of course, that feeling had disappeared entirely when he had found her with that other wizard, and Albus realised what an old fool he had been to think that a witch would ever again find him desirable for anything other than his perceived position in the wizarding world.

Albus readied himself for bed, pulling on a light-weight, collarless nightshirt, white with red and gold pinstripes. As he was about to cast the charm that kept his beard and hair from tangling during the night, he looked at himself in the mirror. Perhaps he should finally rid himself of the beard and hair; it made him look eccentric and old, something that he hadn’t really cared about until recently. In fact, it was an image he cultivated; appearing eccentric and somewhat dotty could disarm people who might otherwise be intimidated by him. It was a useful effect to have in a variety of situations. And his age could also inspire some respect, despite his eccentricity. But now, looking at his hair and seeing that it was increasingly silver rather than grey, he wondered whether it might not be time to cut it off. He would still have his age; even ridding himself of his beard and hair would not change that. And yet . . .

Albus waved his wand and his beard shortened to a well-trimmed length. Another wave, and it vanished entirely, revealing a pale jaw and a slight cleft in his chin. He looked even more ridiculous now, he thought, with his long hair flowing down his back, and that was next. In one wave, the long locks disappeared, leaving his hair short on the back and sides. It was still grey with a good deal of white, but he thought he looked . . . different, anyway. Perhaps not so eccentric . . . he would certainly blend in at the Ministry better, looking like this. And wearing his more conservative robes, Albus thought he would definitely appear less dotty. Perhaps less the barmy old codger. He swished his wand once more, bringing the colour of his jaw up to match the rest of his face. Sharp blue eyes looked out at him from the mirror now, and they saw quite plainly what he was doing. Nonetheless, he made one final wave of his wand and retired to bed for the night, feeling strangely naked without his beard and long hair, yet he fell asleep quickly despite that.

Albus woke early and stretched in bed. As he rolled over, ready to try for another few minutes sleep, he felt the odd sensation of the pillow against his face and remembered what he had done the night before. He reached up and touched his jaw. Yes, he had done a good job; his skin still felt as smooth as if he had just shaved. Knowing he would not fall asleep again now, he sat up and blinked before waving his hand to pull back the draperies and let in the morning light. As he swung his legs over the bed and let his feet dangle, he wondered whether Minerva had left the castle yet. Likely not; she was an early riser, Albus thought, but it was still very early, and she would probably have at least a cup of tea before she left.

Albus stood and called Wilspy. As he shuffled toward the window to see what the morning looked like, Wilspy popped in with his first cup of tea, milk and sugar added just as he liked it.

“Professor Dumbledore! What you done to yourself!” the house-elf exclaimed as Albus turned to take his tea.

“I thought . . . I thought I would try something different.”

“Professor Dumbledore, you looks . . . you looks like a St. Mungo’s patient.” Wilspy shook her head. “Silly, silly. Silly Professor Dumbledore looks like silly Professor Dumbledore. Change back before your Professor Minerva sees you. Your Professor Minerva will see it and think, silly, silly, like Wilspy.”

“I am sure that others will see me before that time, Wilspy. Professor McGonagall is leaving on holiday today.”

“Why Professor Dumbledore being so silly today? Is you sad Professor’s Professor Minerva is leaving? Do not be sad, Master Albus,” Wilspy said, patting his knee as she used to pat his shoulder when he was a small boy. “Your Professor Minerva always comes back to her Professor Dumbledore.”

Albus smiled slightly and gave a short laugh. “Thank you, Wilspy. But you know, she is not ‘my Professor Minerva’; she works here at Hogwarts as one of my teachers, just as all the other teachers do. But you are right, I will miss her. And you are also right, she will return. She does work here, as I said.”

“You is a silly wizard, Master Albus,” Wilspy said with a deep house-elfish sigh. “And Professor Minerva not left yet. Change back to yourself and see your Professor Minerva before she leaves.”

Albus gave an answering sigh. “I appreciate your opinion, Wilspy, but you are just unused to seeing my face. This is what is under all that hair. This is me.”

“Shave your head and go naked then! No robes for Master Albus! That is what is under all those clothes!” Wilspy threw up her hands and rolled her eyes, then Disapparated, leaving Albus to chuckle.

Albus drank his tea while he dressed, choosing fairly conservative taupe robes with silver and magenta trim. Looking in the mirror, ignoring the Charmed object’s annoying suggestions for his grooming and dress, he did wonder if Wilspy wasn’t right about one thing: his face did look oddly naked. But he had worn a Glamour when he was pretending to be “General Dumbledore,” and no one had thought he looked peculiar. At least, no one had said he did. Perhaps a mustache. Or a mustache and goatee. He would give this look a try first, he thought, combing his wavy forelock back with his fingers.

Remembering what Wilspy had said about Minerva, Albus thought that perhaps she hadn’t left yet. Somewhat nervously, wondering whether Wilspy had also been right that Minerva would think he looked silly clean-shaven and respectable, Albus left his rooms and took the moving spiral staircase to the second floor. An early morning walk before breakfast would help start his day right, and if he happened to run into Minerva before she left, he could see whether Wilspy was correct about him looking silly. But he wasn’t just doing this for her benefit, he reminded himself. It was his attempt to appear less eccentric. He certainly could never imagine that removing his hair and beard would make him appear any more like an eligible wizard than he did with it, after all – at least, not to Minerva. Perhaps if he had done this years ago, he would have had better luck in finding a witch who saw him for who he was. Now, however, he had resigned himself to his solitary state, and it certainly would be unfair to any witch to attempt to court her until he had rid himself of his attachment to Minerva, even if he found one.

As Albus strolled along the drive, he heard the heavy oak doors open behind him, and he turned to see Minerva, her luggage floating behind her, emerge from the castle. Feeling unaccountably nervous, he walked toward her.

“Good morning, Professor McGonagall,” he said, smiling. “On your way?”

Minerva stood stock-still and stared at him. “Um, yes,” she managed to say.

“Do give my best wishes to your parents.”

“What did you do to yourself?” Minerva asked bluntly. Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded . . . um, are you . . . seeing Muggles today?”

“No, I normally wear a suit when meeting Muggles.” Albus was uneasy. “I just thought . . . you have expressed distaste when I refer to myself as an old codger. I thought I might appear less barmy and codger-like if I . . .” Albus gestured to his face.

“I see.” Minerva swallowed, still staring. “You look fine, of course. You always do. It’s just . . . a shock, I suppose.”

Albus could see clearly what she wasn’t saying – whatever had possessed him to think this would be an improvement? “Wilspy seemed to think this look didn’t suit me.”

“Well, Wilspy may have odd notions about appropriate dress, but . . . I think not everyone can carry off your previous look as well as you do. Er, did. It suited you.” Albus didn’t think that Minerva had blinked since laying eyes on him.

“It was better before?” Albus asked.

Minerva opened her mouth, hesitating before she said, “I always thought your hair and beard among your finer features, to be honest. But you must do what you feel comfortable with. You’re still yourself, with or without the beard and hair. It will just take becoming accustomed to, I’m sure.”

“Oh. I thought it might be an improvement,” Albus answered. “Less eccentric. Not as . . . old codger-like.”

Minerva just gave a slight shrug, looking somewhat less shocked than she had at first. “You do look fine, Albus, you really do, but you never looked like an old codger to me, and I am sorry to see you have shaved it all off, as long as I’m being frank.”

“It’s not gone. It’s just a particularly strong Glamour. I thought I’d simply give it a try for a few days.”

Minerva literally let out a sigh of relief at his revelation. “Well, we all do like to try something a bit different occasionally. I once tried being a blonde. It didn’t last long.” She quirked a bit of a grin.

Albus smiled. “Since the two females in my life, you and Wilspy, don’t seem to approve, I think I will cut this trial short.” He pulled out his wand and, with a few quick swishes, returned his hair and beard to their normal states.

Minerva grinned. “Much better. Glad you did that before I left on holiday, or I may have had nightmares!” she joked.

“Can’t have that, now, can we?” Albus said with a little chuckle. “Here, I’ll walk you to the gates.”

“I enjoyed our chess match last night. It was invigorating, if somewhat frustrating,” Minerva said as they walked down the drive.

“I did as well. I hope we might have a rematch at some point.”

“I will look forward to it.”

They reached the gates and Albus opened them with a gesture.

“Enjoy your holiday,” he said with a warm smile.

“I am sure I will,” Minerva answered as she stepped off the Hogwarts grounds. She turned and looked up at him. “But, as I said, I also look forward to my return.” She raised a tentative hand and touched his cheek then gently stroked his bearded jaw. “And I’m glad you saw me off in your normal state.”

“No nightmares,” Albus said softly.

“No nightmares,” she replied with a slight smile.

Minerva nodded at him and stepped back, taking hold of her bags, one in each hand. “Good bye, Albus.”

“Good bye, my dear Minerva.”

There was a crack, and Albus was left standing alone just outside the gates. His smile faded and he turned to head back to the castle.

Well, at least she hadn’t told him he looked silly, as Wilspy had done, he consoled himself. But nightmares? She had just been joking with him, teasing him as he so often teased her. Still, what had he been thinking? It hadn’t been about “fitting in” at the Ministry. He didn’t need to worry about fitting in. With or without the beard, people who already thought him eccentric would still believe him to be so, and those who didn’t . . . were wrong. And that he would tell himself that he was only doing it for everyone but Minerva . . . whatever his vices were or ever had been, lying to himself had never been one of them. He had occasionally been very badly mistaken, and as a young man, he had occasionally turned a wilful blind eye to what he did not want to see, but he had never been in the habit of lying to himself. And he was not very good at it, either. Not that he had honestly thought that Minerva would find him . . . anything other than her old professor, but there had been the thought in the back of his mind that she might find him less ancient, perhaps somewhat better-looking, less like an old codger. After all, it wasn’t as though he’d grown the beard to cover a weak chin or a nonexistent jaw line or bad skin. Albus had always thought that, without the beard and long hair, he looked rather like his Uncle Christopher, and he had been considered a good-looking man back in his day. His Aunt Beatrice had always said so, and had been proud of the way that other witches’ eyes followed her husband. But his Uncle Christopher had always been an upstanding business man with his small wizarding press, an ordinary wizard with wife and daughter, not the Hogwarts Headmaster and the wizard who had defeated Grindelwald . . . and he hadn’t taught Minerva McGonagall as a child, he hadn’t gone to school with the girl’s grandparents . . . and he hadn’t accumulated obligations and debts before he had reached his twenty-fifth birthday.

Albus sighed and returned to his office, ready to settle down with another long day’s work; however long ago he may have repaid any debts or obligations from his youth, the obligations brought upon him by virtue of his position and his power would never be discharged. Normally, he found satisfaction in this fact, but today, he felt weary and burdened, and when Minerva had Disapparated, it had felt as though a part of his strength had gone with her. But that was mere fancy; it had been his disappointment, both in his experiment and in himself, that had left him enervated. The only cure for that was accomplishment, and Albus set to work, knowing that his energy would return as he immersed himself in it.

As he resolutely picked up the first sheaf of parchments on his desk, there was a flash of flame as Fawkes burst through the open window, showing off. He circled the office, trilling a joyous song, and Albus grinned. He would get a good day’s work done that day; he had no doubt about it. Albus relaxed into his work, feeling as though he had just come from a long, purifying sauna, and he hummed a cheerful piece from Saint-Saens as Fawkes tucked his head beneath his wing and napped.

---

Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next, we rejoin Minerva and visit her family home.

BTW, don't forget the lemon-rich story "Heat," and "Falling for Pomona" and its companion "Impressing Filius," both of which are in the "Somewhat-AD-Related" forum, if, while you are waiting for RaM to be updated, you are looking for something else I've written. ("Heat" is in the Lemons forum, but is also "Somewhat-Related.")

Here's the link to the RaM timeline.

[Hogwarts Duo]

It had not escaped him, however, that Minerva had hesitated when he’d suggested going down the backstairs again that evening; no doubt, she had remembered how his hand had come to rest on her bare skin and found the memory distasteful.

No doubts indeed that she remembered how his hand rested on her bare skin but I dare say it was not distasteful at all. I’m sure that’s going to be one of Minerva’s favorite memories as she drifts off to sleep or finds herself lost in a daydream while away at her parents. The thought of him being so close and touching her skin…wow…steam is already starting to rise from my computer screen just from the thought.

Albus smiled. “Since the two females in my life, you and Wilspy, don’t seem to approve, I think I will cut this trial short.”

Oh, if only Minerva paid more attention to what Albus just said there she’d not be going to her parents’ home for a holiday!! Instead, she’d be marching right up to Albus suite and spending two weeks in wanton behavior with the Headmaster…wheee! The fact that he specifically named the two females in his life (Wilspy and Minerva and NOT GERTIE) has made my little heart very happy. Whatever Gertie might mean to him, at least he doesn’t consider her on the same level as Minerva. Woo Hoo! ;D

“I am sure I will,” Minerva answered as she stepped off the Hogwarts grounds. She turned and looked up at him. “But, as I said, I also look forward to my return.” She raised a tentative hand and touched his cheek then gently stroked his bearded jaw. “And I’m glad you saw me off in your normal state.”

Awww…the stuff wonderfully fluffy dreams are made of indeed! I can bet Minerva is thinking how those bearded cheeks and jaw would feel against her skin. I do believe the cauldron is beginning to simmer, dear ICON!

This was a great chapter. We get to see the sadness in Albus’ mind at thinking he’s a barmy old codger and one that Minerva could never take seriously as a suitor. Then, with a few simple words and expressions, Minerva puts those fears to rest…at least on the surface she seems to have done so. Lots of UST in this chapter in a very subtle way. BRILLIANT JOB…AS ALWAYS!!! ;D

Thanks for the update!!!
GLM

[MMADfan]

hogwartsduo said:

It had not escaped him, however, that Minerva had hesitated when he’d suggested going down the backstairs again that evening; no doubt, she had remembered how his hand had come to rest on her bare skin and found the memory distasteful.

No doubts indeed that she remembered how his hand rested on her bare skin but I dare say it was not distasteful at all. I’m sure that’s going to be one of Minerva’s favorite memories as she drifts off to sleep or finds herself lost in a daydream while away at her parents. The thought of him being so close and touching her skin…wow…steam is already starting to rise from my computer screen just from the thought.

I know, poor Albus! Thinking she found his touch yucky! But he has his reasons for believing that . . . .

hogwartsduo said:

Oh, if only Minerva paid more attention to what Albus just said there she’d not be going to her parents’ home for a holiday!! Instead, she’d be marching right up to Albus suite and spending two weeks in wanton behavior with the Headmaster…wheee! The fact that he specifically named the two females in his life (Wilspy and Minerva and NOT GERTIE) has made my little heart very happy. Whatever Gertie might mean to him, at least he doesn’t consider her on the same level as Minerva. Woo Hoo! ;D

“I am sure I will,” Minerva answered as she stepped off the Hogwarts grounds. She turned and looked up at him. “But, as I said, I also look forward to my return.” She raised a tentative hand and touched his cheek then gently stroked his bearded jaw. “And I’m glad you saw me off in your normal state.”

Awww…the stuff wonderfully fluffy dreams are made of indeed! I can bet Minerva is thinking how those bearded cheeks and jaw would feel against her skin. I do believe the cauldron is beginning to simmer, dear ICON!

This was a great chapter. We get to see the sadness in Albus’ mind at thinking he’s a barmy old codger and one that Minerva could never take seriously as a suitor. Then, with a few simple words and expressions, Minerva puts those fears to rest…at least on the surface she seems to have done so. Lots of UST in this chapter in a very subtle way. BRILLIANT JOB…AS ALWAYS!!! ;D

Thanks for the update!!!
GLM

You're welcome! And I'm sure that many others besides Minerva were happy to learn it was only a strong Glamour and he hadn't actually gotten rid of it all! Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews, GLM!

BTW, I updated my LJ with a timeline -- more extensive than the very short one I posted here. It covers from 1840 through 1957 and key dates we have already encountered in RaM. I hope it's of some interest to folks.

[Merriam]

Marvelous chapter as always...but where'd all the lengthy updates go?! Some of us are dying over here without our RaM to sustain us. No pressure or anything. Haha. ;D

Looking forward to more!

~Meri

[MMADfan]

Here are my thoughts on Albus's age, to the extent I have any! LOL! I put this on my LJ, which has an updated timeline and outline, as of today.

JKR recently posted Albus Dumbledore's birth year as 1881. Prior to this, everyone, including the HP-Lexicon, assumed a birth year of approximately 1840, based on an interview that JKR gave several years ago in which she stated that Albus was one hundred fifty years old. I used the 1840 date as my "jumping off point" for RaM -- and AAoL, by extension, since AAoL is set in the same fictional universe as RaM -- and obviously, over 400,000 words into the story, I can't change something like that without entirely rewriting RaM, and a lot of RaM would make no sense if I were to change it. So essentially, assume that RaM and AAoL attempt to be canon-compliant through everything we knew about the HP-universe up until 21 July 2007. I have changed a few minor details in my RaM outline, but very little -- one of the things I changed was Grindelwald's first name, which I had made "Gunther"; now, it is "Gellert," as it is in canon. The only other change I can think of that I have made as a result of DH is Albus's mother's name. I had been torn as to whether to make Albus's mother a Muggle-born or a Muggle. My original outline called for her to be a Muggle-born, and I had Quin call her a "Muggle-born" way back in the chapter "More Relatives," and part of my future outline of events that we learn about Albus's youth is dependent on her being a Muggle-born witch -- but I began to worry that JKR was going to make her a Muggle and so I left myself a little wiggle-room there. (I don't know why I thought that.) However, my Albus is still born in 1840, and he has no sister. And there are a great many other differences, as you will see.

By the way, what Quin said back at the Gamps was, “As far as I know, Dumbledore is not closely related to either the Crouches or the Gamps, although it’s possible, I suppose. I think Dumbledore’s mother was a Muggle-born, though – leastwise, that’s what I remember – so if he is related to them, it’d have to be through his father, and I’ve never heard the Crouches braggin’ that they’re related to the Dumbledores, sure an’ they would be if ’twere true.”

This is followed on my LJ by a rather extensive chronology. I replicated the chronology and the updated outline in this entry, if you are interested in looking at it. The names list and an updated list of the Latin in RaM are also included in that entry.

[esoterica1693]

Another wonderful chapter! Hopefully Minerva will be able to do something about Albus' insecurity complex, eventually! Poor lovable handsome wizard! :-)

I am intrigued by who it is who let him down kindly but firmly. Won't speculate, as I've been batting .000 on speculations here of late, but am intrigued. At least she was kind...

I'm glad for Minerva's sake that he followed her and Wilspy's advice and undid the Glamour. Personally I strongly favor cleanshaven men over bearded ones, and a strong chin w/ a slight cleft--yum, yum, yum--why hide that? :-) But clearly Minerva feels differently, so I'm glad she persuaded Albus.

And Wilspy's comment about his going naked if he's that into exposing "the real him"--she is so great! I'd love to see Albus tell Minerva about that comment, and then see where her mind goes! :-)

Thanks for the detailed timelines, etc. They're great!

[monsie]

Self conscious Albus. Aww. Poor fellow.

Thanks for another wonderful chapter. Very enjoyable and amusing. Particularly Minerva's reaction (as Albus saw it) and Wilspy. I love her!

[Hogwarts Duo]

I had some down time at work today and decided to read the last chapter of this story over again. Good thing I did because there were two things that struck me this time that didn’t jump out at me in the first reading. Hopefully, you can shed some light on my questions for me…

And despite a few liaisons during his travels as a young man, he had never found a witch with whom he fell in love; then after his mother’s death, when he had devoted himself so fully to his magical education and finding his place in the wizarding world, Albus had renounced such entanglements entirely.

I can’t help but feeling that there’s more to the story than we’re getting here with Albus and his renouncing of entanglements, as he chose to call them. I am wondering if we’re going to find out more about his thoughts on this and how that will affect his future with Minerva. It sounds like an incredibly lonely life for him to lead and with him being so young, it couldn’t have been an easy road to follow. And that brought me to this passage:

There had also been Valerianna, of course, but Albus was now certain that, even without that final embarrassment, he would have eventually recognised how utterly unsuitable she was. But she had been the first witch he had courted in a very long time, and it had been enjoyable simply to court a witch and to feel like a virile and desirable wizard for even a short time.

Am I correct in assuming that Albus wasn’t truly enamored with the idea of courting Valerianna entirely but more in love with the idea of courting for the sake of the feelings it produced in him? That is to say…it wasn’t the witch but the love of the game that drew him to her…well that and her chameleon like ways.

Anyway, I thought I’d ask to see if you’d give me a response and if it’s “top secret” information that we aren’t supposed to know yet...I suppose I’ll live! LOL I have to in order to find out how this story ends. Haha.

TTFN,
GLM

[MMADfan]

hogwartsduo said:

I had some down time at work today and decided to read the last chapter of this story over again. Good thing I did because there were two things that struck me this time that didn’t jump out at me in the first reading. Hopefully, you can shed some light on my questions for me…

And despite a few liaisons during his travels as a young man, he had never found a witch with whom he fell in love; then after his mother’s death, when he had devoted himself so fully to his magical education and finding his place in the wizarding world, Albus had renounced such entanglements entirely.

I can’t help but feeling that there’s more to the story than we’re getting here with Albus and his renouncing of entanglements, as he chose to call them. I am wondering if we’re going to find out more about his thoughts on this and how that will affect his future with Minerva. It sounds like an incredibly lonely life for him to lead and with him being so young, it couldn’t have been an easy road to follow. And that brought me to this passage:

There had also been Valerianna, of course, but Albus was now certain that, even without that final embarrassment, he would have eventually recognised how utterly unsuitable she was. But she had been the first witch he had courted in a very long time, and it had been enjoyable simply to court a witch and to feel like a virile and desirable wizard for even a short time.

Am I correct in assuming that Albus wasn’t truly enamored with the idea of courting Valerianna entirely but more in love with the idea of courting for the sake of the feelings it produced in him? That is to say…it wasn’t the witch but the love of the game that drew him to her…well that and her chameleon like ways.

Anyway, I thought I’d ask to see if you’d give me a response and if it’s “top secret” information that we aren’t supposed to know yet...I suppose I’ll live! LOL I have to in order to find out how this story ends. Haha.

TTFN,
GLM

Oh, my! Such astute questions! Hmm, now what to answer and how much to say!

Yes, it was a lonely life, and his renunciation of "entanglements" occurred when he was still quite young. . . . as to how, why, and why his mother's death may have been mentioned in connection with it, that's all for another day!

As far as Valerianna is concerned, Albus had always been charming, and when Valerianna was looking for a likely wizard who could achieve the status she wanted, she latched onto his charm and minor flirtations and responded to them in a flattering way, whereas other witches generally enjoyed Albus's company but never saw his charm as anything more than that. Valerianna, as Gertie and Quin both implied, found out all about everything that Albus enjoyed and was sure that she appeared to enjoy it, too. Her motivation wasn't interest in Albus himself, however, just what he could do for her -- with her "help." But Albus did enjoy courting a witch, having one witch to escort and who appeared to enjoy his company and who appeared to find him attractive, and he had denied himself that pleasure for much of his adult life -- at first, intentionally, then afterward because he was so busy and had so much work. It became difficult to meet available witches, let alone have the time to court them. He had tried a few years before with the "suitable" witch, but without any success; as he notes, she rejected him, "firmly but kindly" (or something like that).

Okay, that's as extensive an answer as I'm going to give right now! And only because people have been very patient in waiting and trying to understand why Albus would have been interested in Valerianna at all! *grin*

Thanks for the re-read! I'm glad you enjoyed it that much and that it raised more questions for you, and very good ones, too!

[MMADfan]

mmadfan said:

esoterica1693 said:

<snip!>
Somewhere in the 'present-day/1957' RaM sequence, MM says something like (very rough paraphrase here) "[Albus] didn't have children, anyway--as little as it turns out she knew about him, she was sure she'd know THAT about him, whether or not he'd ever mentioned it."

A *very gentle* tweak at MM and how limited her knowledge of Albus is in some ways, b/c of course technically it turns out he *did* have a child. I don't know how Albus feels about such things, but at least nowadays a woman who lost a pregnancy that late (I get the sense it was fairly late, anyway) would consider that she'd had a child, so perhaps Albus does too. Even though he's never had the experience of raising a child he literally fathered (at least as far as we know at this point in the story! though I *really* don't think you're thinking of going there--despite Robert's auburn hair!), he's still been a smidge closer to understanding himself as a father than MM realized at the time she made that statement. Of course admittedly at the time he was married AD wasn't keen on the idea of being a father right yet....

I don't think of Albus as having had a child with Dervilia, and I don't have Albus thinking of himself as a father. And when Dervilia died in her miscarriage, it was in the first few months. The fetus wouldn't have quickened, as the language of the day put it. Albus was barely to terms with the fact that Dervilia was pregnant when she miscarried and bled to death. Just having gotten Dervilia pregnant does not equate with fatherhood in his mind. And this was in 1859-1860, so those attitudes have to be considered as well.

I will likely update at some point today. It's a shortish chapter, but I hope it pleases!

BTW, esoterica, you weren't completely off base -- Minerva had no idea that he'd ever been in any position to even become a father (legitimately, anyway), as in that he had been married before.

The exact passage you are thinking of takes place when she is with Robert:

“No, I don’t think so . . . I’m fairly sure that it was Uncle Albus who showed me. Along with several newspaper articles.” Robert smiled fondly. “He was very proud of you. Came straight to Amsterdam from the Challenge. Yes, he showed us the photo at the same time as he waved the newspaper articles about. I’m sure of it.”

Minerva blushed. She was glad that Albus had been proud of her . . . probably like a proud parent. And if he’d never had children – and Minerva was certain she would know at least that about him, even if he had never mentioned it – it would be natural for him to stop at Robert and Thea’s to report to his surrogate son and his wife about his . . . protege’s performance. She shied from the appellation “surrogate daughter.” She didn’t feel like his daughter, and she didn’t want to deal with the fact that he likely saw her that way.

Anyway, I thought my previous answer was too brief and inaccurate. So here's a supplement! *grin*

[esoterica1693]

Thanks, MMADfan! For the explanation of both AD's and Val$!*#$*(@'s points of view.

Poor lonely Albus, foregoing all 'entanglements' for so long. Though Dervilia's death alone would have been enough to scare him celibate for a while, I'd think, leaving whatever his mother has to do w/ it out of the picture entirely.

He's such a sweet romantic fellow, as he shows w/ Minerva, that I can imagine that he would enjoy courting a witch just for the pleasure of focusing on making someone else happy. The ego boost for himself would simply be an added bonus!

[Kayjay]

Hiya..me again.

I just love this story. I hoped there'd be another update by the time I got back from my short vacation and there was! It's apparently been here a while, don't know how I could have overlooked it...

Anyway, I can't wait for new updates, so I just wanted to let you know again how much I adore your writing.

Hugs,
Kayjay

[MMADfan]

Just want to apologize for the lack of a recent update. I usually like to have less than a week go by between updates, but between RL and some of the work I've been doing on other stories (but mostly RL), I haven't gotten to the point where I can post the next chapter yet. With some luck and diligence, maybe I can finish the chapter and post it before the end of the week. Sorry for making you all wait! (BTW, I don't usually recommend other fics as a sort of matter of policy -- don't want anyone to feel left out or slighted -- except by referring people to my C2 on ffnet, however, I've been enjoying "Flames" by Hogwarts Duo; it's on the tenth of eleven chapters, so you know you'll get that nice satisfying feeling of reading the end of the story, unlike with RaM -- which does have an end, it is just still a long ways off. If you read lemons and haven't yet checked out the lemons I recently posted to the Lemons forum, you could check those out. "Falling for Pomona" and "Impressing Filius" are G-rated, though, and in "Somewhat-Related"; unlike "Heat," they are set in a RaM-like universe.)

[esoterica1693]

Sympathy on the RL intrusions. RL can be a bitch sometimes, no? (Right now I'm on an emergency road trip visiting aged and dying relatives...) Offers MMADfan a ginger newt, even two, b/c they taste happy....
We will be glad to see an update, not only b/c we love RaM, but b/c it means that hopefully your life has smoothed out a bit...

[MMADfan]

Note: Thanks for your patience in waiting for this update! I hope I'll have another one for you next weekend, but I won't promise anything, just in case RL interferes with my intentions.

Posted in two parts because of length.

CVI: Family Time

Minerva spent the morning in the garden, helping her mother with her herbs. She mentioned what Johannes had said about microclimates and managing them magically even without a greenhouse, and Egeria said she’d be interested in having him up for a consultation on some of her fussier plants. Minerva assured her that she thought Johannes would be happy to come up and take a look at the garden as a favour to them if they could offer a decent tea with some of Egeria’s cream cakes.

“In fact, I was thinking of having a few people for lunch or tea one day while I am home, if that would be all right with you. Either this weekend, or possibly after I get back from the warding.”

“The warding?”

“I’m sorry, I thought I’d mentioned it . . .” Minerva suddenly realised that there was something else she hadn’t mentioned to either of her parents. “A few days ago, I agreed to become Gryffindor Head of House, and – ”

Egeria dropped her trowel and threw her arms around her daughter in an unexpectedly energetic embrace. “Oh, how wonderful! Head of Gryffindor! I’m so proud of you! Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We have to celebrate! And of course have your friends come up. Albus must be so pleased!” She drew back and smiled ecstatically at her youngest child.

“Well, I’d rather not celebrate until it’s a done deed – if something happens, and – ”

“Ah, what could happen? But all right, I understand. We’ll still have a special dinner tonight, though. Melina will be coming by this evening – she wants to talk to her ‘Aunty Min’ about something, no doubt to do with her young man – and we’ll open a nice bottle of wine. Not to celebrate, of course! Come, let’s go tell your father. Of course, he’ll likely ask you again why you couldn’t have been a Ravenclaw as he was, but he’ll be as pleased as I, I am sure of it.”

Minerva laughed. “Well, it’s a good thing I was in Gryffindor, as that’s the only reason I am Head of House. There’s no one else available. The current Head is leaving in December and I am now the only Gryffindor on the faculty. Otherwise . . .”

“The only Gryffindor?”

“Yes . . . the other Gryffindor, Robert Pretnick, will be unable to continue as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was bitten by a werewolf the last full moon.”

“Oh, no! The poor soul! Is he still in St. Mungo’s?” Egeria asked.

“Yes, but I believe he’s scheduled to be discharged this weekend. The Headmaster wants him to stay at his cottage when he’s released. He’s going to see him about it today, I believe.”

“I do hope he has someone to talk to . . . that can be so difficult on a person. Does he have family?”

“Muggles, and he refuses to tell them,” Minerva said, sounding discouraged. “But a number of the staff have been to visit him. I’ve been myself a few times.”

“Oh . . .” Egeria sighed and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “I am sorry, sweetness.”

“What? Why?”

“I am sure you would be the first choice for Head of House in any case, but you will always feel it was got at the expense of this man’s misfortune. I know you. But I am sure that Albus is pleased.”

“I suppose he is. And he did ask me about it before Pretnick was bitten. But now I feel as though he had no choice.”

“Well, the current Head isn’t leaving until December. I am sure that if he wanted to, Albus could find someone else. I am sure he wanted you in that position, just as he wanted you as his Transfiguration teacher. Well, let’s go tell your father the good news, then we’ll get some lunch! Rhubarb compote for pudding!” she said with a grin, knowing it was still one of Minerva’s favourites.

Minerva returned her mother’s smile. “That sounds wonderful!”

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Minerva swallowed the last bite of rhubarb compote and leaned back with a sigh. “That was a wonderful lunch, Mother. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetness! You are always complaining about the Hogwarts meals, so I thought you might enjoy a few of your favourite dishes while you were home.”

“It just tends to be heavy and rather monotonous. It’s actually somewhat better during the summer, I think.”

“Probably because they are only feeding adults, not children,” her mother answered.

“Unless one counts the Hogwarts Headmaster, of course,” Minerva said with a laugh. “I caught him a week or so ago at Fortescue’s. His notion of a healthy lunch was an ice cream sundae with bananas and cherries in it.”

“He seems fairly healthy; I doubt a treat now and then will hurt him.”

“He has dessert at every meal, Mother. He even eats sweets with his breakfast when he can.”

“As I said, Minerva, he seems a very healthy wizard. He probably burns a lot of energy during the day.”

“Yes, well, that may be true, but Poppy had to put him on a vitamin potion because he was burning the candle at both ends and not eating properly.”

“If he’s not getting enough rest, his sweet tooth may get worse,” her mother said. “I’ve noticed that with some people. Their energy flags, and instead of getting the rest they need, they attempt to compensate by eating more sweets.”

“He doesn’t get enough rest, although he has promised me he will try to get to bed earlier.”

A slight smile played around Egeria’s lips. “So, you are looking after him?”

“What? No, no, not exactly. I’ve just been helping him this summer while the Deputy Headmistress has been away, and I happened to notice that he seemed fatigued. That’s all.” Minerva tried not to blush.

“He is very fortunate to have you there with him, Minerva. I am sure that is one reason he would like to have you as Head of Gryffindor. You are such an asset to him.”

Minerva nodded and took a sip of tea.

Merwyn, who had been listening to the conversation in the distracted way he had, said, “I have no doubt that he will be very happy to have you working more closely with him. He told me what an excellent job you have been doing. That was a lovely afternoon we spent. Quite the chess master, your Albus! I mentioned you play.”

“Yes, he told me that last night. And then promptly shredded me in our first game. He caught me off-guard, but he won’t do that again.” Minerva grinned at her father. “Maybe you could give me a few tips, tell me what strategies he uses, that sort of thing.”

“He is a very flexible player. I don’t believe he has only a few set strategies.”

“Mmm. I was afraid you would say that . . . I suppose the only thing for it is for me to get more practice before our rematch, then. What do you say to a few games while I am home?”

Merwyn laughed. “When have you ever known me to turn down a chess game?”

“When you have been in the middle of some particularly fascinating problem in archaic spells or an especially tricky translation,” Minerva said, smiling.

“Well, I haven’t found anything terribly fascinating recently, so would you like to play this afternoon?” Merwyn asked.

“I’d love it, Dad. I just have a couple letters I would like to write at some point before Melina arrives for dinner.”

“All right, you two – go play your game, but take it outdoors. Don’t lock yourselves away in that library all afternoon. Get some fresh air!” Egeria said. “I’ll have Fwisky or Orents bring you some lemonade out in the gazebo.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Merwyn said with a cheeky grin, winking at Minerva. “It’s no wonder that our little girl has taken to looking after Albus, given your example!”

“Oh, Dad!” Minerva said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly and throwing her napkin at him as she stood. “That’s a wonderful idea, Mother! Send Orents, though. I thought Fwisky was looking a bit ragged this morning. Is she all right?”

“Tchierie’s death has been hard on her, and I think she’s been too proud to say anything to us. I’ll take a look at her this afternoon.”

Minerva nodded, remembering Fwisky’s cheerful mate. “Do you think she would mind if I brought flowers to his grave?”

“No, I think that would be lovely. I’ll let her know you would like to do that. I’m sure she will be happy to give you leave to visit their cemetery.”

“Of course, she will give you the same answer she gave me when I asked last week,” Merwyn said, standing himself, “but she will be glad, nonetheless, that you asked.”

“What did she say?” asked Minerva, curious, as they left the dining room.

“That she owned nothing and the cemetery was for our family house-elves, but that she was sure that Tchierie would have been honoured to know that his family wished to leave flowers at his grave.” Merwyn shook his head. “Strange creatures, house-elves. ‘Beings,’ I suppose I should say. One minute, I feel as though they are as much my family as you are, and the next minute, I feel as though they are entirely alien. Sometimes, I even feel . . . as though . . .”

“As though you are a child in their care, not the master of the house?” Minerva asked.

“Precisely.” Merwyn said, cocking his head at her. “When did you become so wise, my Minnie-girl?”

“That wasn’t me. That was Professor Dumbledore. He said something similar to me recently,” Minerva said, ignoring her father’s use of her childhood nickname.

They fetched the chess set – the Muggle one – from the study and headed out to the gazebo. As they began to play, Minerva taking white and Merwyn, black, Minerva was distracted by thoughts of her leave-taking from Albus that morning. It was so peculiar of him to have used that Glamour for no particular reason. The entire time she had known him, his hair and beard had been long. Even when she had been a student, it had only been, at most, a few inches shorter than it was currently. It seemed to her that he kept the ends neatly trimmed and shaped, but he had never cut it shorter. She had seen him with his Glamour when he was being “General” Dumbledore, of course, and so perhaps it wasn’t as much of a shock to her to see him clean-shaven as it might have been, but she had still been taken aback. He was a good-looking man with or without the beard and hair; well, better than good-looking, she thought. Albus was an extremely handsome man with very good bones. But she found his beard and hair beautiful, and there was something about them that seemed to . . . not enhance his magic and his power, but perhaps to emphasise it. He could appear the kindly, comfortable, unthreatening old wizard, but beneath that was immense power, just thrumming beneath the surface, and to Minerva, it seemed that somehow his beard and hair were simultaneously both a mask and a symbol of that power.

Minerva hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings when she hadn’t been enthusiastic about the change, but it had been an immense relief to learn that it was only an especially strong and effective Glamour. She remembered how soft his cheek had felt and how nice it had been to stroke her fingertips from his skin down to his beard. It would have been lovely to have traced his lips and to have followed her fingertips with her own lips, kissing his cheek and his mouth . . . just to gently caress his lips with hers, to show him how much she loved him . . . .

As her father took her second knight, Minerva realised that she hadn’t been paying proper attention to the game at all, and she groaned.

“Mind elsewhere, Minnie-girl?”

“Mmhm, afraid so,” she said, shaking her head at the position she found herself in. No matter what she did, her father would have her beaten in three or four moves. “I guess this wasn’t the best day to play.” She tipped over her king. “I concede. There was no way to win that.”

“Another game? Or just conversation . . . you have been very quiet.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Dad. Maybe another game later.”

Merwyn waved his wand and settled the chessmen back in their box, then waved it again and erased the chessboard he had charmed onto the table top.

“More lemonade?”

Minerva nodded. Thinking of Albus and his magical power reminded her of their wands and how he had told her that their magic was in harmony. Not the same . . . but that it resonated well together. She took a sip from her glass and looked over at her father, who was looking across the garden of wild flowers with unfocussed eyes. Minerva was familiar with that distracted expression.

“If you have work you’d like to be doing, I don’t want to keep you from it, Dad.”

“Hmm? What? Work? No, I was just thinking about your mother and our trip to Amsterdam. I wasn’t entirely sure about her idea of a holiday, but it was nice to spend a few days away, and even nicer to return.”

“Will you be going back again? And how was Robert’s wife?” Minerva asked.

“I don’t know as I will go with your mother every time she pops over, since she plans to see her every couple of weeks, but we will likely go together again next time, too. Thea is fine, I think. Your mother believes she can help her. She didn’t tell me very much about it, but she seemed optimistic, and Robert looked much happier when we left than he had when we arrived. Quiet young fellow. Not at all like his father.”

“You knew his father?” Minerva had thought that her mother had mentioned something about that, but she had forgotten it.

“Yes. Not terribly well. But he had an interest in Ancient Runes and archaic spells, and Professor Futhark introduced us. His work with the Ministry at the time bored him, I think. We actually had quite a correspondence for a while, though we rarely saw one another.”

“I never knew this. Did you know his wife?”

“Your Arithmancy teacher?” Merwyn shook his head. “Not really. I believe we met once, possibly twice, shortly after they married. I remember she was quite pretty, but rather quiet. She seemed to be a warm person and a good listener, though. Which, given her husband’s out-going personality, was probably a good thing.” He grinned.

Minerva could barely keep her face straight. Pretty? Warm? A good listener? Perhaps he was remembering someone else, had her confused in his mind with a different witch. This had all been a long time ago, after all. “When was this?”

“Hmm . . . I think that Professor Futhark introduced us in nineteen-oh-seven. I remember because that’s the year that Malcolm was born and your mother and I married. It may have been oh-six, but right around then. We corresponded on and off for about fifteen years or so, but then he married, and a few years later, he and his wife moved to Germany for his work, and with his increased responsibilities, I don’t believe he had as much time to write. We hadn’t fallen completely out of touch, and I always thought that at some point, we’d pick it up again, but then he died about a dozen years later. It was tragic in so many ways,” her father finished quietly.

“Do you know how he died?” Minerva asked hesitantly.

“Yes. More than I wish to, anyway. Nothing you would want to know, Minnie-girl.”

“I heard what was done to him . . . what Grindelwald did to him. It was beyond horrific.” Minerva shuddered involuntarily and her father put a warm, comforting hand on her arm.

Continued in the next post!