A Mother's Heart

[Kamdra]

I missed your update but I have to tell you that although I'm late I am loving this story.

[Kassandra]

You did a good job sneaking this by me but I enjoyed it. Sorry I'm late reviewing.

[Krystal]

I guess Harry is finding it a bit unsettling but I bet he's happier overall. I like this story and hope to see more soon.

[Rikki]

Okay, guys, here's chapter 6. Hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to review.

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While Harry was in his room changing into his swimming trunks he thought about what he had learnt about Albus and Minerva so far.

In a way it was strange to think of them as a married couple but then again there had always been rumours that there was more to their relationship than just friendship. And if Harry was honest they were just cute together. It was obvious that they were very much in love, even after so many years of marriage. And Albus practically worshipped the ground Minerva walked. Harry grinned.

Thinking about it he realized that his two professors had given up the precious time when they could just act as an ordinary couple, their summer holidays, about the only time of year when they were alone. And they had taken him in nonetheless. A wave of gratitude flowed through Harry. He thought about a way to make it up to them but decided it would be better to wait until Hermione and Ron had arrived. Hermione would know what to do; she was usually very good at stuff like that.

Grabbing his towel Harry went back downstairs where Albus and Minerva seemed to have a discussion about Minerva’s swimming outfit. She had slipped into a bathing suit that hid everything. But revealed a very nice pair of legs. Albus seemed to disagree with her choice and pointed out that he’d given her a very nice bikini for Christmas.

“Albus, I can hardly wear that piece of nothing with Harry around.” Minerva blushed at the sheer thought of it.

“Don’t worry about me, I won’t look. I promise.” Harry said when he stepped next to Albus. His headmaster grinned at him. Harry grinned back and gave Minerva an apologetic look. She rolled her eyes at the two men. It was always the same.

[Rikki]

“Please, darling.” Albus tried the puppy dog eyes which caused Minerva to giggle like a school girl.

“If you feel better I’ll retreat to another part of the lake. Or I won’t come along at all.” Harry felt he should at least try to give them some of their well deserved privacy.

“Harry, don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’ll come along. But I swear you, if anyone at school finds out about that particular piece of swim wear I’ll personally make sure you’ll have too much to do to even think of quidditch.” Minerva gave him her best glare but Harry could see that she didn’t mean it. And that she trusted him enough not to reveal anything about this at school.

“Okay, I promise.” Harry grinned at her.

So Minerva went back upstairs to change again while Albus and Harry waited for her in the entrance hall. Harry hadn’t noticed Albus’ outfit before but now he took a closer look. And as always Albus had chosen something quite unique. His swimming trunks were a violent shade of pink with little ducks flying around. Harry couldn’t stifle a grin but Albus merely raised an eyebrow as he followed Harry’s gaze.

“I can see you like my choice of swim wear,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Absolutely.” Harry grinned at him.
When they heard footsteps on the staircase both turned to look up. Minerva came back down but she had put a bathrobe over her bikini. Blushing at the attention she mumbled something that neither man could understand but they didn’t dare to ask her what it was. It seemed that Minerva wasn’t too happy that she had been convinced to wear that bikini.

It was only a short walk to the lake but you had to know the right way to get there. Harry hadn’t found it earlier because it was very well secluded; you had to stroke a particular rock so that the path to the lake was revealed.

The lake was situated within a large clearing, high trees around it. There was a small beach. The water seemed very clear, and when Harry dipped his toe into it he found that it was rather warm. He looked at Minerva questioningly.

“It’s charmed to have an agreeable temperature. I wouldn’t want to freeze to death while swimming.” She winked at him.

“Oh, right. Well, I think I really like it here.” Harry put down his towel and ran in the water, not waiting for Albus and Minerva.

Minerva seemed at bit hesitant to put of the bathrobe. Suddenly she felt a little shy, not knowing how Harry would react though he had promised her he wouldn’t say a thing. But she wasn’t exactly 20 anymore, and she wasn’t sure how many women her age Harry had seen so far in a bikini.

[Rikki]

Albus stepped behind her and circled her waist with his arms. While he planted feather light kisses on her cheek and neck he opened the belt of the robe and carefully slid it down her shoulders.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured in her ear as the robe landed on the ground. Minerva shivered lightly. She didn’t feel beautiful at all at the moment, just very exposed. None of her students had ever seen her in less than a bathrobe with her nightgown underneath. Though she used the pond in the teachers’ garden at Hogwarts for an occasional swim she had always made sure to be properly dressed before her students.

Albus didn’t give her much time to ponder about her clothing or lack of it at the moment but scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the water. He looked at her, mischief clearly in his eyes.

“Oh no, Albus. You wouldn’t dare…” Minerva looked at him threateningly.

“Are you sure?” he grinned.

But before Minerva could answer he had already dropped her unceremoniously into the water, leaving her splashing and coughing.

Harry stood a little away from them and had a hard time trying not to swallow too much water while laughing. When Minerva had regained her foothold she turned around to Harry.

“Now, that’s so nice of you. You should help me instead of laughing.” She tried to glare at him but couldn’t suppress a smile.

“Oh, right.” Harry came towards her, and together they launched the revenge on Albus. The older man didn’t stand a chance against his two attackers and soon he was begging for mercy.

“Please, I surrender!” Albus was gasping for air while Minerva held his beard in her hand, ready to pull him under water.

“Do we accept, Harry?” Minerva looked at the boy. He nodded, and Minerva released Albus’ beard.

“Thank you.” Albus retreated from the water and let himself drop on his towel. Minerva and Harry followed him.

Over the last minutes Minerva hadn’t given her outfit another thought but now that she was out of the water she remembered. Hurriedly she wanted to cover herself with her bathrobe but Harry snatched it from her hands.

“Now who is being ridiculous?” he teased gently. Minerva raised an eyebrow in return.

“Sorry but you didn’t seem to care while we were in the water. And as I have already said, you’re beautiful. So no need to hide. You look really great in that one. The colour suits you.” Harry smiled at her. It was true. The Gryffindor red of her bikini was a nice contrast to her green eyes and black hair.

[Rikki]

Minerva looked at Albus for help but he merely mouthed ‘told you’ in return.

“Thanks, Harry.” Minerva smiled at Harry warmly, still a bit unsure of whether or not to believe him.

“Anyway, I think I’ll leave you two alone. I need to write a letter to Hermione.” Harry got back to his feet and handed Minerva her robe back. Winking at Albus he left before Minerva could say another word.

She turned to face her husband.
“Now what was that all about?” she asked.

“Well, my dear, I think that was about Harry growing up and developing a great taste.” Albus said, chuckling when Minerva rolled her eyes.

“Honestly, Albus, sometimes I wonder how I ended up with you.” She leaned over to kiss him. As much as she enjoyed his compliments it was a little irritating sometimes.

“Because you couldn’t resist my charm.” Albus pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, savouring the touch and the closeness of her body.

In the meantime Harry had returned to his room, searching for a piece of parchment. Hedwig was still out hunting but since Harry would need some time to write the letter he didn’t need her immediately. He planned on telling Hermione about Albus and Minerva so that she could already think about what to do. He hoped she would come up with one of her brilliant ideas.

Dear Mione,

I know you’ll be here in 5 days anyway but there’s something you should know. You’ve always suspected that Minerva and Albus are more than just friends. Though I’ve never believed you I have to admit you were right. They told me that they’ve been married for more than 40 years. Just imagine… and we never found out!

Well, the thing is that I feel guilty. They’ve sacrificed their only time of year where they can be together without having to hide their feelings for each other because they wanted me to enjoy my summer holidays. And I would really try to make it up to them… Do you have any ideas?

I’m so excited that we’ll spend the summer holidays here together. The house is great and the grounds really vast. Absolutely fantastic. I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time here.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Hugs, Harry


Harry re-read his letter. Satisfied he turned around only to find Hedwig sitting on her perch, looking at him intently.

“Hedwig, I need you to bring this to Hermione.” He fixed the letter to her leg and stroked her gently before the bird took off again.

He would see what Hermione could come up with. Right now he heard that Albus and Minerva had returned from the lake as well, as there was laughter echoing from the entrance hall.

“Hello Harry. Finished your letter?” Minerva asked when he came downstairs. Harry nodded.

“Good. Pinky, the house elf, has just informed that dinner will be ready in about half an hour.” Minerva said, ascending the stairs. She stopped when she realized that Albus was falling behind.

“Go ahead, darling; I’ll be with you in a minute.” He smiled at her.

Minerva just nodded and disappeared into their bedroom.

“Thanks for giving us some privacy earlier.” Albus turned to Harry.

The boy merely shrugged.
“That’s the least I can do.”

Albus nodded and sent Harry another intense look.
“But you know that we’ll always be there whenever you need us.”

“I know.” Harry said simply.

[KayleeTonksLupin]

aha, brilliant as ever, Rikki, very good! *gives Rikki a giant bag of Kaylee-wolf treats* So, now Mione knows the secret...and wonderful descriptions of the swimwear btw, loved the idea of Albus', though it was a bit hard to picture.

Hugs,

Kaylee

[Karlynne]

I loved the thought of Minerva wearing a bikini. What a wonderful way to dispel any thoughts of a strict, old fashioned professor from a teen's mind. I'm glad Harry has been able to adjust so well to the situation. Karlie

[Sensiblyquirky]

Minerva in a bikini...glad to know Harry is taking things so well, and I'm sure hermione can help him come up with an idea. Good work.

Christy

[Rikki]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked the idea. ;D My holidays start the day after tomorrow, so I hope I'll be able to update more regularly. So keep looking.

Hugs, Rikki

[griseldalafey]

It's so nice to see Minerva like this, so relaxed...

Great story!

[Kassandra]

Minerva really rocks. The thought of my professors in a bikini makes me ill. I am loving how comfortable she has made Harry. He needs a place to relax.

[Rikki]

Well, I don't like the thought of one of MY professors in a bikini either. But I think Maggie Smith used to be very beautiful, and she still is. So... Well, you know what I mean.

Hugs, Rikki

[Kamdra]

I liked the idea of the hidden lake and how you access it. It was cool. I'm glad Harry is happier too.

[eleanore]

*sigh*
while Kaylee gives you treats, you give us this! Thank you, you've made my day so much better, going from this: to this:

[QuillofMinerva]

Well Done Miss Rikki!!!!! ;D

I loved the idea of the hidden lake, that was lovely, Its great seeing Minerva loosen up a bit and I am glad Harry is enjoying himself.

Well done and keep up the great work

Clayre xx

[Rikki]

And finally here it is: Chapter Six. ;D Sorry it took me so long to update but I'm on holidays right now, and it seems more complicated to catch up with stuff right now. I really do hope I'll be faster with the next chapter. So stay tuned.

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Five days later Hermione and Ron arrived with Mr and Mrs Weasley. Both Arthur and Molly looked very excitedly at Albus and Minerva; it was obvious that Hermione had told Ron about the letter and he had told his parents.

When Minerva came to say hello to the visitors Molly pulled her into a tight hug.
“Why haven’t you told anyone? I’m so happy for you.” She beamed all over her face. Well, Molly wasn’t stupid, and somehow she had always suspected that the headmaster and his deputy were more than just friends.

Minerva shot a glare at Harry who shrugged apologetically.

“Professor, I’m afraid this is my fault. Harry told me about you and Professor Dumbledore in a letter, and I just had to tell Ron.” Hermione looked clearly embarrassed. Minerva’s gaze softened. After all, they had planned on telling the children anyway so no harm was done. And she was sure they could trust Arthur and Molly with their little secret.

“We won’t tell anyone, Minerva, don’t worry.” Arthur squeezed her arm lightly to reassure her.

In the meantime Ron had examined their surroundings carefully. He had never been as comfortable around a teacher as Harry or Hermione. And now he was to spend his summer holidays with his headmaster and his head of house. AND they were married. This could be quite interesting.

“Harry, could you show Miss Granger and Mr Weasley to their rooms?” Minerva motioned for Harry to go upstairs with his friends. Harry nodded and grabbed some of the luggage.

When the three of them arrived in Ron’s room Hermione and Ron started bombarding Harry with questions about his life with Albus and Minerva so far.

“So, when did they tell you that they’re married?” Ron asked, sitting down on the bed and looking around the room.

“Well, actually right away. I kind of noticed that they behaved differently but then, when we had just arrived here, I came down from my room. And when I entered the kitchen I caught them snogging.” He grinned all over his face.

“They did what? That just …” Ron blurted out.

“Sooo sweet.” Hermione finished with a sigh. Ron gave her a slightly disgusted look, making it quite clear that this wasn’t his intended ending of the sentence.

“So, have you thought about my question?” Harry sat down next to Ron and looked at Hermione expectantly.

“Well, yes, I have. My mum made some suggestions, and I think a romantic dinner would be great. We could cook and serve the food.”

Harry and Ron looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Harry had had to cook with the Dursleys but only simple stuff like fried eggs, never anything complicated which would surely be required for a romantic dinner.

[Rikki]

“You don’t have to cook. Just help me, okay?” Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. Those two were just too … well; they were boys, which said everything.

“Do you know how to cook?” Ron seemed to see Hermione in a different light now. It was one thing to be a clever witch but to be good at household stuff too… Very impressive.

“A bit. But mum told be how to do it. In fact she has worked out a complete menu for us. We’ll just have to sneak off to a shop and buy everything but that shouldn’t be a problem.” Hermione looked very satisfied with herself.

“Uhm… yeah, well, I guess we could go to the nearby village to get everything.” Harry suggested.

Soon the three of them went over the plan what they would need for a romantic dinner for Albus and Minerva. It should take place the next day. The weather forecast had said it would be a wonderful warm summer night with shooting stars which seemed just perfect for their plan.

In the meantime Albus and Minerva had invited Arthur and Molly for tea but the two of them had declined. They had to get back to The Burrow where Ginny and the twins were alone. And ever since their famous departure from Hogwarts Molly had an extra eye on her sons. Though she didn’t approve of their plan to leave school and start a joke shop she was kind of proud that their business had already taken off so successfully.

Soon it was lunch time, and Minerva came upstairs to get the trio.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she smiled at them. She didn’t dare to touch Harry in front of his friends though she longed to put her arm around his shoulder. But somehow Harry seemed to have sensed this, as he pulled her into a quick hug and offered her his arm.

Ron gave Hermione a shocked glance but she only shrugged. Surely Harry would explain all of this later on.

During lunch Ron had even more reason to wonder about his friend. The casual way Harry treated Albus and Minerva and even called them by their first names was a bit … disturbing for him.

“Professor McGonagall, I know you’re probably not allowed to tell me but do you already have the results of our O.W.L.’s?” Hermione asked. She was just too curious.

“First of all, call me Minerva while we’re in private. You too, Ron. And secondly, no, I haven’t got the results yet.” Minerva smiled when she saw Ron’s jaw drop. Hermione just blushed.

“Thanks, pro… Minerva,” she smiled.

“And of course, you’ll call me Albus.” Albus chuckled when Ron’s head turned a furious red. It was obviously a bit too much for the boy.

“Come on, it’s not that difficult.” Harry grinned at his friends. It was now rather easy for him to call his professors by their given names.

After lunch Minerva took Harry aside.
“I take it you want to show Hermione and Ron the grounds?” She looked at him, smiling. He nodded. Of course he wanted to show them everything around here. Plus they had to find a secluded place where they could go over the list of ingredients they would need for the dinner they planned. And they still had to do their shopping.

“Yes. So I guess we’ll be away all afternoon.” Harry winked at her, knowing that this was what she had wanted to know. Minerva looked at him in mock annoyance but broke into a smile.

“Okay. But be back at 8 for dinner, okay?” She hugged him loosely and turned to go looking for Albus. It seemed they had the whole afternoon to themselves which was quite a surprise. She hadn’t expected that the children would stick around them the whole time but surely not to leave for a couple of hours at a time. But then again they weren’t really children anymore. Sighing Minerva went to the library where she found Albus, his nose buried in one of the large books about the McGonagall family history, a topic which never seemed to tire her husband.

“Albus, my darling?” she asked with a slight purr in her voice.

Albus looked up with his eyebrows raised, but a distinct twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, my dear.”

“The trio will be away all afternoon. What do you think about that?” She sat down on his lap and began stroking his hair.

“Well, I’d say we should take advantage of the situation,” he said with a wicked grin before kissing her soundly. She moaned against his mouth while his hands started roaming her body.

“I totally agree with you,” were the last words Minerva was able to speak before passion took over.

To be continued…

[Karlynne]

I'm glad Minerva and Albus were able to find time alone despite the presence of three teens but its a bit scary to have Harry suggest he is aware of her need to know when they will return.

[griseldalafey]

Nice chapter, I hope the plan for their romantic dinner will work out well.

[KayleeTonksLupin]

Kaylee here again, giving Rikki many more Kaylee-wolf treats, which are suspiciously LEMON-flavored, as there seems to be a lemon in the works? *hopeful*

Hugs,

Kaylee

[Kassandra]

I had been wondering how Ron and Hermione were going to handle being with Albus and Minerva since we never witness much interaction between them in canon

[Rikki]

Karlynne: I don't really see your point - he's a teenager driven by hormons so he should know best. ;D Anyway... since they are married why wouldn't they have sex?

@kaylee: Thanks for the treats. I'll try my best to write a lemon.

Kassandra: Yeah, well, it might get a bit bumpy but I'm sure they'll work everything out.

Hugs, Rikki

[Karlynne]

I was saying that most teens are comfortable with their peers when discussing sex and not with parental or authority figures. Could you imagine telling your mother you were leaving for a few hours so she could be alone with your father? I was trying to compliment you on how great it was to see Harry letting down his walls and bonding with them. I shouldn't have used the word scary as here it's slang and I should have said wonderful. I was just happy to see Harry becoming more 'normal'. Karlie

[Rikki]

Oh, right. ;D Well, I'm glad you like it. So I'll try a lemon...

Hugs, Rikki

[Rikki]

Okay, folks, check out the lemon section. ;D And enjoy, of course.

Hugs, Rikki

[QuillofMinerva]

Awww I think it really sweet that the trio are planning to cook a romantic dinner for Albus and Minerva and I love Ron's reactions to their marriage, the thought of them kissing ect.

[Kamdra]

That was certainly taking advantage of having the house to themselves. Kammie

[Rikki]

Yeah, well... ;D Anyway I'm proud to announce that the new chapter should be up either later today or tomorrow. Thanks for staying tuned.

Hugs, Rikki