Post by maritelske on Jan 8, 2007 6:37:37 GMT -5
Rating: PG, for suggested material.
Summary: After Grindelwald's defeat, Minerva and Albus escape for a holiday together. But what has Albus really got planned?
AN: Two in two days - I must be going bonkers.
Grindelwald had been defeated.
Only two days after, Albus Dumbledore had fled a remote part of the Scottish highlands with his partner. He had given just one interview, turned down the position of Minister of Magic and then he had escaped for an one month, un-interrupted holiday.
After all, he decided firmly, they both deserved it.
The war had exhausted Minerva McGonagall. Even the most mundane tasks had become an effort.
On the third day of fighting, after the war had been won, she had collapsed in the arms of her partner and cried heavily.
Now she couldn’t even remember why she had wanted to cry so bitterly, if the battle was over and the good had prevailed.
But only the good die young, and there were loved ones lost.
Yet, nestled in their Scottish paradise, it was easy to forget.
“Morning” She whispered, woken as Albus idly drew patterns across her bare hipbone.
“Good morning” His lips met hers in a delicious kiss that caused her stomach to jump and her toes to curl. Her hair was twisted beneath her, the sheets long forgotten – but neither of them seemed to notice as time passed between them as though just a flicker of light.
“Well...” Sometime later, Minerva finally spoke – breathless and flushed, “That was a wonderful way to be woken”
Albus Dumbledore grinned, his hands tracing over any part of her skin he could reach without thought.
“I wholly agree with that”
“Oh, I know you do” She murmured against his lips, tracing her hand across his marred chest, “Your scars, Albus...”
“My scars will fade, but they will always be a reminder of what I lost and,” He ran a long finger down the soft skin of her cheek, “of what I gained”
She smiled softly, kissing forehead, his eyebrow, his cheek bone...
“How did I ever survive without you?” Only a year ago, Minerva had struggled to remember a time when Albus had not been a presence in her life.
Now, she struggled to think of life without him.
“We were foolish, but we are all fools when we are in love” His kisses across her collar bone were making it increasingly hard for Minerva to think, let alone respond to his beautiful words.
“Albus, I...”
“Do not say it” He whispered against the hollow of her neck, and no more words were said.
- - -
Loch Duich stretched out in the distance behind her as Minerva crossed the un-trodden grass to their cottage. It had seemed the perfect idea, to escape, to get to know one another without the fear of death constantly on their minds
Albus had organised the whole thing, a port key, the cottage, their departure. He had told Minerva only to worry about what to wear.
But that had been a blissful three weeks ago and since then, she had only grown to love him more.
“Fancy seeing you here” Albus called as she approached him, a smile playing across her lips.
“Fancy that” Her voice was soft and full of promise as she kissed him in welcome.
“Indeed”
“Albus” He looked at her, regarding the sudden concern which laced her features, “Eventually... we will have to go home. And then... after everything that has happened... and Grindelwald”
“Yes” He agreed, nodding slowly as he rubbed his hand across the small of her back, apparently trying to re-assure her.
“After everything we have lost...” Minerva whispered, shaking her head quite suddenly as though trying to remove the thoughts from her mind.
“Grindelwald is gone, Minerva. He cannot harm us now. All that harms us now is our own haunted memories. But eventually, with time...” His voice trailed off, as soft as it had begun, “I will go back to Hogwarts” He finished, suddenly resolute, “I will continue teaching, just as I have always done”
“The ministry will still be begging you to re-consider”
“Precisely why I didn’t want any owls finding me here” A wry smile spread across his face at the thought of how many letters would be waiting for him on his return.
“The Daily Prophet thinks you are the greatest wizard of our time”
“And you... what do you think?”
“I agree” She whispered as her lips pressed against his, “But not because of your strength, but because of your heart”
- - -
“Hello”
“Hello my dear” Albus smiled as she walked back into the cottage, her light summer dress catching in the breeze.
“Hello” She smiled softly, curling her arms around his neck.
“I was thinking I might go for a walk this afternoon”
“A walk? Did you not get enough exercise last night?” Her green eyes flashed in her brilliance and he laughed.
“I thought I might enjoy some of the scenery”
Minerva raised one eyebrow in slight suspicion, but said no more.
“Oh, well – have fun”
“Enjoy your afternoon” He whispered lowly in her ear, before sweeping out of the cottage and into the bursting sunlight.
- - -
Nighttime had fallen, and Minerva was beginning to worry that perhaps something had happened to him. She tried not to grow fearful, knowing that he would never do anything dangerous, when there was a flash of fire – and a note fell out of thin air.
“Fawkes...” She muttered to herself with a smile, “I should have known”
Minerva was expecting a sincere apology for his delay but the note contained only five words.
Meet me at the cliff.
Confused, but obliging, she threw on a cardigan and left the cottage – walking down the garden path to the end of the property line, where she saw Albus standing – silhouetted against the perfect moon. Below him, the loch shimmered and glowed in the soft light.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Well, I thought perhaps this would be a lovely place to meet”
“It is lovely Albus, but the cottage is only a hundred metres away”
“I know” He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he drew her closer, “Minerva, I wanted to thank you”
“Thank me? Whatever for?”
“For being you. You kept me sane, when I thought I could not go on. And after Grindelwald... Minerva, without you, I doubt I would ever have survived. You gave me a reason to go on”
“Albus...” She whispered, the tears pooling in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to will them to stop.
“Please, don’t” He pressed a finger to her lips and then clicked his fingers.
It was just moments later than Minerva realised what he had done.
Across the loch, a thousand lights immediately glowed – forming the perfect words, Will you marry me?
“... But... how... I... how did you...” Minerva was sure her heart would explode with adoration.
“Minerva McGonagall, I love you – and I would be honoured if you would be my wife”
Her smile surely reached heaven as her eyes glowed and her heart soared.
“Yes... yes” She laughed despite herself as the tears she had be willing to stop finally overflowed in her joy, “A thousand times yes”
Her finger warmed as he kissed her breathless, and she broke away to look down – seeing a perfect gold band, holding one emerald and two diamonds either side forming.
“It fits” She whispered, wondering what she had ever done to deserve such happiness, “It’s perfect”
“You have always had my heart Minerva, and now you have my hand”
The words across the loch flickered and faded as he swept her up into his arms and carried his new bride to be towards their cottage.
Her laughter faded into the darkness.
FINIS.
Summary: After Grindelwald's defeat, Minerva and Albus escape for a holiday together. But what has Albus really got planned?
AN: Two in two days - I must be going bonkers.
LUMOS
Grindelwald had been defeated.
Only two days after, Albus Dumbledore had fled a remote part of the Scottish highlands with his partner. He had given just one interview, turned down the position of Minister of Magic and then he had escaped for an one month, un-interrupted holiday.
After all, he decided firmly, they both deserved it.
The war had exhausted Minerva McGonagall. Even the most mundane tasks had become an effort.
On the third day of fighting, after the war had been won, she had collapsed in the arms of her partner and cried heavily.
Now she couldn’t even remember why she had wanted to cry so bitterly, if the battle was over and the good had prevailed.
But only the good die young, and there were loved ones lost.
Yet, nestled in their Scottish paradise, it was easy to forget.
“Morning” She whispered, woken as Albus idly drew patterns across her bare hipbone.
“Good morning” His lips met hers in a delicious kiss that caused her stomach to jump and her toes to curl. Her hair was twisted beneath her, the sheets long forgotten – but neither of them seemed to notice as time passed between them as though just a flicker of light.
“Well...” Sometime later, Minerva finally spoke – breathless and flushed, “That was a wonderful way to be woken”
Albus Dumbledore grinned, his hands tracing over any part of her skin he could reach without thought.
“I wholly agree with that”
“Oh, I know you do” She murmured against his lips, tracing her hand across his marred chest, “Your scars, Albus...”
“My scars will fade, but they will always be a reminder of what I lost and,” He ran a long finger down the soft skin of her cheek, “of what I gained”
She smiled softly, kissing forehead, his eyebrow, his cheek bone...
“How did I ever survive without you?” Only a year ago, Minerva had struggled to remember a time when Albus had not been a presence in her life.
Now, she struggled to think of life without him.
“We were foolish, but we are all fools when we are in love” His kisses across her collar bone were making it increasingly hard for Minerva to think, let alone respond to his beautiful words.
“Albus, I...”
“Do not say it” He whispered against the hollow of her neck, and no more words were said.
- - -
Loch Duich stretched out in the distance behind her as Minerva crossed the un-trodden grass to their cottage. It had seemed the perfect idea, to escape, to get to know one another without the fear of death constantly on their minds
Albus had organised the whole thing, a port key, the cottage, their departure. He had told Minerva only to worry about what to wear.
But that had been a blissful three weeks ago and since then, she had only grown to love him more.
“Fancy seeing you here” Albus called as she approached him, a smile playing across her lips.
“Fancy that” Her voice was soft and full of promise as she kissed him in welcome.
“Indeed”
“Albus” He looked at her, regarding the sudden concern which laced her features, “Eventually... we will have to go home. And then... after everything that has happened... and Grindelwald”
“Yes” He agreed, nodding slowly as he rubbed his hand across the small of her back, apparently trying to re-assure her.
“After everything we have lost...” Minerva whispered, shaking her head quite suddenly as though trying to remove the thoughts from her mind.
“Grindelwald is gone, Minerva. He cannot harm us now. All that harms us now is our own haunted memories. But eventually, with time...” His voice trailed off, as soft as it had begun, “I will go back to Hogwarts” He finished, suddenly resolute, “I will continue teaching, just as I have always done”
“The ministry will still be begging you to re-consider”
“Precisely why I didn’t want any owls finding me here” A wry smile spread across his face at the thought of how many letters would be waiting for him on his return.
“The Daily Prophet thinks you are the greatest wizard of our time”
“And you... what do you think?”
“I agree” She whispered as her lips pressed against his, “But not because of your strength, but because of your heart”
- - -
“Hello”
“Hello my dear” Albus smiled as she walked back into the cottage, her light summer dress catching in the breeze.
“Hello” She smiled softly, curling her arms around his neck.
“I was thinking I might go for a walk this afternoon”
“A walk? Did you not get enough exercise last night?” Her green eyes flashed in her brilliance and he laughed.
“I thought I might enjoy some of the scenery”
Minerva raised one eyebrow in slight suspicion, but said no more.
“Oh, well – have fun”
“Enjoy your afternoon” He whispered lowly in her ear, before sweeping out of the cottage and into the bursting sunlight.
- - -
Nighttime had fallen, and Minerva was beginning to worry that perhaps something had happened to him. She tried not to grow fearful, knowing that he would never do anything dangerous, when there was a flash of fire – and a note fell out of thin air.
“Fawkes...” She muttered to herself with a smile, “I should have known”
Minerva was expecting a sincere apology for his delay but the note contained only five words.
Meet me at the cliff.
Confused, but obliging, she threw on a cardigan and left the cottage – walking down the garden path to the end of the property line, where she saw Albus standing – silhouetted against the perfect moon. Below him, the loch shimmered and glowed in the soft light.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Well, I thought perhaps this would be a lovely place to meet”
“It is lovely Albus, but the cottage is only a hundred metres away”
“I know” He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he drew her closer, “Minerva, I wanted to thank you”
“Thank me? Whatever for?”
“For being you. You kept me sane, when I thought I could not go on. And after Grindelwald... Minerva, without you, I doubt I would ever have survived. You gave me a reason to go on”
“Albus...” She whispered, the tears pooling in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to will them to stop.
“Please, don’t” He pressed a finger to her lips and then clicked his fingers.
It was just moments later than Minerva realised what he had done.
Across the loch, a thousand lights immediately glowed – forming the perfect words, Will you marry me?
“... But... how... I... how did you...” Minerva was sure her heart would explode with adoration.
“Minerva McGonagall, I love you – and I would be honoured if you would be my wife”
Her smile surely reached heaven as her eyes glowed and her heart soared.
“Yes... yes” She laughed despite herself as the tears she had be willing to stop finally overflowed in her joy, “A thousand times yes”
Her finger warmed as he kissed her breathless, and she broke away to look down – seeing a perfect gold band, holding one emerald and two diamonds either side forming.
“It fits” She whispered, wondering what she had ever done to deserve such happiness, “It’s perfect”
“You have always had my heart Minerva, and now you have my hand”
The words across the loch flickered and faded as he swept her up into his arms and carried his new bride to be towards their cottage.
Her laughter faded into the darkness.
FINIS.
