A/N: First of all we have to say that the plot does not belong to us. In fact, it belongs to the wonderful creators of the British comedy, As Time Goes By (with Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer). After watching this particular episode numerous times, we began to toy with the idea of adapting it for an ADMM story. The general idea is that while on holiday, they get mixed up in the affairs of a newlywed couple that are having a major row. In an effort to help them, they split up and then the madness begins. If you've seen the episode we're talking about, you will certainly understand some of what we mean. But we promise that it's not necessary to have seen the episode to understand any of what's going on. So now we give you…
An Unreasonable Demand"Lily made a beautiful bride. Prettiest I've ever seen, in fact."
Minerva and Albus were walking slowly back from the tiny chapel in Hogsmeade on the balmy summer evening. The small but elegant wedding of Lily and James Potter had been the highlight of the summer and both Albus and Minerva had been pleased to be a part of such a happy occasion.
"Oh I wouldn't go that far. I've seen one that could outshine them all and she's all mine," he quipped as he slipped his arm around her waist, drawing her into his side.
Minerva was thankful the moon wasn't bright so he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks. No matter how many times she heard his compliments, they never failed to produce a smile on her lips and a rosy color to her cheeks.
"Flatterer."
"Goddess," he shot back before stopping to kiss her softly. "Now pick up the pace or you're going to spoil my plans."
"Yes…I've been meaning to ask why we had to leave the reception so early. I barely had a chance to congratulate the happy couple and speak to a few friends before you whisked me away like a madman."
"Well this madman has planned a special surprise for his bride and if she doesn't hurry he cannot be held responsible for any mishaps." Albus laced his fingers through hers and began walking briskly back towards the castle which was now in full view.
"Surprise? I didn't know you were planning a surprise for me."
He laughed heartily at her remark but couldn't resist the sarcastic reply. "It would hardly be a surprise if you knew about it ahead of time, now would it? Honestly, and they call me daft!"
She slapped him playfully on the arm then gave him a mischievous smile. "Last one to the castle has to give the winner a full body massage," she called back to him long after she had started to sprint towards the school. Her laughter was ringing through the air like the church bells on a perfect spring day as he dashed after her, his own boisterous laugh mingling with hers in the air.
Half an hour later and after a few more questions from Minerva followed by an equal number of vague answers from Albus, they were packed and ready to go on the surprise outing. He slipped his arms around her waist and bent down to kiss her longingly on the lips. "Step into the floo and I'll take you away from all of this for a weekend of romance. I've wanted to get you all to myself for quite some time now, Mrs. Dumbledore and now that the wedding is over and Lily isn't owling you every little bit for advice, I think this is the perfect time."
"And where are we going, you old romantic?" She rested her head on his chest and hugged him tightly as she waited for an answer.
"The Balmoral Inn….the honeymoon suite," he called out as they disappeared in a sea of green flames. As they stepped out of the fireplace and into the lavishly decorated rooms, Minerva was still trying to process the information in her head.
"Albus, James and Lily were supposed to stay here tonight? This very suite. She told me he had tried to book the reservation but it was already taken. Please…tell me you didn't steal this from those sweet lovebirds."
"I've had this room booked for a month now. How was I supposed to know that James wasn't going to take her someplace exotic or at least secluded? Who takes their bride to the heart of London on a honeymoon when they live in the city to begin with? That would have been the equivalent of me taking you to Hogwarts on our honeymoon instead of that little cottage by the sea."
The more he professed his innocence in the situation, Minerva could tell that she was slowly putting a damper on his very thoughtful and amorous adventure for them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything like that. Honestly, I'm merely surprised by the coincidence. It's beautiful and the entire weekend is going to be perfect." She walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. "Forgive me?" she asked softly.
"Of course I do. I could never stay angry with you. I honestly did not know James had tried to reserve this location for their first night together. I sincerely thought the boy was more romantic than that." He turned around in her arms and cradled her face in his hands. His long fingers began tracing the outline of her cheeks and lips lovingly, as if he was seeing her for the very first time.
"They couldn't arrange a portkey to take them to their honeymoon spot until tomorrow evening so he was going to bring her here. Now, from what Lily said, they're going back to her flat to spend the night and tomorrow they'll portkey to his location, wherever that might be." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. "Not a bad idea, but not exactly ideal either. But no matter. That doesn't concern us anymore. This is our weekend to enjoy and I don't want to waste another minute of it talking about them."
Minerva gave Albus a seductive smile as she stepped out his arms and began unfastening her robes one button at a time. Realization dawned on Albus and his eyes grew darker with desire and a hunger that only Minerva could control within him. As he took a step towards her, another button was loosened and she took another step away from him until they were both nearing the bedroom.
"I seem to remember being owed a full body massage since your long legs couldn't outrace me to our rooms back at the school. Would you like to pay up now or am I going to have to make you beg for the chance to place those skilled hands on my body?" Slipping the last of her clothing to the floor, she turned her back to him and sauntered into the bedroom, confident that he would soon follow and the night would be spent in the arms of the only man who could satisfy all her needs.
The next morning found Albus and Minerva strolling hand in hand in a nearby park on their way to one of their favorite café's in London for breakfast. The path wove lazily around various trees and benches and matched the mood of the couple following it. Minerva leaned against Albus as they discussed the wedding from the previous night. It was one of the happy events which had taken place in a year filled with fighting and death.
"Sirius and Remus looked so pleased to see James and Lily married. They were so proud, as if they were his parents," Minerva mentioned as she reached over and smoothed the shirt Albus was wearing.
"The three of them are very close, along with Peter."
Minerva wrinkled her nose. "I know I shouldn't be so judging of him but I have never cared for Peter."
"I know my dear," Albus replied while smiling down at her. They had shared similar words over the past few years. Minerva had never taken to the round boy. A rarity as he was a Gryffindor and therefore one of her cubs.
A distinctive pop sounded in the air and Albus and Minerva both spun to their right, wands in hand. The sight which met their eyes caused both to freeze in shock. A woman with dark red hair had collapsed on a nearby bench and was weeping into her hands.
"Lily," Minerva called out loudly in her surprise.
The young girl looked up, tears streaking down her face. "Professor McGonagall," she sobbed, the older witch's name a question on her lips.
Minerva hurried toward one of her favorite students, her eyes vividly displaying the shock she felt. "Whatever is the matter?"
She looked at Albus briefly whose eyes showed concern as well. He shrugged and Minerva lowered herself beside the grieving girl and gathered her into her arms. It took a few minutes, and lots of tears before Lily had composed herself enough to do any more talking. She hiccupped several times as she tried to express what had happened. However, she was unable to say much more than yes and no to the questions which were rained down upon her by her concerned mentors.
After Albus and Minerva had gathered enough information to realize that there had been no attack and everyone was fine, Minerva took over. "Albus and I were headed to breakfast at a café just a few streets over. Why don't you come with us, a nice, hot cup of tea is just what you need."
"I don't want to intrude…" Lily started to say but she was quickly interrupted.
"Nonsense," Minerva said firmly. "You are not intruding at all, is she Albus?" Albus hesitated but the quelling look he received had him blurting out a definite, of course not my dear.
The group was soon walking in silence, Albus trailing behind the two women. His mind was trying to wrap around what could possibly have happened to make Lily so upset on her first day as a married woman. James was a bit of a hothead at times but surely he hadn't done something so heinous as to cause Lily to leave. The boy might be rash but he loved Lily with all his heart and would do anything for her. His thoughts were interrupted as they arrived at their destination.
The group was soon seated and had cups of steaming tea in front of them. "Now Lily, tell me what James did to cause you such heartache."
Lily sniffed a bit then held her head up high as she spoke. "He made an unreasonable demand in the middle of the night."
Minerva choked on her tea, which she had been in the process of swallowing and glanced over at Albus to see his cheeks turn pink. It was obvious he wasn't going to volunteer any more questions as his eyes darted everywhere but at the pair of women he was sitting with. Minerva couldn't decide whether to be amused or irritated by his display and resolutely looked back toward Lily.
"What sort of unreasonable demand are we speaking of?" she asked hesitantly. After all, she reasoned, it could have been something simple as newlyweds often tend to be unreasonable about the smallest of things.
Lily wiped at her eyes with her napkin. "I'm sorry," she blurted, causing Minerva to feel a pang in her heart. "I am just so upset by his display. Waking me up in the middle of night, after such a lovely wedding day. I mean he demanded me to take them off. He had no right," she sputtered. "I have always gone to bed in the same fashion every night. This sort of thing should be agreed upon, not forced," she stated before she fell silent, her eyes shining with despair.
A long silence fell upon the table and both Albus and Minerva tried to wrap their minds around what Lily was saying. The absolute shock on Minerva's face summed up the general feeling of everyone though Albus was trying to be a bit more objective in his opinion. Having been in love with Minerva for several decades, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wouldn't rest until this situation was resolved, which also meant a change of plans for them as well.
"He…he forced you?" Minerva daringly asked. "Surely you mean he asked in a rather abrupt manner, not that he actually forced you," she asked putting extra emphasis on her words. Minerva never would have dreamed that James could do something or say something like that.
"No. He woke me up and I refused. He began tossing and turning in bed, whining about me being unreasonable and how his feelings should be taken into account and that he couldn't sleep. I told him I wasn't going to budge and that's when he turned into…into…a….well a ruddy git if you must know," she admitted rather tearfully.
"Perhaps I should leave you two alone. I really don't need to hear all of this and I'm sure…"
"Nonsense, Albus. You can give us a man's perspective on this." Minerva placed her hand on Albus' arm and kept him from leaving the table. "Now, what on earth would possess a man to wake up his lovely bride in the middle of the night and display such brute force? Surely there's got to be a reasonable explanation for his actions."
Albus' cheeks turned an even darker shade of red as his mind traveled quickly over the course of his marriage to Minerva. Many nights he had roused Minerva in the middle of the night for what they had called a midnight jolly though thankfully she had never complained. In fact, she had even instigated her fair share of the jollies and neither of them had ever had a problem with it. "Honestly, I think it would be best if the two of you talked this through…woman to woman. My opinion might not be the best considering the circumstances," he objected, though he was quick to add that he truly did wish them the very best. "I'm sure you two can work this out if you'll just talk to each other. We learned long ago that holding things inside and never talking through our differences can cause uneasy feelings and tension."
Minerva nodded her head in agreement with most of what Albus was saying, though she truly did wish he would stay and lend his support. "Tell you what. Why don't we go shopping and find you something really nice to wear tonight. One look at you and I'm sure James will regret his decision and he'll beg your forgiveness. Then you can explain to him that force is never the answer and compromise should rule the day on such matters," she added sternly, giving a hint of her trademark persona.
"And what am I supposed to do while you two are shopping?" Albus was more than a little hurt that Minerva could so easily disregard their plans in lieu of shopping with the young bride. He had gone to a great deal of trouble to arrange this little holiday for them and given their schedules it was no easy task. When they had first agreed to help Lily, he had hoped it would go no further than a nice chat and a cup, maybe two, of tea before sending her back home to her new husband.
"You could always go to Lily's flat and try to talk some sense into James. That would be nice and helpful. I'm sure you can reason with him and explain just how he needs to treat his new wife, though he should have learned that lesson long ago. And make sure you tell him how to form an apology because that's the first thing she's going to want to hear when she sees him again. He should probably have flowers too. Those are nice as well and go a long way towards making amends…sometimes. Though in this case, I dare say that an entire florist shop should be bought out for such a grievous mistake."
Albus had seen Minerva get into these moods rarely and for that he was thankful. But when she set her mind to something as important as she deemed this project there was no stopping her. His best plan would be to simply agree with whatever she was saying and then to perhaps pay James a visit. That would save them both heartache if he at least talked to the young lad. Surely there couldn't be any harm in that.
After Albus saw Lily and Minerva off to their shopping, he drained his last cup of tea and decided to apparate directly to Lily's flat where the couple had been staying. After all, the best plan of attack was to get it over with as quickly as possible in his opinion. The sooner the newlyweds had worked out their differences, the sooner he would find himself back in Minerva's arms. So after a short stroll he found a darkened alleyway, ducked in and disappeared.
Lily's flat was attractive from the front, with whitewashed brick and fresh paint around every trim. The row of buildings where she was located were heavily rented and owned by wizards and witches who worked for the Ministry or St. Mungo's. Albus found her number, 124, and made his way up to the front door.
After knocking a few times with no answer, he began to give up hope. Surely James had not fled the scene as well. He knew Minerva would encourage…no, demand that he find the young Gryffindor but Albus wasn't sure where to start looking. His first thought was that he had gone to see Sirius or Remus, perhaps even Peter, though that was unlikely. However he dismissed the idea when another thought occurred to him – a pub. Most men tended to drink away their problems and if Albus was lucky he might just find James before he had downed too many shots of firewhiskey. With a final look at the well-manicured building, Albus once again disapparated.
The Leaky Cauldron was nearly dead at this time of the day. A few early lunch patrons had gathered at a table in one corner but their whispered conversation did not reach Albus' ears. The Headmaster of Hogwarts headed up to the bar and the lone figure sitting on a rickety stool.
"Good morning Tom," Albus called out to the owner and bartender.
"Morning Professor Dumbledore," Tom greeted as his eyes moved over to the lad whose head was nearly resting on the bar top.
Albus nodded and came to stand before the young man he had been searching for. "Finding anything of interest?" he inquired.
James practically fell off of the stool as he realized there was another person standing beside him. His eyes were even more sorrow-filled than Lily's and he looked like the Knight Bus had run him over on the way to his current location. "No sir," he said miserably.
Albus saw the nearly empty glass of firewhiskey cupped between his hands and sighed. "Minerva and I ran into Lily this morning, she had quite the story to tell."
James' eyes barely looked up before they were once again studying the grain of the wood. "I am sure she did. Stupid unreasonable demands," he muttered.
"Perhaps you would like to tell me what happened?" Albus asked in a conciliatory voice. "I am sure things are not as bad as they seem."
While the men were at the Leaky Cauldron discussing the events from the previous night, Minerva was desperately trying to take Lily's mind off of things. Yet, her curiosity was about to get the better of her. She wasn't normally a woman to get involved in the intimate affairs of others, yet she had this nagging desire to know more facts about what had transpired. So far, Lily had only mentioned vague details and generalities, just enough to pique Minerva's interests.
Nearly an hour had passed and Lily had finally stopped crying and was beginning to show signs of a faint smile curling about her lips. The sadness and uneasiness was still evident in her eyes but that was to be expected. It wasn't every day that a woman got married then had a major row with her new husband on the same night, especially over something like that.
"Professor, what do you think of this one?" Lily held up a nightgown that made even Minerva grimace. It was a floor length gown with a slit only up to the knee. The flowery design was way too much even for someone like Madame Sprout and certainly not becoming a newlywed. To make matters worse, this was the third nightgown in the same style that she had chosen out of all the other, more feminine, articles of clothing in the store.
"It's fine if you plan on spending your nights on opposite sides of the bed or in some arctic region of the world." Minerva knew her words were a tad biting but it completely baffled her mind. Even she, who some considered the most prude and frigid woman at Hogwarts, owned some rather lacy and delicate pieces of nightwear. And most nights she slept without the benefit of anything but that was neither here nor there as far as Lily was concerned. "Why don't you look at something more daring…more likely to entice him…or at something least less constrictive," she gently suggested.
"I don't think it's going to matter what I wear or don't wear to bed. If he's not willing to apologize and compromise, then we will just have to sleep in separate beds," she answered through a stifled fresh wave of tears.
"Now, now…none of that. We left the tears behind us. You have to just be firm and stand your ground. You need to let him know that this is a partnership and something which can be resolved if you work together. Nothing is more important than saving your marriage and it could be that you were both merely tired from your rather long day. If you had said you didn't feel like it…"
"I tried that but he was rather insistent. He wouldn't listen to anything I said. We're supposed to leave for our honeymoon tonight but I'm not sure he still wants to go. Before I left, he was muttering something about taking the portkey and going by himself and having more fun alone, though he wasn't even speaking to me." She placed the grandmotherly nightgown back on the rack and sighed. "I don't even know where we were going so if he leaves I will have no idea where to even start looking."
Minerva placed her arm around the girl's shoulder and gave her a gentle hug. "I don't think he would leave without you. What fun would that be for either of you? Besides, Albus will give him a good talking to and make him see the error of his ways. In fact, I'm so sure of it I think we need to buy you something really spectacular for tonight and then concentrate on what you need to say when he apologizes."
Lily looked up and smiled, the first real smile she had dared to show since her unfortunate argument and subsequent abandonment of the flat. "How will I ever be able to thank you properly for all you've done for me today? And Professor Dumbledore too? You've both been so wonderful to help and I'm sure you had other things on your agenda today."
Minerva felt a pang of guilt stab at her heart. She suddenly remembered why she and Albus had been in London in the first place, aside from the wedding of course. He had arranged an entire weekend, free of all their duties and responsibilities, and now half the day was already gone and she had barely seen him since they left the hotel. He had gone to a great deal of trouble to plan a romantic weekend and she had only seen the honeymoon suite. Knowing her husband there was no telling what grand adventures he had planned for them and without truly considering his feelings, she had potentially ruined them all, one by one…hour by hour.
"For starters, you can help me pick out something new for tonight," she winked. "Better still, let's split up and make our own choices then we can leave here and grab a bite to eat. By that time, I'm sure Albus will have had a chance to speak to James and make sure the lad is in the right frame of mind when he sees you."
Albus knew he was staring in shock but he just couldn't help himself. James had just told him everything that had happened the previous evening and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or thump his head against the bar that James' head was currently resting upon. Laughter would have won out if the situation hadn't been so serious. Lily was obviously distraught, even if Albus now realized that he did not quite agree with her level of anguish, and Minerva was quite upset as well. He knew Minerva would feel better about everything once she found out the truth behind the evening. After all, James had been entirely in his right as far as he was concerned.
"I honestly did not realize it would be such a big deal. I would never have brought it up if I knew things would turn out the way they did. I have ruined everything," James wailed causing the thickening lunch crowd to look at them with interest.
Albus snapped out of his thoughts and placed his hand on the wizard's shoulder. "You have not ruined anything. However, if you down anymore firewhiskey you may not be able to stand. Come with me and let's get you sobered up so you can face your wife."
James came unsteadily to his feet while Albus decided on the best course of action. He could take him back to Lily's flat but if she happened to be there…well, Albus couldn't picture a worse scene than a very drunk James trying to convince Lily to see reason. It did not appeal to him in the least but as he did not think he had another option Albus started to lead James out of The Leaky Cauldron and toward the hotel where he was staying with Minerva. He just kept telling himself that it was a temporary arrangement.
At the door to the bar Albus turned around to speak to Tom and ended up with a handful of James who had tripped and been thrown forward. He staggered back but managed to catch him and get an arm around him. He waved to Tom who looked amused and they stepped out into the street.
It wasn't long before a good apparition point appeared and Albus steered James toward the dark corner. "I am going to apparate us both to a point near my hotel," he warned the young man who simply groaned in reply.
The sensation of being squeezed lasted for only a few moments before they were soon standing in the park where Minerva and Albus had met Lily earlier. Albus released James a little too quickly since he staggered backward and as Albus tried to recover him, James discarded any breakfast, and by the smell, most of the firewhiskey he had consumed earlier. Albus sighed as he looked down the front of his clothes. It was going to be a long day.
"I'm so sorry Professor," James said with a look of horror on his face.
"No harm done," the Headmaster replied as he waved his wand to clean them both up. "Now let's get you to the room to lie down. I wouldn't relish a repeat performance of the last couple minutes."
The two stumbling wizards made their way to the hotel, up the elevator and to the honeymoon suite. Luckily James was too drunk to notice that it was the same one he had been trying to reserve for his wedding night. As Albus put him in bed, he made sure to have him remove his shoes, shirt and robes so he could have them properly cleaned. Spells never quite got it just right and he could still smell a faint trace of bitterness on both of them.
"I am going to find something for your hangover and also get you, and me, a decent lunch. Try not to get into any trouble while I am gone," he said with a hint of humor in his voice. He closed the door softly and headed downstairs. He hoped he could get the boy properly cleaned and back to Lily's place before the women were any the wiser of all that had transpired this day.
Nearly half an hour had passed since the witches had split up, both in search of something alluring to wear this particular night. When they met up once more in the shop, they were both carrying bags and Minerva asked to see what Lily had chosen. Images of Lily's previous selections were still fresh in Minerva's mind and she wanted to steer the young lass away from such unflattering and rather boring attire.
Lily blushed and refused to meet Minerva's eyes with her own as she slowly removed the negligee from the shopping bag. The gauzy material was black with just a hint of lace and silk woven into the fabric. The plunging neckline and side split would accentuate Lily's young figure and Minerva smiled. "I'm sure James will love you in this. Excellent choice," she winked.
Tucking her nightgown back into the bag she dared to look at Minerva, this time with a smile on her face. "And did you find anything worth purchasing? I am guessing by the bag in your hand that you did." Minerva returned her smile and nodded. "I had to show you what I bought. Aren't you going to return the favor?"
"No I'm not. I think you're much too young to be concerned with what I bought. But I will buy you lunch and share with you a few of the finer points of being married," she teased. "Of course, that is if you're willing to listen to an old married woman ramble on about the joys of wedded bliss. Then afterwards, we can go back to your flat and Albus and I will be on our way."
After a leisurely lunch in an outdoor café and a rather interesting conversation on various aspects of marriage, compromise, and even sex to a lesser degree, the women decided it was time return to Lily's flat. Surely by now, Albus had enough time to talk some sense into the Potter boy and we can resume our weekend plans, if that's not too late as well, Minerva reasoned within her mind. The longer she was away from Albus, the sadder she grew as the thought of what the day might have held had they not been detained.
Lily took a deep breath and threw her arms around Minerva's neck to give her mentor a tight hug. "Thank you, Professor. You've really gone out of your way today and I know I will never be able to repay you for everything. See you at the flat," she added before apparating away.
It was moments like those that made Minerva proud to be a professor and a mentor to the younger generation. While she had always held a special place in her heart for Lily and even James, she hated to see any of her children, as she often called them, experiencing any of life's little growing pains. With a satisfied smile on her lips, she too apparated to Lily's flat but what she found was less than encouraging.
In the brief few seconds between their parting and meeting again at Lily's home, the young witch had once again dissolved into a fresh wave of tears, this time much stronger than before. She had returned home expecting to find James, perhaps worrying over her disappearance and concerned since it was growing ever closer to the activation of the portkey. Instead, all she found was an empty house, rumpled sheets on the bed and no sign nor note from her new husband.
"He's gone already," she sobbed the instant Minerva appeared in the quaint living room. "He's left without me and I don't even know where we were going," she cried as she collapsed into a puddle on the floor.
Minerva dropped her bags and raced to the young girl's side. She was completely at a loss for words, something which rarely happened to her and all she could do was hold Lily as her tears soaked the front of Minerva's robes. "There, there. It's going to be alright. Albus might know where he's gone or the two of them might still be together. Don't jump to conclusions so hastily," she reminded Lily, though from the way things looked, he had disappeared from the house. Several more minutes passed before Lily was able to compose herself and make an attempt at drying her eyes. "You're coming with me, back to the hotel," Minerva announced before Lily could utter the first word. "And if Albus isn't there, we will wait on him to get back and then find out what happened to James."
Albus watched as James dug into the lunch he had returned with only minutes ago. The hangover remedy had worked well it seemed. The bread was enormous and Albus wasn't entirely sure how he was fitting it in his mouth.
"Would you like a robe," Albus inquired since James was currently attired in only his pants and socks.
"No thanks, professor," he replied. At least that is what Albus thought he said between the bouts of chewing.
"Very well." Albus moved toward the door to the loo. "I am going to send my clothes down as well so I will be just a few minutes. After I return we need to talk about how to mend things between you and Lily."
"Yes sir." The mumbled reply was said with the first bout of happiness Albus had seen in the boy all day.
Albus quickly divested himself of his clothes. He had been on the receiving end of James' stomach upset and unfortunately he had not been wearing anything more than muggle clothes. Both his shirt and pants were deposited into the basket which had appeared for Albus and Minerva upon their arrival. He put the lid on and heard a quiet pop as his clothes disappeared. He was always pleased with the magical service at this particular hotel. It served both wizards and muggles and Albus wondered how they kept everyone straight.
He pulled a white robe off the back of the door and put it on when he discovered he had forgotten to bring an additional set of clothes into the room. His bare knees were revealed and his purple socks were pulled up to rest halfway up his calf. Not the best look he thought but he supposed it could have been worse.
With a sigh he opened the door and returned to the room. James looked up at his arrival and a grin split across his face.
"You didn't have to go around half undressed to make me feel better."
It was on the tip of his tongue to say he had done no such thing but Albus thought better of it. If it made the boy feel better he could last in a robe through lunch at least. He smiled and took a seat across from James before trying to figure out how to tackle the sandwich before him.
"How do you propose I make Lily see reason?"
Albus was in the middle on an attempted bite and sighed. "First off, I think you need to reevaluate your position. I think an apology about the evening would be the best place to start."
"But I didn't do anything wrong."
"Thirty minutes ago you were bent on claiming to have destroyed the marriage." Albus said in confusion. "Now you don't think you did anything wrong."
James looked sheepish and hung his head. "I guess you are right. Lily will never listen if I don't apologize for my behavior first."
Albus sighed in relief. "Exactly. Then you should take her on the honeymoon you promised and forget about the incident. It isn't likely to repeat itself wherever you are going."
A horrified look crossed James' face. "It couldn't possibly…"
"No, of course not," Albus said reassuringly. "Now let me eat my lunch so we can go see the women in our lives."
It took Minerva a good half an hour to convince Lily that all wasn't lost and that there was still hope to be had in this dismal situation. But despite all her efforts and upbeat attitudes, even her optimism was beginning to wane as they met one obstacle after another. Yet for all she knew, Albus had taken James under his wing and the two of them were planning something incredibly nice for Lily. At least that was what she was hoping and praying for.
Deciding that it might be best to get some fresh air, Minerva suggested that the two of them walk the remaining distance to the hotel. Hopefully by that time, Albus would have returned and would have all the answers to Lily's questions. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined the scene that was unfolding in the honeymoon suite of the Balmoral Inn.
"Professor, this is so stupid. How is this going to help me convince Lily that I am truly sorry?" James had finished his sandwich and was sitting crossed leg in the center of the bed going over various strategies with Albus. His former professor had been rather insistent on him forming an apology and then practicing it at great length to avoid any further mishaps. Merlin knows the two young lovebirds had already experienced more than their fair share so early in their marriage.
"Stupid or not, this will be excellent practice for when you come face to face with Lily. You don't want to create an even bigger mess by not knowing what to say or having to stumble over your words? That wouldn't bode well for you, it would give her the impression that you hadn't given the events any serious thoughts, and it will certainly go a long way towards making her see that it was a simple misunderstanding." Albus put the lid back on the dinner service tray and promptly banished it back to the hotel kitchen and waited patiently for James to summon up his courage and finish the task at hand.
"But I don't even know what to say. How do I apologize for something that was so trivial? Besides that, she didn't seem remorseful about turning down my request. She just flatly refused without so much as even an apologetic look in her eyes." James puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. "You know the more I think about it, the more I think she got pleasure from making me look like a spoiled, needy little git."
"ENOUGH! You and I both know that is not what she meant. You're lucky she was in such an amicable mood after you woke her up. If I had done that to Minerva with that kind of request, she would have hexed me first and asked questions later. Now I suggest you take my advice, practice your speech or you'll be on your own when you see Lily next."
The stern, cold voice that met James' ears resembled Professor McGonagall's almost perfectly. Having been on the receiving end of that tone of voice on more than one occasion caused him to shiver at the consequences if he didn't grow up and stop acting like a child. "Alright…but what do I do now? Surely you've had to apologize to Professor McGonagall at some point during your marriage. How did you get her to forgive you?"
Albus smiled as his mind raced through several memories from their years together and times when either one or both of them had been forced to apologize for something so silly neither of them could remember what it was. "Fortunately for me, I've never found myself in quite the predicament you're in at the moment. I learned a long time ago that sometimes it's just best to let sleeping cats lie instead of waking them in the middle of the night." He chuckled at his own witticism and before long the two men were sharing a hearty laugh.
Minerva and Lily had just reached the entrance to the hotel when Lily stopped in her tracks. "James was going to bring me here last night but the room he wanted was already reserved. I hope that couple is having a better go of it than we are."
A warmth spread across Minerva's face and her cheeks reddened slightly. "I can honestly say that they're not exactly enjoying all that the honeymoon suite has to offer. You see, Albus wanted to surprise me with a little romantic adventure and he booked the room before knowing that James wanted it for the two of you. In fact, he wasn't aware of it until I told him…after we arrived." Minerva truly felt sorry for Lily but she had to remind herself that Albus had some valid points. If the lad had planned more carefully he might have beaten Albus to the reservation. "Come on. With any luck, Albus will be back and he'll have some news for us."
The elevator ride up to the master suite of the hotel was slow and incredibly quiet. So was the walk down the long corridor towards the room at the end of the hallway. "Well, this is it." Minerva put her key into the lock and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open simultaneously. Her mouth flew open as her mind tried to wrap around what she was seeing and she barely heard Lily gasp just behind her.
Albus was sitting in a chair, apparently in nothing more than a bathrobe. James was kneeling before him and holding his hand in his, as if he were proposing to Albus. And if Minerva's impeccable hearing wasn't going faulty, she distinctly heard James say he would "love you for all eternity."
"What in Merlin's beard is going on in here," Minerva huffed just as Lily pushed around her.
"James, what on earth are you doing?"
The two women looked at each other and then looked at their men who had quickly come to their feet. Albus looked a bit shocked and James' face had turned a distinct shade of fushia. Both started to babble out excuses as quickly as their tongues would allow them.
"It isn't what it seems…"
"I was only practicing…"
"He was sick and our clothes…"
"He thought it would be best…"
"I forgot my robes when I changed…"
"Surely you don't believe…
"There is nothing between us," they both said as their stuttering came to an end.
Minerva took charge and strode forward. "Albus, you explain. James, you sit…and you too Lily."
Everyone moved to the spots that were designated by Minerva. Albus had begged off for a few minutes so he could change and Minerva was left with the unhappy couple. Lily kept shooting murderous glances at James while James tried to look everywhere but at the two witches in the room. Finally Albus emerged and came to stand before all of them.
"After I left you two lovely ladies," Albus started saying.
"Flattery will get you nowhere darling," Minerva stated sweetly.
"As I was saying, when I left you I went straight to Lily's flat to find James. He wasn't there but I thought I might have known where he had gone."
"You didn't," Lily said crisply as she leaned forward in her chair to look at her husband.
"Anyway," Albus said shooting a look at Lily. "I found him at The Leaky Cauldron quite far gone with grief. He was terribly upset about all that had happened and told me the whole story."
"He should be," Minerva added primly, earning herself a look from Albus as well.
"I decided to bring him back to the hotel and on the way he lost his…breakfast on both me and himself. So when we arrived I had him change out of his clothes, cleaning spells go only so far, and I retrieved us both some lunch and a potion for James' headache."
"Thank you for that," James slid into the conversation.
Albus sighed as he once again tried to pick the story back up. "When I returned I removed my clothing as well to have it laundered and forgot to bring a new set of clothes into the loo. I put on the robe you caught me in and when I came out I was distracted by James' plea to help him win back his lovely wife."
Albus looked at Lily and saw that her expression had softened considerably. "You arrived just as he was practicing what to say."
"Oh how sweet," Lily said softly, her expression turning shy.
James stood and came over to her, kneeling down to look her in the eye just as Albus had instructed him to do. "I am so sorry my love. I ruined our first night as husband and wife for a silly and petty reason. I promise to not make any unreasonable demands in the middle of the night again. Please say you will forgive me so I may love you for all eternity."
Lily threw herself in his arms, their lips joining together. Minerva looked shocked by the act and started to share her feelings, "Surely she has not forgiven him so easily. After all…"
A hand closed over hers and Albus shook his head. "You do not know the whole story I take it," he whispered.
"She did not say, but it was certainly heavily implied."
"Come with me and let the two of them work things out for themselves. We have done enough. I will share everything with you down in the lobby."
Minerva joined Albus as they watched the two newlyweds whisper to each other their apologies and confessions of love. She took her husband's hand and brought it to her lips. Her gaze took on a faraway look, her wedding day coming to the forefront of her mind.
Returning the favor to the back of Minerva's hand, he promptly closed the door behind him and led Minerva to the lobby of the hotel, where he filled in the gaps from the afternoon, explaining things in more detail and asking Minerva about their day.
"I would say the majority of the day was spent trying to convince Lily that crying wasn't the answer, that James needed to apologize and that he would be here before their portkey was activated." Minerva took a deep breath and released it slowly. "That part was the hardest to pull off as the day wore on. The more I learned about everything, the more I began to doubt whether or not he would actually stay and face this like a good lad."
"You don't give him nearly enough credit, Minerva. The boy asked for something simple, something not so out of the ordinary and…" He held up his hand before Minerva could jump in with a rant of her own. "And I dare say his demand was not unreasonable by any stretch of the imagination."
Minerva sat back in her chair and folded her arms, huffing in the process while her face adopted the stern professor demeanor she was so famous for at Hogwarts. "Oh Albus…please do not tell me that he has convinced you that what he did was acceptable. If you had done that to me on our wedding night…"
"Done what, Minerva? What do you think it was that James asked Lily?" His eyebrows raised higher than Minerva had ever seen them and his eyes danced with a furious twinkle. The smile curling about his lips was one that could only be described as one worn by a Cheshire cat.
"Well…you know…" she said as she nodded her head as if trying to make him understand by simply implying her meaning. "Lily didn't come out and tell me what James had asked but it was fairly obvious…"
"That we both got the wrong end of the wand. James was rather drunk and apparently he likes to blab when he's intoxicated. Whether I wanted to hear it or not, I got a full description, practically verbatim if I had to guess."
By this time, Minerva had casually unfolded her arms and was leaning closer to Albus, hanging on his every word when he suddenly stopped. "Well go on…don't hold out on me now! I've had a rough day and I deserve to at least know some of the minor details, no matter how embarrassing they are for the couple upstairs in OUR honeymoon suite."
"Seems our dear James Potter was a bit put out with his new wife and their sleeping arrangements." Albus could easily see that Minerva was incredibly interested in what he was saying and it amused him to think that for once he had the upper hand on her. "After they left the reception, they went home because James couldn't arrange the honeymoon suite."
"Yes…yes, I know all of that. Skip to the part that caused the spat," she urged him, leaning even closer to him and dropping her voice lower so the other patrons couldn't hear their conversation.
Albus chuckled and began shaking his index finger at her. "Tsk, tsk, my lovely bride. Sometimes it doesn't do to meddle in the affairs of others. What if James asked me not to tell? Or maybe I should protect their right to privacy."
"Albus Dumbledore if you don't tell me this instant, I will leave you to enjoy that honeymoon suite by yourself and you may have to take lessons from James Potter on how to win back YOUR wife." Minerva had a gut feeling that Albus would eventually share the details with her but it never hurt to prod him along. While she loved him above all others, he could be so infuriating at times, especially when he knew something and she didn't.
"Alright, I give up. As much as I love teasing you, I would like to spend some of our holiday with you. As it stands now, I've lost nearly an entire day. Merlin, I see more of you at the school than I have while we've been on this holiday."
"Albus!"
"Pillows," he said and sat back.
"Pillows?" Minerva questioned in a confused voice as she looked around. "What pillows?"
"No," he said and chuckled. "They fought over pillows. Well, that and some stuffed bears. It seems she likes to collect them."
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you had better stop kidding with me and tell me right this instant what those two fought about."
Albus' chuckles turned into laughter but he silenced himself rather quickly at the look on his beloved's face. It also didn't help matters that most of the lobby's patrons were now looking in their direction. "I am being quite serious my dear."
"Surely not," Minerva stated. The doubt in her eyes had Albus retelling the story.
"James and Lily retired to Lily's flat after the wedding and both were so exhausted that they decided to go right to bed. Lily has slept with dozens of pillows and stuffed bears since she was little and has kept up the tradition since she moved out of her parent's house. James figured he would survive and after a lengthy goodnight kiss, settled down. After a few hours of tossing and turning he woke her up and told her that they would have to go. A fight ensued where Lily told James that he did not respect her or her wishes and preferences. Of course he returned with a line about just wanting some bloody sleep. And after she refused, he moved to the couch. When James woke the next morning, he headed to the bar. He didn't see Lily and thought she had left."
Minerva sat back absolutely stunned. "Surely not," she repeated.
Albus shook his head, a grin on his face. "I am afraid so."
"All of it was about pillows. Here I thought…and I nearly said something to James about it." Minerva just looked at Albus as she realized the extent of her misconception. Of course she had not been the only one with notions at first.
"You know how newlyweds are," Albus said as he took Minerva's hands.
"We were never so, so…silly."
"Of course not," he said in a placating voice that had her looking sharply at him. "Except for the one time with the rug in the living room."
Minerva's cheeks became an extremely becoming shade of pink. "Hmm, perhaps they are simply being newlyweds," she conceded.
"Professors," A voice behind them said.
Both turned around to find James and Lily looking at them with smiles wreathing their faces. Apparently everything between them was solved. They stood close together and their fingers were intertwined. "We just wanted to say how grateful we are for all of your help."
"Yes," Lily added. "Without the two of you we would probably still be fighting."
"We wish we could take you out to dinner or something to show you how grateful we are," James declared.
Albus' eyes darted to Minerva and they were filled with a look of pure panic. "However," Lily continued for her husband, "we really have to get finished with our packing if we are going to make our portkey in time."
"You certainly don't have to stay for us," Minerva said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Enjoy your honeymoon and enjoy each other."
"Thank you," the happy couple stated in unison before looking at each other and laughing. Hugs were shared all around and soon the newlyweds were on their way.
"I hope they stay this happy for their whole marriage," Minerva spoke quietly.
"I see no reason why they shall not. After all, I have never been so happy or in love with my bride than I am at this very moment."
Minerva's eyes filled with tears at her husband's heartfelt statement. Here she had ruined their weekend with her insistence on helping Lily and he had the audacity to say something so sweet, so wonderful and so utterly perfect. "I love you," she declared.
"And I you."
"I am sorry that our weekend is ruined…" Minerva started to say.
Albus titled her chin up so she was looking into his twinkling blue eyes. "You could never ruin anything my dear. We will simply have to make the most out of the time we have left. Would you like to go to dinner or the theater or perhaps…"
Minerva placed her finger over Albus' lips and leaned up so she could whisper in his ear. "I think our suite upstairs has been left abandoned long enough."
A gleam sparkled in Albus' eyes at her words. "I couldn't agree with you more."
The couple made their way over to the elevator arm in arm. "One more thing," Albus said just as the door opened.
"What?" Minerva questioned as she stepped inside.
"No talk of pillows."
Minerva's laughter rang through the air as the door started to close and the patrons nearby heard her reply. "No, no pillows tonight."
The End