New Year, new start!
Disclaimer: The characters sadly do not belong to me!
Summary: A new year arrives and Albus decides that a new start is in order.
A/N: Many thanks to my beta reader, Ang. This will be a chapter fic, though I don't know how many chapters there will be. I will try and update asap and please read and review. Thanks.
New Year, new start!
The old dark mahogany grandfather clock struck midnight and brought in the New Year with it as well. Twelve long chimes sounded as the two hands pointed to the large number twelve surrounded by small brightly shinning stars. The grandfather clock had been passed down through the many generations of Head teachers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and stood noble and proud in the left hand corner of the Head teachers office.
The current white-haired Headmaster looked from his large mug of hot chocolate and sighed to himself and his only other companion, a brightly coloured phoenix who went by the name, Fawkes. Another year had passed and again it had been eventful…full of joy, sorrow and regret in equal measures. What did the New Year have in store for them?
Albus Dumbledore, regarded as the most powerful wizard in recent times, sat alone at his desk reflecting on the previous year and thinking what could he have done to prevent some of the things that had happened. He should have taught Harry occlumency himself rather than passing the task on to someone else. If he had done that then made the incident at the Department of Mysteries could have been prevented. If only he had arrived at the Ministry sooner then he could have prevented the death of the closest person that Harry could call family, his godfather Sirius Black. He wouldn't have let Dolores Umbridge anywhere near his precious school. That woman had nearly destroyed Hogwarts single handily and he would never forget that she attacked his Deputy out of bitterness and cowardice.
Albus shook his head as he remembered the night that word had reached him, telling him of the cowardly attack on his Deputy Headmistress and best friend, Minerva McGonagall. He remembered sitting by the fireplace, still as can be. The news had paralysed him and he didn't know what to do. In the first time of his long life, Albus Dumbledore felt powerless. He couldn't even go and see her, to check her condition because the Ministry of Magic wanted him. He had wanted to rush to her side and make sure that everything was being done for her that should be and more if possible. His brother, Aberforth had tried to ease the pain by reassuring him that she would be okay but his kind words fell on deaf ears. It was at that precise moment in time that Albus realized something for the first time. He loved Minerva.
He was in love with his best friend and he hadn't even realized it. He tried to pinpoint the specific time that he had fallen in love with her and came to the conclusion that he had loved her forever. She was his equal in many ways. She was intelligent, witty, charming, beautiful and totally loveable. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have noticed it sooner and not at the point when he might lose her forever.
He had remained by the fire in the Hogs Head, not daring to leave just in case someone flooed by with news about her. He barely ate the food that his brother made for him. He simply picked at it as he waited. He longed to visit her and see her open her beautiful emerald green eyes. They were mesmerizing and he had often found himself dazed by them. He realized then that everything about her dazed him because he had been in love with her. His heart had skipped a beat when he finally received word that she was awake and well on the road to recovery. He laughed out loud when he heard that she had been giving the medi-witches grief about keeping her in bed and making her use a walking stick.
The soft cooing from Fawkes broke into the Headmaster's reflective thoughts and Albus turned to look at his majestic looking familiar. Fawkes had been with him since before he could even remember and had proven himself a loyal friend and confidant. The clever phoenix had known of the Headmasters feelings for his best friend even before the Headmaster himself had. But, all Fawkes could do was watch and sigh.
"A sherbet lemon my dear friend?" asked Albus as he rooted around in his sweets draw for his favourite muggle candy.
Fawkes cooed in delight and opened his beak readily for the sweet to be given to him. He leaned further towards Albus and at one point looked like he was going to tumble off his perch. Albus placed the yellow muggle sweet into Fawkes' mouth and helped himself to one. He sucked on it and savoured the taste as he thought to himself.
"I believe that this year will be different," he mused out loud.
Fawkes simply stared back at him before nudging his master's hand, indicating that he wanted another sherbet lemon.
"In order for this year to be different," continued Albus as he played with his beard, "I need to change the way I do things. Don't you agree?"
Fawkes squawked with encouragement as he hopped down onto Albus' messy desk and helped himself to another sherbet lemon.
"You will have a round tummy like me, if you continue to eat my sweets," said Albus as he shut the desk draw and got to his feet.
Albus walked over to the window and peered out into the darkness of the night. The stars were barely visible and he wasn't aware of the moon from where his office was situated. Christmas hadn't felt like Christmas this year. He had been planning with the Order as well as being at the school with the children who had stayed at Hogwarts for the festive season for one reason or another. The professors had decided that they wouldn't celebrate the New Year because they didn't know what the future held. Although, Sybil Trelawaney was predicting doom and gloom as usual.
"A new year should mean a new start," declared Albus as he drew the curtain across the window. "Fawkes, will you get your beak out of my sweet drawer? I am trying to talk to you!"
The phoenix quickly looked up from what he was mischievously doing and flew back to his perch. He had a sherbet lemon in his mouth and one hidden in his claw. Albus walked past his desk and locked the draw to prevent his sweetie collection from going down further that night, all the time looking at his phoenix sternly. He walked in front of the roaring fire and placed a hand on the shelf above the shelf. A picture of the current Order members caught his eyes and he picked it up. His long fingers danced across the small, well-defined face of the woman that held his heart and he smiled.
"It is time that I told her!" he said as he looked at the picture. "I am going to make my first ever New Years resolution Fawkes. I am going to tell Minerva that I love her."
To Be Continued!