Quills of Love
Summary: Albus Dumbledore has been called away on Order business. It pained Minerva McGonagall to see him go as much as he hated to leave her. Now all they are left with are quills and parchment.
Disclaimer: The awesome characters mentioned below are the creation of JKR.
Rating: PG-13
The raven-haired witch with the stunning emerald green eyes rolled over in bed. Instinctively, she threw her arm across the opposite side in the hopes of snuggling close to her husband of over fifty years. However, when her arm hit the mattress and she felt the sudden draft and the coolness of the sheets, her eyes flew open to an empty space beside her. In glancing around the room, she could tell it was still very early in the morning. The moonbeams dancing across the deep blue sheets told her that dawn would not be seen for quite some time. A little worried and curious, she rose from her comfortable surroundings and wrapped her body in her husband's favorite purple dressing gown. Breathing deeply, she soaked in the scent of the man she loved beyond words and made her way to their sitting room.
The early spring air was chilly, enough so that the white-haired man had created a small fire and had covered his lap and legs with his wife's favorite green tartan blanket. Her perfume lingered on the soft material and as he closed his eyes, he allowed the fragrance to whisk him away in a memory.
Watching from the doorway, she could tell that he was not asleep, merely deep in thought. She silently worried that recent events in the wizarding world and those in the near future were causing him entirely too much stress and it pained her to see him in such a state. Using her cat like stealth, she crossed the room to stand behind his chair. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gently kissed him on the cheek then tightened her grip as she pressed her cool cheek to his warm one. An aging hand came up to stroke her face then filter through the loose tendrils of her hair as they mingled with his own silky locks. Moments passed before he broke the silence.
Taking her hand in his, the tired looking man motioned for the woman to leave her place behind his chair and stand before him. He was always amazed at how lovely she looked and the sight of her in his oversized dressing gown only strengthened those beliefs. He noticed each shimmering strand of hair as it caught the flickering light from the fire and the vast amount of love he always saw in her eyes. However, in those familiar eyes were hints of worry he felt sure were for him. "My dear, what are you doing up at this hour? I tried not to wake you."
Kneeling before him, she propped her arms on his legs and used them to cradle her head. Looking into his sparkling blue eyes, she smiled. "Well, I turned over in our bed in the hopes of stealing a kiss and having you hold me in your arms but all I found was an empty space and cool sheets. What's keeping you from sleep tonight? You know you have to be up fairly early tomorrow in order to leave on your mission."
"I tried desperately to sleep but each time I closed my eyes, my mind was flooded with a thousand images. I placed some of them in the pensive but there were just so many. I know I need to get some sleep but the way I was tossing and turning, I feared I would wake you. Obviously, another one of my plans failed." Looking a little disheartened, his wife immediately realized the root of the problem. He was reliving the memories of his confrontation with Harry Potter from last summer and the events leading up to that terrible day. Added to those thoughts were the worries of the future.
Raising her slender hands to cup his face within them, the woman peered at the man she fell in love with so many years ago. As she pulled his face closer to her own, she noticed that his eyes were not focused on hers but on the wrinkled hands folded in his lap. She desperately wanted to ease his pain and bring him out of this melancholy before he left in a few short hours. Gently she lifted his chin and caused him to look her in the eyes. "Albus Dumbledore, I love you."
With all the love floating in her soul, she lovingly grazed his lips with her own as he wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her closer, she found herself seated in his lap as the embrace ended. As she snuggled into his strong hug she heard him declare his love for her and felt the tight squeezing of his arms around her body. "You know that if there is anything I can do to help you, all you have to do is ask. I hate the thought of you leaving tomorrow in this type of mood. Please Albus, let me help you like you always help others."
Tracing a path from her high cheekbones, across her pink lips, and down her slender neck, he offered her a twinkling smile. "My dear, in all our years together your love is the one thing upon which I have always been able to rely. I don't mean to upset you, especially since I am leaving soon. Come, let's not waste our precious time speaking of things we cannot change."
As she stood before him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. Kissing her with a passion reminiscent of their very first embrace, her cheeks flushed to the color of the fire. Slowly walking back to their bedchamber, he told Minerva how important she was to him, how much he loved her, and that he would desperately miss her while he was away.
Upon nearing their bed, Minerva motioned for Albus to lie face down in the center of the bed. Wordlessly, he obliged and within moments, he heard his wife utter a spell, leaving him shirtless. Her soft hands began to gently knead the tight muscles in his neck and upper back. Occasionally, a strand of her long hair would brush against his skin, creating an erotic feeling, which flowed through his body.
In all of their years together, a single touch of her skin meeting his had always ignited tiny fires within him and tonight was no different. Sensing his relaxed mood and feeling his desire for her, she began to lightly graze her mouth against his bare back and neck. In a sweeping move, he managed to turn the tables and she found herself pinned beneath him, while he took his sweet time in bringing them both to rivers of pleasure. Later, snuggling close in bed, the two drifted away to the land of dreams and rest.
As the morning sun peeked its' lazy rays over the mountains surrounding Hogwarts, Minerva began to stir. Cradling Albus' head to her chest and having him wrapped in her arms was a feeling she wanted to savor for as long as possible. Once he woke, he would be busy packing last minute things and answering any important owls from that oaf of a minister, Fudge.
Half an hour later, Minerva decided that it was time to wake him, although she knew that his rest had not been as peaceful as she would've wished. Warm lips pressed against his wrinkled forehead and as she bent to place another kiss, he swiftly shifted his head and caught her mouth with his own. As the moments slowly drifted away into the abyss of lost time, Albus reluctantly pulled away from her and said the words she had most hated to hear. "My love, I must get up from here or I'll never be able to leave you. If it were up to me, I would forget the world around us and stay right here with you, just like this. Alas, we are not so fortunate this morning." Sighing deeply, she knew that he was right but that wasn't going to make saying goodbye to him any easier, especially after the tender way he showered her with love only hours earlier.
Before leaving, Albus placed his bags near the portkey and walked to Minerva's side. He encircled her shapely frame and drew her to him. Planting several feather light kisses on her face and neck, he looked into her eyes that were trying valiantly to hold back the floods of tears he saw forming. She realized how important the mission was for the Order and how much she needed to control her emotions, if not for her own sake then for Albus. Minerva also knew that he was the most powerful wizard of their time and that if anyone could accomplish this mission and return safely to her open arms, it would be him. However, that didn't make their goodbyes less heart wrenching.
Tenderly, Albus leaned toward her face and rested his forehead against hers and for a few moments, he merely stared into the emerald green eyes. Lightly brushing her lips with his, he saw Minerva close her eyes in pleasure and remembrance as a slight moan escaped. He knew how hard it would be on her in his absence. He also knew how strong she was, both emotionally and physically. Deepening the kiss, she moved closer to his body and held him so tightly he was sure she was squeezing the air from him. As she lovingly explored his mouth with her tongue, she pressed against him and knew how difficult it was for him to leave her, but leave he must.
As the muggle clock chimed six, Albus reluctantly pulled back from his wife's enticing lips. "Minerva, promise me something. Each day while I am away, at precisely 4:17pm Hogwarts time, I want you to stop whatever you're doing no matter who's with you. I want you to close your eyes and remember this…and I will do the same." Slowly, the aging wizard with the snow-white hair captured the lips of the only woman he had ever truly loved and poured his heart into the powerful embrace that followed. Melting into his arms, she responded to his touch as a tear streamed down her lovely, yet flushed face.
Stopping things before they progressed beyond the point of no return, Minerva promised she would do as he had requested. As he lovingly wiped away her tears she closed her eyes and leaned into his hands. She wanted to memorize the feel of his hands on her and the intoxicating scent of his presence. She realized that she was making it harder for him to leave so she attempted to reign in her emotions and put up a strong front, swearing to owl daily with news of Hogwarts and home. He also promised to write as often as possible and with a last twinkling smile and a farewell kiss, he was gone at the touch of the portkey, leaving her to sink into his favorite chair and weep for the man she couldn't live without.
The first day was much harder than Minerva had imagined. She knew that the mission was important and that he was the only one with a chance at success but she worried about his safety. Minerva had grown accustomed to sharing little details about her day with her husband and now that he was gone she could add thousands of things to her growing list. She longed for him to appear beside her at the head table during meals or pop into her transfigurations class to observe her and the students. But she knew he would not appear, at least not anytime soon. And, the hardest part of her day was yet to come. She felt as if everyone and everything was trying her patience and she had no one to turn to for comfort.
It had all started when Albus left. She felt a pang in her heart, yet she knew that he would be gone indefinitely and how important this was to their fight against the evil threatening their world. As soon as she had regained her composure and was preparing to head to the Great Hall for breakfast, an owl appeared at the window bearing a message. After giving the messenger a treat and sending him on his way, she looked closely at the bit of parchment and immediately sighed. It was from Fudge.
Minerva had never been fond of Fudge before he had temporarily turned against Albus and now that he had seen the error of his ways, she distrusted him even more. He had always seemed to lack the intelligence and common sense necessary for the Minister of Magic and had relied heavily on the support of Albus in his moments of indecision. Today was just a continuation of that dependency. However, she was determined to offer little or no assistance. She had to scoff at the audacity with which he asked his questions and was angered at how childish they seemed to be at times.
This time he was asking Albus whether or not he should attend the wizarding conference being held in the heart of England or if he should send a representative. After drafting several admonishing letters, she decided on a much more direct approach. She would simply tell him that Albus had gone away on important matters and he should do whatever he felt best for the office. Silently, she hoped it would be the last time she heard from him, but knew she was not that fortunate.
Upon entering the Great Hall, she was struck by the sight of Albus' empty chair. He had only been gone for an hour but that simple sight seemed to hit a nerve. Sighing heavily, she made her way to her own chair beside his and began to pick at her food with disinterest. Several of her colleagues had obviously noticed her attitude and wondered if Albus was ill. Assuring them that he had been called away on important matters, she could not help but notice how they tried to ask probing questions in vain attempts to learn more information. When it became apparent that they would not leave her alone, she raised her voice slightly and asked them to please cease their inquisition.
To make matters worse that day, the students seemed to be trying her patience. Even the simplest of transfigurations were turned into major disasters. If she hadn't taught them herself, she would have sworn that Umbridge had played a major role in their education thus far. After sorting out their messes and returning things to normal, she opted to eat lunch in Albus' private office and do some paperwork in the process.
The remainder of her day was not much better. Apparently, Madame Hooch had taken her first years on the quidditch field for their flying lesson and in the process she had upset Severus Snape. The Slytherins had planned to practice during their free time and it coincided with the flying class. Since Xiomara Hooch was not very fond of that particular team, although she'd never willingly admit it, she purposely sent them back to the school and informed them that they would have to come back later, thus upsetting Snape.
Had they been able to work through the problem on their own, Minerva would have been pleased. Alas, they did not and her free time was quickly consumed with their arguing. Hooch maintained that it was her right to hold her educational classes anywhere see saw fit and Severus insisted that it was an injustice upon his House and done out of spite. Each presented valid points, although in her heart Minerva agreed with Hooch. And she was left with the arduous task of reaching a compromise between the two.
After dinner that evening, Minerva found herself more tired than she had been in years. She silently wondered how Albus found the strength to deal with the day-to-day problems and always remain upbeat and seemingly carefree. A smile crossed her face as she wondered what he would say about her first day as acting Headmistress and the way she had handled each situation. Settling down in her favorite armchair, she began to mark papers until her eyelids became heavy and sleep beckoned.
Walking into the dimly lit bedroom, the strong witch felt her heart sink. She had tried not to think of the lonely nights without her love but it was now nighttime and there was no way to avoid the empty bed, which seemed to have grown several sizes since she last left it. In an effort to feel connected to Albus, Minerva dressed for bed in the shirt Albus had left behind earlier in the day. It still bore the hypnotic scent of him and she closed her eyes as waves of emotions crashed inside her, some good yet some painful. Dropping on his side of the bed, she noticed a small envelope lovingly placed on her pillow. As she quickly reached for her wand to shed more light, she recognized the handwriting and her mood changed in the blink of an eye. Carefully opening the note, she sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read.
To Be Continued…
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