My White Bumblebee

A/N: I wrote this as a gift for Cielita to cheer her up. The title is a play on 'My White Knight' and Albus' name. -grinwink-

Minerva did not like her current position at all. She'd been sent to the continent to spy on Grindelwald's followers and had somehow managed to catch the attention of Grindelwald himself when he'd visited the Muggle town she'd been staying in. Via his followers, he had asked that she join him. Well, with a man like Grindelwald, it was not a request, but an order. Minerva had had no choice, but to go to him. Once she had, he didn't waste time taking her virginity from her. It had hurt, but she endured the pain and it was soon over. What truly shamed her about the whole situation was how her body responded to him, even though her mind and heart were revolted by him. She longed for the day when she would be free of it all, but she carefully hid the longing in her heart, locking it away with anything else Grindelwald might use against her. She was quite glad he wasn't a Legilimens, but she hadn't considered that one of his followers might be.

Albus Dumbledore was surprised when an unfamiliar owl landed in front of him one morning in August while he ate breakfast with the rest of his colleagues. "Hello, who are you?"

The owl hooted and held up a leg with a scroll tied to it. Albus untied the scroll and read the letter it contained.

Professor Dumbledore,

Miss McGonagall really is a lovely girl. I could not resist when I first saw her. All that lovely hair and her soft, beautiful skin. Oh, yes, and those deep, dark eyes of hers, too. I don't know how you resisted. You can imagine my surprise when I took her that first time. I really thought you would have initiated her into the mysteries of the night by now. At any rate, I'm writing to let you know that she is safe in my care and you've no need to worry about her any longer.

Grindelwald.

"Albus? Is something wrong?" William Triton's voice brought Albus back to himself and the Transfiguration Professor (moved to that position when the previous professor met with an 'accident' abroad several years before) realized that the letter had crumpled in his hands.

Shaking himself, he carefully folded the letter and tucked it into his pocket. "No, William, I am fine."

"Are you sure?" William persisted, looking closely at the younger man. "You look a little pale."

Albus pushed his almost-untouched food away from him and stood. "I find I've lost my appetite. Excuse me."

"Of course."

Albus didn't even wait that long. He left the Great Hall at a brisk pace and made it to the nearest men's room before losing what little food he'd eaten. When he finished, he rinsed out his mouth with cold water to get rid of the taste and sat with his back against the wall, his face in his hands. "How can he do such a thing? How would he know? How?"

"Know what, Albus?" Armando Dippet's quiet voice brought Albus' head up with a snap.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbing the nearby sink for support when a wave of vertigo hit. "Headmaster!"

"Calm down, Albus," Armando held up a hand to prevent Albus from speaking. Though he had not handled the Chamber of Secrets crisis well, it had been due in part to the fact that he had just been made Headmaster. Despite the rocky start, he'd proven to be a capable Headmaster. "Now, who was the letter from?"

Albus sighed and looked down. "Grindelwald."

"You're certain of this?" Armando asked, his voice sharp.

Albus nodded. "There can be no mistaking it."

"I assume it was not pleasant, then?" Armando's voice was gentle now, sympathetic.

Albus nodded again, recalling the details of the letter with unfortunate clarity. "Not pleasant at all, Armando."

"What do you intend to do?" Armando's question startled the younger man.

"Do, Headmaster?" Albus inquired. "I shall teach Trans--"

Armando held up his hand again, stopping Albus. "That's not what I mean, Albus. What are you going to do about whatever Grindelwald wrote you?"

Albus stared at his superior for a long moment before coming to a decision.

Minerva was startled awake by a distant rumbling and booming. Quickly slipping into a robe Grindelwald had provided for her, she grabbed her wand--Grindelwald had allowed her to keep on the condition that she use it only in an emergency--and slipping out into the corridor, her bare feet making hardly a sound on the stone floor. Following the sounds, she reached Grindelwald's throne room and was surprised to see that he was dueling with someone. The smoke from a deflected spell hid Grindelwald's challenger from her for a few moments. When she finally recognized him, her heart jumped into her throat. "Albus!"

"Minerva!" he shouted back, turning to her.

"Get back to your room, foolish girl!" Grindelwald snarled, turning to her after tossing a spell at Albus that caught the other man full in the chest.

Without hesitation, she pulled her wand out and pointed it at Grindelwald. "No."

"Minerva, get out of here!" Albus shouted from where he was sprawled on the floor, coughing slightly.

Horrified, she realized he was coughing up blood. "No, Albus, I cannot!"

"Do as he says, you stupid girl." Grindelwald made the mistake of turning his back on her, ready to finish off Albus.

Seeing her chance, she shouted, "Stupefy!" He dropped like a stone. Ropes flew from her wand and bound him, hand and foot. Picking up his abandoned wand, she hurried to Albus' side. "Albus!"

"Minerva, I told you to go," he reminded her as she cast a diagnostic charm.

She frowned at him. "Do not talk! You have three broken ribs, one of which has punctured a lung. Two others are fractured and on the point of breaking." He nodded, slowly relaxing. "I will do my best to stabilize you, but I am going to need more help." She waved her wand over his torso and his face visibly relaxed. "That should keep you with me for a little while longer. Now, how to get help?" She tapped her chin with the tip of one finger, thinking. "I know!" Hurrying from the room, she made her way to her bedchamber and rummaged in the trunk that held her personal effects. Not even Grindelwald had seen these items, as they had been far too important for her to risk being tampered with. Pulling out one item in particular, she tapped it with her wand and muttered "Reversi Portus Ravenclaw Aquila!" The item glowed crimson for a moment before going dormant in her hand. Nodding, she tucked it into her pocket and turned to face the room. In moments, a familiar figure appeared in a burst of cerulean blue light. "Hello, Poppy."

"Minerva?" The Healer stared at her friend. "Where are we? What are you wearing?"

Looking down at herself, Minerva felt her cheeks grow rather warm. Since Grindelwald had provided the robes, they were hardly the sort she would have chosen and tended to show more skin than she preferred. She quickly Transfigured the robes into something more modest. "Come, Poppy. Albus needs your help."

"He does?" Poppy was all business now and checked the pockets of the apron she was wearing over her robes. "Take me to him, then."

Nodding, Minerva led Poppy to the room in which Albus and Grindelwald had dueled. Though still tightly bound, Grindelwald was awake when they returned. "Now why did you change your robes, Pet? The others were so much more attractive."

"I am not your Pet," Minerva spat at him while Poppy moved to Albus' side and began to treat him, murmuring several spells in succession. There was a bang and a gag appeared in Grindelwald's mouth. He glowered at Minerva, but she turned her back on him and knelt beside Poppy. "Well?"

After a few moments, Poppy sat back on her heels, Albus sleeping peacefully at her knees. "He'll live, Minerva, but his recovery will be slow. I won't be able to stay with him."

"I will," Minerva volunteered immediately, without hesitating.

Poppy glanced over her shoulder. "What about Grindelwald?"

"Him?" Minerva looked over her shoulder as well. "I have just the thing for him."

When Albus awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar bed with a familiar figure asleep on the covers beside him, a light blanket draped over them. He studied Minerva McGonagall thoughtfully. Her long black hair was pulled back into a braid, secured with a red and gold plaid hair ribbon. Her dark brows arched above her closed eyes, a strong contrast to her porcelain-fair complexion. Her eyelashes formed dark crescents on her pale cheeks. He admitted that she was beautiful and didn't wonder that she had caught Grindelwald's eye. He sighed and shifted slightly. His ribs were still sore and his head ached a little. Beside him, Minerva stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Sleepy green eyes stared at him for a long moment before clearing. "Oh! You are awake!"

"Yes, I am," he replied, watching as she sat up and stretched, reminding him very strongly of a cat. "Where am I?"

She finished stretching and shook her head once, as if to clear it. "Grindelwald's fortress, in the chambers he gave me."

"I am?" Albus glanced around. There were no signs of personal touches. Anyone could have used the room and he wouldn't know the difference. "How long have I been unconscious?"

She shook her head. "Not unconscious: sedated. Poppy and I felt it best until your body had had a chance to heal."

"I see," he watched as she rose from the bed and padded over to a trunk in the corner. Opening it, she plucked something from the top of it and murmured an incantation he couldn't quite hear. He saw a flash of crimson in her hand. She nodded to herself, placed the item back in the trunk, and closed the trunk. Moments later, a cerulean flash announced the arrival of another familiar face. "Hello, Poppy."

She bustled over to the bed. "Hello, Albus, how are you feeling?"

"My head hurts and my ribs are sore, but fine overall," he replied, knowing he was better off being honest with the Healer.

She nodded, casting a Diagnostic Charm. "Well, you're coming along nicely. A little more bed rest and you'll be as good as new."

"Thank you, Poppy," Albus smiled at the Healer, remembering the quiet eleven-year-old girl who'd been Sorted into Ravenclaw.

She smiled back. "You're welcome, Albus."

In moments, he was alone with Minerva. "Why did you come, Albus?"

"I beg your pardon?" Minerva had left the room when Poppy had arrived and was now wearing modest dark blue robes with silver trim, her black hair tied back into a braid once again.

She sighed, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. "I told no one about this. Why did you come?"

"Grindelwald sent me a letter, basically telling me you were with him," he explained softly.

She stared at him. "Why would that cause you to come here?"

"Because I love you, Minerva," he answered, his voice still soft.

She gasped and he flinched. "What?"

"Forget I said that," he replied, looking away from her and feeling miserable.

Her hands turned his face to hers. "I cannot, Albus. Not when I have been waiting to hear those words for a long time."

"You mean--" His eyes widened.

She nodded, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "I love you, Albus."

"Oh, Minerva." Unable to resist any longer, he drew her face to his for true love's first kiss. Neither was aware of the shimmering gold aura that surrounded them for a brief moment. When it ended, both were smiling.

She curled against him and he gladly wrapped his arms around her. Settled comfortably together, they began to catch each other up on what both had missed over the last three years, stopping occasionally to share a warm kiss. The road ahead would not be easy for either, but their mutual love would serve them well over the coming years.

-Finite-

A/N: For those of you who care, Grindelwald was taken to the Ministry of Magic, where he was banished to the demon world mentioned in Aeryn Alexander's fics 'Another World' and 'Another Time'. Reversi Portus Ravenclaw Aquila was basically Minerva's way of bringing Poppy to her. It's used only in emergency cases. I hope you enjoyed the fic!