Midnight Meeting
AU: Albus Dumbledore lives, and doesn't have a hand injury.
Disclaimer: HP belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling, and "All I Ask of You" belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It was the middle of the school year after Voldemort's defeat, and Minerva was patrolling the corridors, looking for students who "conveniently" forgot when curfew was. She was absolutely exhausted, so she leant against the nearest wall, tilting her head back against it as well and shutting her eyes.
She hadn't realized she had rested against the wall close to a secret passageway, one which Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood were sneaking down on their way to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Both girls froze when they saw Minerva leaning against the opposite wall, wondering if she had heard them. They were cursing their luck when they saw the next person round the corner.
A familiar scent to Minerva wafted around the corner, of lemons and cocoa, and she knew that Albus Dumbledore was rounding it. "Albus," she murmured, her eyes still closed, "I'm so tired."
Ginny and Luna wondered how she knew who it was, or even that someone was in the corridor with her. They listened as he responded, "Why don't you come back to bed, my dear. You've been out here long enough." Ginny and Luna were puzzled how he said this. He made it sound like she would be returning to bed with him if she did.
He had come up to her as he spoke, and now his left hand was pressed against the wall she rested against as he stood in front of her. She sighed and opened her eyes, not surprised to find the position he was in like the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were, "No. Tonight's my night to catch rule breakers."
Ginny and Luna saw Albus smile, "I remember many years ago, when I was Transfiguration professor, there was a student who had a certain disregard for the rules. She fancied me, you know, and she tried everything to get my attention. But little did she know her intelligence and talent alone stood out to me. But since she was unaware of this, she decided to be a little troublemaker." Minerva had understood what he was talking about early on and wore a small smile, but Ginny and Luna did not. They wondered who this student was, and if they knew who she was.
Albus continued, "A rude prank I remember very well was jinxing a rather…unintelligent…Slytherin into dancing in front of the whole Great Hall nonstop," he grinned.
The two girls saw Minerva roll her eyes, "He had cursed my hair into turning silver, what was I supposed to do? Let him prank me again?" Ginny and Luna exchanged surprised, disbelieving looks; the strict Transfiguration professor was a rule breaker?
Albus was grinning wider than ever, "You just admitted to one of the unsolved Hogwarts crimes."
Minerva frowned, but then smirked, "What are you going to do, Headmaster? Put me in detention? Maybe write lines…'I must not jinx my classmates'."
"Or, 'I must not charm my Transfiguration professor's hair purple'," Albus smirked. "Maybe even, 'I must not make the floors of the whole castle flash all the colors of the rainbow'. Or that particularly humorous one, 'I must not slip Amortentia into all of the goblets of the Hogwarts staff'. Hmm…I somehow got missed out on that one," Minerva grinned. "Or how about, 'I must not push my classmates into broom cupboards'?"
Ginny and Luna were gawking at their professor. She had done those things? Minerva smiled, "Don't forget, 'I must not flirt with my Transfiguration professor'."
"Well, that one paid off," he grinned, kissing her forehead. The two girls hidden were surprised beyond belief, wanting to move but not able to.
"I still marvel at how well it did work," Minerva sighed. "How did you find out the love potion was me?"
"I didn't," he smirked, "I just hoped you would confess like you did with the jinxing of the Slytherin."
"I suppose I get an extended detention?" she sighed mockingly.
"You better believe it," he said with a mock-serious face.
"So, how did you find out about the rainbow floors? I am certain that this was not a trap into admitting to a crime, because I was punished. Scrubbing the floors of the Transfiguration classroom while you watched me work will forever be imprinted in my mind."
"I did enjoy watching you work. You had such a determined gleam in your emerald eyes, and your beautiful hair was frazzled in its ponytail, something I strangely found attractive. But I particularly liked the way I found out about the rainbow floors," Albus smiled, "It was too bad for you that you didn't wear your long hair in a bun yet. I saw the unmistakable locks of your hair whip around the corner of the corridor the spell was cast in."
"But many girls had dark hair," she pointed out, frowning.
"But you were my favorite student, despite the trouble you caused. I remembered exactly what shade your hair was, and how it curled a little at the bottom," he smiled, "Although I shouldn't admit it, and it was very wrong of me, I believe I was attracted to you."
Minerva smiled again, "Lucky me." Albus pulled his wand out of his pocket and flicked it. Her pins disappeared, causing her hair to loosen up, but not fall because her head was pressed against the wall.
He gently pulled her away from the wall, causing her hair to fall down her back. Ginny and Luna exchanged impressed looks as they saw a beautiful river of ebony hair with a few streaks of silver here and there. It was longer than they had expected, and appeared thicker, too. It curled at the bottom, exactly how Albus had described. Minerva frowned, "Albus!"
He pressed his forehead against hers, "Yes, my dear?"
"Why did you take my hair down?" she asked.
"It's beautiful, and I don't see it this way often enough," Albus answered. Minerva sighed, but said nothing. "So, where was I?" he asked. "Oh yes, Minerva the troublemaker. Could you remind me –?" he started with a grin but Minerva interrupted him.
"Oh shut up," she muttered before kissing him to make sure he did. Ginny and Luna gawped as Albus returned the kiss.
Ginny was mouthing quietly to herself, 'I don't want to see this, I don't want to see this', but neither girl could move. It was like watching a terrible accident; you wanted to look away more than anything, but you were too fascinated to act on the urge.
Albus's kisses had moved to Minerva's neck, and yet the seventh years couldn't move, despite the fact that they were growing increasingly uncomfortable and disgusted with this new turn of events. Ginny felt as if she were watching her father snog her mother. They heard as Minerva murmured, "What if someone sees us?"
"Let them," he murmured back. "There is no threat anymore. We can live together in peace."
"No more hiding?" she murmured contently.
"No more hiding," he repeated.
"Not even May, Adam, Anthony, and Madison?" she asked.
"Not even our children," he answered.
Ginny and Luna exchanged looks of pure shock. Luna's eyes were wider than normal, a feat that seemed impossible.
Minerva was speaking again, "I like the sound of that."
"I do too, Tabby," Albus smiled, "No more Voldemort."
"No more Grindelwald," Minerva said, but added as he flinched, "Sorry."
"It's not your fault; you weren't even thought of then," Albus murmured. "I believe you and Aberforth are the only people who know the whole story."
"Let's not think about the past," she suggested. "It's filled with fear and darkness."
"Which are not good things to linger on," Albus nodded. He smiled, "Fear and darkness…it reminds me of a song from a Muggle musical."
"Which one?" she asked softly.
He smiled, "I took you to see the one I'm talking about."
She frowned and crinkled her brow in deep thought. Then her eyes lit up, "Ah! I know exactly the song you're talking about."
"Do you remember the words?" he murmured.
"Yes," she said. "I thought it went well with our relationship. You always protect me from dark wizards."
"I agree." Albus smiled and took Minerva's hands, "No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you…" The Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw gaped at their Headmaster's rich voice, but they were even more surprised at the sweet soprano notes that came from their stern Transfiguration teacher.
"Say you love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime… Say you need me with you now and always… Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you." Unknown to the four people in the corridor, Pomona Sprout, Rolanda Hooch, Septima Vector, and Aurora Sinistra had heard singing from their separate corridors and had come to investigate. Rolanda stopped them all and they watched and gaped as Albus started singing again.
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light. You're safe, no one will find you. Your fears are far behind you..."
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night. And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me…," neither student could deny the love that radiated from the two, just as the four staff members couldn't.
"Then say you'll share with me, one love, one lifetime; let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you... Anywhere you go, let me go too. Minerva, that's all I ask of you..." The other four staff members weren't familiar with the musical and mouthed, 'Did he just say love?'
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime… Say the word and I will follow you…," Minerva sang, smiling as she brought Albus's hands to her chin.
"Share each day with me, each night, each morning…," they sang together.
"Say you love me…" The other staff members held their breaths.
"You know I do…" Minerva smiled and nodded.
"Love me – that's all I ask of you," it had seemed that they had finished; Albus kissed her, causing the four observing teachers to gape, clap their hands to their mouths, or have their eyes pop. Rolanda did all three, Aurora gaped, Pomona clapped her hands to her mouth, and Septima's eyes popped.
When they pulled apart, they took a deep breath and finished the song, "Anywhere you go let me go too. Love me – that's all I ask of you..."
Luna raised her hands to clap, so Ginny grabbed her hands. But clapping came from the other end of the corridor for her, and while Minerva and Albus had their backs turned, the students snuck a peek to see who was there. They quickly moved back into their hiding spot as they saw the four Hogwarts staff members.
Minerva blushed and asked, "How long were you standing there?"
"All we heard was singing," Pomona answered.
"You have a beautiful soprano, Minerva," Aurora complimented.
"You have an amazing tenor, too, Headmaster," Septima added.
"And that kiss!" exclaimed Rolanda.
Minerva smirked, "I believe I have every right to kiss my husband."
Three jaws dropped, "Husband?" exclaimed all three in unison.
"Wow, that almost sounded planned," Minerva rolled her eyes.
"Minerva agreed to be my wife forty years ago," Albus smiled, wrapping his arms around her small waist.
"But, Minerva…you've been teaching here for forty-one years," Pomona mentioned.
Minerva shrugged, "Your point?"
"Just stating facts," Pomona said.
"Do you have any kids?" Septima asked.
Albus smiled, "Four."
"May, Adam, Anthony, and Madison," Minerva added.
"How old are they?" Rolanda asked.
"May is thirty-seven, Adam is thirty-three, Anthony is thirty-one, and Madison is twenty-seven," Albus answered. He then turned to his wife and murmured, "Come on, Minerva. Come back to bed; you've had a long day."
"Fine," she yawned, "I really am exhausted. I think I should just sleep right here."
"No, I will not let you sleep on the cold floor," he chuckled. "If you truly are that tired, I'll carry you."
She yawned again, "Would you?" She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up bridal style, snuggling her head into his chest and beard. She fell asleep right there, proving her exhaustion.
Aurora, Pomona, Rolanda, and Septima gaped as the one-hundred-fifteen year old man carried a grown woman with ease; they hadn't expected him to be so strong. With a half-glance in Ginny and Luna's direction, he suggested, "I think it's time for you ladies to return to your beds, with or without your midnight snacks."
Ginny and Luna gaped, but retreated down the secret passageway and back to their separate towers. The four women found his choice of words strange, but expected such from him by now and ignored his odd phrase. They returned to their separate private rooms, and Albus brought Minerva back to theirs.