Inscriptions
Minerva was intrigued when she entered the Headmaster's office and found him at his desk with a very old and unfamiliar trunk open before him.
"Ah, Minerva. I was just peering into the distant past. I haven't opened this trunk in over a hundred years."
Taking the frame he held out to her, she was surprised to see a beautiful young woman standing disinterestedly in a wedding gown next to a very young Albus, who appeared to be there under duress. "You were married?"
He nodded. "Arranged. We were twenty. Our parents wanted grandchildren."
"You have children."
"Had a son," he nodded sadly. "A little over a year after we married, she died in childbirth and a few minutes later our son died in my arms." He shook his head.
Minerva could see he needed to talk and let him.
"I never really gave her a chance. We met a week before the wedding and I still barely knew her when she died. I felt no bond with our child until I held him in my arms and saw that he looked just like the drawings of my mother when she was a baby. And then he was gone."
"It's not your fault," she pointed out, setting the frame in front of him and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I know. Everyone told me so." He sighed deeply. "After they were buried, I announced that I would never marry again unless it was for love. My parents were devastated and tried to entrap me." He picked up a very clumsily folded piece of paper, pulled something out of it, and held it out to her.
Placing her hand open under his, she felt something small and cold drop into her hand. It was a gold ring with several stones. Ornate yet tasteful.
"This ring has been in my family for generations. Parents giving it to their eldest son when he becomes engaged. They pried it from her finger, and when I could stand their interference no more, I cursed it."
Minerva had been holding and looking at the ring but now dropped it. "What?!"
Albus might have laughed on some other day, but now only a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It's not unsafe, my dear. I cursed it so it couldn't be inscribed."
Peering in, Minerva corrected, "But there is an inscription. Surely these aren't the names of the original owners of the ring?" Her mind was racing. "It says, 'Minerva, all my love, Albus.'"
Nodding thoughtfully while staring into the trunk, Albus admitted, "No, the original owners were Pelleas and Melisande. I hoped it would say that, though." He must have sensed her shock because he explained, "I cursed the ring so it could not be inscribed until I fell in love with a woman who also loved me."
Minerva was staring at him, agape, when he finally, hesitantly peered up at her. "You, too?" she asked. She saw the sparkle in his eyes before she could discern the grin growing on his lips.
To her surprise, he stood, taking the ring out of her fingers as he grasped her left hand in his. "Minerva, will you marry me?" He was already sliding the ring onto her finger even though she had not answered.
She knew she should be irritated with him for not waiting, but staring into the hope in his eyes and watching him kiss her hand as he held it in both of his, she could only reply, "Yes."
How long had she been holding her breath? She couldn't remember, but it must have been some time because she felt breathless even before he leaned forward to tentatively kiss her. This seemed to bring her out of the haze she had been in, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as tears ran down her cheeks, into his hair. When their lips next met, she responded eagerly, kissing him as she had wanted to for years.
Minerva was intrigued when she entered the Headmaster's office and found him at his desk with a very old and unfamiliar trunk open before him.
"Ah, Minerva. I was just peering into the distant past. I haven't opened this trunk in over a hundred years."
Taking the frame he held out to her, she was surprised to see a beautiful young woman standing disinterestedly in a wedding gown next to a very young Albus, who appeared to be there under duress. "You were married?"
He nodded. "Arranged. We were twenty. Our parents wanted grandchildren."
"You have children."
"Had a son," he nodded sadly. "A little over a year after we married, she died in childbirth and a few minutes later our son died in my arms." He shook his head.
Minerva could see he needed to talk and let him.
"I never really gave her a chance. We met a week before the wedding and I still barely knew her when she died. I felt no bond with our child until I held him in my arms and saw that he looked just like the drawings of my mother when she was a baby. And then he was gone."
"It's not your fault," she pointed out, setting the frame in front of him and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I know. Everyone told me so." He sighed deeply. "After they were buried, I announced that I would never marry again unless it was for love. My parents were devastated and tried to entrap me." He picked up a very clumsily folded piece of paper, pulled something out of it, and held it out to her.
Placing her hand open under his, she felt something small and cold drop into her hand. It was a gold ring with several stones. Ornate yet tasteful.
"This ring has been in my family for generations. Parents giving it to their eldest son when he becomes engaged. They pried it from her finger, and when I could stand their interference no more, I cursed it."
Minerva had been holding and looking at the ring but now dropped it. "What?!"
Albus might have laughed on some other day, but now only a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It's not unsafe, my dear. I cursed it so it couldn't be inscribed."
Peering in, Minerva corrected, "But there is an inscription. Surely these aren't the names of the original owners of the ring?" Her mind was racing. "It says, 'Minerva, all my love, Albus.'"
Nodding thoughtfully while staring into the trunk, Albus admitted, "No, the original owners were Pelleas and Melisande. I hoped it would say that, though." He must have sensed her shock because he explained, "I cursed the ring so it could not be inscribed until I fell in love with a woman who also loved me."
Minerva was staring at him, agape, when he finally, hesitantly peered up at her. "You, too?" she asked. She saw the sparkle in his eyes before she could discern the grin growing on his lips.
To her surprise, he stood, taking the ring out of her fingers as he grasped her left hand in his. "Minerva, will you marry me?" He was already sliding the ring onto her finger even though she had not answered.
She knew she should be irritated with him for not waiting, but staring into the hope in his eyes and watching him kiss her hand as he held it in both of his, she could only reply, "Yes."
How long had she been holding her breath? She couldn't remember, but it must have been some time because she felt breathless even before he leaned forward to tentatively kiss her. This seemed to bring her out of the haze she had been in, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as tears ran down her cheeks, into his hair. When their lips next met, she responded eagerly, kissing him as she had wanted to for years.