"Mmm," Minerva murmured, licking her lips for the last time. The sweet aftertaste of chocolate mingled on her tongue and washed down her throat in a very satisfying way. She reached for a glass of wine and drank deeply. Her daughter Aileen beamed at her.
"Like it, Mother?"
"I love it. Mr. Goodbar is simply divine."
"Oh, you better not let Dad hear that. He'd be very upset that you found a more satisfying treat before him."
Meanwhile, Albus had walked to the outside of Minerva's office. He could hear Minerva's seductive laughter bubbling out like spring whirlpools and his daughter's similar giggles. Albus frowned. He rapped on the door and called out in a sterner voice than he had intended:
"Minerva, open up for me, please. I need to go over some things with you."
Minerva stopped talking to their daughter and he could hear the scrape of her hard-backed chair.
"Al, my darling husband…you know my password has changed. It's all about Mr. Goodbar now."
Albus' sapphire blue eyes blazed as he hissed out the password. He slammed the door shut to her office and towered over his wife and daughter. Minerva gazed up at him innocently, her smile fading as she met his ire.
"What's the matter, Albus?"
"This. Exactly this." Albus snarled and jerked his head in Aileen's direction.
"Why, what has Aileen done now? She's just introduced me to this sensational Mr. Goodbar."
Albus cringed inwardly upon hearing his wife's purring voice enunciate that loathsome Mr. Goodbar's name. He stepped closer to Minerva and his eyes snapped blue fire. The normally kind face now had a scary resemblance to a saber-toothed tiger.
"Aileen," he hissed. "Out. Now."
Aileeen stood up, confused by why her father was so angry all of a sudden. As she switched her emerald green eyes to her mother's face, the latter of which was now pale with fear, Aileen understood.
"Dad, please, I can explain…"
"I don't need an explanation from you…yet, Aileen Isadora Dumbledore. Will you kindly leave your mother and I alone?"
Minerva swallowed and mutely crushed the candy wrapper in her cold fist. Then, Aileen snapped.
"Dad, no, you listen. You're being completely ridiculous. No, wait, I have not finished…" Aileen stood just like her mother, identical in expression right down to the slightly flared nostrils. "Mr. Goodbar has not stolen Mum in any way…except in respect to her taste buds. Mr. Goodbar is merely a Muggle candy bar…that Mum has discovered and grown to love before you. NOW will you please grow up and act like my beloved father?"
Albus had steadily dropped his head as he endured Aileen's sharp-tongued tirade. It made complete sense now…and he cursed himself for being so stupid.
"I…I, er…"
"Albus," Minerva whispered at last. "Darling, you didn't think…you didn't think that I could love any other man after surrendering my heart to you? I've loved you since the first day I saw you…and I always will."
Albus blinked and looked from his wife to his daughter. They were extraordinarily alike, except Aileen had inherited his flaming auburn hair. They stood alike and Aileen had her mother's smile. Now Minerva had come tentatively forward and placed a gentle hand on his arm. Albus crushed her hand in his and discreetly wiped his eyes with his other sleeve. Minerva pressed a kiss into his temple and Albus half-turned to capture her lips in his. The sweet taste of chocolate melted into his mouth as he deepened their kiss. His arms went around Minerva's slender body and held her protectively. Her heart sped up as he did so.
"Er…I'll just…be going then." Aileen swung her arms awkwardly and started to leave. Minerva broke away from Albus and grinned shyly at her daughter.
"No no, dear, let's go together. It's such a lovely day. Sunshine and daisies and butter mellow…" Minerva quoted Mr. Weasley with a small smile.
"Turn this stupid fat rat yellow," Albus and Aileen chanted together, soon dissolving into fits of laughter.
Minerva leaned closer to Albus to whisper in his ear:
"I'm sorry you had to be jealous of a candy bar, my love. After all, I sincerely doubt that Mr. Goodbar could kiss a lady as wonderfully as you can."
"But this Mr. Goodbar must be younger than I am, Minerva, having come into existence in the year 1925." Albus twinkled at her, continuing their entertaining banter.
"Och, I hadn't thought that age had anything to do with it, Albus. Because for me…well…" Minerva's cheeks turned flaming scarlet. Albus grinned at her, anticipating what she would say.
"Yes, my Scottish Tabby?"
"Erm, well…you, you still make love like a young man." Minerva collapsed in a fit of giggles and attempted to recover her dignity by muffling her laughter in her Albus' embrace.
Albus chuckled and dropped a light kiss on her still warm forehead.
"I must sample this new Muggle sweet. But…Minerva, my darling. Next time…"
"Yes?" Minerva breathed, snuggling into her husband's arms, watching her daughter running with Harry Potter and his friends to dip her legs in the Black Lake.
"Change your password.
