Mum's the Word
Author's Note: Set around 1965ish.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my shoes.
Albus Dumbledore lay on his bed sated and happy. A goofy grin spread across his face, as he thought about the morning's events. Minerva had 'escaped' to the bathroom a few minutes earlier, and Albus knew that she was expecting him to join her any moment.
He was just about to get out of bed, when he heard the fire crackle, and saw his mother pop out of the fireplace.
"MUM!" He screamed throwing the sheets over his waist, and scampering across the room to find a pair of pajama pants.
"Don't worry, Albus darling, it's nothing I haven't seen before." His mother said, trying, in vain, to restrain her smile, as she placed her bags on the floor.
"I know that...but what are you doing here? And why are you in my bedroom?" Albus asked, pulling on his pants.
"Well, I figured you would probably be asleep, so I figured I would find you here, and I'm here, because I've come to stay with you for a few days."
"No, no, mom, that is not possible."
"But, Alby dear, your father and I had a fight. It would only be for a few days. I wouldn't be any trouble." She pleaded, taking a gentle hold of his arm.
"Mum, I would let you stay if I could, but it's just not possible right now."
"Why not?"
Suddenly, Minerva's voice rang out from the bathroom, purring, "Albus darling, I thought you were going to join me." As the door opened, and Minerva appeared in the doorway starkers. Immediately noticing the other occupant of the room, Minerva let out an uncharacteristic squeal and slammed the door.
"Albus Dumbledore," his mother's voice boomed, "you are turning your mother out in the cold, because you have one of your little girlfriends staying here?"
"It's not like that, Mum." Albus said, as he followed his mother out of the room and down the stairs.
"Sure, Albus, you know it's in all the papers, what a playboy you are, but I never believed it, not really. Up to now." Mrs. Dumbledore stopped to look at her son pointedly.
Albus could only look sheepish and uncomfortable in response.
"When did you meet her, Albus? Last night? You know you should really be more careful, not to mention discreet." Mrs. Dumbledore continued her descent, until she heard another party join them on the stairs.
Minerva McGonagall, fully clothed, and looking very much the stern, respectable Transfiguration mistress, passed them by on the staircase, and barked "Tell her, Albus, for Merlin's sake. Just tell her." Then she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Tell me what, Albus?" She asked suspiciously.
"Um, Mum, why don't we go have a seat in the living room, and I'll tell you everything."
"Alright." Mrs. Dumbledore said, eyeing her son, before turning to descend the stairs.
Once they were seated, Albus began, "Well, Mum, you see, I'm not really a playboy. It's an image that I've cultivated. I'll get to the reason why later. I'm in love with Minerva McGonagall, the woman you met this morning, and I've been with her, only her, since we bumped into each other at a Ministry event." He paused to look at his mother.
She nodded in response, urging him to go on.
"Well, you see, Minerva used to be one of my students, and she is currently the Transfigurations mistress at Hogwarts, so it would raise quite a scandal, if anyone knew about our relationship, and we both have so many enemies that we decided to keep it quiet. To throw people off our trail, I have cultivated the image that I am a bit of a flirt, and Minerva has slowly been transforming herself into the quintessential spinster." Albus stopped, shrugging his shoulders, and looked apologetically at his mother.
"How long, Albus, how long have you been together?" She asked quietly.
"Twenty years." Albus replied sheepishly. "We became romantically entangled just after I defeated Grindenwald."
"Twenty years, Albus! Twenty years! and you never told me! Merlin, twenty years, she could be your common law wife by now!" Mrs. Dumbledore sputtered out exasperatedly.
"Well, technically..."
"Tell me you are not married Albus!"
"As you said it's been twenty years, and so technically we're married. We had to settle for a common law marriage, because it was the only way we could be husband and wife. Anything else would have been too risky."
"I can't believe you never told me!"
"Minerva's parents don't know either. None of our family or friends do. No one does. We couldn't risk it."
"Merlin, Albus, this is a mess!" She threw her hands up in the air, "I can't believe that your married, and that I don't even no your wife. I didn't even know she existed."
Suddenly Minerva appeared in the doorway, holding a tray filled with biscuits and tea, smiling slightly, she walked into the middle of the room, set the tray down on the coffee table, and sat down next to Albus, saying simply "Tea, anyone?"