Author's Notes: I was working on the next chapter of Ties of Blood and Loyalty and listening to Regina Spektor when this came to me. It started out as a songfic to her song "Samson" and ended up like this. The italicized lyrics below are from said song. This is quite possibly one of my favorite things that I've written, so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I'm just playing on JK Rowling's playground.

My Prince

And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us
And the bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall

--

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a reoccurring fantasy that I was a princess and that somewhere there was a prince waiting for me. He would be perfect in nearly every way, and we would fall deeply in love. And when I was sixteen, I found my prince.

Albus Dumbledore had been my transfiguration teacher, mentor, and head of house, but I never expected him to have feelings for me. After all, he was an great wizard and I was nothing more than a silly schoolgirl with a crush. Somehow, though, I knew that this was more than that: I'd had crushes in the past, and I knew from my feelings that this was something deeper. He was my prince and I was sure of it. But I doubted anything would ever come of it. Albus was the most accomplished wizard of our time and I was a sixteen year old girl who dreamt of princes and princesses. No, I had never expected Albus Dumbledore to reciprocate my feelings, much less fall in love with me.

But he did: he had loved me and I had loved him. He was my prince, and he made me his princess.

It started when I, having graduated two years prior to the date, took the recently vacated post of his transfiguration apprentice. I had harbored feelings for him ever since my sixth year as a Hogwarts student. We were working in such close proximity, which undoubtedly played a part in igniting the spark of our love. We had been working late one particular night and somehow ended up kissing. I don't know how it happened, but I do not regret it. It was magical. And thus began the happiest year of my life.

That year was amazing. The man whom I had loved since I was sixteen, the man whom I'd never expected to reciprocate my feelings was suddenly my significant other. I'd gotten my prince. My life was filled with happiness and chess games and picnics. His kissing me resulted in breathlessness on my part. He never failed to make me smile or laugh, or even make me feel like a princess. My fantasy was coming true.

But then someone with the likes of a dragon entered the picture, and it caused me to stop smiling. That someone was Gellert Grindelwald. He was killing innocent people and had to be stopped. Many noble wizards had attempted to defeat him and had failed. One noble wizard hadn't battled Grindelwald yet. My wizard. Albus, my prince.

He had not yet brought up the topic of Grindelwald, but I could tell it was on his mind. He was often silent with a worried expression on his face. One night, I asked him about it. Asked him if he had considered going to fight Grindelwald. We both knew he had to, but had remained silent about the matter until that night. I remember our conversation clearly that night as we sat in bed.

"Albus, we both know that it's inevitable that you go. Someone must stop him," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I loved him so much, and the thought of him going off to fight an evil man frightened me. Made me want to cry.

After a few minutes of silence, he replied, "I don't want to leave you. I want to enjoy this life with you. I don't want to go somewhere knowing that I could die. Life without you, even death without you, Minerva…I can't stand the thought of it."

It was then that it hit me: his love for me would be his greatest downfall. He would stay here because of me, and the wizarding world continue to hurt so greatly because of Grindelwald. If that monster was not stopped, who knew what would even become of the world? I knew that my Albus was the only one capable of stopping him. I also knew that if he didn't stop Grindelwald, he would never be able to forgive himself. And what if somebody else did manage to stop Grindelwald? What about the next catastrophe that came along? I couldn't keep him to myself. The prince had to slay the dragon. The world needed my prince for survival.

A single sob escaped my lips, and he quickly gathered me into his arms.

"Somebody else can do it, my love. I'm not the only talented wizard alive," he reassured me.

"You say you can't stand the thought of life without me, and I can't stand the thought of it without you, but we would survive, Albus. We did before," I said, crying now, "And it has to be you. We both know it has to be you. You're the only one that can stop him and we both know that."

"Minerva…."

"No," I said sharply as I got out of his bed, tears streaming down my cheeks, "You have to stop that monster. It would be wrong of you not to when you're the only one who can."

"Alright. I know I must go," he said with a sigh, "You're a nobler person than I am, my dear."

I took a deep breath, "We can't be together anymore, Albus."

He looked at me with a look of pure sadness on his face, "Why do you think that?"

"Because I would be holding you back."

"You wouldn't be holding me back from anything because you're all I need. All I want."

"But the world needs you, Albus! And if we're together, you won't want to defeat the next Grindelwald. We simply cannot be together," I exclaimed with my eyes closed, "Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

He gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek, "Goodbye, Minerva."

"Goodbye, Albus. Good luck," I said desolately as I exited his bedroom. I closed the door behind me, reflecting on the symbolism in that the action held.

I got back to my bedroom. Still clad in my nightgown, I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands as I cried. I cried for Albus' safety, but deep down I knew he would be fine. I sobbed for our lost relationship. Our love had not been enough. Why couldn't my prince and I have the fairy tale ending that we deserved?