A/N: This was written for Lamia's Crossgen Competition on the HPFC, where the pairings needed to be at least seventeen years apart. Even though it is never specified when Elphinstone was born, or how many years were between him and Minerva, we do know that he was considerably older than she was. In my headcanon they differ by twenty years.
Minerva awoke with a yawn. She stretched, and then her hand touched something. Or rather, someone. She withdrew her hand immediately. Why was there someone else in her bed? Then the events of the previous day came rushing back to her mind and she smiled. Of course.
She turned around and found that Elphinstone was watching her, a smile on his face.
"Good morning, my beautiful wife," he said. "I hope I didn't startle you?"
She smiled back. "You didn't. It's just… for a moment I forgot…"
His face fell. "Am I really that forgettable that you don't even remember that we married yesterday?" he said softly.
"No, that's not it!" she hastily said. "It's not, honestly! I guess I've been alone too long."
He didn't look convinced. She reached out and touched his arm.
"Elphin, I'm sorry."
"If you're having second thoughts, why didn't you say so before the wedding?"
She kissed him, and tried to convey all those feelings she had harboured but not acted upon for so many years with that one kiss. "I love you," she whispered into his ear when they broke apart a little out of breath. "I love you and I said yes yesterday wholeheartedly. I'm not having second thoughts. I suppose I just need some time adjusting to the fact that I'll no longer live alone."
Adjusting. That became the key word of their first two weeks as a married couple. Being the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Minerva had refused to move in together prior to their wedding (though Elphinstone spent the night in the guest room on several occasion) and now the weeks that should have been used for celebrating their union, were filled with small irritations. Both of them had lived solitary for almost their entire life. Each of them had their own routines, their own ways about the house, their own quirks and patterns they had developed over the years. They quarrelled over breakfast (a full-on English one for Elphinstone, oats and porridge for Minerva), dinner (which Elphinstone preferred around six, and Minerva preferred around seven), their evening pastime (Elphinstone wanted to play Wizard Chess or cards, Minerva just wanted to curl into her armchair and read a book) and the fact that Minerva had wanted to keep her maiden name after marriage. They sighed irritated when they found the toilet seat up (or down, depending on who was in the bathroom) or the shower occupied when they wanted to use it themselves. Minerva didn't like the fact that Elphinstone was a spacey sleeper, barely allowing her room in her own bed. Elphinstone said she sometimes snored (she didn't!) and he couldn't get why she got up so early in the morning.
"Elphin," Minerva said one morning when they were in the middle of yet another quarrel, "This isn't working. We always were good friends, but ever since we married, it seems like all we can do is bicker. I hate it. I want my Elphin back, the one I said yes to. I don't want us falling out over things that are too silly to mention."
Elphinstone was quiet for a moment from her sudden declaration.
"I want my 'Nerva back," he finally said softly. "The one I fell in love with nearly thirty years ago and that I could talk to about everything."
They looked at each other, tears in their eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
"Can we… can we sit down and talk things over?" she said hesitantly.
He nodded. "I think it's about time we did."
They sat down on the couch, both feeling a bit awkward.
"I suppose I could make you bacon and eggs in the morning, even if I don't eat it myself," Minerva said.
"I suppose I could try oats and porridge at breakfast, just to see why you like it so much," Elphinstone said at the same time.
They looked at each other and then they started to laugh.
"We really are being silly, aren't we?"
"Come here," Elphinstone said and pulled her closer. "Let's just kiss and make up."
"Elphin!" Minerva protested, half laughing, half serious.
"I've got a deal. How about at breakfast, we both eat what we like, without trying to convince the other otherwise? How about in the evenings, we alternate our pastimes?"
"Sounds good to me. How about we settle dinner at six thirty? It's a bit later than you would like, and a bit earlier than I would like, but I think it's the best solution."
He nodded. "Since you're still working and I have all day, you can shower first."
"Thank you, that's nice of you."
She leaned into his touch. They sat together for a while, enjoying each other's closeness. "Do I really snore?" she asked eventually.
"Yeah, sometimes," he grinned. "But it's cute rather than annoying actually."
"I'm forty-seven, I think I'm long past the age where I can be called cute," she replied a bit indignantly.
"If you say so."
"Elphin?" she said after another moment of silence. "I want to show you why I get up so early every morning. Do you want to come with me tomorrow?"
"I'd love that. And 'Nerva, I want to take you somewhere this weekend. I want to celebrate our marriage."
Minerva opened her mouth to protest, but Elphinstone held up a hand to stop her. "I know, that sounds like a honeymoon and I know you didn't want one, but honestly, why should only younger couples be allowed to celebrate their marriage? Isn't ours just as special? Don't we deserve some time off too? We don't even have to go far. We could go to Edinburg for example, or Portree if you like that better. What do you say?"
Minerva was about to say that she still thought it silly for them to be going on a honeymoon at their age, but she swallowed her words. It clearly meant a lot to Elphinstone, and a weekend away didn't actually sound so bad.
"Let's go to Portree then," she replied. "I hear the isle is beautiful this time of year."
Her husband's face split into a warm smile and Minerva felt guilty for not having agreed on a trip earlier.
The next morning, she woke Elphinstone at five am. He groaned and protested, but she was adamant. "Come on, you'll love it."
Grudgingly, he got up and got dressed.
"Put on your coat, we're going outside."
He yawned. "Is this really necessary 'Nerva? It's really early! The sun isn't even up yet!"
"Yes, it needs to be early, otherwise you'll miss it. Now come on," she said impatiently. She was already fully dressed. At last, Elphinstone was ready as well. He followed her outside, into the dusk and yawned again. Minerva looked at his dishevelled white hair and smiled.
"You know, you look quite handsome with your hair loose," she teased, echoing the words he had said to her at least a hundred times.
He smiled back at her, a warm, genuine smile that made her heart leap. "Where are you taking me?"
"You'll see."
After a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand loosely in his and they continued walking in a comfortable silence. They reached the gates of Hogwarts and she could tell that she surprised him by opening them. He probably thought they were just going to pass them.
"Do you always go to work this early? Is that it?' he asked amused.
"Shhh," she replied and walked on.
It was nearly six am when they reached the Quidditch pitch. She went to the broom cabinet and opened it with the spare key Rolanda had given her. Elphinstone now looked utterly confused.
"You want to go flying?"
Her eyes sparkled. "I may no longer be able to play Quidditch, but I still know how to fly a broomstick. Are you coming with me?"
"Nerva, you know it's been a while since I've last been on a broomstick," he sighed. "In fact, I fear all those years using the Ministerial Floo network have made me lazy."
But he got on the Cleansweep she tossed him anyway, and was in the air before she could mount hers.
"Somehow, I doubt you're telling the truth."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
She soared upwards, until she was hoovering above the Quidditch pitch. She was soon accompanied by Elphinstone.
"I can see now why you like to get up this early," he said as he looked around them.
On the horizon, the sky was turning into a palette of pinks and purples, of yellow and gold and greens and blues. "It's beautiful."
They watched for half an hour until the sun had risen, then, with regret, they flew back down.
Minerva locked their brooms away in the cabinet.
"Do you still have energy left to make the walk back?"
"What do I look like, an old man?" he scoffed. "Don't push it, young lady."
She laughed. It was a joke that they had made earlier on in their friendship, and she didn't think anyone had called her 'young lady' in years. She wondered what her students would think if they saw their usually stern professor so light hearted.
"Come on, let's get home," she replied. "I'll make you those despicably greasy bacon and eggs you so fancy for breakfast." She put her arm through his and they began the walk back towards their cottage.
Their cottage. It didn't feel awkward anymore to say that. It had taken them nearly thirty years since they first met, but being married to Elphinstone felt good. Sure, they still had things they needed to work on, still needed to adjust to their life together, but she was positive that she had made the right decision by finally accepting his proposal. The thought of spending the rest of her life with someone didn't scare her anymore. Not when that someone had been her friend for as long as she could remember. Yes, if she could ever make a marriage work, it would be with Elphinstone. She squeezed his hand. For the first time in many years, she was genuinely happy.