Authors Note: Thanks to those that have read and reviewed my story so far. I'm going to work on updating at least every Saturday. By the way, I did research McGonagall's past history a bit for this chapter.

Chapter 2: The Proposal

When Albus left Arabella's, he was pondering the best way to approach this situation. First of all, who was the boy going to stay with? That was the most important thing. Harry didn't know anyone besides his aunt and uncle, and Albus had no intention of making the boy feel uncomfortable by living with a complete stranger. Second of all, to offer maximum protection for the boy, he had to be related to his guardian's in some way, shape, or form. That would mean adoption. Would Harry object to adoption? Who would be willing to adopt the boy out of the clear blue sky? After all, Harry was now 11, and adopting an adolescent and helping him adjust to their way of life was much more difficult than adopting and raising a small baby. The final question was when the adoption and move should take place. Dumbledore didn't by any means want the boy, or his new family, to feel hurried. No, this was definitely not an easy task that could just be taken care of quickly. This had to be handled delicately, and there was no telling how long it would take.

With all of that weighing on his mind, Albus headed back to Hogwarts. There was no question that Harry Potter would be leaving his aunt and uncles if he so desired, the question was where and when he would be moving. There was one person that Albus had no problem confiding in completely. She had, after all, been his best friend for nearly 50 years and it just seemed right to involve the person that had been with him when he first left Harry on the door step of number 4. Yes, Albus was going to have to discuss this with none other than Professor Minerva McGonagall. That was, if she did eat Albus alive once she found out how the wizarding world hero had spent the past 10 years of his life.

"Honestly Albus, I can't believe you've let this go on as long as you have. It's absolutely dreadful." Minerva McGonagall's lips had all but disappeared when Albus had told her the situation that young Harry was in. She hadn't even let Albus explain about the complications of getting the boy out of there before she had started ranting, and Albus could see the Dragon Lady starting to appear in his best friend. "I warned you that this was a terrible idea 10 years ago when you first left him, but of course you didn't listen. You never do Albus."

"My dear Minerva, I explained back then that I thought it would be best for Harry. I never imagined he would be treated quite this bad." Albus spoke calmly, and refrained from quivering under the murderous glare his Deputy Headmistress was giving him. "I knew that Harry's situation would not be absolute ideal, but it was the simplest solution, and I truly believed it to be the best at the time. Who else would you have had me leave the boy with?"

At this the dark haired witch shot one last glare at her longtime friend, and sat down. "I don't know Albus, but anywhere would be better than where he currently is."

"I quite agree Minerva, but you must see my positioning in attempting to keep him safe." Albus was glad the woman was calming down. He trusted Minerva with his life, but when she turned into the fiery Dragon Lady, even Albus couldn't help quivering in her presence. "Harry's current guardians are the only family the boy has left in this world, and in order to provide maximum protection for the boy, he needs to be living with someone related to him. You want the best for the boy I assume Minerva?"

"Of course I do Albus." Minerva sighed and took a deep breath.

"That leaves only legal adoption. I admit that it would have been easier to do this when Harry was just a baby, but I was wrong. Contrary to popular belief, I AM wrong now and then." Albus couldn't help smiling at the twitch in Professor McGonagall's mouth as she fought a smile of her own. "Now the question is who would be willing to take the boy, and when."

"You know as well as I do that Severus offered to take the boy when this whole mess started Albus." Minerva looked hard at her Headmaster, and then sighed as he shook his head.

"I am aware of that Minerva, but Severus is supposed to be a spy. I do not think that Voldemort," Albus did not miss the woman's flinch at the name, "is dead. I am certain he will find a way to come back, and when he does, we could use Severus to maintain that position, and having him the guardian of Voldemort's main target will not do at all."

"Of course, you are right Albus." Minerva sighed. This truly was complicated, and admitting that, meant admitting that Albus had been right to at least try Harry's only family. No matter how much she hated it. Sighing once more, Minerva massaged her temples before a thought struck her. "What about yourself Albus?"

"Me?" Albus was stunned. He had no experience with raising children. Yes he was Headmaster of a school full of children and had taught at that school for over 50 years, but he had never been the one solely responsible for any single child and the thought made him nervous.

"Yes." Minerva spoke thoughtfully as she mulled it all over in her mind. She of course knew Albus was now 110 and had never thought of a family after what had happened with his brother, sister, mother, and father, but still.

"My dear Minerva, surely you know that I am 110 by now. I am in no fit state to care for young Harry." Albus was still recovering from the shock of his friend's suggestion.

"Why not Albus?" The more she thought about it, the better it sounded, so Minerva decided to press the issue. "You are extremely healthy and talented Albus. You have a heart of gold, and you know better than ever what the boy would need. You say you wish to give the boy the maximum protection, and I believe you would be just the man for the job. You are, after all, the only wizard that You-Know-Who ever feared. Besides, you aren't completely inexperienced. You've watched over the students of this school for over 50 years, and you put your own hand in much of my upbringing seeing." Minerva couldn't help but smile at this. While her mother had been a witch, her father had been a muggle, and her mother had locked away her wand at the marriage. Therefore, Minerva had grown up in a muggle home, and it was under Albus' tutelage that she had excelled so much in school. She had even made Prefect and Head Girl, and after Hogwarts she had continued to study under Albus as she became an animangus. It was thanks to this man that Minerva had become the woman she was. Therefore, she had no doubt that Albus would make a fantastic guardian.

Albus just sighed as he watched the witch before him. All she said was true, but he couldn't help but think that he had never cared solely for a child. He had been responsible for his brother and sister after the death of his mother since his father was in Azkaban, and where had that led them? Ariana was dead, and Aberforth refused to even speak to him. Albus just sighed once more as he shook his head. "Minerva, I can't. I…"

"And why can't you Albus?" Minerva's tone cut him off sharply. "You can't let fear of the past keep rule your life Albus."

Albus just sighed. He knew his friend was right, but he still wasn't sure this was best. "It's not just that Minerva. It's just me at home, and I don't think that a single parent home would be best for the boy. Especially a single parent that has his hands tied with everything going on at Hogwarts constantly. Being a parent is a full time job, and being a single parent is like working 2 full time jobs. My taking the boy would put me working 3 full time jobs since I would be a single parent, and a Headmaster of a magical boarding school. It's going to be hard enough for a couple to get used to a new teenager. How in the name of Merlin is 110 year old single male going to adjust to it on top of being a Headmaster?"

Minerva just looked at Dumbledore and nodded. He did have a very good point. No matter how much she didn't like it.

As Albus watched his dear friend, an idea struck him. "Minerva." He stated cautiously. Albus knew Minerva's history. The woman had never married, and neither had Albus. Though they were for two completely different reasons, the fact remained, that they were two single people that truly wanted what was best for the wizarding world hear. "What if…." Albus had to be careful if he was going to phrase this in a way that wouldn't make Minerva jump all over him. But how in the world was he going to say it? Finally Albus decided it would just be best to spit it out. Minerva was a straight forward, no nonsense type of gal after all. "What if we were to marry and raise the boy together?" Dumbledore waited with bated breath for the woman to explode. After all, he'd known this young lady since her first year at Hogwarts.

"ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE!" Whatever Minerva had thought the man would come up with as a solution fled her mind immediately at this shocking proposal. Was the man serious? Or had he finally been knocked off his rocker like so many of the student's believed?

"Hold on a moment Minerva, let me explain." Albus held up a calm hand as if he had not just been shouted at a second before. "I understand that I am old enough to be your grandfather." McGonagall gave a single laugh at this, but Albus ignored it. "However, neither of us every married, and I doubt that either of us would ever marry for love. We do however; have the best interests of Harry Potter as a common ground. Neither of us would be able to take the boy alone, and we have no other guesses as to who we could leave the boy with. If we were to marry purely out of convenience, it would bind things legally, and Harry would have a place to come to where he would be as safe as if he stayed with his aunt and uncle." Albus watched Minerva raise an eyebrow and chuckled slightly. "Alright, safer if you consider the Dursley's a hazard." Which she obviously did.

"A marriage of convenience Albus?" Minerva chewed this thought over in her mind. Ever since she had refused to marry the muggle farmer, Minerva had never fallen for another man.

"A marriage of convenience Minerva." Albus nodded. "We would buy a house together, and you would tack on the name Dumbledore, but you would still be Professor McGonagall, and you would have a separate room in our home. Nothing would change except the fact that legally we would be husband and wife. That way, we would legally be able to adopt Harry.

Minerva chewed this over in her mind awhile longer before nodding. "Alright Albus, I accept your marriage of convenience." She cared deeply for Albus, but she did not care for him in that way. She also knew that he did not care for her in that way either. She also knew that Albus was not the kind of man to coerce a woman into bed with him. Therefore, she was willing to trust him completely on this matter. "Before we ride off into the sunset however, let's see what Harry has to say on the matter. After all, if Harry rejects us as parents, what convenience would the marriage be then?"

Dumbledore couldn't suppress a small chuckle at that. "Of course Minerva. Whatever you say."