Minerva paced back forth in her office thinking of what to do. She remembered her meeting with Albus about two weeks ago. They were playing chess. She had her bishops, queen, king, one castle, and one rookie left on the board, while he only had his king and a few ponds left. She knew she was about to win the game, but she kept her excitement from showing in her face, but Albus could read it from her green eyes.
"Shall we call the game off? It seems like you've beaten me again." he suggested.
"But Albus, you could still win. You could maybe get your ponds to the other side of the board." pleaded Minerva. Really she just liked the feeling of winning at chess against him, and he knew this.
"Knowing you, you would probably take out my ponds one by one, even when my king is wide open and defenseless."
"Probably." she teased and took a sip of her tea she had beside her. He smiled and continued playing until his king was down.
"Are you happy now?" he asked as his king was blasted into smithereens by Minerva's queen.
She smiled and cocked her head to the side as she said, "Yes I am content, but it's only a game."
"That you play well, but enough with the mindless game." he said as the game disappeared with a wave of his hand. "Let's talk about other things. Like how's Denis?" What seemed like a friendly question only diminished her smile. She put down her tea that her hands were wrapped around and looked into the fire place. He wondered what was wrong with her. She then adverted her eyes down to her clasped hands before she spoke.
"We're fine. He's just been away that's all. I don't want to sound like a helpless depressed wife who misses her husband-"
"Min, it's natural to feel that way. Yes it might be a cliché, but a cliché is started because it's common." Dumbledore interrupted her and she gave a broken smile. "Is there anything else that might be wrong?"
"No." she lied. Recently Denis and her have been quarreling over his job. He has been taking more risky cases, and what she called gambling with his life. She told him she didn't want to have some ministry official knock on her door telling her that her husband had died. Denis did apologize for his lack of consideration, but he kept on taking more dangerous jobs. She had been happy last night when he surprised her that night by coming home two days early than what he had told her. He also was watching the Muggle Prime Minister that morning which also made her happy, since it wasn't a very dangerous job. She then went back to her memory when she remembered an owl had come in as it was for Dumbledore. He opened the owl as it was from the ministry. He scanned it over with his eyes and then let out a sigh.
"Excuse me my dear, but I must go. Please wait for me, I would like to discuss other things when I get back." he asked her, and she nodded as she wondered why he was being to the ministry so urgently. He walked through the fire as she waited in the chair by the fire as she let the warmth from the flames blanket her. Her eyes started to get heavy. She tried to stay up and fight her tiredness, but soon it become overwhelming and she allowed her eyes to close shut. She was suddenly awoken when she felt a sudden grip around her wrists. Her eyes flipped open to see the trembling older man before her knees crying. She had never seen Albus in this state before. Minerva put her hand on his back to reassure him that she was there. He then wrapped his arms around her waist as he cried into her chest. She just held him tighter as she wondered what had happened at the ministry to cause make him so distraught.
After a few minutes his breathing slowed as his crying ceased. She craned her neck to see if she could catch a glimpse of his face, but then he raised his head to see her face before she could change her position. His face was stained with tears. His crystal blue eyes had lost their twinkle as they were replaced with pain and sorrow. She wondered what to do or say. He always knew how to cheer her up, but she didn't know what to do for him, so she remained silent. It seemed to be working. He looked into her green emerald eyes that always seemed to cast a spell on him. All the talking was done from the eyes as her eyes smiled and assured him that he could confide her about anything.
Without letting her go he broke the silence. "Thank you for being there for me."
"It's alright Albus. I'm just worried what had happened to cause you such pain."
"I have discovered a friend of mine had passed and regret how the relationship ended." he said, and she hugged him, drawing him closer to her body. He could feel her heart beating and the sound of it seemed to sooth him.
"I just don't want to hide my feelings anymore; I don't want to regret anything anymore." He said into her shoulder.
"That's understandable." she responded as they stayed in each other's arms for a few more minutes. They only sounds they heard were the crackling timber in the fire as the seconds seemed to linger. Her hand rubbed his back as if it were an indication that it was time to let go. He gently let go of her and back away a little to see her warming smile and her gleaming eyes. Without thinking Albus pulled her towards him by the waist and tenderly kissed her. She was shocked, but gave a feeble attempt to shake him off. He knew she was stronger than that, and if she was really insulted she would have just smacked him, but she didn't. With this reassurance he pressed his lips harder on her soft ones. Finally she had pushed him away.
"Albus!" she shrieked. She looked more upset and hurt, than angry. He was confused as he thought she would either be delighted or angry with him, not hurt. Tears started to stream down her eyes now. She turned her back from him as she gripped a head of an armchair to keep her from falling on her knees.
"Min, I didn't mean to hurt you, but I had to. I don't regret it, but I do regret for not doing it sooner." Dumbledore told her as he moved closer to her, but she swatted him away.
"Why now? Why couldn't you just tell me sooner?"
"I don't know why I didn't tell you. I thought I was too old for you, but now I think age is just a number as I will not allow it to get in the way of my feelings for you any longer. I love you Minerva." he said as he was able to get close enough to reach out and hold her, but he didn't dare try with her state of anger.
"How long have you felt this way?" she asked him with her voice broken.
He was surprised by the question but answered, "Honestly I have had feelings for you since your seventh year at Hogwarts." The answer seemed to make her cry harder. This time he tried to hold her, but like he expected she pushed him away from her again.
"You've loved me for so long, but yet you've never told me until now. Why couldn't you tell me when I asked you?"
"Because it was you're wedding day. I would feel terrible to know that I've ruined your wedding simply because I loved you, and I still do love you. I love you more than anything, but yet I can't have you and I know that. I guess I didn't tell you sooner because I was afraid of being turned down."
"You afraid?" she scoffed doubtfully, "You fought Grindelwald for merlin's sake."
"And you don't think I was scared then too? I nearly died if you hadn't come and assisted me." he interjected.
"Please don't remind me of your near death experience."
"You brought it up, but that's beside the point. The point is, is that I love you, now do you love me?" he asked determined for an answer. It was a question he had been holding back for nearly twenty years. She wouldn't look at him as she spoke softly.
"Oh Albus, I have loved you since I was a sixth year at Hogwarts." she said it almost as if she were ashamed by her feelings.
"Do you still feel that way?" he protruded her and she bit her lower lip not daring to look him. In fact she looked anywhere but at him. He grasped her hand and pulled her towards him and kissed her again. She didn't have to tell him. He knew she still loved him. The way she hesitated told him so, and so did her lips as she returned the kiss. Her arms moved to caress the nape of his neck as his hands moved down her sides and stopped at her slender waist. He pulled her closer as there was no more space between them. Minerva's body stiffened as she trembled in his arms. Her heart raced inside her chest. He let his tongue press against the opening of her lips, begging for them to open, and they obliged. He tasted her greedily. She could taste the sweet and tangy lemon flavor for the numerous lemon drops he consumed a day. She couldn't help but let a muffled laugh slide as he felt the vibrations through her mouth. Their lips parted from each other and they breathed heavily as both their breaths were taken away.
"Albus?" Minerva's voice trailed to his ear in a soft whisper.
"Mmm." he responded as he looked her in her eyes. He then pulled back a loose strand of hair from her face.
"What should I do? The truth is, every time I look at Denis I see you." she confessed to him.
He sealed her lips with his finger. "Shhh my dear, tonight it's just you and me." Minerva went to protest as she knew it was wrong of her to do this with Albus, but he stopped her with another kiss.
Minerva smiled as she felt warm inside thinking about back on that night, but then she shook it off. Why should she smile about that? It was because of that night which led her into this mess. She continued to pace back and forth across her room as she was deep in thought. Why did she let this happen, did she regret it? No was the answer, she loved that night. If she went back in time to that night, she still would have done the same thing. A question that worried her was should she tell Albus? It would only be a matter of time before she would start to get fat and he would know. Though the real question that she feared the most was whose the father?