A/N: Not a great chapter, and a little shorter, but faster. Apologies in advance for my attempts with French. Next fic, I'm putting things in Spain.
Many thanks to ginger newts, Lily, Clayre, Emutet, mugglemin, Lady Lavender, and Beornthryth for making my day—well, really, my week—with their reviews. You guys are the best!
present time
She paused. They stared.
"What the hell happened?" Rolanda finally managed.
"Albus defeated Grindelwald."
"Killed him, you mean."
Minerva winced. "Don't say that. It's not something he's proud of."
Serena frowned. "Why not? He just rid the world of the most powerful Dark wizard of the century. The Muggles would have never made it to Berlin if Grindelwald's forces hadn't collapsed after his death."
"Have you ever killed a man?" Minerva asked sharply. Serena shook her head mutely. "No? Then don't tell me it's something to be proud of until you find yourself staring at the empty shell of the living man that you've just destroyed."
Rolanda looked horrified.
Minerva sighed. "Killing is…it's…" She looked up to meet Poppy's eyes. The mediwitch-in-training would understand. "The creation of life, healing, love—those are the greatest of the light magics. Even the Muggles know it, if they don't fully understand it. The destruction of life…it's the darkest kind of magic, something so foul that in committing the act you lose a part of yourself to its evil. Albus never should have been forced to cast that spell. He's too good for that."
A solemn silence fell over the four. Minerva recalled the horror in Albus's eyes when he had seen Grindelwald behind her. Just as the bastard had intended, his Cruciatus had hurt Albus just as much as Minerva, and hurt her all the more because of it. Though she remembered very little of those last minutes, the look on Albus's face when she screamed was burned into her memory. "And for some wizards, death isn't enough," Minerva spat.
"Yes," Serena seconded emphatically, dark eyes blazing. She had lost a favorite uncle to the war against Grindelwald.
"What happened exactly, Minerva? That spell you used—I didn't recognize it," Poppy said, effectively redirecting the conversation.
Minerva smiled a little. "You weren't there and it was all I could think of at the time. I'd just handed in my History of Magic paper on the binding spells used in old wizarding marriages. In some arranged marriages, they used to give a witch's wealth, her body, and her magic to her husband. I just modified the spell a little, to use my magic to help him heal, and…it worked."
"Minerva, I've read about those spells," Poppy said hesitantly. "They were designed to strip a witch of her magic so that she couldn't run away. How is it that you're not a Squib?"
Minerva's smile widened. "Because when Albus found out what I'd done, he bound his magic to me."
flashback
14 April 1945
Minerva awoke to light, white light, and lots of it.
"Mademoiselle? Pouvez-vous m'entendre?"
"Albus?" Blinking, Minerva discerned the figure of a fresh-faced young French mediwitch who was observing her with poorly-disguised pity.
"Non, mademoiselle. Je suis désolée."
"Désolée? Pourquoi? Oú est-il? Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé?" Minerva began to panic.
"S'il vous plaît, mademoiselle! Il est bien. Il est dormant là-bas," the mediwitch reassured her hurriedly, gesturing to the other side of her bed. Minerva's eyes followed her hand, frantic until she saw Albus was indeed there, asleep in a chair.
"Merci," Minerva whispered. "Albus…"
Though her whisper had been barely audible to herself, Albus stirred. Minerva could not name half the emotions that flashed through his eyes when he saw her awake. Neither noticed as the nurse made a discreet exit.
"Minerva!" He was at her side in an instant, reaching out a trembling hand to caress her face.
Minerva caught his hand and held it until its shaking stilled, and then kept it after. "I'm fine, Albus. Are you all right?"
"Yes, thanks to you," he said, but his smile did not reach his eyes. "What did you do, Minerva? They said that none of their potions were working on you, because you had no magic for the potions to work with. That's not possible."
"I gave you my magic," she said softly.
"You did what?"
"I gave—"
"I caught that part, but in Merlin's name, why?" He was obviously shaken. A sweeping rush of emotion filled her, streaming from her heart in an effort to encircle his.
Albus glanced up at her, startled. "You were dying," she said, failing to suppress the quiver in her voice. "You were dying, and it was the only thing I could think of to save your life."
"But your magic, Minerva?" he asked, distressed.
"It was my magic or your life, Albus. It wasn't much of a choice."
"Why?"
"I wasn't going to just let you die!" she exclaimed.
"Why?" His voice was low and intense, and he was watching her carefully.
She looked at him incredulously. "You can't honestly believe that I would have just left you there!"
"You could have found another way," Albus said softly.
Minerva nearly screamed at him. "There wasn't any time! I couldn't think of anything else! I couldn't think of anything!"
"Why?"
"Because you were dying, you idiot! You were there, bleeding all over the floor, and I couldn't think straight—I couldn't think! I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't—"
"Why?"
Had she had her wand at that moment, there was no doubt that she would have hexed him six ways from Sunday. As it was, her treacherous mouth blurted out the truth.
"Because I love you!"
Minerva took in a sharp breath. Green eyes wide, she swiveled her head up to look at Albus nervously.
His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed as if he were waging some kind of internal battle. "Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur," he said softly. Then Albus opened his eyes, and without warning, kissed her.
Minerva gasped, but rather than take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, Albus pulled back slightly. "My God, Minerva, how I love you," he whispered against her mouth. And this time, it was Minerva who kissed Albus.
present time
"Squee!" Rolanda shrieked, pouncing on Minerva as if she were the cat-Animagus. Minerva yelped, snapped out of her reverie by 120 pounds of overexcited quidditch fanatic. Pausing, Rolanda took a deep breath. Awaiting an outburst, Minerva was surprised when Rolanda's face took on a puzzled expression. Then, suddenly, the Hufflepuff shrugged, grinned, and then hugged her friend enthusiastically.
"Air, Ro!" Minerva gasped out.
Rolanda released her abruptly, and Minerva took a few deep, steadying breaths. "Sorry, Min. Got a little excited, I guess."
"It's all right," Minerva said with a soft smile.
"Professor Dumbledore is good for you, Min," Poppy commented lightly.
"Yes," Serena agreed. "But it's not 'all right.' You interrupted the story, Ro."
"Sorry," Rolanda repeated.
"Go on, Min. What happened next?" Poppy asked eagerly.
flashback
Minerva kissed Albus, and for the first time in her life, her lips spoke the words of her heart, even while tongue-tied.
She was not shown the moon; they did not dance in the stars. It was perhaps even a bit awkward, but Minerva's enthusiasm compensated for her inexperience, and Albus lacked neither.
It was a real kiss, awkwardness and eagerness and all, and with it, Minerva felt something deep within click into place. When they finally parted, minutes or hours or days later, both were breathless.
They stared at each other. Then, simultaneously:
"Albus—"
"Minerva—"
They laughed a little, and the tension lightened.
"You first," Albus insisted, taking his seat again.
"Age before beauty," Minerva countered quickly.
A hint of a smile appeared. "A very great beauty." Minerva flushed. "And a very great age," Albus added, more seriously.
Minerva's green eyes flashed. "Minerva, I'm one hundred and five years old. You're barely eighteen."
Again, that dangerous light flared. "Your point?"
"We can't do this. You're my student, for Merlin's—"
"Do you love me?" Minerva asked him bluntly, eyes intent on his face. "Do you love me, or did you lie to me just now?"
Albus's shoulders slumped and he looked away. "Do you love me or not, Albus?" Despite her best efforts, Minerva's voice shook at the question, as did Albus's body.
There was a long silence. "Merlin help me, may the gods forgive me, I love you." He met her gaze then; tortured sapphire to teary emerald. "I love you, Minerva. I cannot lie to you. I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Minerva reached out to touch his face gently. "I love you, Albus. I think I always have."
Albus trembled. "Minerva," he began hoarsely.
A finger on his lips stopped him short. "Don't," Minerva said firmly. "Don't tell me that I'm too young to love, that I'm too young for you. I'm not. I'm old enough to fight, old enough to love, old enough to make my own decisions. I'm not a child, Albus."
"You're barely more than a girl, Minerva. You never should have followed me to France."
"'Barely more than a girl?'" Minerva exclaimed, outraged. "What would have happened if I hadn't come to France? You would have died, Albus Dumbledore. You would have died, and Grindelwald would rule the world, because nobody else could stand against him and win." She glared at him. "Boys younger than I are dying every day in war, both in ours and in the Muggle war."
"You're not—"
"I have just as much right to fight for wh—what I love." Albus's expression softened. "You cannot deny me that."
"There are other ways to fight, Minerva. You were safe at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts would not have stayed safe for long! If you…if you had—" Without a white-hot anger burning behind her, Minerva was struggling to finish the forbidden thought.
"At least you would still have your magic!"
Minerva flinched and Albus immediately regretted his words. "Minerva, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"No. I made my decision, and I don't regret it," she said firmly. Albus had no response. Minerva gave him a small smile. "Life as a Muggle can't be that bad. There are millions of happy Muggles. I'll have so much to learn—"
"You're not a Muggle!" Albus interrupted heatedly.
Minerva smiled sadly. "I'm little better than a Squib."
"No!" Albus adamantly refused to accept the truth. "You are a witch, Minerva. And I swear to you, somehow we'll find a way to get your magic back. Now, tell me exactly what you did."
Minerva bowed to Albus's intensity. "I modified an old spell."
"Which one?"
"The marriage binding," Minerva said quietly.
Albus blinked once. "Why?"
"It was the only spell I knew powerful enough to save your life. Even the most advanced healing spells we'd learned wouldn't have been enough. I've helped Poppy study enough to know that. But to give you my magic—to have it heal you—there was a chance, however small, that it might work. And so…I took it." Albus looked pained, and Minerva, frustrated, struggled to come with a way to make him understand. Inspiration struck. "Albus—since I can't seem explain it to you properly, why don't you just see it for yourself?"
Albus's eyes flew to her face. Minerva met his gaze squarely and nodded once.
When they spiraled back to the present, Albus's entire demeanor had changed, and Minerva was never more grateful that she loved a Legilimens. There were some things that words simply could not express.
"Minerva," Albus breathed, sounding exactly like a man who had just walked into a dream. "I had no idea…" Affection and awe mingled with the slightest hint of disbelief; it was hard to accept being made emperor of the earth, even when he held the crown in his hands.
Minerva smiled shyly, but said nothing, giving him the time to collect his thoughts. What more could she say?
"You are," Albus declared suddenly, startling her. Her confusion must have shown, for Albus took her hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. The look in his eyes drew her like a moth to the flame and sent a little shiver down her spine. "You are the light of my life and deepest love of my heart. You are the spring in my step and the song in my soul. But you are more than the lodestar that guides me home. You, Minerva, are my home."
Albus mirrored Minerva's actions, and though the words changed little, they carried a different quality when spoken to a conscious audience. "I take thee Minerva as my partner and equal in all things. To this end, I pledge to you all that I am, the strength of my body and of my mind, the power of my magic, and the deepest love of my heart. All that I have is yours, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Life is love, love is magic, and all my magic lives in you. Let my love be the magic in your life."
Minerva never knew what the magic looked like on that day. All she knew was that she was kissing Albus, and that there was true magic, and it was even better than wonderful.
A/N: Erm, yeah, so that's it for now. Please, please review! It really means a lot to me if you drop a few lines. And it's the best motivation to write more.
Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur—From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
