CHAPTER 8
He could pick out greenhouses, somewhat hidden by the hills and perhaps some magic, but he wasn't certain what they were doing there. As far as he knew, there was no restaurant that boasted a location at a nursery. Regardless of why they were at this particular location, Albus was extremely impressed by their surroundings and took a moment to look around and admire nature's beauty.
"My cousin, Cameron McGonagall, owns the company," Minerva said from his right side. "He agreed to let us dine here this evening. I thought a picnic might make a nice celebration."
Albus smiled, as all the details seemed to come together in his mind. He had heard about Cameron's business, for both its excellence in plants and for the indoor garden it boasted. No restaurant was here, and as he realized that he would indeed be getting his private evening with Minerva McGonagall, only even better than he could have wished for, he felt a childish excitement as if it were Christmas morning and he was surrounded by a heap of presents.
He followed Minerva inside, impressed by the feeling of being in the middle of the woods on a sunny day. His eyes landed on the blanket and pillows spread on the green grass, a picnic basket nestled in the middle. He couldn't have planned a better celebration himself.
"Is it okay? If you'd rather go to a restaurant, I'd understand."
Albus looked up to find Minerva watching him with concern. It was then that he realized he hadn't spoken in some time, his pleasure at what was being presented keeping him quiet. "It's perfect and I can't think of another way I'd rather spend my evening."
Minerva immediately relaxed visibly and released a breath she'd been holding, waiting for him to comment, whether good or bad, on her choice of a celebratory outing. She smiled happily, the true happiness making her eyes sparkle like precious gems in a sea of sunshine. "I wanted this to be something extra special to mark the occasion, and I thought of going to fancy restaurants but then thought you might wish for a quieter affair at a pub. I couldn't help but think we'd be interrupted, and no doubt you'd be bombarded with well wishes." She turned away and began leading him towards their picnic area. "I suppose I wanted to be a bit selfish and have you all to myself this evening"
Albus' heart leapt into his throat. Had he heard her correctly? She wanted to be selfish and have him to herself? He'd been feeling much the same way about her and her lovely company ever since she'd fire-called him the night before. He tried desperately to keep his emotions in check and to keep his hopes from making too much out of a simple comment.
"I have to say, Minerva, that this is perfect. To be honest, I wasn't particularly looking forward to dining in public this evening, but I was certain whatever you planned would be perfect. And I will admit freely that I am not disappointed that I put myself in your capable hands. This is magnificent and I can't think of a better way to celebrate. Thank you," he said softly, giving her hand a squeeze.
Minerva motioned for Albus to take a seat on the blanket, and she knelt beside the basket. She had asked the house elf to prepare something simple and light, something which would be appropriate for a small picnic. She had not been disappointed when the little elf gave her the basket, listing, with pride, all the foods inside.
"I hope you enjoy the food. I wasn't quite sure about your food preferences, so I went with standard picnic fare. We have chicken, cheese, bread, some fruits, a pasta salad, and, of course, wine and chocolate," she announced with a smile as she handed him the bottle. "Would you be so kind as to do the honors and pour while I fill our plates?"
"It would be an honor, and everything looks and smells delicious. This is much better than spending time in a stuffy restaurant." He took the bottle of wine and with little effort at all on his part, charmed the cork from the bottle with a loud pop, causing Minerva to jump then laugh. There was something in her laughter that made Albus feel as if he could walk on air. She seemed to be so alive and so sure of herself, so at ease in his presence, and he had to admit that he felt much the same way around her.
After enjoying the delicious meal and eating until they felt as if they'd burst, Minerva packed away the remnants of their leftovers, leaving the cheese and fruit out in case they wanted to snack later. She had reminded Albus to save room for dessert, but after devouring the chicken, bread, and salad, he asked that they hold off on the dessert for a bit.
Albus stretched his long legs and reclined on the blanket, his hands clasped behind his head as looked up at the sky. There were large puffy clouds floating overhead and the occasional bird seemed to glide along on a breeze. "Have you ever watched the clouds and made shapes from them?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing.
As soon as everything was packed away neatly and the basket was levitated out of the way, Minerva followed Albus' lead and stretched out on the blanket. "I haven't since I was a little girl, but I have fond memories of spending lazy summer days just like this. Well, not exactly like this," she laughed nervously. "I spent most of my summer days alone, since I was an only child. I'd take a book and some fruit with me and enjoy the afternoons. I remember one time, the summer before my eleventh birthday. I had been reading a book about Hogwarts, and I looked up just in time to see two clouds shifting together and I swore it looked just like a majestic castle. I was convinced it was Hogwarts in the sky."
She turned her head towards Albus and was surprised to see his face so close to hers, his bright blue eyes staring back at her and twinkling madly. Her eyes locked with his, and suddenly her pulse quickened and her mind began to cloud. His lips looked so inviting, so soft, supple and surely warm. Before she had time to process another thought, Albus began to move his head slightly towards hers until those same warm, supple lips brushed tentatively against hers.
She relaxed at the first touch, her lips tingling in response. His lips departed too quickly, but she could feel that he was still close, hesitating. With a boldness that surprised her, she pushed herself toward him, their lips meeting once more. Minerva felt her body melt in response. It was as if a slow stream of fire was flowing through her veins. She angled her head, seeking more of the pleasure that filled her. A soft sigh escaped between her lips as she parted them, an invitation she was hardly aware of offering as her body was flushed with pleasure, clouding her mind even more. The reaction from Albus was immediate, and when his tongue darted along her parted lips, Minerva moaned involuntarily in response.
She'd never been kissed like this. She'd never felt such pleasure or such heat. It was as if she was being devoured by the desire Albus was creating within her. She ached to be closer to him, to feel his body against her own. She inched closer while his tongue explored her mouth, causing shivers to run up her spine. She felt herself flushing as one of his hands tickled across her neck before his fingers found purchase in her hair. His thumb ran across her ear and Minerva whimpered as the ache intensified within her.
Finally her body found his and she hummed lowly in response to having the warm long length of him pressed against her. The hand in her hair grasped more tightly as his teeth nipped at her lower lip. Minerva's breath caught in her throat, and she trembled as she realized she could feel his racing heart against her own. If she could have melted into him, she was sure she would have happily done so.
"Minerva."
Albus' breath lightly fluttered against her cheek as he softly spoke her name. It wasn't a question, more like a plea, and Minerva's heart skipped a beat as if in answer. Both of them were breathing heavily, and Minerva kept her eyes closed as she tried to come back to herself before speaking. Their foreheads rested against each other, and Albus' hand was still cradling the back of her neck.
When she finally felt more like herself, Minerva opened her eyes. She pulled back slightly and saw that Albus was watching her, his eyes no longer twinkling. They were a deeper blue than she remembered, and she was sure he could see straight to her soul. The intensity and heat in his gaze had her breath stilling in her throat. Instead of speaking, as had been her intention, Minerva gently pushed Albus back against the blanket, their eyes still locked. She leaned down slowly until their mouths touched ever so slightly. Her tongue traced the outline of his lips, ending in a gentle kiss.
When she pulled back his eyes were closed, and she curled against him, resting her head on his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. She felt content and oddly sated, though the ache that had been created with their first kiss still lingered. Her eyes sought out the drifting clouds as Albus' arm wrapped more tightly around her. It seemed that they both were content to keep the silence between them, neither willing to be the first to break the spell that had been cast around them.
"Look!"
Minerva was pointing toward the Charmed sky above. They had lain quietly for a long time, and upon seeing the cloud, which uncannily resembled a dragon, she had immediately wanted to share her discovery.
"If I had to venture a guess, I'd have to say it's a Hebridean Black."
Minerva smiled to herself, a glow of mischief entering her eyes. "How can you say that? It's quite obviously a Norwegian Ridgeback."
Minerva felt Albus' chest rise a bit meaning he had lifted his head to look down at her. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep as straight a face as possible and hoped he couldn't see her upturned mouth.
"I'm quite sure it's a Hebridean."
She felt a bubble of laughter well up in her throat, but kept it down until she could make one more jab. "Albus, you obviously need some new spectacles. Look at the ridges on his back. That is a sure sign of a Ridgeback."
There was a long pause and Minerva thought that perhaps she had pushed him too far. She was about to push herself up to apologize when Albus began to speak.
"Minerva," he responded, his voice patient yet affronted sounding, "I discovered the twelve uses of dragon blood, and as such, I am very familiar with all of the varieties of dragons. I am quite sure that it is a Hebridean Black. Both of them have ridges but the spiked tail on the cloud and lack of horns quite clearly proves my point."
Minerva could hold it in no longer, and she started to laugh with immense joy. She laughed so hard that part way through, she sat up just so she could catch her breath. When she had finally wiped away the few tears that had gathered in her eyes, she found that Albus had pushed himself onto his elbows and was looking at her with eyes that once again held their lovely twinkle.
"You are impossible, my dear."
"And you are an amazing kisser," she replied, her eyes drawn instinctively to his still slightly swollen lips. "I enjoyed that very much," she announced boldly.
Albus felt his cheeks growing warm just at the mere mention of their previous activities. His mind raced through the emotions and desires she'd awakened within him and how much he'd love to have continued kissing her, holding her, just being near her. He reached out his hand and cradled her cheek, brushing his thumb lightly across her rosy lips.
"You weren't so bad, yourself," he teased. "Perhaps with some practice, you'll develop a very enticing technique, though your execution left absolutely nothing to be desired this evening." His voice had started out strong and teasing but by the end of his sentence, it was clear to both of them that all teasing had gone from his voice.
Minerva stretched out beside him on the blanket and looked up into his face as he shifted onto his side. She could still feel the heat closing in around them, and it felt delicious. "I hear you're an excellent professor, and I'm told I was always a very capable student, willing to put in extra hours, days even, to learn a lesson," she challenged.
He leaned in closer, his face now just a whisper from hers. "Ah, my dear, you flatter me. How do you know I'm the right professor to teach you these … lessons?"
Her hand snaked across his chest and over his shoulder, not stopping until it settled at the base of his neck. "Because you're all I've thought about for days, and I felt more alive in those few minutes than I have in all my years combined on this earth." Her answer was honest and simple, holding very little back from him and meeting his gaze with the truth flashing in her dark green eyes.
Albus wasted no time in closing the remaining distance between them. His body partially rested against hers, though he was careful not to put all of his weight on her for fear of making her uncomfortable.
But that mattered very little to Minerva. She slipped her free hand around his side and clutched his back, pressing him deeper into her arms as her tongue stroked his teasingly, sensually as the kiss progressed.
"Mmm, Minerva … wait … we should … wait."
Her breaths were slightly ragged and her hair tousled. "I … I'm sorry. I thought you … we … oh dear."
Albus recognized her embarrassment easily, and he responded quickly to allay any fears before they had a chance to take root and ruin their wonderful evening. "No, my dear, I only meant that we shouldn't rush into this. There is much to consider, and while I'm enjoying this, I wouldn't want to squander a single moment of our time together. I don't want to lose your friendship, and certainly I don't want to make our working relationship difficult."
Minerva paused and gave him a reassuring smile. "While I'll admit that I've never been that brazen before on a first date, I can say with all honesty that I don't regret a single moment of it, nor do I wish to change anything about this evening. Spending this time with you tonight has been wonderful, and I hope you feel the same."
She moved so that she was sitting in front of him, her legs crossed, and she reached out to take both of his hands in hers. Her thumbs traced invisible lines across the backs of his much larger hands. "I don't know about all the ramifications of our working relationship, but I do know that I hope you won't push me away. I am not sure where this path might lead us, but I'm certainly ready and willing to start the journey with you, wherever that might lead us."
Albus' eyes softened as he gazed into her face, seeing every emotion playing out through her eyes. "I do not have all the answers myself, but, Minerva McGonagall, you fascinate me in ways no other woman has ever tried. I find myself at ease in your presence, and when we're apart, I constantly wonder what you're doing and where you are. It must sound silly for a wizard of my age to speak in such boyish terms to you, but it's how you make me feel. When you're near, I am younger, and I don't feel the weight of the world resting upon my shoulders. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I dare to fathom that I could one day feel this carefree, but I know it's all because of you."
"So, what are you saying, Albus? I need to hear you say it. Tell me, Albus, what you want. Please."
He brought each of her hands to his lips, kissing the backs of them so softly it nearly tickled. "What I want? I haven't been asked that question in quite some time. Most people usually start by telling me what they want or what I can do for them."
"I'm not most people, but I think you already know that."
His smile was warm and infectious, causing a smile to curl about Minerva's lips in turn. "That I do, and I'm looking forward to learning more about you." He paused, causing Minerva to stare at him with baited breath. "And I'm very much looking forward to perfecting our technique and learning lessons … together."
A/N: We hope the wait was worth it for this chapter, and that you enjoyed seeing Albus and Minerva finally together. But don't tune out just yet … there's more to come for Albus and Minerva. Wink wink!
