A/N: Short chapter for everyone. Just a little bit of fluff with our favorite wizard. Enjoy :)

Chapter 10: Quiet Night

February 17th, 1954

The evening was very late, nearly midnight. Albus had just finished grading some very poorly-written first year essays. He needed a pick-me-up.

Fawkes was sleeping on his perch across the office from his desk, so no luck of a cheery song. What a pity, Albus thought, disappointed that he would now have to amuse himself. He reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled out a sherbet lemon and popped the tiny yellow candy in his mouth. He gazed around the room, looking for something to do. He really wasn't in the mood to read. He stood up from the desk and finally decided that he could do with a walk around the castle.

As he wandered the empty corridors, Albus' thoughts drifted to Minerva, as they quite often did. She had settled in very well. The library had never seen such organization. Some of the students thought that the books had been bewitched to put themselves back, she was so efficient; if a book were left on a table, it could be found on the shelf where it belonged within the hour. She was also able to continue the research she was so good at. Although, she had confided in him, her well of ideas was beginning to dry up.

"It isn't that I'm no longer interested, it's just that my drive to find my own answers seems to be slowing," she had told him on one of their frequent walks on the grounds. Each morning after breakfast, they would spend half an hour or so walking around the lake and longer on the weekends. That was by far Albus' favorite part of the day. He had never been much of a morning person, but he would have gladly woken with the sun to spend time with her. Her effortless beauty and grace, her impressive intellect and talent, her quick, witty humor: they all combined to create the most wonderful woman in the world, or so Albus thought.

He sighed, knowing that he had fallen in love with his very best friend. But alas, he thought, I am but her kindly mentor and friend. I was her professor. She will never love me as more than that. This he knew. And yet…there were those moments when he saw something in her emerald eyes that he couldn't quite place. And there were times when her teasing and witty banter were almost flirtatious in nature.

Albus shook his head, dispelling the false hope that she could love him as he loved her. Without realizing it, he had ended up on the third floor, in front of the portrait of Peter the Pensive.

"The lady is not in her rooms, good sir," the portrait told him.

"She has not come back this evening?" Albus asked, wondering what Minerva could be doing this late.

"No, sir. She has not been here since she left early this morning."

Albus thanked Peter and made his way to the east corridor and into the library. Sure enough, right by the door at the librarian's desk, sat Minerva, asleep on top of some research notes. Her usual tight bun had started to come undone, wisps of shiny black hair curling about her face.

He sighed, taking a moment to absorb her beauty in sweet slumber. So peaceful and so vulnerable. It was unlike he had ever seen her.

He silently made his way to her side, gently taking the notes, quill and ink from beneath her head and putting them in the top drawer of the desk. He gently gathered her into his arms and carried her out of the library. She didn't wake up, but sighed sleepily and nuzzled into his shoulder. He walked with her as quietly as he could back to the portrait.

Peter the Pensive looked at him expectantly, waiting for the password. Albus realized that he didn't know her password.

"Minerva?" he prompted softly, "Minerva, I need to know you password."

"Albus," she said in her half-asleep state.

"Yes, my dear, I'm here. But I need…oh."

The portrait swung open at the mention of his name. He blushed a bit and smiled as he walked her into the bedroom.

He wandlessly pulled back her gold sheets and placed her down on the pillow. He then took out his wand to release her hair from its pinned confines, allowing it to unfurl in rich black waves behind her head. He had never seen her with her hair down. It softened her greatly. He then transfigured her clothes into a simple red cotton nightgown. He liked her best in red. Finally he pulled the sheets over her still sleeping form and placed a slightly lingering kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my Minerva. Sweet dreams," he whispered before swiftly exiting her rooms. He made his way to his own living quarters, very glad he had decided to take a walk that evening.

Minerva woke the next morning with a big smile on her face. She had dreamed, as she did more often than not, of being in Albus' loving arms. But this dream had been different. He had carried her from the library to her bed. She got out of bed and saw that she was wearing an unfamiliar nightgown. Minerva smiled even wider as she took her morning bath, knowing that at least one of her dreams had been a reality.

A/N: I would just like to take this moment to thank each and every person who has reviewed this story. I've tried to thank you all individually. Your encouragement is absolutely wonderful! And if anyone has any questions or criticisms, please let me know.