CHAPTER 10

"Good evening, my dear. I know we were to meet at St. Mungo's, but Mr. Hoskins' parents showed up shortly after I sent Fawkes back to you, and I thought you might prefer to meet here. And, to be completely honest, I was rather impatient to see you."

Minerva felt a surge of happiness bubbling over in her heart. She had been ready to send the late night visitor away without so much as a halfhearted apology. But instead, she was standing face to face with the one man who invaded her every waking thought and even her dreams. Without another second of hesitation, Minerva pulled Albus into her flat, closed the door behind her, and pressed him up against the wall.

The moment her lips touched his, she felt a delicious fire flaming to life inside her and her instincts took over completely. She moved her lips against his sensually, taking her time deepening the kiss, preferring to tease him a little. Her kiss was soft and languid as her hands slipped over his chest to his shoulders before tangling in his hair, holding him closer.

Albus could barely think as Minerva lavished him with a greeting befitting a warrior home from a year-long battle. His arms went around her waist, drawing her even closer to him as his tongue greeted hers eagerly. A soft moan of appreciation from her encouraged him to prolong the embrace.

Finally, breathless and flushed, they broke apart and Minerva rested her head against Albus' forehead. "I suppose you've gathered by now that I was rather impatient to see you, too," she laughed softly. "It's been a long week, and I've missed you terribly."

Albus took her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing each finger lightly before lacing his fingers through hers. "You'll not hear me complaining. That's the most enthusiastic and most enjoyable kiss I've ever received, and I'm glad it was from you."

She leaned up and kissed him once more, quickly, then wiped the lipstick from his lips. "Where are my manners? Come in and make yourself at home," she offered, guiding him into the sitting room and motioning for him to take a seat on the sofa. With a flick of her wand, she unlaced his boots and removed them, Levitating them over to the door, then doing the same with hers. "There, now we can both be more comfortable."

"Thank you, my dear. That was very kind of you, but I'd be even more comfortable if I had someone to help me share this sofa," he said with a wink. Taking her hand, he pulled her down beside him and began kissing her tenderly.

She relaxed in his arms, letting him have complete control over their kisses as they grew in intensity. It wasn't until Minerva heard his stomach giving a rather loud rumble that she remembered their plans for the evening. "You must be starving. I've still got the sandwiches in the kitchen, or I could make scrambled eggs with sausages or bacon if you'd rather have that."

Albus stood and pulled Minerva to her feet, keeping her close to him. "Sandwiches for now. I can always get something to eat at Hogwarts once I get back. I'd rather spend my time focusing on you."

"You'll not hear me complaining," she answered, echoing his words from when he first arrived, and she'd ravished him.

Over the sandwiches and crisps in the kitchen, Albus asked Minerva for a dinner date on the following Saturday. "I thought maybe we could go somewhere very nice, maybe some dancing, and a moonlight stroll."

"It all sounds lovely. I heard it's supposed to snow again this weekend, so we might not get that stroll in the moonlight."

"Ah, then we can have a nice dinner, some dancing, then come back here. We could build a fire, open a bottle of wine, and watch the snow falling past the windows," he suggested softly, his eyes having grown darker and his voice heavy with desire. "I could spend several delicious hours canoodling with you in front of a fire, if you were agreeable."

Minerva felt her mouth go dry and her body beginning to react to his suggestions. "I'm agreeable, most agreeable." She stopped short of asking him if he'd have to return to Hogwarts Saturday evening, wishing she could find a way to ask him to stay.

Once the sandwich items were put away and the kitchen cleaned, Minerva and Albus returned to the sofa. With a few flicks of her wand, Minerva took the liberty of lowering the lights, leaving them surrounded by firelight and the warmth of a light blanket. They spent the remainder of the evening curled up together on the sofa until Albus noticed the time. With deep regret and hesitation, he bid her a good evening filled with pleasant dreams before taking his leave.

Albus arrived back at Hogwarts with a soft pop, heading through the gates and toward the castle. He drew his cloak more tightly about him as a gust of wind threatened to rip the warm fabric away. However, he didn't feel the bitterly cold wind as it stung his face and hands, or the first icy drops of rain that started to fall as he reached the steps that led to the main doors. His attention was focused on the slightly bruised feeling of his lips, and the tingle that was just starting to fade. An evening spent … well, snogging, for lack of a better word, Minerva McGonagall was still firmly etched into his consciousness.

It had been a wonderful evening, though not nearly long enough. They had talked, and eaten the delicious sandwiches she had prepared, all around the snogging, of course. It seemed an odd word to use for the two of them. Snogging brought up pictures of students hidden behind tapestries, statues, and in closets jumping apart as the tip of his lighted wand burned brightly in flushed faces. But the more he thought on the word, the more he liked it, particularly if it was in conjunction with Minerva. And he hoped to do more of it at their date on Saturday, or rather after the date. He didn't think the wizarding world needed more gossip for the society pages. A picture of him kissing Minerva at a nice restaurant spread across the pages of the Daily Prophet flashed into his mind. No, he certainly wasn't interested in providing any more headlines for the popular paper.

The sandwiches and crisps had been satisfying, and, not feeling the least bit hungry, Albus made his way to his rooms. He unwrapped himself from his cloak and put his hat away before going to the fire, which had started burning brightly upon his entrance. As he settled himself in his favorite chair, an elf appeared and deposited a tray with hot chocolate and chocolate biscuits. He smiled and thanked the nervous creature before picking up the hot mug and taking a warming sip.

His nighttime treat was as tasty as it ever was, and Albus made fast work of it as his mind made the transition from his evening with Minerva to the upcoming days and the task of arranging a date out with her. There were several very nice restaurants with dancing that would provide the right sort of atmosphere he was after. However, since he was insistent in his own mind that it be a very special night, he laboriously went over all the details he could remember from each place in order to make his decision.

It was just as he was putting down his quill, after having made a decision and writing a short note to the owner of the establishment to reserve a table for him, that Fawkes appeared in a fiery flash.

"Did you have a nice hunt?" Albus inquired, as he placed his seal onto the hot wax.

Fawkes' trill sounded immensely pleased so Albus congratulated him. Once the letter was ready, Albus laid it in the middle of his desk and walked over to his familiar. He stroked the bird's feathers as the beautiful creature settled down on his perch.

"I've spent the evening with Minerva, my dear friend. She is an amazing woman." Fawkes perked up at the sound of Minerva's name and cooed into the palm of Albus' hand in agreement. "I'm taking her to dinner this coming Saturday. I want it to be perfect. It may be our last opportunity to go on a proper date before she comes to the castle."

Fawkes cocked his head and sang a short song, one that filled Albus with hope and a sense of contentment. "You know me too well. But do not worry yourself; I have no intention of letting her go."

Fawkes nipped his finger lovingly and let out a soft note before turning his head and nestling down to sleep. Albus continued to stroke the bird, an action that always soothed him. His mind was still occupied with thoughts of Minerva, but they had settled enough that he managed to notice the time once again. It had grown late, and he needed his rest. Soon enough, he could think over his relationship with Minerva, his new responsibilities at Hogwarts, and how the two would come together shortly.

He yawned, pulling his hand away from its task. Realizing just how sleepy he was, Albus moved toward his bedroom. "Good night, Fawkes," he said to his slumbering friend as he crossed the threshold. It wasn't long before sleep claimed him as well.

Minerva slipped between her cool sheets and stared out of the bedroom window, watching the rain pelting it, almost in sheets. She hoped Albus had made it inside the castle before the heavens had opened, releasing the inclement weather.

As she closed her eyes and thought back over the evening, she found herself wishing Albus could have stayed. It would have been wonderful to curl up in his arms and listen to the rain outside, to feel his warm, solid body against hers, to wake up and see his bright blue eyes shining back at her at daybreak. A soft sigh of contentment slipped past her lips.

Perhaps one day she would get the chance to do all those things. He certainly seemed excited to see her this evening, and more than once, they'd kissed until both of them were rendered breathless and speechless. She felt a warm tingling stirring in her body as she remembered the intensity of his caress and how he nibbled her lips before kissing her deeply. Her fingertips instinctively went to her bottom lip, brushing across it lightly and noticing the slightly swollen feeling. She slipped off to sleep with a smile curling about those same lips and a hope in her heart that this was more than just a passing fancy for him and as it was most assuredly for her.

For the next couple of days, Minerva and Albus made time to fire call each other at night. It had become a lovely routine, and it helped them both deal with the distance between them. Minerva had come close to ending their last chat with a quick "love you," and could almost convince herself that Albus had almost slipped as well, but of that she couldn't be certain.

He'd made sure to give her a few hints about their dinner date on Saturday so she would be dressed appropriately. Thinking back on the last few dates he'd had, he realized that they were all rather casual dining experiences in comparison to what he had planned for this evening. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the prospect of falling in love so quickly.

"And just what is so funny, Albus Dumbledore?" He looked up to see Armando Dippet standing before him with an impish grin on his face.

"Nothing in particular, Armando. Just thinking of the past and future in relation to each other, I suppose."

"And that strikes you as funny? Hmm, must be witches you're dreaming of … or at least one in particular," he teased. "Don't think I haven't noticed a spring in your step and caught a whiff of lightly perfumed notes you've received at breakfast …what was it now … three times this week?"

Albus blushed as he thought back to the lovely notes he and Minerva had been exchanging. Fawkes really was a remarkable companion and apparently he had no objections to delivering messages for himself and Minerva. No doubt, he was being richly rewarded on both ends of his job for a task well done.

"I was merely contemplating the act of falling in love and how impossible it seems at times and how easy it seems at other times."

Armando sank into the chintz chair by the fire and motioned for Albus to sit across from him. "You'll soon find, my boy, that love isn't created, it just sort of happens when you least expect it. That's when you know you're onto something that will last. You sort of stumble into it, and you can't help yourself, nor do you really want to help yourself. You'll find she's the first thing you think of each morning, you crave her kisses at night, and all during the day, you long to see her smile," he finished, before slipping into his own memories.

Albus smiled and nodded his head. "Then, my friend, I do believe I'm hopelessly in love already, and I can only hope that she feels the same way. Perhaps I'll test the waters tonight," he mused aloud.

Armando nodded and winked. "Please give Miss McGonagall my regards when you see her."

Albus looked up in surprise. He'd prepared for this day in his mind. It was bound to come out, sooner or later, that he was dating Minerva. Once she started at Hogwarts, there would be more time for them to be together, and less time for them to be alone. While he would hardly snog her in front of the student body at dinner, nothing ever stayed a secret at Hogwarts for long, no matter how hard one tried to keep a secret. In fact, he thought quite the opposite to be true. Those things one wished to keep a secret seemed to spread like fire through the halls, while the ordinary was hardly discussed.

He had not counted on this, however. Armando guessing at the truth had never even crossed his mind. He had determined that the Headmaster would find out through idle gossip if he had not told him first, and Albus would have dealt with the consequences at that time. He had even harbored the hope that Armando would retire before his relationship with Minerva had made the rounds. For Albus believed, upon first speculation about Armando's reaction, that his friend would not approve.

Armando had always followed the rules strictly in his time as Headmaster. Granted, he took ideas into consideration should they have merit, but all in all, he tended to avoid risk at all costs. He left the big changes and ideas to others who, as he put it to Albus at one time, were better suited for the upheaval they would create.

Armando's strict adherence to the rules would not shed favorable light on him and Minerva. There were questionable ethics involved in their relationship should it continue. And Albus was determined to do everything in his power to make sure that it did. Albus' main concern with Armando, other than the possibility of losing his respect, was that the Headmaster might take steps to make sure that he not see Minerva in the future, at least not while she was on staff.

Albus looked into Armando's eyes and was prepared to defend his relationship with a list of arguments he had prepared earlier, arguments he had hoped to never have to use. What he saw, however, was not disappointment or disapproval, but rather a look of support and happiness.

"Oh don't be so surprised, Albus. Surely you didn't think I'd condemn you for something of which I am all too familiar. Besides, I rather like Minerva, and from what I've seen of her so far, she'll be good for you."

Armando's wife used to be the mediwitch at Hogwarts before she passed on several years ago. Albus had always been under the impression that they had been together before Margaret started at Hogwarts. And back then, the mediwitch was under the jurisdiction of St. Mungo's. He wasn't quite sure how Armando's relationship with his wife could be compared with his and Minerva's.

"I'm glad of your approval, Armando. It was my understanding, however, that you and Margaret were together before she began at Hogwarts."

Armando gave him a rather pointed look. "It is interesting what one believes based on rumors and speculation. Besides, you and Minerva are together now and she doesn't start here for another week."

Albus wasn't sure that the Board of Governors would agree with Armando's view of when it began, should the matter come to their attention. He was silent as he waited for Armando to reveal more of his thinking. The best way to get the older wizard to talk was to wait patiently, something Albus had certainly perfected over the years of working with the Headmaster.

"I'm sure you've heard that Margaret and I were sweethearts before she began at Hogwarts. In fact, you should have heard that she took the job in the infirmary so that we could be closer and see each other more frequently. I know all of this, not because it is true or because I have heard the rumors myself, but because I'm the one who spread word of our relationship, the way I wanted it to appear, not necessarily the way it actually happened."

Albus knew he probably appeared surprised, and possibly disbelieving. Neither reaction was one that often appeared on his features. He was all too familiar with deception and maneuvering, the war had required it, but he had never considered Armando to be quite so adept at it.

"Come now. I may be old and I may not have stood up for much in my tenure here, but I am well aware of what is in my best interests and how to make things work to my advantage. Hogwarts has gone through many professors in the last hundred years, and as positions change, details are forgotten. I simply helped change them as it became apparent that St. Mungo's would be pulling out of Hogwarts, or rather ejected by the Board of Governors, amicably of course.

"Now, I didn't stray far from the truth. Margaret and I began to see each other relatively shortly after she began her apprenticeship here. We were also married rather quickly, the summer after her first term. And you are well aware that there is not a bylaw against the Headmaster being married to a professor, it is simply frowned upon, and it makes excellent fodder for the press.

"Just remember one thing, my friend, the love of a woman, one who completes you so wholly that you can't imagine how you lived before you met, is worth more than any position or job."

Armando raised himself from his seat slowly. It was obvious the conversation had exhausted him. He nodded at Albus as he reached the door from the office to his personal rooms. "Be happy, Albus." And with those words, he took his leave.

Albus sat in stunned silence as he carefully digested Armando's words of advice and the story he'd just heard. Never in his wildest dreams did he think his mentor capable of distorting the truth for personal gain, but in this instance Albus could see no harm in presenting the story of their romance in a way that could only benefit them. In fact, he was almost certain that the older wizard was giving him some sage advice for his own romantic life.

He smiled to himself until he was nearly on the verge of a chuckle. This was something he would certainly have to discuss with Minerva, but it was a conversation he could easily see them having. There was something about her, something that drew him to her and made him want to always be near her. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn she was part vela, and her alluring powers were what had attracted him to her in the first place. But, knowing how he felt about her, even when she was nowhere nearby and knowing her background, he couldn't deny that he was just hopelessly in love with her. Fate had smiled down upon him and sent him a beautiful witch who seemed to return his affections in equal measure.

Albus looked up and noted the time. If he didn't rush back to his rooms, he would surely miss Minerva's fire call for the evening. She'd promised to contact him this evening around eight since he had contacted her the night before. Never had Albus dated someone who was so willing to give as much, if not more, than she asked of him in return. Yet one more reason to love her and cherish her for the rest of his days.

As he made his way back to his rooms, his thoughts strayed to their upcoming date and his hopes for the evening. He could say with some great deal of certainty that Minerva felt as he did about the progression of their relationship. He had no plans to seduce her, per se, but if things took a natural progression on Saturday, he would do nothing to stop the chain of events, unless of course Minerva had objections. He'd even made arrangements for the Head of Hufflepuff to look after his Gryffindors until late Sunday. However, he had decided not to tell Minerva until the time was right, just in case she might feel he was pressuring her.

Promptly at eight, the fireplace erupted in a blaze and Minerva's head appeared, calling out his name. "Are you there?"

"I'm here," he assured her, settling on the rug and greeting her with a smile. "I wouldn't miss a chance to talk to you and wish you sweet dreams."

She laughed and shook her head. "My dreams are anything but sweet these days. They've moved beyond that to more provocative realms," she teased with a wink. She was very grateful that the fire tended to distort features for she was sure she was blushing furiously.

"Ah, then we must surely be sharing the same muse for mine have been rather exciting of late, though that's most likely because you are the star of my dreams." He wished desperately to reach out and caress her cheek and to hold her in his arms, even for just a few stolen moments. To feel her warmth and softness pressed against him would have surely made his day complete. He was snapped from his thoughts by her soothing voice.

"I'm looking forward to our date. I am very excited about spending some time with you, and in anticipation of the snow, I went to a Muggle shop and bought some marshmallows … for roasting over the fire in case we don't get that moonlit stroll we talked about."

"That sounds lovely. Maybe, if you're agreeable and weather permits, we can do both. The stroll and the marshmallows," he suggested. His mind raced back to his earlier musings and how they might possibly spend the remainder of the evening.

It was nearly half an hour later before either of them realized the time and that they needed to end the connection.

"Sleep well, Albus, and I'll see you tomorrow. Happy dreams," she said softly.

"And you, my darling. May your dreams be wonderful and leave you feeling happy in the morning light. I cannot wait to see you in person tomorrow. Sleep well."

And with that, the fire connection was closed and Albus was left with a silly grin on his face. Yes, tomorrow evening would be something special. He could feel it down to his very soul.

A/N: Well, there you have it … the answer to the identity of the person at the door. Were you surprised? Nope, we didn't think you would be! There are two chapters left, and we hope you have enjoyed this chapter and the story thus far.