Gosh, what interest has been shown in your reviews! Thanks to every last one of you. I've written a challenge fic, which was (surprisingly) a challenge and now will return to my magnum opus #1. Sorry to Minerva's-kitten, I have been experiencing problems logging in and so have not replied to your review, so I hope you accept the dedication of this chapter as an apology.

****

As Albus carried her through his rooms and placed her on the bed Minerva remained shell shocked. The Headmaster would truly allow her to remain with Albus.... she didn't have to be without him after all. But what if she had? He moved through to the bathroom an in short order the taps were running. Somehow Albus always knew just what it was that she needed, and the thought that she had nearly lost this incredible love continued to nag. The curse, whatever it was, had rebound from the mirror and as a result hadn't been strong enough to do the damage intended. Only a few metres had stood between herself and the attacker, and it was almost definite that she was the intended target. It left her feeling strangely calm despite the seismic change done to her world. Albus returned and scooped her up.

"Darling, I'm not an invalid... I'm enjoying being carried around, though."

"Yes, for which I am forever thankful. I'll admit that it is of value to me to be able to do something that assists you. I couldn't lose you, Minerva." She squeezed his hand as Albus sat her on the worktop. "How do you feel?"

"Fine- I'm dosed up to my eyeballs on an assortment of potions. How are you?" Albus rested his head against her shoulder. This weekend had been harder on him than he would ever consent to share, and Minerva knew that.

"Glad. I'm glad that no permanent damage was done to you, and I'm glad that I still have you with me." He pulled back and looked intently into her eyes. "What inspired you to attempt to bargain your education with Armando for the security of my position?"

"The same thing that made you want to throw away your vocation to save me from fatuous gossip; love. I couldn't cost you this and live with myself, though I nearly didn't have to." Albus didn't smile back.

"Don't say that."

"I'm sorry."

"And I prefer having you with me than my job. Different forms of employment can be sought, even by disgraced teachers, but to the best of my knowledge there is only one Minerva McGonagall." She didn't respond as Albus lifted her back down, undressed her and placed her into the bath. The hot water felt glorious around her skin, which she imagined to be rather gross after her stay in the hospital. In time she would have to put stop to this pampering, but as Albus massaged her knotted shoulders Minerva believed that it could wait. She had some serious thinking to do.

****

The solution had been right before her eyes for so long now. Minerva sat up gingerly, no longer tired. She had a mission, and so started to shake Albus' shoulder. Waking him was regretful but what she had to say couldn't possibly wait. In fact, he would probably sleep all the better for having been told.

"Minerva, what is it? Are you well?" Even bleary eyed and half asleep he was conscious of her wellbeing. She caressed his hair lightly, unsure of how to begin now that she had his attention. This was more difficult than she had imagined possible.

"I'm still kept quite comfortable by the entire apothecary's you had me ingest before bed. But that isn't what I wanted to say..."

"Then what is it, love?" Despite the shadows moonlight cast across his face, Minerva knew that she was worrying him. She reached out for his hand, warmed by sleep.

"Do you still... Albus, do you still want to marry me?" Pure joy radiated from his eyes before they became guarded.

"Yes." Was it her imagination or was he hesitant in answering?

"So, shall we?" Suddenly she understood the dread Albus must have felt when he had proposed. He had put his happiness in her hands, and she had essentially dropped it.

"We'll talk about this in the morning." Minerva muffled her sharp gasp with the sleeves of her nightgown. Once she was certain that she wouldn't give away her anguish, she lay back down and rolled over so that she faced the wall. As she struggled not to cry, the thought that she deserved this kind of punishment darted through her thoughts.

****

Reaching out, Albus expected to come into contact with his love. It was a reasonable enough expectation considering they had gone to bed with one another, but it seemed that Minerva was gone and had been absent for quite some time.

"Minerva?" No answer. Why on earth had she left the bed? She had been excused from classes and wasn't expected anywhere save for here. The bottles that had been on the bedside table were all gone, so at least wherever she was Minerva had taken her medication. He reflected on the way her eyes had been unfocussed and her speech disjointed as he dressed for the day. There was no way Minerva could have known what she was saying to him last night, was there? No, it was wishful thinking on his part... Perhaps she regretted mentioning marriage to him and had fled out of embarrassment or guilt. Neither seemed characteristic of Minerva, but then she was injured and drugged. He had to find her before breakfast and reassure her that things between them had not suffered.

Following the logical course of action he took floo transportation to her bedroom and was vexed to find no sign indicating Minerva's presence. The two empty phials on her dresser gave him reason to believe that she had been here recently. He would try the library.

****

It was with a great deal of regret as opposed to the love of his life that Albus sat down to breakfast with. From his vantage point at the head table he could scan the house tables and look for Mr Moody. After his recent escapade the boy would not question his motives in looking for Minerva, gratitude outweighing curiosity. Periodically he bit the slice of toast. To his surprise, she was sat between Alastor Moody and Poppy Pomfrey, who had made her way from Hufflepuff to visit her friends. Knowing Minerva they were most likely holding her up, and the heated discussion they were having was a debate as to whether Minerva should be resting.

"Should your apprentice be out of bed so soon?" Edward Lancey's concerned frown sent a stab of frustration through his heart. Albus forced himself to remain seated and pour the man a cup of tea as Armando coughed. He would simply have to trust Moody to take care of her. It was no slight on the young man's character to concede that this was unlikely- Minerva almost always had her own way.

"Not as such, no." Minerva was swaying slightly as she rose, and Mr Moody all but carried her from the hall. Perhaps she would indeed be taken good care of. That thought made the next four hours of teaching preventing him from finding Minerva slightly less daunting and allowed Albus the strength to tear his gaze from her. After lunch the first years were being taken on a field trip into Hogsmeade concerning botany by Professor Vine, effectively giving him a free day from lunch onwards. He would find her then. With an effort he responded to Armando's question about the literacy skills of the first years.

****

"Minerva?" Carrying a tray of steaming hot croissants as an olive branch, Albus Dumbledore called out tentatively for his lover. The second call died in his throat as he saw that she was lying in her bed, eyes closed, hair fanned across the pillow. She was magnificent. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and she caught sight of him, and the resultant smile was no less brilliant for being in some way forced.

"Come and sit with me, Albus. Don't you have first year?" Albus sat on the side of Minerva's bed and propped her up with pillows before beginning to feed her. He couldn't help but recall the muggle fairy tale of Snow White, the princess with pale skin and luxurious dark hair who had been awakened by a kiss from her prince.

"Not today." He continued to feed Minerva, and she didn't complain for which he was glad. One thing Albus was eager for her to learn was that it was not weakness to allow herself assistance. After the last crumbs were eaten and the butter mischievously licked from his fingers by Minerva, he decided to steer the conversation towards their engagement. "Darling, last night you raised the topic of marriage, and although you certainly gave me cause to rejoice I couldn't help but wonder about the extent to which your judgement was impaired."

"Excuse me?" Perhaps his attempt at a delicate approach wasn't working quite as well as Albus had hoped. This was a sensitive subject between them, and the Healers had warned him that any real stress could be detrimental to Minerva's recovery. Sitting upright, Minerva recoiled, tucking her legs underneath herself as he sought to brush them through the blanket. Oh dear, it seemed he was skating on very thin ice indeed. "I am in perfect control of my speech and deeds."

"Minerva, it was the first time you had managed to mention marriage of your own accord. You can't blame me for hesitating to believe you had changed your mind so suddenly, and you yourself mentioned the 'interesting buzzing' sensation caused by the potions you have been taking." This time she didn't pull away when he reached out.

"Why didn't you tell me that instead of avoiding the question?" All of Minerva's aggression dissipated as her voice grew small. She toyed with a loose thread on her knit blanket before continuing. "Are you punishing me for making you wait?"

"No!"

"I wouldn't blame you if you were, and it certainly fits the crime." With the palms of her hands Minerva wiped away her tears. "I didn't know that being kept in suspense would feel so awful." Albus wrapped her tightly in his arms, noticing how slight she really was as she shivered against him, and didn't let her wriggle away. Did she really think him capable of that kind of cruelty? Stroking her hair, Albus realised that Minerva's own insecurities had been gnawing at her ability to reason over marriage for quite some time. She must have been exhausted, as Minerva didn't resist when he rested her once more against the pile of pillows. Red eyes aside, she looked almost contented.

"I promise you that waiting for a suitable time is not nearly as painful as you think. You didn't ignore your own justifiable reservations and accept my proposal, nor did you disregard the positive aspects of the idea and refuse, even though they are outside of your comfort zone." Albus took her hands in his. "Minerva, you have been giving marriage a great deal of consideration and I cannot verbally express the joy this gives me. Being uncertain is perfectly acceptable, and demonstrates that you don't take our relationship lightly, which I find highly reassuring."

"Do you still want to get married?"

"Yes I do, but what changed your mind Minerva?" She frowned slightly, knowing that this was her only chance in the near future to convince Albus that she really did want to be his wife. Whatever happened next in her life, she wanted this.

"I nearly died, and just after I was cursed all I could think about was how much I was going to leave behind and how dreadful it felt to leave most of my life so... unfinished. I don't want to die at all during this war, but if I have to I'd much sooner do so as your wife." The rest she didn't quite know how to express, which vexed her considering what rested upon her ability to articulate her feelings.

"Minerva were you to perish it would be no less tragic and your life story would be no less incomplete for being married to me. It is touching that-"

"Albus! I was so frightened yesterday. I thought I was going to be forced to give you up, and the idea of continuing without..." she gestured at the space between them. "Without having the kind of happiness that I have grown accustomed to, it is bleak. If we married then nothing would be able to come between us. That kind of security is what I want. Yes, it took me a long time to see it that way but understand now."

It seemed that Minerva was serious about marriage, then. Albus struggled to restrain himself from rejoice in her newfound certainty; she could yet change her mind. But would she? Essentially Minerva now shared his own hopes for what a union could provide them with; to assume that she was any less serious about marriage than he was would be unfair.

"Albus?" Minerva pulled her blankets around herself, more to occupy her hands than out of any real need. She looked distinctly worried about something and was biting her lip again. Perhaps his rather loaded silence was concerning her.

"Minerva, will you marry me?" She grinned before pulling him closer for a kiss.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Elation swept through his soul- this was what he wanted above else.

"Yes." They shared a series of lingering kisses, and Albus gathered Minerva in his arms.

****

Please review.