Minerva and Albus made their way into the sleepy village, the dimly lit lamplights leading them along. "I'm thinking I'll take you to this place called the Hog's Head Inn. You see, I know the owner of the pub quite well. In fact, he's actually my brother?"

Minerva knew a lot about the man as she and Albus frequently discussed family during their lessons. She knew their relationship was… strained at best, but wasn't really sure of the circumstances. She'd imagined it had something to do with the death of their sister, but Albus really did not like to talk about that. He was more willing to talk about the global wizarding war - although Albus still wouldn't tell her the extent of his involvement. Back to the present, Minerva shouted, "Aberforth? You were just in the Hospital Wing telling me there wasn't a chance we could pursue a personal relationship and now you're taking me to meet your brother?"

Albus chuckled and rubbed his forehead. Lord, why did he get involved with such a smart witch? Avoiding her query, he said, "Well I can get free meals here, even if Aberforth might not be my biggest fan, and you know the Hogwarts teacher salary isn't that high!" As they approached the tavern, Albus held open the door and directed Minerva in, hand on her lower back. Aberforth, behind the bar, looked shocked as he recognized his older brother.

Minerva was immediately intrigued by the grimy, dingy inn and the cast of regulars that sat at the bar. She couldn't believe Albus was related to the bartender - a muscular, bearded, tattooed and wild wizard who didn't look like he'd ever even stepped foot in Hogwarts. At a bar after hours in Hogsmeade with her teacher and his brother was a circumstance she'd never expected herself to be in. "Albus! What the hell are ye doing here? And who's the pretty young thing with ya? Sit down you two, let me get you some stew and a few cold pints!" Abe gestured to a booth in the corner.

Albus took Minerva's outer robes and hung them at the booth for her. At some point in her hospital stay, she must've been changed out of her quidditch uniform to a much more unassuming jumper and wide trousers, quite fashionable for the decade. As the two settled in, Abe approached again. "Albus, don't be shy - introduce me to your new girlfriend! Lords, it's been years since the last one. What was her name? Emma -"

Albus quickly cut him off. "First of all, we DO NOT need to bring that up, Abe. And secondly, this is Minerva McGonagall and she is not my girlfriend."

Abe's eyes narrowed. "McGonagall, eh? Bloody hell! You're a student! I read in the papers about your perfect marks on the OWLs a few years back. Albus, what the hell business do you have bringing a student into my establishment at this time of night?"

Minerva blushed at the compliment, if you could call it that and Albus replied. "She'd gotten terribly beaten up in a quidditch match this weekend, not unlike my own if you remember, and missed supper. I figured it's my duty as Head of House to make sure she doesn't starve - wouldn't you agree?"

Abe's eyes twinkled in the same way as his brother's, albeit a bit duller as the man clearly had lived a tougher life in some regards. "Of course, of course. Minerva, the things I could tell you about your professor.. where to start? I'm sure he hasn't told you about the time he stole our mum's broom and crashed it into a barn before we knew how to fly. Or there was the time at Hogwarts when he nearly cost Gryffindor the House Cup by skinny dipping in the lake!" Minerva had never seen Albus blush before but he looked perfectly embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

Aberforth left them to their meal, swapping out Minerva's beer with something a bit more age appropriate, and the two felt unconstrained now that they were in a more anonymous setting than Hogwarts. Minerva teased Albus about his brother's revelations and Albus flirted with her right back. Minerva had a bit of stew on her cheek and Albus reached over to wipe it off as they'd truly reached that intimacy together. Meanwhile, Ave watched from the bar, an utterly pensive look on his face.

Minerva got up to use the ladies room, Albus's eyes trailing her as she left. Abe came over. "Brother, you're playing with fire with that one. And don't tell me nothing's going on between the two of you. I see it in your eyes. You watch her like she's you're whole world. And I know you haven't felt that way since Gellert."

Albus was angered. "Don't you dare compare what that was to anything I have with Minerva!" he shot back.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Albus. But you don't deny it?"

"I've been trying to, Abe. You have to believe me. I know she's my student. I know the risks. But I also can't lie to her anymore. Minerva both deserves the truth, but she also deserves better than me. She doesn't know the extent of my relationship with Gellert, she doesn't know our past, what happened with Ariana. Minerva only sees the good, she's so young, so innocent, she can truly only see me as a good man. I think it would crush her to find out otherwise."

"Albus, you know I resent you for the dissolution of our family, the death of our sister. But you do have good in you. If you allow this to continue, just don't hurt her."

"You have my word Aberforth." The brothers shook hands and as Minnerva approached the table, Albus stood up. "Well, my dear, I think it's time we head back. Your friends must be worried sick!"

The two silhouettes now stood outside in the alleyway, Albus large figure protecting over Minerva's smaller stature. "Albus, before we go back, we need to talk about what was happening earlier in the Hospital Wing. I meant everything I said. I have feelings for you. I want to be with you. And I know you want to be with me too. These last few months have been the best of my life - you've challenged me in ways I never anticipated. I'm young but not THAT young and you know I'm mature enough to keep a secret. Why deny yourself what you know you want? You spend all of your time, all of your career pleasing people when you deserve pleasure too."

Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the pint of beer, maybe it was just fate, but Albus couldn't stop himself any longer. He pressed Minerva against the stone wall. "You're sure about this?" Minerva nodded and Albus tilted his head down to her level, softly kissing her. Minerva reached her arms around his neck and kissed him back with more force. Albus's tongue moved tentatively at first, exploring what Minerva was comfortable with and the couple stayed for a while, locked in this embrace. Albus broke away from the kiss and said, "Well, there's the answer to the question you asked earlier, my dear. My concern for you is far more than merely academic."

They knew they'd reached the point of no return. Where before, their actions were questionable, now Albus and Minerva had definitely broken school protocol. Albus told her, "I don't think I need to emphasize to you just how secretive this must be."

Minerva gulped, knowing that she'd already let Pomona and Rolanda in on too much. But she could trust them, Minerva thought, Albus would never know. Minerva stood on her tippy toes and kissed him again before the two head back to the castle, Albus holding her hand until they reached the point of visibility.

It was near midnight when Minerva entered the commons room. Only her two best friends were awake and waiting for her. She really was going to keep the latest events a secret, she swore, but the second she saw them Minerva burst into the biggest grin. She was a teenage girl, after all. "Ladies you will not BELIEVE what just happened!"

Minerva told the girls about the kiss, how could she not? Before Albus, Minerva had kissed a few boys at parties in Gryffindor House, but she was extremely inexperienced beyond that. Virginal in every aspect of the word, she relied on Pomona to give her advice on anything of a sexual nature. The girls gossiped and speculated on Dumbledore's sexual prowess and exploits. After the giddiness of letting her best friends know her biggest secret wore off, Minerva sobered up and said, "I mean it girls - NO ONE can know about this. Albus would get sacked INSTANTLY by Dippet. I'd be the whore of Hogwarts! This stays between us. Besides, it's only been a kiss!"

"Yeah, so far!" emphasized Rolanda. The three girls went off to bed and Minerva dreamt about her class with Albus tomorrow. They were playing a dangerous game but she'd never felt so satisfied.