A/N: Thank you for all of your support.

For the disclaimer, please see the prologue.

Chapter Forty-Six: November 1950

About a year and a half after their last attempt, Albus and Nicolas approached Minerva and Aidan about the strides they had made in their research.

"Would you be interested in trying again?" Albus asked. His hands were clasped as he looked at Minerva intently. "It is risky, like we originally thought, but I thought you would want to know that we did discover another viable option."

They sat in Aidan and Minerva's living room. Dalton, nearly three now, toddled around them aimlessly, picking up his toys only to leave them in another location. Minerva looked at him as she pondered Albus' question. The only important factor in her decision was her son, and she told her company that.

"I am not about to do anything that will risk my life. I don't want to do that to Aidan, of course," Minerva said, squeezing her husband's hand. "More importantly, I don't want to do that to Dalton. So, the main question is: will I live?"

"We have no reason to believe the process will be fatal," Nicolas responded. "Ceci dit, there is rather a large chance of complications."

"What kind of complications? I need to know what the risks are." Minerva allowed a slight flare of fear to blossom within her, hoping Albus would feel it and understand that she needed at least some information. "Don't coddle me; I won't thank you later."

When Albus suddenly straightened his back, she knew he had understood her message. "Minerva, it's possible our magic will be altered. This may mean changes in our Animagi form, changes in our ability to produce a corporeal Patronus, and our magical abilities may be...different."

Minerva rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean, "be different?" Do you mean we could lose all of our magical abilities? That we would be Squibs?"

"While possible, the likelihood of that is infinitesimal," Nicolas soothed. "I know that sounds alarming—"

"Because it is alarming, Nicolas!" Aidan cried, jumping into the conversation for the first time. "We're talking about her risking her magical ability, her livelihood, her career, everything."

"Aidan, everything is you and Dalton." Minerva's voice was quiet, but strong. "I don't particularly want to lose my magic, either, but there are worse things than being a Squib. Limiting our family because of this bond, for example."

"No, Min." Aidan shook his head. "We've talked about this. There are other options if we want children. I'm not having you risk your entire being. The bond isn't worth that much to me. It's nothing."

"Maybe it doesn't bother you," Minerva responded softly, "but it bothers me. I don't like that I'm married to you but bonded to Albus. It feels wrong. This is something between us, which makes it more than nothing, darling."

Albus shifted uncomfortably. He was all too aware that he shouldn't be privy to this conversation, but he knew he had to say something. "For what it's worth," Albus said, drawing the couple out of their conversation, "I don't much fancy losing my magic myself. Obviously, it was a concern, so I did some additional research as a side project. Because our magical cores are so strong, if we were to lose any of our abilities, we would most likely be...less powerful." It was a testament to his remaining love for Minerva that he was even willing to risk it.

"See?" Minerva whipped her head around to look at Aidan, almost triumphantly. "Less power wouldn't be the end of the world, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't," Aidan sighed. "Merlin knows you don't need my permission, so if you're set on this, I'll support you."

"And if I end up a Squib?"

"You'll be more than capable of finding a Muggle profession, I'm sure." Aidan blushed when Minerva, in an uncharacteristic show of affection, kissed him soundly.

"All right. Albus, Nicolas, if you're sure the worst outcome is losing my magic—and not my death—I'll consent."

"I promise it won't come to that, ma chérie," Nicholas laughed. "There are risks, and I have nothing to gain by hiding them from you. I don't wish to trick you into anything. Fais-moi confiance. You both will be safe."

Aidan had his doubts, but as he watched the three others agree to try this in a week's time, he kept his mouth shut.

When the day came, Minerva was nervous. She found herself performing meaningless spells—such as brushing her hair or making the bed—in the event that she would lose that ability later that afternoon. Aidan watched her carefully, and Minerva knew he was doing his damndest not to speak up in opposition to the dissolution process.

She knew why he was anxious—hell, she felt the same way. Minerva didn't relish the idea of losing her magic any more than he did. But, she believed Nicolas and Albus' reassurances that it was an unlikely outcome. Besides, Minerva wanted the bond dissolved more than anything. It annoyed her that it floated within her, an invisible tether that constantly reminded her of Albus. She wanted to live her life freely, even if it meant sacrificing her magic to do it.

Her husband clearly thought she had lost her sanity, but, as Minerva had pointed out to him numerous times over the past week, the Hat had eventually chosen Gryffindor over Ravenclaw. Aidan had sighed at the remark and asked wryly, "So your need to prove your bravery has taken precedence over common sense?"

Minerva had thought it was in her best interest not to respond.

Now, as they headed back to the Flamel residence, Minerva held tightly to Aidan, praying to God that she hadn't misplaced her faith.

To Minerva's surprise, Perenelle welcomed them this time. "Minerva!" She enveloped the Scotswoman in a warm, motherly hug. "It's wonderful to see you, dearie. How are you feeling? Nervous, I'm sure."

"A bit," Minerva confessed.

Perenelle looped her arm through Minerva's and began to walk, trusting Aidan to follow them. "I know well that Albus and Nicolas can get carried away in their pursuits; sometimes, they tend to skirt over the potential pitfalls in all their excitement."

"Oh, they explained the dangers," Aidan grumbled from behind them. "It's just that the dangers are completely and utterly horrible to consider."

Minerva snapped her head around in warning. "Aidan..."

"Now, dearie, he has a right to be worried. There is a risk in everything, and this, admittedly, is one of my husband's riskier ventures. But if I know Nicolas, he has done everything possible to mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible. And here we are," Perenelle finished. She led them into the same room as their last visit and addressed Albus and Nicolas. "Vous êtes prêts?"

"Bien sûr!" Nicolas cried. He slid off of his stool and greeted Minerva with a kiss on each cheek. "The better question is: are you ready, ma chérie?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good." Nicolas took her hand gently and sat her at a table across from Albus, who nodded in greeting. "This process is less active. You two will join hands and recite these Latin passages, and hopefully, that will be the end of it."

Minerva picked up the piece of parchment in front of her. "Forgive me, but I'm not fluent in Latin. What does this mean?"

"Essentially, it expresses our desire to replace our original intent to bond with our intent to dissolve it," Albus explained. "I know neither of us had intended to bond in the first place, but we're still hopeful this will work."

"If we're just expressing our intent, why is this so risky?" Minerva asked. She slowly placed the parchment back on the table. "I don't quite understand how this is more dangerous than ingesting a potion."

"The magic is uncontrollable, and we must focus solely on destroying the bond," Albus said, sighing. "If anything else enters our minds once this process starts—even for the most fleeting moment—then the magic can change course, altering that which we have no desire to change."

"That is why it is absolutely imperative that you keep your mind clear. Albus assures me you know how to clear your mind. He says you're quite skilled at Occlumency." Nicolas looked at Minerva, his eyes sharp. "Would you agree with that assessment?"

Minerva met Albus' gaze across the table. "Yes."

"You'll both be fine," Perenelle soothed softly. "Stay focused, and it will be over before you know it."

"Shall we?" Albus gestured to the parchment. "It's joining hands and reading. It will be simple."

"That's easy for you to say, Albus. You speak Latin."

"You both will have that ability today. Minerva, if you'll allow me to cast a simple spell on you," Nicolas said, "I can charm your tongue so that you can speak Latin for the duration of this process."

"Oh, well, then. By all means, go ahead." Minerva laughed despite her situation.

"I love you, Min." Aidan spoke for the first time since entering the room. He wanted to say it while she could still respond in English. "Always."

Minerva allowed a small smile to flit across her lips. "And I love you." She nodded towards Nicolas. "All right, let's get on with it."

Nicolas took his chin gently in her hand. "Open, please." She obeyed and felt a tingling sensation on her tongue. "There you are." He stepped back and said, "Join hands when you're ready. Clear your minds, and then...recite."

Minerva looked at Albus and nodded slowly. He extended his hands towards hers, and she held them firmly. The familiar sparks caused an errant thought to enter her mind, but Minerva quickly pushed it away as they began to speak.

Nicolas, Aidan, and Perenelle watched in silence as the pair murmured in Latin. They both were speaking quietly, as though the words themselves were solemn oaths, and deserved to be revered as such.

Turquoise lights—much like the one from their original bonding—emanated slowly from Minerva and Albus' chests, meeting each other in the middle of the table. The lights hissed and sparked, like they were duelling. Eventually, the lights lowered, still touching, dimming as they moved through Minerva and Albus. The beads of light settled finally at their stomachs and erupted into smoke with a final hiss.

Aidan expected an explosion, or something...dramatic to demonstrate that the bond had been broken. In fact, it didn't look at all to him like the bond was severed. A quick glance at Nicolas and Perenelle, who were quietly conversing in French, confirmed that something unexpected had happened.

"Min?" Aidan approached her cautiously. His heart was thumping anxiously in his chest. "Can you still use magic?"

Minerva merely quirked an eyebrow at him. Her eyes roamed the room until she found a bookshelf. "Accio book." A book flew off the shelves and landed neatly in front of her.

"I suppose that settles that." Aidan pressed their foreheads together. "Thank Merlin."

"Before you do any more magic, Perenelle will do a full medical examination of you both now," Nicholas said gently, pulling them out of their reverie. "Albus and Minerva, unless, Aidan, you too feel the need to be examined. She's a qualified Healer in seventeen different countries, so you're in good hands."

Minerva widened her eyes as Aidan rolled his own at the remark. "That's impressive."

Perenelle waved her hand. "I can see why you think that, but Nicolas and I have lived for centuries in a number of different countries. I needed to do something to pass the time. Viens, Albus, and let me take a look at you." She patted a stool in front of her.

Albus obediently stood and sat on the stool. Perenelle began to murmur and wave her wand, causing Albus' diagnostics to float above him. She was making notes on a chart beside her; Perenelle wanted to take note of everything, just to be safe.

Minerva was watching her out of the corner of her eye. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Perenelle frown slightly as she waved her wand over Albus' stomach.

Aidan's voice brought her out of her surveillance. "Are you feeling all right? Truly?"

"I am. I promise." Minerva smiled lightly and pecked his lips. "Perenelle will let us know if there's anything grievously wrong, but I feel fine."

"Okay, that's good to hear." Aidan ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up at all angles. "This seems to be more promising. At least I don't have to pick you up off the floor this time."

"It is an improvement," Minerva said, but her attention was once again focused on Perenelle. The older woman was now biting her lip, wearing a worried expression on her face. It unsettled Minerva, so she called, "Perenelle, is everything all right?"

Nicolas stepped in smoothly—too smoothly, in Minerva's estimation. "Yes, ma chérie. She's almost done with Albus, and then she'll be able to examine you."

"Mais Nicolas, je voudrais leur en parler avant de commencer l'évaluation de Minerva. Ce que je viens de trouver, c'est..."

"C'est une possibilité, et c'est tout," Nicolas replied firmly.

Albus, who could understand French better than Minerva, widened his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"Minerva, come here, dearie." Perenelle sighed and wiped her brow.

"What just happened?" Aidan asked, alarmed. "That didn't sound good."

"Nicolas is right. I won't know anything until I examine Minerva. It's all right, love," Perenelle said gently to Minerva.

"Our friend Poppy is a healer as well," Minerva said as she sat in front of Perenelle. She felt an uncomfortable need to change the subject. "Would you be open to talking to her? I'm sure she'd love to learn more about the various healing methods that you employ."

"Of course, of course," Perenelle murmured. Her eyes darted over Minerva's diagnostics, and a worrying crease developed in between her eyebrows. "Nicolas..."

Nicolas came to investigate the results of the tests his wife had run. "Oh, merde."

"Wait, if you both can do the spells, why didn't you just check them at the same time?" Aidan asked.

Nicolas shook his head. "I can read the results, but casting the correct diagnostic spells is trickier." He conjured two more stools. "Aidan, Albus, please come sit down."

Minerva was well and truly alarmed now. "That didn't take very long."

"That's because Albus was fine except for one aberration in his chart," Perenelle explained. "I knew what to look for with you, and I found the same aberration."

"What kind of aberration?" Aidan squeezed Minerva's hand. "Wouldn't it just be their bond?"

"No, unfortunately. Their bond hasn't appeared on any of their physical assessments we have done thus far in the process."

Albus and Minerva looked at each other. During the past year, they had both consented to undergo numerous diagnostic tests. Perenelle and Nicolas had hoped that they would discover where their bond physically resided in their bodies, whether it was in their blood, their heart, their brain, or somewhere else.

The tests hadn't yielded any results. For all intents and purposes, the bond didn't have any physical manifestation.

"You're saying that our bond does appear, now?" Albus asked neutrally. "So, the dissolution didn't work, then."

"No. Malheureusement, the dissolution didn't work." Nicolas gave a tight, sympathetic smile. "I am sorry."

"There was still a change, though; this process did something." Everyone turned to look at Minerva. "It may not be dissolved, but clearly, the alchemical makeup of our bond is altered if it is now present in our diagnostics."

"Quite right, Minerva. Your brain is a marvel," Nicolas chuckled. "I wish I had been as smart as you at your age. Then perhaps I could have created the Stone earlier, and I would have been able to look forever forty, not seventy-five."

"Nicolas, with all due respect, what does the aberration mean?" Albus's tone was fierce. "What did we do?"

Perenelle looked between them and sighed. "Your biological systems are now linked."

"Which, specifically? There are several." Minerva felt her blood run cold as a thought occurred to her. "The lights moved to our stomachs."

"Yes." Perenelle swallowed, looking ever more so like she wished she didn't have to be delivering this news. "Your reproductive systems are now exclusively connected."

"'Exclusively connected?' What in God's name does that mean, Perenelle?" Albus snapped.

"You're intelligent, Albus." Minerva felt like she was watching herself speak from above in some sort of out-of-body experience. "Our reproductive systems will only respond to each other. If I understand correctly, I cannot have kids that are not sired by you, and you can only have children so long as I am the one that births them. Isn't that right, Perenelle?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

Minerva felt Aidan stiffen beside her, and she closed her eyes. I should have listened to him, she thought. Why did I ever want more than I could have?

Suddenly, the room felt very, very small.

"There's no reason that you still can't have sex with your respective partners," Perenelle tried, desperately wanting to improve the situation. "It's just—"

"Just the reproductive part? The part that dictates who fathers my children?" Minerva's voice was tight, rising with every syllable. She felt suddenly nervous and completely unable to calm her magic. "This is more than just, Perenelle. This is catastrophic. How did this happen? And why are you silent, Albus?"

Albus looked at her. His mind had gone blank, so he said truthfully, "I have no idea what to say."

"You're never at a loss for words!" Minerva yelled. She felt the need to throw something and clenched her fists reflexively.

"Well, I am now. I never imagined this. But, I do want an answer to your other question: Nicolas, how could this have happened?" Albus turned to his longest, dearest friend with a look of shock and disappointment.

"It could have happened if one of you had a fleeting thought about something else during the process. Of course, I don't mean to say that either of you is at fault," Nicolas said hastily.

The alchemist continued speaking, but Minerva heard nothing else.

She had thought of something after their hands were joined and before they had started speaking. The feeling of their bond had caused Minerva to think of how wonderful it would be to have more children with Aidan.

The magic must have confused her desire to have children with Aidan—and only with Aidan—with her intent to have the bond dissolved, and instead, directed her intent so that her only chance at biological children was...Albus.

This outcome was much, much worse than losing her magic.

"Oh, my God," Minerva whispered. She heard herself raise her voice. "Oh, my God."

Three different voices called her name, and Minerva began to panic.

"I think I—" She met Aidan's gaze, her eyes wild. "I must have..."

"Min?" She felt Aidan's hand on her arm. "Min, calm down."

"I can't breathe." Minerva placed her hand on her chest and stood, shaking his arm off her. She felt like she had when she realized she would need to tell Albus about her bond; her body was panicking. Completely. She tried to regulate her breathing but found herself hyperventilating.

"Why can't she breathe?" Albus stood and looked at the Flamels. "Is this because of the process? Can you help her, please?"

"Sit back down on the stool," Aidan said, more calmly than he felt, "and we can talk."

"I can't talk," Minerva gasped hoarsely. "I need air."

"Albus, help me open some windows!" Nicolas called, and the two began to wave their wands.

Perenelle placed a calming hand on the small of Minerva's back. "I know this is a big change, but we will work through it. Just breathe for now, dearie. In and out."

There was that word again. Just.

Minerva stilled despite Perenelle's attempt to push her back into the stool. She wanted to hide from the forced comfort and easy platitudes. She had somehow mucked their situation up even more, and she needed time to come to terms with that.

Alone.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Minerva let loose a small cry and turned into her Animagus form.

"Min! Where did she—" Aidan cried. He sighed with relief upon seeing her cat form. "It's fine, love. There's no need for that."

Minerva hissed. There was no way life could be fine ever again. She stretched her paws in preparation before sprinting her way through the house, out the door, and into the darkness.

No one had heard from Minerva for two weeks. The Flamels, Albus, and Aidan had completed numerous searches of the Flamel residence to no avail. Believing that Minerva might have sought refuge with either Ro and Poppy or Lucy and Callum, Aidan had told them what had happened.

Minerva would be furious with him for divulging information about her body, but he wanted her back, angry or not.

Callum had sent an owl to Moody, stating that Minerva had fallen ill and shouldn't be expected at work. Working with Ro, Callum surreptitiously used some of the resources available to them as Unspeakables. They looked through spells and charms and missing persons reports. As a group, the eight of them had searched Hogwarts, McGonagall Manor, their home in Hogsmeade, the accompanying Muggle village...everywhere they thought Minerva would have gone.

They were all extremely worried, not only because they had no idea where she was, but because of what they weren't saying in their strategy meetings: she was clearly one of Riddle's targets, and in her current condition, she was an easy one.

Callum and Albus had decided to postpone their research into memory-altering spells for the time being. They instead had chosen to focus all of their resources on finding Minerva.

"A cat could be anywhere," Callum said one Saturday. He sunk into one of Albus' comfy armchairs with exhaustion written on his face. "There's a reason the Aurors originally wanted her as a spy."

"There must be something we're missing." Albus sighed wearily. "We need to find her. Aidan has worried himself to the point of sickness."

"I know," Callum responded. "That's why Dalton has been with us for the past week, and Poppy has stayed with Aidan." He looked shrewdly at Albus. "You do realize this isn't your fault, right?"

"Rationally, I know it isn't, but I can't stop myself from thinking that I am the reason she's in this mess."

"Albus. Neither of you chose to bond. You both chose to try to end it. You both knew there were risks. Yes, this is an unforeseen complication, but neither of you is to blame. No one is to blame. Sometimes, these things just happen."

Albus snorted. "I wish I could see it like that. I wish Minerva could see it like that."

"I know you've avoided trying to use your bond to find her," Callum said gently, "but I think it's time to try it."

"I don't want to upset her any more than she already is! She doesn't need a reminder of the bond and what we failed to accomplish."

"She needs to be found." Callum stared at his old professor. "You want to do something for her? Bring her home."

Albus pursed his lips. He knew he could try to locate her—much like he had when Grindelwald had captured her—but he didn't want her to sense him coming and keep running.

"Albus...please."

It was Callum's tone that finally snapped something inside him. Closing his eyes, Albus focused on the bond. In this instance, it would be much more difficult; he would have to rely on a slight throbbing within his chest until she was actually within reach. He didn't feel anything, so he turned to face the door.

There.

Albus felt the slightest throbbing in his chest, instructing him to go outside. "I feel something."

"Really?" Callum leaned forward excitedly.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, my boy. It's faint."

"Well, go, Albus. It's our best bet."

Callum left his office, leaving Albus to his own devices. Albus waited a moment before gathering his cloak and locking his office door behind him. He walked through the castle and onto the grounds, quite literally letting his heart lead the way. Eventually, it led him all the way through Scotland until he saw her.

She was sitting on the ground in a graveyard. Her raven hair was blowing in the breeze, but the rest of her was still. Albus walked up to her quietly, pausing for a moment when he caught sight of the grave in front of her.

Diana Eilidh McGonagall.

When he spoke, he kept his voice quiet. "Fancy seeing you here, Minerva."

Minerva didn't turn to greet him. "I was wondering when someone would find me. I should have known it would have been you."

Albus didn't quite know how to interpret that remark, so he let it float into the wind. "I'm glad you're safe. We're all quite worried about you."

"As you can see, no visible damage done."

"Minerva—"

"I'm done." Minerva's voice was cold and distant. "I can't try to do this again, Albus."

"I understand. I'm not here to ask you to do it again. Frankly, I don't particularly want to do anything more myself."

"Why did you do it in the first place, Albus?" Minerva turned to him, looking at him for the first time. The despair in her eyes scared him. "I know you didn't want to dissolve the bond. Why did you try so hard?"

"Because you wanted it, my dear." Albus gestured to the ground beside her. "May I sit?"

"Be my guest."

When he was settled, Albus said gently, "I learnt my lesson. I couldn't give you what you wanted when we were together, and I'll admit to feeling terrible that I have saddled you with my feelings. Sometimes, I don't want to be Albus Dumbledore; I couldn't imagine having that thrust upon you." He looked down at his hands and clasped them together tightly. "I suppose I wanted to give you something. Something that only I could give."

"It seems like we both wanted more than we should have. And," she quirked an eyebrow, "there was the research."

"Oh, yes, that too." Albus waved his hand dismissively. "You know I'm never one to turn down new intellectual pursuits, particularly something as complex and new as this."

"We should have had Nicolas and Perenelle try the procedure first." Minerva snorted humourlessly. "Seeing as they're a soul-bonded couple who stayed together, it might have been more prudent to use them as the proverbial guinea pigs."

"While your logic is sound, I doubt they would have wanted to risk dissolving their bond, my dear." Albus hesitated, then asked, "What were you thinking about that caused the intent of the magic to change?"

Minerva was quiet for a moment. "I suppose if anyone has a right to know, it's you. After all, I ruined your life, too. I am sorry about that."

"I'm not looking for an apology, Minerva. Don't make this about something that it isn't. And," Albus smiled gently, "I was your Occlumency teacher. If we're playing the blame game, this one can go at my doorstep."

She looked at the ground for a moment. "When our hands met, I felt the usual sensation. It caused me to think—Merlin, it was only for a moment—about how much I wanted to have more kids with Aidan."

Albus frowned. "Forgive me, my dear, but I didn't think the bond precluded either of us from having children with other people. Dalton and Athena are proof enough of that."

"You're right, in the literal sense." Minerva ran a finger over her wedding ring. "In the figurative sense, I didn't want to risk childbirth again while still bonded to you. Dalton's birth was...difficult. When I told you that I almost lost him, I wasn't exaggerating. We both almost died. I didn't want to risk my unborn child's life—or my own—simply because I couldn't control what happened to you."

"I'm sorry, Minerva. I didn't even think about how my actions could affect your pregnancy." Albus hung his head, ashamed. "I should have taken more care."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. It's hardly your fault you were captured by dark wizards. Besides, you had a lot going on in your own life at the time." She bumped her shoulder against his gently. "A fiancée, a baby on the way, remember?"

"It was a time of great change for both of us," Albus agreed. "Now, why don't you return home with me? I can't imagine that a graveyard is all that comfortable."

"As a cat, that willow tree over there is quite comfortable, actually."

"I highly doubt it's as comfortable as your own bed."

"Albus..."

"Your husband wants to see you. Your son wants to see you."

"Oh, God, Dalton," Minerva whimpered, allowing a sob to break through. "I didn't mean to leave him. I just...couldn't bear to see him. I am a horrible mother."

"You're not a horrible mother, Minerva. You heard some life-changing news and decided you needed some time to yourself. Could you have gone about it in a better way? Perhaps, but do not for one second believe yourself to be anything other than a wonderful mother."

"I certainly don't feel like it. I'd feel better if I could see him. Have you?" Minerva looked at Albus, almost shyly. "I don't expect you would have, but I didn't know if Violet was still caring for him."

Albus bit his lip. "I've seen him a few times. He's currently at Callum and Lucy's, so he's in very capable hands. I'm sure his older cousins have alternated between driving him up the wall and doting on him."

"Why is he at Callum's?" Minerva asked, alarmed. "What happened to Aidan?"

"He's so worried about you that it's made him ill. Poppy assures us that it's nothing serious, but he is bedridden."

"What if he's angry with me?"

"Minerva, look at me." Albus waited until she had done as he asked and squeezed her hands gently but firmly. "Aidan loves you with all of his heart. He's one of the few of us that has the ability to love freely and without reservation. I'm sure he's disappointed that more biological children are out of the question, but he won't care as long as he has you."

Minerva half-sniffled, half-laughed. "I did get rather lucky, didn't I?"

"Not lucky, Minerva." Albus shook his head. He had half-expected Minerva to put up more of an argument, but he could tell she was looking for an excuse to return to the world. "You deserve a love like that. Now, come. We're going home."

Albus had Apparated them both to Minerva's house in Hogsmeade before going back to Hogwarts.

"You aren't coming?" she had asked.

"I believe this is a reunion meant for the two of you," Albus had gently replied.

So Minerva was alone, walking up to her own steps. She didn't know why she felt scared to enter her own home, but it was with great trepidation that she opened the door.

The disinfected scent of a recently cleaned hospital assaulted her senses, and she wrinkled her nose in distaste. It was clear that Poppy had not only tasked herself with keeping Aidan well, but also with maintaining Minerva's house.

She was thankful for it, even if it meant that her entire house reeked of bleach.

"Hello?" Minerva called tentatively. She didn't want to wake Aidan if he was sleeping.

"Minerva?" Poppy's face popped out behind the kitchen door and broke immediately into a grin. "Oh my God, it is you!"

Minerva suddenly found herself with arms full of Poppy. "Hi, dear."

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you." Poppy took a step back, and to Minerva's alarm, she was crying. "You have no idea how worried we've all been."

"I'm sorry. I just...I needed some time."

"Next time you want some alone time, go to a hotel and give us the address and a Muggle phone number, all right?" Poppy's voice was unusually stern. "Merlin, Minerva, you gave us a horrible fright. That was extremely irresponsible of you. You know the world isn't safe right now, and still, you left with no note or thought to any of us."

"Poppy, while I appreciate that you've been looking after my husband, I will hex you if you give me any more grief," Minerva warned. "The past two weeks have been trying enough. I don't need you here to make me feel bad about it."

"Of course, I'm sorry." Poppy blushed.

"No, I'm sorry," Minerva sighed. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Poppy smiled gently. "I know you're going through a lot. It's only that Aidan is a mess, and so I've lived the past week in a state of nerves and exhaustion."

Minerva looked anxiously down the hall. "How is he?"

"Better than he was," Poppy sighed. "He's no longer contagious, so I've just had him resting for the past two days. If he's feeling up to it, I'll have Dalton come back tomorrow."

"Is it safe for me to visit with Aidan, and then bring Dalton home?"

"Yes." Poppy smiled softly. "Go see him now. I'll go ahead and warn Lucy and Callum that you'll be popping by later."

"Thank you, Poppy. For everything." Minerva hugged her friend again. "Is he in the bedroom?"

"Yes. Go." Poppy nudged Minerva in the right direction. "I'm more than capable of seeing myself out."

Minerva rolled her eyes but walked to the bedroom. She paused briefly before rapping the door with her knuckles. "Knock, knock."

Aidan's tired eyes locked with hers as she opened the door. "Oh, thank God. It's really you?"

"It's really me, darling." She strode over to the bed and let him wrap his arms around her. "I'm here."

"I'm so happy you're all right. You have no idea how worried I was."

"I'm sorry." Minerva's voice was muffled as she spoke into his arm. "I shouldn't have run off like that."

"No, you shouldn't have." He pulled back so he could look seriously into her eyes. She noted with alarm that he was crying, much like Poppy had. "I understand you were upset, but that was a terrible thing to do, Min. You have to promise me that you will never do that again."

"I promise. It was a rotten, selfish thing to do, and I'm sorry." She sighed. "I'll have to apologize to Poppy, as well; I wasn't my best self just now."

"She'll forgive you. I told them all what happened—you can be mad later, but I needed them to know how serious this was."

"Did you think I wasn't coming back?" Minerva asked quietly.

"Min, I didn't know what to think. I've known you for fourteen years, and I've never seen you like that." Aidan took her chin in his hands. "I know that you received devastating news, but I also received the same news. We should have been able to help each other through it. For better or worse, right?"

"I'm sorry," Minerva repeated, and she quickly found herself sobbing. "All I did was think about how much I wanted your children, and then I ruined that possibility. I took it away from us, forever."

"You didn't ruin anything. None of that was your fault. I don't ever want to hear you blame yourself for it, because whether you thought of me or not, I will not have you hold yourself responsible for untested magic gone wrong."

"If you say so."

"Minerva Isobel McGonagall," Aidan said in a teasing voice that made her laugh, "I want to spend my life with you. I don't mind if you're a cat some of the time, but I want you here. We have Dalton and a wonderful, kind extended family. That is enough for me.

"I know I didn't react well to the news of your bonding. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me when I found out. But I'm not angry anymore." Minerva looked at him with wary eyes, and he laughed. "Truly, Min. I'm not angry. This bond is what it is, and we can deal with it. Instead, I'm fearful of what it does to you: the way it makes you anxious, or the way it makes you afraid to live life. I'm scared that we aren't enough for you."

"You are enough. I wanted more than I was fated to have, it seems. But you're right. I need to summon some of that Gryffindor courage and still go after what I want. This bond may be annoying, but it's not a complete hindrance."

"No, it's not." Aidan laced his fingers between hers. "We'll need to discuss this more at some point, but I'm honestly too tired to continue at the moment. Being sick seems to have zapped my energy."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Minerva sprang back from him. "Do you need medicine? Do you want me to bring Poppy back?"

"No," Aidan chuckled. "No. I want you to stay and rest with me for a while, and then go say hi to our son. He missed you."

"I missed him," Minerva admitted. "I missed you both."

"We missed you. Our family isn't whole without the three of us." He kissed her earnestly. "We can discuss this more later when I feel better, but never doubt that I love you, Minerva. We have all the time in the world to figure the rest of it all out."

"I love you, too," she whispered, snuggling back under his arm. Minerva had so much more she wanted to say, and there was so much more they needed to discuss, but Aidan was right.

They had all the time in the world.