A/N: As always, a big merci to those of you reading this. We have two chapters after this, and then a two-parter epilogue. (Unless something suddenly comes to mind that I need to add in ;) ) For reference, the last chapter took place January 1967.

For the disclaimer, please see the prologue.

Chapter Sixty-Eight: April 1967

"Aunt Min?"

Minerva looked up from her desk one spring evening, shocked to see her niece knocking at her office door.

"Aoife?" Minerva waved her hand. "Come in, please. This is a lovely surprise!"

"I wanted to come and see you," Aoife said. She hugged her aunt. "Are you busy, or do you have some time to chat?"

"You're in luck," Minerva said, smiling. "My classes have long since ended, and I am duty-free for the rest of the day. If you like, we can have a spot of tea in my quarters."

"Won't anyone need you?"

"If they do, the Prefects and the other professors will know where to find me. Come," Minerva said, leading Aoife through the hidden door that led into her personal quarters.

"I know I lived here for seven years, but sometimes the magic of this place still astounds me," Aoife laughed. She shook her head. "I suppose Hogwarts looks after its own."

"That it does." Minerva smiled. "Jilly?"

Aoife yelped as Albus' long-trusted house-elf popped into view. "Aunt Min!"

"Sorry, dear, I should have warned you," Minerva apologized. "Jilly, this is my niece, Aoife McGonagall."

"Jilly bes knowin' 'er!" Jilly nodded enthusiastically. "A Hufflepuff while 'ere!"

"That's right," Aoife said carefully. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met."

"Jilly, miss! 'Appy to be o' service! I takes care of Master Albus and 'is family!" Jilly proclaimed proudly.

"Family?" Aoife arched an eyebrow at her aunt. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No, there is not," Minerva denied, rolling her eyes. "Jilly, kindly bring up some tea and sandwiches for us, please."

The elf nodded and disappeared. A platter of food and a tea service appeared within seconds.

"Oooh, this looks good." Aoife looked approvingly at the platter before picking up a ginger newt, making her aunt smile. "So, Jilly is Albus' elf? You didn't bring an elf from the Manor when you came here?"

"No, I left the Manor elves at the Manor. They're more comfortable there, and they're all getting older. Besides, when I first came to teach here, I didn't live here. I needed the elves at home, especially when Dalton was a child and made a mess of every room he entered."

"So, instead, you use Albus' elf."

Minerva lifted her teacup so as to hide the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks. "Albus was more than happy to extend Jilly's employ to include me. I knew her as a student."

"You hung out in Albus' private rooms as a student?" Aoife asked, smirking. When her aunt blanched, she added, "Geez, Aunt Min, I was only joking."

"No, I know," Minerva said, exhaling. "You've merely...hit a sore spot, that's all."

"Is that why you're so secretive about your relationship?" Aoife's voice was soft. "You don't want people to think anything was improper?"

Minerva considered her niece for a moment. "Partly, I suppose, but that's never been the main reason. I've been married since I left school, and Albus was involved with Violet for a long time before we got together. Some might question our propriety, but nothing ever happened, and Dalton and Athena are proof enough of that."

Nothing ever happened that people caught, anyway, Minerva thought.

"It's to avoid those people that came after us in October then, isn't it?"

"In large part, yes. As you noticed, it clearly wasn't enough."

"You and Albus are open about your relationship now, though!" Aoife pointed out.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Minerva said, smiling. "Only with family, but yes, we are slightly more open than we were before."

"I'm happy for you, Aunt Min." Aoife grinned. "Truly. I've never seen you live with a man before."

"Albus doesn't live in my quarters with me," Minerva protested, but she had to admit it was a moot point when Albus' cloak was strewn across the couch behind her. "And you did see me live with your Uncle Aidan, even if you don't remember it."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Min," Aoife said quickly. "I didn't mean to..."

"You didn't." Minerva waved her hand. "At some point, grief stops hurting the same way. I miss him, but every mention of his name doesn't incite a waterfall of tears. Instead, I feel grateful." She smiled fondly. "But, my dear niece, I highly doubt you came all the way up to Scotland to discuss my relationships."

"No," Aoife said, laughing, "no, I did not."

Minerva stared at her niece, waiting for her to speak. "Well?"

"Well, you made me promise that if something particular happened, you'd be the first person I told." Aoife stuck her hand out and revealed a shiny ring. "We both have one, and since I'm left-handed—"

"It's on your right hand," Minerva finished. "Oh, come here! I'm so thrilled for you, Aoife."

Aoife moved from her seat and snuggled into her aunt's side. She let Minerva take her hand and inspect the ring.

"I like the sapphire," Minerva commented. "It's beautiful."

"It's Alice's birthstone," Aoife said. She blushed. "Her ring has a topaz in it for my birthday."

"Very pretty." Minerva kissed Aoife's head. "When's the wedding?"

"Not for a long time." Aoife shook her head and laughed. "We're still very, very young. But after what happened in October, we felt that we wanted something formal to at least symbolize our commitment. Kind of like you and Albus," Aoife added, grinning.

"As I alluded to earlier, there's nothing formal between us, missy."

"You know, you say that, Aunt Min, but this couch smells like lemons mixed with cologne." Aoife paused for a moment. "You usually smell like ginger and lavender."

"Dear, we're both leaning against his cloak," Minerva remarked.

"So he moved in, then," Aoife said, grinning. She caught Minerva's hand before Minerva could give her a gentle swat. "I have more news."

"Oh?"

"We're having an engagement party next weekend at Mum and Dad's," Aoife said. "I know it's short notice, but I'm hoping you and Albus can come."

"I'll change the whole patrol schedule if I have to," Minerva promised. "I must admit I'm surprised you're having a party. I didn't think you liked parties."

"I normally don't," Aoife admitted. "But it's important to Alice, so I can put up with it for an evening."

"Even with everyone fawning over you?" Minerva teased. "Sounds wonderful. Who else is coming?"

"Well, I'll go and visit Mum and Dad next. I should probably tell them," Aoife said, embarrassed.

"Wait." Minerva pulled her niece back so she could look at her face. "You planned a party at their house, and they don't even know you're engaged?"

Aoife blushed. "I told you: I wanted you to be the first to know."

Minerva laughed. "I love you, and that means the world to me. Do me a favour, though, and don't tell your mother that I knew before she did."

"I promise. Now," Aoife said, pulling out a piece of parchment from her robes, "these are the family members that Alice is comfortable with inviting. Not a huge number of people," Aoife added hastily, "but it's important to Alice and me that you and Albus can be open as a couple. So, who on this list are you comfortable knowing about you two?"

"Aoife..." Minerva was touched. "You don't need to alter your engagement party for us. Albus and I don't want you to feel put out on your special day."

"Alice and I both want you two to feel comfortable," Aoife replied firmly. She pushed the parchment into Minerva's pocket. "I will feel bad if I know that you two are holding back."

"It's not like we make a habit of kissing in front of people," Minerva grumbled, making her niece laugh. "But I see your point. Thank you."

"So," Aoife continued, poking Minerva's rib, "look over the list with Albus and let me know. All right?"

"Sounds fine," Minerva said, somewhat bemused that she was taking directions from her niece.

"Aunt Min?"

"Yes?"

Aoife looked at her aunt imploringly. "Iolanthe and Charlus can't possibly make it on such short notice."

Minerva suddenly understood.

She smiled sadly. "You don't need to shield Dalton and Athena from little Esmé forever."

"I won't be able to keep my sister and niece from the wedding, so that's a relief," Aoife said, chuckling. "But really, you know me: I don't particularly care about this engagement party. If my sister gives me a hard time, so be it. It'll be like every other day of my life."

Minerva laughed. "Yes, you two certainly got into your fair share of your trouble."

Their conversation was interrupted by Albus entering her quarters.

"There you are, my dear!" Albus called. "It's almost time for dinner, and you weren't in your office."

"No, I've been here. And I have a visitor," Minerva said. She laughed as Aoife popped her head up.

"Oh! Why, hello, Aoife. This is a pleasant surprise." Albus smiled warmly at her. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Aoife shared a grin with Minerva before sticking her hand out. "I thought you two might want to be invited to our engagement party."

"Congratulations!" Albus exclaimed. "This is marvellous news. And, of course. We'll be happy to attend, as your aunt undoubtedly already informed you."

"Thanks, Uncle Albus," Aoife said, grinning. She giggled when Minerva and Albus both began to blush. "You two are adorable."

"And you," Minerva said, cupping her niece's cheek, "are too gutsy for your own good."

Aoife shrugged. "Uncle Albus won't hurt me, right?"

Albus looked flabbergasted. "No, of course, I wouldn't."

"So I can get away with it, then," Aoife laughed. Her eyes sparkled. "It seems like I've overstayed my welcome, though, if you two need to head down to dinner."

"You can always join us at the staff table," Albus offered. "Or I can easily make Minerva's excuses if you two wish to dine together. Although," he said, biting back a laugh, "it looks like you two already had a feast."

"I appreciate it, but I should get home. I still have to tell my parents about this," Aoife said, holding up her hand. "And I have to break it to them that they'll be hosting this party."

"Do you want me to walk you out?" Minerva asked. She stood and extended her hands, helping her niece off the couch.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Aoife replied. She kissed her aunt's cheek and then, after some hesitation, gripped Albus' arm and kissed his cheek, too. "I'll be in touch!"

"Thanks for coming!" Minerva called after Aoife as she shut the door behind her.

"Well, that's good news," Albus commented. "You must feel special."

"Why, because she told me first?" Minerva smiled. "Yes, I suppose. Aoife and I have always had a special bond."

"I've always envied your ability to form such easy connections with children," Albus said, shaking his head. "You have a way of making them feel like the most important person in your world—it's quite the talent, my dear."

"It's a good thing I'm a teacher, then," Minerva said, gently bumping her hip against his on her way out the door.

Dalton sighed as he looked around his office. After a long day of work, the extra time he had spent completing the soul bond trials left him feeling exhausted and unamused. Luckily, one of the administrators had to depart early today, so he had only had to endure one hour of torture instead of the usual two. He very much looked forward to going home and drinking a Pepper-Up Potion when he realized that something was wrong.

The files that he had left on his desk were askew, and there was mud on the floor Dalton was sure hadn't been there before.

Someone had broken into his office, and he had no idea what they were searching for.

"Hurry, before Scrimgeour gets back!" A hushed voice carried through the open office door.

Hurriedly, Dalton took out the invisibility cloak and pressed himself against the wall, silently thanking his mother for her protective nature. From the second Athena told him that she had revealed their bond to the Ministry, Dalton hadn't been unable to shake a feeling of unease.

Clearly, his instincts had been correct, if someone had felt the need to break into his office.

"What are we even looking for?" One man said as he entered the office with a friend. To his dismay, Dalton didn't recognize either of them.

"Anything related to any of the research going on," his friend said, grumbling. "Lord Tom wants to know if Scrimgeour has any documentation related to the time travel research."

"Yeah, well, Lord Tom isn't here," the first man snapped. "He's in bloody Romania, or some such place."

"Albania," the second one corrected. "And you know that while he is currently abroad, his punishment is temporary. He will be back, and we need to ensure we stay on his good side. If we come up empty-handed, Lord Tom will not be happy with us."

"There's nothing here, Macnair!" The first man looked exasperatedly around the office. "We've been here three times this week, and nothing. Whatever the department does to its subjects, it doesn't include telling them what the hell the research is for."

Three times? Dalton thought. I'd best get Ro down here to protect my office.

"You're not wrong," Macnair conceded. "Besides, his notes on the time travel file are very rudimentary; we already knew almost all of it. Scrimgeour must be working on something else."

"Can't we just torture the information out of him?"

Macnair turned on his friend. "No, Yaxley. You know that—especially after that attack gone wrong on McGonagall."

"It's too bad that one went wrong," Yaxley complained. "It would have been fun to torture her."

Dalton felt his blood boil.

Macnair shuffled some of the papers on Dalton's desk. "I still don't know why he went after her brother and his family."

"Because McGonagall is a spinster," Yaxley snorted. "Who else would you have gone after?"

So Riddle hadn't told his followers—for whatever reason—about Dalton's parentage.

"Good point." Macnair sighed. "There's nothing here. We can come back again next week, but after that, I think we have to chalk this up to a bad job."

"Fine by me," Yaxley agreed. "Let's get out of here. If Scrimgeour's movements are consistent, his trials will be done soon."

Without another word, the two left the office.

After a few minutes, when Dalton was sure he was alone, he took off the cloak and sighed.

He had much to discuss with his wife.

Athena was curled up on a couch in the Manor library when her husband arrived home.

She closed her book and smiled when Dalton came to sit beside her. "You're home early. I don't think the elves will have dinner ready for a while."

"That's fine. I'm not hungry."

"What happened?" Athena asked quietly. She didn't mind partaking in the Unspeakables' trials—in fact, she enjoyed it—but she would always regret the pain she had brought Dalton by not asking for his permission first.

"Two of Riddle's henchmen broke into my office today." Dalton looked at Athena intently. "Judging by their conversation, it wasn't the first time."

Athena gasped. "What for? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I stayed hidden," Dalton said carefully. He still hadn't told his wife about the invisibility cloak. "Do you happen to know if anyone has followed you anywhere?"

"I don't go anywhere but the Ministry," Athena replied. "You know that. I suppose someone could have gotten into my office, but I don't usually spend much time in my office when I go for the trials. I certainly wouldn't be able to tell if someone had gone in there unless they had really made a mess of things."

"I wonder if Ro could help us figure out if someone has broken into your office," Dalton mused.

"We could ask her, but she'll definitely tell our parents." Athena bit her lip. "I feel like we should keep this from them, at least until we know more."

"Athena," Dalton begged. "Do you see that we're not safe anymore? People are looking for us, and I doubt they're looking to be friendly! I think we need to tell our parents. They're the most powerful people we know—surely they can help us!"

"Dalton, I can't go running to our parents! Dad was so disappointed in me after I told him about the trials. If I tell them that it caused more problems..." Athena trailed off, shaking her head. "No, Dalton. I don't want them to know."

"What, you'd rather die?"

"Of course not, but what would you have me do, D?" Athena cried. "Min might not say as much, but I know she's angry that I dragged you into this!"

"Athena, you have to understand that our parents would rather know. It's stupid not to tell them, and they'll be angrier later if something else bad happens. Don't let your pride blind your judgment."

Athena blanched. "That's not very kind."

"Perhaps not, but Athena, this is bad. These are Riddle's friends. Merlin knows what they're planning."

"Dalton, our parents will kill me."

"And these people wouldn't?" Dalton sighed and took her face in his hands. "Above all, our parents want to see us safe. That's why they were upset about the trials. They don't think it's safe, and clearly, they're not wrong. But they would rather know about this and help us then—"

"Then lose us?" Athena asked quietly.

"Are you telling me you don't want their help because of your..." Dalton searched his brain for the term Athena's Mind-Healer used. "Bereavement-related depression, was it?"

"No, Dalton, I don't want to die," Athena said. "And I don't want our parents to lose us, but I want a world where we didn't lose Aidan."

"Athena, you know that isn't possible."

"You know it is." Athena let her statement hang in the air and waited for her husband's response.

As bad luck—from Dalton's perspective—would have it, the Unspeakables had been able to use their studies of Dalton and Athena's blood and soul bond to frame new time travel studies. The couple had been presented with an option to volunteer to go somewhere different in time. Athena and Dalton weren't informed of all the intricacies of how this would work, but they knew it was the third and final way out of their current trials contract.

Dalton had thought it was an option that neither of them had wanted to consider, but now, he had a sinking feeling his wife wanted to leave their lives behind them.

"Athena, I don't want to go anywhere in time. Dawlish couldn't even give us the specifics: forward in time, backward in time, if we'd be together, et cetera." Dalton felt his heart sink. "Merlin, Athena, you can't give up on the world because of a tragedy."

"But we wouldn't remember this pain!" Athena said fiercely. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Yeah, but we wouldn't remember our parents, either! Or our friends, or our families, or anything about our lives!"

"I could go by myself," Athena taunted dangerously.

Dalton rolled his eyes. "They wouldn't let you go alone. They need the soul bond to test their hypothesis, remember?"

Athena crumpled before him. "Can we consider it? Please?"

"Athena, I don't want to go!"

"What if we talked to Dawlish one more time? Got more information?"

"And if, after that conversation, I still think it's a shit idea, you'll leave this alone?" Dalton asked. Since October, he had been walking on a tightrope around his wife. He didn't want to encourage her ideas, but he also didn't want to incite another wave of grief and depression, either.

He hoped that, by giving her the space to see it was a bad idea, she would eventually come around to see his side of things.

Athena nodded. "Yes."

They both knew she was lying.

"Fine," Dalton said through gritted teeth. "I'll talk to Dawlish with you. But mark my words, Athena, I will not be travelling through time without some sort of guarantee that my life won't turn to shit, and definitely not without more information."

"I love you," Athena breathed, and she pressed her lips to his.

"Minerva!" Lavinia Prewett grinned as she entered Lucy and Callum's home. "It has been far too long, love."

"It has," Minerva agreed, accepting a kiss on the cheek. "How is life in Manchester?"

"Quiet." Lavinia winked. She sobered for a moment. "I am sorry that Armando couldn't come tonight."

Armando had been ill lately, and from what little information Albus had shared with her, Minerva had gathered he wasn't long for the world.

"Don't be silly," Minerva said. She took Lavinia's arm. "Come, and I'll show you where the food is."

"And the liquor?" Lavinia asked, smirking. "I hope you don't think less of me for choosing to imbibe around former students."

Minerva snorted and held up her glass of wine. "I would have to think less of myself, and that's not likely to happen."

"Good to hear," Lavinia said gleefully. "Who else is here? Alice told me that our family would be greatly outnumbered, which is fine, except I don't know why she invited only Armando and me. We're her great-aunt and great-uncle, for heaven's sake."

"Ah. That's why I was waiting for you at the door." Minerva gently pulled Lavinia to the side and cast a silencing spell. "Albus and I are together—"

"Oh, that's fantastic!" Lavinia squealed. "It took you bloody long enough!"

"Perhaps," Minerva said, laughing. "However, no one knows that we have previously dated, so please refrain from mentioning that."

Lavinia raised an eyebrow. "That's for the best, no? I'm not sure your children would much appreciate knowing that they almost ended up siblings, not spouses."

Minerva grimaced. "Exactly. We don't know how to tell them—or even if we should ever tell them—but they seem to be adjusting to our current relationship well enough."

"Because you two have always been close, even when you weren't together," Lavinia said pointedly. "But enough of that. I'm happy for you, and that's all that matters."

Minerva cancelled the silencing spell. "And now, we need to be happy for our nieces."

Alice chose that exact moment to exit the kitchen. "There you are! I thought I heard the fireplace."

"Minerva got to me first," Lavinia said, winking as she allowed her niece to steal her away.

"You talked to her?" Albus crept up behind Minerva and whispered in her ear, causing her to jump. "Oh, I am sorry."

"What did you think was going to happen?" Minerva rolled her eyes and put her hand on her chest. "For the record, yes, I did."

"Good. Did you happen to see where my wayward daughter disappeared to?" Albus asked, frowning slightly. "Dalton's in the garden, but I haven't seen Athena in a while."

Minerva shook her head. "She didn't pass by me. I can do a quick lap and see if I can find her."

"Thank you," Albus whispered. He kissed the top of her head. "I must say, it's lovely to be able to do that in public."

"I agree." Minerva smiled and tugged gently on his beard. "I'll go and look for her."

In the end, Minerva found Athena curled up on Iolanthe's old bed, her long hair covering the book she was reading.

"Athena?" Minerva asked softly as she rapped on the bedroom door. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, Min!" Athena quickly shoved her book into her bag and sat up. "Do you need me?"

"Well, darling, it is a party, so I can't say I expected to see you hiding yourself away," Minerva remarked. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine," Athena said quickly. She stood up and fixed her skirt. "Let's go back down."

"What were you reading?" Minerva asked as they headed down the stairs.

"Why?" Athena's voice had a nervous lilt to it that reminded Minerva of a student who had found herself in trouble. "Did you see it?"

"No, but it must be an engrossing read if you're enjoying it at a party," Minerva said lightly.

"Oh, yes, it is a very good read." Athena nodded. "Very informative."

Dalton met them as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Albus told me he sent Ma after you. Everything okay?"

"Oh, Athena was just reading," Minerva said, waving her hand.

To her surprise, Dalton became angry. "You brought that book here?"

Minerva stepped away. "I'll leave you two alone, but please remember that this party is for Aoife and Alice. Surely this disagreement can keep, no?"

A few hours later, as everyone enjoyed the waning sun in Callum's garden, Minerva found herself alone inside the house after a bathroom break.

She couldn't help herself. Looking around to ensure she was alone, Minerva walked over to Athena's bag and glanced inside. She saw The Definitive Guide to Maintaining Your Sense of Self After Permanent Time-Travel, and instantly, her stomach dropped. Hastily, Minerva put the bag back in its proper place, and she sat down, her head spinning.

After a few minutes, Albus approached her, clearly able to ascertain something was awry through their bond.

"Min?" Albus asked hesitantly. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why won't you come and join the rest of us?"

Minerva inclined her head minutely in the direction of Athena's bag. "Take a look."

Albus followed her gaze. She felt him still behind her. "What on earth...?"

"Not here, Al," she murmured. "We're here for a party. We can ask them later. When we're all alone."

"Is this Athena acting alone again?" Albus sat down beside Minerva, sliding his hand down her arm to clutch at her hand. "I had rather thought...hoped that she was getting better."

"I know. I did, too," Minerva admitted. "We'll figure this out."

"Min, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight." Albus squeezed her hand. "Knowing that Athena is a flight risk..."

"We can ask to join them at the Manor for a nightcap," Minerva suggested. "We'll get to the bottom of this. I suppose it's too much to think she could be interested in the reading material?"

The look Albus gave her made her realize that he was truly frightened.

At the end of the party, Athena and Dalton had happily accepted their parents' suggestion, and all were in the library at the Manor, quietly sipping on their libation of choice.

"I know you wanted to be polite, Ma, but you do realize this is your house," Dalton teased. "There's no way we could have refused you entry."

"I suppose that's true," Minerva said, chuckling. "But we wanted to talk to you two."

Minerva watched as Athena froze while reaching for her drink.

"What about?" Dalton frowned.

"We wondered how the trials were going," Albus said. His tone was neutral. "We haven't talked about them lately, and we wanted to know if they were still causing you as much pain as they did in the beginning."

"Oh." Dalton sipped at his drink. "No, not nearly as bad."

"Good," Minerva said decisively. "I'm glad to hear that."

"There was an incident last week, though," Dalton commented. "I'd feel better if we told you about it."

"Dalton!" Athena cried. "I thought we agreed that we could handle it."

"You agreed to that. I think we're idiots not to tell them."

"Dalton? What happened?" Minerva felt her chest tighten. "What on earth is going on?"

"Two men have been sneaking into my office. They're Riddle's friends, if their conversation was any indication," Dalton responded. "They're looking for Ministry secrets. I don't think they found anything, but they were talking about..."

"About what, Dalton?" Albus asked sharply after Dalton trailed off.

"About the attack in October, and how they wish they had caught Ma," Dalton finished quietly. "Sorry to break that news to you."

Albus felt himself reach for Minerva's hand, and he gripped it tightly.

"I'm not worried about me," Minerva said, squeezing Albus' hand, "but now I am gravely concerned about you. How did you overhear their conversation?"

"I was in my office when they came," Dalton confessed. "Don't worry, though. I was well protected." He nodded at his mother, who smiled slightly.

"And why didn't you want to tell us, Athena?" Albus looked intently at his daughter. "Surely you knew that this was important information."

"Of course I did!" Athena yelled. "But I can't stand the way you all look at me ever since we got involved with the trials. You're all disappointed in me, and it's too much to bear. If I had told you about this, it would have been even more reason for you to get angry with me!"

In moments like these, Minerva was reminded that for all that life had put them through, Dalton and Athena were still only nineteen years old.

"We still would like to help," Minerva said firmly. "Can we ensure your offices are secure?"

"I enlisted Ro to help with that already," Dalton replied. He flashed a half-smile at his mother. "Ro is allowed down there, as a past Unspeakable. I know you two are powerful, but I didn't want to risk the attention that you two would get."

"Clever boy," Minerva said fondly. "Ro, for all of her Quidditch-driven craziness, is quite good with her wand. She'll be able to help."

"Dalton, I hate to ask," Albus interjected, "but did these men give any information away? Did you happen to catch their names?"

Dalton nodded. "Macnair and Yaxley. Do those names mean anything to you?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged a long look before Albus finally responded, "Yes, I know who they are."

"They said that Riddle was in Albania, but that's the only other bit of information they gave away," Dalton supplied. "I don't know if that means anything, though. I mean, Uncle Cal told us that he had been sent away. He had to go somewhere."

Instantly, the cogs in Albus' brain began to turn.

"Albania?" Albus mused quietly. "Well, that's an interesting development."

Minerva wanted to ask him more, but she knew there was a more pressing matter.

"Athena," Minerva said gently, "aside from all of this, I want to know how you're faring. Are your sessions with your Mind-Healer still going well?"

"Yes." Athena stiffened. "Why?"

"Because you were reading a book at a party," Minerva pointed out. "I was proud of you for even going, but I can't imagine it's helpful to hide away from everyone like that."

"I'm more concerned with what she was reading," Dalton interjected bluntly.

"Whose side are you on?" Athena whispered harshly. "You should care more about me."

"I'm telling them because I care about you!" Dalton exclaimed. He turned to their parents. "Ma, Albus: Athena wants to travel somewhere in time. Permanently!"

"Please tell me you're not seriously considering it, Athena," Minerva said. She tried to keep her voice from sounding too accusatory. "I don't know what I would do without you here. And think of Dalton: what would he do without you here?"

"He'd be with me," Athena responded resolutely. "We can only go together. The Unspeakables have discovered something while studying us, and they want to combine it with some time travel research. Either we go together, or we don't go at all."

"Dalton?" Minerva cried. She turned to her son. "You're not seriously considering this, are you?"

"I don't want to go, Ma, but..."

"But what?" Minerva asked, horrified.

"Athena's unhappy! I don't want to go through life with an unhappy wife," Dalton said, somewhat embarrassed. "She'll begrudge me for life if we don't go."

"Dalton, how could you let her read a book about it? Why was she allowed to get to this point?" Albus demanded.

Minerva thought that was a bit unfair, but she stayed silent.

Dalton shrugged wearily. "Albus, I had hoped that she'd let the fascination go once she learned more. I agreed to attend a meeting about it with Dawlish, and that's when she got the book."

"Think of what we could uncover!" Athena's eyes gleamed, and for a moment, Minerva was reminded that Athena was Albus' daughter, complete with the same thirst for knowledge. "Everything we'd learn!"

"Except we wouldn't quite know that we were learning it," Dalton corrected. "Remember, we would completely forget our lives here. We wouldn't know that we had done anything remarkable."

"You're actually considering this," Minerva said numbly, looking between Athena and Dalton. "You seriously think this is a good idea."

"Min, if you knew grief, then you would know why I can't live like this anymore!" Athena glared at her pseudo-mother. "You should understand my desire for life to be different."

"Athena, I understand grief, but removing yourself from this timeline isn't the answer!" Minerva was dangerously close to screaming, so she took a deep breath. "I know grief. I have lost a husband and a sister, as well as friends and fellow Aurors before and during the war. Your pain may be great, but be careful when making assumptions about others, darling."

"Albus, you've stayed silent," Dalton said nervously. "Don't you have any thoughts?

"Oh, I have many, many thoughts," Albus spat. "Athena, you do realize that you are willing to inflict upon us"—here he gestured to himself and Minerva—"the same pain that you are wrestling with now? You wouldn't be here anymore! For us, it would be as though you were dead!

"And what about where you two would go? You say you don't know when in time it would be. What if you two weren't together?"

"That's the least of my worries, Dad," Athena said calmly. "They want us together because of our bond. We'll be sent to the same place."

"There's no guarantee that you'd end up together again!"

"Dad, the Ministry knows what it's doing," Athena said firmly. "They have ways of ensuring we would end up married again. I can't tell you what they are, but they can."

Albus clenched his jaw. "I will not have my daughter's life controlled by the Ministry!"

"I wouldn't even be your daughter anymore!"

"Enough!" Minerva roared, finally at her wit's end. She waited until Athena and Albus had settled, then said, "Athena, that was a despicable thing to say."

"It's the truth," Athena said, shrugging.

Her indifference was beginning to scare Minerva.

"Let's leave all that behind for a moment," Minerva began, "and I want you to think about us for a moment. What if we encountered you in the past? Would it be like you were never born? What would happen? If you went into the future, or even the recent past, would we have to meet you and know that you're our children, while you two would just be completely oblivious?"

"We don't know the answers to any of that," Dalton sighed. "There's no way to control any of it."

"Please don't do this," Minerva begged. "Please, do not leave us. I won't be able to live not knowing where you are. Not knowing if you're safe."

She felt the tears coming, and she knew she had to leave.

"I can't do this anymore," Minerva whispered, more to Albus than anyone else. She stood. "I can't prevent you from doing this, but I will fight it during every interaction we have. I can't do this—I can't lose you. Albus, I think I'll be going home now."

Albus stood beside her and took hold of her elbow, ready to lead her outside. "I hope you both think about your actions," he said firmly to their offspring.

Albus and Minerva had only just made it outside when Dalton caught up to them.

"Ma!" Dalton gasped. "Ma, please, wait."

"Dalton, I can't listen to you try to justify throwing your life away," Minerva said, her voice broken. "You're nineteen, and you want to completely become someone else? Darling, you haven't seen enough of life. I know you've been through hardships, but starting again and putting me through hell isn't the answer."

"Ma, trust me when I say I don't want to lose you. I love you." As if to prove it, he wrapped his arms around his mother and held her tightly. "I don't want to stop being me. I like being half McGonagall and half Scrimgeour. I love my friends and my job, and aside from the whole "Riddle's after my entire family" thing, I quite enjoy my life."

"Then why?" Minerva whispered into his shoulder. "Why is this even a consideration?"

"Because I don't think Athena will ever recover if we stay here," Dalton said simply. "Losing Aidan was too much for her. I love her so much that I'm willing to lose everything—including her, if it's what makes her happy."

"It hasn't even been six months," Albus protested. "Surely you can wait a bit longer. She might surprise us all and get better."

Dalton shook his head. "Albus, with all due respect, you're not here every day. Her moods are mercurial, and now that she knows there is a way to change her situation—no matter how drastic—she wants to do so."

"Promise me you'll reconsider," Minerva pleaded. She withdrew from Dalton's embrace and gripped his face. "Please."

"Dalton, is she in danger? Would she...would she hurt herself if you didn't leave?" Albus asked, his voice quiet.

"I'm not sure, but I can't say for sure that she wouldn't," Dalton said finally after a moment. "She feels like she can't live with the grief."

"Then I want you to march back in there now and keep an eye on her." Albus closed his eyes. "And let us know if you need help."

Dalton nodded, kissed his mother on the cheek, and ran back into the Manor.

Minerva and Albus managed to remain calm as they Apparated back to Hogwarts and walked quietly through the halls back to Minerva's quarters. By this point, it was early morning, and Minerva felt more exhausted than she had in a very long time. Once they were safely in her living room, Minerva threw herself on the couch and closed her eyes.

"Can I get you anything, my dear?" She knew Albus was in the same room, but his voice felt far away. "Can I help?"

"We're utterly helpless in this situation, Al. Our children feel the need to depart from this timeline, and therefore our lives, because of bloody Tom Riddle." Minerva let loose a ragged scream. "I should have bloody murdered him during that tournament! I should have done something sooner! Merlin knows we fought him often enough! I don't know what I'll do if they leave us, Al, I really don't."

Minerva heard Albus sigh, and then she felt the couch sag as he sat down beside her. "You would do what you always do when life deals you a terrible hand of cards. You would keep going, and soldier on."

"But what if I didn't want to?" Minerva sat up and stared at him, her eyes red. "I've lost too many people in my life to handle losing my son, too. I can't keep being Minerva McGonagall, who always keeps a cool head, because my entire life would fall apart!"

"I know," Albus murmured. He gently pulled her arm so that she lay in his lap. "I know."

"How can you be so calm?" Minerva whispered against his stomach.

"Next time you go to the Manor, you'll find one of the trees out front has been scorched off the earth. I may have released quite a bit of accidental magic when we Apparated." Albus lightly scratched her scalp. "I'm anything but calm, my dear. I don't want to lose them any more than you do."

"Can't you stop it? Can't you be Albus Dumbledore and barge into the Ministry and demand they cease with these trials?"

"I could, but then our children would probably get the sack for revealing Ministry secrets," Albus said, sighing. "I can't imagine that would make them more likely to stay."

Minerva snorted. "Perhaps not."

"I'm sorry that my daughter seems to be roping your son into permanent time travel," Albus whispered.

"Don't be. They've been inseparable since they were in diapers. That they would do this together is the least surprising part of all of this."

"I wish I could have helped Athena more," Albus said, and Minerva heard real worry in his voice. "I fear that I've failed her."

"Albus, this is not your fault." Minerva turned so she could see his face. "Al, Athena is ill, and her illness is leading her to make decisions that she normally wouldn't make. Whatever happens, it's not because of you. This decision rests with our children."

"Then we shall hope for the best together," Albus declared as he took her hand in his.

A few weeks later, Callum was in his office at the Ministry when he received an unexpected visitor.

"Ro? To what do I owe this pleasure?" Callum asked, inviting Ro to take a seat.

"I just thought I'd take a stroll through my old stomping ground," Ro said, shrugging. She was under strict orders from Dalton not to tell anyone that she had safeguarded his office. "I visited Dalton, so I figured I might as well see you while I'm here."

"Thanks for thinking of me." Callum grinned. "As you can see," he said, gesturing at his desk that was overflowing with papers, "I clearly could use a break."

"Evidently," Ro laughed, smirking. "I can't say I miss Ministry bureaucracy."

"No, but now you have my sister watching your every move," Callum teased. "I have one more urgent letter to deal with, but then perhaps we could go for lunch?"

"Food sounds good to me," Ro agreed. "What's this letter about?"

Callum quickly scanned the contents. "The research branch needs my approval for permanent time travel."

Ro snorted. "What poor sucker is being sent in time now?"

"Not one sucker. A couple."

Ro raised her eyebrows. "That couple must have a death wish."

"Ro, I know you don't approve of time travel and that you wouldn't choose to uproot your life, but some people want to become someone else."

"I wish I could tell them that being someone else isn't all it's cracked up to be," Ro grumbled.

Callum smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you who this is. I'm not even allowed to know who this is. I just sign the paperwork."

"You're going to sign it then?" Ro laughed. "Send two people off to their doom?"

"I certainly wouldn't let my own children do it," Callum admitted, "but the research department has a strong vetting process. I'm in no position to deny willing participants."

"Well, get on with it so we can go to lunch." Ro gestured at the letter.

"Okay, okay." Callum picked up a quill, signed his name, and then picked up his official stamp, unwittingly sealing the fate of his niece and nephew.