Thirty-four years later found Minerva once again on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, ready to fulfill the promise she'd made to Albus years ago. A promise she felt most acutely when Nicodemus proposed marriage to her at twenty-four. A promise that he had accepted, but maybe not understood. She remembered well the sadness she felt on his account, though she'd never given him any reason to hope for anything between them.

Now however, she stood looking at everything feeling like it had only been yesterday that she'd left Hogwarts at seventeen. Sighing with a happiness she'd not had in years, she hoisted her bag and made her way up to the doors and was surprised and pleased to find Albus waiting upon the steps. "It's wonderful to see you again Minerva! Do let me help you with that and I'll show you to your quarters and I daresay you remember where the office is." He greeted her warmly, taking her bag from her. "Thank you very much, I'm glad to be back." She said, though knowing she was more than glad.

She followed him up the familiar staircase and down the halls where everything was very much the same as it had been in her youth. He lead her up to Gryffindor Tower to a doorway she hadn't noticed was there when she'd been a student. She took a look around to find a lovely little sitting area. Following behind Albus, she found herself in a beautifully proportioned bedroom to the right of the sitting room. "Absolutely perfect in a every respect." Minerva declared, taking in the beautiful carved cherry wood bed and matching armoire and nightstand. The room smelled faintly of apples and apricots, and she was sure the aroma was carried out on the wind through the open windows. "I'm delighted that you love it. Even more delighted that you are here again, with me." He said almost whispering the last two words.

Minerva glanced up sharply at Albus, a faint blush on her cheeks. "No more than I when you offered me the post of teaching Transfiguration here, enabling me to be here and with you again, something I had thought would never happen. It was a dream come true to fulfill that promise I'd made to you so many years ago." She told him softly, moving to the window. "You don't know what it means to hear you say that, to know our love is unchanged even though I'm now a barmy old codger." Albus smiled widely, his eyes twinkling. "Though I do wonder if I was wrong to have you make that promise. You could have been free to love someone else. To marry and have children, have a family." He said, suddenly turning serious.

Minerva turned around and looked him squarely in the face. "I told you once before I made that promise even before you asked. I am free to love and I chose you. I may not marry but I'll certainly have children. All those children that I teach, they'll be like my own. I will still know the joys of motherhood. In fact I'll have you know I prefer it this way. Barmy old codger or not, I love you and chose to be here." Minerva told him firmly, her eyes intense. Albus was pleasantly shocked. "Do you really mean that?" He asked, almost goggling at her. "Why yes, I usually don't say things I don't mean." She retorted, turning away from him. She felt rather than saw his eyes on her. "Amazing. You can still give quite a talking to. Even more amazing is someone my age can still learn a thing or two about life and love." Albus said, moving to her.

Turning slightly, Minerva found herself in his embrace. She seemed to melt a little in his arms. Glancing up at her she suddenly caught sight of a familiar ring around his neck. She moved back a little and fingered the ring. "If you need any further proof of my love and devotion to you Albus, I suggest you look at what you are wearing around your neck and realize I too still wear mine." She informed him, revealing the same ring around her own neck. He looked into her eyes and then looked at the ring. "In this light it seems we are already married." He laughed, his hand cupping the side of her neck and his other hand on her shoulder. "It seems so." Minerva laughed softly. As she gazed up at him he moved closer to her and their lips met, softly and gently, in Minerva's first kiss.

Later that evening after she'd presided over the sorting of the first years, she sat beside Albus in the Great Hall feeling content and more than happy with her life. She glanced sideways and to find him smiling a Cheshire cat smile at her. "I take it you found the Lemon Drops I left in your office?" Minerva asked slyly. "Yes, I did and might I have the privilege of thanking you for you generosity?" He responded. "It wasn't generosity, it was my own insanity. I decided to go by the muggle sweetshop and get you some before I arrived here. If you ask me more trouble than it's worth." She countered, sipping from her goblet of pumpkin juice. "Ah, such devotion to me Minerva. I am indeed a lucky man. How many wizards can say that their loves venture into muggle sweetshops for them?" Albus laughed genially. "No wizards that I know, though it may the opposite for Arthur Weasley. Goodness knows he's fascinated by muggles." She remarked, a smirk on her face.

Beneath the table, Minerva felt Albus take her hand. She squeezed his hand and snuck a glance at him. He winked at her and she felt once again that glorious ease and happiness. She felt that life couldn't get any better than this and heartily thanked her lucky stars that enabled her to fulfill her promise. Somehow she knew without asking that Albus felt the same. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, and she found that she did not wish to. It was all she could do to stop herself from floating out of her seat joyfully lightheaded as she was at that moment.

A little while later when the houses were dismissed to bed and the other staff had left the room Minerva was alone for the second time in her life with Albus in the Great Hall. After a long lingering gaze they walked together to the doorway. Before she stepped over the threshold she felt Albus stop beside her. She turned to face him, remembering acutely the memory of years ago and looked up not expecting anything, but was immediately surprised to find mistletoe glistening above them. "Unless I am much mistaken Albus, it's not Christmas yet." Minerva gave him a questioning look. "My dear don't you remember it being said that Christmas should last all year?" Albus laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Yes, I do remember and it seems like providence as I have here a gift for you. I'd meant to give it to you sooner today but forgot to." She said, retrieving from her robes a pair of socks with Lemon Drops designs on them. "Consider this a very early Christmas gift." She told him and handed him the socks. "Thank you so much Minerva, they are lovely, and Lemon Drops on them too. My dear you know me weakness." He said before sweeping her into a second kiss, one more memorable than the first. It was the start of something beautiful.