EXTRA LONG CHAPPIE...
***
"See," Minerva said, leaning heavily on her husband's desk.
"Noctua, it is a secret that… that we are married."
"What?"
Noctua's jaw dropped, and she frowned.
"I am sorry, Auntie- maybe I shouldn't be shocked, but I am. I mean- why?"
Minerva sighed.
"Why… yes, I see. See, Noctua, that is a long, long story…"
Albus Dumbledore interrupted her dryly.
"No, Tabby my dear, it isn't. Just one word says it all. Voldemort."
Noctua swallowed and raised her eyebrows.
"I see."
But Minerva shook her head slowly.
"It wasn't You-Know-Who, Albus. At least- not in the very beginning."
She sighed and sat down next to her husband and looked up at her niece.
"In the beginning," she spoke flatly. "It was about the ministry of magic and well- the Governors. Would they accept a relationship between a Headmaster and his Deputy? Would they accept a relationship between these two persons, especially when they had already once almost caused a serious scandal?"
Noctua frowned and looked at her Uncle and Aunt.
"A scandal? What scandal?"
Minerva blushed slightly.
"Well- in my seventh year- the Yule Ball- a mistletoe… We were then- well, already amorously involved, and since Albus had been my teacher…"
Noctua laughed.
"Auntie, and I- and I who thought that I knew you. A scandal! My god, it's really- kind of amazing…"
Albus smiled lovingly.
"Yes," he then said. "Minerva is indeed a very amazing woman."
"Oh Albus, stop it." snapped Minerva angrily, her cheeks now a strange sort of bright red.
Albus smiled and laid an arm around her shoulders.
"Okay dear, your evil husband will shut up. Shall we then continue telling Noctua why our marriage had to be kept secret?"
Minerva nodded practically.
"Yes. You see, Noctua, we were married very early- well, in my first year of teaching at Hogwarts. Only a few friends and close relatives knew it. We could not reveal it… We simply couldn't. The rumors- and a very conservative Minister of Magic.... Yet, when Fudge came, we thought…"
"And, then- Voldemort…" Albus completed sadly. Minerva nodded.
"You-Know-Who came, and we knew it was over. We were both very active in the battle against him- he was frightened of Albus, and-"
"But I still think that he was frightened of you as well."
Minerva snorted.
"Albus, he was not frightened of me. I am-"
"The most powerful witch of your time, my dear. And you even frighten me sometimes."
Minerva rolled her eyes, but Albus looked at Noctua, still very serious.
"You see, Noctua, we could not marry. We couldn't not take the risk that he would try to hurt the one just to hurt the other as well. We were stronger on our own. So we kept it a secret…"
"It was hard, you know," Minerva muttered.
Albus smiled and kissed her softly on her cheek.
"Dear," he then said. "my dear, beloved Tabby, I couldn't, couldn't, couldn't take the risk. We couldn't take the risk. I would never have forgiven myself if he had done something to you…"
Minerva raised one eyebrow, in that very typical way of hers.
"Albus, I have known Tom Riddle and I know that I could perfectly take care of-"
But the Headmaster raised his hand.
"Dear, you know it is nonsense you're saying. We've had this discussion so many times. You have known Tom Riddle, but you have not known Voldemort. Our decision was the hardest thing I have ever done, but it was right. You are brave, Minerva, you are a real successor of Godric Gryffindor himself, but-"
"I know our decision was right, Albus. I know I have not known You-Know-Who. I know we were right. Yet, I would- I have dreamt for so long…"
She remained silent, and Albus grabbed her hand and squeezed it softly.
"I know, Minerva. I love you."
She smiled bravely.
"I know. I love you as well."
She blushed then, and looked at her niece, again.
"You see, my dear Noctua, that is why we did not reveal our marriage. in fact," she added bitterly. "we destroyed all evidence of it. It felt terrible, but it was- was our sacrifice for the battle against Voldermort."
But there was a twinkle in Albus' eyes.
"Not all evidence, my dear. I have- I have kept one paper, a copy of the official…"
Minerva glanced at him quickly.
"Have you?"
"I have."
"I don't know why, but it makes me feel better somehow. We are married. There is still evidence that… but I think you, young lady, need to sleep." she added, as Noctua oppressed a yawn.
Albus stood up and smiled.
"I will show you where you can sleep, my dear, until next week, you will be sorted and you can sleep with the other sixth-year girls. Follow me."
And she followed.
Review, Please ???
***
"See," Minerva said, leaning heavily on her husband's desk.
"Noctua, it is a secret that… that we are married."
"What?"
Noctua's jaw dropped, and she frowned.
"I am sorry, Auntie- maybe I shouldn't be shocked, but I am. I mean- why?"
Minerva sighed.
"Why… yes, I see. See, Noctua, that is a long, long story…"
Albus Dumbledore interrupted her dryly.
"No, Tabby my dear, it isn't. Just one word says it all. Voldemort."
Noctua swallowed and raised her eyebrows.
"I see."
But Minerva shook her head slowly.
"It wasn't You-Know-Who, Albus. At least- not in the very beginning."
She sighed and sat down next to her husband and looked up at her niece.
"In the beginning," she spoke flatly. "It was about the ministry of magic and well- the Governors. Would they accept a relationship between a Headmaster and his Deputy? Would they accept a relationship between these two persons, especially when they had already once almost caused a serious scandal?"
Noctua frowned and looked at her Uncle and Aunt.
"A scandal? What scandal?"
Minerva blushed slightly.
"Well- in my seventh year- the Yule Ball- a mistletoe… We were then- well, already amorously involved, and since Albus had been my teacher…"
Noctua laughed.
"Auntie, and I- and I who thought that I knew you. A scandal! My god, it's really- kind of amazing…"
Albus smiled lovingly.
"Yes," he then said. "Minerva is indeed a very amazing woman."
"Oh Albus, stop it." snapped Minerva angrily, her cheeks now a strange sort of bright red.
Albus smiled and laid an arm around her shoulders.
"Okay dear, your evil husband will shut up. Shall we then continue telling Noctua why our marriage had to be kept secret?"
Minerva nodded practically.
"Yes. You see, Noctua, we were married very early- well, in my first year of teaching at Hogwarts. Only a few friends and close relatives knew it. We could not reveal it… We simply couldn't. The rumors- and a very conservative Minister of Magic.... Yet, when Fudge came, we thought…"
"And, then- Voldemort…" Albus completed sadly. Minerva nodded.
"You-Know-Who came, and we knew it was over. We were both very active in the battle against him- he was frightened of Albus, and-"
"But I still think that he was frightened of you as well."
Minerva snorted.
"Albus, he was not frightened of me. I am-"
"The most powerful witch of your time, my dear. And you even frighten me sometimes."
Minerva rolled her eyes, but Albus looked at Noctua, still very serious.
"You see, Noctua, we could not marry. We couldn't not take the risk that he would try to hurt the one just to hurt the other as well. We were stronger on our own. So we kept it a secret…"
"It was hard, you know," Minerva muttered.
Albus smiled and kissed her softly on her cheek.
"Dear," he then said. "my dear, beloved Tabby, I couldn't, couldn't, couldn't take the risk. We couldn't take the risk. I would never have forgiven myself if he had done something to you…"
Minerva raised one eyebrow, in that very typical way of hers.
"Albus, I have known Tom Riddle and I know that I could perfectly take care of-"
But the Headmaster raised his hand.
"Dear, you know it is nonsense you're saying. We've had this discussion so many times. You have known Tom Riddle, but you have not known Voldemort. Our decision was the hardest thing I have ever done, but it was right. You are brave, Minerva, you are a real successor of Godric Gryffindor himself, but-"
"I know our decision was right, Albus. I know I have not known You-Know-Who. I know we were right. Yet, I would- I have dreamt for so long…"
She remained silent, and Albus grabbed her hand and squeezed it softly.
"I know, Minerva. I love you."
She smiled bravely.
"I know. I love you as well."
She blushed then, and looked at her niece, again.
"You see, my dear Noctua, that is why we did not reveal our marriage. in fact," she added bitterly. "we destroyed all evidence of it. It felt terrible, but it was- was our sacrifice for the battle against Voldermort."
But there was a twinkle in Albus' eyes.
"Not all evidence, my dear. I have- I have kept one paper, a copy of the official…"
Minerva glanced at him quickly.
"Have you?"
"I have."
"I don't know why, but it makes me feel better somehow. We are married. There is still evidence that… but I think you, young lady, need to sleep." she added, as Noctua oppressed a yawn.
Albus stood up and smiled.
"I will show you where you can sleep, my dear, until next week, you will be sorted and you can sleep with the other sixth-year girls. Follow me."
And she followed.
Review, Please ???
