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Beware-If flames are sent our floo powder is ready.

~~An Ancient Love~~

"I love you." It took a moment for both of them to realize that they had each spoken the same words at the same time. With their declarations shining in their eyes, Albus pulled Minerva into an embrace. His lips met hers and nothing else needed to be said as they expressed their emotions with soft kisses and gentle caresses.

Early Saturday morning, Albus Dumbledore sat on a fallen log at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Fawkes was perched on his shoulder and was singing a rather pretty tune as they waited for their companion to join them. A few minutes later, a tabby cat came out of nowhere and started to purr and rub against the Transfiguration professor's legs.

"Greetings to you as well, my dear."

Fawkes stopped his song and peered down at the animal before him. A few harsh chirps were emitted and Albus laughed. "I believe Fawkes prefers your other form, Minerva."

The cat before them transformed and Minerva stroked Fawkes feathers. "I am sorry Fawkes. Besides, I would be no challenge to you. You are much too smart and swift to fall victim to an average house-cat."

Her little speech seemed to work because Fawkes turned his head into her hand and then went about finishing the tune from earlier. Albus and Minerva gave each other a sideways glance before heading for a walk hand-in-hand. The forest was beautiful this time of year with the different color leaves. A cool breeze swirled around the couple causing them to move closer together.

Albus lead them out of the forest and across the grounds. Minerva followed along and it took a while to realize that they had left the area with which she was familiar. However, Albus' step never faltered. "Albus, where are we headed?"

Albus turned to look at her and stopped only for a moment. "I thought I would take you to a special place which I discovered many years ago. You may find it interesting especially with your fascination about the history of Hogwarts."

Her curiosity was piqued and she eagerly looked around trying to find obvious markers in case she would like to visit again. But, everything looked the same. After all the time she spent out of doors, she found it rather odd and decided this part of the grounds must be deeply enchanted so visitors would be unable to find their way to whatever Albus was going to show her. And that led her to question why Albus seemed like he knew exactly where they were going. Before she could form the question, he led her straight towards a thorn bush.

He stopped before the prickly plant and Minerva raised an eyebrow. "This is what was so special?!"

"You don't like it? I thought it was a fascinating species. They don't grow in the United Kingdom normally. It prefers a more tropical climate." The death-glare he was receiving made him give up the charade. He couldn't keep the twinkle from his eyes as he revealed the truth. "Stand back a little."

As Minerva moved away from the bush, she could not help a look of suspicion. "This had better be worth the long trek."

Albus' only reply was an uttered incantation and a sweeping wave of his wand. "Where there were two, now stands one, a golden glow, just like the sun, two hearts, two souls, two wands, one love."

A spark emitted from the wand and a golden glow spread over the bush as the scenery changed before her eyes. A grassy field lay before them, as if it was a bright, summer day In the center, was a gigantic, bare-limbed golden tree and it was surrounded by a rainbow of colorful flowers. A stream gurgled nearby and Minerva's breath was taken away. How ever had Albus stumbled across this?

Fawkes who had been mostly quiet, flew to the top-most branches and landed, settling down for what looked like a long rest. "Fawkes was the one to show me this place. We were wandering the grounds, as I was apt to do in the past, and when I reached this bush, Fawkes landed and dropped a piece of parchment on the ground. I never noticed he was even carrying it. I picked it up and this incantation was written. I said the words and this place appeared. The tree was planted by Godric Gryffindor when the school was founded. There is a plaque which states a few dates of note and is signed by Godric and a scroll on one side tells a story."

Minerva rushed toward the tree to read the tale but stopped before treading on the beautiful flowers. Albus came up and withdrew his wand, which was now a golden color that matched the tree before them. Minerva's eyes widened in surprise and she looked up at the man she loved. "I found it strange as well when I first realized what had happened. There is something about it in the poem. It says two wands were made from the wood of this tree. It is a love letter, from Godric to Rowena, I believe. Whenever I come here, my wand becomes the color of its' source."

Albus waved his now gold wand and transfigured a bridge and they both stepped across. Minerva reached out and her fingers brushed the amazingly soft bark. She felt a surge of power and a rushing sound in her ears. As she moved around the branches, she saw a small bit of parchment attached to the trunk of the tree and leaned in close to read it.

In this glade true love was born

Back when the world was new

It started on a crisp, fall morn'

And o'er the years it grew

Love and passion did it see

But never did it tell

How two young lovers came one night

And cast a perfect spell

Two hearts and minds became one soul

And through a special bond

The tree presented a gift of wood

To make a true love's wand

The two lived long and happy lives

Never far apart

Until the day that death did come

And broke the other's heart

For years the gift has been alone

Look at one wand and see

Now lift yours closer to the trunk

And its' true form see.

Minerva was fascinated by the poem and had unconsciously read it out loud. She went on to look for the plaque with the date and inscription from Godric but was interrupted by Albus. "Minerva, the last verse, are you sure it is correct?"

"Yes, of course I am. It reads: For years the gift has been alone, look at one wand and see, now lift yours closer to the trunk, and its' true form see." She was a bit irritated at his questioning but his reason, when revealed, caused her to completely forget about the inscription for which she had been searching.

"How peculiar, every time I have read the poem in the past, it had a different ending. It always read the same. Half the story you now know, just watch your wand and see, but not until your heart doth sing, will this make sense to thee. Minerva, bring out your wand and point it at the tree."

Albus had never been so excited. Minerva brought out her wand and held it towards the tree. When the tip touched, the wand began to glow an intense golden color. Albus took his wand out and it was glowing as well. Their eyes met and a cascade of emotions danced across both their faces. Fawkes' trilling interruption caused them to look up. In the sky, glowing words from the poem appeared and started to break apart. Each letter multiplied into brightly colored leaves, which started to adorn the once-barren golden branches.

Albus had quietly moved behind Minerva and embraced her as they watched the pieces fit together. A peaceful calm overtook them both as the last leaf fluttered into place. They stood perfectly still for several minutes. Minerva made the first move and turned around never losing contact with his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips against his. When she broke away, love was shining in his eyes. Hands clasped together, they left the secluded grove and started back towards the castle in silence.

The walk had taken longer than expected, as each was lost in their own thoughts. On the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they paused for a moment. Albus swept Minerva into his arms and allowed his love and passion to flow through him. She quivered with delight in response to his touch.

"Ummm, Professor Dumbledore sir, yeh haven't happened to see a thestral tromping around have yeh?"

The professors jumped apart at the sound of Hagrid's booming voice. "No Hagrid, we haven't seen one anywhere. Is anything wrong?"

Hagrid looked a bit embarrassed and the red of his cheeks was only matched by Minerva's. "I'm sorry but I didn' see yeh Professor McGonagall. Only saw the back of Professor Dumbledore as I came 'round the corner."

Albus tried to end the awkward position they all found themselves in by pressing forward. "About the thestral Hagrid, is there something the matter?"

Hagrid snapped out of his embarrassment at the mention of the creature. "He was a bit hurt and I've been tryin' to locate him for about an hour now. He is a slippery little beast. Well, I guess I'll be on my way. Have a nice day professors."

Hagrid quietly walked away and Minerva turned to Albus. "For such a large man, Hagrid can certainly be as quiet as a mouse."

Albus laughed uproariously at the indignation in Minerva's voice. Extending his arm, Albus led Minerva back to the castle. They were expected for lunch and didn't have much time, even if they hurried. Albus made a note to talk to Hagrid about seeing them in the forest. The last thing they needed was for the student body to start spreading rumors, even if they would all be true.

Fall had slowly faded away and the chill of winter was now upon them. The last couple of months with Minerva had been a blur of happiness. Albus sat by the fire in his sitting room and waited patiently. A smile curved his lips and his thoughts were on a beautiful, green-eyed witch.

"Excuse me, is this the home of the famous Albus Dumbledore?" Startled out of his thoughts, Albus glanced at the fire. He knelt down so he could be face to face with his brother. Looking at Alberforth was nearly like looking in a mirror.

"Aberforth, you old goat, it is about time you showed up." Albus smiled in spite of his stern voice. "What are you up to these days? And what is all that ruckus in the background?"

"Dearest brother, I am the same as always. It is funny you should mention goats. Never mind that, a scientist does what he loves for all time. You are the only one who has deserted the field. And after such an amazing discovery, it is a shame. I suppose we shall never know what possessed you to teach. At least Hogwarts is respectable unlike some of the other wizarding schools."

"Aberforth, please let us not argue again. It has been years since I started teaching. Surely even you cannot hold a grudge for this long." Albus shook his head at the look of outrage on his brother's face.

"I do not hold grudges and never have. I am unjustly accused."

Deciding the conversation was not worth pursuing, Albus decided to get to the point of the meeting. "In any case, I take it that you received my owl. Do you have the ring?"

Aberforth's smile told Albus all he needed to know. His heart was suddenly pounding and his palms felt clammy. His brother held out the ring and it sparkled wildly in the firelight. With an unsteady hand, Albus grasped the ring and took it from him.

"Why on earth are you so nervous? It isn't as if you are proposing to me. I am simply delivering the ring. Calm yourself. You don't think she will actually say no? After all who would ever say no to you? You are far too persuasive." Aberforth's grinning head disappeared with his last comment leaving Albus alone in the room.

Albus had almost forgotten the beauty of his family ring. Passed down for generations, it was given to the fist sibling who married. It belonged to Albus now and he couldn't help but think that it had been waiting all this time for Minerva. The silver still gleamed like new and the center princess cut diamond was flanked on either side by shining green emeralds. The inscription on the inside of the band said forever.

Christmas was only a few weeks away and Albus was hoping to propose to Minerva on its' eve. They had both decided to stay at Hogwarts during the holiday and spend it together. Minerva's family would stop by for a short visit and Albus was a little nervous at meeting them. He hoped the good stories about him would outweigh the bad from previous years. He moved the ring to a safe place and went into his room to retire for the night.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews from A Strategic Move. You brighten our days with your reviews and they motivate us to update quickly. We are thankful that you are enjoying the story and we hope you will stick with us until the end. So please keep those comments coming! And just to give you a little hint…we have even started discussions on another story…so wish us luck with that! And petriebird18…we hope this answered your 'wand' question from chapter 2.  ^_^

We thought now was as good a time as any…WARNING…WARNING…angst will follow in the next couple of chapters. Yes, up ahead we have troubled waters for our lovely couple and we thought it only fair to prepare you. Please, keep them in your thoughts as they work through…well, it wouldn't be fair to tell you that much :-)