Disclaimer: We would like this to stay a splinch-free zone so please remember that the world, life and characters of Harry Potter belong solely to JKR. We are merely borrowing them to satisfy the muse that guides us.
Beware-Our Parchment Has Been Charmed To Ward Off Flames.
~~A New Year's Commitment~~
"Oh Albus! That is a brilliant idea! I'm sure they wouldn't mind, especially once I explain things to them. Are you sure that you're comfortable with this? If not, I'll…" Placing a finger across her lips in an effort to silence her, he assured her that it was only the first of many compromises he intended to make during their lives together. Glee filled her heart as she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a thousand tiny kisses all over his face as laughter rang throughout her rooms.
Albus was finishing his plans and placing the last few charms on various objects when he noticed the sun had begun to sink in the horizon. New Years Eve had flown by and it was nearly time to meet Minerva and to start her surprise evening. He had called in quite a few favors in order to take this New Years Eve off but since letting Armando know about their decision, he had been more lenient about allowing them time together away from prying eyes.
Earlier in the day, Minerva had left to inform her parents about their wish to keep their marriage a secret and to start planning the dinner. She had been more than a little suspicious, as he had practically pushed her out the front gates after a lingering kiss. With a time to meet decided, she apparated away and he had rushed back to his rooms and had been working ever since.
Heading down the stairs to the front hall, Albus realized he was more than a little nervous and hoped Minerva would enjoy her surprise. She was already waiting and was in a conversation with Armando Dippet. Albus stopped on the stairs to watch her. Her fluid, graceful movements made her look like she was dancing to a private tune. Her face was set in a very contemplative look that he had come to know well. Suddenly she stilled and looked toward where he was standing. Upon spotting him, her face warmed with a look of love and it caused his heart to beat faster. He quickly joined her and they bid farewell to the Headmaster.
"So, where are we going?" Minerva looked with wide eyes through her lashes at Albus, doing her best to appear innocent.
"I thought we would go on a walk to Hogsmeade and have a butterbeer to celebrate the coming of the New Year." Albus kept his face serious as they strolled hand-in-hand across the snowy grounds.
Minerva arched one eyebrow as she studied her companion out of the corner of her eyes. "And that is why you wanted the whole of the afternoon to yourself?"
Chuckling at the tone of her voice, Albus squeezed her hand and kept walking not saying another word. Minerva decided to keep her peace and let the scene play out. She knew he had something planned and Albus never did anything in small measures.
They arrived in Hogsmeade and were making their way to The Three Broomsticks when Albus suddenly grabbed Minerva and kissed her till she was weak in the knees. Before she could recover, she felt a familiar pulling sensation in the pit of her stomach.
Minerva was stunned at the sight before her. Peasholm Park had been beautiful before but winter had taken and made it magical. Ice covered the trees and snow blanketed the ground. Minerva shivered in the chilly air and Albus quickly untied a pouch at his side and released the enchanted items. Within moments a romantic scene had set itself by the waters edge.
"Surprise!"
Minerva was awed and let Albus lead her to the newly constructed enclosure. It was an odd combination but completely Albus. A thin mosquito netting enclosed a small area, which housed a sofa just large enough for two and an ottoman. As they came closer, she noticed the ottoman had a tray sitting upon it with drinks and snacks. Twilight had set in and the stars glittered as he moved the material aside. As soon as she entered, she noticed a change. The room was comfortably cool and the snow, which now reminded her of the quilt on her bed, was soft and resilient so her shoes no longer sunk in. It was a combination of a winter wonderland and an African safari.
"This is magnificent." Reaching out she drew Albus close until their lips touched. They both settled comfortably onto the couch with Minerva snuggled against his side. They ate a few snacks while conversing about various subjects. It seemed they never ran out of things to talk about or say to one another.
After a while they both fell silent and simply watched the wonders of nature that surrounded them. Minerva noticed that she could see clearly through the netting as if she were in a glass house. A simple but thoughtful touch and it made her appreciate the man next to her all the more. As she drew the blanket Albus had provided closer around her lap, she asked a question which had been on her mind.
"You have done such a beautiful job at creating this moment. May I ask why the room is so cool? Please don't take that as a criticism because I am comfortable but with all the detail I just wondered."
Albus' blue eyes twinkled. "You know my dear, you sounded just like me for a moment. To answer your question, I figured if the air was cooler rather than warmer you would be more likely to curl up against me which is something I always look forward to."
Minerva found herself blushing and scolded herself for acting like a school girl. Especially with a man who was soon to be her husband. She looked down at her ring and was deep in thought when Albus asked the question she most dreaded.
"I have noticed you studying your ring often lately. Is there something wrong?"
Minerva took a deep breath before revealing her feelings. "Well, I know we have decided to keep our engagement and marriage a secret but I have fallen in love with my ring. I hate the thought of no longer being able to wear it everyday. I enjoy looking at it and feeling it against my skin. And in only a short time, it will have to stay locked in a drawer." Minerva couldn't keep the tears from her eyes.
"I am so sorry. I must say that I never thought of that before. You are right, of course, and I admit that I am unhappy as well. I enjoy seeing it on you." Albus was quiet for a long moment before extending his hand. "May I see the ring?"
Albus covered the ring with his hands and he closed his eyes. Soon a golden light emanated from between his fingers. As he revealed his work, Minerva gasped. Sitting in his hand was a beautiful pendant. Three yellow stones arched above a single one that was centered below. Winding around them all was strand of silver.
It wasn't until he leaned forward that she noticed it had a clasp on the back that allowed her to pin it to her robes. "If this is acceptable, I think it will be a beautiful addition to your regular attire."
As Minerva embraced Albus, she heard a loud boom. Looking toward the sky for thunder clouds, she saw a beautiful shower of red sparks. Soon several other fireworks followed and an amazing array of colors was spearing the dark night sky. But that is not what caught Minerva's attention. Instead she was lost in the beauty of the colors reflecting off the snow and ice surrounding them. Slowly she lowered her head to Albus' shoulder, absorbed in the dazzling display that her beloved had created just for her and the love she felt surrounding them both.
Time seemed to stop for them, as it had a habit of doing whenever they were together. The fireworks display seemed to go on forever and with each new burst of color, Albus noticed Minerva's eyes widen with wonder and amazement. With one last outburst of noise and colors, the show ended and in the distance bells were heard tolling the beginning of the New Year.
"Happy New Year, my love." As soon as Albus had spoken the words, his warm lips were covered with the soft touch of Minerva's sweet kiss. Pulling back from his loving arms, Minerva practically beamed with joy and contentment.
"Albus, I love you…and Happy New Year. If anyone had told me at the beginning of this past year that I would spend my New Year's Eve with you, bundled under a blanket, feeling so warm and loved, I would've sent them straight to St. Mungo's for evaluation. Thank you for making this evening so perfect. I wish it didn't have to end." As she pulled Albus' head towards her own for another display of affection, she could feel his hands rubbing gently on her back and familiar longings took hold of her entire being. "Albus, as much as I am enjoying this outing, why don't we go back to Hogwarts and finish our evening with a truly private celebration to start the New Year."
"Ah, my dear. That sounds like an excellent idea and one that I would be more than willing to accept." As soon as he said the words, Minerva noticed a broad smile and a mischievous twinkle appear in his eyes. Raising an eyebrow to silently question his new expression, he explained. "You know, Minerva, they say that whatever you are doing when the New Year arrives is what you will be doing all year long."
The look that blanketed Minerva's face was one that Albus had never seen before. He was unsure whether it was good or bad, but when he heard what she was thinking, he knew that his life would be forever blessed because of her love and laughter in his daily routine.
With a seductive smile on her lips and a hunger in her eyes, Minerva wasted no time in voicing her new idea. "You know I am not one for superstitions or old sayings but I don't think we need to take a chance on this one. Suppose we go back to your office and use the time-turner to take us back an hour or so?"
This time, it was Albus who had the puzzled look on his face. Leaning close so that her breath caressed his ears as she spoke, she explained, in a tone barely above a whisper, that if they were to go back in time for at least one hour, she could shower him with love and adoration while ringing in the New Year together…in more ways than one. And with that, Albus scooped her into his arms as he activated the portkey, while nibbling on her ear as their passions were awakened.
The next few days seemed to pass by more quickly than either had imagined possible. It wouldn't be long before the students returned from their holiday and the carefree days would be over for the two professors. Classes, meetings, papers, and various other duties would occupy so much of their time. However, each had vowed to make time for the other, no matter how busy the day might be.
On the last day of the holiday a meeting had been scheduled for Albus and Minerva with the Headmaster. They felt that they needed to meet with him to discuss the specifics of their relationship before the new term began.
"Armando, thank you for meeting with us this afternoon. We appreciate everything you have done for us." Albus paused and took Minerva's hand within his own. "But we are most thankful that you saw past our bickering and forced us to face the underlying truths that were hidden from our eyes. Without your interference in this matter, we might not have found each other." Stealing a glance at his beautiful lady, he turned to Armando, "And I cannot imagine my life without her in it."
Minerva smiled at him and he was almost certain she winked as well. "Yes, Headmaster Dippet. I must agree with Albus. At first, I was angry with you for forcing us to spend the day together but without that little nudge, I doubt seriously that we would be standing before you today as a couple in love."
Pride shown on Armando Dippet's face and a hint of satisfaction could be heard in his voice as he spoke. "I must admit, I shocked myself with this outcome. I had hoped that you would become friends and in my wildest dreams I imagined you two might fall hopelessly in love. But I never expected it to happen in a matter of months. However, you must understand that once the students return from their vacations, things will need to be kept to a professional level. What you do in your free time is, of course, your own business. But I would expect the personal aspects of your relationship to be kept away from the eyes of the students."
Albus and Minerva both nodded their heads in agreement. They had privately come to several decisions on the logistics of their new lives together and felt that it was best to let the Headmaster know of their intent. Since Albus had been friends with Armando for years, Minerva had no problem in letting him speak for both of them.
"Armando, Minerva and I have had this discussion and we feel it is important to let you know exactly how things stand." Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Armando felt a bit uneasy but in the back of his mind, he trusted Albus to do the right thing.
"We both realize that we have grown accustomed to spending most of our time with each other during the last few months. Our work and our lectures have not suffered because of this. In fact, we both seem to have found a new zest for teaching and our students have even noticed our renewed enthusiasm. As a result, do not be surprised to find us working late, together. We will, of course observe the proper behaviors in front of our colleagues and students…no need to fear a public display of affection from either of us. We are simply not that kind of couple."
"Albus, I did not expect you and Minerva to stop spending all of your time together. That would be a cruel thing for me to even suggest and I am positive that I do not want to upset either of you…especially our gifted witch who has shown us both that she is not afraid to tackle any situation." As he cast a whimsical look at Minerva, she found a new courage and began to speak on their behalf.
"Headmaster, may I say something?" Armando assured her that she may speak freely. "Albus and I are planning a wedding for the summer. We will, of course, keep our marriage a secret, as much as possible, from the wizarding world. After a lengthy discussion on the matter, we decided that rather than risk the life of the other, we would willingly sacrifice a public marriage for a private ceremony. I will not take his last name, nor will I wear a wedding band. As far as anyone knows, we will simply be the best of friends." Having said that, she turned to face Albus and meeting his gaze with her own, she resumed her speech.
"We are asking for your cooperation in this matter and I am sure that you will understand our reasoning. We love each other very much and now that we have discovered the real person behind the angry words and nasty displays of tempers, we know that it would be impossible to remain simply friends. We promise to keep our love a secret from the students and staff, but it was important for both of us to let you know that we will be together, no matter what happens."
Pausing for one last deep breath, Minerva finished her words to Armando. "Of course, you understand that our weekends will be ours, entirely. We want it understood that while we will be available for our students, we will also make time for each other. If that is going to be a problem, please say so now so that we may address the situation."
A sigh of relief passed the lips of Armando Dippet. He had feared so many things with this new love between his friend and the most talented witch he had seen in decades. In truth, he had to admit that he had been more than a bit worried at the prospect of the couple making their feelings public. He had underestimated their sense of duty and overall level headedness. They had managed to embrace both ends of the spectrum…hatred to love…in only a few months and he couldn't be happier for them.
"Albus, Minerva, I appreciate your coming to me in this manner. Rest assured that I will do everything within my powers to see that your secret remains just that…a secret. You can also count on my full cooperation in regards to your teaching careers and duties and if you think of anything else you might need from me, please do not hesitate to ask. I must say that I am pleased with the outcome of my little plan."
A chuckle floated across the chilled room as Armando explained his intentions. "I had hoped that by forcing the two of you to spend the day together, you might come to an understanding and put aside your childish behavior. In the back of my mind, I believe I saw the potential for so much more between you. Having you spend the day together was not my original intention; it must have been my subconscious speaking up."
Looks of disbelief overtook Albus and Minerva as his words sunk in. "Oh yes, I had toyed with the idea of having you duel until one of you conceded defeat, but I realized how deadly that could be. Then, I felt that a separation was in order. Unfortunately, that was not a solution to the problem, only a quick fix. Once I saw the way you stared at each other, I had the idea of forcing you to spend that first day together. What a stroke of luck that you were able to work past your differences to discover so much more." Wiping away a small tear from his eyes, Armando quickly dismissed them, but not before urging them to make the most of what little time they had left since the students returned the following day.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing! To answer a couple of questions: They have decided to not make their relationship public-it will be our little secret. ^_^ And we have approximately 22 chapter in total. The one you just read is number 17! So we are almost to the end and are mourning already :-( We know the ending-and have for awhile-and hope you love it as much as we do. Please keep those reviews coming! We know this chapter also lacked a bit of the usual drama/excitement but stay tuned. The next chapter includes a visit from the Grim Reaper-much to ours and the character's regret!