~Rainy Day Memories~
Disclaimer: Nope…not mine! See JK Rowling for details! ^_^
Rating: PG
Summary: The battle is over and a new day has dawned. But for Minerva McGonagall, it's raining as she begins a new phase of her life.
Rain pelted the window and each raindrop traced a lonely path down the pane of glass that separated her from the outside world. Burrowing deeper into the warm covers surrounding her body, she released a soft sigh. From the moment her eyelids had opened, she knew today would be a difficult day. The sun would not shine, the birds would not sing, there would be no long walk around the grounds. Everything had changed yesterday and there would be no going back. That much was certain but so many things were left up in the air and that fact worried her a bit. But now was not the time to focus on the uncertainty of the future. She had been given the gift of another day and that was what was most important in life…second chances.
Not willing to pull herself from the comfortable bed, Minerva McGonagall allowed herself to drift back through her memories and find some comfort in them. She remembered the first time she had ever seen the vibrant wizard with the amazing blue eyes. He had taken over the transfiguration classes and from the moment he entered the room, she was utterly captivated by his enthusiasm and intelligence. Quickly scanning the remainder of her Hogwarts education, she noticed that so many of her happiest memories involved him in some way or another. Even back then, he had been a larger than life force in her world.
As a schoolgirl, she looked for ways to impress him with her advanced skills and the culmination had been a successful transformation into a tabby cat, with his help. From that day forward, he had always referred to her as his "kitten", but only privately of course. She had to smile at the nickname. If anyone else had dared suggest such a childish title, she would have more than a mouthful to say. But with him it didn't matter. She was and always would be "his kitten". As long as she was his, everything else was secondary.
From those early days as a student to her first day as a professor their relationship had gone through so many changes. The schoolgirl crush had morphed into a teenage infatuation, which caused its' own set of difficulties for both the professor and the student. The year she turned fifteen, he had sensed a change in her attitude towards him and tried his best to remain her trusted advisor and friend, all the while retaining his professional attitude. He had grown to love her mind during their tutoring sessions and once she graduated, he felt free to pursue a more adult relationship with the fiery young lass that had captured his heart so many years before. And that had been a decision that neither had ever regretted.
Her first year as a Hogwarts professor had been a joy for both of them. He had guided her gracefully through those first difficult weeks. He had comforted her when those lesson plans failed, rejoiced with her in her triumphs, picked up the pieces when the world around her seemed heartless, and held her closely on rainy days such as these. Their days together had slowly turned into glorious years spent as a loving couple, each bringing something unique and energetic into the relationship.
Her days had been so full of laughter back then. Life was fun and exciting. She never knew what to expect from the man of her dreams. He took pleasure in surprising her at a moment's notice. Picnics by the lake, long walks at dusk, cuddling sessions in front of a roaring fire, soft, gentle kisses, nights of longing and desire…all of those things and so many more flooded her mind this morning. Cherished memories stored in her heart where no one could ever take them away from her. She would carry them with her to the grave and beyond.
Flashes of lightning now lit up the dark room and briefly caused her to shudder. Those sudden bursts of light brought so many unpleasant memories to the surface of her mind. Those early days of Voldemort's reign of terror had burned similar images into the minds of every witch and wizard old enough to remember. It would not be an unusual sight to look out a window and see streaks of light in the night sky. Those lights most assuredly meant the death of yet another wizarding family fighting for the side of good. Accompanied by the thunder, Minerva realized that it was not only the flashes of white but also the booming noises that shook her to her very core. Those horrid sounds brought back to life recent events and the devastation that went with it.
So many had suffered needlessly and died as sounds just like those outside the cottage raged their own war overhead. She had fought fiercely beside her husband of decades and together they had made a sizeable dent in their opponents' army. Still, it had been hard to do battle against former students and colleagues. However, it was fight or die and neither was willing to give up so easily. When their students had rushed on the battlefield to aid the professors, it had given them a renewed hope in the future and a surge of energy to continue. Once Harry Potter had cast the final blow to the dark side, there was nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and count their losses.
And the price had been terribly high. Students, professors, colleagues, friends, lovers…all had been lost. Pain filled the heart of everyone as they walked among the wounded or dead. And for Minerva, it was the worst day of her life. Warm tears streamed down her face as the tried to blot those feelings from her thoughts. She had been given a second chance and she had no intentions of squandering them. The price would be too much to pay this time around!
As the storm raged outside, Minerva knew that today would begin a new chapter in her life. She had never considered what her life would be like after the war. She had never felt confident enough to make those types of plans, in case she did not survive. She had hoped to begin this new adventure with bright blue skies, the color of his eyes. But a little rain shower would be fine too. They had made many wonderful memories spending time wrapped in each other's arms on days exactly like this one. With that final set of memories, she made a conscious decision.
"Are you awake, love?" Rolling over to envelop her in his strong arms, Albus Dumbledore lightly nuzzled the neck of his wife. Allowing herself to forget her earlier musings, she smiled and welcomed even more of his advances.
"I am now, my dear. But your hair is wet. Have you been crying already?" Briefly explaining her early morning musings, he pulled her even closer to his warm body as she sighed at the comfort in his embrace.
"I love you Albus!" Kissing him tenderly and with such a contended love, she continued when their lips had parted. "I had not envisioned our first day of retirement like this. I so wanted blue skies, puffy clouds, birds singing. Maybe even a picnic or a stroll around our cottage, not a torrential rainstorm. I allowed my mind to drift through so many years of memories, some good…some not so good. I suppose I got caught up in them and when I reached the battle scenes, I saw so many of our children either wounded or gone forever."
"Minerva, my love, it was their choice to follow the path of darkness and we each must live with our decisions. We cannot waste what time we have left reliving the past. This time is for us…you and me. I have loved you for so many years, it's hard to imagine my life before you seized my heart. Now, I fully intend to make the most of this time we have together and spend every waking moment making you the happiest woman in the world."
"And that's all I've ever wanted for you too, my sweet. I almost lost you during that battle and I vowed to make the rest of our days memorable and loving. I suppose I am just a bit lost today. No classes, no students, no Hogwarts business, no Ministry officials to interrupt our solitude. It's all a bit overwhelming. Filling an occasional day is not so hard, but now we're faced with days upon days of nothing to do. Have you considered what we will do in our old age, Albus?"
"Ahh, my dear. I must say that I have spent so many sleepless nights dreaming of days such as this. Think about it, Minerva. We have nothing but time on our side now. We can lounge about in our own home. We can spend all day wrapped in love, stay up until the sun rises talking or playing chess, drop everything and apparate to an exotic location. The possibilities are endless, my dear! But right now, there is something we can do since it's raining outside."
Lightly stroking her cheek with a long, slender finger, Albus looked deep into her eyes and found volumes of love and adoration staring back at him. Slowly, he moved even closer to her face and gently nibbled at her bottom lip until she closed her eyes in pleasure. A soft moan escaped her as she welcomed his touch. It no longer mattered that the rain pelted the window pane. Or that the lightning flashed or the thunder boomed. Unhappy images flew from her mind. In fact, all coherent thoughts beat a hasty retreat as her senses of touch, taste, and smell took over.
No longer was she the lonely transfiguration professor drowning in memories. She had given up the job of Gryffindor Head of House and Deputy Headmistress. She had relegated her duties to another talented witch…one she had personally trained and groomed to be her protégé. Yes, Hermione would make an excellent replacement and she felt confident leaving her children in the capable hands of someone with such talent. Of course, she would always be available to offer advice and assistance when needed.
But now, she was Mrs. Albus Dumbledore. She was safe, loved, and happy for as long as they both lived. She could begin to make her own dreams come true with the man she had loved since her youth. They could live openly and happily in the wizarding world they had fought so long to save. Albus had promised to make her the center of his world and she had no reason to doubt him. And this morning was proof. As the two lovers expressed their innermost feelings, their love was renewed and their first official day of retirement had only just begun. There would be many more days just like this one to fill and so many things to see and do. But for now, there was only one man and one woman, enjoying all the pleasures that their love had to offer on a rainy day.
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