Author: Lady Nassah
Rating: G
Pairing: Albus/Minerva
Category: Romance/Drama/Suspense
Spoilers: I will go into chapters from Order of the Phoenix, cause I'm trying to keep it in cannon.
Summary: Albus and Minerva reach beyond the grave to tell the greatest love story their ever is. Find out exactly how Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, how he and Minerva got together and how they die as they battle dark wizards and try to survive, secrets, mysteries and deaths.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to JK Rowling. I am gaining nothing from this except reviews and constructive criticism. (Hopefully)
A/N: I'm reposting up these chapters because my newest Beta, Cait has been damned thorough and made the fic a helluva lot better. Co-incidentally, if you're a Lord of the Ring s fan, go check out Cait's site. It's a really interesting tour of Middle-Earth.


Till death do us part

Chapter 1: Beyond the grave

The graves were side by side, and their bodies lay together as they were intended to be. At rest finally, their weary lives gone but not forgotten.

Sarah Dumbledore knelt before the graves of her grandparents. Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. It was part of her weekly routine to come visit them and tell them about her life, even though they couldn't hear.

She liked to think they could, that they were watching over her.

"I broke up with Cameron today. It wasn't working out, I finally realised that with all the hitting and violence, that I didn't love him anymore. I couldn't keep making excuses anymore. He's after me you know. But, I'm going to the police. Both Muggle and wizard, see who'll believe me. Just thought I'd come and tell you. I know you'd probably tell me to get out of their years ago, but I couldn't. I loved him then."

She paused, thinking of what to say next.

"I'm pregnant, but I cannot have this child. It would be a reminder of all I had to put up with for 2 years. I'm 22 for god's sake! I've got my whole life ahead of me. I want children but I'd rather this child," she touched her belly, "have a sane mother. A mother who was happy and not scared."

She laughed bitterly, "You know what made me leave him?" she touched her belly again, "This miracle. I never want my child to be that, to be him. Am I doing the right thing? I could be a good mother. But to what expense? I didn't even finish school; he persuaded me I didn't need to. Ha!"

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she looked at the two silent graves, "Oh god, what am I going to do? I don't have a job. No education, a child I don't know if I can keep and a husband who beats me. What am I going to do?" she wailed burying her head in her hands.

"No Albus!" said Minerva McGonagall sternly. Her eyes shot her famous death glare at her husband.

"But Minerva dear, she's in pain. We need to help her. She's being abused woman! She's going to kill her child because she thinks there is no hope left at all. Don't you see? We need to help her," said Albus Dumbledore gently. There was no twinkle, just an infinite sadness within his eyes.

"Albus, if we do this, we'll tell the world about us. About what really happened with Grindelwald and Tom. About everything we hold dear," pleaded Minerva.

"Minerva, how many times have we seen her being beaten. Now she is with child, give the poor woman a chance! Let us tell our story. Let the world know what we had and how to prevent another dark lord. They need to know I was human, that I made mistakes. And I paid for those mistakes dearly" said Albus angrily.

Albus Dumbledore rarely showed anger, but when he did…..well. Let's just say that it wasn't good for the person concerned.

Minerva knew not to make him angry and so gave up and gave in like she always did when he hatched a mad scheme like this.

"All right Albus. But we tell her everything. No hiding anything you old fool" she said smiling through her glared defeat.

"I knew you would come around Minerva," said Albus laughing and kissing her cheek.

Sarah had progressed to full blown sobbing now. Her body rocking back and forth between the two graves.

Albus appeared, "There, there my dear. It'll be OK. We'll help you get through this."

Sarah froze. Surely, she was hallucinating but as she looked up, the kindly and ghostly face of Albus Dumbledore looked at her.

"Grandpa?" she whispered.

He was looking as he had when he had died. Immaculate. She knew the Avada Kedavra had been used. That Minerva had died soon after because of their bond. How that bond had been established was a mystery.

"In the flesh so to speak my dear" he said chuckling softly.

She stared. No one who had gone to wherever dead people go came back. That much she knew…..so why was he here? Was she dreaming?

"You're not dreaming. You're perfectly sane dear" came another voice.

Sarah turned to see someone else come up from the grave. It was her grandmother Minerva. She too was immaculate as the day she died. In fact she looked almost alive.

"Oh My God!" screamed Sarah backing away from the graves and just staring at them.

"We're here to help you dear. We've seen you being beaten and bruised too many times. We want to tell our story to the world. The last time that happened they made a movie about it. I think we'll start small with a book, then maybe a movie. Maggie Smith would be a brilliant person to play Minerva," said Albus thoughtfully.

Minerva looked at him puzzled. "Who's Maggie Smith? If they're going to make a movie about me, I want to have a say in who gets to play me…..come to think of it….what is a movie?"

"Well….." started Albus before he was cut off by Sarah.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" asked Sarah screaming.

Minerva shifted her gaze to her granddaughter and explained, "You said you have no education, well we're going to tell you the story of our life. How we met, what happened to get us married and all about our deaths. People will want to hear because it's a colourful and interesting story. There's murder, mystery, romance, death and a lot more then people know about us. But, only if you're willing to write it."

"Stay away from me! You're not real. Avada Kedavra!" Sarah shouted.

The curse filtered out but hit solid air. Instead it killed the grass

"Ah. What can we do to convince you we're real dear?" asked Albus eyeing the dead grass with a sad, melancholic look.

"Stay the hell away from me! I'm going home!" she screamed and then it hit her, "I can't go home. Cameron's there. I was going to go to the police. Right, police first then abortion clinic" she said clearly attempting to ignore the ghosts that were in front of her.

"Sarah, you cannot kill your child. No matter what he or she reminds you of. A child born from such circumstances can be taught to be something beautiful, to love all human beings. Give this child a chance Sarah," said Albus

"I don't know…." said Sarah looking down, although she had a hard time believing her grandparents had come back from the dead, she didn't know whether she could raise this child.

A chill filled her face and she was forced to look up.

"Sarah, how can you be the person you know you can be, if you don't believe in yourself?" said Albus sternly.

Sarah glanced down, then looked back up at her grandparents.

"OK, suppose I go along with this. What am I going to do? Where am I going to live?" she asked bitterly.

"First go the police and report it. Then we'll figure something out," said Minerva

Sarah looked at them then walked to the nearest police station.

"I'd like to report a crime" she said confidently and from their told how her husband beat her up for everyday for the last 2 years, ever since they married. They promised to get her somewhere safe.

She did the same with the wizarding police and they arrested Cameron there and then. He was given the Dementor's kiss and then beheaded. No one likes a wife beater.

Within a month Sarah sold off the house and bought another property. And that's when Albus and Minerva appeared, just as she was settling into her new home with brand new possessions..

"Now dear, ready to hear the story and write it?" asked Minerva perching herself on an armchair.

"As I'll ever be" said Sarah putting the tape recorder on the table and recording her deceased grandmothers voice as she told the greatest love story ever.