A/N: I really don't know where this came from. I had planned to wait and stretch this out for a couple of chapters, but I just had this urge to write it this way.

Thanks again to Cait who Betaed this fic, you make it amazing! See, I've been good! I actually wrote another chapter within a reasonable amount of time!

Chapter 7: Blood Magic Bonds

"Don't you dare leave me Albus! I love you!" wailed the frail form of Minerva as she positioned her bruised and battered body beside the wizard in question. Albus Dumbledore's eyes were closed and he was on all accounts dead. Minerva's tears spilled onto his eyes and he sat up gasping and choking.

Minerva stopped crying in shock. He was supposed to be dead! What was happening?

"Albus?" she whispered to him not believing her eyes.

"I love you Minerva McGonagall. I don't care what you say but I love you with all my heart. And now I know you love me too. It was a great risk but I knew I could count on you. The hope that you loved me back is what kept me going and what ultimately destroyed Grindelwald." said Albus in a breathy rush. His eyes were shining and his body was battered and bruised. But he looked happy for the first time in a long time.

"Oh Albus!" said Minerva throwing herself at him as fresh sobs escaped her worn body and she clung onto his just to make herself believe he was real. That he was here. That he loved her.

"Start from the beginning, tell me what you did to get rid of Grindelwald" said Minerva putting down her cup of tea. It was two weeks later and they were sitting in Albus' chambers. His body was recovering and he had been able to move out of St. Mungo's today.

Albus sighed. There was no escaping the truth now, she was bound to him and he had to tell her the truth. The whole truth.

"Minerva, what I am about to tell you must never leave your heart or your lips. You are bound to me now forever because of something very startling I discovered when I was researching how to defeat Grindelwald. Promise me, please, that you will only make your mind up about me when you've heard this." He pleaded with her, blue eyes asking her for their trust.

She could only oblige when such passion radiated itself from his body.

"All right Albus," she said looking at him critically.

Satisfied he leaned back into his chair and told her the whole tale.

Flashback to 2 weeks ago

Albus looked through the books. It was no good. They'd never find anything to help them defeat Grindelwald. Defeated he took his exhausted body back to the fire and sat down with a sherbet lemon to ponder the world before going to bed.

Grindelwald was growing stronger everyday. It was mostly wizards that incurred his wrath in the search for the Philosopher's Stone, but he could never find it. Albus allowed a genuine smile to grace his lips. He never would find it.

During long and drawn out discussions with his partner, Nicolas Flamel, they had not found anything that would allow them to hide the Philosopher's Stone from him. He could break into Gringotts and Hogwarts if he wanted, but they were too obvious to put such a precious thing in.

No, they wanted to put it somewhere safe. Somewhere he would never ever look.

And then it occurred to him, Pernelle; Nicolas's wife, was often seen wearing a topaz necklace that he had bought for her on their very first anniversary. What if they shrunk the stone and hid it just inside the topaz? That way no one could suspect where it was and it would close to Nicolas so that he could protect it!

When he had explained the idea to Nicolas and Pernelle they had been absolutely delighted! It just meant that Pernelle had to wear the necklace everywhere, even to bed, which meant she could keep it on always. A delightful idea for a woman who adored jewellery as much as she did her husband.

And so, at this very moment, Pernelle was wearing the Philosopher's Stone and no one was the wiser.

Grindelwald was currently looking for Nicolas and Pernelle in Europe, but luckily the couple were posing as wealthy Britons in South America. Their cover was they were on their second honeymoon and Nicolas was a known scientist in Muggle circles, so he was welcomed whole-heartedly into the South American circle.

Albus sighed; this was all very well for those two. They had each other through thick and thin. Albus could feel the love pressing at him when those two were together. He was very happy for his friends but he wished with all his heart he could find someone like that.

Oh but you have dear boy, said his mind, you have. You just refuse to tell her.

Albus pushed the thought out of his mind. It was not something he wanted to deal with right now.

His gaze wandered back to his books as he thought to peruse once more in the newer ones that Nicolas had sent to him. Albus was very interested in the properties of Dragons blood and had found many uses for it. Twelve so far and he was about to publish a paper on his findings.

A slip of paper had trickled out of the book he had picked up and he bent down to pick it up, puzzled as to what its contents might be.

His eyes couldn't believe what he had found. The answer to defeating Grindelwald!

Blood magic.

It was said that only Dark Wizards practiced blood magic but now he had found it. The slip of paper had not been a page in the book; it looked like a scrawled note, as if someone was taking notes from the book.

All it said was, Dragon's blood mixed with Human Blood is a powerful potent. Can extinguish any evil. But it needs love to survive.

And he had his answer.

Albus decided to go to bed and that if he slept on it he was sure that it would either filter away or he would work it out in his sleep.

The next morning Albus had a solid plan, as breakfast commenced and morning owls filtered through, more deaths greeted him at breakfast as he read the Daily Prophet.

He had to stop this now, because no one else could.

Albus asked to be excused from teaching all day, which startled Julius, but when Albus told him that he might have discovered something important in the fight against Grindelwald, Julius told him Minerva would substitute his classes.

Albus gratefully left and went to pursue his idea.

He had heard about this kind of thing but never seen it being done. He came from a line of powerful Witches and Wizards, and they had never delved into the Dark Arts. Well, there was that one shady uncle one time but other than that, his family was all good.

And he wasn't going to start either. No, his plan had to be top secret, but who would he ask for the love part? Certainly not Minerva. No, he couldn't ask that of her.

Whatever he could do to help protect her and to stop Grindelwald, he would do.

By the end of the day, Albus had formulated his plan. Tomorrow he would it put into action.

The dawn greeted him lazily as he purposefully strode into the Great Hall for breakfast. Today was the day he was going to do it.

And that's when the first scream started. It was high and shrill, and then it stopped.

Albus hurried outside to see Grindelwald's army of men breaching the wards of Hogwarts all too easily.

Damn Julius! He didn't reinstate the wards and now Grindelwald was menacing his way to the school.

The wards of Hogwarts needed to be reinstated every fifty years by the current Headmaster or Mistress. It meant giving a part of yourself up to protect the occupants of Hogwarts, but Julius was vain. He hadn't done that and now the children were in danger.

Realising he could waste no time, Albus hurried to his room and picked up the necessary items. Hurrying back out he saw Julius going pale and then fainting. Minerva was tight-lipped and serious and the others were determined to defend the school.

"Trust me," he said to everyone who looked at him startled as he rushed out of the doors and stood alone to protect Hogwarts.

He set up his things, seemingly pouring Dragon's blood into a cauldron. It was his own. Then he added the real Dragon's blood.

The army was advancing and Albus summoned up a power that he didn't know he had.

"Je demande à tous les pouvoirs de la lumière pour m'aider dans ma quête pour détruire dans cette réalité et le prochain l'esprit de Eric Oswald. Je mendie les pouvoirs plus hauts alors m'aider le me." he said in a loud voice.

Translation: "I ask all the powers of the light to help me in my quest to destroy in this reality and the next the spirit of Eric Oswald. I beg the powers higher then me to aid me."

Then something remarkable happened. Bright white lights rushed out of his fingertips, they danced around a very startled Grindelwald and then he collapsed. Dead.

Albus too collapsed as well. Dead.

And then the real fighting began. Hexes, curses and physical fights that were never seen in Hogwarts began as Grindelwald's army and the Hogwarts teachers went into battle. It was much later that the Aurors arrived. By then most of the faculty was dead or unconscious. Julius still hadn't recovered.

Some of the older seventh years had to join in the battle and that's when Minerva came to him. Professing her love for him.

Somewhere between the gates of life and death Albus watched this all very sadly.

His grandmother stood beside him. Her auburn hair was a snowy white and she looked healthier then he had ever remembered her. Her wise blue eyes were gentle yet firm, "It is not your time Albus. She's anchoring you, calling you. Death surpasses true love. Go back to her. You'll know when it's your time," she said soothingly as she guided him back.



Back to the present

Minerva's face was horrified in the candlelight. He feared he had lost her forever. She could not accept what he had done for her, for the children. A fool's hope to save him.

Albus shifted and gazed downwards. She was lost to him. Maybe his grandmother was wrong, maybe this wasn't true love.

"Albus Dumbledore, don't you ever do something that stupid again!" screamed Minerva when she had regained her composure. Her eyes were fierce and she was beyond anger.

"Do you know what I would have done if you'd truly gone? If your grandmother hadn't told you to come back? I would have died that same day. I nearly did. I love you with all my heart but I didn't know if you loved me back, and when I saw you die and fall after you did that ritual, Albus my heart stopped. My breath caught in my throat and I fell. You were gone. How could I live my life without you?" she asked, her tone soft now. Her eyes besmirched with unshed, angry tears that threatened to show her real vulnerability. Her love for him.

Albus knew he didn't have a chance but he asked her anyway, "Minerva, if you love me as much as you say, would it be too bold of me to ask you if someday you would give me the honour to call you wife? I have been given a chance and I don't plan to waste it so," he dropped to one knee, "Minerva McGonagall, will you marry me?"

Minerva was shocked. This was a dream right? This couldn't possibly be happening. Albus wasn't asking her to marry him and she would wake up soon wishing all this was true.

"Ow!" she said pinching herself, no this was definitely real. Albus chuckled as she pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

"Yes Albus, yes, I will," said Minerva with shining tears in her eyes.

Albus smiled and gathered her in his arms as he just held her.