Woa man, it's taken me a while to get back w/ u guys, hasn't it? I've been busy, but not too busy to make this chapter ^_^ here are your notes, and here is the chapter! R&R please!
Emutet- game went good. I think that was the one we won 6-5. Twas an interesting game. And the chapter…awww come on…I gotta do SOMETHING to keep you guys interested. Cliff hangers are so much fun. Not much of a cliff, but yah know, it works! Hope you enjoy this chappie!
SevyHero-Little late webby dear, but that's alright. Thanks! I'm on my way to 150! Hehe, haha, YAAAAAAAAAAAY. You'd better leave me a good review, you praised it so much when I sent it to you via email! ^-^ can't wait to see yah!
Minerva'sQuill-Yes…very interesting development. The sympathy is coming my dear friend…of course so is a lot more. [wink wink nudge nudge] It's finally here!
Child-of-the-Dawn-we are slowly departing friendly-ville and going to sad-ville, then to not-so-friendly-ville. ^-^ No…I see no problems, merely intrigue and a very vital understanding. I love this job!
Nerweniel- haha, wow, that's about the first time I've ever been called dear, but thanks! Here is your update, and a fabulous one to! (at least in my opinion) The update is actually on time, how amazing! Hope you enjoy it!
Rubiks Cube- Interesting name. Rubiks cube, is that code for me saying you're confused? Or do you have a pen name w/ that? You're right…but I wasn't quite meaning dazed as the word to describe Minerva, more…uh…inlove. Like she didn't know how she was acting, yah know? OH well, I look forward to another review just as you look forward to another chapter which is here! Yay!
Portkeys Miss-Mione- you know, I've got a bone to pick with you. You've only started reviewing for me, and you're absolutely making me blush everytime I get a review alert! You're absolutely wonderful for me, so I shall be absolutely wonderful to you! Here is your update, and a fine one at that! My the relationship needs to be turned up, and here it is!
Chugabooe- interesting signed name. Chugabooe? Oh well, I give thee props for creativity. Here is your review! (I generally play second base, first, or pitcher. It's nothing big, just a league. I'm pretty sure we won)
Hogwarts Duo- it is here that I say, TEASE NO MORE! The nights events are yet to come, but we've got a little story to tell first. Oh dear, I think they've fallen in-love, yay! Onto the romance and the uh…talks. =) have good days.
Liz O'Brien- oh yes yes yes! We have seduction, we have the past, and we have the future! ^-^ sorry, little out of it today. Minerva is indeed becoming rather seductive, she's getting to be a pro at it…and our poor albus is falling for it. How sad, then again…maybe it isn't. I love romance, and finally…it must kick in!
Jestana- Fortunately for our two characters, twas only an engagement, and rightly so! The name fudge doesn't get its reputation for nothing! *bashes him on head* oh well…we have a better man in line for Miss Minerva McGonagall.
Thank you wonderful people of the world for the reviews, and for reading! You're all great! Happy days!
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Chapter Twelve: Destiny
Previously:
He stepped back, and looked at her oddly. "Engaged?"
"Yes. To Timothy Fudge."
His eyes widened. He looked dumbstruck. Had he really not seen this coming?
*~
Minerva blinked, "I was confused and depressed, I didn't have a clue what I was doing."
"Engaged?" he twisted his face up as if he were trying to solve the greatest mystery of all time. This was going to be hard…he looked so puzzled. "I thought you two were friends."
"To a point," she frowned. "I was doing it for all the wrong reasons."
"And what reasons might that be?"
"We'd better sit down." She led him towards the sofa, thinking over and over just what she was planning on saying. She hadn't meant to let it come out the way it did, she would have had plenty of time to tell him. It was too late now, she'd already begun. He looked genuinely dumbstruck, his light blue eyes were as empty as empty could be, almost as if he had been hit on the head with something large and immobile.
She sighed as the awkward silence set in. What was so hard about telling him this? What was so hard about telling anyone for that matter? She didn't want to imagine what he would think of her once he found out. From riches to rags, that was the story of her life.
"Tim's parents were friends with mine," she blinked, "he was only five years older than I. We went to school together for two years."
"So how is it that you got engaged?"
"Money."
"What do you mean?"
"My father made somewhat of a fortune doing what he did for the ministry, and the muggle government. My family had plenty of money…until he passed away. So my mother I suppose went out to find another fortune that she could squander while I went to school. By the time I had gotten out of it, well, she hadn't had the best of luck. So naturally, she turned to her only daughter. It never occurred to her that I wanted my own life away from her."
"So she set you up?"
"She set me up," she nodded, "and I went along with it. Tim and I…well as far as anything goes really, we were a perfect match to the rest of the world. He had the money, and I looked good enough in a sequined dress to pass as a wife."
"What about between the two of you?"
"He was an idiot," she shook her head irritably, "He wanted nothing more than sex and the certificate that said that he had done something with his life. To say the least, he wasn't what I thought he was."
"So?"
"I went to my mother to talk to her. I explained to her what he was, and that I completely despised it. She retorted by telling me to get myself down the aisle, or I wasn't to be her daughter anymore."
"So you left?" He cocked his head to one side, as if he were afraid to hear the answer. He was following this story well. Minerva took in a deep, deep inhalation.
"Not before I saw Tim snogging some blonde or other in broad daylight," she swallowed, "I had gone to tell him that it was off, I suppose there was really no reason to say it after he saw me looking at them. I ran home, collected my things, and never came back. I didn't even leave a note. I just went."
"And your mother?"
Minerva looked into Albus's eyes with tears in her own, "She found out where I had gone, and packaged all of my photographs to me. An entire life, she packaged in that little brown box," she blinked back the tears, "True to her word…I wasn't her daughter anymore."
"Min," he shook his head incredulously, "you're sure you're not making this up? I mean…no parent is that cruel."
"Obviously you grew up with a good family. I grew up with teachers who had nothing better to do than make me miserable, and wish for my family. When I wasn't with the teachers, I was at home, wishing that my family was what everyone else's was."
He nodded, and she felt the tear slide down her cheek. "All I've ever wanted was a home with someone that loved me."
"You should have told me before," he whispered and cupped her cheeks gently; "I would have loved you as long as you wanted me too, and I wouldn't have even tried."
"I'm so scared." She shook softly.
"Of what?"
"You are all want Albus. Is it wrong of me to ever think that you'd leave me? I've been left, and leaving, and shut out so many times in my life," she inhaled with a shake as tears fell freely down her face, "I think that if someone like you left me, I might just go and leave this world."
"Don't say that," he said soothingly, "nothing is worth killing yourself over."
"They've all left me. All of them." She shook her head, and stared at him with her tear driven face and large blue eyes. "At least if I pretended like you were only a friend before, you would never be tempted to leave me. At least then I could pretend like you left the school…instead of me."
"Never will I leave you. Never." He leaned into her, and kissed the tears away from her face gently. She soaked in the warmth, knowing too well that this was it. He had one of two choices, leave or stay. A tear ridden smile crossed her face, he'd chosen to stay.
When their eyes met again, both of them had smiles on their face. Minerva was still teary eyed, but it was happy tears. Thankful tears. Albus's warm hands found their place beneath her neck and into her dark hair. "I love you Minerva McGonagall. I'll never ever let you go."
She smiled, and pushed herself towards him. Their lips met in gentle caresses at first, then grew deeper. Minerva moaned as Albus searched her mouth hungrily. Her breath was being taken away again by this man; this wonderfully handsome, understanding, brilliant man. She closed her eyes, and let him kiss her for a matter of minutes, that is to say until he realized what he was doing. He let go, and stared at her admirably. "You're so much more than I thought you were."
"You're everything that I imagined," she smiled, "I have wanted this my entire life."
"Well you've got me," he leaned in and kissed her lips gently, "and I won't ever let go if you won't."
*~*~
Minerva stared at herself in the mirror with a frown. Merlin help her, nothing seemed to look right on her! She stepped back and looked at her reflection wearing the only formal thing she had brought to wear. The deep blue was meant to bring out her eyes, but not if she was to look like that. Her hair was a complete mess from being down all day, she could feel the split ends splitting. Quickly she summoned a comb from the dresser, and enchanted it to brush while she altered what she could on her outfit and face. She had to look perfect. She was ready for the next step, and knew that Albus was. His opinion was her opinion, though he refused to tell her that.
There was a soft knock on the door. She took one last look at herself with something between a smile and a frown. She didn't look like she'd wanted to, but today had been more than either of them could handle. But she didn't want to be in control anymore. He needed her as much as she needed him, this she was sure of.
She unlocked the door to see the fabulous Albus Dumbledore smiling at her with those adorable, twinkling eyes. "You look like an angel," he smiled, "Are you ready?"
"What sort of a question is that?" she smiled, and magicked her light off. "I'm ready for anything now." He reached out his arm, and she wrapped hers around his. Together they walked down the stairs, and towards the restaurant. They were seated immediately, where they both received their menus, and they began talking in soft whispers.
"So we are now on equal ground m' dear?"
"As a matter of fact, we are," Minerva smiled, "we've just got a few minor things in the way."
"What sort of minor things?" he raised an eyebrow.
She smiled, neither of them were mind readers, but surely he knew what she was thinking, probably wondering the same thing that she was, though a different route would be best. "What about…the school? I mean, if we are an item, surely there has to be something in the book saying that we can't be. And what about the ministry?
"School, we have no worry over. As long as we keep it low profile, they can't do anything. Someone would have to see us snogging or something for it to even reach ministry ears, which is where the ministry comes in. Only the people that we want to know will know there, meaning for the most part just Alastor and other friends. We won't have to worry."
"Suppose a student does see, then what?"
"Then that will be up to a ministry official to decide, of course that does depend on what we are doing at the time that we are caught."
"Snogging?"
"Probation more than likely."
"Hugging?"
"Doubt it'll be anything."
"Groping?" she raised an eyebrow with a smile. This was fun. This was very fun. He stared blankly at her with slightly pink cheeks, and a smile eventually crossed his face.
"I think we'd have enough sense until we're out of sight, but if we were caught, then I'm sure at least one of the two of us would be uh…discarded from the faculty."
"You honestly think that you would have enough self esteem to reject me? I am very offended," she blinked sadly, making sure to give him the puppy dog face.
"If we are in public I think I would have to," his eyes dove downward, she knew it would catch his attention sooner or later, "A rogue tabby such as yourself should never be alone when she doesn't have to be."
"I'm glad you think like that." The waiter came towards them and handed them each a glass of wine. Minerva looked at Albus with surprise. "You didn't order this, did you?"
"What? Not in the mood to be intoxicated my dearly beloved Tabby?"
"Don't call me that," she blushed, "and I just hadn't…thought that you would use alcohol to get your way."
"I might as well use alcohol while you've got your dainty little self on the other side of the table. At least then, when I accidentally brush up against you I can blame it on the booze."
"Accidentally?"
"Alright so it's not so accidental. I've got a five year long infatuation with you, you honestly expect me to act like a gentleman now? Unfortunately," he frowned, "I have to do I not?"
"Not," she whispered, "As I was saying earlier, it's not like I didn't have any idea of how men thought. Of course, I was under the impression that you weren't like most men, but then again, we both had bad impressions upon the other."
"More like no impression at all."
She nodded slowly, "If you have any questions, you may ask what you wish." The two of them stared closely, Minerva dearly hoped that the night wouldn't be ruined by this. So help her though, he needed the answers, and she needed to let go. She needed the reassurance that he understood, he needed the reassurance that she wasn't hiding anything.
"Where did you stay after you left the fellow?"
"I should think you would have been able to guess that," she smiled, "I stayed at Poppy's for a short period of time, just long enough for me to get a grip."
"And that's where she sent the pictures?"
"Correct."
"What did you do with them?"
Minerva took in a deep breath, and swallowed. "I burned most of them; I only kept the ones I wanted to keep I suppose. All but five pictures or so of my family and I were kept. The pictures on the mantel, the ones that you saw, were some of the ten or twelve pictures I did save."
"Well," he scratched his rough chin, "why are they right infront of everything? Why did you keep these pictures that you would have just thrown away right above the fireplace, where everyone would see?"
"I was angry. I wanted to keep reminding myself that I hated them, that I didn't want that life."
"Are you still angry?"
She picked up her wine glass, and took a long, intoxicating sip, "I've let go of it only recently," she hoped he would get the hint, "First thing I'll do when I get home is replace it with better, happier memories."
"Have you ever talked with your mother since you left?" He reached his hands out gently across the table, and she slid her fingers through his gently, and blinked.
"We don't even send Christmas cards. She's moved on, married someone, and has a son to carry on what fortune she has now. He'll be about twelve by now. I've never met him."
"How awful," he sighed. His eyes lost their sparkle, and seemed to have gone out. They reminded her vaguely of a lighted match being blown out. "You've never met your brother?"
"No. He's going to Durmstrang of course. Mother wouldn't hear of letting the disowned daughter teach her heir to the money dynasty. Not to say that I really have much of a right to see him, I did after all leave the family, but it wouldn't have hurt to let me merely say hello to him."
"What about her new husband?"
"He's not so new anymore," she smiled weakly, "Thirteen years and counting. Not to say that I was invited to the wedding, I merely like to keep up on the gossip," she rolled her eyes. "I've never said a word to him either. He works with the quidditch federation now. Of course I could care less about meeting the man that my mother conned into marrying her."
He squeezed her hand gently, "You've never moved on though, have you?"
"No," she sighed, "I never moved on at all. I didn't date, I didn't make friends, and I didn't like to talk," she stopped," well, obviously."
"You're chirping like a bird now," he nodded. "You never even looked for someone to take you, did you?"
She shook her head slowly, and watched as he took a sip of his drink. "I looked for independence, not someone to tie me down, or look at me for what money I have, or who my parents were. I wanted to make of myself what I could."
"So you chose teaching?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I could have," she sighed, "done anything I suppose. I could have worked in the ministry, but I'd had enough politics to last me a lifetime. I wanted something that I could hold onto. I needed something that I could keep my grounds with."
"You needed something unattached?"
She nodded, "I needed to get away. Of course when I got there things just got worse."
"How?"
"I couldn't be myself," she shrugged, "everyone was curious about the young transfiguration teacher. I made up a fake me, the kind that hates people, who enjoys sarcasm and work. It kept people away, but it kept me from going to people as well; you in particular."
He swished the wine in his glass, and took in a slow sip. He whispered softly to her after a few seconds, "I've always had an attraction to you, you know."
A deep blush fell on her cheeks, she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. "I'm glad you never gave up on me," she smiled, "you've helped me so much more than you know."
"If I kiss you now," he breathed, "would you hate me forever?"
"No," she smiled, "I'd love you forever."
He nodded slowly, and reached his body over the table until he was centimeters away. His twinkling eyes were back, but it was a different type of twinkle. It looked as if there was a fire burning in them, like the sun. His bright, starry eyes had turned into the giant, burning sun. She reached up, and closed her eyes while he kissed her gently. His lips seemed softer than usual, more sensual than usual. She felt his hands winding through her hair softly, and smiled. Tonight was the night. She couldn't stop it from happening, she could tell.
"A-hem."
She opened her eyes slowly and looked to her left. The waiter was standing there, with the food for the night on a tray, and an irritated frown on his face. Reluctantly, they let go of eachother, and faced the annoyed server while he threw their plates irritably upon the table. Minerva wasn't looking at the waiter though, she was looking at Albus, and Albus was looking at her.
When he had left, the two of them took a sip of the intoxicating drink before them, and smiled lazily at the other. "We'd better eat before we do this staring contest," he smiled sheepishly.
"Yes," she nodded slowly, "Let's eat."
Dinner went well, almost too well for that matter. Somehow, neither of them could manage to take the eyes off the other for more than a minute, things were so incredibly clear now. It was as if the clouds had gone away, and the sun showed brightly through for the first time in years. This wasn't any accident, their meeting, their trip, their paths, this was fate.
They'd both waited a lifetime to find the right person, the one person to go the extra mile for, this was it. They had their extra mile to go, but the decision was clear. There weren't any choices anymore, they'd chosen their way to eachother, all that needed to happen now was for the river of life to make its' course. The control was over, but neither of them wanted control, they wanted passion, they wanted love; the kind of love only a lover could provide. Both of them were thinking the same thing, but neither of them dare say it.
Together they walked back to their room hand in hand. Their dreamy expressions were enough to say it all, but what had done them both over perhaps was the wine. Minerva walked into her room slowly, while Albus sat on his bed contemplating what course of action he ought to take. He couldn't take her without her consent, but he wanted to. He wanted to desperately.
Minerva took the white nightgown from her nightstand and held it up to her slowly. She could slip it on, she could take perfect advantage of him. He couldn't refuse her, she knew he couldn't. This was a big decision though; too big to make on wine and kisses alone. Taking a swallow, she wrapped the gown around her hand, and walked out to where Albus was to sleep. "I'm going to take a bath," she blinked, "I'll be out in about half an hour."
She disappeared behind the bathroom door while he stared at her with desire.
Albus sat on what piece of bed he had, took his wand in his hand, and whispered a few chosen words while pointing the magical wood at the fireplace. Sparks shot out from the stick, and immediately the fireplace had a fire in it. Silently he stared at the flames.
It wasn't just him anymore, the one who'd had millions of impulsive, sexual desires. Minerva had driven him to his wits end, how could he stay a gentleman while she was only a door away stark naked? Oh he wouldn't just walk in there and demand her, but she knew what she was doing. The little witch knew that wanted her desperately, and he wouldn't let it past him that she wanted him as well.
She'd walked out of the room with that sort of angelic grin that had become normal, and a white piece of material in her hand. He didn't know what it was for sure, but somehow his guess was as close to the real thing as it could be. The nightgown, what else could it have been? He closed his eyes slowly, and let himself imagine for just a few seconds what she may look like when she comes out. Her hair would be cascading down her creamy skin, her eyes would be showing brighter than ever, as they seemed to do at night. And her entire body would be seen through the gown. He felt a shiver run down his spine.
Of course, he could be wrong, with his luck it was probably just a regular, sensible nightgown. As usual she could come out with that grin and there would be nothing different about her besides a white regular gown covering her body.
I shouldn't be thinking like this, he thought slowly. After all, she was still who she was, and he was who he had been at the beginning of the trip. Nothing had changed except…Today. Within only a few short hours, it had all made sense. She'd withheld all of this on purpose; she didn't tell just anyone her life's story. He was something special to her, but so help him, he wanted to be more special than he already was. Just to taste her sweet lips would be heaven, to know her every move, every thought and dream, that would keep him happy for an eternity.
He'd already said it to her a million times. He said he loved her in every way. He needed her with everything that was in him. She was so much more than he could ever have anticipated; he had fallen in love with her more than he could have possibly guessed over time. Perhaps he was being selfish, keeping his wonderful treasure of a beauty in his mind and thoughts like this, but it was as it was. He needed her.
Taking a quick gulp, and thinking over his options slowly, he blew out what other light was in the room besides the fire. It would be dark, but romantic. Surely he wasn't the only one going on this impulse? If she was to keep her morals and say no, his excuse would always be that he wanted to have a quiet night talking with her before the fire. Yes, that was his simple conclusion. He would tell her that he wanted to speak with her before the blazing fire.
He lost all track of time while waiting for her. He could have stared before the fire for two minutes, he could have stared at it for fifty, he didn't know. He was so lost, but not the bad kind of lost. For once, he didn't know what was next, he couldn't predict anything…until Minerva walked slowly out of the bathroom.
The firelight made her features show brighter, like the way a full moon makes the clouds around it glow. His breath caught slowly as she approached him cautiously. She stood only about two feet away, her long lashes blinking seductively. "You've got the fire on," she whispered softly.
"I thought maybe we could…talk." He looked down the brilliant piece of art that was her body quickly, then back up into her sparkly eyes.
"No you didn't," she shook her head with a twisted smile. She came closer, close enough to hold onto and never let go. She was inches away, just a few small inches. Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck, and ran her fingers gently through his long red hair. He put a hand on hers while the other went impulsively around her waist.
Slowly he bent down, and kissed her sweet lips. They were so soft, but so incredibly passionate. He couldn't make himself leave her this time, he had to have her. They both pushed harder towards the other while Albus explored her mouth thoroughly.
"Albus," she whispered softly, after they had parted, "make love to me."
He traced a needy hand down the side of her breast, and down to her thighs. Her body was too voluptuous for its own good. He stared down at the swell of skin that was her chest. Never been touched by a man, he sighed. There was little left to the imagination with the gown she was wearing. Her legs were enough to make any man want her, her obviously shapely mid section was too much to bear and her ruby red lips were getting him unglued. He couldn't say no this time. So help him, he couldn't say no.
He nodded slowly, brought the extra hand down to her hips, and kissed her again. He slithered his tongue into her mouth with practiced ease and she welcomed him happily. Moaning appreciatively she pulled him closer.
The heat rose through their bodies, it radiated like the light from the fire. The hand on her hip carefully scrunched what little of the gown would have hid her, and glided his hand along the soft skin beneath the gown. "Uh," she broke the kiss, and looked at him without any breath.
He smiled, he must remember to not move too fast. He'd never been the quick type, he preferred slow if anything anyway. Again, Albus leaned down, and kissed her quickly.
"Would you want to move to your room?" he whispered slowly. Her tantalizing was perfectly in view as well, he traced his lips down the side of her face, and sucked on her neck while he waited for a reply.
"Yes." She sounded breathless; breathless, but sure.
With a smile, he dropped his hand to her knees, and lifted her up into his arms. He caught the glimmer in her eyes. She wanted this as bad as he did. That glimmer was either love, or anticipation. He couldn't quite figure which. Perhaps both?
They entered the room where it was dark except for the light of the moon through the window. This made everything all the more perfect. All that showed was a moonlit room with one large bed with plenty of pillows and two people who were too captured into the moment to care.
He became aware of the beating, pulsating, threatening tone of his heart. That was all he could hear, the deep rhythm of love, that, and his panted breathing. He'd never felt like this before. He'd felt interested, up to the challenge even, but never like this, never this passionate. He'd wanted her from the first moment, now that it had come far too fast. He had to act now, or else it would all come apart. If he didn't act quickly, he'd lose what little self control he had left. If he didn't act now, then all he had worked for would be incinerated.
God he needed her. He bent down with his hands at the straps of the nightgown and kissed her with more than he had ever known he'd had. He crushed his mouth onto hers passionately, slipped the strap off of her pale shoulder, and pushed her against the bed. Slowly and with a satisfied smile, he pulled the gown away from her skin and threw it on the floor.
She was shaking violently, which was most assuring anticipation. He threw away his own shirt to the corner of the room, and whispered with a smile, "Don't be afraid. You're too good to be afraid now."
"I'm not," she said slowly.
"Then in that case, I have one more confession," he kissed her softly and stared into her starry eyes, "I love you."
*~*~
^-^ It took me many months to decide how to work this scene out, I hope it was to your satisfaction.
*~minni