Hero's Welcome
A/N: Now that he's recovered, it's time to go home.
Albus and Minerva had done a great deal of talking while he'd been recovering from the wounds he had sustained during his duel with Grindelwald. They had both admitted to loving each other and he had already proposed to her. Now that he was certain of her feelings for him, he did not want to waste any time. Strong enough to travel now, but not strong enough to Apparate, Floo, or use a portkey, they had decided to return to England the Muggle way, to give them some more time alone together.
Upon entering the Ministry, however, they were swamped by other witches and wizards, all demanding answers. In the press of bodies, Albus lost his grip on Minerva's hand and almost lost his grip on the walking stick Minerva had insisted upon him using. He held up his free hand for silence. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the rumours regarding the death of Grindelwald are true. He died two months ago, by my hand."
"Why are you just now returning, Dumbledore?" someone in the back of the crowd demanded. "What took you so long?"
"Because I nearly died myself," he told them quietly. "It took me a long time to recover enough to return here as it is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see the Minister, and then go home to rest."
Not looking around, he walked towards the lifts. When he reached them, he was vaguely aware that Minerva had joined him. They stepped onto the lift after the doors had clattered open and turned to face the doors. When the doors closed and began moving upward, he recaptured her hand. "Are you alright, Albus?"
He nodded, breathing deeply to regulate his heartbeat. "I will be. Thank you for accompanying me, my dear."
She nodded, squeezing his hand. "You're quite welcome, Albus."
At the next stop, others got onto the lift and Minerva dropped his hand, but stayed near him nevertheless. Albus' meeting with the Minister didn't take long and he and Minerva braved the crowds once more so they could go to Arabella and Kevin Figg's home.
"Min! Uncle Albus!" A broad smile spread across Arabella's face as she let the couple in. "Welcome home!"
"Thank you, Bella," Minerva hugged her sister.
"Yes, thank you," Albus echoed her sentiment as he hugged her warmly.
"You're welcome." She eyed Albus' walking stick, but said nothing more as she led them into the living room. "Have a seat."
They sat side by side on the couch. "Where are the twins?"
"Kevin took them to the park," Arabella explained. "They'll be home soon."
Minerva nodded, entwining her fingers with his. Arabella eyed them curiously, but said nothing, going into the kitchen to get tea and crumpets. "She suspects, Albus."
His response was cut off by the return of Kevin Figg with his niece and nephew, the two children talking excitedly. Tears springing to her eyes, Minerva rose from her seat on the couch as Kevin and the children entered the living room. Kevin was the first to spot Minerva, a stunned look appearing on his face. Wondering at their uncle's sudden silence and stillness, Erica and Daniel looked around. Matching smiles spreading across their faces, they pelted towards their mother. "Ma!" "Mum!"
"Danny, Rica." Minerva caught them into a tight hug; tears of joy trickling down her cheeks. "I missed you both so much."
Albus felt a lump forming in his throat as he watched Minerva with her children. Despite the fact that her marriage had ended badly, she had not let it affect her relationship with her children. "Ah, Kevin, you're home."
Arabella's voice woke Kevin from his stupor and he walked over to greet his sister-in-law. "Hello, Minerva, it's good to see you again."
"Hello, Kevin." Minerva shook his hand. "It's good to be back."
Albus quietly cleared his throat. "Uncle Alby!" "Uncle Albus!"
The twins scrambled onto the couch to hug him. He chuckled as he hugged them back. "Hello, you two. Have you been good for your aunt and uncle?"
"Uh-huh," Erica nodded solemnly, cuddling against him.
Daniel looked down at his lap, his hands behind his back. "Danny?"
He looked up at his mother, gray eyes wary. "Er, no, I haven't, Mum."
Minerva sighed, her hands on her hips. "What am I going to do with you, Laddie?"
"Love me?" he asked hopefully.
She sighed and shook her head, opening her arms. "C'mere, you." He scrambled down from the couch and into her arms. She scooped him up and sat down beside Albus, settling the boy on her lap. "Laddie, I asked you to be good for your aunt and uncle."
He nodded. "Yes, Mum."
"Why weren't you?" Minerva asked, stroking his tousled black hair.
"Because I was tired of waiting," he explained, his gray eyes meeting her blue ones innocently.
Minerva exchanged an amused look with Albus. "Indeed, Laddie?" He nodded. "What did you do, Danny-boy?"
"He found some of Kevin's old fireworks and tried to send them towards Germany," Arabella volunteered from where she'd been pouring the tea. "He said he wanted to kill the bad wizard so you'd come home."
"Oh, Danny." Minerva drew him close for a hug. "I'm sorry I was gone, but I'm here now. I'm not planning on leaving you or your sister anytime soon."
"Thanks, Mum." He snuggled against her with a sigh of contentment.
"Really, Ma?" Erica asked, leaning forward to look at her mother.
"Really, Lassie," Minerva replied.
"Goody!" Erica scrambled across Albus' lap, drawing a groan of pain from him. "Oh, sorry, Uncle Alby."
He eased her off his lap to sit between himself and Minerva. "Quite alright, Erica. Just be a little more careful."
"What happened to you, Uncle?" Arabella asked, looking closely at her godfather.
"I defeated Grindelwald," he answered quietly, accepting the cup of tea Arabella handed to him. "According to Minerva, I nearly died."
Arabella nodded, blinking back tears. When Minerva reached up to accept the cup of tea Arabella held out, her sister grabbed her hand instead and stared at the ring on the third finger. "Min, what's this?"
For the first time in a long time, Minerva blushed. "Erm, an engagement ring."
Arabella let Minerva take the tea and glanced from Minerva to Albus and back again. "It's about bloody time!"
"Bella!" Kevin exclaimed. "Not in front of the children."
"Sorry." Arabella looked contrite.
"Ma?" Erica tugged on her mother's sleeve, nearly spilling her tea.
Minerva transferred her tea to her other hand and wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Yes, Lassie?"
"What does an engagerment ring mean?" she asked solemnly.
"Engagement ring, Rica," Minerva corrected gently, and then glanced at her son to see him staring curiously up at her. She looked up at Albus and he nodded. She sighed and handed her tea to Albus so she could gather Daniel to her. "Children, I have something to tell both of you that's very important."
A/N: Now that he's recovered, it's time to go home.
Albus and Minerva had done a great deal of talking while he'd been recovering from the wounds he had sustained during his duel with Grindelwald. They had both admitted to loving each other and he had already proposed to her. Now that he was certain of her feelings for him, he did not want to waste any time. Strong enough to travel now, but not strong enough to Apparate, Floo, or use a portkey, they had decided to return to England the Muggle way, to give them some more time alone together.
Upon entering the Ministry, however, they were swamped by other witches and wizards, all demanding answers. In the press of bodies, Albus lost his grip on Minerva's hand and almost lost his grip on the walking stick Minerva had insisted upon him using. He held up his free hand for silence. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the rumours regarding the death of Grindelwald are true. He died two months ago, by my hand."
"Why are you just now returning, Dumbledore?" someone in the back of the crowd demanded. "What took you so long?"
"Because I nearly died myself," he told them quietly. "It took me a long time to recover enough to return here as it is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see the Minister, and then go home to rest."
Not looking around, he walked towards the lifts. When he reached them, he was vaguely aware that Minerva had joined him. They stepped onto the lift after the doors had clattered open and turned to face the doors. When the doors closed and began moving upward, he recaptured her hand. "Are you alright, Albus?"
He nodded, breathing deeply to regulate his heartbeat. "I will be. Thank you for accompanying me, my dear."
She nodded, squeezing his hand. "You're quite welcome, Albus."
At the next stop, others got onto the lift and Minerva dropped his hand, but stayed near him nevertheless. Albus' meeting with the Minister didn't take long and he and Minerva braved the crowds once more so they could go to Arabella and Kevin Figg's home.
"Min! Uncle Albus!" A broad smile spread across Arabella's face as she let the couple in. "Welcome home!"
"Thank you, Bella," Minerva hugged her sister.
"Yes, thank you," Albus echoed her sentiment as he hugged her warmly.
"You're welcome." She eyed Albus' walking stick, but said nothing more as she led them into the living room. "Have a seat."
They sat side by side on the couch. "Where are the twins?"
"Kevin took them to the park," Arabella explained. "They'll be home soon."
Minerva nodded, entwining her fingers with his. Arabella eyed them curiously, but said nothing, going into the kitchen to get tea and crumpets. "She suspects, Albus."
His response was cut off by the return of Kevin Figg with his niece and nephew, the two children talking excitedly. Tears springing to her eyes, Minerva rose from her seat on the couch as Kevin and the children entered the living room. Kevin was the first to spot Minerva, a stunned look appearing on his face. Wondering at their uncle's sudden silence and stillness, Erica and Daniel looked around. Matching smiles spreading across their faces, they pelted towards their mother. "Ma!" "Mum!"
"Danny, Rica." Minerva caught them into a tight hug; tears of joy trickling down her cheeks. "I missed you both so much."
Albus felt a lump forming in his throat as he watched Minerva with her children. Despite the fact that her marriage had ended badly, she had not let it affect her relationship with her children. "Ah, Kevin, you're home."
Arabella's voice woke Kevin from his stupor and he walked over to greet his sister-in-law. "Hello, Minerva, it's good to see you again."
"Hello, Kevin." Minerva shook his hand. "It's good to be back."
Albus quietly cleared his throat. "Uncle Alby!" "Uncle Albus!"
The twins scrambled onto the couch to hug him. He chuckled as he hugged them back. "Hello, you two. Have you been good for your aunt and uncle?"
"Uh-huh," Erica nodded solemnly, cuddling against him.
Daniel looked down at his lap, his hands behind his back. "Danny?"
He looked up at his mother, gray eyes wary. "Er, no, I haven't, Mum."
Minerva sighed, her hands on her hips. "What am I going to do with you, Laddie?"
"Love me?" he asked hopefully.
She sighed and shook her head, opening her arms. "C'mere, you." He scrambled down from the couch and into her arms. She scooped him up and sat down beside Albus, settling the boy on her lap. "Laddie, I asked you to be good for your aunt and uncle."
He nodded. "Yes, Mum."
"Why weren't you?" Minerva asked, stroking his tousled black hair.
"Because I was tired of waiting," he explained, his gray eyes meeting her blue ones innocently.
Minerva exchanged an amused look with Albus. "Indeed, Laddie?" He nodded. "What did you do, Danny-boy?"
"He found some of Kevin's old fireworks and tried to send them towards Germany," Arabella volunteered from where she'd been pouring the tea. "He said he wanted to kill the bad wizard so you'd come home."
"Oh, Danny." Minerva drew him close for a hug. "I'm sorry I was gone, but I'm here now. I'm not planning on leaving you or your sister anytime soon."
"Thanks, Mum." He snuggled against her with a sigh of contentment.
"Really, Ma?" Erica asked, leaning forward to look at her mother.
"Really, Lassie," Minerva replied.
"Goody!" Erica scrambled across Albus' lap, drawing a groan of pain from him. "Oh, sorry, Uncle Alby."
He eased her off his lap to sit between himself and Minerva. "Quite alright, Erica. Just be a little more careful."
"What happened to you, Uncle?" Arabella asked, looking closely at her godfather.
"I defeated Grindelwald," he answered quietly, accepting the cup of tea Arabella handed to him. "According to Minerva, I nearly died."
Arabella nodded, blinking back tears. When Minerva reached up to accept the cup of tea Arabella held out, her sister grabbed her hand instead and stared at the ring on the third finger. "Min, what's this?"
For the first time in a long time, Minerva blushed. "Erm, an engagement ring."
Arabella let Minerva take the tea and glanced from Minerva to Albus and back again. "It's about bloody time!"
"Bella!" Kevin exclaimed. "Not in front of the children."
"Sorry." Arabella looked contrite.
"Ma?" Erica tugged on her mother's sleeve, nearly spilling her tea.
Minerva transferred her tea to her other hand and wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Yes, Lassie?"
"What does an engagerment ring mean?" she asked solemnly.
"Engagement ring, Rica," Minerva corrected gently, and then glanced at her son to see him staring curiously up at her. She looked up at Albus and he nodded. She sighed and handed her tea to Albus so she could gather Daniel to her. "Children, I have something to tell both of you that's very important."