Chapter 5: Secrets
As Albus expected, his first week of the summer was spent out on a mission. It was shortly after noon on Friday before he returned to the Ministry, and he swiftly sent off two intraoffice owls. The afternoon dragged, and Albus found himself making excuses to his colleagues for his inattentiveness. At 5, he gave up and left to speak with his old friend, even though the note he'd owled said 5:15. Knocking on the unmarked door two down from the main entrance to the Department of Mysteries, he was pleased when a familiar face answered the door and shocked by how old Stuart Stenzel had grown.
"Albus! Do come in!"
"Thank you, Stuart." Even his handshake was no longer as steady as it had been the last time they had met. Stuart's once thick, brown hair was now entirely gray and quite thin. His face was deeply lined and his body stooped with age.
"I can't tell you how delighted I was to receive your owl, Albus. Please sit down and tell me what I can do for you."
They spoke companionably, catching up on each others' news for several minutes before Albus began to speak of Minerva and his hopes of introducing her soon. A knock on the door indicated that would be very soon. Albus stood and watched as Stuart opened the door to reveal Minerva looking around as though she were not sure she had arrived at the correct door.
"Miss McGonagall?" Stuart asked, looking surprised.
"Yes," she replied with a smile, reaching to shake the hand he was offering.
"Please, do come in. I believe you are already acquainted with Albus." As he closed the door, he motioned to his left, where Albus stood. "Old friend, I apologize for quite misunderstanding you. When you were speaking so warmly, I believed you had fallen in love, but now I see that this must be your granddaughter."
With a snort, Albus reminded him, "As you well know, I have no children, so that would be quite impossible, Stuart." Holding his hand out for Minerva to take, he added, "Minerva and I are engaged." This seemed such a shock to Stuart that he was unable to find words. "And I believe you may now guess why we are here."
That cleared Stuart's eyes of confusion, and he stared at the couple with a new recognition. "How long have you been engaged? And how long acquainted?"
Still holding Minerva's hand in one of his and now placing the other on her waist, Albus answered, "We met briefly seventeen years ago, but only really became acquainted when Minerva came to teach at Hogwarts in December. We've been engaged since Easter."
"Miss McGonagall, your parents must be younger than Albus. Do they know of this and approve?"
"Yes."
With a wide grin at this bit of news he had not previously heard, Albus squeezed Minerva's hand, and continued to apply pressure to his old friend. "As you become acquainted with her, you'll find she's a remarkable woman, Stuart. We've used the Secret Keeper charm so that our marriage can be kept almost entirely undisclosed."
Quietly Stuart asked, "And does she know why you have asked her to meet me?"
Minerva looked surprised to see the smile fading from Albus's face. Finally he whispered, "No. We are meeting here in your office for the first time since we left Hogwarts because I want you to tell her, while she still has time to change her mind about marrying me."
Stuart made a disgusted sound which Minerva ignored as she reached to stroke Albus's face. "Whatever it is Albus, you can tell me."
"No," Stuart sharply replied. "He can't. I'm the Secret Keeper."
Minerva turned in surprise to Stuart. "For what?"
"How much do you know about Animagi, Minerva?"
Both Albus and Minerva laughed as she stepped away from him and transformed into a loudly purring cat. After blinking at Stuart several times, she transformed back and returned to Albus's embrace.
Stuart rolled his eyes and muttered, "I just gave this book to my great-grandson." Staring sternly at them, he finally relented. "You are, of course, aware that Albus was an Auror." At Minerva's nod, he continued, "It is very little known that there are a number of things which Aurors can arrange to do secretly that are normally quite public. This is why the two of you may marry very secretly. The secret I keep for Albus is that he became an Animagus at the request of the Aurors, with his name and description kept in a book so secret that only two living people have ever seen it." Impatiently waving, he added, "Go on then, Albus, transform so she can see why it must be so secret."
Albus stepped away from a very surprised Minerva and became a large, tawny owl. Seeing that she was staring hard at him, he flew up onto a chair so that she could see more easily. Tentatively, she reached out and stroked his face as she slowly walked around the chair, his head turning all the way around to follow her. Shock evident in her expression, Minerva took a couple of steps away from him, and Albus hopped off the chair as he transformed.
Her voice full of horror, she observed, "You have no markings to distinguish you."
Nodding slightly, Albus whispered, "Precisely."
She must have recognized that he was upset by her distress, because her expression changed to one of concern as she stepped towards him, stroking his beard as if to reassure him that she still cared. "But this is legal?"
"Quite," Stuart assured her, though she never glanced away from Albus's eyes.
As Albus kissed her hand, he saw a mist of anger drift over her eyes. "And have you delivered notes to me yourself?"
"I have not, my dear. I rarely have time or need to deliver notes personally."
Her anger evaporated. "But this is why you have a large, tawny owl."
"Yes." Albus grinned and winked as he added, "And if you've been receiving owls in your nightclothes, then I'll regret not delivering notes personally."
Minerva rolled her eyes and turned. "Mr. Stenzel, are you also the friend of Albus's who will help us with our marriage?"
"Yes. We could fill out the paperwork now and we can just meet next month to sign and make it official. If you still plan to marry him."
"Of course," she sniffed.
Afterwards, Minerva left first so that she and Albus would not be seen emerging from the same room. He was lost in hopes that she had gone to their home and that he would soon feel her arms around him and her lips on his when Stuart cleared his throat.
"She's a very lovely woman, Albus. If she does marry you, I'll consider you a very fortunate man."
Continuing to stare at the door, Albus smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, I am a very lucky man. She's a remarkable woman." Finally looking away from the door to his friend Stuart, he continued, "We've been practicing dueling together for months. The students love watching, but we're going to have to stop. At least stop practicing in public."
"Why?"
"She's too good. I don't want others finding out how powerful she is. It could be dangerous for her."
"And it could be an asset, having a strong witch around whom no one knows is both powerful and experienced at dueling."
"True."
"Do you think it was obvious to the students that she's powerful?"
Realizing that this was indeed both likely and problematic, Albus nodded gravely.
"Perhaps she would agree to stage your last duel early in the next school year. You know, pretend to get angry and insist that you not hold back, then lose badly to you."
"Well, she can certainly get angry, but it's likely she'll be furious with me if I suggest this to her."
"You have time to think about it. And now you should bid me farewell and go try to capture a kiss."
"Yes. Thank you, old friend."
"I'll see you in July."
As Albus expected, his first week of the summer was spent out on a mission. It was shortly after noon on Friday before he returned to the Ministry, and he swiftly sent off two intraoffice owls. The afternoon dragged, and Albus found himself making excuses to his colleagues for his inattentiveness. At 5, he gave up and left to speak with his old friend, even though the note he'd owled said 5:15. Knocking on the unmarked door two down from the main entrance to the Department of Mysteries, he was pleased when a familiar face answered the door and shocked by how old Stuart Stenzel had grown.
"Albus! Do come in!"
"Thank you, Stuart." Even his handshake was no longer as steady as it had been the last time they had met. Stuart's once thick, brown hair was now entirely gray and quite thin. His face was deeply lined and his body stooped with age.
"I can't tell you how delighted I was to receive your owl, Albus. Please sit down and tell me what I can do for you."
They spoke companionably, catching up on each others' news for several minutes before Albus began to speak of Minerva and his hopes of introducing her soon. A knock on the door indicated that would be very soon. Albus stood and watched as Stuart opened the door to reveal Minerva looking around as though she were not sure she had arrived at the correct door.
"Miss McGonagall?" Stuart asked, looking surprised.
"Yes," she replied with a smile, reaching to shake the hand he was offering.
"Please, do come in. I believe you are already acquainted with Albus." As he closed the door, he motioned to his left, where Albus stood. "Old friend, I apologize for quite misunderstanding you. When you were speaking so warmly, I believed you had fallen in love, but now I see that this must be your granddaughter."
With a snort, Albus reminded him, "As you well know, I have no children, so that would be quite impossible, Stuart." Holding his hand out for Minerva to take, he added, "Minerva and I are engaged." This seemed such a shock to Stuart that he was unable to find words. "And I believe you may now guess why we are here."
That cleared Stuart's eyes of confusion, and he stared at the couple with a new recognition. "How long have you been engaged? And how long acquainted?"
Still holding Minerva's hand in one of his and now placing the other on her waist, Albus answered, "We met briefly seventeen years ago, but only really became acquainted when Minerva came to teach at Hogwarts in December. We've been engaged since Easter."
"Miss McGonagall, your parents must be younger than Albus. Do they know of this and approve?"
"Yes."
With a wide grin at this bit of news he had not previously heard, Albus squeezed Minerva's hand, and continued to apply pressure to his old friend. "As you become acquainted with her, you'll find she's a remarkable woman, Stuart. We've used the Secret Keeper charm so that our marriage can be kept almost entirely undisclosed."
Quietly Stuart asked, "And does she know why you have asked her to meet me?"
Minerva looked surprised to see the smile fading from Albus's face. Finally he whispered, "No. We are meeting here in your office for the first time since we left Hogwarts because I want you to tell her, while she still has time to change her mind about marrying me."
Stuart made a disgusted sound which Minerva ignored as she reached to stroke Albus's face. "Whatever it is Albus, you can tell me."
"No," Stuart sharply replied. "He can't. I'm the Secret Keeper."
Minerva turned in surprise to Stuart. "For what?"
"How much do you know about Animagi, Minerva?"
Both Albus and Minerva laughed as she stepped away from him and transformed into a loudly purring cat. After blinking at Stuart several times, she transformed back and returned to Albus's embrace.
Stuart rolled his eyes and muttered, "I just gave this book to my great-grandson." Staring sternly at them, he finally relented. "You are, of course, aware that Albus was an Auror." At Minerva's nod, he continued, "It is very little known that there are a number of things which Aurors can arrange to do secretly that are normally quite public. This is why the two of you may marry very secretly. The secret I keep for Albus is that he became an Animagus at the request of the Aurors, with his name and description kept in a book so secret that only two living people have ever seen it." Impatiently waving, he added, "Go on then, Albus, transform so she can see why it must be so secret."
Albus stepped away from a very surprised Minerva and became a large, tawny owl. Seeing that she was staring hard at him, he flew up onto a chair so that she could see more easily. Tentatively, she reached out and stroked his face as she slowly walked around the chair, his head turning all the way around to follow her. Shock evident in her expression, Minerva took a couple of steps away from him, and Albus hopped off the chair as he transformed.
Her voice full of horror, she observed, "You have no markings to distinguish you."
Nodding slightly, Albus whispered, "Precisely."
She must have recognized that he was upset by her distress, because her expression changed to one of concern as she stepped towards him, stroking his beard as if to reassure him that she still cared. "But this is legal?"
"Quite," Stuart assured her, though she never glanced away from Albus's eyes.
As Albus kissed her hand, he saw a mist of anger drift over her eyes. "And have you delivered notes to me yourself?"
"I have not, my dear. I rarely have time or need to deliver notes personally."
Her anger evaporated. "But this is why you have a large, tawny owl."
"Yes." Albus grinned and winked as he added, "And if you've been receiving owls in your nightclothes, then I'll regret not delivering notes personally."
Minerva rolled her eyes and turned. "Mr. Stenzel, are you also the friend of Albus's who will help us with our marriage?"
"Yes. We could fill out the paperwork now and we can just meet next month to sign and make it official. If you still plan to marry him."
"Of course," she sniffed.
Afterwards, Minerva left first so that she and Albus would not be seen emerging from the same room. He was lost in hopes that she had gone to their home and that he would soon feel her arms around him and her lips on his when Stuart cleared his throat.
"She's a very lovely woman, Albus. If she does marry you, I'll consider you a very fortunate man."
Continuing to stare at the door, Albus smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, I am a very lucky man. She's a remarkable woman." Finally looking away from the door to his friend Stuart, he continued, "We've been practicing dueling together for months. The students love watching, but we're going to have to stop. At least stop practicing in public."
"Why?"
"She's too good. I don't want others finding out how powerful she is. It could be dangerous for her."
"And it could be an asset, having a strong witch around whom no one knows is both powerful and experienced at dueling."
"True."
"Do you think it was obvious to the students that she's powerful?"
Realizing that this was indeed both likely and problematic, Albus nodded gravely.
"Perhaps she would agree to stage your last duel early in the next school year. You know, pretend to get angry and insist that you not hold back, then lose badly to you."
"Well, she can certainly get angry, but it's likely she'll be furious with me if I suggest this to her."
"You have time to think about it. And now you should bid me farewell and go try to capture a kiss."
"Yes. Thank you, old friend."
"I'll see you in July."
