11. Ghost of the Past

A/N: Many thanks to Cielita for helping me figure out what to do next with the story. -grin- Not to mention coming up with the outline for the first part of the chapter itself.

Albus and Minerva's relationship went into a pleasant limbo after that first kiss. They didn't speak of the change in their relationship, but it was there all the same. Kisses landed on lips rather than cheeks now. They didn't wait for an excuse to hug each other, either. When they sat together to discuss something, they were more inclined to snuggle together on the couch rather than perch in separate chairs.

Harry was aware of the change, of course. He'd have to have been deaf, blind, and dumb not to see what was right in front of him. Minerva didn't mind that he knew. He deserved to be aware of the change, since he was her son. By unspoken agreement, Albus and Minerva chose not to tell anyone else about the change in their relationship.

That was why Albus chose to stay in his office to take care of paperwork, while Minerva and Harry played on the wide, sweeping front lawns of the school on the first day of the spring holidays. When a familiar figure appeared at the front gates, Minerva drew in a sharp gasp. It was Karl Jennens. Even after all these years, she knew him by sight. "Harry-lad, stay behind me."

"Why, Mum?" Harry asked as Karl approached the two.

She didn't know what Karl wanted, but it couldn't be good. "Just do what I tell you, Harry-lad."

"Minerva!" Karl's voice was falsely cheerful, the smile on his face obviously forced. "How are you--" that's when he caught sight of Harry, who was peeking around Minerva at Karl. "Who is this?"

Before Minerva could reply, Harry piped up. "I'm Harry. Do you know my Mum?"

"Mum?" Karl repeated, an ugly look appearing on his face as he looked back at Minerva. "He's your son?" Swallowing hard, Minerva nodded. "You slut! Who did you sleep with to beget this bastard? Who?" He looked down at Harry again before sneering. "Wait, let me guess: the great and powerful Albus Dumbledore. He's the bastard's father."

Minerva was shaking now. Even after all these years, Karl could still scare her. Whatever happened, though, she must protect Harry. "I didn't give birth to him, Karl, I--"

"Shut up!" Karl growled, slapping Minerva and knocking her to the ground. "Get up!"

He grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet. Minerva cried out in pain as his hand almost crushed her wrist. She was sure to have bruises. "Stop hurting Mum!"

"Stay out of this, brat!" Without letting go of Minerva, Karl backhanded Harry.

Tears appearing in his eyes, Harry ran off in the direction of the castle. Minerva could only hope that he'd gone to get help.

Harry dashed through the corridors of the school, desperate to get to Mr. Albus and tell him about the bad man who was hurting Mum. Reaching the gargoyle guarding Mr. Albus' office, Harry gasped out the password: "Chocolate frog." The gargoyle moved aside and Harry ran up the moving stairs. Bursting into the office, Harry announced, "There's a bad man hurting Mum!"

"What was that, Harry?" Mr. Albus asked, looking up from the paperwork spread out across his desk.

The little boy ran to Mr. Albus. "Mum and I were playing when this bad man came and started talking to her. Then he saw me and started yelling at her. Then he hurt her. When I tried to stop him, he hurt me."

"Did you hear his name, m'boy?" Mr. Albus asked, even as he tilted Harry's head back so he could look at the boy's face.

Harry winced as the long, thin fingers probed the injured area. "Mum called him Karl."

"He's finally returned, then," Mr. Albus murmured, standing up with Harry in his arms. "Let's go help your Mum, then."

Harry nodded and rested his head on Mr. Albus' shoulder, glad that help for Mum was on the way.

Though Albus appeared calm to Harry, inside he was seething. He didn't know everything that Karl Jennens had put Minerva through, but he knew that physical abuse was a large part of it. That the man had hit Harry wasn't exactly a surprise, but it still made Albus' blood boil. Finally, they reached the front lawns. It took only a moment for Albus to spot Minerva and Karl. As he started towards them, she crumpled to the ground in an emerald heap. "Minerva!" Looking up to see Albus coming toward him, Karl turned and began to run. "Petrificus Totalus!" Karl's arms snapped to his sides and his legs sprang together right before he fell on his face. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Karl's inert body floated up and over to where Albus stood by Minerva. "Hello, Mr. Jennens, it's been a long time." The other man glared at Albus, obviously furious. "As a member of my staff, Minerva is under my protection. I will let you go this time, but let this be a warning. Should you ever come after her again, you will regret it. Finite Incantatem."

Karl fell to the ground in a heap. With some difficulty, he got to his feet, gray eyes as cold as ice. "Very well, Dumbledore. You can keep your tramp for yourself." He glanced at Harry, who was peeping around Albus' legs. "And your little bastard, too."

Albus laid a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder as Karl marched down the drive and through the gates of the school. Not until he'd Disapparated with a loud crack did Albus look down at Minerva. There didn't appear to be any blood on her robes, but he knew that some injuries didn't leave visible marks. "Harry, m'boy, could you please go up to the Hospital Wing and get Aunt Poppy so she can help Minerva?"

"Yes, Mr. Albus." Harry was up and off like a shot.

Albus sighed and knelt beside Minerva. He could see a livid bruise forming on her right cheek, her right wrist was just as badly bruised and a lump was forming on her left temple. He didn't dare move her without knowing what sort of injuries she had, for fear of making them worse. Seeing her so still and injured hurt him far more than the worst injuries he'd sustained himself, because it felt as if his heart was being squeezed by a tight fist. Poppy's voice intruded on his thoughts. "Albus! What happened to Minerva?"

"Karl Jennens was here," Albus told the school mediwitch as she knelt across from him. "Her injuries are his handiwork."

"So I see," Poppy commented, casting a diagnosis spell to determine the extent of Minerva's injuries. Harry crawled into Albus' lap and Albus held the boy close, the sleeves of his robes nearly hiding him. After what seemed like an eternity to Albus, but wasn't long at all, Poppy terminated the spell. "You can obviously see that she was hit in the temple, which is probably what knocked her unconscious. Her right cheekbone is cracked, but not much. The bones of her right wrist are out of place. She's also sustained trauma to her ribcage, because several are cracked and more than that are bruised."

Albus listened quietly as Poppy listed each injury. He closed his eyes against the anger that ballooned inside him at the thought of anyone, particularly Karl Jennens, hurting Minerva in such a way. It was with some difficulty that he kept his voice quiet and calm. "I imagine you'll wish to take her up to the Hospital Wing."

"Yes, but I need to stabilize her before I move her," Poppy answered with a nod.

"Stabilize her?" Harry asked from his place in Albus' lap, obviously confused.

"Yes, m'boy," Albus replied, tightening his hold on the lad for a moment. "She's going to heal Minerva just enough that she won't be hurt worse on her way up to the Hospital Wing."

"Oh." Harry leaned against Albus as Poppy waved her wand over Minerva's torso.

Albus gently rocked him back and forth, watching as bandages flew out of Poppy's wand and wrapped around Minerva's rib cage. They would prevent further damage to Minerva's ribs and thus protect the heart and lungs beneath. Once that was done, Poppy carefully stretched Minerva out on her back. "Albus, could you levitate her just a bit?"

"Of course, Poppy." Albus did so and Poppy conjured a stretcher underneath Minerva. When it was in place, Albus lowered Minerva onto the stretcher.

At a wave of Poppy's wand, the stretcher floated up and they started for the castle. "Why don't you just float Mum up to the Hospital Wing?"

"By transporting her on a stretcher, her body stays relatively still," Poppy explained when Albus said nothing. "This will keep her injuries from getting worse than they are."

Harry nodded, his hand enfolded by Albus'. "Are you all right, Mr. Albus?"

"I'm fine, m'boy," Albus told Harry with a faint smile. "Just worried about Minerva."

Harry squeezed his hand, obviously trying to reassure Albus. "She'll be all right, Mr. Albus. You'll see."

"Thank you, Harry." On the boy's innocent confidence, they entered the castle and continued up to the Hospital Wing.

When Minerva awoke, she lay still and assessed what she could of her injuries without opening her eyes. Her left temple was throbbing, her right cheek was sore, her right wrist ached, and she could feel bandages wrapped around her rib cage. Taking an experimental deep breath, she was relieved when she only felt mild discomfort. Finally, she opened her eyes and realized that she was in Hospital Wing. Well, better the Hospital Wing than St. Mungo's, she mused, looking around. She smiled when her gaze landed on the chair pulled up beside her bed. Albus sat in it with Harry in his lap. Both were asleep, although Albus was holding Minerva's hand with his free on. She squeezed his hand and his eyes opened moments later. He smiled when he saw that she was awake. "Hello, Minerva. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine, Albus," she replied with a faint smile. "What happened?"

Albus' smile faded a little as his hand tightened around hers. "I was working in my office when Harry came in and told me Karl was hurting you." Minerva sighed and closed her eyes as he continued. "By the time we arrived to rescue you, Karl had knocked you unconscious."

"What did you to him?" Minerva asked, her voice little more than a whisper, almost afraid to find out.

He did not loosen his hold on her hand. "I did nothing to him except warn him to stay away from you. Should he come near you again, he will not find me so generous."

"Because I'm your Deputy?" Minerva asked, opening her eyes to look at him; half dreading he would answer one way while half hoping he would answer the other way.

His gaze was warm as he replied. "I gave him that answer, yes, but it was truly because I love you."

"You do?" she asked, tears of joy springing to her eyes.

He nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm not sure when it happened, but I've loved you for several years now."

"I have examined my own feelings as well," she told him, her tears slipping unheeded down her cheeks. "It must have happened after I became your Deputy, but I've loved you for a long time now, too.

A smile lit up his face at her words, but they were both startled when Harry announced, "Mr. Albus, you're squishing me."

"Oh, I do apologize, m'boy," Albus replied, hastily loosening his grip on Harry.

Harry slid from Albus' lap. "It's all right, Mr. Albus. " He turned to Minerva. "Hi, Mum."

"Hello, Harry-lad," Minerva replied as he scrambled onto the bed to hug her. "How's your cheek."

He grinned, snuggling against her. "Aunt Poppy made it all better."

"Did she kiss it to help it along?" Minerva asked, remembering something from her Muggle Studies class.

He shook his head. "No, she didn't."

"I guess I shall have to, then," she replied before tilting Harry's head up and kissing the cheek Karl had hurt.

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Mum."

"You're welcome, Harry-lad." Minerva smiled as he snuggled against her once more.

Albus stood at that moment. "I shall go tell Poppy you're awake, my dear. We still need to talk, however."

"I know, Albus," she answered with a quiet sigh. "Tonight?"

He nodded. "Tonight."

She watched him leave before turning her attention back to the little boy in her arms. "Thank you for going to get Albus, Harry-lad."

"You're welcome, Mum," Harry replied, idly tracing patterns on the sheet covering her stomach. Minerva waited patiently, as it was obvious that Harry had something on his mind. Finally, he asked, "Mum?"

She kissed the top of his head. "Yes, Harry-lad?"

"What's a bastard?" he queried innocently. "And a slut? And a tramp?"

She closed her eyes in pain. She'd wondered if he would ask. "They're all bad words, Harry-lad, so I don't want to hear you using them. As for what they mean, well, you'll have to wait until you're older."

"I always have to wait until I'm older," Harry muttered petulantly.

Minerva sighed and hugged. "I'm sorry, Harry-lad."

"It's okay, Mum." He hugged her back. She smiled as she let her cheek rest against the top of his head. They stayed that way until Albus returned with Poppy.