A/N: I'm feeling mean so it's going to be three chapters, will try and update as quickly as possible, probably tomorrow.

A smile played its way around the corners of Minerva's mouth when the house elf Dobby appeared in the headmaster's sitting room. He still had about twenty hats piled on his head and she was quite amazed that he hasn't fallen over. He was like a walking tea cosy commercial, and she thought that she might have to talk to Hermoine about this particular campaign.

"Dobby we'll have a pot of tea, and a selection of biscuits and sweets, our favourites if you have them,"

"Professor McGonagall is very kind, miss, Dobby will bring them up promptly" and with a bang he disappeared.

Minerva sat Albus down in his favourite armchair near the fire and began to knead his shoulders, working all the tension out of the muscles with hands well used to the work. She secretly enjoyed this excuse to touch him, to feel the sinewy muscles beneath the robes, and dream that she could be more to him than his deputy. Albus' thinking was much along the same lines, but slightly less coherent. The combination of Minerva's hands and the alleviation of his tension were too much for him to maintain even one rational thought. When Dobby arrived back with the tea and biscuits it was much more relaxed headmaster who greeted him, asked briefly how he was liking his employment and sent the merry elf on his way.

"So Albus, what is troubling you?" asked Minerva, and sent albus off on a tirade. They talked for several hours arranging how best to deal with things at the ministry, as well as several interschool matters that needed to be sorted out. Albus always found that his best ideas arose when he talked to Minerva. She served as both his inspiration and his sounding board and without her suggestions the world would be in a much messier situation that it currently found itself.

Long after the tea was all gone, and the last sherbet lemon had disappeared, albus sat back in his chair and surveyed the witch sitting across from him. She looked up at him and said, "There is something else you wanted to tell me Albus? I can see it written all over your face, no matter how much you try to hide it."
"My dear, you see right through me. That is all the business we have today, but I wanted to ask your opinion on a personal matter."
"Of course Albus, you know that there are no secrets between us. We've been friends for over fifty years now. I'm amazed that you even need to ask. So fire away, whose heart have you stolen this time?"

Albus started and stunned whispered, "you already know?"

"Albus, you have been quite the ladies man, long before I was even born. It has been quite a while and I was beginning to despair of you ever finding the one. I do hope you've picked someone closer to your own age this time though. Honesty Albus, you wont be around forever."

Albus was flustered, there were so many undercurrents in that speech that he had trouble keeping up, and was no longer sure what Minerva was saying, or trying to say. He would simply have to progress as planned and hope for the best. "Once again you're correct," he laughed, with an attempt to lighten the situation, "Only this time I'm sure she's the only one for me. Beautiful, fiercely intelligent, courageous, loyal and she has this amazing ability to see right through me."

"So what's the problem?" Minerva asked softly, dangerously.

"She doesn't know how I feel about her" Albus sighed softly, "and I don't know if I have the courage to speak the words aloud."

Minerva suddenly became stern and business-like. "Well Albus, you owe it to her to tell her how you feel, let alone owing it to yourself. In all the years I've known you I don't think I've ever seen you really happy with a woman. You need someone who is going to be able to compete with you intellectually as well as satisfy you physically. I'm surprised that you've found the complete package and haven't spoken out before now." A dark thought crossed Minerva's mind, "She's not married is she Albus, because in that case I'd advice you to remain deeply secretive about this matter. You have no right to barge into a relationship simply because you have found someone you think you love, despite being the most powerful wizard alive."

Albus covered his face with his hands for a moment, then spoke through them, his voice strangely muffled. "She's not exactly married, although she may as well be for all the chance I have"

"Don't beg for compliments Albus, its not becoming of someone your age" cut in Minerva, "This silliness has gone on long enough Albus, you've always told me not to wallow in self-pity but to be proactive about the situation you find yourself in. If the lady is not otherwise engaged, go to her and tell her how you feel. At least then you'll have an answer to the question you cannot answer by yourself." With that Minerva rose elegantly from her armchair, and left the room, leaving Albus sitting staring into the fire trying to comprehend exactly what she had just said.

Minerva had only reached the corridor just outside Albus' office when she left a hand on her shoulder. Turning slowly to face Albus and looking him straight in his clear blue eyes, she witnessed not the common twinkle, but a flare of naked longing that seemed to suck all the air from her lungs. She managed a whispered, "Albus?" His long fingers rose from his side and pressed themselves against her lips,

"Hush Minerva, there is something I want to tell you." But before he could speak further, she cut in,

"Please don't Albus, please don't say anything. Because if you're going to tell me that its me you want I don't know that I'll have the strength to say no. Believe me Albus when I say that I love you with all my heart, and I have done for nigh on fifty years, but a confession of love from you would just about break my heart." Answering the unspoken confusion she could see in his eyes she ploughed on, "It is a selfish desire, and I never meant to hurt you. I can only hope that your love for me is newfound and fleeting because I cannot...I cannot...I just can't that all."

For Albus this was no kind of answer and he queried, "Minerva, I have loved you for nearly half a century, and you have just told me likewise, what could be more right that fulfilling the long secret desires of our hearts."

"Fifty years Albus, fifty years. Think of all the happy memories we've missed out on because we were both too afraid to speak out. We've been the best of friends since before I can remember and yet we're kept this secret from each other. I can't throw myself into a relationship with you knowing that we could have another fifty years or only another fifty hours. You're not young any more Albus, and neither am I. We both give this outward appearance of infallibility, but there is no telling when either of us could fall. I can't open my heart only to have it broken again before we've made up for all the lost time we could have shared."

Albus looked confused, his brow furrowed deeper than she had ever seen it, "Then you would choose sadness, and loneliness over happiness, love and companionship."

"Do not judge me Albus, I may be a Gryffindor but I was never as brave as you. Besides, I never said I was sad, or lonely, and I will always have your companionship, Albus. That has been enough to sustain me, and it will continue to sustain me in the future"

"Yes my dear, you will always have my friendship." And with that Minerva smiled weakly, bid him goodnight and hurried out of the corridor leaving Albus staring at the spot she had stood, his eyes misty and full of unshed tears.