JK owns the rights and characters to the Harry Potter world. Me? I own three ferrets, two oscars and a cat fish. Everything else the credit card people own.

Unforgettable- Unforgivable

By Taylor Grey of Lady Grey Castles.

Minerva sat with her back to the wall of the tallest dark tower with her eyes closed allowing the spring rain to soak her robes to the skin. Her hair, most often kept in a tight bun was coming undone and tendrils of rain washed down each lose strand plastering it to her face. She had committed an Unforgettable – Unforgivable. One would argue that if she stayed out in the storm she risked her death from exposure. Better that, than facing the repercussions of her actions.

She closed her eyes but couldn't block out the memory from the event.

It was her morning transfiguration class of the day and she was putting homework notes on the board with her back to the class. She had given them the task of deciding what they wanted to be when they graduated, and to think about it when Susan Bones had made a whispered comment to Hermione Granger who sat next to her- about wanting more out of her life than just being a teacher, she wanted love, and a family and children, and not to be like McGonagall- a witheredold spinster. The chalk had broken in two from the pressure she had placed on it. There was a uneasy silence that followed while she repaired the chalk with a simple spell. She didn't dare turn around to the class until she thought all traces of her brimming eyes were cleared she just continued writing. By then the bell had rung, and the students filed out in a hurry. When she did turn, she saw Hermione still in her chair, just waiting.

"You will be late for your next class Ms Granger." She said stiffly. She saw Hermione shift in her chair. "I want to be like you, professor, when I graduate." Minerva shook her head "No child, you, don't… Off you go." She said then gathering up her things she strode through the door herself to her office where she tossed her books on her desk and conjured up a cup of tea. She couldn't drink it. She couldn't look at the biscuit tin , or the portraits of other deputy headmasters that lined her wall. She didn't move all afternoon and missed lunch, and her afternoon class. She ignored the knocks on her door from Professor Sprout, Madam Hooch, and Poppy. She knew enough about charms to lock her door so that no one could interrupt her. She just- sat in silence.

It was after dinner that the knock from Albus came – A gentle tap. When there was no answer Albus placed his hand on the doorknob and it opened for him as all doors of the school would. He strode into the room to where she sat looking at her cold untouched tea.

"Minerva, if you continue to wallow in self pity I will bite your nose. Enough of this nonse," was as far as he managed before she stood up and with a quick right to the jaw, knocked him onto his backside stunned. She fled her office then, leaving him dazed as to what exactly had hit him and what on earth he had done to deserve it.

Minerva moved as fast as she could up the steps of the dark towers- they were the tallest towers of Hogwarts- the ones that overlooked the deepest cliffs. There was something- forlorn about them. It was where the most horrible of secrets had been kept at Hogwarts that rivaled even the secrets of the dungeons. She went to the rail of the tower and looked down. Giving the properties of a wizard, a fall from that height would land her several days in the hospital ward at worst, at best, perhaps a broken neck. It was a better fate than what she would deserve, she has struck the headmaster. She, and the other teachers had sworn unfailing loyalty to the school, and to the headmaster- to answer and aid with out question. It was the closest binding that one would find outside of clergy given vows.

At first she justified the anger that she felt against him by rationalizing she had given up everything to be his deputy headmistress. The best half of her life- any chance of children, or marriage, or bliss was put aside because she idolized him and in her dreams was the hope perhaps, that they could be one- yes, he was twice her age, but what a man he was-.something she had realized from the first time she had sat down in his classroom at Hogwarts.

Yet that same man never gave her reason for that hope, never shared the lingering glances, the stolen moments- he was forever proper in his relationship with her she couldn't fault him for that. Nothing stopped her from seeking romance elsewhere-. Yes there had been the death eater scares when you weren't sure of whom to trust- but she had known enough people in her time to know how a death eater acted. She had even passed by several young men who had wished to court her in the hopes that- perhaps, someday…The waiting had made her patient. The time had made her complacent, then strengthened her resolve that if it was not to be she would serve him in everyway possible and fulfill the vows she had taken years before.

It was too late now- too late to bear children, or to hold a man to her breast- Her dreams had been the same as Susan Bones- but she at the same time; she wanted to be just like Albus when she got older. Bitterly she realized no one felt that same – warmth with her as the other students had with Albus. She knew, he loved all of his students- openly, and could have been sorted into any house- Minerva on the other hand was strictly Gryffindor. She had tried to be strict, yet fair to the students. Something- was missing though. She didn't have his charm, or that twinkle in her eyes as he did.

In that one moment that she struck him he had seen the – contempt for what she had become in her eyes. She had struck him; hard enough to knock him back wards. Not with a spell, not during a dueling lesson, she had hit him with anger, hatred , loathing in her heart. She wanted to hurt him as much as she could. That put her just right next to every single one of the death eaters that was exactly what Tom Riddle would have done-. She felt the chill, and didn't bother trying to stay warm as sleep began to steal into her bones. She didn't care. No one would really miss her if she died from the elements up here. There would be few mourners if any, perhaps only the polite teachers few at her graveside. Anything would be better than the emptiness she felt in her soul right now. She let herself slide down so that she lay in a freezing puddle beneath her cheek. "so this, is death" she thought, as darkness enveloped her at last.

Memories swam to the surface bobbing along the river of time. The letter when she was 11 from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her lessons, her friends her hopes and dreams and her desire that she had confided to only herself. The adoration that she held – wanting to be just like that person- that were now shattered because she had allowed one man to run her life- one that she trusted with her soul. The whispered comment fromSusan was in the background nagging her. She realized someone was in her mind with her sorting through her memories as one would a dusty library- someone searching for – answers. She didn't have the strength to fight- though she managed to tell them to go away. Her mind held no secret memories. If they wanted to read her- let them read this…" she thought, then directed her disparity towards the mind that moved with cautious ease within.

Albus Dumbledore fell to his knees holding his chest. He withdrew his mind from Minerva's and hung onto the edge of the bed to prevent falling over completely. He waved away Poppy's offered chocolate, and chose instead to pull himself back up to her bedside to hold Minerva's hand in his. Poppy could see the troubled expression in his eyes.

" I did this to her." He said breathlessly. "I have caused her unforgivable – unforgettable harm." He finished quietly, and then sat on the chair beside her bed in silence. Poppy moved about the room with practiced ease- dispensing her care to the students that came into the hospital wing. Albus sat on the chair behind the screen that she had erected to give Minerva privacy. As exhausted as he was, he couldn't sleep. He wouldn't sleep until he knew she was well. He reached out and took her soft hand in his and held it. His thumb moved across the back of it. He had unforgiving entered her mind with out permission. The ministry closely regulated that practice, and he had discarded all of the rules.

He heard footsteps. He knew those footsteps and didn't look up at first as Hagrid came around the screen with a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. He had even brought a vase with water and put them on her stand. There were unashamed tears in Hagrid's eyes as he bent over and gently kissed Minerva's cheek. He straightened and looked at Albus. "I love her as my own Mum. Better than m' own…" He said with a sniff. "She was there for me when Da died, when I was expelled… You were there for me too, but, She was there when m' own mum wasn't. Tears me up to know her heart's broken so."

"Her heart?" asked Albus sharply

"Mione' told me what happened in class. She never has broken chalk before in all the years she has taught." Mumbled Hagrid through his tears.

"Her heart?" repeated Albus curious as Poppy came over to them shooing them out of the infirmary so her patients could rest. Hagrid kissed Minerva's cheek again and looked pointedly at Dumbledore then nodded to Poppy as he left. Dumbledore didn't move. Instead he took Minerva's hand in his again and held it gently. "I am staying with her" He said softly. Poppy knew no power on earth would budge him and left him to his vigil.

A shaft of light came from the wrought windows and moved across the floor slowly as the afternoon danced with the clouds. Albus felt an impenetrable stiffness envelope his body. He watched mutely as the shaft played across her covers to her face where it highlighted it in a beautified halo of gold. He could conjure a rose and lay it to her breast and she would be as the fabled Sleeping Beauty- who could only wake with loves first kiss. He knew, this wouldn't be the case. She hated him. He had felt that when she had struck him- felt the raw emotions when he had tried to find the answers to all of this in her mind. He was too old to love, to old to be loved, the fire that had burned so intensely in his youth had long since diminished past glowing embers to now cold ash. Her heart was broken. Hagrid had said that Hermione told him that- whispered words from her class came back to him as he closed his eyes and asking for forgiveness entered into her mind again.

Before had been chaos. Random images that he had sorted through to get some sort of answer. Now there was just darkness and a single figure standing in the shaft of afternoon sunlight- as an actress on the stage would stand in the moonlight. It was Minerva, her dark hair tumbling down her shoulders, her glasses off, wrapped in just a tartan shawl that he knew was her favorite. Her slim bare legs went up forever catching his breath as he moved forward. Gone now were all the masks and distractions. She had found her inner self, all that mattered to her. He strode over to her and was about to touch her when he discovered that he was dangling in mid air, upside down. However undignified this was to him he bore it with patience, grace and a bit of humor. By looking up he saw he was wearing his special Gryffindor union suit that had the Gryffindor lion over his cod piece. He said the first thing that came to his mind. "Minerva I am sorry for breaking your heart. I didn't know – Please forgive me."

He felt himself falling to the floor in an ungentle fashion. Looking up he saw she had moved toward him, the light moving as well basking her in its brilliance as the tartan shaw slipped down her hips to the floor. Unsteady he rose to meet her face to face. For a moment he reflected on the calm beauty she held, then tears of blood began to trickle down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came was bubbles of blood. He saw her beauty fade, her skin become transparent as death as she collapsed in his arms. Her heart was broken and now she lay dieing in his armsand there wasn't anything he could do…

With a sob he drew her tighter into his arms and said to her out loud "I give you my heart, my soul, for I am nothing with out you I would rather face death myself than to live in a world without you." With that he kissed her and allowed his tears to mingle with hers as the light around them dimmed throwing both of them into darkness. Albus felt as if his heart was rented from his body. His outcry of agony alerted Poppy that something was horribly wrong. Rushing to them she found the headmaster layingbeside McGonagall his arms holding her but nether of them were awake. She didn't dare move them she could only cast protective wards around them so that whatever magic he was trying would be focused.

When Minerva woke she found Albus lying in the bed beside her. Her eyebrows went up and for a second she resisted the impulse to pull up his robes and look at his codpiece to see if there really was a lion.She was still watching him when his eyes opened. For a moment he blinked then his hand gently cupped her face as he drew closer to her and tenderly kissed her lips His hand moved down to her belly as he locked gazes with her.

"One does not need to have given birth to be a mother to those who love her Nor a vow to have been bonded to those who wish to spend the rest of their lives with one as treasured as you." She tried to sit up, his arm kept her down. "I freely give you my heart Minerva, for I have broken yours unknowingly" Her eyes searched his face as he drew closer and delivered another gentle kiss before moving over to her ear where he murmured something that made her blush, and then nod.

He had thought himself too old for love, to be love, to make love…

But she had made his lion roar.

AN: Thank You Catwoman 99 for pointing out the slip between Susan and Katie It has been corrected.

I thought this was going to be a one shot deal, but after reading it over, I know it has - um- potential... Thank you all for your kind reviews!

Taylor Grey

Lady Grey Castles.