The Beginning of Something New: by Ang.

A/N: First of all, thanks for all the reviews for chapter one. We're glad that this story is being so well received by all of you. Secondly, here's a small timeline of events so that should put to rest any confusion you may have so far:

Minerva graduates Hogwarts 1943; AD/MM marry soon after that; Evie and Abigail are born in 1945; Minerva begins teaching Hogwarts in Dec. 1956; and Albus still doesn't take over as Headmaster until 1970.

The summer sun was beating down on the raven-haired beauties as they lounged in the sunshine, drinking up the summer rays. On a tartan blanket sat a large picnic basket, filled with all their favorite foods, many of which consisted of an assortment of sweets for the young girl sitting beside her mother. No matter how many times her mother had lectured her about rotting teeth and the dangers of too many candies, the young girl never seemed to take any notice and would always smile impishly as she popped another sherbert lemon into her mouth, seemingly to taunt her mother.

Little did Abigail know just how much that simple act pained her mother. Each time she looked at her beautiful daughter, she was acutely aware of the subtle reminders of a love lost and a time sorely missed. The way Abigail adored her muggle confectionaries, the way she always managed to find humor, even in the darkest of times, even the way she laughed reminded her of Albus. But it was the twinkling blue eyes of her daughter that seemed to draw her in and make her feel as if anything in the world was possible, just like her father had done so many years before the young lass was even more. Undeniably, it was easy to see how this young girl named Abigail could be her mother's pride and joy.

As her mother sat reading the latest issue of Transfiguration Digest, Abigail was busy occupying her time with a muggle yo-yo. She had bought it with her allowance money the last time they had ventured into London. And for her birthday, Minerva had even purchased her daughter a book explaining the origins of the yo-yo as well as describing several tricks that could be accomplished with some earnest practice and a certain level of determination. Popping another sherbert lemon into her mouth, she proudly announced to her mother that she had just mastered the art of 'walking the dog.'

"Walking the what?" Minerva asked amusedly. "You know how much I fear those animals, Abigail," she teased, giving her daughter a broad smile.

"Oh mum! It's only a simple name and fear of a name is just silly," she chuckled. "But if it will make you happy, we'll alter the name just slightly for you."

Minerva proudly watched as her daughter demonstrated her new talent and then tried in vain to get her mother to attempt it. "You know I can't work one of these things! They're silly little contraptions and I see no entertainment value in them at all," Minerva said utterly exasperated after trying to master the simple art of getting the brightly colored yo-yo to return to her palm after releasing the string.

"Mum, you're just trying to hard. It's supposed to be fun and exciting, not something that's done necessarily by the books. Besides, it's only for amusement. I'm sure it won't solve the world's problems, but it will add a little bit of humor into the day."

Looking into the blue eyes of her daughter, Minerva was about to respond when a loud screeching noise was heard in the near distance. Taking a deep steadying breath, Minerva swallowed hard as she scanned the sky for the approaching owl.

"Look! It's an owl and he's headed this way. It must be my Hogwarts letter Mum! Isn't this exciting?" Abigail jumped to her feet and watched the bird fly nearer to their picnic site. As the majestic bird circled once overhead, Minerva noted that this was no ordinary owl. It was the very same owl she and Albus had bought the day the girls' turned one year old. Albus had insisted on naming the bird Eros, because on his long absences from home and the women he adored, Albus would use the snowy white owl to deliver his love letters to his wife and children, telling them how much he missed them and longed to be in their presence.

Abigail extended her arm and Eros landed easily, giving the girl an appreciative nip on her finger as she offered him a sherbert lemon. As she sat back down on the blanket and eased the owl from her arm, Abigail noticed how pale her mother had become suddenly.

"Are you feeling okay Mum?" Abigail asked with a voice full of concern. "Surely you knew that one day soon I'd get my Hogwarts letter and I'd be leaving you to start my formal education." The extremely intelligent girl took the parchment from the owl's leg and settled into her mother's arms as they read the official letter together.

"I'm so very proud of you today, my dear. You are going to make me very proud. Just remember that whatever happens at school, you will always be adored and cherished here at home as well. You're the apple of my eye and that will never change," Minerva said sadly, thinking to herself of the other girl who she longed to hold in her arms today.

"I'll always love you, Mum and nothing could ever change that. This isn't the end of things, but just another grand adventure which should be embraced." Abigail had no way of knowing just how much like her father she had become, even with his absence in her life. Yet, Minerva could pinpoint all his little eccentricities, habits, and sayings just as if he had spoken them to Abigail only yesterday.

"Yes, another grand adventure and one that we should prepare for as soon as possible," Minerva said shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind of all thoughts of Albus and her little Evie.

"So, when do you think we could go into Diagon Alley for my supplies? I'd like to get them as early as possible so I can begin to look over my books and ask you any questions before I leave."

"Ah, so you do have a bit of me hidden in there somewhere," she said as she hugged her daughter tightly. "And here I thought all you cared about were sweets and practical jokes but apparently I've had some influence over you these past eleven years."

Abigail regarded her mother with keen eyes, eyes which seemed to peer right through the stern façade her mother sometimes presented. It was almost like looking straight into Albus' blue eyes and feeling the way he probed her heart and mind without even needing to use magic.

"I know you think that things should've been different between you and my father but I can't see that I've suffered terribly from having you all to myself. But I can assure you that I'm more like you than even you realize and I'm going to make you proud of me." She smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. "And I suppose now is a perfect time to tell you that I have decided that I want to study to become an animagus, just like you."

Minerva felt hot tears prickling her eyes as her daughter wrapped her arms around her tightly in a warm hug. "I'm sure you'll do wonders with your wand, my little lass. It's in your blood, my darling, and the magic you possess will more than likely surpass that of my own meagre abilities."

"Meagre abilities?" she scoffed. "I dare say, Mum, that you don't give yourself enough credit. Being the youngest animagus in centuries is not without it's merits. I just hope to be half the witch you are when I graduate from Hogwarts."

"Come on and let's get this packed up," Minerva said abruptly changing the subject. "If you want to get a head start on those lessons, it would be a good idea to do so with your schoolbooks and we won't get them sitting here in this meadow."

As they packed up their picnic basket and apparated home to change, Minerva couldn't fight the cold feeling creeping into her body. She had known since her children were conceived that this day would come. But it had arrived much too soon for her and now that it was here, there was nothing she could do but face each day as it came. With any luck, her girls would take no notice of each other but that odds of that were highly unlikely. But it wasn't the girls that concerned Minerva the most but instead it was the reaction of Albus Dumbledore as he saw his long lost daughter once again. Then he would be forced to deal with his feelings and the resurfacing of their troubled past.

To Be Continued…