A/N: Sorry it's taken us such a long time to update this story. We are both glad that so many of you are enjoying this story and we hope you like this chapter.
Chapter 12: A Waltz Down Memory Lane: By Ang.
Minerva and Evie sat in the warm sunshine filtering through the opened window, playing a game of chess when an owl approached. Evie almost panicked when she realized that the letter must've been from Abigail. Surely it must be something important for her to send a letter this time of day and risk the exposure of their little plan. Thinking quickly on her feet, she lied to her mother and said that it was from the bookshop telling her that they had not been able to find the book on Albus Dumbledore that she had inquired about when she was there to get her schoolbooks. Stuffing the letter into her pocket, she tried to remain calm as she watched Minerva's face.
At the mention of Albus, Minerva stiffened a bit and a cold wave washed over her. It was inevitable that their daughters would soon learn the secrets so well hidden that even the majority of the wizarding world could not confirm or deny their truth. But what scared her most was that her daughter already held a fascination for the man she would soon discover to be her father. Feeling the walls closing in around her, Minerva made a feeble excuse and promised to finish the game later then promptly went outside for a breath of fresh air.
She walked for almost half an hour before dropping to her knees as the first of her tears fell. Minerva tried her best not to cry in front of Abigail, for she knew it would only upset her daughter and make her ask painful questions. So, in the solitude of the sunshine and the cooling breeze, Minerva nestled against the large willow tree and poured her tears into her shaking hands.
The tears came slowly at first, one then another, joined by two or three until a steady stream of salty water was flowing from her eyes. Tears she had long thought were gone, now resurfaced, fresh and with more pain than the ones she had cried so many years ago. These were bitter tears of longing, mingled with hurt, anger and fright. Pulling the dainty white lace handkerchief she always kept tucked just inside the sleeve of her robes, she dabbed at her eyes and tried to stall the flood of tears as she thought over her life.
Memories of happier days came easily into her mind, forcing more of the tears to fall unbidden. As she regained her composure, Minerva noticed a small patch of wildflowers growing just an arm length away and she reached over, picking a few of them and inhaling their fragrance. Closing her eyes and smelling their familiar scent, she could almost believe she had been transported in time to another place much happier than her present state.
Albus had always loved to take Minerva on picnics, whether they were indoors or outdoors, it had never really mattered. There was something special to him about sitting around on a blanket and partaking of delicious foods while trying to steal kisses, touches, or even a cuddle. And Minerva had to willingly admit that he was a master at planning those wonderful interludes. She couldn't count the number of times she had been surprised to find a picnic set up in her rooms late at night or find that her afternoon plans had been changed to accommodate an afternoon in the sunshine on a tartan blanket with Albus. And the wildflowers reminded her of a particularly wonderful picnic on a day such as this.
It was early summer and he had been away on some important matters. As usual when he was gone, Minerva worried about him but tried to remain as composed as possible. The anniversary of their first date was approaching and even though she truly doubted he'd remember, she silently wished him home and in her arms on that special day. When she woke that particular morning, it was to find a room filled with flowers and a single yellow daisy on the pillow beside her with a note.
Meet me in our private garden! I have a surprise for you. Your Beloved, Albus. P.S. Happy Anniversary My Dear.
Minerva smiled as she remembered how quickly she moved to dress that morning and then how she dashed across the expansive grounds to the little secluded spot they had claimed as their own private paradise. In her haste to reach him, Minerva has neglected to pull her hair back into a tie and it was flying freely out behind her as she ran at full speed into his arms, causing them both to tumble backwards into the wet grass still fresh with the morning dew.
The wildflowers in her hand reminded her of that special day for it was then, in that very moment that she knew that her heart belonged to Albus for as long as they both lived. As he gently made love to her beneath the rising sun, she took in every single detail of that morning, from the way the clouds overhead sailed by, to the song of the birds chirping happily, and the wildflowers, which created a soft bed upon which she gave herself to him. A longing she hadn't felt in years began to surface within her as she lost herself in the memory of that blissful morning among the daisies.
Another series of memories flashed before her eyes as she moved from that glorious morning adventure to the same afternoon when he had asked her to marry him. She had eagerly accepted his proposal and then they had celebrated in style. Dinner at a quiet restaurant, dancing beneath the stars, and a night filled with even more passion than their morning adventure. She easily recalled thinking that life could never get any better than it was on that one day in her life.
Just to prove her wrong, though, the fates decided that she and Albus would be blessed with a bundle of joy all their own. But not long after learning of their new addition, they were overjoyed to learn that their happiness was to be doubled with the birth of twins. Minerva found herself giggling as she remembered the stunned look on Albus' face as the medi-witch teased him about a job well done. It had taken him several minutes to recover from the shock, whether it was the teasing of the medi-witch or just the wonderful news, she was never really sure. From that moment on, he had made an even larger effort to ensure that she not overdo things and that her every craving and need was met.
The day the twins arrived, Albus had been away on another assignment from the Ministry. They seemed to call upon him more and more and with his duties at the school, she often found herself lonely and slightly nervous. He assured her that when the time came for his girls to be born, he'd be right by her side through it all. And, even though they had trouble tracking him down, he kept his promise. Before she reached the truly difficult stage of labor, he was there by her side, offering words of love, comfort, and encouragement. Just what she needed from the man she adored more than life itself.
As the first of their girls were born, Albus left her side just in time to catch the bright eyed little lass. When Minerva closed her eyes, she could still see the tears of joy in his blue eyes and the smile that threatened to split his face in half. But before he could get too caught up in inspecting Abigail, Evie was born and his happiness was instantly doubled, as was the love in his heart. That night, she lay safely in his arms, exhausted from her hard work but happier than words could ever express.
Now, she wondered if he ever thought of those days and the love they had shared. For her, there had never been another man in her life. It always was and would be Albus Dumbledore for her. Despite their separation, neither had filed for an official renunciation of their vows, a small comfort to her aching heart. Yet he had not bothered to come after her or their daughter, which surprised her. No owls, no contact through the floo network, not even a word passed along though an innocent helper. It was as if their love had all been a dream.
When she left, she took Abigail with her. Not because she was choosing one daughter over the other, but because young Abigail had been ill. Thinking that Albus would search the world over until he found them, she never truly worried about never seeing her other young daughter again. Then as the hours passed and there was no word or even a sign that he might be searching for her, her hopes were dashed. But, she was never one to give up hope entirely and for a solid week, she fully expected him to walk through the door at any given moment and demand answers and her return to their home. Unfortunately, that day never came and she had to face that fact that perhaps he did not love her as he once had.
For the past ten years, Minerva had scanned the papers, especially the society pages, for any news of Albus and a new lover. And each week, she thanked the deities for another week with no news of his amorous adventures. She hoped that meant he still had feelings for her, despite their long separation, but being the courageous and level headed woman she prided herself to be, she did not dare to count too much on that dream. For that was what it would seem if he waltzed back into her life…a wonderful dream.
But what of Evie? How had Albus managed to raise their daughter when he barely had time for his work? She completely trusted Albus' judgment and believed he would never neglect their daughter but sometimes he just became too distracted with trying to save the world or making sure those who could cause harm were dealt with accordingly. After all, that was one of the reasons she had left him. He had time for everyone else except his family and she just couldn't take it any longer.
Minerva often wondered if Evie hated her for all those years of separation. While Abigail was the light of her world, there was a large part of her heart missing and she wasn't sure if she would ever receive that love and devotion in return. Not knowing what Albus had told Evie about her or the reasons she had left, ate away at Minerva daily. If he had told their daughter about her mother and sibling, she could only logically conclude that Evie wanted nothing at all to do with them. And if he hadn't divulged information about them, just as she had neglected to do with Abigail, what would happen when the girls met for the first time at Hogwarts?
Then fear gripped her heart in a new way and with such force she gasped for a breath as the full impact finally resounded through her head. In a few short weeks, Abigail would be packed up and sent to Hogwarts. Once the girls met, there would have to be a meeting between the Dumbledore family for the girls would need answers to no doubt hundreds of questions. And that meant seeing Albus again for the first time in nearly a decade.
It also meant that she would be able to see her other daughter for the first time in years and with some time and a lot of patience, hopefully Evie would give her mother a second chance, just like she hoped Abigail would do for Albus. She would finally be able to hold both her daughter's in her arms, kiss their soft cheeks and watch as they finished growing up together. Of course that meant another set of problems to be dealt with in the very near future. What would happen over the summers and what would it all mean for her strained relationship with Albus? With a new wave of fear and tears, Minerva cried out for help in repairing her mistakes and praying for forgiveness from the daughter she longed to see once more.
Little did she know that the young girl was closer than she ever expected. Evie had worried about her mother and after quickly reading the letter sent by Abigail regarding the plot to seduce their father, she decided it might be time to confess all and hope for the best. At least Minerva would be forced to see him again to straighten out the mess the girls had caused and that was something. But Evie had not planned to find her mother in such a state of unhappiness and for the first time in her young life, she came to somewhat understand why adults always spoke of loving someone until it hurt for it was clear that Minerva loved both Evie and Albus, not to mention Abigail, until her heart was nearly crumbling into tiny pieces.
Silently, she watched Minerva dry her tears and regain her composure. She heard her speak softly, catching only fragments here and there as they floated on the breeze. There were words intended for Albus' ears, no doubt filled with hurt and anger but more importantly love. Then there were some thoughts directed towards Evie. Though she couldn't hear the message, her heart told her it was one of love. And then there were some for Abigail, no doubt asking for forgiveness for keeping her away from her father and sister. Once she was sure her mother was going to be fine, she quietly walked back to the house and up to her room. She had a lot of things to decide and very little time in which to make those hard decisions.
Evie knew the woman mentioned in Abigail's letter and she knew just how persistent the woman could be when she wanted something. And it had not escaped her eyes how the witches looked at and fawned over her father. It was something she heard her father joke about with Aberforth once or twice but he always pushed away his admirers. But this woman was different. She could pose a real threat to the happiness of their family, not because Albus might fall for her charms but simply because she could make their mother believe he had moved on with his life.
With a whirlwind of thoughts and scenarios running through her head, Evie tried to think of the best way to introduce herself to her mother. It would be a shock and no doubt there would be tears and a reunion, but they were running out of time. Though she would have loved to spend more time alone with the woman who had fascinated her for years, that was no longer a luxury she or Abigail could afford. They had to rescue their father from the claws of that other woman and see him safely back in Minerva's arms, where they all truly belonged.
To Be Continued…