Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter Four: New Responsibilites
The two remained seated on the couch, simply holding hands for hours. Minerva eventually fell asleep on the couch. Albus covered her with a blanket and left her there. He then went to her bedroom and laid down.
It was only two hours later that he was awoken by her screaming. He rushed into the sitting room to find her still asleep. She was obviously in the throes of a horrible nightmare. He reached out and gently shook her.
"Minerva." he whispered. Then a little louder, "Minerva."
Minerva was not completely awake, nor was she in a deep sleep. She remembered someone holding her down, while she tried to fight her attacker. She also felt someone shaking her shoulder. Without thinking, she reached up and punched whoever was touching her.
Albus gasped as his wife's fist made contact with the side of his head. Upon hearing her husband, Minerva's eyes flew open. The look of fear on her face quickly changed to horror.
"Oh Merlin, Albus. I am so sorry."
"It's all right, love." He said while still holding a hand to his face.
"No. I didn't mean it. I had been dreaming and just got confused. Please forgive me. Are you all right? I'll get some ice."
"That is not necessary. I am fine. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm okay."
Albus didn't believe her for a second. She was shaky and sweaty. She also didn't typical rush her speech, as she was now doing. He walked over to a corner table where he had left the potions Poppy gave him. Picking up a calming draught, he uncorked it and handed it to his wife.
"What? No I don't need it, thank you."
"Minerva, please."
"Oh, okay. If it will make you happy." She took the vial and drained it. "There. Now if you would excuse me, I need a shower."
"It's the middle of the night, love."
"Yes. Well, you can never be too clean."
"Minerva. If you wish to talk, I am here."
"There's nothing to talk about. It was just a nightmare."
"A nightmare about what?" He, of course, already knew. He wanted her to be able to admit it.
"What do you think." she snapped. She immediately regretted it when she saw the hurt look on her husband's face.
"When you wish to talk, you know where to find me." With that, Albus walked back into her bedroom.
Minerva spent another hour in the shower. Her skin was raw and beginning to bruise from the many rough scrubbings she had given it. After she was dressed, she went for a walk.
After an hour by the lake, she found that she was growing hungry; she hadn't eaten over four bites the day before. It was early enough that most of the staff wouldn't be in the Great Hall. Making up her mind, she headed back up to the castle.
When Minerva entered the hall, she was shocked to discover all the professors there. It was almost enough to make her turn and run. She wasn't sure how many of the people now looking at her knew what had happened in the final battle. If they were unaware, it would seem odd for her to be running away from them. It was only the thought of preserving some of her dignity that got her to the head table.
"Good morning, Minerva." said Flitwick cheerily.
"Morning." she mumbled as she sat at her usual place, a few seats down from the headmaster's seat. It hadn't occured to her that with his recent promotion she would no longer be sitting by her husband at meals.
"Merlin, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Professor Slughorn remarked. Minerva wanted to punch him but settled for openly glaring.
People began to eat. Though she was hungry, Minerva just couldn't force herself to eat more than a few bites. Other professors were beginning to notice.
"Are you feeling well, Minerva?" asked one of them.
"I'm fine." she answered automatically.
"Maybe it's stress." suggested Slughorn.
"Oh no." Minerva thought. "Please, God, don't let him know. Of all people, not him."
Slughorn continued. "She has, after all, been given much to think about."
Minerva was close to panic when her husband spoke. "Now Horace, we needn't bring that up just yet."
"Just yet." She thought, wildly. "Is he intending to tell them, at some point? Why would he?"
"Come now, Albus. We all know. Have you formally accepted yet, Minerva, or are you still required to sleep with him a few more times before it is official?"
"WHAT?" screamed Minerva, at the same time that Albus yelled "Horace."
The staff were all staring from Slughorn, to Minerva, to Albus. No one seemed to understand how the potions master had so openly questioned the headmaster. He may have only held the title for a couple of days, but he still deserved their respect.
Minerva was close to tears when Flitwick spoke again. "Don't worry, Minerva. We all know you deserve it, no matter what others think." He glanced significantly at Slughorn as he said this last part.
"Deserve it? What are you talking about?" Minerva asked.
"Your promotion, of course. As Dumbledore's apprentice, it is only natural that you be made the new Transfiguration professor." answered Flitwick.
"What?" she asked again. She looked to her husband, only to find him avoiding her gaze.
Without another word, she walked out of the hall.
Minerva was fuming. She could understand why he hadn't asked her, yet. What she was upset about was the fact the rest of the staff already knew. What had possessed him to tell them before her?
She stormed into her room and prepared to take another shower. Before she could strip off her clothes, her husband entered her chambers.
"Minerva, please don't be angry. The only reason they know is because I was required to submit the name of the new Transfiguration professor to the board of governors yesterday."
"Yesterday? You had only been headmaster for a day. That is insane." Her anger had quickly turned to indignation on her husband's behalf.
"They're testing me." he answered calmly. "They want to make sure I am more than capable of running Hogwarts."
"Of course you are capable. Armando never would have named you duputy had you not been."
"I realize this, Minerva. You know how the board can be, though. They have the best interests of the students at heart, but can sometimes be a little overzealous."
"I'll say."
"So, will you do it?"
"Oh Albus, you know I will."
"Excellent." Then Albus hesitated.
"Is there something else?"
"I perhaps also told the board that you are the new head of Gryffindor."
"Do you not remember?"
"That's what I told them." Albus admitted.
"Surely there are more appropriate options. This will be my first year as an actual professor."
"You are the only other person besides Poppy and myself who was a Gryffindor in school. Therefore, you were the only option."
"Oh, fine." Minerva sighed. With all the work she now had to do, at least her thoughts would be kept off recent events.
"Is that what Slughorn meant with that comment he made. He thinks I slept with you for a promotion?" she asked.
"Yes. As you may have noticed, the rest of the staff feels differently. Don't think anything of it, my dear."
"Who did you announce as the new deputy?"
Albus looked at her, trying to decide how to break the news. He remained silent too long, however.
"Albus Dumbledore, you didn't." she exclaimed.
"The staff actually voted on that." answered her husband. "As you are aware, the duputy headmaster, or in this case headmistress, has to be one of the four heads. Filius didn't want the extra responsibility. Madara Sprout was concerned she would be too busy teaching and raising Pomona. That left you and Horace. Would you honestly have preferred him being chosen?"
"How many votes did he receive?" questioned Minerva.
"Just one. You can guess who cast it."
Minerva groaned. "No, I wouldn't have preferred Horace. It's just a lot of new responsibility."
"Don't feel overwhelmed. With recent events, I don't expect you to just jump right in. I will take care of the responsibilities of head of Gryffindor until terms starts. All you are required to do is prepare your lesson plans. You can, of course, use the ones I made last year if you choose."
"I'll have to think about it and decide later. Right now, I need to shower."
With that, she turned on him and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I love you guys. I also got my first flame ever for the prequel. Apparently, the summary, where it plainly said MM/AD rated M for sex, left some question as to the fact that Minerva and Albus would be having sex in it. Sorry to the person who was so offended, but it was right there.