Out of her Hands

An: A huge thank you to Ang who is my beta reader. Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, sorry that this update took longer to do than the others

Chapter Nine: Really should have fixed that!

Minerva went through everything she had heard and sighed softly to herself. She was torn and didn't know what to do. She had heard every word Albus had told his brother and though she saw his reasoning, she still couldn't quite forgive him. There were also many other questions that she needed answers to and the only way she would get them would be if she faced him. Her mind told her it was simple enough to do but her heart was telling her something else. Minerva tended to listen to her heart more than her mind when it came to the matters of the heart.

Minerva tried to think sensibly but her judgement was clouded. Part of her wanted to run in and hold him and the other part wanted to hex him into oblivion. She decided that she needed to get out of the house that held some many happy memories. She was sure that they were to blame for her clouded thoughts. She rose carefully and started to make her way down the stairs, so caught up in her thoughts that she forgot about the squeaky floorboard. Albus had planned to repair the board because it was driving both of them mad. He never got around to doing it because he had went away. As her foot touched the polished pine board, it gave a squeak and Minerva cursed Albus under her breath.

Within seconds, both the Dumbledore brothers were in the hallway with their wands pointed at the intruder. Aberforth was standing slightly behind his brother, as it was a known fact that his wand techniques weren't that advanced. He tended to hex himself rather than an opponent.

"Minerva?" asked Albus softly. He was surprised to see her back in their home.

"Min!" exclaimed Aberforth as he lowered his wand and moved around in front of Albus so he could embrace her.

"Hello Abe," she greeted with a friendly smile as she accepted his brotherly like embrace. "Alastor told me that you flooed by."

Minerva looked at Aberforth and smiled inwardly. He had been a great support to her through the eight month ordeal of thinking Albus dead. He had been one of the few who hadn't given up and had followed her to every destination, as she had left no stone unturned in her search for her fiancée.

"Wanted to see how you were doing," he told her "then Alastor told me about the return of this scallywag and I came looking."

"Scallywag isn't the term I would use," admitted Minerva who had refused to acknowledge Albus' presence until now. "I have another term on the end of my tongue which is more appropriate."

Aberforth nodded his head and glanced over at Albus. His older brother was looking down at his feet and not saying anything. He knew that Minerva had every right not to be gushing over Albus but he did wish that she would hear him out. Aberforth had never come across a couple that were prefect for one another, until his brother had introduced Minerva to the family. The whole family knew that the love bug had finally bitten Albus because he was bringing a girl home. The whole house had been cleaned from top to bottom as soon as Albus' letter had arrived telling his family that he was coming for the weekend and bringing a guest. Their mother had got the house elves from the near by restaurant to come and help prepare dinner. The usual house elves had been most put out when they found they had company in the Dumbledore estate kitchens. As soon as Albus and Minerva walked into the entrance hall hand in hand, Aberforth knew that they were a match made in eternity.

"Min," whispered Aberforth "listen to him please. If not for your sake or his at least for mine. I love you as a sister and I don't want to lose you."

"I heard him tell you his story and I was on my way back to Poppy's but then this blasted step made its' awful noise and told you of my presence."

"I really should have fixed that," Albus said softly as he looked up at Minerva. "Please let me fix us, Minerva?"

Aberforth looked at his brother and was proud that he had finally spoken up. For a while he had thought that he wasn't going to even try to win Minerva back. Aberforth started to move towards the door, small movements that weren't noticed until he had his hand on the doorknob.

"I need to go and see a man about a goat," he declared. The smirk on his face gave away the fact that he was lying but Albus and Minerva weren't paying attention to the wayward younger Dumbledore brother as they were looking at each other.

Aberforth made his exit without them really noticing and was glad to be out of the awkward atmosphere. He hoped that they would work it out but he wasn't sure if they could. He glanced through the window before he apparated away to the warmness of his lodgings in Hogsmeade.

Back inside the cottage, an awkward silence had descended around the two occupants of the cottage. Never, in the months they had lived between these walls, had there been a silence such as this. There had always been comfortable silences, spaced between the chatter and laughter. Minerva looked at Albus and tried to read his face but he was masking his feelings from her, which infuriated her because he was acting as the injured party. She knew that he had been badly hurt and had suffered at the hands of the darkest wizard people had seen for many years but she needed him to understand that he shouldn't have taken her choice away from her. She wanted him to speak but it was clear that he wasn't going to. Minerva decided that she needed to get some answers and this was the time to get them.

"I have some questions to ask you!" she said, the silence finally broken.

To be continued.