k…well…my excuse? I forgot I had a vacation last weekend! It was my only vacation of the entire summer…and I forgot about it. ugh. sorry about that.
moony391: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hope to hear from you again soon.
Lily106: I think it's wonderful that you like my story so. It's nice to hear from new people every now and then. thanks.
girl from Iceland: I'm SOOO happy you liked the last chapter. It had a little bit of everything as far as genres go, and I was rather curious to see what people's reactions would be. Your review put nothing but a smile on my face. :)
Leta McGotor: I know the last chapter was pretty long. Sometimes I just can't help myself. I write and write and don't even realize how incredibly loooong the chapter gets. That's my mistake, I don't care for long chapters myself, though I obviously tend to write them. And I hope to hear from you again in the next few chapters.
SevyHero: hey webs. yup yup, I'm glad you were looking forward to this chap. Of course…I let you read it already, but I suppose that's alright. Anywho, unless there are some serious problems, I'm keeping the next chap away from you until I post it…just cuz it's going to be awesome. : P
DumbledoresKitten: Oh thank you! I try my best to switch off from POVs and not keep things so one-sided, but it doesn't always work out. I'm glad that you thought I did a good job at it in the last chapter. You know, I spend minutes just contemplating who should get the POV for a scene…sorta sad, but that tells you my LOOONG thought process in the story. Oh yes…and Maddy! I love the child to death; therefore I had to make her a big part of her mother's life. Hehe. Besides that, she's the tie that binds everyone together, if you care to think of it like that.
Mellypoo622: I'm so happy you liked the last chapter! The long ones really aren't hard at all for me to write. The thing is, I set myself up for long chapters, having little hints here and there in the previous ones so that the next one can be detailed and such…of course, sometimes, I admit, I write a little bit too much. giggles I suppose I'm just plain obsessed. Anywho, hope to hear from you again.
leyaeb: Hope you enjoy the chapter and I also hope to hear from you again. Thank you!
Lady-jolly: Yup yup, Miss Minerva likes her privacy for the most part, we'll be hitting that particular subject in er…2 chapters. You'll love it…it's our last rise to the climax. And oh yes, the cat is not yet completely out of the bag, she only has a paw, but it will be out quite soon, I promise.
Emutet: haha. I have a few people who almost choked on something or other when Poppy started being inquisitive on the Maddy subject. I found that rather funny, not because people choked, never that, but because everyone is so…INTO the things that are happening in the story. A new, lovely chapter, for a lovely reviewer!
Alesia G: You're right about one thing…he will find out very, very soon. Can't tell you how or when tho…it sort of kills the story. But yes, he is a silly man. If I hadn't written him so love struck, he certainly would have figured it out by now…but I suppose that's what makes the plot line, isn't it: P I'm glad you don't mind long chapters though…I'm one of those many people who hate them…my biggest fear is that people don't read my story because it's too long!
Kidarock: I'm sorry about your driving lesson…it'll get better. But I'm happy that my chapter helped you calm down. And yes, Miss Maddy is being told off, but there are always times that children need a little bit of a talking to when they do something wrong. haha. And Poppy? She's my comic relief for most of the story. I adore her most of the time, other times I feel like nixing her from the story. lol. Anywho, hope to hear from you again.
Quill of Minerva: hehe. I had to make a scare for you all. Of course Poppy with her big mouth is going to let something or other slip from her lips…but things went well, as they always will. : )
Hogwarts Duo: Of course our Maddy must love her Mr. Albus as her mother loves him. One day, I daresay, they will be a happy family. (I find no qualms about writing that, simply because I do not write fics with sad endings, therefore, we all know the ending shall be at least semi-happy) And yes, like mother like daughter. I think they're more alike than most of the readers seem to give credit, but then again, most of it could simply be in my mind…
Chapter Thirteen: Speechless
The place of destination was Muggle London; therefore there was a distinct need to dress muggle. Minerva stared at herself in the mirror with a great deal of satisfaction. It was only a dress; perhaps a rather outdated one at that, but she felt absolutely gorgeous in it. Naturally it was green—the one color that she found suited her—long sleeved, and had that sort of gothic lacing in the bust area which crossed all the way down to the waist. Minerva knew it wasn't at all muggle fashion, but she preferred to stick to her witchly roots when she stepped out in public.
Feeling a great deal of self confidence, the woman moved away from the mirror and made her way to Madelyn's room. Her daughter was dressed already in a cute blue dress with a bonnet on her head. Minerva smiled to herself. "Are you ready to go?"
Maddy nodded her head. "Are we meeting Mr. Albus?"
"Yes," Minerva bobbed her head. She wasn't surprised at all that Madelyn asked about Albus, even though she had never mentioned him coming. Somehow that child just found out about things. Minerva just finally gave into that truth and chose to ignore where she got her facts, though she could certainly put the blame to house elves which take care of her during the school day.
The woman took her daughter's hand and they made their way to the chosen fireplace of the day. Albus liked to change around the fireplaces that were connected to the outside functional by the day, it made things safer. In his mind, that let little chance for anyone to get out—or in—the castle. He was a man of precaution, mostly because of the events that took place during the battles of the early 1940's. He'd learned enough about invasive tactics to protect his school with his own knowledge.
The man in question was already in the room of the day, waiting for the two women. Minerva smiled kindly at him while she got a rather outstanding impression of him. He'd gone the business route, it seemed, as far as wardrobe went. The man wore a yellow tie, gray jacket and trousers, and a rather dark black undershirt. He didn't exactly match, but she couldn't ask a whole lot out of a man, besides that, he looked rather dashing. A silly smile played on her lips.
"You're early," he said gently.
"So are you," she whispered.
Albus looked down at Madelyn who had a rather wide grin on her face. "And how are you? I haven't seen you since…last night," he smiled softly.
The Headmaster had come over the evening before—and the ones before that—to see Minerva. He didn't try to make up excuses for his adventures to the McGonagall quarters; the man was quite frank about why he came. It was always to see the mother of the household. Of course, by now, it wasn't as innocent as either of them made it to sound; 'seeing' was a much too broad term for what became of the two. He kissed her goodnight, held her hand, and said that he loved her every single evening.
"I'm good. Mum didn't tell me you were coming, but I knew. She needs someone to talk to, you know. She doesn't want to watch two girls all day and not have a grown-up there with her."
Minerva glanced down at her daughter, ceasing to be amazed. Somehow that strange blurt of words were no surprise to the woman; she knew well what Madelyn was up to. Of course Maddy knew that her mother and Albus were together, but that was no reason for the girl to stop pushing. She wanted—and unknowingly had—a father. Besides that, Minerva liked to believe that her daughter wanted her to be happy.
"I suppose not," Albus's voice rang through Minerva's ears. The woman looked up slowly at the man who she thought of nearly all of the time. "But I'm sure she wouldn't have offered unless she didn't mind children. Come to think of it, I don't believe you would be here if she didn't mind children." He winked at Minerva.
An even dumber smile fell on the woman's lips. Certainly Madelyn wouldn't be there—at the castle—unless her mother didn't mind children. As it stood, however, Minerva adored children; when she had been a student, she wanted at least four children. Their very existence meant something to her. Just the fact that someone had cared enough about another someone to have a baby meant a little something to the woman. Of course, Minerva was the epitome of that concept.
"But she does," Maddy said sweetly. "So you got invited to go so mum can have a date."
Albus chuckled while Minerva got red. "Let's not call it a date, okay? We'll just call it a er, favor from me to your mother."
"Alright," Madelyn shrugged, "just don't kiss her infront of Darcy—she doesn't like boys yet. You might make her sick if you do."
"Madelyn!" Minerva glared down at her daughter. Of all the things to say! It was plenty out of line for her to insinuate the fact that they were on a date, but it was downright rude for her to talk about kissing like that, even if she were simply trying to be funny.
"It's true!" she nodded her head violently.
"Ahm," Albus intervened with a clearing of the throat. He looked from one lady to the next. "I think I can keep off of your mother for a day," he said to Maddy. Then Albus looked at Minerva with a twinkle in his eyes. "By the way, Minerva," he smiled, "the pun is intended."
She folded her arms and tried her best to glare at him, unfortunately it was no use. His dimwitted—and slightly perverted—manner of speaking somehow was completely engaging to her. Besides that, she couldn't help but think to herself how much of a liar the man was; Albus couldn't stay away from her anymore than a fire could burn in water.
"I'm sure Madelyn is glad to hear that," she glanced down at her daughter who obviously didn't have the slightest idea of what a pun was.
The threesome walked down the crowded muggle street together. As they had become accustomed to, Maddy trotted in the middle of the two adults, being sure to hold a hand of each. Both Albus and Minerva grasped the girl's hand tightly, knowing well the likelihood of her being lost if they were to let go of her. After all, it was only in her nature to go off somewhere for the sole purpose of giving the two adults a scare.
Albus would not lie about his first impressions that morning, when Minerva came in. She was attractive to say the least. He had never found muggle clothes at all appealing, they were a tad too eccentric for even him, but there was a profound wonder that came when he saw the woman. He caught himself thinking about the large swell of her chest, her lengthy legs, and her overly exposed neck. The man had never really considered the allurement that Minerva obviously had; not since he was able to call her his lover, anyhow. Oh, but when she came in…Merlin forbid it, but he had begun lusting for her.
He glanced over at the woman, who was fixated on a spot somewhere in the distance. Something told him that she was purposely avoiding his gaze. Albus knew quite well why she would do such a thing; Minerva had a look in her eyes, a 'come and get me' look, if you will. She couldn't turn off the look anymore than he could stop himself from staring at her. What a pair they made!
The man did have to frown for a second, however, questioning something for the first time. Where were they going? He certainly knew that they were to be picking up Maddy's friend in Muggle London, but where exactly was that friend? And then what came after that? He blinked to himself and then looked back at Minerva. "Min, do you know where we're going?"
She glanced at him and then nodded her head with a smile on her face. "We're not lost, if that's what you're asking."
"Ah," he said only to himself. That was a wonderful thing to know. The last thing he needed was to be lost in Muggle London with two girls—neither of which belonging to him—especially since he had a limited knowledge of London, at least where the muggles roamed. It would have been a perfectly different scenario if it was underground, but alas, it was not.
The three of them approached a rather large brick building. It was muggle apartments. Albus frowned yet again. He knew that Maddy's friend lived in Muggle London, but he hadn't supposed that she lived in muggle apartments. Wasn't the girl a witch? He blinked. It was strange for Minerva to not have mentioned it; she usually kept him fairly well informed. He didn't question, however. It seemed that Madelyn's friend lived on the first floor by the door.
Minerva knocked gently on the door. Immediately, a girl about Maddy's age answered the door with a wide smile on her face. "Mad!" she ran out and hugged Madelyn tightly.
Albus let a grin fall on his mouth. He hadn't had too much experience, but he certainly knew that little girls were a sight to see. They were so…touchy…and giggly. The two girl's laughter filled the corridor.
"Charlotte," Min's voice carried through the hall.
The man looked back up at Minerva who was hugging the obvious mother of Maddy's friend—Darcy, wasn't it? He watched them for a few seconds, the two women. Their sentences were blurs to him—women talked so damn fast sometimes! He could make out a few sentences, though not much. How are you? Oh, it's been too long! Already! Just like her father. He tried to make sense of the words they said, but it was hardly any use. Of course, Minerva did finally notice Albus, who was the only of the people within meters who had no one to speak to.
"Charlotte, this is Albus Dumbledore—the Headmaster at Hogwarts. Albus, this is Charlotte Windby—we've been friends for almost a decade now."
He reached out and shook the lady's hand, taking in a close look at the woman. She was young—maybe even younger than Minerva. Charlotte had really quite pretty brown eyes along with brown hair. While she wasn't the exceptional beauty that Minerva was, he had to admit that she was mildly attractive. "Enchanted," he smiled.
The woman looked over at Minerva with a smile on her face. "I rather like him."
Min smiled. "I do too."
Then there was a short silence. Albus looked at the two little girls in that term. They were still giggling, talking about who knows what, though his best guess was laid on dolls. He only thought that because of the overuse of the name Sally, which was the name of Maddy's favorite doll.
"Well then, we'd better get going. The weather will only get worse, I suppose. We'll have Darcy back by nightfall."
Charlotte nodded her head in both directions. "Darcy, come and give your mother a kiss goodbye."
The child ran back to her mother and gave her a hug, shortly followed by a kiss. Then she rushed back out to Maddy with a grin on her face. "Bye mum!"
Albus chuckled to himself; such anticipation these girls felt to get away and have some time for fun! Though, he had to admit, it didn't seem like even the little ones knew what exactly they were to be doing for entertainment. It seemed to him that they were just going to babble on for hours, but even little girls couldn't possibly do that.
He walked towards Minerva. "You never made it clear to me what exactly we're doing today. Is it something I'll regret coming for?"
She shook her head slowly. "We're flying, Albus."
Minerva stared out at the green grass where they were to conduct their day of fun. She hadn't chosen flying because she wanted to, no, it was all for Maddy. Madelyn had wanted to fly out in the open ever since they left the city. The girl hoped to soar out in the clouds and dart down from frightening heights at a spell's speed. She needed to be on a broom. Minerva felt it high time that the girl got her chance.
She took in a deep, deep breath. Maddy was ready to be on a flying stick again, but her mother was not. Minerva had given up flying years ago. It was one of those many things that haunted her when she thought too much about it. Oh, she remembered that glorious feeling that it felt to be up in the air, feeling nearly weightless on a calm day. The woman even could recall the wind blowing past her ears as she darted to the ground. But most of all, she remembered the way she was scrutinized for considering it as a profession.
A boy in her first hour had mentioned it, that's when she had started thinking. He asked if she had indeed been asked to play professional quidditch. The answer was certainly yes. Minerva excelled in about anything she put her mind to, quidditch being one of the many things. Her parents, however, they thought little of the sport. They told her it was a fool's game and would certainly disown her if she chose it. In the end, she really was never given the option to choose anyhow; Maddy came.
Minerva turned to Albus with a somewhat worried look on her face. She was going to tell him. He would hate her for it, blame her and scorn her, but she had faith in him. Eventually, he would see her view and understand the pain that she felt in telling him about their daughter. The woman had given it great thought. She knew he loved her. Even if it took another decade, he would forgive Minerva and they could be happy.
Her one worry, however, was that time in-between. She did not want to wait another decade to be happy with Albus. She wanted so very much to love him right then. She wanted to wake up in the morning with his face to see, lips to kiss, and hands to feel. Minerva wanted to be with him. Alas, there was one very large obstacle in the way; her secret. She sighed to herself. The time would come and she would tell, that's all there was to it.
"Can we start?" Maddy's excited voice rang through her ears.
The woman turned towards her daughter with a smile on her face. Madelyn wanted to go so very badly, it was rather amusing. Minerva nodded her head slowly and pulled out her wand. With a few well chosen words, some branches from a nearby tree turned into full-fledged brooms.
The two girls each grabbed one and were off. Maddy had been given enough instruction to at least take off and Darcy was quite informed for being from the city—her mother inherited some land from her parents shortly after Darcy was born that they flew on. Minerva watched, amused, as her daughter zigzagged around the open sky. Then she felt the hands of a lover on her waist.
"What do you say to a broom for two?" he whispered into her ear.
Minerva blinked. "Rather ridiculous. Brooms are meant for speed, not romancing."
"Oh come now," he sighed, "you know you don't honestly think that. I daresay that I can remember a time or two bumping into you in the sky."
"Yes," she rolled her eyes, "And then we plummeted to the ground like rocks; big, boulder rocks."
"Where's your sense of adventure?...and romance, while I'm at it. Aren't you the one who likes little romantic things, miss 'don't buy me anything for my birthday'? Come on, it'll be fun. I can kiss you while we're behind a cloud."
A smile fell on her lips; before she was being stubborn, now she was well on her way to flirting. "I thought you were keeping off of me today."
"You don't honestly think I meant that, do you?" His hand slid lower down her waist, really quite low for just any man to be touching. A shiver ran down her spine at the touch. It was a good shiver though, she wasn't cold; Minerva was…interested.
"Albus!" she hissed, though a smile played at her lips. He'd gotten really quite good at it, feeling around, looking for any of the spots that triggered the more desired part of her. She wouldn't lie about it, his touch made her feel quite extraordinary. Still, Minerva did her best to make it seem as if he were doing something wholly wrong to her.
"Can I help you?"
She rolled her eyes and put her hands on his. "Get off, my daughter is out here."
"Say you'll go with me and I'll get off…then get back on again." Albus chuckled smugly.
It wasn't funny, the way he was so easily able to control her. There weren't many other people out there in the world that could do it, but it seemed to be second nature to the man. Minerva hated it. She couldn't say no to him when it was all the response anybody else could get from her.
The woman sighed. She was either in love or mad to be going along with him. "Alright," she said quite gently, "but stay with me. I—I haven't flown in years."
"Do I detect an inkling of fear in you, Min?"
She swallowed to herself. Fear? No…it wasn't exactly fear; Minerva was fearless when it came to flying. It was a passion that once went very much awry. Among other things, it had been welded into her brain that flying served no purpose at all; it was a child's way of getting around.
Minerva turned around to face Albus. The playful smile she had expected to see on his face was not there. Instead, she found a very serious stare in his eyes. She felt a horrible, horrible wrench in her stomach, though she could not find the exact reason why. Perhaps it was simply the way she had imagined he'd look at her once she spoke of the connection between Madelyn and him; quite clearly in her head she could see the dark tone in his eyes, one of complete astonishment, possibly contempt.
The woman blinked away the image quickly. Albus was looking at her in amazement, not contempt. He could never look at her with contempt.—though she told it to herself, she didn't really believe it. Albus would hate her one day, simple as that.
"No," she shook her head, "it's just been a very long time."
He nodded his head slowly. "Ah." That's all he said, just that one word if one would even call it a word. Albus didn't believe her, quite rightly. He could read her like a book if he wanted to; it was no surprise at all that he found no truth in her words.
The man walked over towards a rather large branch which had fallen from the nearest tree, pulled out his wand, and caused the most outrageous looking broom to appear. It had to have been ten feet long and twice the usual width of a normal sized flying stick. The thing looked heavy too, immovable even. He glanced at Minerva—Merlin knows what shocked expression was on her face—and then let out a small chuckle. He knew he was amazing the woman in his small way, showing her something she truly had never seen before.
Albus beckoned her over with a wave. Very slowly, she approached the odd looking thing which did not look safe, practical, or appropriate for them to be flying together. It was hardly stable for two people at all, but it was not his place to take her out on such an intimate flight. She had meant to bring up her opinion, but once she was in distance of getting over the thing, he put her there. The man was behind her, just standing there, when all at once she was clinging for dear life to the broom. They hovered for a few seconds and then they drifted up, up, and higher.
Her eyes were closed tightly. Minerva looked neither here or there as they made their ascent to the sky. She didn't want to see what abominable heights they had reached on the ten foot long stick which pretended to be a broom for two—God! The woman shook the entire time, after all, she had a perfectly applicable sense of direction; heights didn't seem to agree with her much anymore.
Then they stopped moving. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her back so that she was almost laying on him. His touch reassured her some, but not quite enough to let her open her eyes. "You're afraid." He said it quite matter-of-factly, withholding any emotion he could have possessed. "Why? You used to fly around as if you were on a suicide mission."
He had meant to lighten the mood of course, a little joke. The only problem was that Minerva found no humor in it at all, merely because he was not exactly exaggerating; there was a time where she very nearly could have killed herself with a broom. She took in a deep breath, but did not open her eyes. "Don't laugh at me Albus, please," the woman spoke gently. She had always thought that she simply refrained from flying, now she knew why it had been so long since she soared on a broom; Minerva was afraid.
"I'm not," he replied with comfort. "Will you open your eyes for me? It's really not as bad as you think."
She considered for several seconds and she had planned on saying no, but then he put his consoling hand on her waist. It was amazing really, the way he made her feel; she always knew he would be there with just a touch. So slowly, the woman opened her eyes.
It was blue everywhere, with a hint of white every now and then. Everything looked just the way it always had. She turned her neck slowly so she could take a glance at Albus. He was smiling when she finally was able to see him clearly. A smile slid on her own face.
"See, it's not that bad. You were wonderful at flying when you were a student. I always had admired your dexterity in the air."
Minerva rolled her eyes. He was just buttering her up the way he always had. Nevertheless, she could feel warmth spread throughout her entire face. The man sure had a way of making her feel sometimes. "You think me silly, don't you, Albus?"
He shrugged slowly. "You've done a lot of growing up over the past ten years. It's only natural that you've forgotten a few things."
She nodded her head. He was right, of course. She had lost herself over the time she spent away from Hogwarts. Minerva was transformed from a headstrong, adventuresome child into a worried, sleepless woman. The years had done that to her. Everything from work, to parents, to Madelyn changed her into something she really had never meant to become. Only Albus could remind her of what she used to be, and he was doing a pretty fine job of bringing back her memory.
The woman looked down at the ground. It was so far down. If she were to drop a rock from where she was, it would take a good ten seconds to hit the ground. But then it truly hit her. That's what she loved about flying—it was daunting. She had always enjoyed a good challenge; apparently flying had once been something that caused her to push herself.
Then she turned to the man who she so dearly loved, also a good example of a challenge in her life. He had always liked to push her, make her better than she already was. Of course, the woman had always assumed it part of the give and take in a relationship, but she realized it to be so much more; he pushed her because he loved her, yes, but he saw more of her than anyone else ever had because Albus knew her. The man knew her eyes and skin, smile and frown, head and heart. He could predict her every move.
"I love you," she said gently into his ear. It was a sentiment that she meant with everything inside of her. He was the only man she had ever loved. In truth, he was the only one she would ever love. There would never be another.
He smiled a warm, affectionate smile and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I love you also—more than I really think you know."
She did not reply to his words. She could have argued her opinion and explained how much she imagined he did love her, but there was no real point to it. Any example of his obvious adoration could not come close to clarifying what he really felt. The matters of the heart, unfortunately, were not as easy to show as anything else. Minerva knew he loved her, which was all that mattered.
They were not up in the air for very long. The sky somehow held less attraction than it had in the days of being a student. It was all as well anyhow, they were very much unable to speak a real conversation while the both of them were focusing on their flight pattern. So, to the ground they went.
After a massive amount of pleading, Albus did infact get Minerva to lie on the grass of the field next to him. They stared up at the sky, clouds, and children. Maddy was chasing Darcy on a broom at the moment in a game of tag. It was rather amusing, considering Madelyn had somehow gained her mother's expertise in the air. While it was true that Darcy knew how to fly, she had not come near to matching the sharp turns and dives that Maddy had mastered quite quickly. A smile played on the woman's lips as she watched the two girls.
"So how is it that you know Charlotte and Darcy?"
Minerva glanced beside herself at Albus. She knew from his face that he had been waiting to ask that particular question. He was a curious man and nothing made him more curious than new faces.
The woman sighed. She'd known Charlotte for ten years. She was there when Maddy was born, and Minerva had been there for Darcy's birth. Great friends they were with one very common characteristic; children.
"Well," she blinked, "Remember when I told you that my parents sent me away when I was pregnant with Maddy?"
"Vaguely."
"She was there—at the home. Charlotte was pregnant with Darcy at the time. We became friends and are still very close. Darcy is only two months younger than Madelyn; they're really quite good friends."
"So I can tell." Then the silence came. It was thoughtful, not painful or slow, just a time for the mind. The man beside her pulled her close to him until Minerva had her head on her chest—a rather nice place to be. Then Albus came out with a question she was not entirely prepared to answer, not only because she had not expected it, but it was rather far off from the conversation. It was purely a piece from the rambling of his mind. "When was the last time you made love?"
There was no lie made up in her mind to the answer the question, not that she was set on lying to him. Minerva was to tell the truth, the awful, sad truth. "Not since Maddy was born."
He blinked at her. "You're a liar. A woman as beautiful as you doesn't go that long without being with someone."
"I'm afraid I'm the exception," she said gently. It was the God's honest truth. There hadn't been anyone over the course of her life besides the man who was beside her. The men she worked with had always been pigs who wouldn't treat her or Maddy right. Infact, Madelyn was always the deciding factor when there was a possible new man in her life (though dating had been rare). That was the blessing of Albus, it seemed; Maddy's father was the only man she really cared to give to her mother.
"No, really, Minerva. Tell me, please?"
She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. Pure honesty was written on her face. "There has only been one man that I've ever truly loved enough to make love to, and I'm speaking to him. There hasn't been anyone else."
A smile crossed his face. It seemed her words reassured him quite well. He didn't, however, catch on to the hint she was leaving behind. There wasn't anyone else, never had been; he thought she was speaking metaphorically, not literally. The man wrapped his arms around her and squeezed gently. Not for the first time, Minerva was pushed against Albus and caught completely into the world she so desperately longed for.
She kissed him. It wasn't her usual habit to make the first move; generally she was a lady and let the man lead—not this time. Minerva was too far gone into his touch to not kiss him. Her lips met with his, having the complete intention of a short and sweet touch, but as always, it did not play out the way she planned.
His hand crept up to her neck, forcing her to stay with him. His other hand pressed her to him at the waist, which deliberately allowed her to feel his need in the most literal sense possible. His mouth crashed onto hers convincingly, forcing her to open her otherwise closed lips. In it went, his hot, hungry tongue, twisting itself with Minerva's.
She moaned, feeling very near satisfied. He knew how to kiss and touch so very well. One couldn't help but be lost in the moment that he gave so easily.
Then he very slowly stopped the kiss. Once his lips were far away from hers, she stared at him, completely out of breath and slightly dizzy from lack of air. Minerva smiled at him and then very slowly drifted back to the ground and sat up, away from his skin. He reached out to grasp her hand, but that was all the contact they had for a matter of seconds. The both of them were lost in their own thoughts.
He was so perfect. Albus was considerate, intelligent, and loving. To top it off, he was handsome to boot. The man had the most wonderful blue eyes, a smile that could make her melt, and the most stubborn red hair. The best part though, was the fact that Madelyn liked him…well, love would be the proper word. If that was not perfection, she didn't know what it could possibly be. It was a shame that the truth would tear him—and probably their relationship—apart.
Minerva looked over at him as he was looking at her. The question was her attempt to get on the right subject, to reach the point where she could honestly admit to him her mistake of never telling him about Madelyn. Nevertheless, it flew out of her mouth so oddly that it made her nervous stomach roll. "Have you ever thought about having children?"
The oddness didn't faze him at all. Albus just thought about it for a few seconds and then admitted his thoughts sadly. "Many times. Up until now, I've worked with children all of my life…" He acted like he wanted to say more, but perhaps could not find the words. It was the first time that Minerva had ever caught him speechless. And the thing was…he looked almost heartbroken when he spoke. The man made it seem like he hurt at the very thought of the subject, though Minerva could hardly believe that to be true; there was not a remorseful bone in his body.
She continued on with the conversation, her voice growing really quite soft. For some reason, she felt the moment needed to be gentle, a slow approach to the truth. She knew it was not only in her benefit to be calm and slow, but that Albus deserved the tactful road towards discovery. "Did you ever wonder…Albus?"
"Wonder what?"
"If…if…" she blinked, "if there was one out there? I mean—" Damn it all, she didn't know what she was doing. Minerva had no idea what she was saying or how she was going to bring about the truth. It was hard enough to admit it to herself that he was the father, how in Merlin's name could she possibly explain that to him?
"Min?"
She swallowed and looked at Albus who was staring at her with curious eyes. "Hmm?"
"What are you getting at?"
The woman bowed her head down slowly. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to look at him when he was so unlike himself. The man was acting more understanding than he did even normally, what could she say to him? How was she to break the news to him? How? In school she learned everything she could from him. The one thing she had never been able to master was the audacity he so carefully protruded. "Nothing," she whispered, head still bent.
Albus slid his finger beneath her neck and lifted her head up slowly to look at him. "Do y—?"
"Mum!" Maddy raced over to them and stopped only after she had grabbed her mother's hand. Darcy came running in only a second to after and looked at Madelyn with a tidbit of anger written on her face. "That's not fair! You were closer to her in the beginning."
"I…got…here…first…Darcy," Maddy panted for air between every word. The child was clutching her chest tightly, trying to find her breath.
Minerva pulled her daughter by the hand into her lap. Darcy seemed to find comfort next to Albus who was looking at them, only as an innocent bystander. The man probably didn't even fathom what was happening—though she wouldn't be surprised if he did.
"She cheated," Darcy stated quite clearly while pointing a finger at Madelyn.
The woman looked between the two girls. "Madelyn? What did you do?"
"Nothing," she stated calmly. "We were…racing," the child swallowed, "to you…and Mr.…Albus."
She glanced up at Darcy who did often have a tendency to make up stories in the name of getting her way. Then she looked back down at her daughter who also tended to say and do things that she really had no business doing. The woman frowned. She had to put the blame to her daughter, only because Darcy was the guest, though she would have taken the other side if she had a real choice. "Maddy, play nicely."
"Why don't you just re-race?" Albus put in quite gently.
The two girls looked at the two adults, switching off almost simultaneously. Then the both of them stared at each other and shrugged. "Okay," Madelyn said. "Where to?"
"I'll walk over by the tree. Your mother will tell you when to go."
All of them stood on their feet. Albus walked to the tree where they created their brooms and waved to say that he was ready. Minerva turned to look at the two girls who were both very ready to take off in a race. She made sure that their feet were even and then counted extremely slowly. "One…two…three…" And then they were off.
"I told you I was fast," Maddy smiled as the original three walked down the corridor towards the McGonagall quarters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Albus grinned with pride at Madelyn. Indeed she was fast, the little sprite. She beat Darcy by a good five steps in the race. He had never been prouder of the child.
"So you are," he grinned. "I don't think I could even run as fast as you did. You're sure no one put a spell on you to make you faster?"
The child looked up at her mother who had a smile on her face. She shook her head slowly. "I would never do that; you know that, both of you." She raised an eyebrow at Albus when she said it. Of course he knew Minerva would never cheat, but it was fun to say she would do something as horrid as that.
"You'd do anything if it was provoked," he raised an eyebrow right back at the woman. It was true. She liked to be the best, the woman didn't like to back down from challenges; at least she hadn't in the past. Besides that, he just wanted to get a rise out of Minerva. After all, she was jolly good fun to mess around with, both physically and mentally.
"It's very unbecoming of you to be a smart mouth, Albus." That's all she said to him, though it had that usually witty air when she said it. Naturally she was just playing. The woman adored his 'smart mouth' and the both of them knew it. Minerva was attempting to set an example for her daughter. Albus was trying really quite hard to make it a difficult cause; he found humor in the effect he was having on little Madelyn.
"It's also unbecoming of you to stick your nose up like that," he muttered so only Maddy could hear. The child let out a high pitched giggle. He glanced over at Minerva who was glaring at him. She blinked for a few seconds and then just shook her head.
They quickly approached the McGonagall quarters. Minerva and Madelyn each walked inside while Albus held the door. Once they had gone in, he started walking in as well until, THUMP! Quickly he grabbed his knee which had been suddenly hit with pain.
The man looked up while cradling his kneecap at the two girls, one of which was twirling a wand between her fingers with a satisfied smile. The other girl was giggling again. He rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand. Minerva had created a barrier.
"Ha-ha," he stared across the threshold. "You've made your point, Min. Let me in."
In only a second, the barrier became nonexistent. Albus walked through it, still holding his knee tightly to himself, so really, he hopped through it. The man jumped all the way to the settee and fell on it with a thud. Minerva and Maddy followed him over; both of them still had a rather wide smile on their face.
He looked at Madelyn and then the woman. "That uncharacteristically low of you, my dear."
"I suppose, but you had it coming. Are you hurt?"
He shrugged. Of course it hurt, but he didn't know if he was actually injured. Besides that, he didn't mind some extra attention from the woman. She sat next to him and helped to expose his knee. It was a bright red, but nothing seemed out of place. She looked at him with care. "You look fine to me, Albie."
Albus blinked for a few seconds, looking at the woman. He hadn't been Albie for years and years. He was Albie to his grandmother, mother, and only Minerva. It had been a decade since he'd heard the name roll from anyone's lips. He nodded his head slowly. "There's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
She nodded her head. "I thought it was worth reincarnating."
"What does that mean?"
The two adults turned towards Maddy. Minerva was the one who explained, after all, she seemed to have a very good way of relating to her daughter—as only she should. "It's a term we use for bringing someone or something back from death."
"Oh," the child blinked. "Is Mr. Albus going to stay here?"
He shook his head slowly. "I'm going to leave soon. Maybe I'll come back after dinner—I need to get out of these blasted muggle clothes. Would that be alright?"
Maddy nodded her head. "I like it when you come at night; you help me and mum sleep."
A smile fell on his lips. Indeed, there had certainly been word that he set the two of them at peace. It made him feel quite warm inside to know this fact, especially since he was very close to being a part of their family. Minerva didn't know it, but he still had a ring in his drawer which had always been meant for her. One of the coming days, he was going to ask her to marry him. There wasn't anything to get in the way anymore of their starting a family together. "I'm glad," he said gently. "Well, I suppose I'll be back later this evening."
And then he made his way out.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I thought it was sweet and a good prep for the next chap…(you'll understand once I've posted)…We've seen an uncharacteristically playful action from Minerva; I thought it was rather funny. Course, the brute had it coming for being such a tease.
I can't promise 2 weeks, but I'll try. School starts up again then…not to mention volleyball. If it makes any difference to your mind, I'm gung-ho to write this next chap…it's been in my head from day 1. : )
minni