Harry stood in the doorway, blushing furiously. He wanted to leave the kitchen as quickly and quietly as possible but hadn't counted on Minerva's excellent ears. She heard him move and broke the kiss with Albus, looking at Harry. She was clearly as embarrassed as he was and tried to jump off Albus lap but he held her tightly in place.
"Harry, come in." Albus said in a calm voice. Now was as good as any time for them to explain their relationship to Harry, though Albus had preferred to wait a little and give the boy time to settle down a bit.
Obediently Harry walked in and stood in front of the kitchen table. Minerva was still struggling to get to her feet but she couldn't free herself from Albus' grip.
"Dear, it's okay…"Albus told her and loosened his hold on her. "And Harry, have a seat. I guess there's something we need to explain."
Harry did as he was told and looked at Albus and Minerva curiously. Now he understood what was so different about their relationship now. At school they always made sure to act just as friends around each other. But here… even when they had come to pick him up he had sensed that they seemed to be more… intimate with each other than usual.
Minerva had calmed down a bit and looked at her husband. She had known that Harry would figure out sooner or later that they were more than just friends but though she loved Harry she would have preferred if it had bee later.
"Harry, dear… I'm sorry you had to see this." Minerva said. She looked at Harry, searching for signs of understanding and found it in his eyes.
"No, don't be. I should have knocked first." Harry blushed again a little, thinking back at the scene in front of him when he had entered the kitchen.
"Don't be silly. We should have been more careful. But I think there's something you need to know." Albus looked at Minerva lovingly and patted the small of her back.
"Albus and I have been married for 46 years now." Minerva stated.
Harry swallowed.
"I had no idea…" he managed to say. It was unbelievable that no one had ever found out about them.
Minerva smiled.
"Well, actually we've married secretly and kept it a secret. The Hogwarts staff knows and some close friends but no one else. And now you do…" Her voice trailed off while she thought about it. She was sure they could trust Harry.
"I won't tell anyone. Though I have to admit that Hermione suspects that there's more between the two of you than just friendship." He grinned at the thought of what Hermione would say when she found out. And she was bound to find out once she had arrived here. She was way too clever to be fooled for long.
Minerva seemed to have similar thoughts because she looked at Albus a bit uncomfortably. She hadn't thought about that before but if Miss Granger already suspected something than she would find out about their little secret.
"I see." Albus gently eased Minerva off his lap and went over to the stove to pour himself some more cocoa.
"What is it, dear?" Minerva asked, seeing that her husband was thinking about something.
"Well, I just thought that we should tell Miss Granger and Mr Weasley. That will spare Harry the problem of having to keep something from them… and they won't start speculating." He went back to the table and kissed his wife gently on the forehead before sitting down again.
Minerva blushed slightly but Harry smiled at her reassuringly. He was happy for them; they were really made for each other. When he said so both Albus and Minerva looked a bit embarrassed but happy that he felt that way.
"So… I think you said something about a tour through the house?" Harry asked Minerva. She nodded and rose from her chair.
"Yes, dear." She put her arm around his shoulder and led him through the large house. It hadn't changed much in the last years. She was rarely here, mostly during the holidays or whenever she needed some time to think. But usually Albus would prefer his summer home near the coast so they spent most of their time there.
Minerva showed Harry her old room. He saw immediately that it must have been hers, her style clearly noticeable in the room. Then there was the master bedroom as well as two smaller bedrooms and two bathrooms on the upper floor.
On the ground floor were a large dining room with a beautiful wooden table for about 12 people, then the living room, the kitchen, another bathroom and some storage rooms.
"It's a beautiful house," Harry said when they reached the kitchen again. Albus was still sitting there, reading a book and enjoying what looked like his third cup of cocoa.
"Yes, it is. I was very happy here when I was a child. And I hope you'll be happy here too." She said with a sincere smile on her face. She knew it wouldn't be easy for Harry to be in the constant company of his professors but she felt that he had already begun to relax. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley wouldn't arrive for another couple of days so he would have to content himself with Albus and Minerva in the meantime.
"Thank you," he murmured, not knowing what to say. Minerva behaved so differently towards him than at school. At school he was just one among the students, and usually she was … well, not cold but distant.
She hugged him and kissed him lightly on the temple. She knew he had never been hugged or kissed as a child and she would love to try to make it up to him if he let her.
Harry enjoyed the feeling of being hugged. But still… He just had to know why she had decided to tell him now how she felt about him.
"Minerva?" He pulled from her embrace and looked at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, dear."
"May I ask you something?" Suddenly he felt shy. What if it was all just a mistake? What if she felt just guilty for making him stay with the Dursleys for so long?
"Of course, Harry. Anything." Together they sat down on a bench that stood in front of the window of the hallway.
Harry swallowed hard, gathering his courage. He just had to know.
"Why have you told me that you love me? And why are you so… distant at school? You never seemed to care about me." He didn't dare to look at her, afraid of her reaction.
But instead of a reprimand he felt her arm coming around his shoulder and pulling him closer. She sighed.
"Well, Harry… I told you because it's true. Your parents were very close to me, and we stayed in touch after they had left school. When you were born they were so happy. So proud. And you were such a beautiful baby. I fell in love with you instantly. You know, Albus and I couldn't have any children; I've prayed for a child but the answer was no. So when you were born I was happy to take care of you whenever your parents needed a babysitter." Minerva shifted a little and then continued.
"That night when Voldemort killed your parents… Albus nearly broke my heart by leaving you with your relatives. But he told me about the magic that would keep you safe. So I agreed. But I assure you, it wasn't easy. And when you came to Hogwarts… I felt the old feelings coming back. But I couldn't show you, I just couldn't. I know you have already had a hard time with some of your school mates because they thought you were some kind of celebrity and enjoying that status. So I didn't want to give them another reason to bother you. That's why I've always kept a proper distance and pretended not to care." Minerva felt tears dwell up in her eyes when she finished her story.
Harry, who had looked at his hands the whole time, raised his head to meet Minerva's gaze. When he saw the tears in her eyes he pulled her in a comforting embrace. He had always guessed that there must be a softer side to her but it was a bit scaring to actually see it now. But he wanted her to know that it was okay now. He had just wanted to understand why she had behaved that way.
Minerva returned his embrace, happy that he didn't reject her now. It had been unbelievably hard for her not to be able to comfort Harry when he was sad or show him just how much she cared.
"Thank you for telling me." Harry said before kissing her gently on her cheek. It still felt strange to be so close to somebody. But he guessed he would get used to it.
Minerva wiped her cheeks and smiled at Harry.
"Well, I'm glad you know now. So… Would you like to explore the grounds before lunch?" She winked at him before getting up. Albus would be wondering what had happened to them, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. Anyway she could see how eager Harry was now to get outside.
"Of course." Harry grinned. "Anything I just observe?" He thought it better to ask. Even though he doubted there might be anything dangerous around here, he wanted to be on the safe side for once.
"Okay, then have fun. Lunch will be in two hours." Minerva patted his arm before entering the kitchen.
"What happened?" Albus asked, seeing the tear-stained face of his wife. He got up and pulled her into his arms.
"Harry and I had a little talk. He asked why I told him after so long how I really feel about him." Minerva hid her face in Albus' beard and inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of chocolate and lemon had always had a soothing effect on her. Just as it was now.
"Did you tell him?" Albus caressed her back lovingly, tracing patterns. He felt her nod against his chest and smiled, satisfied. He had known that this kind of talk had to come up some time, and he was glad Minerva and Harry seemed to have solved everything.
"When will he be back?" Albus asked, mischief glinting in his eyes, before he kissed Minerva's neck. She shivered at his touch and moaned lightly.
"In about two hours. Why?" Minerva pulled from his arms and looked at him innocently.
"Well, I thought we could continue what Harry interrupted earlier." With a swift movement he swept her up in his arms and carried her upstairs. Minerva's happy giggles were the last sounds to be heard for a while in the large house.
To be continued…