Disclaimer: I do not and never will own anything but seven books and perhaps the odd signed photograph by the stars from the films. So sue someone else.
A/N: I'm very sorry this has taken so long! Much of my time has been focused on college work so i have not really had much time for much else. AlsoIt was quite a hard chapter to write as i kept re-writing it over and over again.I still do not have a beta reader so i appologise if it does not make any sense or there are some very bad spelling and grammer mistakes. If anyone would like to beta read my work i would be very grateful to them. Well, on with the next chapter!
Bex
Leta McGotor: Poppy will not be in the castle but they won't know that as they don't see her. Thanks for the review!
Lady-jolly: I wish it was too! I actually dreamt of this tree house and thought it would be a perfect place to take Minerva out on a date! Thank you so much for the review!
Alesia G: Thank you for the review! It was much appreciated!
Tis a Gift to Be Free: Thank you so much for the praise! I loved your review! I know what you mean about the Poppy/Alastor ship, perhaps i may write one that starts off how they got together and stuff lol! Thanks again!
Questionablelight: Actually i was thinking Hocus Pocus where their broomsticks had been nicked by the kids so they had to find other transport lol! but i know what you mean! Thank you for the review!
Always Hopeful: I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the review!
Portkeys Miss-Mione: I'm flattered that you wish you could write like me! Thank you! (Extra big smile) It means a lot to me! Thank you for the review!
The Gryffindor Seeker: Thank you for your review! I hope you like this chapter!
minni: I hope this chapter answers your question, lol! I hope you like this chapter! Thank you for the review!
Sherbertkitty: Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter!
foci: I know what you mean about loosing chapters amongst the other updates lol! But i'm happy you reviewed this chapter! Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 9
Aberforth stood silently in Albus's office waiting for the man in question. He had been gone for most of the afternoon and was to be expected back by seven. It was now half past nine and there was still no sign of him and his deputy headmistress. Aberforth had felt his brothers' coldness towards him since the night before and had decided to pursue him to find out what all the fuss was about. Normally after a good competition they would go out somewhere spontaneous and laugh it off with a few good Firewhiskey's. Aberforth had sensed that something was wrong with his brother ever since he had won the stupid sandcastle competition and had no idea why Albus was treating him in such a way. It surely could not have been because Aberforth had won the competition because Albus had lost as many competitions as he had won them. Aberforth stood puzzling over the strange occurrences over the past few weeks trying to make sense of it all. Sure Albus could be as childish as he could be noble and wise, but why make such a fuss over a stupid competition? What had seemed a bit of harmless fun had turned into a battleground. What was the purpose of such a competition anyway? Was there some kind of motive behind this? Aberforth walked over to Fawkes and began to stroke his head. The phoenix let out a soft tune and turned his head in the opposite direction so that Aberforth could stroke the other side.
"What have I done old friend? You know Albus as well as I do," Aberforth muttered as Fawkes enjoyed all the fuss he was receiving. "I know I have done something he disapproves of but I don't know what,"
Fawkes just trilled a sad tune and bobbed his head down to allow even more access for his friend to stroke him. The old portraits slept away in their frames completely oblivious to time and the occupants of the room. They seemed to have become accustomed to Aberforth dropping in nearly everyday that they did not seem concerned with him. To them it was an unusual occurrence if Aberforth did not drop in more then four to five times a week.
Aberforth felt his feet start to ache as he stood stroking Fawkes and decided that the red velvet armchair seemed like the perfect place to rest his old feet. Sinking in to the chair, Aberforth sighed in frustration for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Fawkes noticed his companions' annoyance and flew over to keep him company until his master arrived. Staring out of the stained-glass diamond pattern window, Aberforth watched the stars twinkle in the moonlight, thinking what a perfect night it would have been to take Minerva to the famous tree house restaurant. But Minerva had disappeared too and Aberforth guessed that she was most likely with his brother.
"Perhaps they are at the ministry, Fawkes," he muttered as the phoenix started to preen himself, casting aside any unwanted feathers. Aberforth continued to stare out the window, not really registering the bobbing bright lights that seemed to be approaching the castle at quite a speed. They seemed to get bigger and bigger at every minute, blinding whomever looked out of the window. Aberforth jumped to his feet and hid behind the chair covering his eyes. A great rumble on the outside of the windows erupted from the object as it came to a halt. Aberforth heard voices on the outside and the opening of a window. Peering around the red velvet chair, Aberforth took his wand out as the intruder in a deep red cloak climbed through the window.
"Freeze or I shall hex you!" he shouted as the intruder squeaked and fell on to the bed in shock. "Don't move another muscle!"
Albus suddenly poked his head into the window to see what the fuss was about.
"Aberforth! What are you doing?"
"Albus?" Aberforth replied in shock and lifted the hood of the deep red cloak. "Minerva? What on earth are you doing?"
"We sneaked out and since I now have your flying Thunderbird for the summer, I thought we could use it as a means of escape," Albus explained as he too climbed through the window and banished the car out of sight.
"Escape from whom?"
"Poppy, she doesn't really like me having too much fun since I had my encounter with Deloris," Minerva explained to him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I came to visit you and when I couldn't find you I thought I would come to visit Albus. He has some explaining to do," Aberforth said still feeling confused as to why Minerva didn't come to him to 'escape'. Aberforth took a few minutes to compose himself before the reality of the situation hit him like he had just walked into a closed patio door. "Where did you take Minerva?" he said eyeing both Albus and Minerva suspiciously.
"To the tree house, such a wonderful place," Albus said airily taking off his cloak and placing it on the chair.
"That's why you wanted to have the re-match, isn't it? You wanted Minerva!" Aberforth shouted at his brother angrily. "It wasn't because you lost the competition, it was because I got Minerva! You have been jealous of us!"
The awful silence resounded throughout the room. Minerva looked from man to man feeling slightly perplexed and demanded an explanation.
"What is going on?" she said but both men seemed not to have heard her.
"She wasn't yours to begin with yet you still took her just like you take everything else of mine!" Albus retorted feeling all the jealousy rising up and over-riding his emotions.
"Excuse me? She was not yours either! If she was YOURS I would never have touched her!" Aberforth spat back at Albus, feeling the hatred swirl inside his chest and burn painfully.
"Excuse me! Will you both stop it!" Minerva shouted at the both of them as the both stopped glaring at each other. "Please tell me what is going on?"
"My dear brother Albus is jealous of us and has been trying to find a way to manipulate you to falling in love with him!" Aberforth said angrily.
"I have never manipulated Minerva! And I never will! You have no right to accuse me of that!" Albus stood up to his full height and bellowed at his brother. "I have done everything for her and I always will try to!"
"Yes but dear brother, you forget the fact that she doesn't want to be treated like an invalid, she wants to believe she can do anything and forget all about the fact!" Aberforth bellowed back at his brother, his blue eyes hard and piecing.
"Yes but she also wants to be loved!" Albus roared his hands balled into fists and his eyes blazing with fury.
"STOP IT!" Minerva screamed and it silenced both the brothers. The tears threatening to pour down her cheeks as she saw two of the best men she had ever met fighting over who loved her more. "I am not one of your prizes to be fought over and won in a stupid competition! I am a human being with feelings and a mind of her own! It is I who chooses which man I choose to date, to like and to love! And right now I choose neither of you! Aberforth you're dumped! Albus get stuffed!"
Minerva strode furiously out of Albus's office and made her way to her own personal quarters. The tears came steaming down her face, as she felt a bit betrayed by both men. Minerva tried to get back to her own quarters as quickly as possible but the constant pain in her chest slowed her up immensely. Eventually she made it back to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor and muttered the password. Hobbling over to the couch, Minerva collapsed into a fresh wave of tears over what she had done. Minerva realised that in order to pursue her own happiness she had used Aberforth in an unforgiving way, making him fall in love with her. But she felt hurt as to why Albus had tried to split them both up by a cruel competition. Minerva was sure it had not been his intention when they had both started out in the sandcastle competition, but as he realised that his brother was getting close to her, things changed and jealousy set in to place. Minerva realised with bitterness that love was a very cruel thing. Just as you think you were heading in a great direction, it suddenly turns around and smacks you in the face with harsh reality.
Aberforth and Albus both stood in shock at Minerva's speech. After following Minerva with their eyes out of the door, they turned to look at each other, both with a feeling of guilt and anguish. Albus crossed the room to sit down on a chair, motioning Aberforth to do the same. Aberforth picked the chair opposite his brother and stared at him with cold indifference. Somewhere in his heart, Albus always felt that as time went by, both he and Aberforth would end up fighting over something they both wanted. Shutting his eyes for a few minutes Albus reflected on his behaviour over the past few weeks. The pain, the jealousy and above all, the guilt of what he had done rose like a tidal wave wiping out everything ahead of it and replacing it with devastation. What have I done? He would not be surprised if his brother ever spoke to him again after this night but somehow, as much as he had damaged their relationship, Albus was determined to find a way to make everything up to his brother. He was after all, his best friend, his priest, his therapist and his advisor. Albus felt he owed him everything. Opening his eyes, Albus looked over at his brother through the darkness and felt ashamed of himself.
"I am so sorry, Aberforth. Honestly I am. I am such a stupid old man. I admit, I was jealous of you and Minerva. I always felt her to be mine," Albus confessed placing his head in his left hand.
"Well, now you have what you want, don't you dear brother?" Aberforth said coldly, tapping his fingers of the sofa with impatience. Albus flinched at the choice words that Aberforth had put before him.
"No, I don't. This is not what I wanted, Aberforth,"
"Minerva has never been yours. You have always been too cowardly to explain your feelings to her. You have had fifty odd years to confess you're love to her and have you? No,"
"I never thought she could love an old man like me," Albus muttered quietly. Even as he said it, the very words sounded foolish and so pathetic.
"Then why did you try now? Was it because I got there and then you realised she might be interested?" Aberforth said bitterly glaring at his brother.
"Abserloutly not! When you took her I realised how much I loved her so I wanted her," Albus replied in defence, looking up at his brothers' angry form in the armchair. "I admit that the drinking competition was set up so that she might come to me but I was wrong and I learnt my lesson on that case." Sinking slowly into the armchair Albus whispered, "I have been so selfish,"
"Too bloody right you have," Aberforth agreed and Albus narrowed his eyes.
"This is not all my fault. I will take most of the blame but not all of it!" Albus said in annoyance to his brother.
"Well what have I done? Oh sorry, should I have asked permission to ask Minerva out?" Aberforth replied bitterly and curled his lip in disgust. Albus rolled his eyes in exasperation and annoyance.
"No, but you haven't exactly been paying attention to her lately. Always flirting with Rolanda or Poppy or any other woman you see fit to like. You claim to love her but flirt with every other woman in the room while she is next to you!" Albus said coolly as he pointed his wand towards the fire as it sprung into action. Aberforth sunk back into the chair miserably. The tension between the two brothers was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
"It is also partly Minerva's fault for leading you on," Albus continued as his brother sat fully erect at this statement.
"Excuse me? Minerva's fault for leading me on?" Aberforth said with incredulity, his eyebrows threatening to invade his hairline.
"Yes, tonight when I took Minerva out, she made it perfectly clear what she felt for me. It is true that she seemed to think me boring and you adventurous so she has been dithering between the two of us. I do believe Minerva has been feeling quite confused by the both of us though," Albus explained gravely to his brother.
"Minerva played me along, just like you. You have both used me to achieve what you want. Perhaps I should go away and leave you both in happiness," Aberforth felt the pain cross his chest as he came to his conclusion. Albus looked at him alarmed.
"Aberforth you cannot leave me! I would be nothing without you! You are my brother and my best friend! We have both been through worse than this," Albus pleaded with his brother as he got up out of the chair and stared at him. "It's not as if any of us got what we want! We have all been fools, fools in love! We can't allow this to separate us!"
"Then what are we going to do?" Aberforth replied stonily.
"All of us are going to confess our feelings and we're going to do it right now. We all need to talk this through properly," Albus stood up in determination and strode over to the fireplace to pick up the floo powder. Aberforth walked slowly across to where Albus held out the pot of floo powder and picked up a handful. Extinguishing the fire with his wand Aberforth stood in the ashes and shouted "Minerva's Quarters". Albus breathed a small sigh of relief and followed suit. Once Albus had dusted himself off and stepped out of the fire, he saw that Aberforth had sat himself in a single armchair while Minerva was sat sobbing on the couch clutching a silk cushion. Choosing the armchair opposite his brother, Albus sat down and looked between them.
"None of us are leaving this room until we have a clear understanding of each other. We need to see how everybody feels and work out a plan of action from there," Albus said sternly as he gazed between his brother and his beloved.
"I shall go first. I am truly sorry to both of you for my behaviour and actions over the past few weeks. I have been a true fool falling into the traps of jealousy instead of wishing you both happiness on your conquest." Albus admitted to Aberforth and Minerva, feeling more and more like a prize idiot by the minute. It had been his fault that they had fallen into this position in the first place. "I admit that I half started the competition to win Minerva back but also to beat you, Aberforth. I have been in love with you, Minerva, for over fifty years. I hope that once this whole issue between the three of us has blown over, you will find it in your heart to forgive my childish actions."
Silence reined the room as nobody said anything to add or object to Albus's apology. Aberforth still sat glaring at his brother as if he were the most unpleasant creature in the earth. Right at this moment, Aberforth did not know what Albus expected of him. He had not done anything really wrong in the whole situation and felt that it was down to the two of them to make their amends to him. Mulling over what Albus had said, Aberforth could not help but feel like a spare part. He was not really needed, Albus could cope without him, and it was Minerva he needed more than anything.
"You're wrong, Aberforth. I do need you, it is you who has given hope to me," Albus said quietly as Aberforth looked at his brother with surprise. "It is you whom I need the most,"
"How do you need me?" Aberforth said stiffly, trying to clear his mind from his intruding brother.
"I need you just to be there for me as I have been for you,"
"But why? Why should I?"
"I suppose logically, you should not even trust me at all after everything I have done. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't want to loose you," Albus concluded miserably, his shoulders slouching slightly. Aberforth looked back at his brother and saw his pleading eyes.
"I don't know how things can be the same between us, Albus. Never did I expect you above all people to go behind my back and betray me. But as it is, I know that I cannot pick up and go for I am too old and, you are my only family left." Aberforth said wearily and stared down at the floor. "I do know what I can be like sometimes. I can't help but flirt with all the pretty ladies I see and I apologise, Minerva, if you ever felt rejected by that."
Minerva smiled sadly at Aberforth. She did feel ever so sorry and guilty for him. Albus on the other hand looked at his brother in hope of somehow remaking the broken relationship with his brother.
"We will get through this, old boy. We have been through worse heartbreak before," Albus said softly to Aberforth. "I know I can't take back what I have done but we have to accept the situation to be able to move on from it. Can you do that?"
Aberforth glanced up at his brother and thought it through. Inevitably, Albus was right. But also, he knew somewhere that Minerva would have proberly have been Albus's girl anyway and he would have lived with it. It was just the fact that Minerva had lead him on to believe he meant more to her than Albus and Albus went behind his back to get her back. Oh, life really is complicated.
"I can accept it. I can accept it because I know you have never to my knowledge done anything to betray my trust before and out of one hundred and fifty years, I feel this would have been a one off where I should never have been involved in the first place." Aberforth said solemnly, explaining his reasoning. "As your brother, I should have known that you were in love with Minvera in the first place and never have pursued any kind of relationship with her except friendship."
Albus shook his head and leaned forward.
"You would never have known who I was in love with, Aberforth," he said with feeling and his brother nodded in understanding. Minerva smiled wanly and picked at her cushion's seem.
"I feel I owe you both an apology, especially Aberforth. I did feel that you were fantastic when you took me out but then I realised that my heart still stood with Albus. Like him I thought he could never love me because of the age difference." she said feeling guilty and ashamed at the same time. Aberforth smiled ironically at her statement and shook his head. "I do love you Albus. I will always forgive you, no matter what you have done."
Albus smiled in appreciation at her and then at Aberforth who rolled his eyes at the pair of them.
"I really don't understand the two of you. First you never confess your feelings within fifty years and then after a quick fall out, you suddenly feel that that would be the perfect time." Aberforth said dryly and threw his hands up in the air. "As far as I'm concerned, you can have him, Minerva. I think you would make the perfect couple,"
Minerva laughed at him as a new wave of tears began to threaten to pour down her cheeks and began to stand up. Straightening out her dress, she walked over to Aberforth and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much," she whispered into his ear, squeezing her eyes shut. Aberforth hugged her back and chuckled.
"It was fun while it lasted, Min."
Minerva smiled and swatted him on the arm.
"What have I told you about calling me 'Min'?" she mock-scolded him. Albus stood up and walked over to his brother and his beloved. Aberforth stood up to face his older brother and shook his hand firmly. Albus pulled him into a hug with a smile.
"Thank you for doing this,"
"You deserve each other. Besides, I have my eyes on another lady," he said putting on a smile. Aberforth knew although he did not have a lovely lady at that moment, he would have one very soon to test the famous Dumbledore charms on. Hopefully, this next one will not be unofficially taken though, Aberforth thought dryly. Sighing happily, Albus wrapped his arms around Minerva and kissed her on the top of the head.
"I do believe we have a competition to complete, dear brother," Aberforth said pretending to put a serious look upon his features.
"I thought I won the last round?" Albus said frowning and looking at Minerva.
"Yes, that means we are in a tie. You, me, a few supporters, outside by the edge of the river tomorrow morning." Aberforth said in a business-like manner. "What's the prize?"
"Hmm, I win, I get to go to Florida with Minerva on holiday for two weeks. You shall pay. You win, you will go to Florida and prepare my stag night do," Albus said peering over his half-moon glasses seriously. Minerva took a few seconds to take in what Albus had said and squeaked in delight. She was so happy that she bounced on the balls of her feet and kissed Albus flat on the lips. Aberforth laughed at her and ducked as he was nearly hit again, this time by his brother.
"It's a deal, Albus. May the best man win,"
What do you think? Did it make sense? Please tell me!