"An unique trip to Diagon Alley"

Summer went too fast for a six month pregnant Minerva McGonagall. There was lesson plans to be create as part of Albus' new defense against the dark arts curriculum. Of course it didn't help that it was getting awkward to move about.

"Harry! Get your boots on. I'm leaving for Diagon Alley in five minutes with or without you!" Minerva sighed, rubbing her back. Four more months. Then seventeen more years. If knowing what their mother was complaining about, the twins kicked at the same time.

"Sorry, Mom. I couldn't find my supplies list."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. Harry's hair was wet, in what she assumed was an attempt to smooth down his hair.

"Well, you are here now. We're meeting the Weaselys at the Leaky Cauldron. It's ten to now."

Harry took the floo powder from the box and headed for the fireplace.

"Now remember to speak very clearly. Diagon Alley." Minerva gave a brief amused look at Harry.

"That was second year. Can people forget it already?" Harry grumbled.

"Part of Harry Potter folklore, I'm afraid. Albus will meet us at the Hog's Head for dinner." Harry noticed Minerva seemed lesser thrill with the dinner plans.

"Right. Hey!" Harry spotted three familiar redheads and joined them.

"Molly, hello. I take Ginny and Ron shared their O.W.L.s with you. Albus and staff are happy to skip Ginny to sixth year."

"We always knew she was smart but to skip her fifth year…" Molly was beaming with pride.

"Mom!" Ginny groaned.

"Minerva, do you still want to pick up Albus' gift?" Molly asked.

Harry looked intrigued.

"What's the gift?"

"Just a tradition. Nothing special."

"I think we should start shopping. We need to get our books and other supplies." Harry added mischievously, causing Minerva to wonder what he and Ron were planning for the year.

"We'll meet up in about three hours, then."

The group spilt up then, with Harry, Ginny, and Ron headed towards Flourish & Blotts and Molly and Minerva headed towards Twilight's Threads.

"How many people know about this tradition between you and Albus?" asked Molly, as they entered the lingerie shop.

"Just the girls and Albus. I doubt anyone else needs to know that I get a new nightgown for Albus every school year."

"Good point. What are you looking for this year?" Molly asked.

Minerva glanced down at her stomach, and laughed. She was five months pregnant and it definitely showed. Luckily Albus and she decided to announce the pregnancy but not the due date.

"While Albus prefers short and lacy, I don't think that will work this year. Perhaps long and silk works. Ahhh, here's one." Minerva held up a long blue nightgown.

"Would that match his eyes?" Molly noticed the shade of blue.

"I think so," said Minerva, remembering Albus' eyes darkened when filled with desire. She repressed a shudder.

"Well, try it on." Molly encouraged her friend.

Minerva slipped into the dressing room and pulled the nightgown over her body. The silk hugged her breasts, which Minerva admitted were larger than usual, and then flared out below the chest. It covered her body loosely but also showed off her curves. Minerva felt vaguely regal and attractive in it, which was nothing short to amazing at five months.

Changing back into her clothes, Minerva smiled at Molly,

"This is the one. Albus will be please with my choice."

Molly returned the smile and said excitedly,

"Now onto baby things! I haven't got to shop for baby things in years."

Minerva laughed.

"How do you think I feel? The last time I shop for a baby was for my goddaughter. At least you have nieces and nephews. Ginny is going be sixteen." Mara never tells me when she's expecting, so I miss shopping for her. With good reason, I suppose. Minerva added mentally.

"Is it true that Severus is going to be the godfather?" Molly asked.

"Yes, Albus and Xiomara trust him and since he is married to my best friend, he's the godfather as Xiomara is godmother."

"And that's the best explanation you could come with when people ask. You aren't worry about him influencing the twins to become Slytherins?" Molly could just imagine Severus explaining why snakes are the best animals.

"No more than I worry about Pommie and Hufflepuff, or Poppy and Ravenclaw or Xiomara and Slytherin. They are going to be raise with an inter-house family and whatever may come with that." Minerva shrugged as they entered Duckie's Duds, a magical baby store.

The first thing Minerva noticed was two stuffed tabby cats.

"These are perfect. I can transfigure them to match me! On to the list." Molly gasped at the size of the list Minerva took out of her purse.

"Wow. Have you done any shopping?"

"Yes. Between Aurora, Harry and Albus we can narrow down any fun things to buy. We got cribs for both school and home but not for the classroom or offices. Ahhh, I have to shop for two beds for three different rooms and figure out what goes where. I think since Harry is in my care, I'll ask Arabella Figgs to come to Hogwarts and care for the kittens while I'm teaching and Albus is working." Minerva's head spinned with the logistics of raising kids while working. What did I do with Aurora and Apollo? She wondered.

"Well I never had to really worry about that with my kids. Surely other professors had this problems."

"Pommie took time off while Poppy was getting her degree and she raised Rose and Daisy until they were at Hogwarts. Then Poppy got the position as nurse and Pommie became adjunct professor of herbology, later head of Hufflepuff. But since I'm head of Gryffindor and Albus is Headmaster, it's difficult to take the term off. I'll take eight weeks to recover from the birth and Albus will take two weeks off. " Minerva attempted to imagine having two months just with two infants. She picked up the nearest onesies.

"It might be easier to wait until the babies are here to shop for clothes. Aurora keeps bugging me about names. I swear you would think she was the one having kids."

"Well, she is dating Niccolo, right?"

"Yes but she hasn't told him who we are. Can you imagine working that in to conversation. 'oh by the way, my parents are the greatest wizard and witch of their generation, my adoptive brother is the one that took down Voldemort and my twin brother might have found another five uses for dragon's blood. So, what should we have for dinner?' I was nervous about meeting Albus' parents for the first time. Luckily Albus had Abeforth there so I looked good. Victoria was so glad to have another female in the house, I think she would've adopt me if Albus hadn't propose six months after. "

"I think Mary felt the same way after raising her five boys. " Both women laughed.

They were just finishing up the bedding selection, choosing a sky theme for the main rooms at home and school, and a lion theme for Minerva's office and a phoenix for Albus, when Minerva's watch begin to chime.

"Ah, the boys and Ginny are done. I guess I'll finish this on Hogsmeade weekends."

Molly noticed Minerva slightly smiling when she mentioned Ginny and Harry.

"Could be getting my eighth son. Of course I don't say anything but they do seems closer since the night at the ..."

Minerva noticed that Molly couldn't come to talk of Sirius.

"Harry mentions him, once in a while and I tried to explain their pranks on me during his Hogwarts year. I think not being at the Dursley's' helps some. Of course, Harry seems excited about the twins." Minerva rubbed her stomach.

Arriving at the Hog's Head, Molly immediately started to murmured several cleaning spells under her breath. Minerva stopped her, and said,

"As if it would do any difference. Hello, Abe. How's business?"

Greeting his sister-in-law, Abe replied, tongue in cheek,

"Well, there hasn't been any illegal defense club meetings this week and Moody only 'found' three Death eater mice on Wednesday, so it has been slow.
But how are my heirs doing? Are they ready to come out yet?"

"It's your own fault that you don't have heirs, for being hopelessly devoted to goats. Your heirs, as if I have nothing better to good but to give the Dumbledore men heirs, are doing fine. I think Aurora might be bring someone to meet us this semester."

Abeforth laughed.

"You are having twins but you want grandchildren?"

Ignoring this remark, Minerva led Molly to a semi-clean table and ordered a pot of apple tea.

" By the way, did Bill tell you he accepted the offer to be my sub this year?"

"No."

"Oh." Minerva was surprised but decided to drop it as the women spotted the kids.

"Hey, Mom. Are you done shopping for the kittens?" Harry smiled.

"Just about." Minerva shrunken her bags. "Come you need to meet Abe. Harry, this is Abeforth Dumbledore."

Harry shook Abe's hand.

"I suppose I should thank you for not kicking us out last year."

"Not a problem. I tend to be sympathic towards outcast groups. Speaking of which how's Xiomara doing? Still married to the slimebag?" Abe asked.

"Yes, Abe. She still is married and still doesn't want to date you." Minerva sighed. Abe and Mara had a brief two week affair and the foundation of Hogwarts hasn't recovered yet.

"I just thought I would ask about an old friend. Harry, did they tell about naked quiddich?"

"Abeforth! Don't corrupt him. He gets into enough trouble. Beside we only did that once." Minerva stared at Abe, trusting him not to mention times in the summer.

"Where is my brother's beginning of year gift? I'm sure it was more difficult this year with the kittens."

Minerva willed herself not to hex her brother-in-law.

"I was able to find something appropriate. How do you know about the tradition?"

"My dear Minerva, he calls me to gloat every year. You have made my brother a very happy man." Abe smirked.

"Why that little..." Minerva trailed off as her husband walked into the bar. A shot of white light and a mouse stood where Albus was merely seconds ago.

Minerva picked up the mouse by the trail and smiled at the way the mouse shook.

"You have no idea what you did, do you?"
The mouse shook his head.

"If I tell you, you acknowledge what you did was wrong, I might lessen the punishment time."

The mouse nodded, grateful that Minerva couldn't transform.

"Oh, I forgot." Another white light shot from her wand and there was another white mouse.

Minerva smiled at her work. Student transformations weren't allowed as she told Alastor in the year he was there. But Minerva had to deal with two of the most infuriate people on the planet.

"I don't think it was wise to gloat about our sex life to your brother, do you?"

The slightly taller mouse squeaked out a reply. The other one tried to escape but Minerva held him tighter.

"Shall I assume this will never happen again?"

The mice squeaked in earnest. Harry began to chuckle. His mom was definitely the most powerful witch of her time.

"Minerva, did you have to do that in front of Harry?" Albus asked as soon he could speak.

"I could do much worse. After all, I do have an excuse." replied Minerva.

The Dumbledore brothers learned to be careful over the next months. After all, Minerva did have a craving for mice.