A/N: Thanks you all so much for the awesome reviews you've given us for this story. We can only hope that this chapter will live up to your expectations.
"Minerva, everyone is waiting. You've got to hurry or we'll be late."
"Just another minute or two please, Dad. I'm sure they won't start without me," Minerva teased him through the large oak barrier separating them. "I just need to collect my thoughts before facing everyone. Surely you can understand that better than anyone." The pleading tone in her voice was all it took for Harold McGonagall to grant his little girl anything she wanted, this being no exception.
"I'll be right outside the door when you're ready. Take your time…my little girl," he added in a whisper.
Minerva looked around her room and tried to remember as far back as possible. She had wonderful memories of this place, all of them happy ones. She could not have asked for a better childhood and she was certain that no better set of parents had ever lived. She had been a blessed little girl indeed and no doubt fate had smiled upon her once more.
"So, my cherished mirror, how do I look?" Minerva admired her image in the glass and instantly had a flashback to a very young girl who was dreading a party.
"You look absolutely stunning. You'll do your parents proud and no doubt that Albus Dumbleodre fellow too. You know I've waited years for this day and I'm sorry that it's finally here."
"Mirror," she scolded, " how can you say such a thing? You're not supposed to feel sorry, especially today of all days."
"I don't begrudge you the day, my dear, just the fact that you will be leaving shortly and I won't see you as often."
Minerva reached out and touched the worn wooden frame which held the looking glass in place. This mirror had been in her family for generations and had seen more than its' share of McGonagall women but Minerva had always had a special rapport with the magical object. On more than one occasion she had poured out her heart in practice for some grand speech to be made to her parents. She had agonized for days over the exact words to use when asking her parents for permission to spend a month in the south of France. It was in front of this very mirror that she had daydreamed of this very day.
"Silly mirror. I'm surprised mother didn't tell you. You're not staying here after I'm gone. In fact, you may very well never see this room again so be sure to memorize every detail."
"They're packing me away to the attic, then? I wondered when I would become useless to the McGonagall clan. What with all the advances in magic and animating objects, I suppose it was only a matter of time."
"Stop being so dramatic, mirror, or I will leave you here when I move the rest of my things to Hogwarts!" Minerva smiled at her image in the glass as she paused to let her words register. "Yes, you heard me correctly. Father and Albus have arranged everything and you'll be waiting for me in our rooms just as soon as we return. I couldn't bare to part with you any more than I could my wand. Merlin knows I should have moved you there sooner."
"You mean I'm being moved to a new home…with you? I thought for sure my useful days were over and done." A short silence passed between them before the mirror spoke again. "Thank you Minerva. I promise to always speak the truth about what I see."
"Then I couldn't ask for anything more from you, mirror. But I must ask you to do one thing for me. On the days when I begin to complain about duty and obligations, remind me that it was a familial duty that permitted me to meet Albus and without that meeting this day might never have come to pass."
"I promise but if you don't stop your walk down memory lane, you might very well miss this day and then where would we be? I'll tell you…we'd be stuck up here in this lovely room for the rest of your days. Well, maybe you wouldn't be imprisoned here but I most certainly would." Minerva laughed at the dry wit of her mirror. It truly was a wonder why she hadn't thought to bring it with her when she first started teaching.
"Mirror, tell me what you see…honestly." Minerva twirled around in front of the mirror so that it could have a proper look at her from all angles. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she waited for his appraisal of her.
"I see the little girl who danced in front of me with delight when she got a new book. I also see the brilliant young lass who took top honors in her class when she graduated from Hogwarts." Minerva gave the mirror a smile and a wink. "And then there's the flirtatious young woman who found her hearts desire and never stopped until she won him. And now, standing before me, I see the most beautiful McGonagall bride that has ever lived."
Minerva felt tears prickling in the backs of her eyes. True, she had heard similar words of praise and approval from her best friend and her mother but they were supposed to compliment her, especially on her wedding day. The mirror, on the other hand, had nothing at all to gain or lose by speaking the truth as he saw it. "Thank you." Minerva reached out and touched the glass reverently. "I'll see you in a bit. I'll be back to change before we apparate to our honeymoon destination." Minerva leaned closer to the mirror. "You wouldn't happen to know where that might be, now would you Mirror?"
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell. It would spoil the surprise. Now, hurry up. I'm sure they're all awaiting the arrival of the bride."
Minerva smoothed down her dress once more before summoning her father to escort her to the grand affair. When she opened the door, the look on her father's face spoke volumes of the love he held for her in his heart. "My dear little girl…you are beautiful. You remind me of your mother on our wedding day, a vision of grace and elegance, charm and beauty, spirit and passion all rolled into the perfect woman." He kissed her cheeks and held her close for a long moment as he relished this last moment alone with his daughter. "Now I'm afraid that if we don't hurry along, Albus will send out a search party for you. He's already sent Aberforth twice to make sure everything was alright with you. Took me nearly ten minutes the last time to convince him that this sort of thing was normal for a bride."
"Then we'd best not keep them waiting any longer. I'm ready now. I just needed to sort out a few things for myself before going downstairs."
"I'm sure the mirror told you everything you needed to know and then some," he laughed as he escorted Minerva down the staircase and into the gardens.
A more perfect day could not have been imagined when Minerva and Albus were planning their wedding day. From the blue sky overhead to the immaculate gardens with all its' blooming foliage seemed to be something from a dream. Minerva stood back and admired the scene before her, drinking in the sights and sounds of the event long before anyone realized she was there.
It was a small affair for all the right reasons. Safety and security were atop the list of reasons but those were secondary in nature. Albus and Minerva had decided to invite only a few guests each. Neither of them had been keen on having a grand wedding with large numbers of guests and responsibilities to go along with it. They had even toyed with the idea of eloping but that idea was quickly discarded. In the end, they each wrote down the names of those most important to them and after studying the list, they came to the conclusion that they were of the same mind. Family and a few mutual friends were all they needed for their celebration of love.
Minerva felt her father squeeze her arm reassuringly as he took a deep breath. "Well, my sweet, this is it. I love you and your mother and I couldn't be happier for you. Albus is a very lucky man today."
"So am I," she answered as her eyes caught the first glimpse of Albus standing among the prized roses where they had shared their first kiss. He was dressed from head to toe in the most spectacular shade of blue. In later years, Minerva would swear that she could see his blue eyes twinkling from the back of the rose garden as he turned to catch her staring at him. He stood tall and proud at the makeshift altar as he eagerly awaited her entrance. Never once giving any indication of any nervousness which might be plaguing him. And then, as if by some unseen command, he turned and smiled at her.
There she stood in all her beauty…his bride, his Minerva. She could feel his eyes raking over her form, drinking in every last drop of her appearance. She was dressed in radiant white with gold edging around the sleeves and hemline and her long dark hair was twisted into some elegant knot. She could practically see the surge of pride and joy swelling in his chest as he saw her for the first time that day. The bodice of the dress molded perfectly to her breasts and slender waist while the skirt moved with just the right amount of flare as she walked and given the smile playing about his face, he had surely noticed. The small bouquet of flowers held nearly effortlessly in her hands paled in comparison to the rosy complexion of her cheeks and lips as she blushed beneath his gaze, the color no doubt having been stolen from the roses themselves.
As she neared the altar to stand with him before the wizard chosen to bond them for all of eternity, Minerva could feel her heartbeat in the hollow of her throat. Every little girl dreams of her wedding day and if Minerva was truly honest with herself, this is exactly what she had dreamed of all those years ago, back in the days when she at first thought it unnerving to contemplate marriage to one Albus Dumbledore after a dinner party.
But as she placed her hands in his and stared into those blue eyes, all those doubts and fears seemed to melt away like the winter snow. Never before had she been so sure of anything in her entire life and by the look of extreme excitement and happiness in his face, neither had he.
The ceremony itself was steeped in ancient rituals and traditions passed down for generations. The Dumbledore and the McGonagall family lines were honored in one way or another at the ceremony, adding a more personal touch to the otherwise standard bonding ritual. Unbeknownst to her parents, Minerva had chosen to be completely bound to Albus after much debate between the couple. He felt it would be cheating her out of decades of adventures and experiences since he was so much older. However, once Minerva explained to him that her life had revolved around him in one way or another since their first meeting and that she had no plans to change now, he had agreed to her terms.
Everyone in attendance remarked on the absolute beauty and simplicity of the entire affair. Laughter peeled through the garden as the small group mingled and celebrated in grand style while the happy couple made it a point to speak with each of their guests. The food had been provided by one of Albus' favorite restaurants and of course the spirits had been a gift from the McGonagall clan, though they really had no need for the vast amounts of ale and whisky set aside for the day.
As dusk began to fall upon the manner, the wedding feast was assembled and the guests were invited to sit down to a proper meal. Aberforth surprised the entire group with a heartfelt toast to the bride and groom, leaving barely a dry eye among the crowd. Minerva's father, too, offered up his words of happiness and appreciation on behalf of himself and Athena. He had already given Albus a private though idle warning about harming his daughter in any way for as long as he drew breath. Deep down, Harold knew there was no need for such a threat but as the father of the bride, it was to be expected and Albus took it all in stride vowing never to be the cause of any pain in her life.
"As much as we're enjoying this party held in our honor, I do think it's time we bid you all a good night," Albus announced as the dessert dishes were being cleared away by the eager house elves. "Minerva and I still have some traveling to do tonight and while your company is most agreeable, I'd like to spend some time with my bride on our wedding day." That little remark earned him a playful swat on the arm and a blush on his cheeks as several of the more spirited McGonagall men began to make jokes before being properly scolded by Harold.
Back in her rooms, Albus and Minerva hastily changed into traveling robes and packed their wedding attire properly for storage. "I'll see you in a few days," Minerva softly spoke to the mirror.
"What was that my dear?" Albus walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her back against him as they stared at their reflections in the mirror.
"Oh nothing. I was merely saying a farewell to an old friend as I start my new journey with you."
Albus dropped a kiss to the side of her neck and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. "You know, the mirror was right. You did make a magnificent bride today." His warm breath blew across her ear teasingly, sending ripples of excitement racing through her.
Her eyes flew open and she turned her head slightly to look into his face. "When did you have a chance to talk to my mirror without my knowing it? I've been in this room for most of the day. The only time I left was…"
"Yes. Thanks to your mother, I was able to have a private word with the mirror myself. He told me how happy you were and how radiant you looked in your gown. He even gave me a few compliments on my attire as well." He laughed softly. "Yes, I think the mirror and I are going to get along famously. After all, we have excellent taste in women. Wouldn't you agree?"
"You are a barmy codger, do you know that? A daft but loveable codger and I've never been happier."
"Not even after the time we…"
"Albus! Not in front of the mirror!" she scolded. "I think it's time you were taking me on this honeymoon, don't you?"
"Yes but there is one thing I'd like to do before we leave, if that's alright with you. I've made all the arrangements so if you'll follow me, we'll be on our way soon. Mirror, we'll see you at Hogwarts when we return. Keep an eye on the place for us, won't you?"
Downstairs the sounds of a small party still in full swing could be heard at Albus led Minerva down the back staircase and out into the cool night air. Minerva wanted desperately to ask where he was taking her but he seemed to have everything under complete control. Following him as quietly as she could, Minerva suddenly felt like a little girl again, sneaking off with the boy she loved more than anything and in some ways she was right. Only the boy was a man and she was his blushing bride.
Her curiosity was about to get the better of her when suddenly they stopped. Albus bowed from the waist and took her hand gingerly in his. "This is where we shared our first dance, my dear, all those years ago. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate falling in love with the little girl I danced with that night after she was all grown up. And now, I can't imagine my life without her. You are my everything and you have taken me for a walk among the stars today."
"Oh Albus, I feel the same way. Every dance we've ever shared has been emblazoned in my memory, starting with our very first."
"Call me old fashioned but I couldn't let our wedding day end without one very important custom being observed." Minerva's eyes sparkled in the dim light, her heart beating faster than before. "I was hoping a young lady with pretty green eyes would honor me with a dance this evening. Just one for the time being, mind you. I have an extremely important date with a beautiful woman in an exotic location tonight and I wouldn't miss that for the world."
Minerva smiled and pulled him against her body as her arms wound around his neck. Her soft lips brushed against his briefly before she rested her head upon his chest. "I love you, Albus Dumbledore," she confessed quietly as they moved in an all too familiar fashion.
"Our first dance as man and wife," he quietly proclaimed. "How fitting that it should be held where our very first dance took place all those years ago. But it certainly won't be our last. I have another sort of dance in mind for later, if you're interested." His voice was filled with desire and Minerva knew that tone all too well. It could only mean wonderful things for them and no doubt he had gone to great lengths to make their wedding night even more memorable than the wedding itself.
"During our first dance you told me that you hoped I didn't mind if you led. Well, I've been following your lead ever since that day and I have no intentions of changing now." She leaned up and planted a rather passionate kiss to his lips. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to lead me out of the garden and into a more private setting, I'd like to show you my new nightgown. I'm sure you'll find it quite revealing," she purred. "And then, if you're still interested, we can continue our dancing but in a much more enjoyable fashion."
"You, Mrs. Dumbledore, read my mind."
TBC...and only two more dances to go.