Minerva McGonagall sat in the windowsill and stared out across the blackness which had engulfed the grounds of Hogwarts. Obviously, Albus' meeting with the Board of Governors had run longer than he had originally anticipated, meaning he would be tired and frustrated when he returned to the school. She was just about to draft an urgent owl requesting his immediate return to the school for pressing matters when her eyes caught a faint glimpse of him walking wearily towards the main entrance. A few moments later she heard the distinct sounds of the revolving staircase, knowing it was bringing the most important man in her life closer and closer.
"I was about to give up all hope of ever seeing you again, sweetheart." Minerva's smile, he had often said, could banish even the most dismal of his moods and she sincerely hoped that would be the case tonight. She noted the way his shoulders slumped and his return smile did not quite reach his blue eyes.
"The Board members felt it necessary to discuss everything and nothing at all. I felt like they were only there so they didn't have to be somewhere else and the longer the meeting ran, the more I kept thinking about being here…with you." Albus had crossed the room and was now standing in front of Minerva, his lips brushing tenderly across hers.
A warmth flooded Minerva's body as she felt his soft lips on hers and the love that passed between them. "Here, take off these heavy robes and I'll make you a cup of cocoa." Before he had a second to protest, Minerva had removed his outer robes and tossed them to a nearby chair as she set about to unfasten the next layer of clothing. Once she was satisfied he was as comfortable as could be without being in their bed totally starkers and in her arms, she led him over to the sofa and guided him to sit.
No words were spoken between them as Minerva waved her wand and produced a perfect mug of Dumbledore cocoa and one steaming cup of her favorite blend of tea. She watched as he savored the first few sips as she waved her wand once more, banishing his shoes to a distant corner and replacing his worn socks with softer, fluffier ones.
"You always know exactly what I need, my dear. How is that?" Albus pulled Minerva into his arms and kissed her hard on the lips, leaving her no time to answer his question. "All the way home I could think of nothing but you and now here you are spoiling me like I've done something spectacular to deserve it."
"I do things for you because I love you and I want to see you happy. I knew you'd have a rough night and my goal was to make you forget all about those stressful hours and focus on making the best of the remainder of this day." Minerva snuggled deeper into Albus' arms and a companionable silence descended upon the room as they found comfort in the closeness of the other.
Albus wasted no time in finishing his cocoa and banishing the mug to the kitchen. His arms wound tightly around Minerva and held her close, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "There was talk tonight about a ball being held to celebrate my election as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," he spoke softly.
"Hmm, that would explain the rather formidable looking owl which flew in here not long ago. Took me a good five minutes to convince the ruddy bird to give me the bit of parchment but not before she bit my finger." Minerva produced her slender index finger for Albus' inspection, which he promptly kissed then drew into his mouth as her eyes closed in happiness.
"I'm terribly sorry you had to suffer, my love," he spoke softly but with a hint of teasing laced in his voice. "But what did the letter say?" He continued kissing each of her delicate fingers and began working his way across her palm and upwards to her wrist as she answered.
"It looked rather formal so I didn't open it. I thought perhaps I should wait on you." Minerva summoned the owl into her free hand and waited for Albus to realize what she had done. With an audible groan of frustration, he released her hand and took the letter, breaking the seal and mumbling softly as he read the official invitation.
Minerva could tell by Albus' expression that the letter most likely should have waited until morning if their pleasant atmosphere was to be maintained.
"I'll not go," he groused irritably. "The very least they could have done was to consult the guest of honor instead of planning it around their schedules." Albus crumpled up the paper and started to toss it into the fire but Minerva stopped him before it was too late.
"Calm down and tell me what this is all about, please."
"Read it and see for yourself," he snapped. "Weeks and weeks of planning…careful to keep it all a secret…no respect for the plans of others…" Albus was now pacing and mumbling to himself as Minerva read the invitation to a ball being held for Albus, just as he had forewarned, in celebration of his recent accolade.
When she finished reading the contents, Minerva somewhat understood his agitation. "Sweetheart, we will have other chances to celebrate our wedding anniversary. And in all fairness, they weren't to know the day was special to you…to us." She rose from her place on the couch and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek against his back while her hands slipped beneath his shirt to caress his warm skin. Her nails raked gently over his chest, something she knew always aroused him.
"Agreed. They had no way of knowing but at the very least they could have asked me about the date before the invitations were sent." He turned around in her embrace and ran his hands up her arms and across her shoulders until they were cupping her cheeks. "Besides, I had something special planned this year and everything has been arranged for weeks now. We were going to spend the weekend away from here, just the two of us, and now we're going to have to spend at least part of that weekend doing tedious social duties."
Minerva felt the pain in his voice as she realized just how serious the situation was becoming. "We could always go to the ball and then continue on with your plans that night or the following day." Her hands came up and covered his, pulling them down to her lips so she could kiss his palms. "It would be rude if the guest of honor didn't show and unless you're willing to tell the entire wizarding world that all this time they've been speculating about our relationship, we've actually been married…"
"You know that's not possible, my dear. It's too risky, though I'd love to see the looks on some of their faces."
"So would I…especially those perky young witches who are constantly trying to win your attention and making sure they use every means necessary to do it." Though she understood the fascination and attractiveness of her husband to the opposite sex, she often found it exasperating to watch them flirt shamelessly with him as he did his best to ignore their escapades.
Albus leaned down and kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue inside her mouth as his hands worked to remove her garments. The instant that he touched her skin, she moaned, knowing full well that neither would see sleep for quite some time. Without ever breaking their kiss, he scooped her into his arms and carried her off to bed, where he once again proved that there was no other woman in the world for him, except her.
The ball and his earlier frustrations were discarded as they shared the remaining moments of the day in a much more enjoyable manner. There would be plenty of time in the next few days to grumble and complain about the disruption of their plans.
"I still don't see why I can't fake an illness or claim that some rather important matter came up unexpectedly. I'm sure they would understand and we could say that you have to stay in order to oversee matters at the school."
Minerva put down her brush on the dressing table and twisted her body halfway around to look Albus face to face. "Because you know as well as I that it would only raise more questions if we used either of those excuses. The papers would be filled with speculations about what was more urgent than attending your own party or that you were at deaths' door fighting for your life while the rest of us partied in your honor!"
Albus dropped down onto the side of the bed and sighed heavily. "You're right but I'm sorry about it ruining our anniversary plans. I wanted this year to be special, especially since I've had to devote even more time to things other than you and our marriage."
Minerva stood and walked slowly towards him, her white silk dressing gown clinging to her every curve. Using her leg against his knees she parted his legs and stepped between them, placing a finger beneath his chin to turn his face up to hers. "Nothing about our anniversary has been ruined, merely delayed. So what if we don't get to leave exactly when planned? It's a small price to pay for our privacy and safety. Besides, I've started looking at this as a way of celebrating our love with thousands of our closest friends," she laughed.
"Many of whom will no doubt be vying for your husbands amorous attentions," he pointed out with a hint of devilishness in his voice and a wiggling of his eyebrows.
"Perhaps…but I trust my husband to rebuff their advances and if memory serves me correctly, he usually returns home and ravishes me with a renewed passion. I've never been one to complain about that." She leaned her head down closer to his, her lips a breath away from his. "Now, how about you put on those new robes I bought for you and let's get this over with. The sooner we arrive…" she paused to kiss his lips softly, "…the sooner we can leave." She finished by nipping at his ear while his hands roamed over her back to cup her firm bottom, giving it a needful squeeze.
It took more than an hour to finally dress for the party, what with Albus' playfulness towards his wife and his reluctance to attend the party. But in the end, Minerva had won the battle of wills and promised him they could leave at the first opportunity. Squeezing his hand within hers then subtly dropping it to loop her arm through his, they were announced at the ball and the party officially began.
Minerva couldn't remember ever attending such a grand affair. Even the Ministry party thrown in Albus' honor when he defeated Grindelwald hadn't been this ostentatious. Of course, the circumstances for this one were different. The Ministry affair had been organized to celebrate the defeat of a dark lord, to praise the man responsible for his demise, and to honor the fallen. This one, on the other hand, was merely for show, to mingle with the wealthier witches and wizards from all over the world, and to make social connections which might prove beneficial.
Wizard after wizard made it a point to introduce himself to Albus', no doubt in the hopes of making friends with the most celebrated man in the wizarding world. And witch after witch either introduced herself, her daughter or some available friend in the hopes of catching his eye. Minerva sat back and watched all of it with amusement. She could tell by Albus' body language and the look in his eyes that he was not enjoying himself in the least, though no one other than her would notice.
"Albus Dumbledore! Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you in this crowd?" A blond haired, blue eyed witch about the age of ninety approached him, dripping with jewels and wreaking of perfume. "Well, never mind. Now that I've found you I don't intend to let you out of my sight for a second."
"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Albus looked nervously at Minerva, hoping for her help in the matter or some hint as to the identity of the woman.
"Not exactly but I feel as if I'd known you for years. I've often thought of owling you but somehow that just seemed too impersonal and forward. But tonight, I decided to throw caution to the wind and introduce myself to you." The attractive yet forward witch placed her hand on Albus' chest and smiled sweetly at him as she winked. "I'm sure we have a lot in common and could have a grand time together, both tonight and in the future."
Minerva nearly choked on her punch as the woman leaned closer to Albus, no doubt expecting something in return.
"Have you met my date?" Albus reached out and tugged Minerva from her chair and wrapped his arm securely around her waist, ensuring her continued presence by his side. 'This is Minerva McGonagall. Minerva this is…I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."
"Katherine Ludlow. My father is Ambrose Ludlow from the Wizengamot." Katherine eyed Minerva with a disapproving eye. "So tell me Minerva, is all of this fanfare as overwhelming as it should be for a professor of modest means?"
Minerva could easily tell that the woman was trying her best to start a disagreement, no doubt in the hopes that she would storm away leaving Albus all alone. "Quite the contrary. I'm more accustomed to the intimate dinner parties where one is allowed to truly get close to their guests but these gatherings do not put me ill at ease. In fact, Albus and I make it a point never to stay long at these little affairs. Isn't that right, Albus?"
He smiled at the sharp wit and tongue of his lovely wife. "Indeed it is. You see, Katherine, neither of us really cares much for the social circles, though we do attend a few parties each year as is expected by my position. I'm incredibly fortunate that Minerva so easily agrees to accompany me to these things. Otherwise, I fear I'd be bored to tears."
"That's because you've never given yourself the chance to really explore your options. With another woman by your side, how is anyone else supposed to snag your attentions?" Katherine looked from Albus to Minerva then back to Albus once more. "I've seen all those other women lusting after you from a distance yet Miss McGonagall here seems to be oblivious to your charms. Perhaps you're just not her type…and vice versa."
Minerva stiffened in his embrace and Albus no doubt felt her tension radiating through her body, her eyes hardening as the woman took a jab unwittingly at their relationship. "I have known Minerva since she was a young lass and I can assure you that I know, better than anyone, her type. And if I'm not being too bold in saying so, I know exactly what she wants and needs in a man." Minerva squeezed Albus a little harder as he declared his love for her in a mysterious way to the woman before them. "Now, if you'll excuse us…Minerva, I was hoping a young lady with pretty green eyes would honor me with a dance and that could only mean you."
Minerva took his hand and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor. For several moments, neither of them spoke but moved fluidly through the motions brought about by years of dancing together. "What you said back there…it was beautiful. Thank you." Minerva tried hard not to let her façade slip in front of all these important people, though what she really wanted to do was to kiss Albus soundly on the lips.
"I was merely speaking from my heart. It pains me to hear people speaking like that about you and in a sense…us." Albus twirled Minerva away from his body and then back into his arms, holding her even tighter than before, this time leading her towards the balcony. "I may not be the best husband in the world, but I try my best, Min. I want you to know that. And no matter what, I will always love you with everything in me."
A single tear slipped down Minerva's cheek and onto their entwined hands as they slipped from the dance floor to the balcony into the summer air. "Oh Albus, you never have to worry about my doubting you or your devotion to our marriage. I understand the pressures placed on you by all of these people and while it's unfair, it's also a testament to your knowledge and power. These people…they trust you and they don't even know you." They had stopped dancing and were only pressing their bodies together, swaying slightly to the music from inside. "And if they only knew you, they'd still only manage to love you half as much as I do."
Minerva could see the blue of Albus' eyes darkening, even in the faint light from indoors. And if he didn't stop rubbing those tiny circles along the center of her back, she would not be held responsible for her actions, which in turn might lead to a sensational story on the front page of every wizarding paper in the world.
Albus guided them away from the open doors into a secluded little corner of the balcony and leaned against the wall, bringing Minerva fully against him. He lowered his head to hers but instead of kissing her, he blew a warm breath across her neck and into her ear. "Is this our opportune moment to make our escape?" His voice was husky and his arousal was pressing firmly against Minerva's thigh, causing her to flush with excitement.
"Indeed it is," she moaned, her body shifting against his to create a delicious friction between them.
No sooner had she spoken the words, Albus activated a portkey that would take them away from the roaring crowds to a tiny little cottage on the moors, their secluded paradise where they could dance the night away in a more intimate way.
TBC…but only one dance left.