Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter and I so wish that I could. LOL! I wish!

A/N: I want to thank all of you so very, very much for reading with me and sticking with me thus far. I am so glad that you have thought this story suitable enough to read. Thanks again for reading. Now, I go… Exeunt stage left!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Ring and Paper…

"To a new beginning," said Albus, raising his wine glass in a toast. Minerva lifted her glass and clinked it with his.

"To a new beginning," she agreed.

"Ack! Argh!" They looked down to see Lenora on the side, struggling to remain seated and reach her small goblet of pumpkin juice up in order to clink it with theirs. "I can't-I mean, it's just…" Albus and Minerva chuckled before they brought their glasses closer to her level. She smiled as they all touched rims together.

"Sorry," laughed Albus. "I forget sometimes that you are not as tall as I am." Lenora pouted as she set her glass down, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, right now I'm not." She smiled. "But someday I might be!"

"Oh, I'm counting on it," replied Albus as he winked at her. She laughed and sat up.

As a celebration, they had gone out to L'apedueox's French Restaurant in London. It was their way of enjoying Albus' freedom, Minerva's memory coming back, and the fact that Lenora would no longer be subjected to Roberta's tyrannical rule. Lenora was so happy to find that she never had to go back to her mother. Though she had been scared to testify against her mother two days earlier, Minerva and Albus went to great pains to assure her that she had done nothing wrong. Their reassurances, along with several second desserts, leadto Lenora feeling better what she had done.

"How tall do you think I'll get, Uncle Albus?" she asked. He set his wine glass down and tapped his fingers upon his chin as if he were pondering an answer. He looked down at her once again.

"Hmm. I would not doubt it if you were to one day be taller than I am," he said. Lenora laughed.

"That's silly. I can't grow to be that tall," she laughed. Albus shrugged.

"Why not? Madam Maxime is much taller than I am."

"Yes, but she's half-giant," replied Lenora. "I'm not even half-giant." Albus smiled.

"Too true, Lenora," he smiled as he pat his head. Minerva watched the entire scene with a huge grin upon her face. Albus really was great with children. It was a shame he had never had children of his own. Well, he wouldn't have to deal with that for much longer, if she had anything to do with it. Lenora looked at her and tilted her head in thought.

"You know what?" she asked.

"What?" asked Minerva. Lenora stood and walked to her side.

"I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be the same height you are," she announced. Minerva quirked a brow.

"Really?" she asked. Lenora nodded. "Why me?" She wrapped her arms around the little girl, who in turn wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Because you are just the right height. Also, I want to be as pretty as you are. You wanna know why?" Minerva shook her head, not trusting her voice. She was so flattered to hear Lenora call her pretty. She had never really thought so, but she had heard that a lot within the past few days-both from Albus and Lenora. "I wanna be just like you because you are pretty and the right height and really, really smart. And you know what I think? I think that if I were to be just like you, everyone would like me as much as I like you. And perhaps one day I will marry someone just like him." She pointed to Albus. Both Albus and Minerva had tears in their eyes as Lenora spoke.

"Oh, Lenora," whispered Minerva as she clutched the girl into a hug and held her tightly. She sniffed and pulled back, not wanting to cry onto Lenora's brand new black dress they had bought her.

"Don't cry," said Lenora, wiping away Minerva's tears. "Did I say something wrong?" Minerva smiled as she shook her head.

"No, sweetheart, you did not. I'm just so happy. No one has ever given me the kind of compliment you have just given me. Thank you so much." Lenora smiled. She hugged Minerva again and said something that completely caught her off guard.

"I love you, Mama." Minerva looked at Albus, whose jaw had dropped nearly to the floor. Minerva was so shocked that she forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. When she came to, she clutched Lenora closer and sobbed harder. Minerva kissed Lenora's temple.

"I love you too, Lenora," she said. Lenora seemed to relax against her.

"I'm so glad you didn't get mad at me for calling you Mama," she said. She pulled back and looked down at her hands. "I thought you might get mad at me coz you're not my mum. At least, not my real mum." Minerva brushed Lenora's hair down.

"You can call me anything you're comfortable with, Lenora. I may not be your real mother, but I'd like to think of myself as a mother figure to you, if that's alright." Lenora nodded. She walked over to Albus. When she stopped next to him, she looked down and shuffled her feet.

"And, um, Uncle Albus?"

"Yes, Lenora?"

"I was wondering if I might be able to, um, call you Dad?" Albus thought his heart would burst. He was so happy to hear it. He placed his forehead against hers and smiled.

"I would love nothing more than to hear you call me Dad." He rubbed her nose as she smiled brightly. They hugged and he kissed her cheek.

Ooooooooooo

Minerva laid Lenora onto Albus' bed gently. Their dinner had been quite a tear jerker. Add the fact that they went to a show afterward and you were bound to get a very tuckered out little girl. Minerva transfigured Lenora's black dress into night clothes before bringing the purple comforter over her and kissing her temple.

"Goodnight, little one," she whispered. Albus kissed his fingertips and pressed them against Lenora's forehead before he motioned to the bedroom door with his head and Minerva nodded as she followed him. When the door closed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, my dear, I do believe that was a complete success," he said. She smiled at him and stared into his twinkling blue eyes.

"Yes, it was indeed." She sighed as she rested her head against his and dropped her eyes from his to his chest. Although she was smiling, he could tell something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly. She didn't look at him, but instead played with a few strands of his beard.

"It's just something Lenora said at dinner tonight," she said. Albus lifted her chin with his right hand until she was looking at him. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she showed no signs of allowing them to fall.

"And what might that be?" he asked. Minerva smiled meekly before she brushed her lips against his. Before he could deepen the kiss, she pulled back and walked towards the couch.

"It's nothing, really," she said. Taking out her wand, she started a fire in the fireplace and sat down on the couch. She summoned a blanket from the chair she so often occupied during their chess games and wrapped it around her shoulders. Albus watched all this with a heavy heart. He walked over to her and sat next to her.

"Please tell me, Minerva," he pleaded. "I want to help. You weren't hurt by anything Lenora said tonight, were you?" Minerva looked at him urgently and shook her head.

"Oh, no, of course not, Albus," she said. "I would never be offended by that blessed child. She is so sweet and adorable and loving and…" She choked on a sob. Albus wrapped both arms around her and she leaned into him. He waited patiently until her sobs subsided before he kissed the top of her head.

"What is the problem then, Min?" he asked. She sat up and wiped her tears away.

"When she called me 'mum', I was so happy. I love her as though she were my own, and I would love nothing more than to adopt her." Albus smiled.

"Well, why don't you?" he asked. She sniffed and looked into the fireplace.

"I've got only one main reason," she said. "I don't want to raise her alone. It's hard to be a single parent, and although I know you would be kind enough to help, I don't think I could raise her without a husband." Albus smiled. He was waiting for the perfect moment and Minerva had unwittingly presented it to him. He reached into his robes pocket and pulled out a small, black, velvet box.

"Well, then, I suppose it is a good thing I have this, isn't it?" He opened the box and Minerva gasped, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. She looked at the ring, and then to Albus.

"Albus…" she whispered. He fell to his knee and grabbed her hand, keeping the ring in full sight.

"Minerva, before you say anything, I just wanted to say that I love you with all my heart and all my soul. You are a beautiful, intelligent, sweet, kind, wonderful woman. When you lost your memory, I was so scared that you would never know my love for you. I've been a fool and wasted so many years fearing your reaction when we could have been building a life together as husband and wife. When you asked me if you had no husband or children, I felt compelled to tell you I was your husband, but that was false. Please, Minerva, tell me you will marry me and that I can make up for it." Minerva was crying and Albus was anxious for her to answer, but he didn't rush her. She wiped her tears away, smiled, laughed, and cried all at the same time. For a second, he wasn't quite sure which reaction to follow, but luckily he didn't have to wait long. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Of course I'll marry you, Albus," she breathed. "How could I refuse a man as perfect as you?" Albus released an audible sigh of relief.

"I am so glad you said yes," he replied. He pulled back. "I've longed to see you wear my mother's engagement ring. And now my dream can finally come true." He slipped the ring on her finger and Minerva looked at it, wiping away her tears. It was a beautiful ring with a diamond in the middle and a sapphire on either side.

"It's perfect," she breathed. She looked back at him and cupped his cheek with her newly decorated hand. "Perfect, just like you." He laughed as he turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand.

"I hate to break it to you, Tabby, but I'm not as perfect as you make me out to be. I'm only human, and I have flaws like anybody else." Minerva stopped him before he could go any further.

"That's what makes you so perfect," she said. "You know that you are only flawed, unlike so many people in our world. They put too much burden upon your shoulders. But you don't act as though you have all the answers. You are truly amazing, and I would not have it any other way." She leaned in and kissed him passionately, leaving his lips only when they both needed oxygen. Albus smiled.

"Is there room under that blanket for me?" he asked.

"Always," she replied, a huge grin upon her face. Albus sat upon the couch and they readjusted the blanket to rest upon their laps. Minerva laid her head upon his shoulder, he placed his head on top of hers, and they held hands, Albus playing with her engagement ring every now and again.

"What would you say if we were to get married this weekend with only a few close friends, and Lenora, and then right after the ceremony we sign Lenora's adoption papers? The instant we sign our marriage papers, we sign the adoption papers." Minerva looked into Albus' eyes and knew that her life was now complete. Almost.

"That sounds absolutely perfect," she said. "My life is now ninety-eight percent complete." Albus quirked a brow.

"Only ninety-eight percent?" he asked. "How might I add that extra two percent?" Minerva faced him fully and gave him a seductive look.

"Well, there is one way," she said. Albus smirked as Minerva straddled his lap and he placed his hands upon her hips.

"You have my attention," he said. Minerva's arms never left from around his neck as she stared at him.

"Well, I do love Lenora. Like I said, she's the daughter I've never had." She leaned in to speak into his ear. "But there is a connection a mother has with her own child that she does not have with another's child. Lenora is beautiful, but I would love nothing more than to have my own child." She kissed the top of his ear and he sighed.

"So, you want a child of your own, do you?" he asked. Minerva didn't answer, but began to kiss his neck. "Would you like me to help?" He rubbed his hands down her back and along her thighs.

"If you would be so kind," she pleaded.

"Mama! Papa!" They were stopped mid-kiss by the sounds of a little blond girl in the other room. They looked towards the bedroom.

Ooooooooooo

"…I now pronounce you husband and wife." They didn't even wait until the sentence was finished. Albus and Minerva kissed each other and there was a cheer from those who had gathered to witness their union. There was Poppy (the maid of honor), Xiomara, Pomona, Hagrid, Severus, Aberforth (best man), Filius, and Gildroy. Well, and Lenora, of course.

Albus and Minerva kept to their plan. The moment they signed the marriage certificate, they signed Lenora's adoption papers.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Dumbledore," said Cornelius, who had presided over their marriage. "You are now the parents of one Lenora Marie Kingston." Lenora laughed as she stood between Albus and Minerva, holding both their hands.

"What's so funny, little missy?" asked Rufus, who was standing next to Cornelius. Minerva smiled as Lenora giggled.

"No, not Kingston," she laughed. "My name's Lenora Marie Dumbledore now." Minerva and Albus laughed as they looked at each other, their hearts bursting with pride. This was possibly the best day of their lives. There was only one thing which could make their lives complete…

ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT! THE EPILOGUE!

A/N2: Okay, only one more chapter to go, peeps. I'm so glad you've joined me thus far on this rollercoaster of emotions. We are about to pull into the station. Please prepare for the landing… Love you lots! Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful