Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter and I do not think that I ever shall.

A/N: I would like to thank you all for your patience. The past few months have not been my best, I'll admit. But, you guys have waited long enough for this update and I shall not make you wait any longer. On with the show.

Chapter Four: Albus Bloody Dumbledore…

Albus sat in his office, feeling absolutely miserable. He was supposed to be going over the list of future students he will be having in his classes, as well as the lists of returning students. This was normally such a pleasant task for him, since he relished the thought of new children to teach. He also loved recalling certain incidents with some of his previous students, wondering how many new incidents there would be over the next nine months. However, this was not one of those times. His heart was just not in it, and he was not sure why.

What balderdash, he thought to himself. He knew exactly why his heart was not in it this time. He knew why he felt so melancholy and why even the thoughts of his beloved students could not comfort him. It was this bloody minister's ball that he had been reminded of not more than eight hours ago. Ever since then, the elation he had felt from going into town and spending a glorious afternoon in anonymity had been mercilessly drained from him, his spirits rapidly lessening with each passing hour. And Armando and the House Elves had done nothing to help.

When Albus had left Armando's office, he was immediately assaulted with House Elves asking numerous absurdly ridiculous questions. They asked what his favorite dish was, what robes he would be wearing to the party, and even what sort of shoes he would be wearing. When he inquired why it was so important for them to know what sort of shoes he would be wearing, they informed him that the type of shoes he wore would indicate to them how many women he planned to dance with on that night. When Albus proceeded to look confused, they elaborated, saying that if he wore uncomfortable shoes, the number of dances would be few to none, whereas the more comfortable the shoe, the more dances he would be prone to participate in. Albus could not help but roll his eyes at the absurdity of it all. He began to walk away, but the House Elves began to cry, saying that if they did not find out everything they were sent to find out then they would have to punish themselves most effectively and horribly for their failure to their master. And no matter how irritated he might be with them at that moment, Albus knew that he could not allow them to go off and harm themselves, knowing that he was responsible for their actions. So, he simply told them that he did not know at that particular moment and that he would let them know as soon as he knew. This pleased the House Elves quite a bit, and they disappeared with a happy pop.

Again, Armando was of no help, for he later entered Albus' office with a magical take measure and several enchanted rolls of fabric following him, most of them ranging in the blue and purple spectrum. When Albus asked Armando what he was doing, Armando merely smiled and said, "It will only take a moment."

"What will only take a moment?" Albus asked.

"Your measurements," Armando replied, motioning for Albus to get up. Albus just sat there, his eyebrow quirked. Armando continued. "Well, it will only take a moment, if you cooperate." Albus stood slowly, hesitantly, as he kept an eye on his boss and friend.

"Why must you take my measurements?" he inquired. The moment he was standing and away from his desk, the instruments began to float about him in a blur of colorful motions. The tools meant for measurements began to take his sizes, forcing his arms into the air as they moved about. A quill and some parchment followed, scribbling things down in a furious frenzy. The fabrics swirled likewise, occasionally brushing up against him in a comparative fashion.

"We must have your measurements if you are to have a new set of robes for the ball," Armando said simply.

"But Armando, I have several robes which would be perfectly adequate for the minister's ball." All this was very confusing to Albus and he did not know why Armando was doing this to him. Armando knew how much Albus hated being the center of attention, and this was definitely placing him center stage.

"That is exactly the reason why I am commissioning new robes for you," Armando replied. "If you are to impress the young ladies, then it is imperative that you have robes that go beyond 'adequate' and 'mere'. You must have new robes that show everyone you are not only well dressed, but robes that make you look smart… snappy… Clothes that make you pop… stand out from the crowd. Besides, this particular ball is…" He mumbled something under his breath, and Albus knew he did it on purpose.

"What was that?" he asked as his heart began to beat faster. He had the distinct feeling that he was in trouble. Armando looked around Albus' office, a feeble attempt to look anywhere and everywhere except at Albus himself. "Armando, what are you not telling me?" Armando sighed and finally looked at his friend.

"The ball is to be a masquerade," he replied in a breath so quick that Albus had to take a moment to realize what he had said. When it finally sunk in, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Why did you not tell me earlier?" he asked. "I assumed it was to be like all the other ministry balls in the past!" Armando felt sorry for his younger friend. He truly did. He knew and understood that Albus had a lot of stress resting upon his shoulders. However, he also knew that very little could be done. The only alternative is if Albus did not show to the ball, and this would be a bad year to do so. With Albus being his choice for the new headmaster of Hogwarts, this was an imperative year for him to attend the ministry ball, for that is where the announcement shall be formally made.

"I am sorry, Albus, but I only found out this morning. It was a last minute change to the agenda, and I did not tell you when we were talking earlier because I did not think it was the best time to tell you."

"So you think now is a better time?" Albus asked. He wasn't really mad at Armando. If the truth were told, he felt that he might have done the same if he were in Armando's place. But he felt as though he should be angry on principle.

"I am truly sorry, my friend," Armando replied. "You just seemed so stressed, that's all. I admit my timing was bad." Albus sighed.

"Never mind, Armando. I should not have been so quick to get angry. It's just that I will feel enough like a peacock at this ball, strutting myself in front of all those women. I don't need the colors to go with it." Armando laughed as Albus sighed and looked at all the instruments floating about him. He was still being measured and compared with several fabrics and the quill was still scribbling away. "This won't take long, will it?" Armando smiled.

"Just a second longer," he promised.

An hour and a half later, he finally left, leaving Albus even more depressed and way behind in his work…

Ooooooooooo

Minerva was dressed in her tartan pajamas, her hair cascading around her shoulders. The tip of her wand was lit, lighting her way to her step sister's room. She was unsure about whether or not she should be doing this. After all, she had had no real connection to any of them. Her step mother had been practically negligent since her father's death, and her sister Lucinda hated her very existence. As for Griselda, she was never sure what to think of her. After all, Griselda never treated her horribly; but she never went to extremes to make Minerva feel overly welcome either.

All Minerva knew for certain was that she had been incredibly touched that Griselda had offered to talk to her that night… sister to sister, woman to woman. It would be nice to have someone to finally talk to, other than the man at the grocery store or the woman at the bookstore. Since she was always doing things for her step mother and Lucinda, she never really had much time for friends. So perhaps tonight would prove to be a very productive thing for both of them. It could possibly open new doors for them as far as sisters went.

When she reached Griselda's door, she knocked on it rather timidly. She had not meant to have it sound so timid, but, unfortunately, that was the way it came out. There was nothing to be heard on the other side, and for a brief second, Minerva feared that Griselda had forgotten. She began to beret herself.

How very naive of you, Minerva, she thought to herself. How could you bloody believe that Griselda had meant what she had said? She was probably just making fun of you. She was about to turn and leave when the door opened slowly and she saw her sister standing on the other side. She smiled sheepishly.

"I was worried that you had forgotten," she said bashfully. She was beautiful, with her blonde hair and slightly round figure. She wasn't fat, by any means, but she was not slender, either. She was more of a pleasantly plump. Minerva smiled.

"I feared the same thing," she admitted. Hesitating for only a second, Minerva entered Griselda's room. Her step sister looked around briefly before she closed her door, locked it, and placed a silencing charm on it. Minerva looked around and was impressed how beautifully it was decorated. There was green everywhere and it was furnished with only a few bookcases, a closet, a dresser, and vanity mirror, and a bed. It was the bookcase, however, that immediately caught Minerva's attention.

"You have quite a fine collection of books," she said as she made her way to one of the shelves. She saw many titles with which she was familiar, and even a few of which she was not.

"Yes, well, when one does not have very many friends, one takes to reading." Griselda walked up and stood beside Minerva. Minerva looked at her with a furrowed expression.

"You have a lot of friends," she said, not sure why Griselda would say such a thing. Griselda rolled her eyes.

"You mean those bloody fake girls who really don't care about me? The ones who would stab me in the back the moment it was most beneficial to them? The ones who don't know anything about me, such as my middle name, my favorite color, or what I want to do most with my life?" Minerva nodded slowly.

"I see your point." She turned back to the books on the shelves. She smiled as one in particular caught her eye.

"So, I see you have an affinity for muggle writers?" She pulled out one of the books and read the title out loud. "The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Nice choice, I'd say." She smiled at Griselda, who blushed slightly.

"Oh, I cannot help it," she gushed as she finally let her guard down. "It has everything I love in a novel. It has action, sword fighting, manipulation, anger, betrayal, escape, intelligence… And, ironically, a bit of that backstabbing I hate so much in others." She blushed a lot as she admitted that last bit. Minerva couldn't help but laugh at her contradiction.

"Anything else?" she asked, even though she knew perfectly well what The Count of Monte Cristo was about.

"Well, above all else, love," she said. "First, there is Edmond Dante's undying love for Mercedes Iguanada…. Then there is Valentine and her beloved, whose only support is her invalid grandfather, who can't speak and must rely on everyone figuring out what he wants through a series of blinks." Minerva laughed again and Griselda suddenly stopped, feeling very foolish. "And now you are laughing at me." Minerva shook her head.

"No, I am not laughing at you, but rather at your enthusiasm. I never thought there could ever be anyone else who enjoyed this book more than I did." She looked over the cover. "I do admit that I did enjoy this book immensely, but I don't think it would have been my first choice to gush over." Griselda smiled.

"Well, I cannot help myself sometimes, I suppose. That is why Lucinda gets so mad with me. She hates how passionate I get; especially about my books."

"And yet she does not mind going all wonky over some man whom she's never met and who has the potential to be the most arrogant, self-centered, mindless drone of a man in the history of… well, ever! I'll bet he's even going to this masquerade as a peacock, showing off all his colored feathers for the women to see."

"Oh, Minerva," Griselda scolded mildly. "He might not be all bad. I don't rightly know because I have never met him myself, but surely he cannot be all bad." Minerva pursed her lips.

"Well, perhaps not. But we promised we would not be talking about him."

"Right," replied Griselda.

"Besides, I am not going anyway." Minerva headed towards Griselda's bed and climbed onto it. Griselda followed with a frown on her face.

"Oh, but Minerva, you must go," she said. She climbed onto her bed as well and sat facing Minerva. "Everyone we know will be there. All our friends will be there having fun…"

"All these friends who happen to be backstabbers, right?" Minerva hissed.

"Touché," Griselda replied. "But still, you should go. There will be music and dancing and food! All the best food will be made, on the best tablecloths that the ministry has. All the important people will be there to discuss things happening in our world. Did I mention the food?" Minerva laughed.

"You might have mentioned it once or twice."

"Oh, and there is rumor that Albus is going to be looking for someone to court. Oops!" She covered her mouth. "I am sorry, I promised not to talk about him and here I just did. Sorry, I am not very good at this, since this is all Lucinda wants to talk about." Minerva shrugged.

"I guess it's no use. He's everywhere these days. It's nearly impossible for one to talk about something without it leading to another, which will ultimately involve him." She said the last word with a hint of disdain in her voice.

"You might be surprised," said Griselda with a hint of wisdom in her voice. "People can surprise you. You, for example, are a lot more fun to be with than I originally thought you would be." Minerva laughed.

"Well, thank you for your vote of confidence. You're not as distant as I thought you were." They smiled at each other.

"Well, since we are being honest here, can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose." Minerva was rather unsure as to if she wanted to answer Griselda's question, but she was obligated to answer now, no matter what the question was.

"Why have you had no suitors?" Griselda asked. Well, that was certainly blunt. "I know it isn't really any of my business, but I have noticed that you socialize less than even than I do, and I am sure it can't be for lack of suitors." Minerva shrugged.

"I don't know, to be honest. I mean, I suppose part of it is that I have had no time for friends, really. But I really think it's also because no one has showed any interest." Griselda's mouth dropped.

"Surely, you are joking," she said. "After all, you are a lot more beautiful than I am, and even I have had a few suitors. Surely a few men have seen what you look like, and once they get to know you, there is no way they cannot enjoy the pleasure of your company." Minerva shrugged again.

"I wish I knew, but I'm being honest when I say that I am not as easily noticed, unlike Lucinda, of course, who does anything and everything she can to get every man in a ten mile radius to notice her. Besides, I wouldn't have time for a man who wanted to court me. I have several things I must get done before I can even think of having a male suitor."

"Like what? You finished your education at the top of your class and have been offered numerous jobs from many large wizarding companies, including the Ministry of Magic. Half of their departments want you, including their Auror department and their defense department. As far as I'm concerned, all you need to do is to decide on your career path, get a place of your own, and settle down with the man of your dreams." Minerva shook her head.

"You really have been reading too many of those novels." She laughed.

"I am serious, Minerva," Griselda laughed. "You are the only one holding yourself back." Minerva had never been so touched by something someone said. She had never been encouraged by anyone other than her father and a few of her teachers at Beauxbatons. She smiled.

"I thank you for your encouragement. However, there is one thing I want to do before I leave this place forever."

"And what is that?" Griselda looked at Minerva. Minerva bit her bottom lip as she debated whether or not to tell Griselda. She decided against it. At least, for now, anyway.

"It's not important." Griselda nodded, seeming to know that this was something Minerva wanted to keep to herself. At least, until they knew each other better.

"Well, if you want my help, I'd be glad to." Minerva was touched for the second time that night. She reached over and grabbed Griselda's hand.

"Thank you," she replied. "That truly means a lot to me. It's nice to have a friend in this house." Griselda nodded.

"I understand perfectly," she replied. "I live here too, you know." They laughed. "So, tell me about your trip into town today. Did you meet anyone interesting?" Minerva nodded and smiled.

"You have no idea…" And with that, she spilled the beans about the mysterious man in black she had met earlier. Even though she didn't want to admit it, he had intrigued her in ways that she had never expected him to. And Griselda agreed, once the story was done, that he seemed to be a very fascinating person, despite the fact that they didn't know anything about him other than his first name. However, all through this story, she could not help but marvel at the fact that this man had the same first name as Albus' brother, Aberforth. She might have mentioned it, and she might have asked if this was the same man, but she didn't think it was because his description was all wrong. Aberforth Dumbledore was not platinum blonde, and there was no way he would wear all black. No, she would not mention the irony in the name. She would not interrupt Minerva's description of the man she was so obviously infatuated with by bring it up, even though she was sure Minerva would never admit she was infatuated with him. No, there would be no mention of Albus Bloody Dumbledore. Not tonight!

A.N2: Okay well there you go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again, I am sorry for the delay. Please forgive me because I have been busy. Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful