Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Okay, I know I know. Flog me now. I am such a disappointment to you all. I have not updated in literally years. But hopefully this shall persuade you all to forgive me.

Chapter 5: The Book Store...

The following week was a flurry of absolute chaos and commotion that was beyond hectic, for both Albus and Minerva. Both had a laundry list of things they needed to do in order to prepare for the Big Day, as it was called. Albus spent all of his time going from meeting to meeting. And when he wasn't in a meeting, he was constantly showered with increasingly horrible questions about things he cared nothing about. He was getting constantly more and more angered by all the nagging and all the questions, and he personally did not know where to turn to. It almost got to the point that if he were to turn around too quickly, he might get too dizzy and fall over.

As for Minerva, she was never so exhausted in all her life. In addition to running all the errands that her step mother and step sister were constantly sending her to do, she spent all of her spare time trying to find her father's infamous missing will. She also began studying all of the laws that could possibly work in her favor should she fail in her quest to find that one piece of paper which stood between her and absolute freedom. Freedom from her step mother, freedom from her step sister, freedom from this life, and, most important of all, absolute freedom from all the insanity of those around her. She hated being controlled through manipulation, and the fact that she knew she was, more often than not, being manipulated made things ten times worse. When she left, she wanted to leave for good, and not have something constantly pulling her back here. Despite the fact that this was her ancestral home, she hated seeing all the changes that were happening to it. She hated seeing what Eleanor and Lucinda were doing to the home she loved so much, and she hated seeing what they were doing with all the things that were rightfully hers.

Now, Minerva was never a material person. In fact, had Eleanor and Lucinda shown the slightest bit of love for her father or respect for his things, she would have had no problem what-so-ever about giving them certain things of her father's. However, she knew that they were cold and heartless women who cared nothing for her or for her father. All they cared about was what they owned and the galleon value that everything could bring them. It made her sick to even think about it.

So there they were, two of the greatest minds in the entire wizarding world, both feeling very panicky and very claustrophobic in their own right. One was feeling as though the world was watching his every move as he tried desperately to get out of making the most important decision of his very life while the other, most gladly, knew that no one cared one way or the other about what she was doing as she was trying to find the one thing she needed the most that would take her far, far away. However, both were presently, and surprisingly, free. Albus had just gotten out of a meeting, and had nothing more to do until dinner that night. Minerva, having completely all the research she was able to complete that day, and blissfully free of her extended family, she decided that she would take a break from her house and leave. So, like most intelligent men and women of their age, they both came to the same conclusion as to where to go for a few hours break: Flourish and Blotts.

Albus walked into Flourish and Blotts, hoping that his spell would last long enough for a few hours worth of browsing. After all, he wouldn't be missed at the castle. Now, the real trick, however, would to somehow manage to be missed in a bigger crowd. Perhaps this could be a sort of test for him. Could he manage to do so? He supposed he would just have to see.

Flourish and Blotts was rather crowded this afternoon. In fact, it was rather difficult for him to navigate himself around the store, even with his expansive knowledge of its inventory. He didn't mind, really. In fact, it was kind of nice to get lost in a crowd. After all, no one was paying him any attention and he didn't care one iota.

About half an hour passed and he had hardly made a dent in the history section when someone bumped into him from behind.

"Oh, pardon me," said the voice.

"Oh, no, it was -" Albus caught himself when he saw who it was. "Oh, Minerva." His smile broadened when he saw the woman he had met just two days before. The woman looked at him for a second, then smiled in return.

"Oh, well hello. Aberforth, right?" He laughed as he took her hand.

"Or Abe, right?" Minerva laughed when she remembered the joke she had made the first time they met.

"Right. Abe." They stood there in silence for a few seconds before they suddenly remembered that he was still holding her hand. He dropped it and she pulled back and put her hand behind her back, almost as if she were trying to wipe the feel of his hand off.

"So... what are you looking for? Anything of interest?" she asked.

"No particularly," Albus said. He looked back at the book shelf as she moved to stand near him. "I just love coming here." Minerva nodded.

"I understand that."

Albus looked at her.

"So, I see you are pleasantly package free today." Minerva nodded.

"Yes. Fortunately, I had no prior commitments to worry about." Now it was his turn to nod.

"So, do you like books too?"

"Oh, I love books," she replied. She lovingly and gently ran her hand over the books on the shelves. "There's something about the written word that just amazes me. They are like people. They look so much alike in so many ways, and yet they are so incredibly different. I also just love that new book smell. It amazes me and thrills me each and every time. They are just so... warm and inviting." Albus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Here was a woman, not only intelligent, but one who shares his love of books.

"Ah, a kindred spirit," he said. Minerva looked up at him. "Although, I never thought of comparing them to people before." Minerva blushed.

"Well, I believe it," she replied. "There are the physical aspects of it. You have your short ones, your tall ones, your thick ones, and your thin ones. You have your flabby ones, your hard-covered ones, and your damaged ones. New ones, classics, humerus, romantic, adventurous... Everything you can find in a person you can find in a book." There was a pause as she thought and debated about something. Then, she added... "And yet, there is one thing that books never do that most humans do."

"And what is that?" Albus had been so intent on listening to her incredibly passionate speech about how wonderful the world of books is that he nearly hadn't noticed that Minerva had stopped speaking. She entranced him with every word that she said. However, the next sentence took him completely by surprise.

"Books don't lie."

There have been so few moments in Albus Dumbledore's life which took him so completely off guard that those three little words nearly bowled him over. This woman was way too young – and way too beautiful – to feel this bitter towards the human race.

"Well... not all people lie," he said, in an attempt to defend his fellow witches and wizards. "And, I'm sure some books lie. Like this one" He pulled off a book on the history of the Tudor family. He set it next to his ear. "What? What's that? Oh, this says that the Tudors ruled the family from 1485 until 1604."

"So?" asked Minerva.

"So, I know for a fact that that is a lie. They only ruled until 1603." Minerva huffed. "I know it's only one year's difference, but that is still a lie."

"Editorial mistake," Minerva said. "Or author's mistake. Either way, it was human error."

"And this," he said, pulling out a biography of some philanthropic witch. "It states in this book that she was one of the greatest wizards of our time. I, however, have never heard of her. How can she be one of the greatest witches of our time if I've never even heard of her?" Minerva laughed as she pulled the book out of his hand and placed it back in its spot on the shelf.

"Well, just because you have never heard of someone does not mean that he or she is not a great individual."

"But the greatest?" Albus shook his head. "How can you be the greatest if only ten percent of the people in the known world know about that person?" Minerva laughed.

"Well, then, blame the author, not the book." Minerva shook her head. "You know, you can be rather insufferable for a man I hardly know."

"I am sorry," Albus replied. He bowed his head to her. "Then, allow me to take my leave." He turned to leave only to have Minerva stop him.

"Why don't we get some lunch?" she asked. "It is, after all, two in the afternoon and I am really hungry. Would you care to join me for some tea or perhaps something to eat?"

Albus thought about it.

"Hmm. Navigating my way alone through the streets of Hogsmeade or enjoy a fine lunch with a fine woman?" He pretended to debate about this for a few moments. "Well, since I already walked through the streets once this week, I suppose I'll settle for lunch with a beautiful woman." He held out his arm for her to take and she gladly took it.

Minerva could hardly suppress the huge smile from covering her face. She hardly ever spoke to anyone, and she most certainly never invited a male to eat with her. But one thought of the people back home made her feel good about doing this.

"Well, it would be nice to eat with someone who actually enjoys eating with me. Especially one who as horrible a liar as those horrible history books."

Albus nodded, but instantly felt guilty. By withholding his true identity, he was lying to her. What would she say? One thing was for sure. He would definitely not want to be on the other side of one of her tongue lashings.

Well, at least not the angry kind...

A/N2: Okay, so I am sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I am a little out of date. Sorry. I love you all for your patience. I promise I'll update again soon. ~Always Hopeful~