Chapter Fifteen

Albus closed and locked his office door with a scarcely perceptible nod of his head. Others may have seen this as showing off – Minerva saw it as humble, as he was definitely trying to prevent drawing notice to himself by this everyday act of magic. "This is top secret business Minerva, but I hardly need to tell you that." He rose from his chair and walked over to his Pensieve, however instead of drawing out a memory to show Minerva, he lifted the heavy basin and its stand and placed it to the right of where it once was. He tapped the floor with his wand five times, and a square disappeared, revealing a hole with a ladder attached leading to a chamber below.

"Normally I would insist on 'ladies first,' but for your safety I will take the lead," Albus said, as he began his descent into darkness. Minerva looked down the hole, but could see nothing save Albus's twinkling eyes. She knelt to the floor and gripped the first wrung of the ladder, then slowly let her legs find the next step. She didn't dare tell Albus she dreaded the dark.

For what seemed like forever to Minerva's frightened mind they descended. She was only reassured by Albus's confident steps beneath her. Finally, Albus tapped on the wall to the right of the ladder, revealing another opening into another chamber, this one much more pleasant.

Albus's living quarters.

"You climb down this shaft every day?" asked Minerva in wonderment.

Albus chuckled. "Actually, normally I float down, but I didn't want to show off. The ladder is only there for show."

Minerva giggled in spite of herself. She began looking around Albus's room. There were bookshelves everywhere, even more than there were in his office. The carpet was a rich burgundy, and candles of matching color lined what parts of the walls weren't covered by bookshelves. Albus had a four poster bed, much like the ones in the dormitories, only his was slightly larger. Minerva began examining the books on the bookshelves, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the only picture Albus had in his room.

It was of her, her 5th year at Hogwarts when she had gotten the highest grade on the O.W.L. for transfiguration in 50 years. The professors had taken a picture to mark the occasion, and Minerva had always believed that the only copy existed in the Hogwarts trophy room. In the picture, she sat on a desk for a moment, and then pointed underneath it to turn her desk into a pony and back again.

"Want to know a secret?" she asked Albus.

"Certainly."

"I was trying to turn it into a unicorn."

Albus smiled. "No one would've ever guessed."

"But you did," she said accusingly. "After the O.W.L., you remarked that my pony was very white and had a bump on its forehead."

"I have my methods," he said slyly.

Minerva sighed. "You and your occulmency." She plopped down in a cushy armchair. "So, what do you know about Grindewald?"

"As could be deduced by the name, he is from Switzerland. He's been around awhile, gathering followers for about ten years. Honestly, I don't know how we never knew of him before now." He reached into a tin on a bookshelf. "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you. Go on."

"As I've said before, I believe he attended Durmstrang, most likely around the same time I attended Hogwarts. However, he did not acquire a thirst for power until he was insulted by a member of the Ministry of Magic. I was only able to acquire that bit of information by using legilmency on the Minister, but he noticed what I was doing and blocked off his mind." Albus sighed. "I do hate a lost opportunity. He is believed to be responsible for setting that Welsh green on Ilfracombe in 1932. Grindewald, not the Minister, of course."

"It must have been a terrible insult, to make him as crazy as he is," Minerva commented.

"That or he's a very insecure man," Albus added. "I believe what we are looking at is a crazy man with an education, which is a very frightening thing."

"I agree," Minerva said, looking around to notice that the trapdoor had shut. Had Albus done that without her noticing? Suddenly Minerva felt very worthless. How could she ever compare to such a great mind as Albus? Why did he even want to be with her, as she could never compare in wit, or magical ability?

Minerva sighed. "So, his location now. Any ideas?"

"No, but I have a few ideas on where to start. Over Christmas, I'm going to travel to Switzerland and frequent a few of their magical institutions."

"Do you know where Durmstrang is?" she asked.

"No, but if I had to guess my guess would be Switzerland," Albus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I won't find it, though. I'm just going to visit a few of their magic communities. I'm sure Durmstrang would be as impossible to find to me as Hogwarts would be to anyone else."

"Sir, do you…do you want me to go with you?"

Albus gave her a perplexed smile. "Sir?"

Minerva shook her head as if shaking off a fog. "I have no honest idea why I said that. I'm sorry, Albus."

"Don't apologize," he said softly. "I would love for you to join me, but won't your family worry about you?"

"No…they're going on vacation to visit my sisters in America. I do not wish to visit America again. It's such an odd place."

"This coming from a witch?" Albus said with a smile. "I'll be glad to have you with me, but it makes disguises even more necessary. Can you imagine the Daily Prophet?"

Minerva laughed nervously. "Teacher and student honeymoon trek across Europe…"

It was a bit of an awkward moment, Minerva decided. Something had to be done. Their relationship had hit a plateau, and the last thing Minerva wanted was their flame to flicker and die. It was only appropriate now, here in Albus's quarters. Maybe he had planned it this way?

She looked Albus in the eyes, rather seriously. Confidently she walked over to his bed and sat down, while inwardly she was shaking. "Albus," she said, "come here."

He did so and sat next to her. "Anything for you."

"You're damn right," she said, before pulling him into a kiss.

"Language, Minerva."

"You're not my teacher right now." Why she was so outwardly confident, she had no idea. She had never been with any other boy. Man, she corrected herself. "You're my lover, my boyfriend, my best friend, but most certainly not my teacher."

"I'm glad that's settled," he said.

"I love you," she said firmly. "I'm sick of acting like we're already a married couple. We haven't done anything…" she blushed, "that normal people my age do."

"Are you suggesting we become intimate?"

Minerva sighed. "It's called sex, Albus. And no, I don't want to…do that…yet. But you don't have to be afraid that I'm going to reject you if you act a little forward." Another sigh. "Don't treat me like your student and your lover. It's just not a good combination."

He reached his hand around her head and let his fingers fall through her silky black hair. "Then I'm assuming that you don't wish to be treated as a student right now?"

Minerva shook her head. "Not at all."

"Then it wouldn't be out of place if I did…this?" She was soon awash in kisses, and decided she didn't have to answer his question.