Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter.

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to all those who have read and reviewed my story. Thank you so very much. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I can tell it is going to be a lot of fun to write.

Chapter Eight: Quidditch:

Albus stared nervously into the mirror in his room as he fidgeted with the robes he had borrowed from Aries for the Quidditch match. At the time, Albus thought that the idea was a brilliant one. It would be a great way for some friendly sport between himself and his future family. However, Minerva's words had left him with a certain sense of impending doom. What did she mean when she said that she hoped he was fit and up to the challenge? Perhaps she was right. Perhaps this was not going to be as simple a match as he had originally supposed.

Once they had eaten their lunch, which consisted of sandwiches and a very tasty tart for dessert, Aires had instructed Albus and everyone else where they would be able to get some new Quidditch clothes. Albus had watched the others leave, which consisted of Aires' friends from the ministry. They had all seemed like great men, each with a great sense of humor but otherwise completely different personalities. Albus sighed as he thought of how much he wished any one of them could be Minerva's father. They all seemed thrilled at the prospect of Minerva being his girlfriend. They all said that Minerva was like their own daughter, and therefore they felt safe with him by her side.

Albus grabbed his wand from the side dresser and muttered a quick spell to shorten his beard and hair so that his beard was merely a few inches long and the length of his hair reached no further than his shoulders. If this was going to be as brutal as Minerva indicated, then he did not want anything to hinder the game any more than needed. And with that, he grabbed his broom and left for the designated plot of land.

Ooooooooooo

Albus felt his jaw drop when he saw that the plot of land, which had been a mere field of weeds and flowers not more than thirty minutes ago, was now a well cut Quidditch pitch, complete with stands. Aires was definitely an impressive man. As though Aires knew that he was being thought of, he looked up at Albus, smiled, and indicated with his hand to join the circle. Albus did and smiled to the other men.

"Well, Albus. Are you all ready for the game?" he said. Albus nodded and smiled.

"Of course," he replied, quickly taking in the sight of his teammates and mentally weighed their odds of winning. Mercury and Hermes were reasonably well fit. Adam McKay was a very tall man with fire red hair and a very thick beard. He was a very well-toned man possibly around his late fifties or early sixties. Frank Smith was of medium height with jet black hair and perhaps two days worth of stubble upon his tanned chin. He wasn't very toned, but appeared as though he could hold his own in a battle. Finally, Erik Erikson and Fredrick McArthur were very similar in appearances in the fact that they were both very pale and had bright blue eyes. The only difference was that Erik had brown hair and slight stubble whereas Fredrick had black hair and a clean chin. Albus vaguely wondered if perhaps they might be related in any way. Perhaps they were distant cousins or something of the sorts. Aires pat him on the back.

"Very well, here we go," he said. "Good luck." And with that, he left for his team, all of whom seemed to be very well built. Perhaps Albus was just scared, but that seemed very unfair of Aires to keep all the good players for himself. Then again, this was his house.

"So, tell me Albus," said Frank. Albus looked at him. Frank was busy wrapping a wrist guard upon his left hand. "How long have you been dating Minerva?"

"A few months," he replied without even thinking.

"Well, that is weird, since Minerva never said anything to us," Mercury said. Aires threw a sweat towel at his brother's chest.

"Who can blame her?" he asked. "Dad would have blown a gasket. Personally, I think it is best we found out this way. At least then Father was not allowed to just kick Albus out of the house like you could tell he wanted to." He laughed until he looked back at Albus. "Sorry, Albus," he said before clearing his throat and beginning to stretch.

"All I can say is congratulations, Professor Dumbledore," said Fredrick. "She is quite the girl. And it is a good thing you won her hand when you did," he added as he reached for his broom, which had been lying on the ground at his feet.

"Why do you say that?" Albus asked curiously. It was Adam who spoke next.

"It was only a matter of time before Minerva was chosen to be the bride of some arrogant bastard," he said crudely. "After all, Minerva is a very well sought out woman. Not only is she beautiful, but a marriage with her would ensure a powerful connection with Aires."

"I assure you I do not need any connections," Albus replied with a straight back. "Her family history has nothing to do with why I want to marry her at all." Adam snickered.

"No one said it was. It is as you say, you do not need connections." With that, he hopped up on his broom and took off.

"Don't let him get to you," Mercury said as he also mounted his broom. "He was just one of Minerva's many admirers whom she rejected."

"Yeah, turned him down flat," laughed Hermes as he kicked off the ground and soared up to the air.

"Don't be too scared," chuckled Erik, clapping his hand on Albus' back. "Aires may be a great seeker, but I have a feeling that you will do just fine. You have played Quidditch before, have you not?" Albus nodded. Wait a minute. Aires was a seeker as well? Oh this day was just getting better and better.

"Very good," replied Frank. "Shall we get started?" Everyone grunted their approval and cheered as they headed for the pitch. 'Oh no,' thought Albus. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

Ooooooooooo

Minerva watched restlessly from the ground as all the men kicked off and flew towards the sky. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she sat next to her mother, who had changed her outfit for the third time, as well as her fan. She just sat there, incessantly fanning herself (needlessly in Minerva's opinion as there was a cool breeze floating about them), this time in a green pant suit, unlike at breakfast which had been white and that afternoon at lunch when it had been a cream colored. Minerva could always tell what time of day it was simply by the color of her mothers outfit. She reserved white and cream colors for the morning and early afternoon, dark colors for the evening, and various other colors throughout the day, depending upon her mood. No doubt the evening would bring a dark purple, deep blue, or a crimson red.

"Do not fidget so, Minnie," Hera scolded. "It is not becoming of a young woman."

"Please do not call me that horrid name, mother," Minerva sighed as she continued to stare at the figures hovering above the pitch. "It was your idea to name me Minerva, so I would thank you very much if you would use what you gave me." Hera sighed.

"Please try and relax, Minerva," she said, placing her hand upon her daughter's arm. "Everything will turn out fine, I assure you. I won't let him bully Albus."

"That's what you said about the others," replied Minerva as she finally looked her mother in the eye. "Do you remember? Remember what happened with Gregory, Anthony, and Andrew? Or what about Romulus, Dan, and Derrick?"

"Derrick was not my fault," Hera pointed out. "He was doomed from the beginning when he said that he was proud to be dating a woman with the hottest 'derriere' in Scotland." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"That still did not give dad the right to do what he did," she said.

"Oh, Minerva, do not worry so much," Hera smiled as she, too, looked up at the figures playing above. "I can tell Albus is different. I have a good feeling about him. He's a keeper." Minerva smiled as she heard her mother say this.

"Yes, he is," she agreed. She looked at her mother and placed her hand upon her mother's arm, mimicking the latter's actions of just a few moments ago. "This is why I am so worried of what Da might do to him. I love Albus so much, Mum, that I don't want him to be scared away by what might be said this weekend." Hera smiled and pat her daughter's hand.

"I don't wish to see him go either, Min," she said. "I promise to do my level best. Now, let's watch the game, shall we?" Minerva nodded and looked back above to watch the game, which she knew would be a treacherous one.

Ooooooooooo

The game started out well enough. Albus' team had scored the first two goals, but it soon became clear who the dominate team was when Aires' team had scored five goals in less than ten minutes. Albus could not remember seeing such an impressive display. Then again, it had been a while since he had been to a professional game. He could not help the smile as he could hear Hermes and Mercury shouting at each other, both telling the other to get on the ball and pick up the slack, in so many words. This family sure took Quidditch seriously. He could well remember the days when Minerva played chaser for the Gryffindor team. She was one of the best players Gryffindor had.

"Wake up, Albus!" He looked up when he saw Mercury shouting at him. "Focus on the snitch!" Albus felt his heart in his throat when he remembered that he was supposed to be trying to find the snitch, not suspending in mid air thinking about his girlfriend. He looked around to see where the snitch could have possibly gone. He spotted Aires circling the lower part of the field so he thought he would focus higher up. He pulled on his broom and went to the highest point allowed, all the time scanning for the tiniest hint of gold he could find.

It was another few minutes, and another score from the opposing team, before he saw the small flying menace. With a smile, he made a swift chase of it. He was going to win this game and prove that although he was over a hundred, he could still match the strength and agility of any man more than half his age. However, it was not long before he noticed that Aires was directly behind him. Albus dove downward to catch the snitch, which had begun to head for the ground. Aires and Albus were now side by side, both attempting to reach it. Albus took a moment to glance at Aires, who was frowning in concentration.

They both rushed towards the ground. Albus was worried. He had not performed the wronskei feint in years. Could he still do it? He had better otherwise he was going to run into the ground. Then, before either one could comprehend what happened, the snitch seemed to abruptly change its mind and zoomed back up, flying through both seekers.

Almost immediately, both Albus and Aires pulled their brooms upwards towards the sky and, with only mild hesitation, zoomed off after the snitch. Minerva instinctively clutched to her mother's arm, though she did not consciously know that she was doing. She did not even notice when her mother attempted to pry her fingers off.

Aires were both neck and neck, attempting to increase their speed as much as possible. Neither one wanted to give the game up to the other one. Yet again, the snitch switched directions, this time zooming off towards the right. This would have given Albus the advantage, if Aires had not been quicker and flew right past him, toppling Albus over and knocking him off his broom. Fortunately, Albus still maintained his quick reflexes and managed to grab onto his broom.

"Oh, Albus!" Minerva shouted, jumping to her feet. She breathed in a heavy sigh of relief when she saw him swing himself up onto his broom with what appeared to be practiced ease. Her hand was not upon her chest as she tried to steady her breathing. This match was scaring her.

Albus was now more determined than ever to catch that snitch. Aires was getting violent and personally, Albus was getting rather tired of this game he was playing. Not Quidditch. He was getting tired of the game Aires was playing. The part of 'overbearing father looking out for his only daughter' was getting a little old, in Albus' opinion. Aires was going to have to learn sooner or later than Minerva was no longer his little girl playing house, but a grown woman who was going to get married to someone someday, whether Aires wanted that to happen or not.

Albus quickly caught up with Aires and was soon neck and neck with him again. Now he only wanted to catch the snitch so that the game would finally be done and over with.

"Oy, Albus, look out!" Mercury shouted. Albus looked over just in time to see a bludger come flying straight at him. Unfortunately, Albus was unable to move fast enough. The bludger hit him straight on, smashing his nose. With an incoherent grunt, Albus fell of his broom and began to fall.

"Someone, catch him!" Erik shouted.

"Min, no!" Albus felt his heart hit the pit of his stomach. What was she doing? Then, a split second later, he felt someone grab one of his flailing hands. He looked up and saw Minerva holding onto him with all her might, the weight of his body obviously a lot for her small frame to handle.

"Just led me fall, Miner-buh," he said through his bloody nose.

"No, Albus, that's too far down," she chastised him. Just then, Hermes appeared next to Albus and offered him the broom which he had fallen off of.

"Here you go, mate," he said. Albus somehow managed to situate himself and lowered himself to the ground slowly so as not to cause his own dizziness. When they reached the ground, Minerva immediately dropped her broom and rushed to him, grabbing his face between her hands to inspect him.

"Oh, Albus, you are hurt badly," she said, rubbing his cheek. "You are bleeding."

"Miner-buh?" he said. She looked him in the eyes and saw the twinkle in his eyes as he smiled meekly. "I think…. I broke… my nose…"

A/N: So, we see Albus break his nose for the first time. LOL. Care to take a stabbing guess on how he'll break it again? Haha. But don't fret about it. It won't happen again until you've forgotten all about it… I hope. Haha. Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful