My Dearest Albus,

I would make up some nonsense about how I'm counting the hours you are away, but that isn't my usual fashion, besides, you left me in such a state this morning (a slow grin crept over his face as he read it) that I have no idea what time you left so I can't possibly count the hours while you are away. But I do miss you terribly. I really don't know why. You are usually at school teaching by this time. Perhaps it is because the twins are being fussy again. You should hear them. I dare say they will be brilliant when they get to be old enough. Your girls are fine as well. I suppose that I will be worn out by tonight. Being the mother of so many children the same age certainly does have its downfalls.

She stopped, sighed, and continued writing in her jagged yet elegant hand.

. You probably have so much on your mind right now. I believe I may be bothering you with trivial matters. I shan't bother you so…

My dear, do keep safe,

With all my love,

Minerva McGonagall Dumbledore

She finished with a flourish of her quill, fireproofed it and attached the letter to Fawkes who, although wasn't accustomed to sending letters, called happily and took it, eager to see his master again.

After a few weeks, Fawkes returned with this:

My dearest love,

Well, I count the hours that I am gone. I can't help it. The memory of our last moments together before I left (a slow smile crept over her face when she read it) is all that is keeping me alive in this hell. It really is hell you know. It must be done though. This war must go on… If you could only see the terror, you would know that our country must fight to the end. It will be a long war, but I hope, in the end, we will be victorious. If not, I fear for our country.

These German Wizards are crafty. You can tell the Wizards from everyone else because they disapparate over no-man's-land and sneak up on you in the trenches and you think they are one of your dead until you realize that they are wearing German uniforms and are carrying gnarled sticks which you soon realize are their wands… a bit too late… one hit me with some hex or another because I've been… oh you don't need to know (there was some sort of rust-ish brown stain on the paper) it would only worry you. Well, I will say that it's a good thing that Jonny Pomfrey is here. It's lucky he's a healer, too. Well, that should give you an idea.

(She was pained to read it and was sure that many other men would leave out such details, but this was not the way with them. They were always honest with each other, even when it hurt)

Give my love to the children, even if they are too young to understand how much I love them. My dear, I've sent for some help for you and the children. Since when, my dear, has my family ever been a trivial matter? You all mean more to me than anything in the world.

With my eternal love,

D.

P.S. Poor Fawkes is getting shot at left and right. Lucky he's born out of the ashes, eh? (He shuddered) So this may take a few weeks to reach you.

And she looked up and seemed to notice Fawkes, who was looking tired, but as young as ever.

"He must have just been reborn a few days ago," she thought to herself.

My love,

(She wrote back)

I miss you terribly. I can't tell you how much I want you to hold me in your arms right now and tell me that everything will be alright. And then I read the news and I want to hold you in MY arms and tell YOU that everything will be alright.

(The parchment grew blurry as her eyes flooded)

I'm so scared for you, for me, for the children, for everyone.

(The cool-headed Minerva is losing her calm she thought to herself bitterly)

I can't help it. Here alone, with the children and always the fear that clings heavily on my heart. Please keep yourself safe my love.

Minerva McGonagall Dumbledore

She looked at the sleeping bird… Oh, it could wait. She would send it the next day. She wearily rose and after quietly checking each room of her beloved children, she went to her room and slowly sat down on the bed. She looked over to his side of the bed. It looked huge, vastly stretching endlessly across the room, so cold, so very empty without him. She threw herself down on her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

Minerva woke up a few hours later to the sound of screaming children.

"When will they learn to sleep for decent hours," she thought to herself groggily. She pulled herself from the warmth of the bed and felt her way to where she heard the crying. She picked up the girl gently and then headed to another screaming room indecently, the other girl. She sat in a rocking chair in the room calming the two. She put a pacifying spell on the room and the girls stopped fussing and waited each their turn for their needs to be attended to. She rocked them soothingly, one in each arm, whispering gently. They were so beautiful, all of them, when they weren't crying that is, but even then... She could sit like this for hours she thought sleepily.

Then the door bell rang.

"Oh!" she exclaimed jumping up. She placed Elizabeth back in her crib, "I forgot! That must be the hired help that Albus promised." She looked in a mirror. She was a fright to look at, her usually neat-as-a-pin bun had hair flailing out at odd unseemly angles and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying the previous night and as she looked down, she realized that she was wearing the same clothing as yesterday. She flicked her wand and her hair went back into its rightful place. Oh well! It would have to do!

She ran, rather walked as fast as she could with a baby in her arms, to the door as it rang for the third time.

She threw open the door, fully expecting a house-elf but was thoroughly shocked to see a girl of about nineteen standing at her door holding a worn suitcase and clutching a piece of paper.

"Mrs. Dumbled…?" she trailed off "Professor McGonagall! What are you doing here?"

She blushed a deep crimson, "Miss Stevenson, I presume?"

The younger girl gaped, "What are you doing here?" she repeated.

"Well I'm… oh! I've thoroughly forgotten my manners! Do come in won't you? I'm," she said closing the door with her open arm, "I'm married to him. I'm Mrs. Dumbledore,"

The girl continued to gape as Minerva placed a kiss on Susan's forehead as the child slept, her head resting on Minerva's shoulder.

"Mrs. Dumbledore?" she swallowed.

"It does sound odd doesn't it?" said the other slightly dreamily.

"You're… well… we didn't know! So that's why you left?"

She smiled gently, an eyebrow raised, "Yes… and you needn't look so shocked!"

"Well I… we just… never… stories and things… but never… well! It is nice to see you," she finished with a blush.

Minerva laughed, "Well my dear, it's nice to see you too! So," she said walking through the house, "How did you get into the childcare business?"

"Well," puffed the girl dragging her suitcase, "Mum's friend Poppins got me into it, she says there's quite a business for witches in… nurseries and the like,"

"Did she now?" she smiled and sat down in a chair in the kitchen and motioned for the girl to sit, "That Poppins always was a clever girl. Always got full marks… some say she was perfect… I didn't think so… she wasn't all that good in transfiguration… never did get that parrot of hers to turn exactly into an umbrella,"

"Well, I think it will be nice working for you… seeing that I already know you. My last two assignments were dreadful," the youth rose and looked in her former teacher's arms, "Is this the daughter I'll be looking after?"

"Well…"

Another child began crying as if on queue.

Minerva sighed, "One of them…"

"You have two daughters?"

"Yes,"

"Twins?"

"Quintuplets,"

"Quintuplets!" she exclaimed sitting abruptly down again.

"Yes… that was my reaction. It's all right… they are all fairly well behaved for two month-olds,"

"Two Months!"

"Oh! No! Don't worry please! Please! Don't go! Oh… it won't be so bad! I'm I'll be here always! Oh… don't worry… I'd never leave anyone a job so big… that would be unfair!... you can't imagine how I felt when Albus said he was leaving,"

"What? He left you!"

"Oh heavens no! Albus would never do such a thing! The war dear, the war!"

"Oh, yes… yes of course… oh I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you,"

"Neither did I… I'm quite sorry if I gave you a shock, I didn't aim to,"

"Of course not, Professor McGo…,"

"Minerva. If you please,"

"Minerva," the girl repeated.

"Follow me please… we'll meet the children shall we?"

"Well, I will anyways,"

Minerva laughed, "Yes, you will."

The girl stood up and dragged her suitcase after her.

"What do you have in there?"

"Oh, everything."

"Really? Well, good heavens child, what did they teach you in charms anyway? Here… let me… wingardium leviosa,"

"Oh! Thank you!"

"You're quite welcome, my dear,"

"This is Susan's room here," she said placing the sleeping child in her crib, "And this is Susan,"

She crossed the hall to another child's room, "This is Elizabeth," she said picking up the crying girl and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Come… you can hold Nathaniel,"

They walked down the hall to the boy's room, "Now for the twins,"

"Twins? Don't tell me you have seven?"

"Good gracious no! Not at the moment. We just call them that because they're identical,"

"Oh! Good then… lead the way then,"