"Calm down, my dear Minerva, I would suggest dear, that tonight you put the children to bed early and get some rest,"

"I haven't been able to sleep lately,"

"No, I don't suppose you would be able to… listen…"

She got up and waded through the children to a medicine cabinet in her bathroom, "Here…"

"What's this?"

"Calming drought,"

"No…" she said pushing the bottle back to her friend, "All those are too dangerous… I don't want to get addicted or anything… besides, what if one of the children wakes up or something?"

"Don't worry… it's not sleeping drought or… dreamless sleep potion. Those are too strong… but when I go through a bad spell I take this. It calms the nerves, a very mild potion,"

"Really?"

"Yes… go on… take it!" she said offering her the pink bottle of potion.

"I don't think…"

"Yes you do,"

"No I…"

"Do."

"Fine," she sighed at last putting the bottle into her pocket.

"My! That was easy… poor girl… you must be really stressed if I win a fight that easily," Poppy said with a smile.

Minerva offered a weary smile back and rose to address her children, "Elizabeth, come here so Poppy can have a look at your hands,"

"Ah! Elizabeth. Tsk, tsk, well… they're healing… not so green anymore, but you must keep putting that lotion on them and keep those hands away from strange things… especially in potions shops…"

That night she took Poppy's advice.

"Alright, everyone to bed," she said calmly at six o'clock.

"But mother… it isn't even…"

She sighed, "I know, but we've had a very busy day and you need your rest,"

Something in her voice told them not to argue with her and she was glad for it. They did after all have some of Albus' human insight, even this young. The house was even quiet as they brushed their teeth and got ready for bed.

Albus had removed some of the walls so that the girl's rooms became one and the boy's rooms became one. It was now rather more convenient and spacious.

One by one, she put them to bed and kissed them on the forehead before pulling up their covers. When she got to the twins, they, perhaps reading the sorrow in her eyes asked gently, "Mummy? When will Daddy be home?"

She smiled at the unison of their question and cupped their faces with either hand and began to reply, "I don't…" just then, the window lit up bright orange and startled the woman.

She pushed open the window, one hand clasped over her heart, "Fawkes! You gave me a fright! What is it?" the bird threw in a singed piece of paper and flew into the night leaving a bright trail behind it. Minerva slowly opened the letter,

"Be home soon

-Albus,"

was all it said in loopy writing.

"He'll be home soon, dears,"

"We wish he wouldn't leave so much," said Curtis.

"I wish he wouldn't leave also," she kissed them both and lowered the light, though it was still light outside.

She transformed a kitchen chair into something more comfortable and looked at the letter again. She would wait for him. He couldn't be too far away, could he? She began to knead the chair. Her cat instincts were taking over slowly and she flinched at every sound.

Oh, she did need that potion now. Her nerves were raw and her eyes were sore from staring out the window into the ever-increasing darkness. She paced the room, then went back to sitting down. The clock on the mantle was clicking mercilessly at her nerves.

She realized that she was having the beginnings of a nervous break-down. Her hands shook as she went to search for the potion that Poppy had given her. Upon finding it swiftly swallowed the contents.

The vial hopped in her hands and broke on the ground as she heard a pop and a tall man appeared in her living room.

"Minerva!" he said happily throwing open his arms.

"Albus!" she cried in a strangled, startled, nervous and relieved voice all at once.

She was torn. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck in relief at his return, punch him for startling her so, and slap him for going to London in the first place.

Her internal struggle must have been blatantly obvious because his eyes darkened in concern, "Minerva darling, what's wrong?"

"Oh!" she said still struggling, her hands balled and pressed against her chest in the effort.

"Minerva! Oh Minerva!" trying to think of something that might ease whatever was going on in her mind, "Guess what?"

The question caught her attention and shifted her attention from her mental fight, "What?"

"They want to make me the head of the Ministry of Magic!"

Leave again… a cover-up!

"Oooohhhh!" came the strangled, tortured cry from Minerva. Suddenly, the potion kicked in, stronger than she had anticipated and she fell like deadweight in his arms.

The sun streamed through the windows brilliantly. An arm was thrown protectively over her shoulder and her skin reacted when she realized where his hand was rested. She turned over to face him. He was terribly handsome. How had she gotten a hold of this gorgeous and oh so prestigious man? He'd make any wife jealous. She smiled happily at his sleeping face still furrowed in thought in sleep. She was glad he'd grown his hair long. It framed his face beautifully. She sighed and fell back asleep in the arms of her lover.
She slowly woke up a second time that morning and realized he must have taken off her clothes before going to bed and realized he had done the same to himself. This was not unusual for the couple, but it was something that he hadn't done in months.

"Oooo!" she exclaimed jumping from the bed, taking the covers with her, "Albus Dumbledore!"

He woke up slowly and quite unsure of what was happening, "Wha…?"

"What is the meaning of this? What if someone finds us like this?"

"Like what, dear? Oh, this?" He asked looking down, "I think you look quite attractive like that."

"You would, wouldn't you! Men!"

The calming potion hadcompletelyworn out by now, the joy of waking up next to her husband was gone and suddenly, last night came flooding back to her.

"Oh!" she said fiercely, "you!"

He had gotten up and was coming toward her.

"You stay right there, Albus!"

"What? Hey, what is this?"

"I'm warning you Albus!" she said, her tone deathly.

"Minerva dear, what's wrong?"

"Don't you 'what's wrong?' me! I'm mad at you!"

"What why?"

"How could you?" she said pulling up the blankets that were falling down as she stood her ground.

"How could I what?" he asked genuinely puzzled.

"Leave me here! Alone! To take care of the children by my self while you go tromping about the country! And I might ask where you go on these long trips of yours?" she yelled furiously.

"What do you mean? I told you I was in London."

"And what were you doing in London? And put on some clothes! I can't fight with you when you're like that!"

"Maybe I don't want to… Wait! What are you talking about? What do you mean 'what were you doing in London?' I told you! Ministry work!"

"Right! Ministry work! Are you sure you weren't doing some other type of 'work'?" she said sarcastically.

"Minerva, are you insinuating…?"

"I most certainly am!"

There was a silence in the bedroom.

"Minerva," he said gently, "I can't believe that you would ever even imagine that…"

"You've been away… far too long… you realize that this has been the fourth week that you have been gone this year? Does your family really mean so little to you?"

He stopped a moment and thought back, "Minerva I…"

"No, don't talk to me… not when you're thinking about some bright-eyed secretary in skimpy robes," with that, she locked herself in the bathroom and took a shower and changed, still simmering.

He slipped on his robes and went into the kitchen and set the tea on.

Soon the patter of feet was heard in the hallway.

"Daddy!"

"Susan, green-eyed beauty!" he picked her up lovingly, kissing her as all three boys ran in. Elizabeth was last, rubbing her eyes with green-warted hands.

"Look! Look, Daddy! We lost our front teeth!"

"Why so you did!"

Just then Minerva appeared in the doorway.

Albus looked up with hurt in his eyes and Minerva, seeing it, refused eye contact with him the rest of the morning.

After eating breakfast, he announced cheerfully, "Well, children, I must be off… test about WEREWOLVES today!"

The children squealed in glee as he took out his wand and conjured a smoky werewolf that howled for them and then disappeared.

He rose and placed a small kiss on the cheek of his wife, mostly, she knew, for the sake of their children and flooed to his office.

But her children were not so ignorant as she would have hoped.

"Mummy, are you mad at Daddy?"

"Yes dear," she answered softly.

"Why?"

"Don't worry about it, love… Finish your breakfast,"

Albus stayed longer in his office than he usually did which made her even more upset and worried.

It was late at night when he finally flooed into the living room. She figured sparks would fly so she put a silencing charm on the doors so they wouldn't be disturbed and she wouldn't wake up the children.

"And why were you out so late?"

He set down his satchel exhaustedly, "I had some catch-up work to do,"

"Like what? Hmm? Write a letter to your little friend in the city?"

This accusation was too much. He grabbed her crossed arms and shook her firmly, "Minerva, let's get one thing straight. I am not seeing anyone! You are the only person who I would ever want to be with," he let her arms go and buried one hand deep into his long hair, "I can't… I can't… why would you even think such a thing?"

"Maybe… maybe because I was afraid. Afraid because you are too handsome, too noble. Afraid that I wasn't enough… afraid… you'd forgotten…" she fingered her ring tearfully.

"Forgotten what? How much I love you? How much I love the children? That hurts… it's like… my heart feels like… you've broken it… that you would have so little faith in me… faith in my commitments," he said sitting down, staring at the ground, unable to meet the tearful gaze of his wife.

"I-I told you last night didn't I? That they want me to be Minister?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"It's true… they really do want me to be Minister… it's not some cover-up or anything"

She nodded.

"Well?" he asked.

"Do what you want,"

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes… if you want us to move to London… or… or… floo home every night… then go ahead," she said in defeat.

He shook his head.

"No, I've thought about this. I can't take it… not with the children… and you… it's just too much… I have a good life here… and they would make me quit teaching… I can't quit, teaching is my life… And all I want is here…"

"But what about your being away?"

"I'll try not to leave so much… once a month at the most and I promise never longer than a few days… if they can't handle that, well then, they can just shove it where the sun doesn't shine."

She smiled at that.

"There's the old smile back. Please Minerva, I'm sorry… please forgive me for giving you cause to lose your trust in me… please Minerva…"

"Of course," she said softly and leaned her head upon his shoulder, "I'm sorry… so sorry for losing trust in you for even… even…"

"It's alright, shhh, I forgive you darling,"

Any resistance they felt towards each other was gone and he carried her to their bedroom.

(A/N: Ooooo, gotcha all in the middle there didn't I? Could have been an affair couldn't he have… I know… it's so childish how gleefully pleased with myself I am…

Man… y'all were about to string me up if Albus was having an affair… even some death threats in there… (snicker snicker) lol. well, it certainly did catch your attentions… I probably could have dragged that out longer and really frustrated some people but I'm not that cruel. Well, Jerry felt tremendously encouraged by all of your wonderful reviews… I'm still brainstorming some new ideas… so keep the reviews coming and I'll try to keep Jerry awake…)