Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Minerva woke the next morning, to the compounded murmur of Healer's spells and their whispered diagnoses. The low rumble lacked the typical grave tone to which Minerva had become so unfortunately accustomed lately. She slowly sat up, automatically, Accio'ing her dressing gown. She opened her eyes when the cotton tartan garment met her hand.
Half a dozen Healers were gathered around the bed; three were gazing into a potion, two were casting spells, and Healer Doughan stood recording the results. Minerva opened her mouth to speak when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
It was Poppy: "Minerva, will you come down to breakfast with me?"
"Albus?" She refused to move from his side.
"He is perfectly safe, and should not wake for a few hours." Poppy beamed, a reassuring expression that banished the darker corners of Minerva's fears. She stood from the bed, abruptly discovering her hunger. In the discovery, she neglected her current physical state. Minerva, in her mad-cap dash across the continent, had expended more magical energy than had been required of her in months. Her body responded in kind, by her legs refusing to support her immediately. Poppy caught her just in time, summoning the forgotten wheel chair from the corner of the room. She pushed Minerva into it before she encountered the characteristic resistance.
"That was quite the stunt you pulled yesterday," Poppy clucked as she pushed the witch from the room. "We decided not to chide you too heavily because you saved the life of one of the most important wizards in the world" She casually levitated the wheelchair down the stairs. "But, Minerva, it is, quite seriously, time to consider the life you carry. You put both yourself and the baby in great jeopardy yesterday. It would be very unwise for you to expend your energy to that extent until after the baby arrives." She picked up on the tensing of Minerva's jaw, "I know, it's hard for you, Minerva. No one considers you weak if you must rest for the sake of your child. It's one of the risks of having to take other people into consideration, of having a family." Minerva seemed cowed by her words.
As they ate breakfast, Minerva told Poppy the full story of the night before. By the end, Poppy had long ago neglected her eggs, gaping in awe at Minerva.
"You… You've… Merlin!" She took a sip of her tea to compose herself, "You broke at least fifteen International Magical laws last night! Have you lost your… Do you know what…" She could not seem to force out the full length of a thought.
"Have I lost my mind? No, I think I had my priorities quite in order, thank you," She responded as if Poppy was asking about her schedule for a Auror's staff meeting, "Do I know what could have happened? Yes. My husband, the most important thing in the world to me and the father of my child, could have perished from the cruel backhand of a deranged murderer." She bit off her toast as if that was the end of the matter.
*!*!*!*
After another stubborn but failed attempt to stand from the breakfast table by herself, Minerva acquiesced to the wheelchair as her means of transport back to her husband. She did insist on carrying a tray laden with breakfast food to Albus. Two twinkling blue eyes sparked from among the pillows at Minerva's return. Albus' healers had retreated to the next door guest bedroom to consult. Poppy helped Minerva on to the bed, and then left to join them. As soon as the door closed behind her, Minerva dove for Albus.
"Oh, my love! I thought for sure I had lost ye!" She buried her face in his neck, scratchy beard and all. "And I would have to raise this little Dumbledore on my own!"
"You would rather confront Gellert, break innumerable wizarding laws, and risk your life than raise a Dumbledore alone?" Albus chuckled. "I need to keep you from having those visits with Aberforth… I don't know what he's telling you, but I was a perfect angel."
"Ha. I heard all about the way you boys used to terrorize the household. If it was just me versus your progeny in this big mansion, I'm fairly the Dumbledore-McGonagall offspring would win." She chuckled, snuggling back into his welcoming arm. "Can you imagine my temper with your imagination?"
There was a comfortable silence, broken only by Albus' impatient stomach. Taking the hint, Minerva levitated the breakfast tray over, and began feeding him scrambled eggs. To an outside observer the looks they were giving each other would have been sickeningly sweet.
Just as Albus finished the toast, the Healers filed back into the room. Healer Doughan stepped forward.
"Albus, you seem to finally be clear of all residual magic that we could detect." Doughan began, "We cannot determine why the spell was not originally detected upon your admittance to St. Mungo's. I personally suspect the quality of your examination there, due to pressure from the Ministry to have you attend certain public events." The three Healers who had stood around the potion looked chagrined, "But aside from this, I will not say. Poppy informed us of Minerva's side of the story. It does seem to correlate that your exposure to Minerva helped the curse germinate." Here, Albus gripped Minerva's hand, "It is also certain that had you not received the antidote when or shortly after you did, you would be dead at this moment."
Albus pulled her hand up to his lips, and very, very gallantly kissed the delicate, paper-white knuckles. "My Great Lady, I am forever in your debt." Minerva blushed, looking away at his overt display of Romantic etiquette. When her eyes returned to his face, there were tears in his eyes.
"That being said, Albus," Healer Doughan continued, his voice a bit quavering at witnessing the previous gesture, "Aside from being a bit weak and, we assume, sore, you appear to be in perfect health. There is nothing more for us to do. We will return back to St. Mungo's. I will visit you in a week to make sure that everything is still as it should be." He nodded to the couple in the bed. He and the other Healers filed from the room, all except for Poppy.
"Minerva," She stepped forward, "I need to do a quick check to make sure everything is copacetic with the baby." She pulled out her wand, and then froze, "Is it all right for me to do this with Albus here?" She was unsure of the boundaries in their relationship.
"Of course!" Minerva sat up, indignant. "He is the child's father, he should be here!"
The examination would quick, and the baby was in perfect health. Minerva was a bit fatigued, and would have to spend the next day in bed. She determined it a small price for the life of her husband. Poppy left her well-wishes and congratulations once again as she too returned to St. Mungo's.
Exhausted from the excitement of the past 24 hours, Minerva and Albus both fell into a much-deserved nap. On waking a few hours later, Minerva found Albus' piercing blue eyes gazing at her with a softly worried look.
"Albus, my love, whatever is the matter?" She mumbled, smiling up at him. Her forehead creased in confusion.
"Minerva, since yesterday was unexpectedly cut short, I wonder if you would grant me the boon of two more questions for you?" Of course, he answered by way of a question.
Minerva shook her head in adoring exasperation. "Proceed, my husband," she playfully returned his formal language, "You may ask me any two questions of your wild fancies."
"Minerva, please, if you cannot… if you do not wish to answer this… it is entirely at your discretion, my love." He took a deep steadying breath that ended up shaking as he rushed, "What did Grindelwald do to you?"
Minerva sat up quickly and stared at him, wide-eyed. This was not what she had expected. "Ah…Albus…are you sure you… Why… Why do you want to know?" She gazed at him, her eyes pleading.
"Because, I know he is capable of depraved things beyond my imagining. I just want to know how deeply he wounded you." The dreadful power behind his eyes was crackling now.
"Well… they knocked me out right away, and then when I awoke, I had no idea where I was. But I could see instruments of torture in the middle of a massive cavern surrounded by cells. I could hear other prisoners being tortured occasionally too…As for what they did to me…" She chocked, "They didn't… they weren't allowed to… abuse me sexually. They did strip me naked, and whipped me two or three times. I can feel the scars when I bathe… They would cut off my breathing, and see how long I could struggle. They had a spell that they particularly enjoyed casting on different parts of my body, it made them feel as if they were on fire. And then they enchanted me to think that one of the prisoners was you, and they tortured him in front of me. They… they tortured him to death. And when I woke up after that, they told me I was pregnant, but that they had removed the fetus, because I was a blood-traitor who didn't deserve to carry a pure-blood child. They had even cut me to make it seem like they were telling the truth. And then they spent what felt like an hour on the Curciatus curse, and I screamed for you, even though I believed you dead… And then they started panicking and casting curses at random…It hurt so terribly" She broke off sobbing. Albus had grown quiet and his eyes dark. "And then they left, and the next people I saw were the Healers my parents brought to tend me at home."
"My final question, Minerva: Do you still want to go through with this?" Albus rumbled, dangerously quiet. "Do you still want to stay with me, after I proved myself incapable of keeping you safe, of protecting you? Do you still want me when being my wife caused you such personal danger?"
"Albus! I want nothing more! I love you all the more for everything that's happened. I have found the depth of our love, and know that it continues to grow. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives, now more than ever! I have faced darkness, and the only thing that pulled me out was you! You cannot leave me, Albus! You are the only light I have. And soon we will have a little flame to kindle together." She wrapped around him, tightly, "We must do this together! Albus, we both survived! We can continue to protect each other and this child! Don't give up on me! Please, I'm begging you! My parents died to keep me alive for you!"
Nothing more was said between then for the rest of the day. Albus and Minerva were simply together, holding each other. Nothing could have been more safe, warm or fulfilled as their love at that moment.