Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Once in Albus' quarters, everyone went into a flurry of action. Aberforth and Neptune pulled Albus aside for a stern discussion. Deirdre Transfigured a clean gown for Minerva, while Healer Doughan dried her together they changed her robes, while Poppy repaired her splinched thigh.
*!*!*!*
Albus found himself shoved into his own study, with Aberforth and Neptune stranding in front of him.
"Albus, this is for abandoning my sister, a Bana-Phrinnosa of the McGonagall clan," And Neptuen punched him squarely in the jaw. Albus reeled, but did not protest. He recovered, and stood before them silent again.
"And this is for tampering with her memory," Aberforth threw a punch straight to his eye. Again, Albus staggered, but returned to find Neptune extending his hand in friendship. Albus stared at him, dazed.
"Now that my sister's wrongs are avenged, we may be friends and talk as equal men," He assured. "Unless you wish to divorce my sister… In which case, tradition and honor of the clan dictate I challenge you to a duel…" Neptune studied the man before him, awaiting his response.
"I accept your hand in mutual respect," Albus returned carefully. All three men sat down after this easing of tension.
"Aberforth has explained to me what elements of your past made you feel justified in abandoning my sister. You have done some very dark things in your youth. And you might have a questionable relationship with power and authority. But you are largely a good man," Neptune judged, continuing "But most important, you are the man with whom my sister fell in love and chose to spend the rest of her life. And you are the father of her child. Now, unless she grievously harms you, or unless you are mutually agreed, you will not abandon her, for any reason. And Merlin help you if you ever hurt her… You are both consenting adults in a magically binding agreement, so act like it!" he had said all he intended, and turned to Aberforth.
"Albus, you may be a coward, and you may have an insane ego, but for some reason only Godric knows, that woman in there loves you. And you love her more than I have ever seen you love anyone. Remember, people may call you a genius, and the brightest wizard of the age, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you are quite a dolt. Minerva is far too good and wise for you." He signed, "I hope you're at least smart enough to never hurt her like this again."
"Aberforth, I shall try every day to more deserving of Minerva, and thank you, as always, for those grounding reminders of my limits." There was a small hint of spite in his words, but his manner was still incredibly cowed, "And Neptune," here he began to cry, "I have disappointed your entire family, and dishonored your father and mother's last wishes. I cannot apologize enough for that. I am so very sorry. As for leaving your sister, I have now seen my future without her love, and I will never leave her again. I was selfish. I wanted to play a martyr. I let my guilt consume me, and ignored Minerva's wishes. I realize how wrong that was. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Albus, I can, and I am willing," Neptune nodded to the bedroom door, "It is my sister who's mercy you must seek." He sighed, grimly. "You have wronged her greatly."
And with that, the three men stood, now reconciled, to reenter the bedroom.
*!*!*!*
Deirdre stood to greet them, Neptune nodded to her, and she ran to hug Albus. "Promise you will never hurt Minerva like this again!" She begged, looking up at him with a terribly haunted expression. Albus acquiesced, absent-mindedly, as he pushed toward the bed. He was desperate to return tohis wife. His way clear to catch a glimpse of her, Albus let out a stifled yell of surprise. His view of her in the dark of the blizzard did not reveal all of her complexion. He was truly alarmed at the unhealthily ashen tint of her skin, the sunken depths of her eyes, and the generally weary look of her frame.
"What happened to her?" He sobbed.
"You say your life without Minerva," Neptune sighed, "And now you see Minerva without you."
"She has not had a night of sleep in nearly three weeks!" Deirdre lamented, "And she barely touched her food. We had to sit with her and force her to eat at all. She rarely laughed, hardly ever spoke. She spends most of her time studying and honing her magic, just as the last time you left."
"It was torture to watch her fall into this state," Poppy glared from the other side of the room, "When there is no potion or spell that will cure it."
Albus' guilt mounted, and he knelt by the bed, feeling unworthy of occupying a chair. He began to mutter a spell. The occupants of the room noted, with due satisfaction, that the ring on Minerva's finger rematerialized. Poppy returned to a professional mode with her diagnosis.
"Her body temperature is climbing nicely. She is very early in her labor. But she is so exhausted; I have her under a sleeping potion for the next hour or so. As long as she can possibly sleep through the contractions, I want her resting."
Thus began the tensest wait of Albus Dumbledore's life. It felt as though the siege of Berlin had been shorter. Neptune and Deirdre held a quiet discussion in his study. Aberforth pulled a book on animal husbandry out of his robes and began an infuriatingly calm read. Healer Doughan, who had been in the middle of lunch when called, summoned a house elf for a brief snack. Poppy sat close at hand, crocheting a scarf for Euripides, the potions wizard she had mentioned from St. Mungo's. Every few minutes, she checked on Minerva's progress in delivery, and monitored the baby's vital signs.
Albus simply knelt next to the bed, his hand clutching hers and his forehead pressed against the side of the bed. Poppy could not see his face, but she was sure she heard muffled sobs.
After just over two hours of this disjointed waiting game, Minerva stirred and moaned. Poppy jumped to action, and Albus sat back on his heels, staring intently at his wife. Her eyes fluttered once, and then suddenly shot open, as a terrible scream burst from her dry, cracked lips. Poppy began casting her usual spells with more vigor.
"The labor is progressing." She smiled. "The contractions are closer together, and, apparently, more intense."
"Apparently more intense?" Minerva gasped, searching for her wand, "If you think this is some walk in the park, Miss Pomfrey, I can gladly give you an idea of the pain I'm feeling right now. Cruciatus has nothing on this!" And then she saw her husband next to her, "You…" she whispered, confusion, anger and a completely different kind of pain flooded her expression. "Why are you here?" There was accusation and hurt in her words.
"I…Minerva, I was a fool," Albus gasped, rabidly raking his infinite mind for the words, "I should never have done what I did to you, I will never do it again, and I cannot possibly ever do anything to make it up to you. I do have a terrible history with past relationships. Ever since we discovered you were pregnant, a panic built up, and that night let it loose. I'm sorry. I should never have done what I did, but I promise I will never leave you again. Can you please forgive me?"
"You had better not leave me, you…" And she was cut off, mid-curse, by another contraction. She gasped, apparently winded, closed her eyes and let out another scream. The Scottish witch clutched Albus' hand without reservation. When it rolled away, Minerva returned her eyes to Albus' face. It was covered with tears, "Oh, Albus, of course I forgive you! It would be impossible to continue without you! I've told you all ready, I will not be stuck raising a Dumbledore alone!" They kissed gently, tenderly. An audible sighed escaped the occupants of the room.
And so, after twelve hours of labor and Minerva setting fire to Albus' beard twice without her wand, a son was born to the Dumbledore name. He had jet black hair, like his mother, but the mischievously blue eyes of his father. Both parents held him joyously, Albus with much fear and trepidation.
"What are you going to name him?" Poppy asked, filling out the official birth certificate of her first, proud delivery.
"Theseus Apollo Dumbledore," Minerva answered, firmly. Albus, sitting on the bed next to her, smiled, wrapping an arm around her. He nodded his assent.
The child was placed in a bassinette temporarily moved from the McGonagall Estate. Not long after, the new mother surrendered to sleep. As one, the occupants of the room left to their various homes, and Albus sat on the bed, unable to sleep because he was so fiercely proud and in love with his new family.
A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You make my day! :D