A/N Thanks M for agreeing to beta check this. I take full responsibility for any remaining errors.
To the people who have been reviewing, I thank you. Your comments have been a great incentive. Please keep it up.
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Albus would have preferred not to meet with Alastor at his office in Hogwarts. He had agreed only because it would have looked odd for him to object. Seeing the enormous bouquet of flowers Moody carried as he arrived, Albus found a great deal more to object to.
"Don't tell me I forgot our anniversary again, Alastor."
"Funny." Alastor smiled. "You've got Minerva squirreled away somewhere and won't say where, but I thought you could bring the flowers with you the next time you go see her." Alastor was beginning to blush. "Just a little something to let her know I care."
Albus nodded, but once Alastor departed he subjected the flowers to every curse, hex, jinx, and anti-jinx detection spell he knew. Alastor was one of the people present at the meeting the night of Minerva's attack. Perhaps Alastor had had an ulterior motive for wanting to escort Minerva home that night. Until he had proof otherwise, Albus would consider his old friend suspect.
There was a card in with the flowers. He debated with himself a bit before opening it. He didn't want to read what was inside. It wasn't jealousy, but there existed the possibility that the card was hexed, so really, he had no choice. He found the writing insipid and uninspired. He hoped Minerva would as well.
Thinking of you.
He found Minerva in his bedroom at the desk trying to figure out why all the first year students had returned not one, but two responses. Given that some things were better left unsaid, he had never bothered to mention anything about Filius. Hopefully the muggleborns who had received the letter times deux hadn't found it too odd.
As soon as she turned and saw the flowers her face lit up. "Albus, they're lovely! When did you have the time to get them?"
She crossed the room and buried her face in the many colored blossoms before he had a chance to respond. "I didn't. They are from Alastor."
She immediately pulled back from the bouquet with a very different expression. "Oh."
"There is a card if you would like to read it."
She shook her head. "Not especially."
He set the flowers down on the desk. As they both stared at the affront to their relationship, the silence stretched between them in a way it never had before; awkwardly. They had spent the last month relishing in each other, but they had never really talked about what they were doing or plans for the future.
"Minerva, I think it's time we talked."
Her only response was to stiffen, bracing for the blow.
"Minerva, I would be willing, but I think we both know that things can't go back to the way they were. I don't think it would be enough for you anymore. Tell me if I'm wrong."
"No," Minerva agreed dolefully, "it wouldn't."
After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again. "We can be married. You can invite all of our friends and every colleague we've ever had. Get a few aurors to guard the gift table and you can even invite my brother, Aberforth. Tell all the world about us. And children – we can have children. As many as you desire-"
Eyes narrowed suspiciously, Minerva interrupted him. "What's the condition?"
She knew him too well. He said it as plainly as possible. "I would need for you to go into hiding."
Minerva sounded appalled. "Leave Hogwarts!"
He began speaking very quickly, explaining. "You wouldn't actually have to leave. With the Fidelius Charm you can remain. No one would even know you were here."
Her tone had such an edge to it that it made the question not really a question at all. "You've put a great deal of thought into this, haven't you?"
When he didn't respond, she continued. "Wouldn't that be letting…Voldemort win?"
Frustrated, he let out, "Voldemort is already winning!"
Trying to get a better grasp on his emotions, he continued. "Since Voldemort began attacking Wizarding families instead of just muggles, people have become more concerned. The Ministry has become more proactive and the papers have started reporting more, but…
"Things aren't going well for our side. We're outnumbered, outmaneuvered, outflanked…we weren't prepared for this.
"Every night the Order and the Ministry go out and we look for them, but there are only so many of us and there is so much area to cover. We can't be everywhere at once, we're stretched too thin. Voldemort just has to find one opening in our defenses and it's all for naught. Every morning the papers publish a new list of the dead. We try to protect people, but we can't even protect our own families."
As she began her response, Albus could recall few times when Minerva had sounded this livid. "What about my work for the Order? You said yourself we are already outnumbered. Can we really afford to lose one of our numbers to your fears? And what of our friends? How do you explain to them that it's acceptable for them to put their lives and those of their families at risk, but we aren't willing to make the same sacrifices?"
"Who was it that started this ideal of me as a paragon of virtue and selflessness? Of all that is right and good in the world? When did I ever claim to be anything more or less than a man? Can't you understand, Minerva? I cannot lose you."
"But aren't we saying now that you will lose me? How is my taking up with Alastor keeping me?" Her anger was starting to peter out into exasperation. "Yes, Albus, being together there is a chance that you could lose me, but haven't we already agreed that if you do nothing you will lose me?"
"Not like that, Minerva. I cannot lose you that way!"
More calmly, she tried to reason with him. "Albus, didn't you say long ago that 'it's not You-Know-Who who poses the real threat?' Aren't you the one that said, 'It's the people who refuse to choose sides, who through their action or inaction will decide the outcome of this war?'"
"Minerva…" All the reason and logic in the world was useless to overcome his emotions. "…I cannot be swayed on this."
"So where does that leave us?"
His answer wasn't much of an answer, but it was the only one he had left. "We have the rest of the summer - if you want it."
She shook her head dismayed, but made no further attempt to convince him. After a few minutes of silence, she put one of her hands over his in a gesture of commiseration. "We had best make the most of it then."