Slowly, Albus took a deep breath, savouring the fresh spring air.
He always enjoyed Hogsmeade this time of the year. The way its streets were brimming with life, it reminded him of Godric's Hollow during tourist season. When he was a little boy, his mother would take him and Aberforth to festivals celebrating the Hogwarts founder. These trips often had to be cut short, but he immensely enjoyed them.
With a new spring in his step, the wizard walked down another alley. His eyes were drawn to the shop stands displaying regional goods. Most windows were decorated with egg stickers. Paper cockatrices and Jackalopes were another common motive. In good old Brood and Peck, live versions of these creatures snored peacefully, warming up in the sun. Albus smiled at the little kittens, wishing he could take a closer look.
Feeling characteristic tingling in his fingers, he looked ahead just in time. Thanks to his defensive spell at work, Albus dodged through a group of students, barely avoiding collision. The wizard scolded himself in his thoughts. He had to be more careful.
This was a Hogsmeade weekend, after all. It was expectable for the village to be full of young witches and wizards. Which normally wouldn't pose a problem. The students respectfully stepped out of his way; a privilege of being the Headmaster. There was only one catch.
They couldn't see him now.
After dashing by Master Puddifoot's Coffeehouse, Albus stopped mid-step. He backtracked to confirm that his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him. Careful not to draw unwanted attention, the wizard slid inside the café before the door fully closed. He approached a table near the window.
"You're still able to focus anywhere, I see," commented Albus, taking a seat opposite Minerva.
Some things never changed.
"I'm several issues behind," she informed, looking up from a not-so-recent volume of Transfiguration Today. "So I use every free moment to catch up."
The wizard nodded with understanding. Once Minerva properly settled in the school, he indeed witnessed her renewed interest in magic. She was keen to discuss recent discoveries, having many ideas on how to expand on them. Repeatedly, she expressed a desire to conduct her own research. Brains like that, he couldn't have approved more.
"You missed this," stated Albus with emphasis, pointing at her notes. "My apologies for cutting your time short."
"Don't be ridiculous." Minerva put her things back into her magically-enlarged purse. "How's the meeting? You ended early, right?"
"Thank Merlin." He breathed out in relief. "I'd have come to see you sooner. However, I had no clue where to find you. My first guess was that you'd celebrate with the rest."
The witch lowered her gaze, taking a sip of her hot coffee.
"They invited me, yes."
They always did. And she usually agreed to having a drink with the other Heads of Houses. Today, however, she felt that her time would be better spent on transfiguration. And, whatever Albus thought, some places and people distracted her just a bit too much.
"I just didn't feel like joining them," she finished, not wanting to get into details.
"The more I'm glad for your invitation." Albus's eyes twinkled merrily. "I must admit, I don't go out much."
Minerva's eyebrows went up. His revelation caught her by surprise – until she realized the most probable cause. Her head shook in disapproval.
"You really need to improve your work-life balance, Albus."
The wizard responded with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. To keep his hands busy, he picked up the menu.
"I think I'll have… milk chocolate with coconut syrup," he read the drink name to the waitress, who immediately took his order.
Despite Minerva's protests, Albus paid for them both.
"I'd like to start with a bookstore. Is that okay with you?" she asked, getting ready to leave.
Only after standing up, had the witch realized how crowded this place had become. When she arrived, there were maybe a few people that occupied far-away tables. Now, however, every single chair was taken – by individuals she didn't recognize. They all drank in a resounding silence. The sight was so peculiar that Minerva could only stare.
She felt Albus's hand on her back. Gently but firmly, he steered her to the exit and through the front door.
On the way to the store, she gave him a closer look. At first glance, the wizard was calm and collected as always. At second, she found clear signs of stress and tension. His moves were stiff and cautious, while his eyes restlessly scanned their surroundings.
Before Minerva had a chance to ask why, they were approached by a stranger. He talked so rapidly that the witch couldn't catch the meaning behind his words. Her eyes went to Albus, who kept on walking, cutting off the man's speech in an unusually irritated manner.
"A friend of yours?" she casually inquired, catching up to him.
"Not at all."
After a swift walk down the street, they found themselves in Tomes and Scrolls. Minerva headed to the children's section, where she hoped to find gifts for her niece and nephew. While picking the books, she could have sworn that she glimpsed a flash of light despite there being no storm outside. She quickly brushed off the uneasy feeling when Albus reached for the shelf right above her shoulder.
"I think they might enjoy this one," he said to her ear before stepping back.
"A Midnight Gathering," Minerva read on the cover.
Browsing through the pages, she weighted the book in her hand. This title certainly wouldn't be her first choice. However, growing up in a Muggle household, the witch knew very little of wizard children's books. And she valued Albus's opinion.
She grabbed another copy.
After visiting two more sections, they went to pay. Luckily, there was no line. Minerva left sixteen sickles on the counter and turned to leave.
Out of nowhere, a long queue had formed right behind her.
But how, why? The witch could have sworn there were no more customers here. She caught Albus's eye, her hand instinctively landing on her wand. But he said nothing, simply holding a door for her.
Things were getting more and more suspicious.
Outside, Albus startled Minerva by pulling her into a narrow alley. He put a finger to his lips, silently asking her to wait with the questions. Wordlessly, he cast the Imperturbable Charm to guarantee them some privacy. Glancing left and right to double-check, the wizard gave her a signal that it was safe to talk now.
"Albus, what's going on?" she said straight away.
"As you've surely noticed, we're being followed." Minerva nodded, prodding him to go on. "No need to worry, though; nobody will do you any harm."
"What do they want?"
With a strained face, the wizard took a step toward her. He lowered his voice.
"I told you I don't go out much. I believe I owe you an explanation as to why."
And explain he did.
"These people out there? They're after me. And it's hardly the first time. I've always believed the press have informants among the locals. But it's been almost a year since I showed myself in public. I don't know what I was thinking… I so hoped that we'd be left alone. I'm not that interesting of a person."
Closing his eyes for a moment, Albus allowed himself a breather. He was very careful with his words. The last thing he wanted was to scare Minerva off.
"Apparently, I was totally wrong," he stated, looking her straight in the eye. "What's worse, I got you mixed into all this… My sincerest apologies."
The witch appeared frozen to the spot, having no idea how to respond. She was still processing all the new information he'd shared with her. She couldn't decide what surprised her more. This huge burden in Albus's life that he never mentioned? Or the assumption that she'd hold him responsible for it? Needing more time to think, she instead asked,
"Has it always been like this?"
Albus's mouth opened but no words came out. His first instinct was to say yes, but something held him back.
"Come to think of it…" He paused, straining his memory. "I cannot say it has, no. I believe it all began small at first. With little annoyances whenever I left home. A handshake here, a surprise pat on the back there. Wherever I went, witches and wizards congratulated me. I couldn't go out to the store without somebody recognizing me. It was pleasant at first, flattering even."
His face darkened as he looked away. The wizard shook his head at the absurdity of what he was about to reveal.
"What I didn't realize were the dangers that would soon follow. Before I knew, people learned about my favourite places. They memorized my day patterns. Hours in advance, crowds gathered, waiting for my arrival. And when I didn't come… My fans, as they called themselves, had a clever idea to trail my every move. The amount of tracking spells I've disarmed! They truly got creative. Amusing, what a thin line separates admiration from obsession."
With lips tightly pressed together, Minerva listened to his story.
She had no idea.
It made sense now, all of it. His nervous gestures, her edginess and constant feel of being watched, people materializing out of nowhere. Everything had common roots.
"Merlin's beard!" she exclaimed, leaning heavily against the nearby wall. "This sounds awful."
Heaving a resigned sigh, Albus nodded with a shrug.
"I tried to talk to them, to explain, but nothing I've done ever worked. From my impression, I was only making things worse. That's why I rarely leave the castle. So I retain at least some semblance of normalcy."
"I don't blame you. It's a wonder you go out at all. I'd go crazy."
He gave out a humorless chuckle. As Nicolas once told him, he did the right thing and was now forced to suffer the consequences.
"It gets tough, true. I usually end up casting the invisibility charm or transfiguring my facial features beyond recognition. Which is a no-go in company – for obvious reasons."
"You must be pretty lonely, stuck up in your tower."
Her comment caught him off-guard.
"Not so much as of late," he stated with a wink.
But even though Albus was trying to be playful, his heart wasn't in it. Because he knew what he had to do next. He was more than sorry to leave his friend in the middle of the street, but this was the only way out he could see right now. The wizard opened his mouth to speak, but Minerva beat him to it.
"I think I can help," she offered briskly, taking out her wand. "May I?"
This got him intrigued.
The moment he nodded his agreement, the witch took him by the elbow and turned around, so that they were now standing next to one another. For a few deep breaths, nothing happened. Minerva's grip on her wand whitened her knuckles. Albus couldn't tell what she was trying to achieve, but he knew better than to interrupt. A sideway glance told him that her face was set, her eyes focused. He could almost see her wheels turn.
Although no words were uttered, he could feel a sudden change. Like a cold chill going down his spine.
"Now, come," the witch said, gesturing for him to follow.
At the edge of the magical barrier, Albus hesitated. The streets weren't safe, with reporters surely awaiting him behind the corner.
Minerva extended her hand.
With bated breath, he stepped out. They walked around in silence. His pulse quickened at the sight of Millicent Morrisons, who interviewed him at one point. Forcing himself not to make eye contact, he swiftly walked past her. To his great amazement, the witch just ignored him.
He and Minerva continued down the road, stopping by several shops, just to make sure. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. People's attention disappeared completely.
Slowly, Albus let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"This is amazing!" he stated, beaming with excitement. "How did you do this?"
"There is this spell," she said ominously, waiting for her students to pass by. "Very useful during reconnaissance. It invokes indifference, absent-mindedness, and bad face memory in anyone who looks at you. Of course, this won't be as effective on you as it would be on me. You're far more identifiable, so a feeling of familiarity probably remains. Like when you can't place a name to a face, and it drives you nuts."
"Does the spell affect you?" asked Albus with a hint of curiosity.
"After years of seeing you on a daily basis?" she replied with an amused smile. "I'd be surprised if it did. Hopefully, the others don't remember you half as well. This should suffice to let you walk around in peace."
"They teach interesting things at the Ministry." He sounded impressed.
His words caused Minerva to slow down. Eager to be the teacher for once, she forgot her Auror training, neglecting that there were certain rules that were never to be broken. Having realized what she'd done, she backpedaled a little.
"Just don't boast about it, alright?" She gazed intently at Albus, making sure that he understood. "This spell is a top-secret spying technique. Government-protected. Common wizardkind should have no knowledge of it."
Noticing her distress, the wizard comfortingly placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you for your trust."
She looked the other way, so that he wouldn't see her flushed cheeks.
They visited some more places. In Everything for a Knut, Minerva bought new knitting materials. Albus expanded his magical instruments collection thanks to a new batch in Dervish and Banges. While she was getting a pack of snacks for Hermes, he could finally get a closer look at the baby Jackalopes. They reminded him of Aberforth's fawns. Amazing creatures.
"Maybe we'd go to Honeydukes?" he suggested after Minerva refused to help him carry her bags. "Have you tried their chocoballs? They're delicious."
"I haven't. It sounds – great…"
Her voice trailed off. The moment Albus took his eyes off her, he understood why. A small crowd was closing in on them.
"Look, it is him!" shouted the witch in whom he recognized the Prophet's reporter. "Oi, Dumbledore!"
His heart fell. The spell wore off, he realized.
Before he knew, he was surrounded by a group of journalists. Brushing against him, poking his shoulders, making Disapparition impossible. He had to think – but he couldn't, overwhelmed, unable to escape.
That's when Minerva grabbed him by the sleeve.
And they ran for it.
To no one's surprise, the crowd soon followed. The first tracking spells went their way, but Albus was one step ahead. Reacting instinctively, he wandlessly conjured a powerful shield charm, hoping it'd deflected everything thrown at them. They sharped left and then right, trying to lose their tail. But the reporters didn't give up easily. On an adrenaline rush, Albus felt no fatigue. But Minerva was falling back, unable to keep up. He grabbed her hand and sped up without looking back.
The pair didn't stop until the outskirts of Hogsmeade, alone at last, panting.
"That – was – fun!" said the witch in-between breaths. "Did you – see their – faces?"
They looked at each other and started to laugh. Albus's legs hurt, and he was sure he'd feel his muscles the next day. However, the runaway itself amused him. It had been ages since he had such a great time.
When the laughter died out, Albus realized that Minerva's gaze never left his. As her irises glinted in the sun, he couldn't help but wonder what shade of green they were. Was this emerald or jade? He leaned in to take a closer look.
That's when her eyes widened in panic.
"Damn, the students!" Minerva jumped back, her gaze shooting to the main street. "I have to go back."
She completely forgot! How could she?! She took a nervous glance at her watch. No matter – she could still make it!
The witch set several long steps before coming to a sudden halt. Swiftly, she turned around and walked back part of the distance.
"Want to come along?"
Albus blinked at her, standing exactly where she left him. From his expression, she could deduce that he was weighing his options.
"No, but you go." The wizard nodded, letting Minerva know that it was alright. He rubbed her upper arm as he walked past her. "Thank you for today."
Grabbing her arm where Albus's hand had just touched it, she looked back. Just in time to see him disappear under the disillusionment charm.